Northern talks kick off with acrimony and a boycott

Negotiations to avert a crisis that could bring down the Northern Executive and Assembly began at Stormont yesterday amid recrimination, a dispute over the talks venue and a boycott.

The DUP refused to attend the first roundtable session of the talks at Stormont House on the Stormont estate which also involved Minister for Foreign Affairs Charlie Flanagan. After the hardline Traditional Unionist Voice leader Jim Allister this week complained about Mr Flanagan and his talks team having any presence at Parliament Buildings in Stormont, the DUP also made an issue of the venue.

The DUP said there could be no question of the Government having “a permanent presence” at Parliament Buildings in Stormont during the negotiations.

"Indeed, whilst others within the last 24 hours have been issuing press statements about the matter, it was the DUP that acted to ensure the building is the preserve of the members elected," said the DUP chief whip Peter Weir.

However First Minister and DUP leader Peter Robinson yesterday afternoon did lead a party delegation in talks with the Northern Secretary Theresa Villiers.

He had previously justified the boycott of the plenary meeting as it would be a “circus act for the media” and a “showpiece”.

Against criticism by Sinn Féin, the SDLP and the Alliance Party, Mr Robinson justified his snubbing of the start of the negotiations. "We take the real business of negotiation seriously, rather than the tinsel and fancy lights of having a plenary session where nothing is going to be agreed and where it gives to the Government of the Irish Republic the impression that they are co-equal partners in terms of this process, when the bulk of this process is about the internal affairs of Northern Ireland. "

Sinn Féin Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness said progress was made in the first five years from 2007 to 2012 of sharing power with the DUP but the last two years had been “absolutely appalling”.

“I think the refusal of the DUP to attend here this morning shows their utter contempt for this process, their contempt for the two governments, and their contempt and lack of respect for all of the other parties in this process.”

The Ulster Unionist Party leader Mike Nesbitt said he was happy to attend the talks after he received assurances from Taoiseach Enda Kenny, Mr Flanagan and Ms Villiers "that the Irish Government's role would not touch on internal Stormont issues".

SDLP leader Dr Alasdair McDonnell said the DUP had to decide between playing “games” and serious politics. Dublin needed to be fully represented as co-guarantors of the Belfast Agreement.

The talks resume on Wednesday .