Northern Ireland's political leaders have said progress has been made to resolve a destabilising row over welfare reform.
Implementing the changes to the benefits system is a key plank of December's landmark Stormont House Agreement.
DUP First Minister Peter Robinson and Sinn Fein Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness stood together outside Stormont Castle to express hope that a way through the dispute could be charted.
The more upbeat assessment comes after five hours of discussions between DUP and Sinn Féin delegations earlier today.
Mr Robinson said: "We have had discussions which I think were useful during the course of today. It is our intention to give work to officials to carry out over the next couple of hours and it is not without hope that we can reach a resolution on the issue, but there is still a long way to go."
Mr McGuinness added: "Further work has been taken forward which I think leaves us very hopeful about the future in terms of overcoming the difficulties facing us at the moment."
The two politicians arrived at Stormont Castle to brief the leaders of the Executive's three smaller parties on the outcome of today's negotiations.
The meeting broke up after half an hour and it is understood the parties will reconvene at the start of next week.
Mr Robinson said he did not expect a resolution tonight as he predicted the work required by officials would take longer than that.
Mr McGuinness said: "I think in the course of today good work has been done between our teams, the DUP and Sinn Féin teams, with a view to hopefully putting us in position where we can report some progress to the party leaders."
The row began on Monday after Sinn Féin's decision to withdraw support from welfare legislation just hours before a final Assembly debate.
The row centres on whether Stormont-funded mitigation schemes designed to support those in Northern Ireland who lose out under the reformed UK welfare system will cover future claimants, not just existing ones.
Sinn Féin pulled support after alleging the DUP had acted in bad faith by proposing to limit the schemes to current claimants.
The DUP has insisted there had never been an agreement to support future claimants and said such a system would require another £286 million.
With the British government insisting no money is on offer from the Treasury to resolve the problem, the impasse will have to be sorted between the five local parties.
The talks took place as a mass strike by public sector health, education, civil service and transport staff against spending cuts envisaged in Stormont House Agreement was staged across Northern Ireland.
