Politicians still mulling over power-sharing deal
Politicians in the North are today mulling over the detail of the potential deal for power sharing sketched out by the Taoiseach Bertie Ahern and British prime minister Tony Blair.
As parties left the St Andrews' summit in Scotland enthused by the prospect of power sharing by March 26 next year, there was also caution.
Democratic Unionist leader the Rev Ian Paisley returned to Belfast last night in time for his 50th anniversary celebration.
While he received a gift from Mr Ahern of a bowl carved out of wood from a tree at the Battle of the Boyne and a crystal from Downing Street, he was also looking for Sinn Féin to deliver stable power sharing and total support for policing.
The DUP leader and his negotiating team would spend the coming days poring over the detail in the two governments' St Andrews Agreement.
However there was optimism in DUP circles as Mr Paisley arrived back in Belfast on a chartered jet from RAF Leuchars in Fife.
"I think we have something to work with here," a party source said.
"It's all about joining the dots and Sinn Fein really has to deliver on policing and the rule of law."
Under the plan, the parties will give a clear signal by November 10 whether they believe the deal is workable.
On October 17, a new Stormont Programme for Government Committee would begin regular meetings to agree priorities for a new power sharing administration.
On November 20 and 21 the British government will introduce legislation to implement the St Andrews deal and on Mr Blair's and Mr Ahern's deadline for political progress on November 24, Mr Paisley and Sinn Fein's Martin McGuinness would be appointed the North's First and Deputy First Ministers.
Following an independent monitoring commission report and either a referendum or election in March to endorse the deal, ministers to a new power sharing government would be nominated on March 14, with powers devolved 12 days later.
Sinn Féin will also be expected to call a meeting of its national executive within weeks of the St Andrews deal to recommend a party conference on changing its policing policy.
That conference, which could see the party finally endorse and encourage its community to join the Police Service of Northern Ireland, could take place after Mr Paisley and Mr McGuinness become First and Deputy First Ministers.
"We're not there yet," a Sinn Féin source said.
"At least, people have left St Andrews in hope and we can see a clear way forward.
"It's important now that people take time to study these proposals, rationalise them, debate them and then respond.
"Gerry Adams and the leadership will undoubtedly be talking over the next few days.
"There will also be loose ends to tie up. However it has been a good day in the talks."
It is believed both the DUP and Sinn Féin would favour an election as opposed to a referendum to ratify the St Andrews dot to dot agreement.
Parties were still keen to lock down a financial package to bolster a deal with the Government.
Those discussions could also involve the Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown as the politicians press for favourable economic measures to help attract investment in Northern Ireland.
The DUP were also celebrating securing a guarantee that the Assembly would make a decision on the future review of public administration, the securing of a guarantee that domestic rates would be capped and they would also be able to take a key decision on academic selection and education reforms.
Sinn Féin and the Nationalist SDLP were pleased that the British government had committed itself to a forum on a Bill of Rights, a Single Quality Bill, an Irish Language Act, the granting of new powers for the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission and a guarantee that 50/50 Catholic and Protestants recruitment in the police would continue until the target for a third of Catholics in the police was met.
The government also agreed to work with business, trade union and ex-prisoner groups to remove the barriers to employment and enhance the job prospects of paramilitaries who had been imprisoned while at the same time they committed themselves to establishing a permanent Victims Commissioner in the province.
While the parties picked out the successes for them in the document and other areas which required more negotiation, they were also aware that failure to honour it would result in the Assembly's dissolution and Mr Blair and Mr Ahern implementing their Plan B for Northern Ireland.
