Details of north-south forum to be announced

Politicians from north and south of the border are to meet in a new forum, according to Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness.

Details of the first meeting of the north-south parliamentary forum are to be announced shortly.

The initial proposal for the forum, to be made up of assembly members and members of the Dail, was outlined in the 1998 Good Friday Agreement.

The forum will meet both at Stormont and at Leinster House in Dublin.

Mr McGuinness told the BBC's Sunday Politics programme that the speaker of the assembly, Willie Hay, and his counterpart in the Irish Parliament, Sean Barrett, had reached agreement.

He said it was an example of "how we can move forward to ensure that politicians on the island of Ireland are involved in very serious discussions and deliberations".

Mr McGuinness said these included how they could "work together economically, to make life better for all the people that we represent".

Mr Hay and Mr Barrett are expected to make the announcement before the summer recess which begins next Saturday.

You can hear the full interview with Mr McGuinness on Sunday Politics starting on BBC 1 at midday on Sunday.