Envoy Haass to hold devolution talks

The US Government Special Envoy to Northern Ireland, Richard Haass, will arrive this week to talk to the political parties about the possibility of restoring devolution.

The discussions follow last week’s election result which saw Ian Paisley’s hard-line democratic unionists become the largest unionist party and Sinn Féin overtake the SDLP.

It is expected to be Dr Haass’ last visit to the North in the role of George Bush’s Special Ambassador.

Dr Haass, who left the US State Department to join New York think tank the Council for Foreign Relations in July, will be replaced as envoy at the start of next year.

He is likely to call on the parties to engage positively in a bid to restore the power-sharing administration of Stormont and get the Good Friday Agreement back on track.

Dr Haass is expected to arrive in the North tomorrow and will stay for two days.

Meanwhile Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams and SDLP leader Mark Durkan are meeting at Stormont to discuss the implications to the political process of last Wednesday’s Assembly election result.