Stormont has ruled out imposing water charges in Northern Ireland.
The UK government has announced a £3.3bn package to support a return to devolution, depending on whether a new cabinet executive in Belfast commits to introducing its own additional revenue measures.
Water charges are not the only option available to ministers to raise additional funds for public services, but they are one of the more important potential tools at their disposal.
Sinn Féin First Minister Michelle O’Neill made clear on Monday that she opposes such measures.
Her comments echo comments from DUP deputy leader Emma Little-Pengery over the weekend, who said asking people to pay more for “poor public services” was unsustainable.
Mr O’Neill said the Government needed to shoulder the burden and provide Northern Ireland with an “appropriate funding model”.
“I’m saying unequivocally no to water bills,” she told BBC NI.
“What I want to say clearly is that we cannot force people with critical living costs to shoulder additional household costs while services and public services decline. That is the way we should be. It’s not the location.
“So what we are going to do is fight together for an appropriate funding model and we will be going to Treasury in the coming weeks to make that case again.
“We will discuss this matter again in executive session this week. We are working collectively to achieve an appropriate funding model.”
Furthermore, she added: “I’m not working on failures. We’re going to succeed. We need the right funding model. If you look at the way Scotland is funded and the way Wales is funded, the amount needed Funding is less than that.
“And it’s not based on us standing around with a begging bowl, as is often said. This is about us fighting for good public services. This is about us fighting for good public services. is that we are fighting for justice and that we are properly funded to address the needs of the publics we collectively serve.”
Ms Little Pengelly told the BBC on Sunday there were too many families in poverty in Northern Ireland and expressed concern about the potential impact of new revenue-raising measures.
“Many of those families are the very same families who are trying to raise their children, keep their jobs and get child care,” she said.
“We know how much financial pressure these families are under.
“Many of these proposals will only put further pressure on families in dire straits who are at risk for the cost of living.”