Power-sharing talks won’t end before autumn

POWER-SHARING talks in Northern Ireland will not be resolved until at least the autumn after bitter recriminations over the failure to strike a deal.

The Democratic Unionists and Sinn Fein are prepared to engage in talks over the coming weeks, but both acknowledge substantive negotiations will be suspended over the summer.

Points of contention include the shape of legislation to protect Irish language speakers, the DUP’S opposition to lifting the region’s ban on same-sex marriage, and mechanisms to deal with the legacy of the Troubles.

UK government sources have reiterated the desire in Westminster to avoid direct rule at all cost.

Arlene Foster, the DUP leader, suggested that a deal would have to wait until at least the autumn. She said: “We are disappointed we don’t have an agreement this afternoon. We are going to keep working at it through the summer and hopefully we can come to an agreement later on in the year.”

Michelle O’neill, Sinn Fein’s Stormont leader, claimed the Conservative’s parliament deal with the DUP was one of the main reasons efforts to establish a new administration have floundered.