Executive meeting 'must go ahead'

Peter Robinson has said the executive must meet

First Minister Peter Robinson has said he hopes a meeting of the Stormont Executive planned for this Thursday will go ahead.

He faced questions in the assembly about the failure of the executive to convene since last June.

Sinn Féin has said not enough political progress has been made to allow Thursday's meeting to go ahead.

However, Mr Robinson said there were more than two dozen issues that needed to be dealt with.

"The situation requires much more of me simply than grandstanding and scoring party political points," Mr Robinson said.

"What I do say is I would be deeply disappointed and the disappointment I have would be reflected right across this community, if the executive does not meet on Thursday."

Ulster Unionist leader Sir Reg Empey said Sinn Féin should "back down now" and allow the executive to meet.

"To Sinn Féin I say; give up this foolish behaviour; bring your ideas to the executive and assembly review committee where they can be fully debated by all parties," he said.

"Let the executive meet and see what it can do to help the most vulnerable and back down on this unjustifiable blockade of government business."

SDLP leader Mark Durkan said Sinn Féin should realise the "total weakness" of its position.

"Sinn Féin's tactic will simply mean that the entire calendar for further meetings will be frozen," he said.

"That would play into the hands of the DUP and Jim Allister."

Prime Minister Gordon Brown is due to visit Northern Ireland on Tuesday.

The assembly got back to work at Monday lunchtime with DUP MLA Ian Paisley Junior raising a point of order about security searches ahead of that visit.

He wants a reassurance that all offices will be searched. Some Sinn Féin assembly members had raised concerns about their offices being searched without prior notice.