Further talks on plans to devolve political responsibility for justice and policing matters from Westminster to Stormont have ended at Downing Street.
Northern Ireland's First Minister Peter Robinson and Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness said good progress had been made.
Both travelled to London following yesterday's talks at Stormont with British Prime Minister Gordon Brown.
The amount of money which Westminster will provide to the Stormont Executive to fund policing and justice has emerged as the main stumbling block, especially within Mr Robinson's DUP.
After this evening's talks, both men revealed that agreement still needed to be reached in talks with Brown on the funding of one major issue.
Mr Robinson described as it as 'the largest big ticket issue' but declined to say what that was.
It is expected there will be further talks later this week.
The DUP has insisted it will not approve devolution until the Treasury tables an appropriate cash package - thought to be in the region of €650m - to support the region's new justice department.
Before the today's talks, Mr McGuinness said the British Prime Minister had assured him the transfer of responsibilities would not fail due to a lack of financial support.
'At the meeting I have just left with Gordon Brown he had made it clear that he wants to ensure that the issue of finance isn't a blockage to the process moving forward,' Mr McGuinness told the Assembly yesterday.
While Sinn Féin acknowledges that funding is important, it has claimed Mr Robinson is using it as an excuse to delay the transfer in the face of resistance from hard-line elements within his ranks.
Mr Robinson said that while progress had been made, there was still work to do to nail down all the money issues.
'What we want to do is to be absolutely sure that all the foreseeable inescapable pressures are dealt with,' he said.
A British government source said good progress had been made at yesterday's talks.
