THE first political talks for more than two months are to begin again today as part of a fresh bid to restore power-sharing.
A series of meetings between Secretary of State Karen Bradley and Stormont's five main parties are being billed as 'exploratory talks' aimed at establishing whether there is a basis to reconvene substantive negotiations.
The last round of talks broke down in mid-February when the DUP said it was unable to sign up to a deal that included an Irish language act.
A Northern Ireland Office source said Mrs Bradley would "hear the parties' reflections on past discussions and see how we can move the process forward".
However, Sinn Féin has warned the secretary of state that the Tories' deal with the DUP cannot be allowed to frustrate efforts to restore power-sharing.
Sinn Féin deputy leader Michelle O'Neill said the political process should not be held up by what she termed "the DUP's anti-rights agenda".
"I will be telling the British secretary of state that we need the power-sharing institutions back up and running and there is a huge deal of frustration within the wider community at the unacceptable delay in restoring the executive due to the British government’s pact with the DUP," the Mid Ulster MLA said.
She said if the British government was not prepared to "confront the DUP" then the issues outstanding from the failed negotiations should be dealt with in partnership with Dublin.
DUP leader Arlene Foster insisted Sinn Féin was the only one of Stormont's five main parties standing in the way of an immediate restoration of power-sharing.
She downplayed the significance of today's meeting with Mrs Bradley.
"I am glad she is meeting all the parties and I hope she will recognise that four of the five main parties would restore devolution immediately," she said.
"There is only one party which has placed barriers and preconditions in the path of returning local decision making to Northern Ireland.
"In the absence of devolution there is still a need for decisions to be taken however."
Following a meeting in Derry with Tánaiste Simon Coveney, SDLP leader Colum Eastwood repeated his call for the British Irish Intergovernmental Council to be reconvened.
"Only then can we clear the decks and challenge parties to get back to the job of government," he said.
"It is absolutely critical that we get to that place so that politicians here can work to protect citizens across this island from Brexit."
