Executive to meet after breaking deadlock

A breakthrough in talks between Sinn Féin and the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) will see a meeting of the North's Executive on Thursday, ending months of deadlock, it emerged tonight.

The two parties have been involved in negotiations to end a stand-off over the devolution of policing and justice powers from Westminster that has blocked Executive meetings since June.

It is now understood the parties are poised to announce significant progress in their talks, clearing the way for Executive meetings to resume.

First Minister and DUP leader Peter Robinson and Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness of Sinn Féin, will tomorrow brief a Stormont committee on how they see the transfer of policing powers moving forward.

It is understood that the meeting will mark the beginning of an agreed process on how the vexed issue can be dealt with.

The parties today declined to confirm that a deal had been secured, but DUP and Sinn Féin leaders signalled that significant progress had been made.

On the question of a deal being agreed, Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams said: “I am hopeful. We have made some progress on these matters.”

He added: “Sinn Féin’s position has been very consistent. The Executive and all the institutions need to operate and they need to operate on the basis of equality.”

Mr Adams said the talks had covered a wide range of issues, but he said the devolution of policing and justice was at the heart of the negotiations.

In the Assembly today, Mr Robinson also pointed to significant developments.

When asked when the next Executive meeting was likely, he said: “The next Executive meeting is scheduled to take place on November 27; however, in circumstances where agreement was reached to hold an Executive meeting, it could take place sooner.”

It is now understood that meeting is being planned for Thursday.

The deal will end a stand-off that has threatened to derail the power-sharing government which only took office in May 2007 after a painstaking process.

The then DUP leader Ian Paisley led his party into government with Sinn Féin and forged a surprisingly positive public relationship with Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness.

But when Mr Paisley stepped down in June of this year, Sinn Féin threatened to block the election of his successor Peter Robinson as First Minister.

Republicans said the DUP had frustrated a series of Sinn Féin policy priorities including education reform, the redevelopment of the Maze/Long Kesh prison site and the introduction of an Irish language act.

The major stumbling block was the transfer of policing and justice powers to Stormont as promised in the St Andrews deal of 2006.

But the DUP insisted it was not bound by the target date of May 2007 set for devolution of the powers and has argued it will only move on the issue when there is sufficient confidence in the unionist community.

It is now understood that the parties have agreed a deal on the devolution of justice powers.

While a date for completion will not be confirmed, the existence of a process to deliver the powers will give an indication of when the transfer will be complete.

Further details of the agreement will become clear after the First and Deputy First Minister address the Assembly and Executive Review Committee tomorrow at 11am.

Meanwhile, it is believed that no agreement will be announced on other issues such as the development of the former prison site, Irish language or education. But with progress made on those fronts, work will continue to agree a final accommodation.

The DUP and Sinn Fein have said they will not take any new Justice Minister’s post, but while the Alliance party was touted as a possible agreed candidate, it said tonight it had not been approached.

Alliance leader David Ford said he would be pleased to see an Executive meeting on Thursday, but insisted much more work had to be done to tackle the backlog of issues facing the administration.

It is thought that the first order of business on Thursday will be a package to address the growing economic pressures hitting society.

Leader of the nationalist SDLP Mark Durkan, however, said Sinn Féin and the DUP had carved up power to suit their political agendas in the past and warned against by-passing the Assembly.

“It is clear Sinn Féin and the DUP may not have their act together in public but they certainly have their pact together as they connive together in cahoots and collusion,” he said.

Ulster Unionist Party leader Reg Empey said: “Whatever solution is found to the present impasse isn’t simply another fudge to get us out of this latest hole,” he said.

“Northern Ireland needs stability.”