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GOVERNMENT TALKS WITH Northern Irish political leaders will focus on stabilising the finances of a returning Stormont Executive, Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris has said.
Heaton-Harris also said negotiations with the DUP on the post-Brexit Windsor Framework have not concluded, contradicting an earlier claim from Sinn Féin.
Devolved government has not been functioning in Northern Ireland for nearly two years because of the DUP’s ongoing boycott of the institutions in protest at post-Brexit trade agreements.
The DUP has been in negotiation with the Government to secure legislative assurances over Northern Ireland’s economic position in the UK.
Speculation has been growing in recent weeks that the DUP could be closing in on an agreement that could restore the Executive and Assembly at Stormont, with Heaton-Harris having recently said negotiations were in their “final, final phase”.
The Northern Ireland Secretary is meeting the main parties in the region at Hillsborough Castle in Co Down today.
Sinn Féin said it will use the meeting to call for a date to be set to restore the institutions, and urge the Government to deliver an accompanying financial package.
But Heaton-Harris said the discussions will be focused on the sustainability of Northern Ireland’s finances and public services.
The discussions will also involve senior officials from the Northern Ireland Office, the Northern Ireland Civil Service, the Cabinet Office and the Treasury.
Heaton-Harris said: “I have invited representatives from the five largest parties in Northern Ireland to discuss how the Government will work with them to stabilise the finances of a returning Executive.
“My intention is to set out how the Government would assist the parties to address the immediate challenges resulting from 21 months without a functioning Executive.
“We will focus on the need for an incoming Executive to transform public services so they can be delivered in a more sustainable way.
“We will also need to talk about what happens in the event the Executive is not reformed and it is once again left to the UK Government to set a budget for the next financial year.”
On Sunday, Sinn Fein claimed the Government had informed its leadership that the negotiation process with the DUP was over. The NIO and the DUP issued swift denials.
Heaton-Harris said: “In parallel to these meetings, I continue to engage with the DUP and am pleased that those negotiations have made significant progress over recent months, but at this point are yet to conclude.”
Sinn Fein president Mary Lou McDonald, vice president Michelle O’Neill and former Stormont finance minister Conor Murphy will attend today’s discussions.
DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson briefed party members at the weekend that people were “getting over-excited” by the announcement of all-party talks, as he said that more work remained to be done before a return to Stormont is secured.
In an email to party members seen by the PA news agency, DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson said the roundtable discussion is separate from the DUP’s negotiations with the Government in relation to the restoration of devolution.
Sir Jeffrey said he would be attending the talks on Monday alongside party deputy leader Gavin Robinson and finance spokesman Gordon Lyons.
In the absence of an Executive, the budget for Northern Ireland was set by Mr Heaton-Harris and there have been shortfalls of millions of pounds across a range of Stormont departments.
The Department of Finance has said that despite cuts of more than £900 million, Northern Ireland is on track for an overspend this year of £450 million.
This rises to nearly £1 billion if accounting for a pay rise for NI public sector workers to match that of the other regions of the UK.
SDLP leader Colum Eastwood said he wanted to see meaningful dialogue at the Hillsborough talks, not a “cosy catch-up”.
He said: “The SDLP is entering these discussions with three key priorities.
“They must generate the final momentum to restore the Executive, there must be a serious plan to rescue public services and we need to hear how a fair pay reward for public sector workers out on strike will be resourced.
“Anything else is a waste of time.”
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Clinton for Irish Presidency??
Luke, I’d say miles better than what we have on offer here
I saw a clip of this on tv earlier and I saw bobo (bono) there, what the fuck is he doing there when he’s not even registered as a tax payer in this country.
Cheer up lads, you’re always such a negative bunch
The funny thing is that if he did become Irish president he’d have a higher salary than he did as US president or the current current president gets..
Sign him up!
I agree. He would be great.
Hmmmm, what is he up to now?
Nobody cares about Ireland except the Irish. The point of a gathering
of business people and celebrities to discuss how we can be great again to the rest of the world is laughable. We’re nothing more then a small island (with a big debt) off the coast of mainland Europe and the sooner we realise we need to be more productive for our own gains and not to improve the opinions of suit wearing hasbeens.
Go Home Clinton. It was your country that set the stage for this Depression due to its deregulation of the banks and Wall Street. Being part of the problem, you wont be part of the solution. Capitalism has been succesful in generating wealth (for the few) over the last 200 years but it’s destroyed itself through its greed and we need to move onto something new.
Is that you Brian Cowen?
wow that’s alot of dislikes. Let me state some facts.
Bill clinton: Treasury secretary- Rober Rubin- Spent 26 years at Goldman Sachs
George Bush: Treasury Seretary- Henry Paulson- Ex CEO of Goldman Sachs
Barrack Obama: Chief of Staff- Bill Daly- served on Executive Comitee of JP Morgan Chase
The Game is Rigged
Clinton for Irish Presidency? WAKE UP!
Robert I think the dislikes have nothing to do with the basic facts, more the leftist comment at the end, whether meant that way or not. Even in these times you’ll do well to find anyone outside of those with a previous bias that thinks that capitalism, like constitutional democracy, is indeed a terrible system – but that we’ve tried the others, and time & time again greed got in the way anyway and the failure was even more profound. People are tired of the recent trend to rehash this tired old argument, and I think that’s the source of the reaction. Agree with you though on Clinton.
Whoops! Sorry Daniel, Misread your name :)
Of course we will recover, and of course the question is when. That is the ONLY question that matters. 2 years, 5 years or 10? Clinton stating the bloody obvious for gratuitous effect, as per usual.
Unless the world ends it is the only option.
It’s a pity Hillary didn’t become president, would’ve been better for us.
None of the speakers were paid by the state to attend the forum. They all covered their own expenses, even Clinton. It’s still set to cost €300,000 though.. but I suppose that’s not too bad in the grand old scheme of things.
Isn’t that the guy from catchphrase?
It’s good …but it’s not right
He got paid a sweet 650,000K from the Irish taxpayer for the least possible work and for attending an “economic” forum- fine gael labour have a great sense of flippin irony!
Bono – is King of Ireland. So he thinks. Of course he is there.
How much did he get paid for today?
I would feel more heartened by clintons comments if I felt confident in his own country’s future – the american’s are ones to judge considering what a mess they are in. Still its nice of him to say seeing as the markets seem to be so easily swayed by the winds of opinion.
I don’t like when people talk over their glasses when they speak
He forgot about the "Comely Maidens dancing at the Ghost Estates."
The US have bigger problems than Ireland. Their property bubble has burst and now they have new apartments for sake in good areas of Chicago for E 40,000 and it’s an Irish company selling them. Of course our auctioneers say our property Market is at the bottom.
This is a new challenge and the US are in bigger trouble than the EU.
Question; I noticed Bono sitting on the main stage yesterday and his boss making a few speeches from the floor and to media, also say Dermot Desmond and Denis OBrien ……….are these people now paying their taxes to the Irish state ?? If not wouldn’t that help and how can they sit there and lecture to the ordinary tax payer
Media and government still feeding us this horseshit…WE ARE NOT HAVING IT tell clinton to fuck off and and sort out his own country..the one thats about to implode
How much did Clinton get to tell us that ?
Obviously worth it judging by the Clinton fan base and willingness to swallow guff so evident.
We are the 99 % Clinton is the 1 %, along with his bankers buddies. Go home Clinton the Irish are awake at last all except for our politicians and our media that is.
yeah, great at exporting her young people.
have your say