NI parties 'negotiating in a vacuum'

The British government seems to be in the dark about what exactly the IRA will do to revive power-sharing in Northern Ireland, a senior Ulster Unionist claimed today.

In a criticism of negotiations to restore the Assembly, former Stormont Economy Minister Sir Reg Empey queried how much the British government actually knew about the wording of an IRA statement addressing disarmament and the winding down of paramilitary activity.

The East Belfast Assembly member also accused the rival Democratic Unionists of keeping their eye off this key issue and of signing up to the Good Friday Agreement when they had once vowed to destroy it.

As DUP and nationalist parties focused on definitions of the fundamentals of the Agreement, Sir Reg said: “All of this is dancing on the head of a pin.

“The Agreement is there. It is clear what it means and the only issues which they (the DUP) are trying to change are minor operational matters about how certain decisions are taken.

“They have built up this myth that ministers and north-south bodies were unaccountable which is nonsense.

“This is not the issue. The issue is: are republicans committed to exclusively peaceful means? Are they going to deal with their weapons in a convincing way? And are they going to do that in a way that instils confidence?

“Those are the questions which led to the suspension of devolution in 2002. They are not resolved.”

Sir Reg claimed parties were negotiating about future power-sharing models in a vacuum, without knowing what the IRA was going to do.

“The (British) government says it knows what republicans are going to do but I am not convinced the (British) government knows 100%,” he said.

“I cannot trace anyone who has seen a piece of paper. It’s an understanding between republicans, the Taoiseach and the Prime Minister (Tony Blair).

“That may have been converted into a minute but it is not, in my view, a determination from the republican movement in writing.

“The mistake which the DUP is making is focusing on all this minutiae and not focusing on the big issue which is paramilitary movements and their commitment to exclusively peaceful means.”

With the second anniversary of the suspension of devolution in October 2002 approaching, the Prime Minister said at last month’s talks at Leeds Castle in Kent that he believed the issues of disarmament and paramilitary activity could be resolved.

However, the exact nature of what the IRA has offered has not been disclosed because unionists and nationalists have failed to reach agreement on future power- sharing arrangements.

British and Irish officials are currently working on proposals to bridge the gaps between the DUP and nationalists.

Their paper will address how ministers will be elected at Stormont, their accountability to their cabinet colleagues and the Assembly, and the future operation of cross-border institutions involving the Irish Government.

Sir Reg argued today the DUP’s claim that ministers were unaccountable was inaccurate.

“When I was a minister, I couldn’t walk down a corridor without being stopped,” he responded.

“We had to answer questions. We had to put stuff to the executive. There was a high degree of accountability.

“There are ways in which, in the light of experience, it could be improved and we put forward proposals to that effect to the (British) government six months ago.

“But in terms of north-southery, they said there were unaccountable bodies but we discovered during the discussions at Leeds Castle, and indeed before it, that they did not even understand how north-southery worked and the governments did not understand how north-southery worked.

“They had completely wrong idea.

“Give me one example where a minister did anything on north-south without agreement.

“There is not one example and the only example they could come up with on ministerial accountability was (Sinn Féin health minister) Bairbre de Brun’s decision on the siting of the maternity hospital – one decision out of thousands over three years.

“So I think they have built up this myth that things were unaccountable and they are just seeking to change things so that they can say: we have done this and done that.

“There are ways north-south bodies can be improved and again we have put forward proposals and are happy to accept changes.

“After all, the Agreement has a review mechanism and that means you alter in the light of experience.”