Hain optimistic over NI impasse

Peter Hain is confident the impasse can be overcome
Northern Ireland's political impasse can be overcome if Sinn Fein delivers on policing, Peter Hain has said.

On Thursday, Tony Blair warned the DUP and Sinn Fein that commitments on policing and power-sharing must be honoured for an election to happen.

Senior Sinn Fein members will meet next week to discuss whether to move forward with a special conference on policing.

Mr Hain said there was "every prospect" that the devolution of policing would be on track by May 2008.

"The big picture is that for the very first time in Northern Ireland's tangled history everybody is saying they agree to share power with each other," he told BBC Radio Ulster.

"I don't discern any appetite within the unionist community for letting Martin McGuinness or any of this generation of tainted Sinn Fein politicians get their hands on those levers of power"
Jim Allister
DUP MEP

'Positive' replies to Blair view

"The DUP are saying they are willing to share power with Sinn Fein, Ian Paisley says he is willing to accept the first minister nomination on 26 March with Martin McGuinness as the deputy first minister.

"For the very first time, Sinn Fein are saying... they are willing to support the police.

"Equally, what Sinn Fein want to be clear about is that the DUP actually will share power with them in practice and not be diverted by some of the off-stage noises we have heard over recent days.

"There is every prospect that we can get through this and move forward and see the devolution of policing on track by May 2008... provided that there is the delivery by Sinn Fein of the practical co-operation with policing in every sense."

DUP leader Ian Paisley has said his party is willing to make progress but that "upfront delivery is required from Sinn Fein" on policing.

However, DUP MEP Jim Allister said on Friday he could not foresee a time when policing and justice could be devolved to an Assembly.

"We are very clear about what is required, we are very clear about the steps that we have taken"
Conor Murphy
Sinn Fein MP

"I don't discern any appetite within the unionist community for letting Martin McGuinness or any of this generation of tainted Sinn Fein politicians get their hands on those levers of power," he said.

Conor Murphy of Sinn Fein said: "We are very clear about what is required, we are very clear about the steps that we have taken."

He added: "The ard comhairle took a very significant decision for republicans some days ago and we set out in very clear and unequivocal terms what we were prepared to do and the timescale that was prepared to happen in."

Sinn Fein's leadership voted last month to hold a conference on the issue of whether to support policing.

But the party signalled on Wednesday this was in doubt because the move had not received a "positive enough" response from DUP leader Ian Paisley.

This was enough to make Mr Blair return early from his holiday in Florida for emergency talks.

If Sinn Fein's conference does not go ahead, the March assembly election may be in doubt.