Northern Ireland's politicians will face a tough battle in trying to have policing and justice powers transferred to a power sharing government at Stormont, a senior nationalist acknowledged today.
SDLP chairman Mr Alex Attwood today renewed calls for the devolution of justice and policing powers, arguing it would be a sign of political maturity in northern Ireland.
However the West Belfast MLA also predicted resistance within the British establishment to such a move.
"If anybody believes this can be done between now and February or even April, that is not a feasible timeframe," Mr Attwood insisted.
"Over and above the structural and legal arrangements needed to bring about the transfer of power, the British system is not going to be keen to give up its power easily or quickly. They are going to fight it.
"Even when the British decide they are prepared to give up the power, they will try to retain a sufficient amount of it on the grounds of national security.
"So given the very heavy detailed work required and the fact that a new law will have to be introduced which will mean it cannot happen overnight, there will be a cultural resistance within the system to giving to the North (of Ireland) policing, justice and a level of security powers. It should, however, happen as quickly as possible."
The creation of a justice and policing ministry at Stormont has been a demand of many of the parties during the current round of multi-party negotiations to restore devolution.
However, any hope of unanimity on the issue was shattered when earlier this month Ulster Unionist leader Mr David Trimble argued against the immediate transfer of the powers if there were a breakthrough in the talks.
Mr Trimble said time would need to elapse before the powers could be transferred to enable the crisis of confidence in Sinn Fein within unionism to be repaired.
Unionist trust has been damaged by a succession of allegations this year against the IRA including claims that they broke into and stole intelligence files from a top security police station and operated a spy ring in the Northern Ireland Office.
Mr Attwood today agreed republicans would have to address the crisis in confidence.
However the SDLP Policing Board member said Mr Trimble and other unionists also faced a lack of confidence in them within nationalism.
"Trimble, by some of his antics and tactics, does not seem to realise how withering that is on nationalist confidence in him and in the wider intentions of the Ulster Unionist leadership," he said.
"Nationalists know they can ultimately do business with unionism but they don't have great conviction that they can do business that endures with some of the Ulster Unionist leadership. So they have to realise that they can say the right words and do the right things but they have to convince nationalism that it is for real and it will happen."
Mr Attwood confirmed the SDLP would produce in the New Year a report measuring the achievements of the Policing Board.
PA