Who is running Northern Ireland?

The absence of Stormont ministers has left senior civil servants controlling the nine government departments in Northern Ireland.

The likelihood is that they will remain in control until the early part of next year, if not longer.

They are dealing with many challenges, especially on the financial front, with Stormont departments facing a projected overspend of more than £600m.

Ministers ceased to hold office at the end of October when the deadline for reforming the power-sharing executive passed without agreement.

With no ministers in place, the powers of civil servants are severely limited. They can only implement policies previously agreed by politicians and their ability to react to changing circumstances is negligible.