Haass hopes public will persuade Northern parties to back plan

Dr Richard Haass has urged the public to engage in a "robust debate" on his rejected proposals on how to deal with the past, parades and flags. Dublin, London and Washington are also preparing to maintain pressure on the parties to endorse the Haass deal with Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore planning to meet party leaders in the North next week.

Dr Haass, by effectively going over the heads of the politicians, appeared to have faith that his paper could yet be adopted and that public opinion could be critical in achieving that aim.

From the US on Tuesday he said it was “premature to speak of failure” and suggested that the “spotlight be put on parties to approve and follow up” on the proposals that failed to achieve agreement on the morning of New Year’s Eve.

Dr Haass, in one of a number of tweets he posted since returning to the US on New Year's Eve, wrote that he truly believed the "text provides a foundation for reconciliation and better future" for people in Northern Ireland.

Sinn Féin endorsed the proposals while the SDLP indicated it would also support them. The Alliance Party complained about a lack of substantial progress on parades and flags but it also indicated it would accept what was on offer in a seventh and final text that Dr Haass and the talks vice-chair, Prof Meghan O’Sullivan, presented on Tuesday morning.

The Ulster Unionist Party leader Mike Nesbitt is to discuss the paper with the party's 120-member executive next week.

The focus now falls on DUP leader and First Minister Peter Robinson to determine whether he will shift position and accept the proposals or a slightly amended version of them.

Mr Robinson accentuated the positive. In a statement in which he thanked Dr Haass and Dr O’Sullivan for their work, Mr Robinson said he did not “recognise as accurate reports of ‘talks failure’ given the wide gulf that existed on the Haass team’s arrival and the broad areas of agreement on their departure”. He supported Dr Haass’s call for the creation of a “working group” to help “complete the task”.

Meanwhile, the British and Irish governments and the US administration will continue their efforts to persuade the parties to sign up to a deal. The British prime minister David Cameron said progress was made and he urged "the parties to keep going". The White House has also urged the parties to "build on this progress", while Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs Eamon Gilmore plans meetings next week with party leaders in the North.

Dublin’s immediate concern is to capitalise on the initiative built up in the failed talks. At the same time, there is some relief in Government circles at the absence of public recriminations between Northern leaders after the negotiation finished without agreement.

“I welcome the fact that the new year has begun with a firm resolution by all parties that progress must be safeguarded and momentum maintained towards full agreement,” Mr Gilmore said last night. “The Irish Government shares this resolve.”

The Tánaiste added: "I met with Secretary of State Theresa Villiers yesterday to discuss how the two governments can best support this. I have also discussed the situation with Richard Haass and I expect to meet with the party leaders next week."