The Regional Development Minister is urging the Irish Government to put "the money back" after it declared it could not provide the £400m for the A5 road scheme.

At an Assembly meeting Danny Kennedy said he was looking at the viability of other projects if the scheme stalled.

Mr Kennedy said: "It is my job as roads minister in charge of regional development to identify schemes that we can spend money on effectively, efficiently, to improve the road network all over Northern Ireland, including the A5 and the A8, and to see how we can do that, because I don't want to be in a situation where the Executive has to hand back money to the Treasury with the excuse that it can't spend it."

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Government officials from both sides of the border are to hold talks in January to decide whether the project should given the go-ahead.

For further information Visit: 'Roadblock' On Agenda For North-South Summit'

(HMcE)