Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
PM May flies in to helm talks on Stormont
Sinn Fein’s new deputy sees finishing line
CRISIS talks aimed at restoring Stormont are likely to draw to a close next week, Sinn Fein’s Northern leader Michelle O’neill has said.
At a special Ard Fheis in Dublin on Saturday, where she was ratified as deputy leader beside new party president Mary Lou Mcdonald, she insisted differences with the DUP could be resolved.
Ahead of today’s talks, Ms O’neill said: “As in any negotiation, there has been give and take and at this point we have not yet resolved or overcome all our differences to satisfaction.
“There is no doubt that progress has been made, but there are outstanding issues which remain unresolved.
“We will continue to meet with the DUP and both governments and will re-engage on Monday and I anticipate that talks will conclude next week.
“I believe that the issues which caused the collapse of Stormont can be resolved with political will and mutual respect.”
Mrs Mcdonald, who has replaced Gerry Adams as Sinn Fein leader, insisted the party was “up for a deal” with Arlene Foster and the DUP.
She added: “We are committed to real power-sharing, to working for agreement with our unionist partners.
“We want the Executive and Assembly up and running. This can only happen on the basis of equality, respect and integrity for all.
“The talks are ongoing. The Sinn Fein team is committed to a positive outcome. “As Uachtaran Sinn Fein [party president], I look forward to working with the DUP and with the other parties in the North.
“Martin Mcguinness said there would be no return to the status quo. Martin, there will be no return to the status quo.”
The last DUP/SINN Fein-led coalition imploded last January amid a row over a botched green energy scheme.
That rift subsequently widened to take in long-running disputes over culture, social issues and legacy.
The main sticking point preventing the restoration of an Executive is the Irish language.
Sinn Fein wants a standalone piece of legislation to protect speakers – an Irish Language Act – but the DUP has long insisted it would only countenance new laws if they also incorporate other cultures, such as Ulster Scots. Finding a compromise resolution to the thorny language dispute that will satisfy both parties is key to unlocking the Stormont deadlock.
Talks are ongoing but we want Executive & Assembly up and running MICHELLE O’NEILL BELFAST YESTERDAY