Pledge over Northern Irish power sharing deal

Sinn Fein and the DUP have expressed a desire to restore power sharing in Northern Ireland, but neither has signalled a softening of position in the Stormont standoff.

Democratic Unionist leader Arlene Foster and Sinn Fein’s Stormont leader Michelle O’neill used New Year messages to reiterate their preference for devolved governance instead of a return to Westminster direct rule.

But they also made clear their stances on key sticking points in the longrunning power-sharing crisis had not changed.

It is almost a year since Northern Ireland had a properly functioning administration.

The institutions collapsed in January last year amid a row over a botched green energy scheme.

The rift between the DUP and Sinn Fein widened in subsequent months.

A standoff over proposed legislative protections for Irish language speakers and the region’s ban on same-sex marriage are among the main sticking points. Mrs Foster said the UK government should move promptly to appoint direct rule ministers if a short final attempt at brokering a deal fails.

She said a short time frame should be set for renewed negotiations and rejected suggestions the talks venue should be shifted to a hothouse format in England. The former Stormont first minister said the absence of a devolved executive was “unacceptable and simply unsustainable ”.