Progress In St. Andrews

British And Irish Governments Present Framework, But Parties Must Formally Agree By November Deadline

The British and Irish governments revealed their joint plans for progress towards the restoration of devolved government in the North on Friday at the summit in St. Andrews, Scotland, after three days of negotiations and talks with leaders on both sides of the political and sectarian divide.

Under the terms of the St. Andrews Agreement, the Northern parties now have until November 10th to agree to the framework of proposals or the Assembly will be devolved and the British and Irish governments would proceed with their own plans.

In the intervening weeks the two sides will regularly meet in the "Programme for Government Committee" where differences can be aired and possibly resolved.

The first meeting between Sinn Féin's Gerry Adams, the DUP's Rev. Ian Paisley and representatives from the SDLP and Ulster Unionists was held on Tuesday, though the Irish Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dermot Ahern, warned that progress may be slow:

"There have been occasions when they have sat in the same room before

"I wouldn`t over-estimate what is happening. To be fair, it is the start of the acknowledgement that they both now have a job to do to bring us to November 24th.

"I wouldn`t over-estimate it but it is important."

If the framework is agreed to by all parties by November 10th then the nomination of the DUP leader, Rev. Ian Paisley for the post of First Minister and that of Sinn Féin's Martin McGuinness to that of Deputy First Minister should follow by November 24th.

Devolved government would then be restored after an election or referendum on the framework in March.

Speaking at the end of the marathon three-day summit, Taoiseach Bertie Ahern said, "We came to St Andrews to achieve restoration .. and to bring government back to the people of Ireland ... I believe that we have all the elements that can bring satisfaction to all of the issue."

"It gives us a chance to have institutions that are up and running, that are secure on a cross community basis where all parties are in government working together for a shared future in Northern Ireland."

Under the framework Sinn Féin would be required to change its policing policy and accept the authority of the PSNI in the North. Parties would also be held accountable if they abandoned devolved government in the future, as they have in the past.

In return, the North is promised substantial aid from both the British and Irish Exchequers, something demanded by both Sinn Féin and the DUP.

If the parties agree to the framework by the Novemner 10th deadline then Britain would introduce a slate of measures into Parliament on the following day.

This legislation would include devolving more powers to the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission, including the power to compel evidence, protecting and developing both the Irish and Ulster Scots languages and culture, introducing a Single Equality Bill, establishing a Victims' Commission for the North and publishing an Anti-Poverty and Social Exclusion strategy in which deprivation in both rural and urban communities would be tackled.

Changes would also be made to make the devolved institutions more efficient and fair.