Prime Ministers David Cameron of Britain and Enda Kenny of Ireland Friday said the Northern Irish parties have made some progress on issues left unresolved during the Stormont peace process but have not reached any agreement.
After several hours of talks Thursday and early Friday, the two premiers called a press conference and admitted that the five parties that make up the power-sharing administration by Catholics and Protestants in Northern Ireland have not accepted the proposals made by London and Dublin to overcome their differences.
“We made good progress overnight and today, but a deal is not going to be possible today. If they come to an agreement then that sort of financial firepower can be brought to bear. But of course, if there is not an agreement, then that financial firepower is not there,” Cameron said in an appearance with his Irish colleague.
Cameron confirmed that his government offered a financial rescue package to the Northern Irish government of up to 1 billion pounds ($1.5 billion) if Belfast’s political parties reached an accord that would tie loose ends of the 1998 Stormont peace agreement that put an end to almost 30 years of sectarian conflict that led to some 3,500 deaths.
These unresolved differences involved important decisions in favour of the autonomous government, such as reforming the welfare system and adopting a budget policy, as well as more symbolic but sensitive points of contention.
The parties have warned that an agreement would depend on the financial compensation offered by London to reduce the effect of social cuts and the 1.5 billion-pound reduction of the Northern Irish budget until 2019.
Sinn Fein, the principal party representing Northern Ireland’s Catholic-Nationalists, has said the offer made by London and Dublin is inadequate but added that its negotiators would continue working until an agreement can be hammered out.
Similarly, Northern Irish Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness described London’s rescue package a insufficient to face the austerity measures imposed by Cameron four and half years ago.
This new round of talks is led by US envoy to Northern Ireland, Gary Hart, who began his contacts with the parties in October.
In late 2013, former US mediator Richard Haass held meetings with the parties to address the issues affecting the peace process, but that ended without success and the differences between the two sides continued to grow.
(IANS/EFE)