Some Northern Ireland parties hold more Haass talks
Meghan O'Sullivan and Richard Haass (both centre) have chaired a series of round-table talks Delegations from some of the Northern Ireland Executive parties will continue talks about the past, parades and flags on Sunday.
Talks aimed at solving some of the contentious issues ended on Saturday without agreement.
The DUP met with former US diplomat Richard Haass, who is chairing the talks, on Saturday night, as the party does not negotiate on a Sunday.
The five main parties will meet again early on Monday.
The DUP's Jeffrey Donaldson said he hoped a deal could be reached before Monday's deadline.
"There are a number of significant issues that need to be resolved, particularly on parades and dealing with the past and so we're determined to try and close the gap if we can," Mr Donaldson said.
'Final effort'Dr Haass returned to Belfast on Saturday after efforts to reach a deal before Christmas had failed.
He said he was back "for one final effort to help reach agreement".
Dr Haass and his co-chair, Harvard professor Meghan O'Sullivan, are due to leave Northern Ireland before the new year.
Before Saturday's round-table talks began, Peter Robinson, Northern Ireland's first minister and leader of the DUP, said some elements of the proposals were "unworkable".
He said: "There's a large part of the document I could readily bring to the party, there are other elements that render the rest unworkable."
'Terrible embarrassment'Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness, from the main nationalist party Sinn Féin, said: "I just think that for Richard Haass and Meghan O'Sullivan to leave here without making an agreement would be a terrible embarrassment for politicians, for the process, and would clearly show a lack of leadership qualities in terms of facing up to these very difficult challenges."
Prior to Saturday's six-hour meeting Prof O'Sullivan had said: "By Monday we will know whether an agreement is to be had or not."
Dr Haass said the talks were "a final opportunity to come together in an agreement that we believe could and would change Northern Ireland for the better, both for individuals and for society writ large.
"We hope this opportunity is seized, as time does not work in anyone's favour.
"The last year has shown that flags and parades have the potential to further inflame an already divided society.
"Time also works against the ability to capture the past, as memory fades, as evidence is lost and lives end."
Asked if this was his final effort, Dr Haass used an American phrase: "You either fish or you cut bait." He said that time had come.
'Missing ingredient'Dr Haass and Prof O'Sullivan were brought to Northern Ireland in July by the first and deputy first ministers.
They returned to the US for Christmas after talks broke up without agreement in the early hours on Christmas Eve.
"By noon on Monday we will have had 12 hours of plenary, it will be hard at that point, given everything that will have gone before, to argue that the missing ingredient is more time," Dr Haass said.
The parties were given a fifth draft of proposals from Dr Haass and Prof O'Sullivan on Friday night.
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