Stormont talks to look at five main areas through working groups
Health and education issues along with reform of Petition of Concern to be tackled
Last updated 7th May 2019
A series of working groups will be convened to kick-start Stormont, it emerged today (Tuesday)
They are to concentrate on five areas:
• Programme for Government – examining key areas such as health and education
• Transparency, accountability and the operation of the Executive
• Reform of the Petition of Concern
• Rights, language and identity issues.
• Improving the sustainability, stability and operation of all the Good Friday Agreement institutions.
All of these groups will have their first meetings by the end of the week and will then meet regularly – to “drive forward the detailed discussions on key issues essential to restoring all the institutions.”
The UK and Irish governments called the new talks process to try to break the logjam that has left the region without a properly functioning government for more than two years.
Arriving at Stormont House in Belfast for the opening meeting on Tuesday afternoon Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald said that her party were in Stormont to “do the business''.
“The current stalemate is not acceptable and not sustainable, there are outstanding issues that need to be resolved, and we believe they can be resolved,'' she said.
“If everybody is prepared to show leadership, if everybody is prepared to respect the clear public desire for equality and people's rights to be recognised and delivered on, we can find our way back to powersharing.”
UUP leader Robin Swann said that new talks should not be window dressing but should be substantive for the people of Northern Ireland.
“What we need to actually get to this set of talks is to sort out a governance structure that doesn't give a veto to one party that can simply crash democracy in Northern Ireland because of their will,'' he said.
"I think today is a start of what we'll see for the rest of this talks process, if today is simply window dressing then we're wasting our time and insulting the people of Northern Ireland, if this is simply five parties sitting round a table again to re-establish red lines, we've let the people of Northern Ireland down, and if those parties who come in with red lines established are sticking by them, then they are letting the people of Northern Ireland down.''
SDLP leader Colum Eastwood said today's talks were an opportunity to get things right in Northern Ireland.
He said: “I think any of us who have been knocking doors over the last few weeks, and some of us have more doors to knock, will understand what the public are saying,'' he said.
“Yes, they have strong views on all the big issues, but they also want us to deal with the issues in the health service, the education system, Brexit, the economy, and they want us to do it in government.
“None of those things will be solved by standing outside and shouting at each other, so this is an opportunity for those of us in these talks to listen to what the public have told us, I think they want us to get back to work, to come back together, to remember the spirit of the Good Friday Agreement.''
The format over the coming weeks will involve weekly meetings of political leaders.
It has also been agreed that more frequent meetings will be called if required.