Northern Ireland powersharing deal could be close, O’neill claims

Negotiations around restoring powersharing in Northern Ireland should be short and focused, Sinn Fein said.

Leader of the party in Northern Ireland Michelle O’neill claimed a deal could be done in days with the right attitude and reiterated calls for progress on a range of issues.

DUP leader Arlene Foster has said the discussions should be over pretty quickly.

Northern Ireland Secretary James Brokenshire is meeting the five main parties at Stormont as he assesses the chances of a breakthrough. 0 Michelle O’neill has called for progress in discussions

Ms O’neill said yesterday: “There is a short window in front of us where we need to find solutions and a way forward.

“We need a short, sharp and focused negotiation in the small time frame we have ahead of us.”

The DUP leader said Sinn Fein had reacted with breakneck speed to reject her suggestion that a ministerial executive at Stormont be restored alongside a parallel process dealing with cultural issues such as the Irish language.

She warned Mr Brokenshire needed to make a decision by next month on the prospect for fresh talks or direct rule from London with financial pressures looming.

Mr Brokenshire said the window of opportunity to reach a deal was closing.