Sinn Féin says onus is on DUP to ‘strike a deal’

THE core issue of the move towards restoring devolved government in Northern Ireland was whether the Democratic Unionist Party is capable of striking a deal, Sinn Féin claimed on Saturday.

Mitchel McLaughlin, the party chairman, said Sinn Féin was dedicated to seeing the Stormont assembly and power sharing executive resume but the party had genuine grounds for concern on whether the DUP was ready to do the work required.

Prime Minister Tony Blair has warned that a return to direct rule for Northern Ireland was not possible unless the three days of high-level talks in Leeds Castle this week were successful.