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Martin McGuinness says timeframe for Stormont deal is 'days, not weeks' Martin McGuinness says timeframe for Stormont deal is 'days, not weeks'
(about 4 hours later)
The timeframe for a deal in Stormont's inter-party talks is "days, not weeks", the deputy first minister has said.The timeframe for a deal in Stormont's inter-party talks is "days, not weeks", the deputy first minister has said.
Martin McGuinness said he believed a deal was "achievable" and that the talks process was "intensifying". Martin McGuinness said the talks process was "intensifying".
The five biggest parties have been in negotiations for almost six weeks about the budget, welfare reform as well as past and present paramilitary activity.The five biggest parties have been in negotiations for almost six weeks about the budget, welfare reform as well as past and present paramilitary activity.
Mr McGuinness, of Sinn Féin, claimed there had been an attempt to "sabotage" the talks in the last few weeks. DUP minister Arlene Foster said: "We always said we hoped these talks would come to a head by the end of this month and that is still our position."
Asked if she thought a deal was possible, she said: "We are still optimistic but there are gaps that need to be closed, and we will work very hard to make sure that we close those gaps quickly."
Mr McGuinness, of Sinn Féin, said he believed a deal was "achievable".
He claimed there had been an attempt to "sabotage" the talks in the last few weeks.
The story of Stormont's crisisThe story of Stormont's crisis
The deputy first minister added that "the difficulty about recent times is that some parties can't get out the door quick enough to say something which negatively feeds into what we're trying to do".The deputy first minister added that "the difficulty about recent times is that some parties can't get out the door quick enough to say something which negatively feeds into what we're trying to do".
Mr McGuinness said his own party had not done this, and he did not think the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) had done so either.Mr McGuinness said his own party had not done this, and he did not think the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) had done so either.
But he added: "I do think other parties have done that and it is not conducive to getting a good outcome."But he added: "I do think other parties have done that and it is not conducive to getting a good outcome."