SF claims progress on devolution talks

Progress has been made in talks involving Sinn Féin and the British and Irish governments on restoring devolution in Northern Ireland, Gerry Adams claimed today.

As his party embarked on a final push for votes in the European Parliament elections, the Sinn Féin leader said parties in Northern Ireland would after polling day enter the most difficult and challenging period of negotiations since the Good Friday Agreement.

With Sinn Féin also competing for votes in the Republic of Ireland this week in European and local government elections, the West Belfast MP predicted the party would make significant political and electoral advances.

During campaigning in north Belfast with Sinn Féin’s candidate in Northern Ireland, Bairbre de Brún, he observed: “From canvassing in the north it is clear that people are frustrated at the failure of the two governments, but especially the British government, to implement the Good Friday Agreement in full.

“However, people are not for giving up on the Agreement and they and we are determined to see the obligations and commitments in the Agreement honoured in full by all participants.

“In recent weeks, despite our busy schedule the Sinn Féin negotiating team has continued to hold intense discussions with the two governments.

“I believe we have made progress in these.

“The European and the local government election provide an opportunity for the nationalist and republican electorate to endorse our efforts and strengthen Sinn Féin’s mandate as we enter what will probably be the most difficult and challenging negotiations since the Agreement.”

Devolution has been suspended in Northern Ireland since October 2002 when Ulster Unionist concerns over IRA activity led to the collapse of the Stormont power sharing executive.

Two attempts to revive the Assembly and power sharing executive failed last year as David Trimble's Ulster Unionists continued to doubt republican intentions.

British Prime Minister Tony Blair, Taoiseach Bertie Ahern, the Ulster Unionists and the SDLP have all urged republicans to wind down the IRA as a paramilitary organisation in a bid to deliver stable devolved government.

However Sinn Féin has insisted republicans are being demonised and has accused the governments and their political opponents of ignoring their failure to honour commitments under the Good Friday Agreement.

The Reverend Ian Paisley’s Democratic Unionists success in last November’s NI Assembly election, where they overtook the UUP as Northern Ireland’s largest party, has intensified demands on republicans to wind down the IRA.

The DUP has said it will not share power with Sinn Féin unless the IRA is wound down and there is total disarmament.

However there is speculation that London and Dublin will step up efforts to restore the Assembly once Northern Ireland’s European Election has been decided.

The DUP is hopeful it will remain Northern Ireland’s largest party when the votes are counted next Monday.

The party’s candidate Jim Allister is urging unionist voters to back him to prevent Sinn Féin from topping the poll.

Republicans believe Miss de Brún, a former Health Minister in the Stormont Executive, can capture Sinn Féin’s first ever European Parliament seat in Northern Ireland.

Sinn Féin also has high hopes that its Dublin candidate Mary Lou McDonald can capture one of the Republic’s 13 European seats and that its North West candidate Pearse Doherty will poll strongly.

Party strategists are also looking to make inroads in local government in the Republic, dramatically increasing its representation in Dublin and also in Cork, Kerry, Donegal, Cavan, Monaghan, Louth, Waterford, Wexford and making a breakthrough in Galway.

Ulster Unionist MEP Jim Nicholson is defending a seat in Northern Ireland, while the SDLP is pinning its hopes on former Belfast Lord Mayor Martin Morgan.