SINN FÉIN has been waiting three years “for the DUP to deliver and honour” commitments they made as part of the St Andrews Agreement in 2006, Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness said yesterday in advance of talks with DUP leader Peter Robinson.
Speaking in Stormont’s Great Hall before what Sinn Féin billed as “critical and defining talks” he reminded the DUP: “[We] moved forward decisively on the issue of policing, [and] took what was considered to be an historic and monumental decision,” he said.
“And we did that within three months of St Andrews . . . to ensure that these institutions would work. Three years on, we are waiting for the DUP to deliver and honour their commitments that all of us were supposed to have signed up to under the terms of an agreement that was presided over by the Irish Government and the British government. From the very beginning of this process, I have been at pains to make this place work,” he said.
He added: “Unfortunately, we have learned that there are people within these institutions who only see the future through the prism of one section of the community: that is not a sustainable way to move forward and I am not going to be part of that.” There was no comment from either of their parties after the talks which ended after only 35 minutes.
A position paper on the sticking point of parading was passed from the DUP to Sinn Féin. Party president Gerry Adams was later understood to be briefing members of his Assembly group on the issue.
After the arrival of the British and Irish premiers at Hillsborough, Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheál Martin said he and the Taoiseach were there to “assist and facilitate” the parties. Talking to reporters as the two leaders prepared to meet delegations from the DUP and Sinn Féin, Mr Martin said: “A considerable distance has already been travelled in terms of the specifics of the policing and justice issue. We know a number of key issues remain to be resolved in relation to that.
“It is our view, given the seriousness of the situation, and there is no point in saying otherwise, that both the Taoiseach and the prime minister were prepared to give their time to come here to assist the parties to endeavour to bring this to a resolution.” It was essential, he added, that all Stormont parties were satisfied with whatever emerged from the talks.
“Hopefully the atmosphere and the dynamic can be created here and can be built on to facilitate such a development.” He refused to concur publicly with Sinn Féin’s contention that the DUP was in default in its commitments over the transfer of justice powers.
He added that it was important for talks participants to stand back and take stock of the situation, particularly on the “enormous strides that have been made in recent years”. Mr Martin implored the sides not to lose sight of that and declared that the governments did not “contemplate failure”. “That is why the Taoiseach and the prime minister are here, to find solutions to the issues.”
Mr Martin denied that moving the talks from London to Hillsborough meant there was a sense of panic among the governments.