McGuinness accuses DUP of blocking devolution deal

The British and Irish governments were today told they must "step up to the plate" to prevent a crisis in the North's power-sharing government.

Sinn Féin's Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness said he had told British Prime Minister Gordon Brown that the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) was now in breach of the agreements that established the political institutions.

He claimed republican commitment to making the system work had been supported in media comments by the former DUP leader Ian Paisley, but Mr McGuinness said the current DUP leadership was raising "preposterous" preconditions to block a deal on devolving policing and justice powers to the Assembly.

Mr Brown met both parties in Downing Street today.

Subsequent claims by DUP leader Peter Robinson that it was Sinn Fein that was delaying a deal were denied by Mr McGuinness.

"This issue was agreed at St Andrews, which is over three years ago," said the Sinn Fein representative.

"The DUP are in default and it is certainly my view that agreements that are not implemented are worthless.

"And the British government in particular need to confront this reality."

The transfer of the powers would establish a new Justice Ministry at Stormont in an administration led by the DUP and Sinn Féin, who share the top political post of the joint Office of First Minister and Deputy First Minister (OFMDFM).

The transfer of the powers was promised in the St Andrews agreement of 2006 which led to republican acceptance of the North's police force for the first time and which paved the way for the DUP and Sinn Féin entering power-sharing government together.

DUP leader and First Minister Peter Robinson has said, however, he will only agree to a deal on devolution when his party believes there is sufficient public confidence in the move.

He has sought concessions on the future stewardship of Orange Order parades in the North, plus the future of the police reserve and access to personal protection weapons for former security force members.

Mr McGuinness said: "To hold all of this to ransom on what is clearly an Orange Order demand for the scalp of the Parades Commission is absolutely preposterous."

He added: "The British government need to make it clear to the DUP that preconditions are not only pointless, but are not an option, and the date for transfer needs to be set.

"And if the DUP continue to fail, the British government need to spell out the consequences.

"Ian Paisley last week in Sligo in an interview with RTE said Sinn Fein had kept their word.

"We stepped forward, gave leadership and delivered our constituency to support policing in the new environment.

"Ian Paisley, whenever he brought the DUP into the powersharing institutions in 2007, he showed real leadership at that time.

"Peter Robinson now needs to show the same leadership qualities."

First Minister and DUP Leader Peter Robinson said that in addition to the issue of parades, a number of practical issues needed to be resolved before devolution could be completed.

He said these included identifying a future Justice Minister for the North, the decision-making process governing the Justice Minister and the future Minister's relationship with the Northern Ireland Executive.

"It is extremely regrettable that having asked for meetings with Sinn Féin and indicated that we are ready and waiting to meet for discussions no such meetings have yet taken place," said Mr Robinson.

"In light of such behaviour I indicated to the Prime Minister that he needed to tell Sinn Féin to get serious about the issues before us and knuckle down to work through outstanding difficulties rather than engage in continued media rhetoric.

"It is both irresponsible and unacceptable for Sinn Féin to be chanting publicly for a date for the devolution of policing and justice powers while at the same time refusing to meet and resolve the outstanding issues."

Mr McGuinness said it was his party which had sought meetings and claimed it was the DUP who had failed to hold talks.

The Sinn Féin representative said: "I think it's make your mind up time.

"I have told both governments they need to step up to the plate. They presided over the agreement. The agreements have to be delivered on.

"And if it's not delivered on, then those who are in default, and clearly the DUP are in default, need to understand that there will be consequences."