Hain warns NI parties on devolution progress
The North's political parties must make progress towards restoring devolution if they are to maximise American investment in the province, they were told tonight.
As he left New York for Washington for a series of meetings with key United States politicians, Northern Ireland Secretary Peter Hain said American supporters of the peace process would not understand it if any political party refused to play their part next year in reviving the devolved Government at Stormont.
“What has struck me again on this visit to the United States is how much support there is for the process and for the (British) government’s negotiating strategy,” he said.
“There has been a dramatic shift in Irish American opinion towards understanding the British government’s case.
“However US opinion will not understand if parties refuse to take part in any political negotiation which occur next year.
“There will be no sympathy for any party which withdraws the bat in the negotiations.”
Earlier this week before he headed to the United States, Mr Hain and Minister for Foreign Affairs Dermot Ahern met Sinn Féin at Hillsborough Castle.
However, the Reverend Ian Paisley’s Democrat Unionists insisted they would not take part in the discussion, claiming the real negotiations were taking place between them and Downing Street on a 64 page dossier outlining confidence building measures for unionists.
The DUP, Ulster Unionists and the national SDLP have also expressed unease about the British government’s handling of legislation enabling people suspected of offences before the 1998 Good Friday Agreement to avoid jail and also plan for state funded community restorative justice schemes.
Mr Hain, who will meet a US Senators, Edward Kennedy and Hilary Clinton in Washington later today, said there was an understanding among Irish Americans about why the on-the-run legislation announced last week in Westminster was needed.
He confirmed that there were plans for a major investment conference in the United States aimed at attracting more companies to Northern Ireland on the back of positive developments in the peace process.
However he insisted investors needed to see tangible progress.
“They are not going to want to invest if they think the political situation isn’t stable,” he said.
“There is enthusiasm on this side of the Atlantic for the US supporting a new era of democratic politics in Northern Ireland.”
The minister said Irish Americans also wanted to see progress in the policing debate in the North.
“People have been asking a lot about policing,” he said.
“I have explained that I intend to introduce legislation next year to devolve policing and criminal justice to the administration at Stormont.
“If that is given royal assent, there is no reason why Sinn Féin should not reconsider its policing stance.
“When a devolved administration has responsibility there will be an imperative on Sinn Fein to co-operate on police.”
Mr Hain welcomed the injection of another $13.5m (€11.5m) in American funds for the International Funds for Ireland.
He also signalled that the British government was exploring securing more European Union funding for peace and reconciliation work in the North.
The Northern Ireland Secretary will also meet President George W Bush’s special envoy on Northern Ireland, Ambassador Mitchell Reiss.
