'Progress' in NI talks lifts hopes

Northern Ireland’s politicians were tonight preparing for another week of intense negotiations as hopes of a significant peace process breakthrough rose.

Sources close to the talks to revive power sharing at Stormont said progress was being made in bridging the gaps between the Reverend Ian Paisley’s Democratic Unionists and Sinn Féin.

But they also insisted: “Everything is at a delicate stage right now.

“That’s why the DUP and Sinn Féin are anxious to play everything publicly close to their chest. One wrong phrase and it could all go belly up.”

After Mr Paisley reported on British and Irish proposals to revive Stormont to the DUP Assembly team, party chairman Maurice Morrow said their MLAs believed the talks had advanced.

The Fermanagh and South Tyrone MLA confirmed: “At a full meeting of the DUP Assembly Group this morning, there was a unanimous positive reaction to the report by the party leader on the negotiations.

“The Assembly Group welcomed and commended the efforts of the party’s senior negotiators to date and offered its continued support.

“Members recognise that significant progress has been made in the days and weeks since Leeds Castle and that there is still work required.

“The team will be working tomorrow to provide the (British) government with a detailed analysis of outstanding issues that need to be resolved.”

Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams today also updated party colleagues on the state of the talks.

The West Belfast MP met Sinn Féin’s national officer board and its Dáil members.

He also travelled to west Belfast to join chief negotiator Martin McGuinness and Mitchel McLaughlin tonight for a briefing of Sinn Féin’s Assembly Group.

It is understood the Democratic Unionists are still anxious to pin down republicans on a proposed IRA disarmament move.

The DUP has been pressing for decommissioning to be more transparent, with possibly photographic or video evidence to increase confidence in the unionist community.

The party has also been focusing on the timescale for the rolling out of a deal.

“If republicans had their way, this would all be done in five minutes and if the DUP had its way it would all be done in five or six months,” a talks source said.

“The exact time frame has to be pinned down.”

Republicans have also been pressing for greater clarity, with the party anxious to ensure there is no watering down in the powers of devolved ministers and the cross border bodies.

As the DUP and Sinn Féin considered how to get the best deal for them, Democratic Unionist MEP Jim Allister reaffirmed in a speech in Belfast the party’s need for paramilitaries to abandon violence.

He said: “Here in Ulster we are still enduring political uncertainty.

“Our children and families are continuing to suffer at the hands of paramilitaries.

“It is the responsibility of those who continue to use the apparatus of terror to brutalise our children and families to put away their guns and bombs in an open and trust-building way.

“The families and children of today and tomorrow demand nothing less.”

Nationalist SDLP leader Mark Durkan tonight said it was clear the DUP was close to getting a very good deal for them which could be bad for the overall political process.

The Foyle Assembly member said: “It is clear that a very good deal is on offer for the DUP.

“They have been able to get a triple veto – a veto on who nationalist ministers can be, a veto on any more North-South co-operation, a veto on any target for achieving the devolution of justice.

“The fact is under these proposals Martin McGuinness would not have been Minister for Education. He would have been vetoed by unionism.

“When we negotiated the Agreement, we insisted that every party appoint to ministerial office in accordance with its democratic mandate, but now the DUP has been given the last word on nationalist ministers.

“That is a dangerous shift.

“Sinn Féin says that this proposal will not cause them too much heartache but the notion that the DUP can veto the appointment of nationalist ministers will give many a heart attack.”