Hopes of cash deal after Number 10 talks
THERE is optimism that Gordon Brown has pledged some money to help the devolved government after talks between him and a DUP-Sinn Fein delegation at Downing Street.
But the two parties remained tight-lipped on the colour of the Prime Minister's money after discussions at Number 10 before teatime yesterday.
The News Letter understands Mr Brown may have agreed to fund the 200 million back-pay claim of civil servants, which was a hangover from direct rule but was dumped on the devolved administration's watch.
But discussions with the PM and central government are due to continue in the weeks ahead, while First Minister Peter Robinson and Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness will brief the Executive today – when it meets for the first time in five months.
It is unclear if a public statement on the Brown talks will follow the Cabinet discussions.
Mr Robinson and Mr McGuinness emerged from Number 10 to say they had a "very useful" meeting.
But Mr Robinson, accompanied by Nigel Dodds, added, before any further public comment, "we feel it is our first duty to report to our executive colleagues, and we are happy to be able to do that."
The News Letter understands funds as well as a back-pay settlement on civil service wages, the DUP and Sinn Fein are calling for the legacy of under-spending during the Troubles to be accounted for and requesting fuel poverty top-ups.
It is unclear if a package to support any policing and justice devolution is being advanced at this stage.
Last night the Ulster Unionists and Traditional Unionists raised doubts over the DUP-Sinn Fein deal which has resurrected the Executive.
Under the terms of the deal:
n a new Department of Justice will be set up;
n a Justice Minister will be selected from outside Sinn Fein or the DUP, by a cross-community vote of Assembly members;
n the arrangements will be reviewed by May 2012 and so may not be permanent;
n responsibility for judicial appointments will rest with the Judicial Appointments Commission;
n John Larkin QC will be the new attorney general;
n the parties will ask Government for funding for the new ministry and other outstanding costs.
The DUP is insisting that absolutely no date has been set to devolve policing and other issues like the Maze stadium, conflict resolution centre, academic selection and more are not resolved or part of a side deals package.
But UUP MLA Alan McFarland was not convinced.
He said: "Speaking on Radio Ulster on Wednesday morning, Jeffrey Donaldson said that there were no 'private arrangements or side deals' between the DUP and Sinn Fein.
"However the documents presented to the media and to the Assembly and Executive Review Committee (and signed 'Peter' and 'Martin,' as it happens) were, in every possible sense of the term, a private arrangement between the DUP and Sinn Fein."
He added: "The Assembly wasn't consulted. The Executive Committee wasn't consulted. The leaders of the UUP, SDLP, Alliance and PUP were not consulted.
“Indeed, the Executive was actually placed in suspended animation for 151 days while the DUP and Sinn Fein negotiated this private arrangement.”
He challenged the DUP “to show the rest of us exactly what deal was struck or are we to believe that the last 151 days have been for nothing?”.
Meanwhile, the TUV’s Jim Allister said that if, as the DUP appears to have negotiated, the Office of First and Deputy First Minister (and thus Sinn Fein) is being largely kept away from justice and policing – except for the appointment of an attorney general approved by Peter Robinson – it was only after his party’s pressure.
A DUP spokesman responded: “Contrary to some scaremongering stories, released by visionless unionists, this process represents a good way forward, one which can see the devolution of justice in a way which can command the support of unionists in Northern Ireland.”
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Weather for Belfast
Tuesday 29 May 2012
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: 12 C to 21 C
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