Talks to break policing deadlock 'may go to wire'

Crucial behind-the-scenes talks to break the deadlock over policing in the North could go down to the wire, it was claimed tonight.

As Sinn Féin leaders met to review negotiations with the Irish and British governments to resolve the party’s differences with Ian Paisley’s Democratic Unionists, republican sources said intense discussions were continuing.

“The talks that have been taking place with the British government are at the highest level,” a republican source said.

“There is a feeling that this one could go down to the wire.”

Sinn Féin is facing demands from the Democratic Unionists to sign up to supporting the Police Service of Northern Ireland before any commitment to transfer policing and justice powers to a Stormont Executive can be given.

Gerry Adams has told the DUP and the Irish and British governments that if he is to secure a change in the party’s policy towards the PSNI, a date for the transfer of powers will have to come first.

Taoiseach Bertie Ahern and British Prime Minister Tony Blair believe securing Sinn Féin support for the PSNI, the courts and the rule of law is an essential ingredient of their plan to revive power-sharing at Stormont next March.

Mr Ahern, Mr Blair, Northern Secretary Peter Hain and Minister for Foreign Affairs Dermot Ahern have been involved in the latest efforts to persuade Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams to call a meeting of his party’s national executive to recommend a special party conference on policing.

Sinn Féin’s chief negotiator Martin McGuinness, policing spokesperson Gerry Kelly and DUP Deputy Leader Peter Robinson have been involved in talks with the Northern Ireland Office in recent days.

It is understood that Mr Hain has also sounded out nationalist SDLP leader Mark Durkan about the possibility that his party could take the policing and justice portfolio in a power sharing government if the powers are devolved from Westminster to Stormont.

However Stormont sources said Mr Durkan had told the British government that his party was not prepared to walk blindly into an inadequate policing arrangement.

Mr Hain has also sounded parties out on a DUP proposal that the policing and justice minister could be elected under a different system in the Assembly than other ministers.

The DUP had proposed a 70% plus weighted majority vote in the Assembly to choose the minister, meaning he or she would have cross community support rather than allocating the post under the d’Hondt system used at Stormont for allocating ministries according to party strengths.

Sinn Féin and the SDLP, however, have rejected the suggestion on the grounds that it would give the DUP, the largest party in the Assembly, a veto over the minister and they have also criticised the proposal that the minister would not have voting rights at cabinet meetings.

As Sinn Féin continued to deliberate over whether it should publicly endorse the PSNI, the latest six-month study by the North’s Policing Board showed Catholic confidence in the police service had risen over the past year.

According to the study, almost four fifths (79%) of Catholics have total, a lot or some confidence in the PSNI.

This compared to 75% in September of last year and 76% in April.

Among Protestants, the confidence level remained the same over the past six months at 80%.

The overall rating in the community was 79%.