MLAs will debate the implications of the budget cuts The Assembly has been recalled for a special sitting to discuss the implications of the Spending Review cuts announced last week.
Sinn Fein and the SDLP have tabled a joint motion to debate the cuts.
Both parties are concerned that the most “vulnerable in society” will be hit the hardest.
The Finance Minister Sammy Wilson has estimated that Northern Ireland will have to make savings of £4bn over four years.
Mr Wilson will circulate a paper to his executive colleagues.
He said the purpose of the debate was to “get MLAs and ministers discussing the reality of the situation” and to “start to put their minds as to how we address it”.
“I hope that we get something constructive and not just the usual knee-jerk reaction, these are Tory cuts and we’ve got to resist them,” he warned.
“If it’s like that, I think it will give people out in the community, nothing but despair.
“If there’s seen to be a good constructive debate, then I think at least they’ll be assured that MLAs are gettting on top of it.”
Executive ministers are expected to meet this week.
A group is being set up to examine the cuts and look at them in detail.
Each minister will look at their budget to see how savings can be made.
The First Minister Peter Robinson has warned executive colleagues not to play “party politics” over how to tackle the spending cuts.
Mr Robinson said all proposals will have to gain support from around the executive table.
Northern Ireland’s Department of Finance is at odds with the Treasury over the extent of the cuts.
Finance Minister Sammy Wilson arrived at an overall figure of £4bn by taking annual reductions in the Northern Ireland grant in each of the next four years and adding them together
The Treasury said the cut is less than half of that – it arrives at its figure by comparing the NI grant for this financial year to what it will be in 2014/15.
The first and deputy first ministers have requested a meeting with the Prime Minister David Cameron to discuss the cuts and to seek assurances over £18bn of funding for NI made by Gordon Brown in 2007.
The coalition government has been accused of breaking promises over the funding.
Economists have warned that redundancies are inevitable because of the cuts in public spending required by the Comprehensive Spending Review.
Construction and other industries reliant on capital investment face being particularly badly hit because of a bigger than expected cut in the capital budget.
On Saturday several thousand people attended a trade union rally against the proposed spending cuts in the centre of Belfast.
The march began at St Anne’s Cathedral before making its way to City Hall.
Among those attending were Social Development Minister Alex Attwood and Education Minister Catriona Ruane.
The finance minister Sammy Wilson described the protest as a waste of time.
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