Powerless Assembly would be a farce - Sinn Féin

British Prime Minster Tony Blair and Taoiseach Bertie Ahern were tonight warned that setting up a Stormont Assembly with no real powers would be a costly, undemocratic farce.

Sinn Féin vice-president Pat Docherty sounded the warning as Mr Blair and Mr Ahern prepared to unveil their roadmap for restoring devolution in Northern Ireland this Thursday.