Joint authority 'a Sinn Féin dream'

Nationalist calls for the British and Irish governments to implement joint authority in Northern Ireland are pie in the sky, a senior Democratic Unionist claimed tonight.

DUP chairman Maurice Morrow dismissed comments in New York by Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams that London and Dublin should dissolve the Assembly and expand cross-border co-operation if unionists do not sign up to a deal soon to restore devolution at Stormont.

The Fermanagh and South Tyrone Assembly member said: “It is no coincidence that, on the day the Independent Monitoring Commission reported that the IRA was showing no sign of winding down, that Gerry Adams is shouting from the rooftops in America about the need for the DUP to do a deal and that the two governments must share power in Northern Ireland.

“Unionists can take heart from the fact that Adams and co are screaming about the outworkings of the political process.

“After six years of pushover unionism, Sinn Féin/IRA have realised that, for the first time in this process, the unionist community is being represented by a party who will not be rolling over to accept anything less than an end to terrorist and criminal activity and devolved structures that are fair to both unionists and nationalists.

“Any notion of joint authority or anything that resembles it is pie in the sky.

“Arrangements for the governance of Northern Ireland will only work where there is agreement from both unionists and nationalists.”

Mr Adams last night, at a Friends of Sinn Féin dinner in New York, told guests that the time had come for the British and Irish governments to put forward proposals to revive devolution.

If the Democratic Unionists weren’t willing to sign up, the Sinn Féin leader said London and Dublin should press ahead with the full implementation of the Good Friday Agreement.

They must be prepared to dissolve the Assembly, the West Belfast MP insisted.

He also argued: “It’s not just parties who can share power – governments can share power also.

“The British and Irish governments must look to formal institutionalised power sharing at governmental level.

“The structures already established under the Agreement, around issues as diverse as health and education, tourism and investment, energy and waterways, must be built on and expanded.

“These include the existing (cross-border) implementation bodies, as well as the areas of co-operation.

“Greater effort and emphasis must go into co-ordinating our human and economic resources to entrench and strengthen the co-operative and partnership nature of the Agreement.”

Mr Adams suggested that economic co-operation and joint planning could take place on a joint ministerial basis.

He also urged both governments to convene an all-Ireland consultative civic forum and press on with an all-Ireland charter of human rights.

“Bertie Ahern and Tony Blair have to send a clear message to the rejectionists and to all those who would frustrate the work of the peace process that there is going to be a substantial and significant investment of effort and resources into power sharing by the governments to bring about the full implementation of the Agreement.”

Mr Morrow said attempts by Sinn Féin and others to question his party’s commitment to a fair deal should be treated with contempt.

The former Stormont social development minister said: “He (Gerry Adams) ought to devote his efforts to bringing about an end to IRA training, recruiting, intelligence gathering and other terrorist and criminal activity.

“Mr Adams and his supporters should know that unionists will not be turning back in their demand for change.

“The days of Sinn Féin/IRA getting their way on everything are over.”