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Sinn Fein and the DUP within touching distance of a deal in Northern Ireland

Positive weekend of work could see deal signed on Monday

By
PATRICK ROBERTS,
IrishCentral.com Staff Writer

Published Monday, February 1, 2010, 8:19 AM
Updated Monday, February 1, 2010, 9:10 AM

 

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Sinn Fein and the DUP within touching distance of a deal in Northern Ireland

Sinn Fein and the DUP, the two political parties at the center of the political crisis that has gripped Northern Ireland, are in the midst of debriefing their members on the latest development in the negotiations over the devolution of policing and justice affairs.

A set of proposals on how the devolution should take place is being presented to respective party members, and if ratified, then a tense week of negotiations will come to an end.

Northern Secretary Shaun Woodward and Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheal Martin are at Hillsborough Castle in County Down to offer any assistance they can in the final stages of negotiations.

Significant progress has been made as both sides edge closer to an agreement that will ensure the continued existence of the Northern Ireland Executive and Assembly, something that was in some doubt when last week when Sinn Fein threatened to walk away unless devolution could be agreed on.

However, Monday could seen the deal signed and Taoiseach Brian Cowen has re-jigged his schedule so that he can travel to Belfast to witness the agreement, should it come to pass Monday.

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8 Comments

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Posted by shidoobe on Feb 05, 2010, 02:39 PM EST
26 6 = 1
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Posted by Downunderyan on Feb 02, 2010, 06:44 AM EST
And after numerous prevarications and the introduction of many retrospective pre-conditions by the DUP that were not part of the Good Friday Agreement and St Andrew's Agreement, I wait to see if the next delaying tactic is in the form of 'we now need to put the proposed agreement to the whole of the people of Northern Ireland to establish if there is sufficient community confidence....'. I propose that the new NI National Anthem should be a parody of Lanigan's Ball, to be known as "Robinson's Ball", as he has led everybody on a merry dance for too long - along the lines of "I stepped out and I stepped in again, I stepped out again and I stepped in again..." etc.Incidentally, isn't it ever so convenient that the wife of the Dear Leader, Mrs Robinson, the lightning rod for the recent crisis, has been sidelined, silenced and removed from public scrutiny by being placed in psychiatric care?
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Posted by mahallam on Feb 02, 2010, 06:22 AM EST
The collapse of the power-sharing execuitive would be a small price to pay after 200 years of Orange corruption and violence (see: http://orangecitadel.blogspot.com/
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Posted by mahallam on Feb 02, 2010, 06:18 AM EST
The prime ministers may be impatient. But what about the long-suffering Catholic/Nationalist minority. After 200 years of violence and the corruption of policing and justice it looks like the Orangemen are still intent on denying us our basic human rights see http://orangecitadel.blogspot.com/
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Posted by barneyjo on Feb 02, 2010, 06:01 AM EST
Get a life all those who think that the dark days of the 80s will return. Just who exactly will bring them back. People in Northern Ireland are too concerned about their jobs, their livlihoods, to worry about history. 1980 was thirty years ago.
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Posted by Watchman on Feb 01, 2010, 05:13 PM EST
In fact – and if this doesn't happen I'll eat Niall's hat – a deal will be announced tomorrow and we can all get back to the rugby.
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Posted by ganjadec on Feb 01, 2010, 12:27 PM EST
I will also believe it when I see it. It is pretty obvious that the Loyalists are waiting to see if the Conservatives win the election in May. Then they, together with their buddy, that moron David Cameron, can dismantle everything that has been achieved that last 12 years in twelve seconds. A return to the dark days of the 1980's will be the result.
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Posted by ripley838 on Feb 01, 2010, 08:50 AM EST
I'll believe it when I see it, that is all parties in the North in agreement on something, anything.
 


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