By David Blevins, Ireland Correspondent
Politicians in Northern Ireland are thought to have made progress as they try to reach agreement on issues threatening the future of devolved government.
Northern Ireland Secretary Theresa Villiers warned the talks will end later, with or without an agreement, as she prepared to sit down with the Irish Government and the five Executive parties at Stormont.
She said on Sunday: "It's 'make your mind up' time for Northern Ireland's political leaders.
"These talks finish tomorrow (Monday), even if it takes all night. If there's no agreement tomorrow, there isn't going to be one, and the process ends in failure."
Northern Ireland First Minister Peter Robinson said on Monday: "I do consider us to be making progress.
"I think there is a real chance for us to do the job but it does require all of us to apply ourselves and it will require all of us to stretch ourselves."
Last Friday, politicians struck a deal to cushion the blow of welfare reform from within the Stormont administration's own budget.
They have asked David Cameron for £2bn in loans over 10 years to tackle flags, parades and the past.
Sam McBride, political correspondent with the Ulster Newsletter, explained: "It's very clear that the one thing the political parties in Northern Ireland can agree on, and have agreed on in the process, is to ask for even more money.
"That's not a particularly difficult thing to agree to ask.
"However, if that was to persuade those parties to agree on some of the other issues, it may be that David Cameron would find that tempting to just get them out of his hair really."
Outstanding issues include the legacy of The Troubles and the need for answers for those who were bereaved or injured.
One of the options being explored is a Commission on Information Retrieval, similar to South Africa's Truth and Reconciliation Commission.
But some young people, like recently engaged Andrew Priestley and Jenni Mayne, think politicians focus too much on the past.
Andrew said: "We're 25 and 26 so we didn't live through The Troubles, we didn't live through the past they're maybe focussing on at the minute, we're looking towards our future."
Jenni added: "I've gone away for university and I've come home and at the minute, I'm kind of 'should I have come home?' because in the mainland, things are so much more progressed in terms of our age group."
A paper tabled by the British and Irish governments proposes the establishment of nine new public bodies in Northern Ireland.
One would deal with flags, two with parades and protests, three with the past and three more would promote reconciliation.
If they strike a deal, they will have cracked issues that have lingered since the Good Friday Agreement in 1998.
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