Councils in Northern Ireland could be forced to cut waste collection services due to a funding crisis, it has emerged.
A new report made the stark warning ahead of a meeting between the Partnership Panel - a body that connects the NI Assembly with local councils.
It is understood that the 11 councils will meet Ministers and MLAs in a bid to secure a rescue package that could also see cuts to community events.
The financial security of councils this year has been branded a "write-off", the Northern Ireland Local Government Association (Nigla) has warned.
And according to a new report written to ahead of the meeting, local council chiefs said the situation would "deteriorate" in the coming weeks without further support.
The report said: "During Covid many organisations have had a rethink about whether they need a lot of premises they are paying rates on.
"Council reserves are absolutely depleted. Trying to agree multi-year budget for councils may be a challenge for Stormont."
In July, the Environment Minister Edwin Poots and Communities Minister Carál Ní Chuilín allocated £11million for councils to tackle the Coronavirus pandemic.
"Unless financial support is forthcoming this financial year and there are guarantees around future rates income for two years," the report added.
"Will have to consider significantly reducing services such as waste collection, community events and local development economic projects."
The meeting, which is scheduled to take place this week, will be the first encounter of the body in almost four years.
