Prospects of Stormont deal ‘seem to have ebbed’ says Tanaiste Micheal Martin

Momentum towards restoring power-sharing in Northern Ireland appears to have ebbed, Ireland's deputy premier has said.

Tanaiste Micheal Martin said he understood that negotiations between the UK government and the DUP aimed at resurrecting the devolved institutions had “more or less come to a conclusion”.

But he expressed concern that the prospects of an imminent breakthrough look to have waned.

He said the Irish government would be seeking clarity from the UK government in the coming weeks on what the next steps will be for governance in Northern Ireland if there is no return to power-sharing.

“We were hopeful some weeks back that there was progress being made. But, again, that seems to have ebbed,” Mr Martin told RTE yesterday.

“And I think it's urgent that the executive and the assembly is restored.”

The DUP withdrew from the Stormont institutions in February last year in protest against the internal UK trade barriers created by the post-Brexit Northern Ireland Protocol.

Power-sharing is unable to function in Northern Ireland without the support of the province's largest unionist and nationalist parties.

The UK and EU agreed the Windsor Framework earlier this year in an attempt to address unionist concerns about the protocol, but the DUP has indicated it will not return to Stormont until the London government provides further assurances over Northern Ireland's place in the UK.

Last week DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson said he could not be certain that power-sharing will return by the end of the year.

Sir Jeffrey had said in recent weeks that the UK government was “moving closer” to addressing his party's concerns over post-Brexit trading arrangements.

However, on Wednesday he cautioned that there are still “significant” gaps that require a resolution before any proposal to return to Stormont could be presented to his party.

Mr Martin added: “The people of Northern Ireland they have huge health issues, in terms of health services, education and so on, and the centre cannot hold there in respect of the fiscal situation, the budgetary situation, if the executive doesn't come back.”