Sinn Féin says DUP reneged on policing deal

Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams leader is to urge party colleagues at a crucial meeting tomorrow to focus on resolving the issue of republican support for the Police Service of Northern Ireland.

has released details of a deal to devolve policing powers to the North's Executive that he claims the DUP has reneged on.

However, in a statement released earlier today, Mr Adams said the DUP was given a text of a motion he put to the Sinn Féin executive at a meeting in Dublin on December 29 which was amended three times following consultation with the DUP.

Mr Adams also released a text of what he claimed the DUP had agreed to put to its leaders in a new year statement.

However, that was denied by Mr Paisley who said he had given no commitment in private to Prime Minister Tony Blair or Northern Ireland Secretary Peter Hain that went beyond anything he had said in public. "I am not in the business of saying one thing in private and another in public," the DUP leader said.

Mr Adams said the DUP had agreed that the required words were in the motion that he was to present. If the ardchomhairle accepted the motion, it was agreed the DUP would respond by saying that if Sinn Féin translated its words into actions the DUP would "accept the devolution of policing by May 2008".

Mr Adams said DUP leader the Rev Ian Paisley was to have responded to Sinn Féin's move in his New Year statement.

He said the words that Dr Paisley was meant to have said and that were given to his party were as follows: "The DUP has always maintained that it will support devolution of policing and justice if there is sufficient confidence across the community.

"The words needed are those contained in the ardchomhairle motion. Provided Sinn Féin translate into action the commitments contained in that motion, the DUP will accept devolution of policing and justice in the timeframe set out in the St Andrews Agreement or even before that date."

Mr Adams said the words were acceptable to him and that he proceeded to the ardchomhairle meeting. He claims the agreed words were never said by Dr Paisley which is why there is now a crisis in the process.

However, in a statement released yesterday, Dr Paisley disputes this version of events, insisting there is no obligation on him to agree to the devolution of policing powers by May 2008.

The DUP leader says there is "not a line" in the St Andrew's Agreement "about saying that on a certain date [the British government] must hand over these powers".

He said: "There is only in the St Andrews Agreement an idea, an aspiration of the two governments that they would like it done."

Sinn Féin is due to hold another ardchomhairle meeting in Dublin tomorrow to consider its policing policy.

Mr Adams said: "The DUP has refused to accept power sharing within the St Andrews timeframe. The basis of the ardchomhairle motion has been removed.

"We have to find another basis to move forward. It will be very difficult but I see this as a challenge to be faced and overcome," he said.

Despite these very profound difficulties I stand by my remarks of December 29th. I put the motion on policing to the ardchomhairle because it was the right thing to do."

The Sinn Féin leader said: "There is still an urgent need to get the power-sharing arrangements in place, with the DUP in the Executive as is their entitlement."

"Tomorrow the ardchomhairle will have to judge all of these matters in the round. Our objective has to be to find a sustainable way forward," he concluded.