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Democratic Unionist leader Arlene Foster has urged the UK Government to set a budget and make policy decisions in the absence of a devolved executive at Stormont.<\/p>\nDemocratic Unionist leader Arlene Foster has urged the UK Government to set a budget and make policy decisions in the absence of a devolved executive at Stormont.<\/p>\n
The talks collapsed after the parties failed to clinch agreement on touchstone issues such as treatment of the Irish language.<\/p>\n
Sinn F\u00e9in ‘s Northern Ireland chief Michelle O’Neill said the party had stretched itself and blamed the DUP for collapsing a process aimed at rebuilding coalition government at Stormont after a 13-month suspension.<\/p>\n
The republican party wants a standalone piece of legislation to protect speakers – an Irish Language Act – but the DUP has long insisted it would only countenance new laws if they also incorporate other cultures, such as Ulster Scots.<\/p>\n
Speaking on Wednesday, Mrs O’Neill said: “These issues are not going to go away.<\/p>\n
“Myself and Mary Lou McDonald are engaged with both governments and will continue to do that and over the course of tomorrow we will set out a more fulsome response in relation to where we go from here.”<\/p>\n
Northern Ireland Secretary Karen Bradley said “substantive progress” had been made but conceded “this phase of talks has reached a conclusion”.<\/p>\n
Mrs Foster said attempts to find a stable and sustainable resolution had been unsuccessful.<\/p>\n
She said: “We cannot and will not be held to ransom by those who have refused to form an Executive for over 13 months.”<\/p>\n
She added there was no “current prospect” of these discussions leading to a ministerial Executive being formed.<\/p>\n
“It is now incumbent upon Her Majesty’s Government to set a budget and start making policy decisions about our schools, hospitals and infrastructure.<\/p>\n
“Important decisions impacting on everyone in Northern Ireland have been sitting in limbo for too long.”<\/p>\n
Months of endless talks have been held since powersharing collapsed early last year in a row over the DUP’s handling of a botched green energy scheme.<\/p>\n
Since then divisions over issues including Irish language rights, same sex marriage and how to deal with the legacy of Northern Ireland’s troubled past have proved insurmountable.<\/p>\n
Mrs O’Neill said: “Sinn F\u00e9in engaged, we worked in good faith, we stretched ourselves.<\/p>\n
“We had reached an accommodation with the leadership of the DUP.<\/p>\n
“The DUP failed to close the deal.<\/p>\n
“They have now collapsed this process.”<\/p>\n
The implosion came despite Monday’s last minute intervention by British Prime Minister Theresa May and Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, who travelled to Stormont for talks with the parties.<\/p>\n
The British Government faces the prospect of having to step in and take previously devolved decisions in Northern Ireland.<\/p>\n
Stormont departments have been without ministers for months and decisions need to be made speedily about the next financial year’s public spending budgets.<\/p>\n
Proposals for dealing with Northern Ireland’s violent past involving extra money for historic investigations and truth-telling processes have also been delayed by the impasse and may fall to Westminster to implement.<\/p>\n
Ms Bradley said “substantive progress” had been made but conceded “this phase of talks has reached a conclusion”.<\/p>\n
The Irish Government, co-guarantor of the 1998 Good Friday Agreement which largely ended violence, has said there can be no return to the direct rule of the period before that landmark accord.<\/p>\n
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said in a statement: “I very much regret the statement from the DUP. Power sharing and working together are the only way forward for Northern Ireland.”<\/p>\n