After months of talking it seems we are no closer to a breakthrough leading to the restoration of the devolved structures.
That is the only conclusion that can be reached after Arlene Foster's latest comments on the Sinn Féin demand for agreement on an Irish language act before the party will return to Stormont.
The DUP leader has sent out mixed signals on the Irish language since the infamous `crocodile' remarks during the assembly election campaign in February.
It was a comment that may have played well among DUP supporters but it undoubtedly galvanised nationalist voters, who turned out in large numbers, leading to the loss of an overall unionist majority at Stormont.
In the wake of that election, a chastened Mrs Foster softened her stance, meeting Irish language speakers and saying `people have nothing to fear from engaging with another culture.'
Last month, she went further, saying: ``We have nothing to fear from the Irish language nor is it any threat to the union.''
Contrast that with her BBC radio interview at the weekend when she said republicans were seeking to `humiliate unionists and those of us who believe in a British way of life,' over the demand for a stand alone Irish language act.
This is unfortunate terminology which will leave people wondering where the political discussions are going and also ignores the fact that Scotland and Wales have put in place legislation to protect Scottish Gaelic and the Welsh language.
The DUP leader and others with concerns about the Irish language may find it instructive to read an article in yesterday's Irish News by Linda Ervine and Dr Francis Costello which makes the case for not just equality and respect but also a `spirit of generosity.'
They point to growing cross-community support for the language and seek to reassure unionists that it is not being used to dilute `Britishness'.
The reality is that Sinn Féin will not go back into government without a deal on the Irish language and an uncompromising stance from the DUP is unlikely to take us very far.
