THE Stormont talks process is to be put on hold for the remainder of this week.
The hiatus in the latest talks, which began in May, comes just days after Sinn Féin complained that they had gone into into "go-slow" mode.
A Dublin government spokesman last night indicated to The Irish News that there would be no round-table talks involving the parties until next week at the earliest.
It is thought they have been suspended to accommodate the July 12 celebrations on Friday.
Tanáiste Simon Coveney was quizzed on the potential for agreement between the parties yesterday at the Global Ireland Conference in Dublin.
He said the best chance of a deal was to keep the process "low key".
The Fine Gael deputy leader said there were differences around issues such as identity and language.
He repeated his belief that there cannot be "winners and losers in this process".
"We have to have an agreement that hopefully all five parties can buy into," he said.
The devolved institutions have been dormant for the past two-and-a-half years.
They collapsed when Martin McGuinness resigned as deputy first minster at the height of public outcry over the RHI scandal.
