The leader of Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), Arlene Foster, has turned down an invitation from the Government.

Mrs Foster had been invited to Dublin to an address by Pope Francis in Dublin Castle on Saturday August 25th.

A DUP spokesman said Mrs Foster "appreciates the invitation" but will be away with her family at the time.

"She particularly acknowledges the significance of this event for many Roman Catholics in both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland", the spokesman added.

The Stormont Assembly is currently in a period of non-existence, having not sat since January 2017.

Numerous meetings and talks have taken place, however no agreement between the main parties has been reached.

In that time, a new Northern Ireland Secretary has taken over the post.

Karen Bradley was appointed back in January this year, after James Brokenshire left on health grounds.

Among the sticking points is an Irish Language Act for Northern Ireland and legacy issues over The Troubles.

Arlene Foster last visited Dublin to meet Taoiseach Leo Varadkar in June 2017 | Image: Brian Lawless/PA Archive/PA Images

In relation to Brexit, Mrs Foster has previously said Britain's leaving the European Union is not about "pulling up the drawbridge" between the Republic and the North.

Speaking in January, she said: "I often think that Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland are like a semi-detached house.

"The houses may look the same on the outside, but, inside, they look different and we do many things very differently.

"But no matter how contrasting the interiors are, they are tied together and part of the same neighbourhood and what happens on one side of the fence inevitably has an impact on the other.

"I know that we are rivals in some respects, but in so many ways success for one of us is success for the other.

"As we chart a new course for the future, it is not in our interests to see the Republic of Ireland do anything other than prosper.

"Nor does it help any of us if we let the challenges that Brexit brings deflect us from the opportunities that will exist in the future.

"We will continue to have our own identities and for our part we will no longer be members of the European Union, but our futures will still be closely connected."