Meetings not a stunt - McGuinness

Sinn Fein's Martin McGuinness has rejected a claim by the North's First Minister that a meeting with the Minister for Health and Education in Dublin today is an electoral stunt.

McGuinness and Bairbre de Bruin both met with Micheal Martin and Dr Michael Woods at Government Buildings for talks, prompting an angry reaction from David Trimble.

McGuinness said the discussions were not intended to be offensive towards Trimble, but were in line with the mandate given to him by the North's electorate.