Politics

Sinn Fein and DUP blame each other as prospects of talks success appear bleak

Conor Murphy said the talks were 'all about process and not about progress'. Picture by Mal McCann
Conor Murphy said the talks were 'all about process and not about progress'. Picture by Mal McCann Conor Murphy said the talks were 'all about process and not about progress'. Picture by Mal McCann

THE DUP and Sinn Féin have blamed each other as the first week of a planned fortnight of fresh devolution talks concluded yesterday.

Sinn Féin's Conor Murphy said the negotiations so far had been "all about process and not about progress", as the prospect of a breakthrough any time soon appeared bleak.

He insisted his party still wanted agreement and claimed the majority of those involved acknowledged the need for a "step change" in how Stormont worked.

"Apart from the DUP and the British government everybody else gets that," he said.

"We need to see that type of change, we need to see agreements that were made before being implemented and thus far we haven't any progress in relation to that."

The Sinn Féin negotiator said it was time to "crunch the key issues" rather than continuing with a "round-table, process-driven approach" and accused the British government of "pandering to the DUP".

But DUP leader Arlene Foster blamed "others" for holding up the process by making "political demands".

"We want to get back into devolution as soon as possible, we believe in devolution, we believe devolution is the right way to deal with people's problems in terms of health, education, to have a strong economy for Northern Ireland," the former first minister said.

"We have set no red lines."

The main stumbling blocks to finding agreement by next week's Good Friday deadline are Troubles legacy issues and Irish language protections.

Secretary of State James Brokenshire indicated on Thursday that he would begin the legislative steps to either restore devolution or make the first moves toward direct rule over the Easter weekend.

SDLP leader Colum Eastwood said the dynamic of the talks needed to change dramatically if agreement was to be secured.

"At the end of another week, almost a month after the election and we still have no government and we have very, very little progress - in fact I think we are miles away," he said.

"We have no momentum in this process."

Departing Ulster Unionist leader Mike Nesbitt, who today hands over the leader's mantle to Robin Swann, claimed soured personal relations between Stormont's two biggest parties were preventing progress.

"If they wanted to the DUP and Sinn Fein could cobble together some sort of agreement in five minutes, but unless they fix the relationships and build trust around the executive table and show respect to each other, whatever agreement they come up with is going to be worthless," he said.

"It is deeply, deeply, deeply frustrating to be involved in a process with people who know they can make it happen but are showing no willingness to make it happen."

The civil servants helping administer the talks will continue their work today, while a number of bilateral meetings between the parties may take place.