Northern Ireland's First Minister, Peter Robinson, has rejected suggestions that political leaders are obsessed with stacking up more powers.

Mr Robinson said the powersharing Executive had to prove it was capable of handling complex issues including financial management before powers such as income tax responsibilities were devolved.

He said: “We are open to look at further powers but we are not obsessed by this issue of stacking up more powers. What we need to do is to prove that we can operate on the powers that we presently have.”

Mr Robinson was addressing a Westminster select committee examining the future of devolution following the Scottish referendum as well as the implications of the Stormont House Agreement.

Members of the Political and Constitutional Committee met in Belfast’s Stormont Hotel, having previously travelled to Cardiff and Edinburgh to take views from local politicians.

Responsible management

Mr Robinson said: “We have to prove that we can deal responsibly with financial management. While any individual party might say it was capable of doing that when you are in a five-party coalition, on many occasions moving in a different direction, it is important that as a collective we are able to show that we are capable of dealing with those complex issues.”

The Stormont House Agreement, which was brokered on December 23rd, tackled a number of intractable issues including the implementation of controversial welfare reforms.

Mr Robinson conceded that although it was not entirely satisfactory there was "no real alternative" to the Barnett Formula – the system which determines how much money Northern Ireland receives from Westminster.

Also, giving evidence was Alliance Party leader David Ford, who backed a federal-type system of government, and Mike Nesbitt of the UUP who stressed the importance of reducing the flight tax known as Air Passenger Duty. – (PA)