Ireland’s deputy calls for Stormont impetus

IRELAND’S deputy premier has urged Stormont’s rowing parties to show leadership and generosity when talks to restore powersharing resume.

Simon Coveney said the new year offered a chance for a new beginning and urged all sides not to disappoint the public again.

Negotiations formally resume today after a pause for the festive period.

Mr Coveney and Northern Ireland Secretary Julian Smith were in Belfast on New Year’s Day for pre-talks discussions ahead of the resumption of exchanges with the political parties.

The parties have until a January 13 deadline to strike a deal to revive devolution. On that date, legislation to give civil servants additional powers to run Northern Ireland’s struggling public services expires and Mr Smith will assume a legal obligation to call a snap Assembly election.

On the journey up to Belfast ahead of the new round of talks, Mr Coveney reflected on the importance of the coming fortnight.

He tweeted: “2020 can be a new beginning for politics in NI with leadership & generosity from all sides – we’ve got less than 2 weeks – let’s not disappoint again! NEW YEAR, NEW BEGINNING!”

In a subsequent New Year’s Day video posted by Taoiseach Leo Varadkar outlining his government’s priorities for 2020, Mr Coveney added: “We are determined to work with all of the parties in Northern Ireland to get the devolved government back up and running again, to get the institutions of the Good Friday Agreement functioning again, to bring communities together and to ensure that Northern Ireland can make decisions for itself.”

The latest push to restore powersharing broke up the week before Christmas, with UK and Irish governments singling out the DUP as the party blocking a deal.