PM told budget was 'missed opportunity' for NI by Stormont leaders

The first and deputy first ministers are set to meet with the Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer on Friday.

Michelle O'Neill and Emma Little-Pengelly are due to attend the latest British-Irish Council (BIC) summit which is taking place in Wales.

Taoiseach (Irish Prime Minister) Micheál Martin and the Irish government's Foreign Affairs Minister Helen McEntee are also expected to join the proceedings.

It is McEntee's first bilateral meeting with Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn since taking up her new role in the Dublin administration.

She replaced Tánaiste (Irish Deputy Prime Minister) Simon Harris last month after the Fine Gael leader moved to the finance portfolio.

Senior UK government minister Darren Jones, chief secretary to the prime minister, is also expected to attend.

The summit comes after Chancellor Rachel Reeves last week unveiled the government's Autumn Budget, which included an extra £370m for Northern Ireland.

Stormont's Finance Minister John O'Dowd has said the funding "falls far short of what is needed".

But the secretary of state said the Northern Ireland Executive "does have the means if it wants" to consider its own revenue-raising measures.

The first minister plans to challenge Sir Keir over his government's budget settlement for Northern Ireland.

In an interview with the PA news agency on Thursday ahead of the summit, she accused the government of "prioritising weapons of war while people are struggling to pay for food and energy".

The government was approached for comment.

The BIC also follows the UK and Irish governments agreeing a joint framework on addressing the legacy of the Troubles in Northern Ireland.

It includes plans for a commission to investigate Troubles-related killings, an information recovery body, and a dedicated legacy unit within An Garda Síochána (Irish police).

The government's bill last month passed its second reading in the House of Commons.

But some unionist MPs have criticised the Irish government's involvement in the deal, while some have questioned the strength of a separate package of protections for veterans.

The BIC summit is set to be the second Sir Keir has attended as prime minister. He also joined the event when it was held last December in Scotland.

The Labour leader is only the third prime minister to attend a meeting of the British-Irish Council in 18 years.

It is the 44th summit of the BIC - one of the bodies established as a result of the 1998 Good Friday Agreement.

Political leaders from BIC's eight member administrations are set to attend.

The eight administrations are the UK government, Irish government, Scottish government, Welsh government, Northern Ireland Executive, and the governments in the Isle of Man, Guernsey and Jersey.

This will be the seventh BIC summit hosted by the Welsh government.

The latest summit's theme is: "A creative future: unlocking the potential of the creative industries across these islands."