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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Stormont power-sharing talks enter final phase | Stormont power-sharing talks enter final phase |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Northern Ireland's political parties are in intensive talks to restore power-sharing at Stormont. | Northern Ireland's political parties are in intensive talks to restore power-sharing at Stormont. |
| Round-table discussions began at 14:00 BST on Tuesday. The deadline for a deal is Thursday. | |
| NI Secretary James Brokenshire said there had been intensive engagement on issues such as equality and languages, but the coming hours were crucial. | |
| Taoiseach (Irish PM) Leo Varadkar has said he is more optimistic than pessimistic agreement will be reached. | Taoiseach (Irish PM) Leo Varadkar has said he is more optimistic than pessimistic agreement will be reached. |
| Stormont parties have been warned that if they cannot reach agreement on restoring the government, direct rule from Westminster could follow. | Stormont parties have been warned that if they cannot reach agreement on restoring the government, direct rule from Westminster could follow. |
| Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney said parties may have to consult supporters on a deal, so talks should finish by Wednesday morning. | |
| The UK and Irish governments are involved in the Stormont talks as co-guarantors of the Good Friday Agreement. | |
| A sitting of the assembly has been scheduled for Thursday at noon which could involve the election of a first and deputy first minister - but only in the event of a deal. | A sitting of the assembly has been scheduled for Thursday at noon which could involve the election of a first and deputy first minister - but only in the event of a deal. |
| Negotiations continued late into Monday night after a separate deal was announced between the Conservatives and the DUP at Westminster, resulting in an extra £1bn in public spending in Northern Ireland. | Negotiations continued late into Monday night after a separate deal was announced between the Conservatives and the DUP at Westminster, resulting in an extra £1bn in public spending in Northern Ireland. |
| DUP leader Arlene Foster said that the agreement would help "boost the economy and invest in new infrastructure". | DUP leader Arlene Foster said that the agreement would help "boost the economy and invest in new infrastructure". |
| Sinn Féin said the deal was a "blank cheque for a Tory Brexit" but any money coming to NI was a "good thing". | Sinn Féin said the deal was a "blank cheque for a Tory Brexit" but any money coming to NI was a "good thing". |
| It has called for legislative protections for Irish language speakers and has insisted Mrs Foster cannot return as First Minister while a public inquiry into a botched green energy scheme is ongoing. | |
| The late deputy first minister, Martin McGuinness, stood down in January over Mrs Foster's handling of the Renewable Heat Incentive scandal, in a move that collapsed the institutions and triggered a snap election in March. | |
| But the parties have failed to restore power sharing since that vote in March. | |
| But speaking in London on Monday, the DUP's Nigel Dodds said his party wanted to see the executive "up and running" and had set no "red lines, no pre-conditions". | |
| He added: "Let's get on with the job, if Sinn Féin continue to mess about, I think they will pay a heavy price." | He added: "Let's get on with the job, if Sinn Féin continue to mess about, I think they will pay a heavy price." |
| Mr Dodds also said that the money agreed in the DUP-Conservative deal would be spent in Northern Ireland "regardless or not of whether the executive is in place". | Mr Dodds also said that the money agreed in the DUP-Conservative deal would be spent in Northern Ireland "regardless or not of whether the executive is in place". |
| Sinn Féin's John O'Dowd told the BBC Good Morning Ulster programme that there was a need to "implement outstanding agreements to get the executive up and going". | Sinn Féin's John O'Dowd told the BBC Good Morning Ulster programme that there was a need to "implement outstanding agreements to get the executive up and going". |
| 'Final 24 hours' | 'Final 24 hours' |
| "I'm an optimist and realist," he said. "We're talking and while there's talking going on there's always hope we'll see implementation of outstanding agreements. | "I'm an optimist and realist," he said. "We're talking and while there's talking going on there's always hope we'll see implementation of outstanding agreements. |
| "All of the parties tell us that's there wish and ambition, certainly in terms of getting the executive up and running again, but we still have to bring others over the line in terms of implementation." | "All of the parties tell us that's there wish and ambition, certainly in terms of getting the executive up and running again, but we still have to bring others over the line in terms of implementation." |
| He repeated that Sinn Féin want DUP leader Arlene Foster to stand aside while a public inquiry into the botched Renewed Heat Incentive scheme is ongoing. | He repeated that Sinn Féin want DUP leader Arlene Foster to stand aside while a public inquiry into the botched Renewed Heat Incentive scheme is ongoing. |
| Sinn Féin MP Francie Molloy said the party "remained committed to the legacy mechanisms agreed at Stormont House", but "resolutely opposed to any suggestion of immunity" for members of the British forces. | Sinn Féin MP Francie Molloy said the party "remained committed to the legacy mechanisms agreed at Stormont House", but "resolutely opposed to any suggestion of immunity" for members of the British forces. |
| UUP leader Robin Swann said that parties had now entered the final 24 hours of negotiations, and pointed a finger at Sinn Féin for seemingly "causing the stumbling blocks." | UUP leader Robin Swann said that parties had now entered the final 24 hours of negotiations, and pointed a finger at Sinn Féin for seemingly "causing the stumbling blocks." |
| "Unless that intensification process delivers today and, I suppose, maybe even later into the night, I think we're not looking at the return of the devolved institutions in this period and I think that's a very dangerous place to be in," he said. | "Unless that intensification process delivers today and, I suppose, maybe even later into the night, I think we're not looking at the return of the devolved institutions in this period and I think that's a very dangerous place to be in," he said. |
| The SDLP's Colin McGrath said the party wants to see "locally devolved institutions" but the DUP and Sinn Féin have questions to answer. | The SDLP's Colin McGrath said the party wants to see "locally devolved institutions" but the DUP and Sinn Féin have questions to answer. |
| "We're constantly told by the DUP and Sinn Féin it can be done in a day, told that the whole way through the process. So we have to ask at this stage, what is taking so long?" | "We're constantly told by the DUP and Sinn Féin it can be done in a day, told that the whole way through the process. So we have to ask at this stage, what is taking so long?" |
| The Alliance's Party Stephen Farry said: "To miss another deadline would be viewed by the public as being farcical." | The Alliance's Party Stephen Farry said: "To miss another deadline would be viewed by the public as being farcical." |
| "The parties need to try and see if we're going to move, if we're going to have power sharing, and if not we're going to have to deal with the consequences." | "The parties need to try and see if we're going to move, if we're going to have power sharing, and if not we're going to have to deal with the consequences." |
| Former DUP first minister Peter Robinson said it was "entirely legitimate" for Sinn Féin to press for an Irish Language Act. | Former DUP first minister Peter Robinson said it was "entirely legitimate" for Sinn Féin to press for an Irish Language Act. |
| However, Mr Robinson called for equal statutory protection for Ulster-Scots. | However, Mr Robinson called for equal statutory protection for Ulster-Scots. |
| "It would be churlish to let a deal collapse by demanding a standalone bill as if one culture had pre-eminence and should not be given legal recognition alongside the cultural expression of others," he said. | "It would be churlish to let a deal collapse by demanding a standalone bill as if one culture had pre-eminence and should not be given legal recognition alongside the cultural expression of others," he said. |