Nationalists slam 'bedding in period' proposal for Executive

Nationalist parties in the north have tonight criticised suggestions that the North's new power-sharing Executive could have an eight week gap between its first and second meetings.

As pressure mounted on Ian Paisley to agree to power sharing with Sinn Féin by next Monday, talks sources hinted there could be an eight-week "bedding in" period for power sharing ministers.

"The St Andrews legislation is very specific," a source said. "The choice for the parties is to either nominate a full executive or face the closure of the Assembly.

"The DUP have been saying for some time it could be May at the earliest before they can share power but I think there's a realisation that nominations must take place next Monday.

"The question is whether you can create an arrangement which allows the parties to have devolved ministers but then give them time to bed into their new roles. Ultimately that would be a decision for the executive."

Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams insisted today however that devolved ministers must be allowed to fully exercise power from next Monday.

"The choice is very clear," he said. "Either we allow the current very unsatisfactory arrangements to continue where British government ministers impose all types of punitive measures, or locally mandated politicians take up their positions and try to deal with all of these matters.

"In other words, that we govern and we govern from Monday when ministers are appointed.

"We have an unprecedented opportunity and a huge amount of preparation work has been done to get us to this point. We cannot allow the rejectionists or those that don't want progress to set the pace."

SDLP leader Mark Durkan also cautioned against the British government offering breathing space to DUP ministers in a devolved executive.

"We need delivery for the public, not some "breathing space" for the DUP," the Foyle MP said.

"We need an executive up and running by March 26 to deal with the issues that people want sorted - like water, health and the economy.

"We cannot afford anything that ends up half way between ambiguity and absurdity. We need devolution clearly and cleanly.

"Otherwise, ministers won't be credible with the public. And none of us will be credible in negotiations with the Treasury if the executive is only half-working.

"The danger is if we start half cocked we may stay half cocked. So let's devolve fully and cleanly now."

Northern Secretary Peter Hain was returning to Belfast tonight in preparation for the possible resumption of devolution next Monday.

Mr Hain will have to sign a restoration order by midnight on Saturday, recalling the Assembly to appoint a power-sharing government.

All eyes will, therefore, be on Saturday's crucial DUP executive meeting which will decide if the party will go ahead with nominations to a devolved government on March 26.

If the North's politicians form an administration at Stormont they could access a multi-billion financial package offered to them by British Chancellor Gordon Brown today which would enable them to defer controversial water charges.

The Chancellor offered the parties £1bn (€1.47bn) in additional money on top of the £35bn (€51.6bn) already pledged over four years.

He confirmed £400m (€589.5m) of the extra funds would come from the Irish Government.

Mr Brown also revealed plans for a retail consortium agreement involving five major chains - Tesco, Sainsburys, Asda, B&Q and Marks & Spencer - to create 5,000 jobs in the sector.

While he did not slash corporation tax in the North to 12.5% in line with the Republic, Mr Brown announced David Varney would head a review of future taxation policy.

Significantly, Mr Brown also agreed to the severing of the link between the borrowing of low interest loans for the Northern Executive from the Treasury and the raising of extra revenue through local taxation including rates hikes and water charges.

Mr Brown's offer will be withdrawn if an executive is not formed and the Assembly will be closed down.

The package received a muted welcome from parties in the North , with DUP leader Ian Paisley and his deputy Peter Robinson describing it as a modest advance.

As the DUP insisted there were more issues which needed resolved before a power-sharing decision could be made, a source said: "There have been concerns in recent days that not everybody in Ian Paisley's party is on board and that it could be tight.

"The party had staked its claim that its participation in a devolved government would be condition-led and not calendar-led.

"However the (British) Prime Minister and Peter Hain have been very firm that the March 26 deadline is rigid.

"There is a widespread view that the Rev Ian Paisley wants to do the deal. The question is: can he bring everybody in the party with him?"

The parties who would make up a power-sharing executive were warned by the cross-community Alliance Party's leader David Ford that the limitations in Mr Brown's financial package would mean they would have to spend public money more wisely than before.

"It is clear once again that any extra money on offer from London amounts to less than could be saved by ending segregation in our public services," the South Antrim Assembly member said.

"The only way to avoid water charges, rates rises, tuition fees and other stealth taxes in the coming years is to promote integration in schools, leisure centres and health provision.

"Funds allocated by (British) government must be linked to reforms in this direction. The inefficiences in our public finances must be resolved. It is the government in Belfast, not London or Dublin, which will have to resolve them."