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| Stormont House talks over welfare turn 'heated' | Stormont House talks over welfare turn 'heated' |
| (34 minutes later) | |
| There was a heated exchange between the deputy first minister and the secretary of state during talks over welfare reform, Sinn Féin has said. | There was a heated exchange between the deputy first minister and the secretary of state during talks over welfare reform, Sinn Féin has said. |
| Discussions were being held at Stormont House between Theresa Villiers, Irish foreign minister Charlie Flanagan and the five executive parties. | Discussions were being held at Stormont House between Theresa Villiers, Irish foreign minister Charlie Flanagan and the five executive parties. |
| Sources said Martin McGuinness quoted the latest UK child poverty figures to Ms Villiers during Thursday's talks. | |
| He then told her to "put that in your pipe and smoke it", they claimed. | He then told her to "put that in your pipe and smoke it", they claimed. |
| After the talks, Ms Villiers said the prospects for a resolution on the welfare reform impasse were looking "increasingly bleak". | |
| "Regrettably, today's meeting took us no further forward," she said | |
| "Time is running out. Implementation of the Stormont House Agreement is the only way to avert a major crisis. | |
| "The credibility and the future viability of the devolved institutions is now at stake. The choice rests with Northern Ireland's political leaders." | |
| Dependent | |
| Ulster Unionist leader Mike Nesbitt described the meeting as "depressing". | Ulster Unionist leader Mike Nesbitt described the meeting as "depressing". |
| He predicted there would be no progress on the deadlock at Stormont until after the chancellor's emergency budget, due on 8 July. | He predicted there would be no progress on the deadlock at Stormont until after the chancellor's emergency budget, due on 8 July. |
| On Wednesday, Stormont's new budget bill passed its second stage after a vote in the assembly. | |
| But its final stage is dependent on a deal on welfare reform. | |
| A deal on changes to welfare was struck during December's Stormont House Agreement. | |
| But since then, Sinn Féin, the SDLP and the Green Party have opposed the plans to implement the reforms. | |
| They have argued that the measures will hit the most vulnerable members of society. | |
| But supporters of the plan have warned that failure to change the benefits system will mean the executive cannot manage its budget, putting the future of the devolved government at risk. |