Executive parties are due to hold further talks with Northern Ireland Secretary Sir Chris Bryant on Thursday in another attempt to break the budget deadlock. Seven months into the financial year, the Northern Ireland Executive has still not agreed a budget.

Top civil servants from each Stormont department have also been invited to Thursday's discussions, which are expected to involve one-to-one meetings with delegations from each of the four executive parties.

Finance Minister John O'Dowd warned this week that a crunch point is approaching. On Tuesday, the executive met, and O'Dowd said he planned to present options to ministerial colleagues in the days ahead about a way forward. He did not specify those options, but the UK government has already rejected a request to allow a larger share of the three-year funding offer to be spent this year.

O'Dowd said all ministers needed to remain focused and that he wanted to avoid the prospect of strike action in the health sector. Without an agreed budget, departments face operating on emergency spending restricted to 95 percent of the prior year, with warnings that funds could run out by January.

Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly said discussions have been constructive and that the executive is in a better position now than when O'Dowd published a draft budget for consideration in January. She noted there is still a significant gap, especially in public sector pay.

Alliance Agriculture Minister Andrew Muir said it is now time for the executive to make a decision, adding that the issue needs to be resolved in days, not weeks or months, to give certainty on pay and investment in public services.

The secretary of state has warned that a cost-of-living payment of £100 cannot be made to households in Northern Ireland until an executive budget is agreed. The UK government announced its first budget under Andy Burnham last week, with Northern Ireland receiving an additional £270 million for public services, of which £131 million can be used this year. Sir Chris has said he is exploring contingency measures to pass a budget bill at Westminster if a deal cannot be reached at Stormont.