BRITISH PRIME minister Gordon Brown visits Stormont today to press for the devolution of policing and justice powers.
However, a sceptical Democratic Unionist Party has insisted there can be no early devolution and that an economic package and the required levels of public confidence still do not exist to back such a move.
Mr Brown is expected to first meet the new PSNI chief constable, Matt Baggott, for a security briefing. Their talks could cover resources for the PSNI at a time of severe budgetary pressures.
The prime minister will then meet the main party leaders in turn for private talks. These will include talks with Alliance leader David Ford, the man many expect to be justice minister. It is understood Mr Ford is keen to ensure that the foundations for a new justice department are secure and that its powers are clearly defined.
Mr Brown’s final meeting will likely be with First Minister Peter Robinson and Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness.
Relations between the two have deteriorated recently because of their sharp differences on the devolution of justice and policing.
Today’s meeting will be the fourth between the two and Mr Brown on the issue. A reliable British source suggested that “further progress will be made” at the talks, although it is accepted that more meetings will be needed before final agreement is reached.
"There is momentum and we will want to maintain this," The Irish Timeswas told.
Mr Robinson said at the weekend that devolution before Christmas was out of the question. “I thought it might have been a possibility to do it before the European election,” he said. “But clearly even if I was to agree to the devolution of policing and justice today, it couldn’t be done before Christmas because there is further legislation to go through the Assembly.Mr McGuinness replied: “People need to hear the DUP saying when transfer will happen, not when it won’t.”