Posted by Jim on
Foster says No
After DUP insists Irish language act is deal breaker, Dublin seeks hand in how North is governed
John Manley. Irish News. Belfast. Thursday, February 15, 2018
THE Dublin government last night signaled that it will be seeking direct input into how Northern Ireland is governed following the DUP’s decision to halt the latest effort to restore devolution.
Optimism that a deal between Stormont’s two largest parties could be brokered evaporated quickly yesterday afternoon as a statement from Arlene Foster said Sinn Féin’s desire for a free-standing Irish language act meant the negotiations were at an impasse.
The DUP leader, pictured, called for the immediate imposition of direct rule, saying the British government needed to set a regional budget and start making policy decisions.
However, nationalists appear determined to resist any plan for the north to be governed solely by the Tory-DUP partnership.
Sinn Féin deputy leader Michelle O’Neill said direct rule was “not an option”, while SDLP leader Colum Eastwood called on the two governments to “establish the intergovernmental conference”.
In a brief statement, Tánaiste Simon Coveney appeared to echo December’s remarks by Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, who said his government would expect to have a “real and meaningful involvement” in Northern Ireland affairs if efforts to restore devolution failed.
“As co-guarantors of the Good Friday Agreement, the UK and Irish governments have an obligation to uphold and protect the letter and spirit of that agreement,” Mr. Coveney said.
“We will need to reflect in the coming days on how best to do that.”
Secretary of State Karen Bradley urged all the parties to “reflect on the circumstances which have led to this and their positions, both now and in the future”.
She said the British government needed to consider “practical steps” and that in the absence of an executive, it would have to take “challenging decisions”.
DUP blamed for collapsing efforts to restore devolution
John Manley. Irish News. Belfast. Thursday, February 15, 2018
THE DUP was last night blamed for collapsing efforts to restore devolution after the latest round of negotiations came to an abrupt and unsuccessful conclusion.
Arlene Foster’s late afternoon statement took most observers by surprise as there had been an expectation that differences between Stormont’s two biggest parties could be resolved by the end of this week.
However, it appears the DUP leadership was spooked by unease within the party ranks and open opposition among broader unionism to Sinn Féin’s demand for an Irish language act.
“Sinn Féin’s insistence on a stand alone Irish language act means that we have reached an impasse,” Mrs. Foster said in a statement.
She claimed respect for the “unionist and British identity” had not been reciprocated by republicans and that the deal as it stood was not a “fair and balanced package”.
The DUP leader signaled an immediate desire for direct rule by calling on the British government to set a regional budget and to start “making policy decisions about our schools, hospitals and infrastructure”.
At a Stormont press conference, DUP negotiator Simon Hamilton said the visit of Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Prime Minister Theresa May on Monday had hindered efforts to secure a deal.
“I don’t think it was entirely helpful in getting us to reach a successful conclusion,” he said.
Sinn Féin deputy leader Michelle O’Neill said her party had negotiated in “good faith” and that an “accommodation” had been reached with the DUP leadership.
But she blamed the DUP for failing to “close the deal”.
“They have now collapsed this process,” she said.
“These issues are not going away.”
Ms. O’Neill, pictured, said she would be in contact with the British and Irish governments and urged the DUP to reflect on its position.
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said he “regretted” the DUP statement and said “power sharing and working together are the only way forward for Northern Ireland”.
Tánaiste Simon Coveney described yesterday’s developments as “very disappointing”
He said the Dublin government’s role as co-guarantors of the Good Friday Agreement meant it had an “obligation to uphold and protect the letter and spirit” of the 1998 accord.
Secretary of State Karen Bradley urged all the parties to “reflect on the circumstances which have led to this and their positions, both now and in the future”.
“The position of the UK government remains the same – devolved government is in the best interests of everyone in Northern Ireland and is best for the union,” she said.
“I believe the basis for an accommodation still exists.”
Mrs. Bradley said she now needed to consider “practical steps” but that in the absence of an executive, the British government would have to take “challenging decisions”.
SDLP leader Colum Eastwood called for the details of the proposed deal to be published.
He said his party would resist efforts to “hand power to a Tory/DUP government”.
“The balance underpinning this place is that nationalism and unionism must work together – that’s a reality that some still fail to face,” he said.
Ulster Unionist leader Robin Swann also called on Stormont’s two biggest parties to publish details of what had been agreed to date.
“Print it, publish it online – do it whatever way they want, but it is vitally important that the people of Northern Ireland know what accommodation they did reach,” he said.
“It’s time for openness and transparency and for both parties to let everyone know where they got to, outside a select few in the leadership of each party.”
Alliance leader Naomi Long accused the two governments of being “too optimistic”.
She said the DUP and Sinn Féin had been “stringing them along”.
Shadow Northern Ireland secretary Owen Smith said it was “desperately disappointing news, especially as there had been widespread hope last week that a deal might be reached”.
Blaming the “DUP’s unwillingness to accept legislation to support the Irish language or marriage equality” for the collapse he said:
“Karen Bradley will now have to explain how she hopes to get the DUP back to the table, and if that proves impossible, how she is going to take forward issues such as equal marriage, as well as dealing with tough decisions on health, education and infrastructure that have been left unresolved for over 400 days.”
The leadership and willingness to compromise that forged peace 20 years ago has clearly been lacking
Irish language bogeyman may haunt former first minister for years to come
John Manley. Irish News. Belfast. Thursday, February 15, 2018
FOR months the DUP has been saying that it was ready to restore the institutions without delay yet when it came to the crunch and agreement looked in sight, Arlene Foster effectively pulled the plug on the entire process.
With her previous statements on an Irish language act she had clearly painted herself into a corner but even if the former First Minister had been willing to concede ground, elements within her party wouldn’t let her.
In recent weeks, we’ve been hearing that there was the outline of a deal and certainly the Taoiseach and Prime Minister believed agreement was near when they arrived in Belfast on Monday. It quickly became apparent that their optimism was misplaced but hope remained that matters could be sorted by the end of the week.
Now we are in a situation as bleak as any faced since the institutions collapsed 13 months ago.
Because maneuvering this process have been so tightly guarded we may never find out where exactly the pressure point lay.
Was itmore to Nationalists than it would give to Unionists, though this has more to do with a failure to implement previous commitments rather than any inevitable slide towards Irish unity.
As he deputized for an absent DUP leader at Stormont yesterday, Simon Hamilton’s assertion that Republicans showed a lack of respect for Unionists and Britishness sounded more like deflective rhetoric than pin-pointing a red line that his party could not cross.
Portraying Sinn Féin as unreasonable appears designed to mask divisions within the DUP ranks and quell unease among unionism’s grassroots.
It’s hard to believe Sinn Féin is shedding too many tears but nobody is likely to regard the political uncertainty ushered in by Mrs. Foster’s statement as a positive development. Michelle O’Niell laid blame for failing to close the deal at the DUP’s door and given the mood of recent days it’s hard to argue with her.
Although the DUP is ostensibly happier than the other parties with direct rule overseen by a Tory government that relies on [DUP] support for survival, that arrangement is fragile and could collapse at any time.
Meanwhile, nationalists will not accept the imposition of direct rule without any input from Dublin and the manner in which the talks concluded, coupled with Brexit, means they’ll likely find a sympathetic ear south of The Border.
When the smoke clears and the recrimination dies down, questions inevitably will be asked about Arlene Foster’s judgment and her leadership qualities.
It appears no effort was made to prepare Unionism for concessions and instead she created an Irish language bogeyman that may haunt the former first minister for years to come.
For the foreseeable future Mrs. Foster will be the leader without office, becoming increasingly irrelevant as her MPs steal the limelight and make the possibility of compromise more distant.
It now looks inevitable that the anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement will pass with the institutions mothballed and the possibility of devolution remote. The kind of leadership and willingness to compromise that helped forge peace 20 years ago has clearly been lacking and the optimism that greeted the accord has all but disappeared.
John Manley. Irish News. Belfast. Thursday, February 15, 2018
THE Dublin government last night signaled that it will be seeking direct input into how Northern Ireland is governed following the DUP’s decision to halt the latest effort to restore devolution.
Optimism that a deal between Stormont’s two largest parties could be brokered evaporated quickly yesterday afternoon as a statement from Arlene Foster said Sinn Féin’s desire for a free-standing Irish language act meant the negotiations were at an impasse.
The DUP leader, pictured, called for the immediate imposition of direct rule, saying the British government needed to set a regional budget and start making policy decisions.
However, nationalists appear determined to resist any plan for the north to be governed solely by the Tory-DUP partnership.
Sinn Féin deputy leader Michelle O’Neill said direct rule was “not an option”, while SDLP leader Colum Eastwood called on the two governments to “establish the intergovernmental conference”.
In a brief statement, Tánaiste Simon Coveney appeared to echo December’s remarks by Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, who said his government would expect to have a “real and meaningful involvement” in Northern Ireland affairs if efforts to restore devolution failed.
“As co-guarantors of the Good Friday Agreement, the UK and Irish governments have an obligation to uphold and protect the letter and spirit of that agreement,” Mr. Coveney said.
“We will need to reflect in the coming days on how best to do that.”
Secretary of State Karen Bradley urged all the parties to “reflect on the circumstances which have led to this and their positions, both now and in the future”.
She said the British government needed to consider “practical steps” and that in the absence of an executive, it would have to take “challenging decisions”.
DUP blamed for collapsing efforts to restore devolution
John Manley. Irish News. Belfast. Thursday, February 15, 2018
THE DUP was last night blamed for collapsing efforts to restore devolution after the latest round of negotiations came to an abrupt and unsuccessful conclusion.
Arlene Foster’s late afternoon statement took most observers by surprise as there had been an expectation that differences between Stormont’s two biggest parties could be resolved by the end of this week.
However, it appears the DUP leadership was spooked by unease within the party ranks and open opposition among broader unionism to Sinn Féin’s demand for an Irish language act.
“Sinn Féin’s insistence on a stand alone Irish language act means that we have reached an impasse,” Mrs. Foster said in a statement.
She claimed respect for the “unionist and British identity” had not been reciprocated by republicans and that the deal as it stood was not a “fair and balanced package”.
The DUP leader signaled an immediate desire for direct rule by calling on the British government to set a regional budget and to start “making policy decisions about our schools, hospitals and infrastructure”.
At a Stormont press conference, DUP negotiator Simon Hamilton said the visit of Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Prime Minister Theresa May on Monday had hindered efforts to secure a deal.
“I don’t think it was entirely helpful in getting us to reach a successful conclusion,” he said.
Sinn Féin deputy leader Michelle O’Neill said her party had negotiated in “good faith” and that an “accommodation” had been reached with the DUP leadership.
But she blamed the DUP for failing to “close the deal”.
“They have now collapsed this process,” she said.
“These issues are not going away.”
Ms. O’Neill, pictured, said she would be in contact with the British and Irish governments and urged the DUP to reflect on its position.
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said he “regretted” the DUP statement and said “power sharing and working together are the only way forward for Northern Ireland”.
Tánaiste Simon Coveney described yesterday’s developments as “very disappointing”
He said the Dublin government’s role as co-guarantors of the Good Friday Agreement meant it had an “obligation to uphold and protect the letter and spirit” of the 1998 accord.
Secretary of State Karen Bradley urged all the parties to “reflect on the circumstances which have led to this and their positions, both now and in the future”.
“The position of the UK government remains the same – devolved government is in the best interests of everyone in Northern Ireland and is best for the union,” she said.
“I believe the basis for an accommodation still exists.”
Mrs. Bradley said she now needed to consider “practical steps” but that in the absence of an executive, the British government would have to take “challenging decisions”.
SDLP leader Colum Eastwood called for the details of the proposed deal to be published.
He said his party would resist efforts to “hand power to a Tory/DUP government”.
“The balance underpinning this place is that nationalism and unionism must work together – that’s a reality that some still fail to face,” he said.
Ulster Unionist leader Robin Swann also called on Stormont’s two biggest parties to publish details of what had been agreed to date.
“Print it, publish it online – do it whatever way they want, but it is vitally important that the people of Northern Ireland know what accommodation they did reach,” he said.
“It’s time for openness and transparency and for both parties to let everyone know where they got to, outside a select few in the leadership of each party.”
Alliance leader Naomi Long accused the two governments of being “too optimistic”.
She said the DUP and Sinn Féin had been “stringing them along”.
Shadow Northern Ireland secretary Owen Smith said it was “desperately disappointing news, especially as there had been widespread hope last week that a deal might be reached”.
Blaming the “DUP’s unwillingness to accept legislation to support the Irish language or marriage equality” for the collapse he said:
“Karen Bradley will now have to explain how she hopes to get the DUP back to the table, and if that proves impossible, how she is going to take forward issues such as equal marriage, as well as dealing with tough decisions on health, education and infrastructure that have been left unresolved for over 400 days.”
The leadership and willingness to compromise that forged peace 20 years ago has clearly been lacking
Irish language bogeyman may haunt former first minister for years to come
John Manley. Irish News. Belfast. Thursday, February 15, 2018
FOR months the DUP has been saying that it was ready to restore the institutions without delay yet when it came to the crunch and agreement looked in sight, Arlene Foster effectively pulled the plug on the entire process.
With her previous statements on an Irish language act she had clearly painted herself into a corner but even if the former First Minister had been willing to concede ground, elements within her party wouldn’t let her.
In recent weeks, we’ve been hearing that there was the outline of a deal and certainly the Taoiseach and Prime Minister believed agreement was near when they arrived in Belfast on Monday. It quickly became apparent that their optimism was misplaced but hope remained that matters could be sorted by the end of the week.
Now we are in a situation as bleak as any faced since the institutions collapsed 13 months ago.
Because maneuvering this process have been so tightly guarded we may never find out where exactly the pressure point lay.
Was itmore to Nationalists than it would give to Unionists, though this has more to do with a failure to implement previous commitments rather than any inevitable slide towards Irish unity.
As he deputized for an absent DUP leader at Stormont yesterday, Simon Hamilton’s assertion that Republicans showed a lack of respect for Unionists and Britishness sounded more like deflective rhetoric than pin-pointing a red line that his party could not cross.
Portraying Sinn Féin as unreasonable appears designed to mask divisions within the DUP ranks and quell unease among unionism’s grassroots.
It’s hard to believe Sinn Féin is shedding too many tears but nobody is likely to regard the political uncertainty ushered in by Mrs. Foster’s statement as a positive development. Michelle O’Niell laid blame for failing to close the deal at the DUP’s door and given the mood of recent days it’s hard to argue with her.
Although the DUP is ostensibly happier than the other parties with direct rule overseen by a Tory government that relies on [DUP] support for survival, that arrangement is fragile and could collapse at any time.
Meanwhile, nationalists will not accept the imposition of direct rule without any input from Dublin and the manner in which the talks concluded, coupled with Brexit, means they’ll likely find a sympathetic ear south of The Border.
When the smoke clears and the recrimination dies down, questions inevitably will be asked about Arlene Foster’s judgment and her leadership qualities.
It appears no effort was made to prepare Unionism for concessions and instead she created an Irish language bogeyman that may haunt the former first minister for years to come.
For the foreseeable future Mrs. Foster will be the leader without office, becoming increasingly irrelevant as her MPs steal the limelight and make the possibility of compromise more distant.
It now looks inevitable that the anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement will pass with the institutions mothballed and the possibility of devolution remote. The kind of leadership and willingness to compromise that helped forge peace 20 years ago has clearly been lacking and the optimism that greeted the accord has all but disappeared.
Posted by Jim on February 14, 2018
The current phase of political talks in Belfast has ended after unionist
hardliners in the DUP rejected measures to increase recognition for the
Irish language in the north of Ireland.
The latest crash in the political process came despite fresh enthusiasm
earlier this week with the arrival into Belfast of the British Prime
Minister Theresa May and the 26 County Taoiseach Leo Varadkar. The talks
participants and the two governments had again sought to inject momentum
into the efforts to restore power-sharing in the north of Ireland, which
have now collapsed six times in the last thirteen months.
DUP leader Arlene Foster, whose party holds the balance of power at
Westminster, today said there is “no prospect” of an agreement to
restore power-sharing and admitted there are still “serious and
significant differences” between her party and Sinn Fein. She called on
her Tory colleagues to reassert full direct control over the north of
Ireland.
The latest phase of the process began over three weeks ago and had been
reported to be moving steadily towards a deal across a range of issues.
However, Ms Foster has now described the negotiations as “unsuccessful”.
She said the DUP and Sinn Fein had been unable to reach agreement on a
long-delayed promised Irish Language Act, which would have enshrined the
rights of Irish langage speakers in law.
The 2006 St Andrews Agreements included an Irish Language Act to give
legal status to Irish, which should have paved the way for greater use
of Irish on street signs and in public bodies. However, that legislation
was frustrated when the DUP repeatedly blocked it at the Stormont
Assembly in Belfast.
The current crisis began in January 2017 with the resignation of Sinn
Fein’s late Deputy First Minster at Stormont, Martin McGuinness. He quit
in response to still unresolved allegations of corruption against Ms
Foster and her party. The integrity of the political institutions set up
under the peace process were then called into question, as well as the
DUP’s commitment to the implementation of equality and civil rights
measures, including an Irish Language Act.
There had been high hopes in certain circles that a deal to include an
Irish Language Act could be reached this week. Monday saw a familiar
high-profile effort to recreate the ‘hothouse atmosphere’ and ‘media
circus’ beloved by the two governments and main television networks.
Speaking in Belfast, Theresa May urged the North’s political leaders to
make “one final push”. With public pressure building for a resolution,
Sinn Fein MP Conor Murphy urged the “DUP need to make up their mind up
about whether they are up for a deal or not”.
However, Arlene Foster yesterday condemned the involvement of the
British Prime Minister as a “distraction” and this evening, the DUP’s
powerful ‘backwoodsmen’ were again claiming credit for vetoing a measure
they fear could increase the visibility of the Irish language in their
areas.
Ms Foster said: “Despite our best efforts, serious and significant gaps
remain between ourselves and Sinn Fein especially on the issue of the
Irish language.
“I have made it consistently clear that unionists will not countenance a
stand-alone or free standing Irish Language Act. Sinn Fein’s insistence
on a stand-alone Irish Language Act means that we have reached an
impasse.”
She called for all powers of government in the north of Ireland to be
returned to London.
“It is now incumbent upon Her Majesty’s Government to set a budget and
start making policy decisions about our schools, hospitals and
infrastructure,” she said. “Important decisions impacting on everyone in
Northern Ireland have been sitting in limbo for too long.”
In a brief statement to the media, the British Direct Ruler in Ireland,
Karen Bradley, claimed “a basis for accommodation still exists”.
In a tweet, the 26 County Foreign Minister said he was “very
disappointed” by the DUP statement. “NI needs a Govt,” he said. “As
co-guarantors of Good Friday Agreement, the UK and Irish governments
have an obligation to uphold and protect the letter and spirit of that
Agreement. We will need to reflect in the coming days on how best to do
that.”
In a statement this evening, Sinn Fein’s new Deputy Leader, Michelle
O’Neill, said:
“Sinn Fein over the past 13 months worked to restore the institutions on
the basis of respect, integrity and equality for all sections of
society.
“When this latest round of talks was announced in January, I said a
short, sharp and focused negotiation was required to resolve the
outstanding issues of rights and equality available everywhere else in
the islands.
“Sinn Fein engaged, we worked in good faith, we stretched ourselves. We
had reached an accommodation with the leadership of the DUP. The DUP
failed to close the deal. They have now collapsed this process.
“These issues are not going away. Sinn Fein are now in contact with both
governments and we will set out our considered position tomorrow. The
DUP should reflect on their position.”