Stormont government ‘nearly there’

STORMONT’S crisis-hit government could be functioning fully within a matter of weeks, Ireland’s foreign affairs minister has said.

Following meetings with the DUP and Sinn Fein in Belfast on Wednesday, Simon Coveney said a “relatively small” number of issues were left on which to reach agreement.

Mr Coveney and Northern Ireland Secretary James Brokenshire have been involved in negotiations with the parties aimed at restoring a power-sharing executive.

The institutions collapsed in January amid a row between the DUP and Sinn Fein about a botched green energy scheme. Several rounds of talks have failed to reach agreement – but yesterday Mr Coveney said the “mood between the two parties has improved a lot”.

Speaking before an All-Island Civic Dialogue on Brexit in Dublin, Mr Coveney added: “I think they are genuinely trying to make progress on some difficult issues for both parties. Yesterday was a good day in terms of those discussions, but we need to give those parties just a little bit more time.

“We are trying to work through what are a relatively small number of issues left now in order for the parties to work together with the other parties in Northern Ireland as well, to put hopefully a fully inclusive eExecutive in place within the next number of weeks.”