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Peter Robinson: NI First Minister attends meeting of British Irish Council British-Irish Council: Peter Robinson warns over Stormont's future
(about 3 hours later)
Northern Ireland's First Minister Peter Robinson is in Dublin for a meeting of the British Irish Council (BIC). There is no future for the Northern Ireland Assembly unless the Stormont House Agreement is honoured, First Minister Peter Robinson has said.
His public appearances have been limited since he suffering a heart attack last month. Mr Robinson, whose public appearances have been limited since he had a heart attack last month, was speaking at a British-Irish Council (BIC) meeting.
Mr Robinson has been joined at Dublin Castle by Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness. Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness also attended the meeting in Dublin.
Mr McGuinness is holding a separate meeting with the Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon. Speaking about the EU referendum, he said a UK withdrawal from Europe would be "hammer-blow" for Northern Ireland.
Northern Ireland's leaders met the Taoiseach (Irish Prime Minister) Enda Kenny and the first ministers of Scotland and Wales at the BIC meeting in Dublin Castle on Friday morning.
Mr Kenny told reporters that during the meeting, the ministers had expressed sympathy to the Irish people about the tragic death of Irish students in a balcony collapse in California this week.
He said they also discussed the UK's plans for its EU membership referendum.
Mr McGuinness also held a bilateral meeting with the Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon.
He has called for the three devolved institutions to work together to fight austerity.
Mr McGuinness said there was a need for what he described as a broad-based campaign of opposition to the Tory cuts agenda.
Northern Ireland's power-sharing government has been facing severe financial pressures in recent months, and rows over the implementation of welfare reform.
Last December's Stormont House Agreement dealt, in part, with some of the outstanding issues of the peace process, and crucially, appeared to find consensus over changes to the welfare system.
However, there is now a dispute between Mr Robinson's Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) and Sinn Féin over what was agreed.
Consequently there is a multi-million pound hole in the Northern Ireland budget, because Stormont's funding has been reduced to compensate for the shortfall in what it ought to have saved by making the welfare cuts.
When the North South Ministerial Council met in Dublin earlier this month, the first minister was not present.When the North South Ministerial Council met in Dublin earlier this month, the first minister was not present.
Since then, his work schedule has been curtailed as he recuperates after his recent illness.Since then, his work schedule has been curtailed as he recuperates after his recent illness.
Much of the interest surrounding this meeting of the British Irish Council will centre on Ms Sturgeon, following the Scottish National Party's stunning result in the UK general election.
She is meeting with Mr McGuinness who has called for the three devolved institutions to work together to fight austerity.
Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond and the Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny will be at the BIC meeting, as will the Welsh First Minister Carwyn Jones.
The BIC meeting is expected to concentrate on economic matters.
But the media will look for tensions over the budget crisis at Stormont as well as recent claims over collusion.