Sinn Féin calls for power-sharing talks to resume
Sinn Féin has called for Stormont power-sharing talks to resume in a week’s time.
In a letter to the Irish and UK governments and leaders of other political parties in Northern Ireland, the party said negotiations should resume on Monday 28 August.
Sinn Féin’s leader in Northern Ireland, Michelle O’Neill, said she did not believe there is a need or public appetite for drawn-out discussions.
“With limited engagement since the talks concluded on 4 July, I am keen to formally re-engage at the earliest opportunity in order to re-establish an Executive and power-sharing institutions on a proper and sustainable footing,” she said.
“Moreover, I do not believe there is much public appetite, or need, for another drawn-out phase of talks.
“In this context, and with an eagerness to resolve outstanding issues, I am also formally proposing that this round of talks be focused and time-limited.”
Northern Ireland’s two biggest parties, the Democratic Unionists and Sinn Féin, remain at loggerheads over a range of issues.
Sticking points include the shape of legislation to protect Irish language speakers, the DUP’s opposition to lifting the region’s ban on same-sex marriage, and mechanisms to deal with the legacy of the Troubles.
Talks between the parties were postponed for the summer after they failed to reach agreement.
The political rift between the parties has left the region without a first and deputy first minister since January and a functioning executive since March.
