Robinson issues financial ultimatum on justice devolution

Democratic Unionist Party leader Peter Robinson today handed Gordon Brown a financial bottom line on the transfer of policing and justice powers from Westminster to Stormont.

With fresh Downing Street talks on the divisive issue due with Mr Brown today, the DUP dug in its heels on the finances required and identified three budget issues it said were now non-negotiable.

And while Mr Robinson also accused Sinn Fén of trying to manufacture a crisis to force a deal, he said he would not be pressurised by Downing Street or by the arrival on Monday of US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

Mr Robinson said that, despite progress in some areas, the Government had yet to cover the estimated £400m (€435m) cost of hearing loss claims by former police officers and revealed he had presented Mr Brown with a final bill for funding the police service and courts service budgets.

“These are issues now where I am in the position where I have a very clear view of what is required in Northern Ireland for these services to be properly resourced,” he said.

“I have discussed the matter with the (Stormont) Finance Minister and with officials from the department and I have made the Prime Minister aware of what I believe is necessary.

“I am therefore no longer in a position to negotiate those issues.

“I have indicated what is required. I will not accept one penny less.

“I will not ask the Chief Constable to do the job for less than he has indicated to me is required and the same goes for the courts.”

The DUP leader produced a “tick-list” of areas of agreement that had yet to be reached before completing devolution.

He also repeated his party’s wish to reach agreement on other issues such as the future of the Parades Commission, the retention of the police reserve and the availability of personal protection weapons to former security force members.

He again rejected claims that he is seeking to delay the process because his party is opposed to completing devolution ahead of the forthcoming Westminster election for fear the DUP will be attacked for agreeing to share responsibility for the justice system with republicans.

But the DUP leader accused Sinn Fein of trying to manufacture a crisis on the issue.

“We have heard all of this before,” he said.

“The Sinn Féin tactics are fairly clear. You create a crisis so that somebody has to resolve the crisis. You try and create a momentum so that people are forced to meet your agenda.

“I’m not playing it. That’s not the game I am going to play.

“I’ll deal with all of the issues and I will not be rushed by anybody.”

Mr Brown was in Belfast last week for talks with Sinn Féin and the DUP.

His arrival came after Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness of Sinn Féin publicly hit out at the DUP leadership and claimed Mr Robinson was under pressure from DUP ranks to block devolution of the powers.

Both parties agreed last year to a take part in a process which would see the devolution of policing and justice authority to the Assembly. While no final date was made public, Sinn Féin has said it believed the process could be finalised by the end of 2009.

As talks continue between the parties and the Prime Minister today, Mr Robinson denied that he was coming under increased pressure ahead of the arrival of the high-profile US delegation to Stormont on Monday.

“I am not going to get into crisis mode, I am not going to get turbo-charged for anybody,” he said.

“I will ensure that we do the job and that we get the right result.”

He said he did not believe that deadlock would reflect badly on the Assembly during the American visit.

“The message that I’ll be giving out is that Northern Ireland is a perfect place for investment, I will give them all the reasons why that is so,” he said.

“I’m glad that Secretary of State Clinton is coming over with a group of business people to look at the very promising investment package that is available in Northern Ireland, that is the heart of her purpose in coming.”