DUP and Sinn Fein given 48 hours to reach deal

Published on Wednesday 27 January 2010 21:57

NORTHERN Ireland's power-sharing government was edging towards meltdown last night after the British and Irish prime ministers left the crisis talks without an agreement.

Gordon Brown and Brian Cowen gave the province's main parties 48 hours to secure a deal before they published their own plans for stabilising its floundering institutions.

While conceding the three-day summit at Hillsborough Castle had not secured a settlement on the devolving of policing powers, Mr Brown insisted a "pathway" to an agreement had been laid, and he said: "The importance of these decisions for the future of Northern Ireland cannot be underestimated."

The Democratic Unionist Party (DUP)-Sinn Fein coalition was thrown into chaos over the failure to devolve law and order responsibilities from London to Stormont. While there are growing fears Republicans will collapse the assembly if there is not a swift transfer, the DUP has said it will not agree until other outstanding issues – such as the management of controversial parades – are resolved.

Mr Brown stressed his belief the negotiations had produced a blueprint for progress. "We believe we have proposals that make for a reasonable deal on devolution of policing and justice; we believe we have proposals that make for a reasonable settlement on all the outstanding issues," he said.

But with regard to the 48-hour deadline, he said: "If we judge that insubstantial progress has been made, we will publish our own proposals."

The two premiers said they believed the devolution of the new powers could happen in May, with a vote brought before the assembly in March, if the outstanding matters were dealt with.

Mr Cowen said the problems were not insurmountable. "There is far more in common than what divides us," he said.

Sinn Fein said it was "deeply disappointed" with the outcome and blamed DUP demands over loyalist parades for blocking an agreement. The DUP accused their partners in government of refusing to compromise.