Power-sharing in Northern Ireland “unlikely” to be restored soon
Power-sharing at Stormont is “unlikely” to be restored in the run up to the general election, expected in May, Irish Foreign Minister Dermot Ahern has confirmed.
In the wake of the £27 million Northern Bank heist on December 21, blamed on the IRA, Mr Ahern said the peace process had suffered “a very serious blow”.
After a meeting yesterday in Dublin with Paul Murphy, the Northern Ireland Secretary, Mr Ahern said the situation was far from business as usual.
“This turn of events has caused extreme difficulties to the process in Northern Ireland,” he said.
“The world has changed in terms of how we deal with the process now.
“The impact of this event on the mutual confidence, trust and faith has been damaged very seriously.”
Mr Murphy and Mr Ahern affirmed the view that the IRA carried out the raid.
But, the IRA categorically dismissed the claim.
Mr Murphy for his part rejected calls for a voluntary coalition without Sinn Fein, saying that proposal would not fail was unionist and nationalist representation was necessary for any lasting settlement.
“The governments are committed to an inclusive objective for all parties, but only on the basis that criminality is addressed,” he said.
Mr Murphy said parties had been on the brink of a deal until the bank raid last month.
But that historic agreement had been “completely cast asunder”.
The Irish Taoiseach Bertie Ahern and his foreign minister will meet officials from Sinn Fein on February 1 at an Anglo-Irish Inter-Governmental Conference.
Power-sharing in Belfast was suspended in 2002 amid allegations that the IRA had set up a spy ring at the assembly.
