Downing Street Says » Northern Ireland

Asked for an update on Northern Ireland, the PMOS replied that next Monday 26th remained the deadline. The PMOS told journalists that over the weekend, there had been an Army helicopter crash in Crossmaglen, and there had been some disturbances with local youths who had attacked the ambulance crew, and then the police around the helicopter. This morning, the local MP, who was a Sinn Fein MP, had not only condemned the attacks on the police and ambulance crew, but he had also said that local people should go to the police with any information. The PMOS said that if anyone had sketched out that scenario in Crossmaglen even six months ago, it would not have been believed. There was real progress, and the electorate recognised that there was real progress, and therefore, what we were waiting to see was whether that translated into a devolved Government as the public clearly wanted by 26th.

Asked if the Prime Minister would be meeting with Gerry Adams as well as Ian Paisley this week, the PMOS said that there were no plans to do so at this stage.

Asked for any gut feelings about it all, the PMOS replied that the results of the election were very clear; people wanted devolution. However, it was for parties to make their own minds up, and they would do so, but they should do so in the knowledge that we had been serious all along in saying that the deadline was the 26th March. That deadline was set down in legislation, and it was the deadline set down by the Prime Ministers when they had announced the election. It was the basis on which people voted. Therefore, everyone knew the basis on which they voted, and we would follow it through.

Asked when did we except the parties to say if they would devolve, the PMOS replied that as he understood it, there would be a DUP Executive meeting on Saturday.

Asked if the Prime Minister would say anything about it tomorrow, the PMOS said that tomorrow was a listening exercise and he would talk in private to Dr. Paisley.

Put that there some DUP representatives who were asking for an extended period, and what was the Government’s view on that, the PMOS replied that the view was unequivocal: the deadline of the 26th remained. That was the basis on which the election was called, and it was the basis of the legislation. There was no room for manoeuvre.

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» Tuesday, March 20, 2007

Northern Ireland

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