Party leaders hold ‘cordial’ NI policing talks
The man tipped to be Northern Ireland’s new Justice Minister says there needs to be urgent discussion on policy for any future Justice Department.
Alliance Party leader David Ford was speaking after a meeting at which the North’s First and Deputy First Ministers briefed the assembly parties on the proposals on the devolution of policing and justice.
Mr Ford said a lot of the main stumbling blocks to the devolution of policing and justice from Westminster to Stormont look close to being resolved.
Describing today’s meeting as ‘cordial’ and ‘constructive’, he went on to stress the need for a strong, coherent policy programme for the new department.
‘When devolution occurs it must not be hampered by the problems of party disagreements that have haunted Education and Health Ministries’, he said.
First Minister Peter Robinson and Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness were briefing other party leaders at Stormont about the funding that is on offer to pay for the devolution of justice and policing powers.
The DUP and Sinn Féin are the main parties in Northern Ireland’s power-sharing executive, however the Ulster Unionists and the Social Democratic and Labour Party also have ministers at the cabinet table.
The Alliance Party currently has no minister at Stormont.
Mr Robinson and Mr McGuinness have held several meetings about funding with British Prime Minister Gordon Brown.
They have been seeking to extract the maximum amount of British exchequer funding to pay for the devolution of justice and policing powers.
At this afternoon’s discussions it is likely to emerge that up to £800m of funding is on offer.
