Northern Ireland’s First and Deputy First Ministers have met British Chancellor George Osborne to argue the case for special treatment for Northern Ireland in relation to the UK government's planned spending cuts.
First Minister Peter Robinson said the two leaders had reiterated the need for the government to substantively support Northern Ireland's efforts to grow the private sector.
Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness warned there would be, what he called, an almost immediate impact on the wider economy in Northern Ireland if huge cuts to the block grant were introduced.
He said Mr Osborne had agreed to show flexibility in dealing with Northern Ireland.
Mr Osborne is expected to introduce severe cuts to public expenditure when he reveals his spending review on 20 October.
Northern Finance Minister Sammy Wilson has predicted the Northern Ireland budget could lose £2bn over the next four years.
