SF blamed for devolution delay
FIRST Minister Peter Robinson accused Sinn Fein of being the stumbling block to the devolution of policing and justice powers when he met Prime Minister Gordon Brown in London yesterday.
Sinn Fein Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness also met Mr Brown separately.
Speaking after his meeting, Mr Robinson outlined his increasing frustration at what he termed Sinn Fein's outright refusal to engage in discussion to resolve outstanding issues.
He said: "I have briefed the Prime Minister on the situation since we last met.
"At the last meeting with the Prime Minister he identified three main issues that needed to be resolved before policing and justice discussions could be satisfactorily concluded.
"These were the process of identifying a future Justice Minister for Northern Ireland, the decision-making process governing the Justice Minister and that minister's relationship with the Northern Ireland Executive, and the issue of parading."
He said Sinn Fein were ducking the issues while trying to blame others.
"Since our last meeting with the Prime Minister we have found it impossible to get Sinn Fein focused and seriously engaged in resolving these issues, despite the Prime Minister's request to try and find resolutions of these difficult areas through bilateral meetings.
"It is extremely regrettable that having asked for meetings with Sinn Fein and indicated that we are ready and waiting to meet for discussions no such meeting have yet taken place.
"In light of such behaviour I indicated to the Prime Minister that he needed to tell Sinn Fein 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 Fein 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."
For his part McGuinness said he had told the Prime Minister that the DUP was now in breach of the St Andrews 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.
He denied Mr Robinson's claims that it was Sinn Fein that was delaying a deal.
"This issue was agreed at St Andrews, which is over three years ago," he said.
"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 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 needs 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, showed real leadership at that time. Peter Robinson now needs to show the same leadership qualities.”
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 Fein 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.”
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Tuesday 14 February 2012
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