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Theresa Villiers expected to appoint paramilitary assessment panel Sinn Fein's Martin McGuinness in 'put up or shut up' call
(about 2 hours later)
DUP leader Peter Robinson has said he expects Northern Ireland secretary Theresa Villiers to appoint her three-person panel set up to look at paramilitary organisations later. If anyone has evidence linking Sinn Féin to criminality, they should go the police, Martin McGuinness has said.
The five main Stormont parties are taking part in cross-party talks on Monday. In a strongly worded message, the deputy first minister said: "It is now time to put up or shut up."
He was speaking as Northern Ireland's five main parties took part in cross-party talks at Stormont on Monday.
A political crisis was sparked at Stormont by the murder of ex-IRA man Kevin McGuigan Sr last month.A political crisis was sparked at Stormont by the murder of ex-IRA man Kevin McGuigan Sr last month.
Peter Robinson stepped aside as first minister 10 days ago. In a break between talks on Monday, Mr McGuinness accused some of the other parties of being "mischievous" by suggesting Sinn Féin was involved in criminality.
All but one of the DUP ministers resigned in the deepening political row. "If anybody has any information whatsoever about any party in government being involved in criminality, then they should put it up on the table and, more importantly, they should put it to the PSNI," he said.
On Friday, the government commissioned an independent assessment of paramilitary organisations in Northern Ireland. DUP leader Peter Robinson stepped aside as first minister 10 days ago.
Mr Robinson said the parties would hopefully be informed of the panel appointments during the talks process on Monday. All but one of the DUP ministers have resigned in the deepening political row.
Unionists said the issue of continued paramilitary activity was crucial to their involvement in talks.
On Friday, the government commissioned an independent assessment of paramilitary organisations in Northern Ireland and on Monday, Mr Robinson said he expected Northern Ireland Secretary Theresa Villiers to appoint a three-person panel on paramilitary organisations later.
"This'll be a comprehensive review of all of the paramilitary groups right across Northern Ireland and what their activity level is," Mr Robinson said."This'll be a comprehensive review of all of the paramilitary groups right across Northern Ireland and what their activity level is," Mr Robinson said.
"On top of that, one of our six demands will be for a permanent structure to carry out that kind of review and, like the IMC, it should have sanctions applied to anybody who breaches it."
At the Northern Ireland Assembly on Monday, Mr Robinson nominated Michelle McIlveen to take over as minister for regional development, replacing Ulster Unionist Danny Kennedy who resigned as a result of the crisis over IRA activity.At the Northern Ireland Assembly on Monday, Mr Robinson nominated Michelle McIlveen to take over as minister for regional development, replacing Ulster Unionist Danny Kennedy who resigned as a result of the crisis over IRA activity.
Ms McIlveen is expected to resign swiftly in line with the DUP's "no business as usual" protest action. She is expected to resign swiftly in line with the DUP's "no business as usual" protest action.
Gareth Gordon, BBC NI Political Correspondent Ms Villiers said the two crunch issues were the continuing existence of paramilitary organisations and implementing welfare reform.
An opening round table talks session, described as a scene setter has ended. She also said there was no more money for welfare reform.
UUP leader Mike Nesbitt described the mood as serious. The next meeting begins at 15:00 BST with paramilitarism the first item on the agenda, he said. DUP leader Mr Robinson, 66, was at Stormont, after he was discharged from Belfast's Royal Victoria Hospital on Sunday.
There is expected to be a third round-table discussion before the talks break up for the day at about tea-time He had suffered a reaction to medicine prescribed following his heart attack in May.
Secretary of State Theresa Villiers said the two crunch issues were the continuing existence of paramilitary organisations and implementing welfare reform.
In an interview with BBC Radio Ulster ahead of Monday's talks, Ms Villiers said there was no more money for welfare reform.
"We have already provided, through the Stormont House Agreement, an offer of an extra £2bn in additional spending power," she said.
"That is very substantial at a time of unprecedented pressure on public finances.
"We are prepared to negotiate, but not on extra money for welfare."
Meanwhile, Mr Robinson, 66, said the mood at the opening talks was "serious and focussed".
Mr Robinson was discharged from the Royal Victoria Hospital on Sunday, having spent a night there. It is understood he suffered a reaction to medicine prescribed following his heart attack in May.
Ms Villiers said she felt "a sense of hope" that matters could be resolved, but added that it was "going to be very difficult to get a resolution".
Both the paramilitary and financial issues were "crucial", she said.
The story of Stormont's crisisThe story of Stormont's crisis
Read more on how the crisis unfoldedRead more on how the crisis unfolded
She said it was important to get a more factual assessment about what intelligence services know on the continuing existence of paramilitary organisations.
The two unionist parties said they would join cross-party talks on Monday.
Unionists had said the issue of continued paramilitary activity was crucial to their involvement.
Acting first minister Arlene Foster, DUP, told Good Morning Ulster on Monday: "It's not about the money situation, we need to get down to the fundamentals of whether we want devolution to work in Northern Ireland."
Speaking shortly before entering the talks, Martin McGuinness, Sinn Féin, said there were "many nettles to be grasped".
"We're obviously going into these discussions with a view to finding a resolution to the outstanding difficulties and to ensure there is a workable budget for the executive.
"I think there is a huge responsibility on the two governments to be creative, to deploy a spirit of generosity."
Ulster Unionist leader Mike Nesbitt said his party was entering the talks "with some concerns, not least about whether there will be a two-party carve-up in a parallel process".Ulster Unionist leader Mike Nesbitt said his party was entering the talks "with some concerns, not least about whether there will be a two-party carve-up in a parallel process".
"We enter the talks in the spirit of being positive and offering imaginative work around some of the blockages," he said."We enter the talks in the spirit of being positive and offering imaginative work around some of the blockages," he said.
Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) leader Alasdair McDonnell said dealing with the past was a priority.
"The past must be dealt with and victims and survivors must be dealt with honestly and honourably," he said.
Alliance leader David Ford said a deal had to be made.Alliance leader David Ford said a deal had to be made.
"We have to deal with all the outstanding issues around finance and welfare reform," he said. "We need to end the culture of insidious paramilitarism and to reform the institutions so that we don't keep having a crisis year after year," he said.
"We need to end the culture of insidious paramilitarism and to reform the institutions so that we don't keep having a crisis year after year."