This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-25456712

The article has changed 8 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 4 Version 5
Haass proposals: DUP says agreement before Christmas unlikely Haass proposals: Hopes for agreement before Christmas
(about 1 hour later)
The DUP's Jeffrey Donaldson has said he believes agreement in the Haass talks before Christmas is unlikely. Former US diplomat Richard Haass has said he will leave "no stone unturned" in an effort to reach an agreement with Northern Ireland's five main parties before Christmas.
A revised set of proposals on ways to deal with flags, parades and the past was given to the five parties on Thursday. "We have made real progress on parades and the past," he said on Friday.
The fresh set of recommendations by Richard Haass has caused serious concern amongst unionists. "We shall see where we come out on flags," he added, suggesting that this was the sticking point.
He is meeting representatives of the five main political parties on Friday for further discussions. A third and final draft paper will be given to the parties on Sunday with the goal of sealing an agreement on Monday.
Dr Haass will meet the parties individually in the morning before holding round-table talks in the afternoon. Dr Haass said it would be "a real loss" if agreement could not be reached.
The former US diplomat's first set of proposals were rejected by unionists earlier this week and led to Dr Haass and his vice-chair Meghan O'Sullivan locking themselves away for 36 hours to prepare a new version, which was given to the parties on Thursday. "Much progress has been made and much remains to be resolved," he said. "We are getting close to crunch time."
Unionists said on Thursday evening that they were unhappy with Dr Haass's second draft of proposals. He said it was now up to the parties and "how much they want agreement and how intolerable they find the status quo."
Vice-chair Dr Meghan O'Sullivan said: "We're now moving forward in what we hope is the culminating period of the process."
She said there would be a very intense series of meetings in the next 36 hours and a new draft of proposals would be given to the parties on Sunday.
It was then hoped the process could be concluded on Monday.
The discussions centre on ways to deal with what have been called the "toxic issues" of flags, parades and the past.
Dr Haass had met the parties individually on Friday morning and round-table talks were held in the afternoon.
Dr O'Sullivan said if agreement was not reached by Monday, she and Dr Haass would assess the situation and make a judgement call about whether or not to return to run up to the 31 December deadline.
Speaking on Friday evening, Sinn Féin's talks negotiator Gerry Kelly was optimistic that the parties could come to agreement.
"Our view is that we can crack this before Christmas," he said.
"We all want to do it before Christmas. There is still work to be done. Each party is saying that the will is there, that will has to be tested."
The former US diplomat's first set of proposals were rejected by unionists earlier this week and led to Dr Haass and Dr O'Sullivan locking themselves away for 36 hours to prepare a new version, which was given to the parties on Thursday.
Unionists said on Thursday evening that they were unhappy with Dr Haass's second draft of proposals. Speaking earlier on Friday, the DUP's Jeffrey Donaldson said he believed agreement in the Haass talks before Christmas was unlikely.
Mr Donaldson, who is part of the DUP's talks delegation, said he thought further dialogue in the new year would be needed.Mr Donaldson, who is part of the DUP's talks delegation, said he thought further dialogue in the new year would be needed.
Importance
"I have to say there's still a few silly things in there that really do need to be taken out and there are still areas on which further progress is required," he said."I have to say there's still a few silly things in there that really do need to be taken out and there are still areas on which further progress is required," he said.
"We're prepared to work on for as long as it takes to resolve these issues because we recognise how important they are for the people of Northern Ireland.""We're prepared to work on for as long as it takes to resolve these issues because we recognise how important they are for the people of Northern Ireland."
Sinn Féin's talks negotiator, Gerry Kelly, said "advances" had been made.
"We can make progress, but the political will needs to be there and this is an opportunity which we, certainly in Sinn Féin, and I would say all the parties, need not to lose, we'll not come back again easily, so we're up for finishing the job for the people in the north, and indeed throughout Ireland and Britain," he said.
"These are the three toxic issues which have been hanging around for 15 years, we have an opportunity to sort them out and we're up for trying to do that."
Ulster Unionist leader Mike Nesbitt said: "Clearly we're at the point where you either say goodbye to a deadline or you say goodbye to an opportunity, and we don't want to say goodbye to the opportunity because it is still there.
"There's a lot we don't like about this document, we think it's time to park flags because we're not going to agree that in this round, but there's still opportunity in parades and in dealing with the past, and let's see if we can get those over the line, which will give us the confidence to return to flags next year."
'Real scope'
Alliance MP Naomi Long said her party had had a "very constructive round of discussions, both with Richard Haass and his team, and also with the other parties, really since yesterday".
"We think that there is real scope for a deal to be done on these issues, but now is not the time to put the brakes on this process, it is the time to drive it forward and we think it's important that we maintain the momentum that we have and get this deal over the line.
"Any business that can be done between Christmas and new year can just as readily be done, now, before Christmas."
On Thursday, it was revealed that the flying of the Irish tricolour on government buildings in Northern Ireland had been ruled out by Dr Haass.
It is understood his proposals include a licensing system for the flying of flags, a trauma centre and new bodies for dealing with parading and the past.