Sinn Féin has stressed the need to involve all Stormont's parties in discussions about any financial package that will accompany the restoration of the institutions.
DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson signalled on Tuesday that his party's discussions with the government about ending its 15-month boycott of devolution included a bid to secure a financial package.
His party colleague Carla Lockhart called on Wednesday for reform of Barnett formula, the mechanism for delivering funds to the devolved administrations.
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The Upper Bann MP said her party leader was "prioritising the funding issue directly with the prime minister in our ongoing negotiations with the government".
In the absence of a Stormont finance minister, Secretary of State Chris Heaton-Harris has been responsible for setting the regional budget.
However, many departments have been left under-funded, with warnings of severe constraints on spending.
Amid warnings that Department of Health cuts to community and voluntary groups would push some "to the brink of collapse", Sinn Féin deputy leader Michelle O'Neill said the secretary of state was failing to demonstrate the necessary "urgency" when it came to working to restore the executive.
Speaking after she and former finance minister Conor Murphy met Mr Heaton-Harris at Hillsborough Castle on Wednesday, the first minister designate said the level of cuts proposed in the budget were "not tolerable" and that a real plan was needed to restore Stormont.
"It's unfortunate to say I don't believe there's any urgency there on his (Mr Heaton Harris's) part – I think that was certainly our reflection of the conversation that we just had," she said.
She added: "But we need some urgency, there needs to be a real plan and we need to understand when we're going to have a restored executive and assembly, but certainly the emphasis of our conversation today was around, one the restoration, but two, the scale and savagery of the cuts that are being imposed upon the public because the DUP are in a stand-off with the British government."
Mr Murphy stressed that a potential financial package from the UK government upon the restoration of the Stormont assembly would not be "one party's wishlist".
"We also made the point to Chris Heaton-Harris that if there has to be a discussion, it's a discussion which involves all of the parties and the civil service," he said
"This isn't one party's wishlist - we have ideas, the other parties have ideas, in relation to what is needed to try and offset some of the worst damage that the British government's budget has made, so he agreed, he accepted that point, that this is a discussion for all parties and senior civil servants as well."
Ms O'Neill said her party would be meeting on Thursday with Jayne Brady, head of the Northern Ireland civil service, to discuss budgetary concerns, but also added that all parties needed to be involved in setting the budget.
"It has to be the collective view and will of all the parties working together here to achieve the most efficient budget that allows us to actually deliver good public services," she said.
Ms O'Neill also confirmed a meeting of the British-Irish intergovernmental conference will be held to establish a plan for the restoration of the Stormont executive.
SDLP leader Colum Eastwood urged British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to deliver a public service rescue package linked to the restoration of devolved government.
Speaking at Westminster during Prime Minister’s Questions, the Foyle MP called on the British government to send a message to the DUP that it is now time to get back to work.
"Fixing the services we rely on won’t be easy – it will require a public service rescue fund to frontload resource into health service transformation, ending wage stagnation and injustice and getting the basics back on track," he said.
He said political leaders would be required to "work together like never before".
"The message from people across the north was clear last week – change can’t wait," Mr Eastwood said.
"It’s time the DUP and the British government heard it loud and clear.”
