RELATIONS BETWEEN Sinn Féin and the DUP within the Office of First Minister and Deputy First Minister deteriorated further yesterday following revelations about a planned £20 million (€22 million) gratuity to former part-time police officers.
Junior Minister Gerry Kelly said the planned payment, details of which were contained in a letter from British prime minister Gordon Brown to First Minister Peter Robinson, were tantamount to an effort by the British government “to buy off the DUP”, which opposes immediate devolution of policing and justice powers.
However, the First Minister accused Sinn Féin of “snooping” on his correspondence.
Following the revelation, Mr Robinson said: “I have received a letter from the prime minister relating to a gratuity payment for those who served in the part-time reserve. A meeting has been arranged with the reservists for early next week about this proposed scheme and how it could best be implemented. I want to be sure their views are fully considered and reflected when the scheme is rolled out.
“For clarity, it should be known that the prime minister’s office sent my letter to OFMDFM , not knowing that Sinn Féin would be snooping on my correspondence.”
Mr Kelly branded such a planned payment as “wrong and unacceptable”.
He added that Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness had told the prime minister during negotiations on the devolution of justice that any proposed payment “was no part of the process to transfer powers on policing and justice”.