Politics

Stormont: Draft powersharing deal tabled to restore devolved Northern Ireland government



Britain and Ireland have published the text of a draft deal to restore the devolved government in Northern Ireland, three years after its collapse.

Sinn Fein and the DUP have been locked in talks this week over the agreement, which was announced during a press conference at Stormont on Thursday night.

It comes three years to the day since devolution collapsed in Northern Ireland.

Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney said the deal, which is called New decade, New Approach, was “filled with compromises”.


Irish Foreign Affairs minister Simon Coveney (left) and Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Julian Smith (PA)

Northern Ireland Secretary Julian Smith has asked the speaker of the defunct house to hold a sitting on Friday morning, without the Stormont parties having yet agreed to all the proposals.

Friday will also see a strike by healthcare workers in the region.

Mr Smith said there was a major financial package on offer from the Government, that would mean the strike would not go ahead if the parties restored the institutions.

“We have had three years of talks and there is finally a good deal on the table that all parties can support,” he said.

Mr Coveney said the people needed to tell their politicians to take the opportunity and seal the deal.

“It’s now time their politicians stepped up and fully represented their constituents,” he said.

“It’s time to show leadership and get back to powersharing in Stormont.”

Both the UK and Irish governments had outlined their proposals to restore powersharing to the DUP and Sinn Fein.

The parties had been briefed on the governments’ blueprint on Wednesday afternoon and held internal discussions on the proposals.

The three smaller parties involved in the process – the SDLP, Ulster Unionists and Alliance – had expressed frustration at delays getting sight of the text.



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