Movement needed on powersharing

Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams has said the British and Irish governments should prepare a plan to restore the North’s powersharing institutions early next year.

A Sinn Féin delegation led by Mr Adams had talks with the Taoiseach Bertie Ahern last week.

Mr Adams told reporters that the political institutions should be put back in place as quickly as possible.

“At the moment the DUP don’t have any decisions to make because the institutions are not in place.

“The DUP need to have a choice to make - whether they let these direct rule ministers inadequately, illegally and immorally run the place or whether they step into the breach and represent with the rest of us the electorate in the north,” Mr Adams said.

Mr Adams reiterated that he would be prepared to have a meeting with the DUP leader Ian Paisley.

“There is no question that Sinn Féin should meet the DUP or that Ian Paisley should be meeting with myself. It is a question for him and clearly he has a responsibility to dialogue,” Mr Adams said.

Mr Adams said he agreed with Mr Ahern that there needed to be a focus on trying to put the political institutions back in place as early as possible.

Sinn Féin Chief Negotiator McGuinness said there was “a reasonable expectation that come the beginning of next year, that the two governments actually have a plan which they put before not just ourselves but the DUP, the same DUP who told them in the course of nine months of negotiation last year that the only issue that was concerning him was the issue of arms.

“So that issue has now been resolved. The big question is whether or not [DUP leader] Ian Paisley, who tells us he is a man of God, is also a man of his word.”

Meanwhile, DUP leader Mr Paisley has had a first meeting with Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny who visited Belfast this week.

Mr Kenny is also leading a four-member Fine Gael delegation in meetings with the UUP and SDLP.

Urgent Appeal