The Irish Government will get extra powers over Northern Ireland's internal affairs from early December if a deal on the Northern Executive is not agreed, Minister for Justice Michael McDowell has said.
Asked if the support from both Sinn Féin and the DUP for the latest proposals from Dublin and London was conditional, Mr McDowell was blunt.
"We'll see," he said. "There is legislation going to be prepared at Westminster to implement the process worked out at St Andrews . . . On the 24th of this month there will be a nomination of a first minister or a deputy first minister. Either they are onside or offside on that occasion. The governments have made it very, very clear that if there is any failure to implement the agreement, the immediate response will be that in the first week of December 'Plan B' will be implemented. We are not in the business of sliding back on this issue," he said.
Yesterday, Minister for Foreign Affairs Dermot Ahern sought to emphasise the positive, despite conditional signals offered by Sinn Féin and the DUP towards the St Andrews proposals. He said he was "satisfied" there was enough goodwill between the two parties to guarantee they were prepared to bring about powersharing and accepted policing.
"We asked the parties to reflect on the agreement, to consult with their membership on the proposed way forward and to confirm their acceptance by November 10th," Mr Ahern said. "These consultations are now complete and the governments have been in contact with the parties. We are satisfied from these contacts that the St Andrews Agreement, implemented in good faith, represents the basis for a political settlement."
He continued: "That settlement must rest on the two foundations of support for powersharing and the political institutions, and support for policing and the rule of law. Securing these objectives remains the priority of the two governments and of everyone in Northern Ireland.
"We will now proceed to ensure full implementation of the St Andrews Agreement and the British government will bring forward legislation to give effect to the agreement."
Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny said it was "regrettable" that neither Sinn Féin nor the DUP were able to sign up fully to the St Andrews deal.
"Their failure to meet the deadline represents a setback to the process and weakens the negotiating position of both governments," Mr Kenny said.
"I would urge the governments to make direct contact with the leaders of both parties in the coming days to establish if there is any prospect of the November 24th deadline for the nomination of ministers being met.
"In doing so, they must emphasise that if the rate of progress in the weeks since the St Andrews Agreement is not accelerated, then there is no prospect of the outstanding obstacles being resolved within the timeframe that has been set," he said.
