The first sign of questioning by the Opposition of the Government's position on Northern policy has been signalled by the Labour Party which has said the impasse had shaken the people's confidence in the political process. The Labour leader, Mr Ruairi Quinn, said it was the responsibility of all the political parties to "contribute constructively" to finding pathways out of the impasse and outlined four requirements for progress in the North.
The first requirement was a solution within the context of the Belfast Agreement, without amendment or renegotiation. Secondly, he said, the two governments must do what was with in their power to implement aspects of the agreement. In this jurisdiction, for example, legislation to incorporate the European Convention, the establishment of the Human Rights Commission and the Equal Status Bill have yet to be completed. Thirdly, both governments must intensify their efforts to agree a joint approach to relaunching the executive.
Finally, all participants must do what they could to build trust and to reach out to the needs of other parties. He appealed to those close to paramilitaries on both sides to bring an immediate end to all forms of violence.
"There are lawless elements that will seek to exploit the impasse for their own utterly misguided objectives, but the failure to identify ways out of the current standoff has unfortunately shaken the confidence of the peoples of these islands in the political process."
It was the responsibility of all parties to contribute constructively to finding a way out of the impasse. "This is a responsibility that we in the Labour Party take very seriously," he said. "It is a responsibility we have sought to exercise in a spirit of constructive bipartisanship ever since this Government took office."