No end to deadlock in sight as NI’s parties prepare for meeting

A YEAR and a day since the last failed attempt to restore devolution, the five main Northern Ireland parties are to meet the British and Irish governments at Stormont later today.

But the two largest parties appear as far apart as ever, with Sinn Fein dismissing the talks and saying the two governments should provide a solution instead.

The DUP, meanwhile, accused its former partner in government of “playing the politics of ransom” with pre-conditions for an Irish Language Act, and said it stood ready to re-enter government.

“We offered a compromise of restoring the institutions and having a time-limited paral- lel talks process. This offer still stands,” the DUP added.

The parties are due to meet Northern Ireland Secretary Karen Bradley (below) and Tanaiste Simon Coveney at Stormont this afternoon.

Sinn Fein MLA Conor Murphy said: “(There is) no indication that the DUP or the British Government are serious about removing the obstacles to power-sharing.

“This is not a serious or credible attempt to restore the political institutions of the Good Friday Agreement.

“Sinn Fein will not be part of a sham process to give credibility to the continued denial of rights.”

However, both the DUP and Sinn Fein confirmed they

would attend.

Northern Ireland has been without a government since January 2017. Last year, on Valentine’s Day, DUP leader Arlene Foster pulled the plug on talks, saying there was “no prospect” of a deal, just two days after Theresa May and Leo Varadkar visited Belfast amid speculation about a possible breakthrough.

Since then, Mrs Bradley has said the Government’s “top priority” is restoring power-sharing and she has resisted calls to implement full direct rule.

In the Commons this week it was revealed Northern Ireland’s 90 MLAs had been paid £12m since the Assembly’s suspension.

Of today’s talks, Mr Murphy said his party would be “seeking credible and urgent proposals to resolve the issues”.

“We have no interest in talks for the sake of talking. It must be about delivery,” he added.