DEPUTY FIRST Minister Martin McGuinness said Sinn Féin would study the British and Irish governments’ proposals for breaking the political deadlock but would not be subject to unionist preconditions.
Before Mr McGuinness read his statement responding to the Taoiseach and British prime minister, Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams, speaking in Irish, said party negotiators were very dissatisfied with what had unfolded over the three days of negotiations at Hillsborough Castle.
Mr McGuinness said Sinn Féin welcomed that “the two governments in their statement make it clear that what is required is implementation of the Good Friday and St Andrews agreements. We welcome this”.
Sinn Féin had entered the Hillsborough talks against the backdrop of the “three years of default by the DUP in relation to their St Andrews Agreement commitments”.
He added that Sinn Féin had displayed “extraordinary patience” over the past 18 months during which it had sought to persuade the DUP to be “partners on progress”.
“The decision by the DUP, at the behest of the Orange Order, to make the abolition of the Parades Commission a precondition for the transfer of powers flies in the face of that.
“It made reaching agreement extremely difficult and many are speculating that this was the intention,” said Mr McGuinness.
He concluded, “However I have to say that despite some progress being made on policing, we have not concluded a deal here. I am deeply disappointed and I informed the plenary of that; Gerry Adams and myself, in a meeting with the Taoiseach and British prime minister, did likewise.
“We now intend to study the governments’ statement, but one thing is certain, that citizens’ rights and entitlements cannot and will not be subject to a unionist veto or an Orange Order precondition.”
SDLP leader Mark Durkan said that while there was concern and frustration, there was still the opportunity to make progress. “If any party is entitled to say we have been betrayed, it is the SDLP,” he said. He advised all parties: “We need to just wind our necks in, calm down, sit down and face all of the issues with all of the parties.”