This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It will not be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/northern_ireland/6258329.stm

The article has changed 5 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 0 Version 1
Hain accuses DUP of 'begrudgery' Sinn Fein in key policing talks
(20 minutes later)
Northern Ireland Secretary Peter Hain has accused some DUP politicians of showing "begrudgery" over recent developments in the peace process. Sinn Fein's national executive is to meet in Dublin later to decide whether to press ahead with plans to support policing in Northern Ireland.
Mr Hain said he hoped a Sinn Fein Ard Comhairle meeting today would schedule a special party conference on policing. On Friday, Sinn Fein said the DUP had gone back on a deal to agree the devolution of policing. In December, the party executive supported calls for a special conference of members on policing.
DUP leader Ian Paisley denied this and said he had made no commitment which went beyond recent public statements. The decision was based on a positive response from the British and Irish governments and DUP leader Ian Paisley.
But on Friday, Sinn Fein said the DUP had reneged on a deal on the devolution of policing. The DUP denied this.
DUP leader Ian Paisley said he had made no commitment which went beyond recent public statements.
When the words of approval they expected from the DUP leader did not materialise, republicans began to cast doubt on whether the special Sinn Fein conference on policing would take place.
Prime Minister Tony Blair and Irish Premier Bertie Ahern have identified Sinn Fein support for the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) as being crucial to persuading the DUP to share power in a devolved government with Sinn Fein by 26 March.
However, as he prepared for Saturday's meeting, Mr Adams accused the DUP leader of reneging on a deal which would have seen him use an agreed form of words in his New Year statement responding to Sinn Fein's national executive decision.
The DUP denied that it had made any commitment to Mr Blair andNorthern Ireland Secretary Peter Hain, particularly on the issue of the transfer of policing and justice powers by May 2008.
'Move ahead'
"I am not in the business of saying one thing in private and another in public," Mr Paisley said.
Mr Adams said he would be urging his national executive to judge everything in the round.
"In my presentation I will put to people that we still need civic policing, we still need to have an accountable police service and we still need to get the power-sharing institutions in place," the West Belfast MP said.
"We cannot allow others to dictate the pace of change."
Meanwhile, Northern Ireland Secretary Peter Hain has accused some DUP politicians of showing "begrudgery" over recent developments in the peace process.
Mr Hain said he hoped the Sinn Fein Ard Comhairle meeting on Saturday would schedule a special party conference on policing.
In an interview for Radio Ulster's Inside Politics programme, Mr Hain insisted that the time had come for both Sinn Fein and the DUP to move forward.In an interview for Radio Ulster's Inside Politics programme, Mr Hain insisted that the time had come for both Sinn Fein and the DUP to move forward.
Earlier this week, Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams said the DUP was given the text of the motion he would put to his party's executive on Saturday, calling for a special meeting on policing.
He said the DUP was meant to say that if Sinn Fein translated its words into actions they would "accept the devolution of policing by May 2008".
Mr Adams said the DUP had said "the required words were in the motion".
He said that the DUP leader Ian Paisley was to have responded to them in a New Year statement.
The DUP were almost paranoid about there being no sign of choreography and we were very sensitive to this Gerry AdamsSinn Fein president
However, Mr Paisley said he had made no commitment which went beyond his recent public statements on the issue.
The DUP leader has previously denied he ever agreed that policing and justice powers would be transferred by 2008.
"I am not in the business of saying one thing in private and another in public," Mr Paisley said on Friday.
"It is time for Sinn Fein to get down to business and deliver support for the police, the courts and the rule of law.
"Delivery from them, instead of delay and diversion, can help to start building confidence."
Mr Adams told BBC's Evening Extra on Friday that he would not have come out publicly and said that "we have got the ard comhairle on board, condition upon there being a positive response from the government and the DUP - if I did not know there was going to be a positive response".
"The DUP were almost paranoid about there being no sign of choreography and we were very sensitive to this."
Asked what he would be recommending to the ard comhairle, he said: "I will be going at this positively.
"The ard comhairle has decided to have an ard fheis. It has not changed that position yet. Maybe it will do so tomorrow (Saturday) - I hope not.
"What I do hope is that it will find a different basis to continue with the ard fheis and that we have the ard fheis before the end of the month and we push this whole process forward."