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| Stormont talks: 'Deal agreement needed' before assembly recall | Stormont talks: 'Deal agreement needed' before assembly recall |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| The Northern Ireland Assembly will only be recalled if the political parties agree on a potential deal to restore power sharing, the speaker has said. | The Northern Ireland Assembly will only be recalled if the political parties agree on a potential deal to restore power sharing, the speaker has said. |
| The British and Irish governments published the text of a draft deal on Thursday evening, following three years of political deadlock. | The British and Irish governments published the text of a draft deal on Thursday evening, following three years of political deadlock. |
| NI Secretary Julian Smith asked the speaker to arrange an urgent meeting of the assembly for Friday. | NI Secretary Julian Smith asked the speaker to arrange an urgent meeting of the assembly for Friday. |
| But that depends on when Robin Newton hears "positively" from the parties. | But that depends on when Robin Newton hears "positively" from the parties. |
| Mr Smith and Tánaiste (Irish Deputy Prime Minister) Simon Coveney made the announcement of a draft deal at a media conference at Stormont on Thursday evening. | Mr Smith and Tánaiste (Irish Deputy Prime Minister) Simon Coveney made the announcement of a draft deal at a media conference at Stormont on Thursday evening. |
| Speaking to BBC News NI, Mr Smith said politicians have "decisions to make but now is the time". | |
| If agreed, the deal, entitled New Decade, New Approach, could see the assembly reconvene on Friday. Thursday marked three years to the day since Stormont collapsed. | If agreed, the deal, entitled New Decade, New Approach, could see the assembly reconvene on Friday. Thursday marked three years to the day since Stormont collapsed. |
| It is the speaker's responsibility to ensure arrangements are in place for a sitting to facilitate the appointment of an executive. | It is the speaker's responsibility to ensure arrangements are in place for a sitting to facilitate the appointment of an executive. |
| An assembly spokesperson said: "It is not for the speaker to react to political speculation and he has been clear that whether or not the deadline of 13 January can be met is a matter entirely for parties. | An assembly spokesperson said: "It is not for the speaker to react to political speculation and he has been clear that whether or not the deadline of 13 January can be met is a matter entirely for parties. |
| "While the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland has requested that the speaker call a sitting of the assembly, the process of doing so remains one for the speaker to undertake in consultation with the parties." | "While the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland has requested that the speaker call a sitting of the assembly, the process of doing so remains one for the speaker to undertake in consultation with the parties." |
| The statement added: "The speed and timing of any sitting therefore depends entirely on when the speaker hears positively from the parties." | The statement added: "The speed and timing of any sitting therefore depends entirely on when the speaker hears positively from the parties." |
| 'An entirely different construct' | 'An entirely different construct' |
| Speaking on the BBC's Good Morning Ulster programme on Friday, Arlene Foster said she was "hopeful" that the DUP and Sinn Féin can restore the executive. | Speaking on the BBC's Good Morning Ulster programme on Friday, Arlene Foster said she was "hopeful" that the DUP and Sinn Féin can restore the executive. |
| The DUP leader said she had spoken to Michelle O'Neill on Thursday evening. | The DUP leader said she had spoken to Michelle O'Neill on Thursday evening. |
| "Discussions will continue throughout the day and hopefully we can get to a place where we can have the executive up and running again," she said. | "Discussions will continue throughout the day and hopefully we can get to a place where we can have the executive up and running again," she said. |
| Earlier in the week, the Orange Order reiterated its opposition to a standalone Irish language act. | Earlier in the week, the Orange Order reiterated its opposition to a standalone Irish language act. |
| But Mrs Foster argued that the new deal was "an entirely different construct to what was suggested before". | But Mrs Foster argued that the new deal was "an entirely different construct to what was suggested before". |
| She said the deal "recognises that there are people living here in Northern Ireland with an Irish identity and those of us who have a British identity". | She said the deal "recognises that there are people living here in Northern Ireland with an Irish identity and those of us who have a British identity". |
| The proposed deal would see legislation created for the appointment of both an Irish language commissioner and an Ulster-Scots commissioner. | The proposed deal would see legislation created for the appointment of both an Irish language commissioner and an Ulster-Scots commissioner. |
| "Yes, there is Irish language legislation but there is a balance. There are those of us who are British in Northern Ireland and want to cherish our history as well." | "Yes, there is Irish language legislation but there is a balance. There are those of us who are British in Northern Ireland and want to cherish our history as well." |
| Mr Smith said the deal will transform public services and restore public confidence in devolved government, and asked all parties to support it. | Mr Smith said the deal will transform public services and restore public confidence in devolved government, and asked all parties to support it. |
| The secretary of state said accepting the deal would also bring about the parties' commitment to immediately ending ongoing industrial action by healthcare staff. | The secretary of state said accepting the deal would also bring about the parties' commitment to immediately ending ongoing industrial action by healthcare staff. |
| However, he said he had indicated to health unions that money would not be forthcoming until a deal was completed. | |
| "There is no money coming unless the executive gets up and running," he told BBC Radio Ulster's Good Morning Ulster programme. | |
| "I want to focus on public services, they need to get back to work," he said. | |
| Thousands of healthcare workers across Northern Ireland are going ahead with strike action on Friday, despite efforts to restore Stormont. | |
| Mr Coveney said the path that led to this point was "based on the extensive discussions and collective work undertaken by the parties since May last year, following the awful murder of Lyra McKee". | Mr Coveney said the path that led to this point was "based on the extensive discussions and collective work undertaken by the parties since May last year, following the awful murder of Lyra McKee". |
| Ms McKee, a journalist, was murdered by the New IRA in April last year. | Ms McKee, a journalist, was murdered by the New IRA in April last year. |
| Analysis by BBC News NI Economics Editor John Campbell | Analysis by BBC News NI Economics Editor John Campbell |
| If the deal is done, the UK government is promising a large cash injection to tackle acute funding problems in Northern Ireland's hospitals and schools. | If the deal is done, the UK government is promising a large cash injection to tackle acute funding problems in Northern Ireland's hospitals and schools. |
| The financial annex in the draft deal does not mention any specific figures. | The financial annex in the draft deal does not mention any specific figures. |
| But last year, the most senior official in the Department of Health said he would need somewhere between £700m and £1bn to tackle waiting lists, which are the worst in the UK. | But last year, the most senior official in the Department of Health said he would need somewhere between £700m and £1bn to tackle waiting lists, which are the worst in the UK. |
| So health service managers will have an expectation that a sum of a least that size will be on the way. | So health service managers will have an expectation that a sum of a least that size will be on the way. |
| What's in the draft deal? | What's in the draft deal? |
| Two key sticking points in the Stormont talks were around an Irish language act and the petition of concern. | Two key sticking points in the Stormont talks were around an Irish language act and the petition of concern. |
| The purpose of petition of concern is to protect one community from legislation that would favour another and a valid petition requires the signatures of 30 MLAs. | The purpose of petition of concern is to protect one community from legislation that would favour another and a valid petition requires the signatures of 30 MLAs. |
| The draft deal says there is to be "meaningful reform" of the petition, which would be "reduced and returned to its intended purpose" and would "only be used in the most exceptional circumstances and as a last resort, having used every other mechanism". | The draft deal says there is to be "meaningful reform" of the petition, which would be "reduced and returned to its intended purpose" and would "only be used in the most exceptional circumstances and as a last resort, having used every other mechanism". |
| The proposed deal would also see legislation created for the appointment of both an Irish language commissioner and an Ulster-Scots commissioner. | The proposed deal would also see legislation created for the appointment of both an Irish language commissioner and an Ulster-Scots commissioner. |
| It also makes provision for a number of long-standing demands of environmentalists, including the idea that a new Programme for Government would see a separate climate change act for Northern Ireland - the only part of the UK without such legislation. | It also makes provision for a number of long-standing demands of environmentalists, including the idea that a new Programme for Government would see a separate climate change act for Northern Ireland - the only part of the UK without such legislation. |
| Up until now, Northern Ireland has been bound by and fed into targets set by wider UK legislation. | Up until now, Northern Ireland has been bound by and fed into targets set by wider UK legislation. |
| It proposes an independent environmental protection agency to hold government to account and to ensure compliance with environmental targets. | It proposes an independent environmental protection agency to hold government to account and to ensure compliance with environmental targets. |
| And there is a suggestion that the ill-fated RHI scheme, which helped collapse Stormont, would be shut down and replaced with different incentives to decarbonise heat. | And there is a suggestion that the ill-fated RHI scheme, which helped collapse Stormont, would be shut down and replaced with different incentives to decarbonise heat. |
| Other commitments include: | Other commitments include: |
| Sinn Féin president Mary Lou McDonald TD said her party was "studying the text and will give it careful consideration". | Sinn Féin president Mary Lou McDonald TD said her party was "studying the text and will give it careful consideration". |
| "The Sinn Féin Ard Chomhairle will meet tomorrow to fully assess it," she added. | "The Sinn Féin Ard Chomhairle will meet tomorrow to fully assess it," she added. |
| The Ulster Unionists said they would attend the sitting and consider the business put before them if the assembly is recalled on Friday. | The Ulster Unionists said they would attend the sitting and consider the business put before them if the assembly is recalled on Friday. |
| Its leader, Steve Aiken, said: "We will consider this complex and far reaching document carefully and consult widely within our party before making any further comments." | Its leader, Steve Aiken, said: "We will consider this complex and far reaching document carefully and consult widely within our party before making any further comments." |