'Draft Agreement Text' leaked
Parts of the draft agreement being worked on by the two main parties to restore powersharing have been leaked.
Last updated 21st Feb 2018
Broadcaster Eamonn Mallie says he has obtained 13 pages and annexes of a draft document, parts of which he has published on his website.
It follows conflicting reports from the DUP and Sinn Fein as to whether a deal was on the table before the talks collapsed.
Mr Mallie says: "On page 5 under the heading: Respecting Languages and Culture, there is specific reference to the Irish Bill - the Ulster Scots Bill and a Respecting Language and Diversity Bill."
But square brackets were around the text - meaning it had not yet been signed off and agreed.
On his website Mr Mallie said "The draft agreement deals with priorities for the incoming Executive – not yet finalised but focused on health and Brexit.
"This website has definitive proof that on Friday evening February 9th named senior Sinn Fein and DUP personnel were corresponding under the heading ‘Draft Agreement Text.’
"This included members of the DUP negotiating team.
"So, there were pages of fine detail by February 9 but just five days later the talks had collapsed.
"How could there have been such misunderstanding at such a late stage?"
When the talks collapsed last week Sinn Fein President Mary Lou McDonald insisted a draft agreement was in place. But that has been disputed by the DUP leader Arlene Foster and reiterated by her party colleague Edwin Poots:
"We entered the Talks to reach a fair and balanced deal. That was not achieved hence there was no agreement.
"We hope to pick up the process in the future. Therefore, the DUP will not be publishing any of the Talks papers as it would be an act of bad faith.
"If others wish to publish elements of the Talks that’s a matter for them. Such a publication will not undermine anything that the DUP has said in public or private."