McGuinness: Time pressing for NI peace deal

Time is pressing for Northern Ireland politicians to make a breakthrough in the peace process, Sinn Féin chief negotiator Martin McGuinness claimed today.

As Taoiseach Bertie Ahern warned in Brussels that the parties had until Wednesday to try and strike a comprehensive deal, the Mid Ulster MP said all communities needed to hold their nerve over the coming days.

Mr McGuinness, who was briefing his party’s officer team in West Belfast, said: “In a number of interviews in the last two to three weeks I said there was a narrowing window of opportunity.

“Two weeks ago I said that we would have just around two weeks or just over it to sort things out.

“So I wouldn’t disagree with what the Taoiseach said.

“Time is pressing and I think that the work, the intensive work that we have been engaged in over the course of recent weeks is continuing and we are aiming for success.”

Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams and Ulster Unionist leader David Trimble met yesterday as the two parties tried to resolve their differences over the restoration of power sharing.

The Ulster Unionists and the British and Irish Governments have been pressing Sinn Féin to secure an historic declaration from the IRA that it is ending all paramilitary activity.

Most talks participants believe what is more likely is a third disarmament gesture from the IRA as a demonstration of its willingness to remove all armed groups.

Mr McGuinness said Sinn Féin had been pressing hard for movement from the Government on the transfer of policing and justice powers from Westminster to Stormont and the implementation of equality and human rights commitments in the Good Friday Agreement.

He again cautioned people about focusing solely on what the IRA had to do and said the Sinn Féin officer team had expressed concern about the way the process was managed earlier this year.