Powersharing talks: SF challenged after branding efforts ‘a sham’

“We need devolution back in Northern Ireland,” she said. “It should have been back in after March 2017, after that election. It didn’t and it’s a source of great frustration at this point, not just for us but for the whole population of Northern Ireland, that we are still talking about talks rather than actually dealing with government issues.”

Mrs Foster repeated her claim that Sinn Fein was holding the process to “ransom”. She reiterated that her party would go back into devolved government immediately, insisting the outstanding political disputes could be resolved in parallel.

She criticised Sinn Fein for portraying the latest meeting as a “sham”.

“That’s very disappointing to hear Sinn Fein put out their stall like that,” she said.

“I think most people in Northern Ireland want to see us getting back in to deal with all the issues that affect them in their everyday lives, instead of dealing with very narrow sectional issues. Sinn Fein have held Northern Ireland to ransom these past two years - I deeply regret that.”

Mrs Foster insisted that Brexit should not be a barrier to the Assembly reconvening.

“I don’t think Brexit should prevent us from having a government in Northern Ireland,” she said.

“I wish that we had had a government up and running since March 2017, that’s when we should have been back into government instead, because Sinn Fein has refused to go back in, we have to deal with that.”

The DUP leader expressed hope that there would be a Brexit deal before March 29.

“We want to see a deal in relation to Brexit because we believe a deal that works for the whole United Kingdom and one that deals for the European Union is good for everybody,” she said.

The meeting involving Northern Ireland Secretary Karen Bradley, Ireland’s deputy premier Tanaiste Simon Coveney and the leaders of the five main parties lasted around 90 minutes.

It ended, as expected, without a meeting of minds on any of the outstanding issues.

Afterwards, Sinn Fein President Mary Lou McDonald said: “It is a disgrace that for two years we have not had our powersharing institutions.”

Mrs McDonald said the two governments had failed to put forward any “credible proposition” to chart a way forward.

“We are open to any credible proposition to restore powersharing, but what we had today was not that,” she said.

“We have established again that, without a shadow of doubt, the DUP remains wedded to an agenda of denial of rights. We have established that the British Government remains in a position where they are happy to facilitate that veto on rights and we have made very, very clear that any serious attempt to restore the powersharing institutions has to be based on the principles of powersharing and at the core of that is a recognition of people’s rights, at the core of that is a commitment to full powersharing and sustainability.”

Flanked by party colleagues in the Great Hall of Parliament Buildings, Mrs McDonald added: “There is a point at which honesty has to enter into the equation and for the Secretary of State to call a meeting to give the impression of action, when in fact the reality is one of inertia, is that helpful? We don’t believe that it is. We want more than that.

“There is no appetite to go around on a merry-go-round again in a circular conversation that winds up with the DUP either unable to deliver an accommodation or unwilling to deliver solutions to what are very legitimate asks, made in the spirit of equality and the spirit of powersharing.”

The republican leader continued: “We are open to any credible proposition but we will not participate in anything that amounts to a sham. People two years on deserve so much more than that, so much better.

“We need a process that is robust and is honest and delivers for people across a wide agenda of issues but in particular in respect of marriage equality, in respect of Acht na Gaeilge (Irish Language Act), in respect of legacy funding - core rights issues that should never have been denied but that are still, to this day, denied and vetoed by the DUP.”

On Brexit, Mrs McDonald said: “Brexit sets the scene and the tone for everything that happens now in Irish politics. Here in the North people voted to remain, as Arlene (Foster) is well aware - she defies that democratic decision, she advocates what, in our view, is a very, very reckless position in respect of Brexit.”

After the meeting Mr Coveney tweeted: “Met today with Sec of State Bradley and the 5 main NI parties to discuss finding a way forward on getting the #GFA institutions operating again. Not straightforward, but shared sense of importance and urgency.”