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| Justice devolution talks resuming | |
| (about 4 hours later) | |
| Talks in Northern Ireland are continuing on Thursday, even though the British and Irish prime ministers left Hillsborough Castle without a deal. | |
| The political parties have just one day left to reach agreement before the two governments publish their own proposals for policing and justice devolution. | The political parties have just one day left to reach agreement before the two governments publish their own proposals for policing and justice devolution. |
| The negotiations are being led by Secretary of State Shaun Woodward and Irish Foreign Minister Micheal Martin. | |
| The two prime ministers said they were hopeful of an agreement by Friday. | The two prime ministers said they were hopeful of an agreement by Friday. |
| Gordon Brown and Brian Cowen left Hillsborough on Wednesday afternoon, after hosting two marathon days and nights of intense political negotiations over the issue which has threatened the stability of power-sharing at Stormont. | |
| 'Progress made' | 'Progress made' |
| The two biggest political parties in Northern Ireland, the DUP and Sinn, have been arguing over the timetable for the transfer of policing and justice powers from Westminster to locally elected politicians for months. | The two biggest political parties in Northern Ireland, the DUP and Sinn, have been arguing over the timetable for the transfer of policing and justice powers from Westminster to locally elected politicians for months. |
| ANALYSIS Mark Devenport, BBC NI Political Editor The parties are going to try to engage but the question is whether they will get anywhere. | ANALYSIS Mark Devenport, BBC NI Political Editor The parties are going to try to engage but the question is whether they will get anywhere. |
| You've got the sense that Shaun Woodward and Micheal Martin are fulfilling the role of Sisyphus, from Greek legend who was condemned to continually roll a boulder to the top of a hill and see it roll down again. | You've got the sense that Shaun Woodward and Micheal Martin are fulfilling the role of Sisyphus, from Greek legend who was condemned to continually roll a boulder to the top of a hill and see it roll down again. |
| But they have two days to do it and the talks start at 1100 GMT. | But they have two days to do it and the talks start at 1100 GMT. |
| The Ulster Unionists have been talking about bringing in its members who are in the Orange Order to concentrate on the parading issue. | The Ulster Unionists have been talking about bringing in its members who are in the Orange Order to concentrate on the parading issue. |
| One DUP source told the BBC there was general support for them not being stampeded into a deal in the face of a deadline. | One DUP source told the BBC there was general support for them not being stampeded into a deal in the face of a deadline. |
| You have to say that if the two prime ministers couldn't do it then one has to be sceptical about whether the ministers will be able to do it before Friday. | You have to say that if the two prime ministers couldn't do it then one has to be sceptical about whether the ministers will be able to do it before Friday. |
| In a joint statement, the two prime ministers said that progress had been made "inch by inch, slowly but surely" during the latest round of talks. | In a joint statement, the two prime ministers said that progress had been made "inch by inch, slowly but surely" during the latest round of talks. |
| The premiers said they believed there was a "firm basis" for the parties to set a date in early May for the devolution of policing and justice and to "enhance the existing framework to deal more effectively with contentious parades". | The premiers said they believed there was a "firm basis" for the parties to set a date in early May for the devolution of policing and justice and to "enhance the existing framework to deal more effectively with contentious parades". |
| The issue of parades has caused friction in the negotiations, with Sinn Fein complaining that the DUP had made the abolition of the Parades Commission a "pre-condition" to a deal on policing and justice. | The issue of parades has caused friction in the negotiations, with Sinn Fein complaining that the DUP had made the abolition of the Parades Commission a "pre-condition" to a deal on policing and justice. |
| BBC Northern Ireland's political correspondent, Martina Purdy, said that because the governments were suggesting that a new justice minister could be in place by early May, it could be seen that they had come down on the side of Sinn Fein. | BBC Northern Ireland's political correspondent, Martina Purdy, said that because the governments were suggesting that a new justice minister could be in place by early May, it could be seen that they had come down on the side of Sinn Fein. |
| Churches' support | Churches' support |
| However, she added that DUP had not agreed to the suggested date and said "the price and conditions around that will be source of a lot of argument". | |
| She also said that sources within the DUP indicated the mood within the party was "buoyant" because they were "standing up for unionism" and "standing firm on the issue of progress on parades". | |
| Late on Wednesday night, the leaders of Ireland's four main churches called on all the political parties to redouble their efforts to reach a settlement. | Late on Wednesday night, the leaders of Ireland's four main churches called on all the political parties to redouble their efforts to reach a settlement. |
| Cardinal Sean Brady, Archbishop Alan Harper, Presbyterian Moderator Dr Stafford Carson and Methodist President Rev Donald Ker said they believed that "the people of Northern Ireland expect their representatives to ensure that agreement is reached". | Cardinal Sean Brady, Archbishop Alan Harper, Presbyterian Moderator Dr Stafford Carson and Methodist President Rev Donald Ker said they believed that "the people of Northern Ireland expect their representatives to ensure that agreement is reached". |
| "We have come a very long way as a society since the dark days of the Troubles. There is an overwhelming desire throughout Northern Ireland for continued political progress and for the peace process to be sustained. | "We have come a very long way as a society since the dark days of the Troubles. There is an overwhelming desire throughout Northern Ireland for continued political progress and for the peace process to be sustained. |
| "No-one wishes to return to the tragic patterns of the past and we believe that responsibility of the politicians is to ensure that there is no return to dysfunctional division," the statement said. | "No-one wishes to return to the tragic patterns of the past and we believe that responsibility of the politicians is to ensure that there is no return to dysfunctional division," the statement said. |