Prime Minister calls party leaders over Stormont crisis

By David Hunter

The Prime Minister has encouraged Sinn Fein and the DUP to reach a power sharing deal as soon as possible. 

Theresa May phoned Michelle O'Neill and Arlene Foster separately to discuss the outstanding issues. 

A Downing Street spokesperson "The Prime Minister spoke on the phone with the leader of the Democratic Unionist Party Arlene Foster and the leader of Sinn Fein in Northern Ireland Michelle O'Neill. 

"In separate phone calls the Prime Minister made clear the importance of restoring a power-sharing Executive to Northern Ireland as soon as possible and she recognised their continued leadership towards reaching agreement.

"They discussed key outstanding issues that remain for both parties and the Prime Minister encouraged both leaders to come to an agreement soon in the interests of everyone in Northern Ireland.

"The Prime Minister assured them both that the Northern Ireland Secretary would continue to work closely with the parties towards a successful outcome."

Stormont has been without a functioning executive since Martin McGuinness' resignation in January. 

The late Deputy First Minister blamed the fallout of a renewable heat incentive scandal and what he described as a 'lack of respect' from his DUP partners in Government. 

The republican party now says it won't re-enter the executive until Democratic Unionists agree to equality based legislation surrounding the Irish language and marriage equality. 

Talks between the parties broke down over the Summer break with no new deadline set for them to resume. 

If there's no outcome by late October the Secretary of State, James Brokenshire, says he'll have to legislate for a Northern Ireland budget at Westminster. 

Public services say they're being crippled by the crisis as Government departments are being run by Civil Servants and don't have access to full funding without ministers in place.