Stormont talks: Church leaders in plea to end 'despair'

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-politics-50887838

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The leaders of Ireland's main churches have urged political parties to "go the extra mile" to restore devolution.

On Monday, a joint statement said they were "disappointed" a deal had not been agreed before Christmas.

It added: "We pray that together, they fully grasp this opportunity when they return to the negotiating table in January."

Northern Ireland's executive collapsed in January 2017 following a bitter dispute between Sinn Féin and the DUP.

A fresh round of talks got under way last week, and the British and Irish governments said progress had been made.

However, they laid the blame at the feet of the DUP for the lack of any deal - something the party has "flatly rejected".

The leaders of the Church of Ireland, the Methodist, Roman Catholic and Presbyterian churches, along with the Irish Council of Churches said: "It is incumbent on all of us to recognise the road that has been travelled since the collapse of the executive nearly three years ago.

"It is a journey that has damaged our health service and our schools.

"It has also nurtured a growing sense of despair in our politics and contributed to additional hardships and worry experienced by the most vulnerable people in our society.

"While we acknowledge that points of difference obviously remain, the goal of restoring devolution remains within reach, even if it still rests a little way off."

'Restore sense of hope'

The clergymen urged negotiators to "continue working creatively and courageously towards a deal that can bring stability and begin to restore a sense of hope".

"For the sake of the whole community, we urge all our political representatives to go that extra mile," they added.

In May, five church leaders met party leaders along with British and Irish ministers and told the Stormont parties the time had come to demonstrate courageous political leadership.

Before that, the clergymen met the parties in September 2018, and stated their view that restoring the assembly is vital to protect employment and give communities and young people a sense of confidence about the future.

Following the New IRA murder of journalist Lyra McKee in April 2019, Fr Martin Magill commended local party leaders for coming together.

However, in a sermon at Ms McKee's funeral, he publicly questioned why it had taken an act of violence to bring the politicians together.