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North South Ministerial Council meets in Armagh Prime Ministers 'to clear diaries for NI talks'
(about 1 hour later)
Northern Ireland ministers are meeting Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny and his cabinet colleagues at a North South Ministerial Council conference. The British and Irish prime ministers are to clear their diaries in an attempt to broker a solution to divisive problems in Northern Ireland.
The politicians are meeting in Armagh to discuss economic matters and European funding opportunities. "I expect the British prime minister and taoiseach will have their diaries cleared towards the end of next week," the Irish foreign minister said.
The Irish government is expected to call for a cross-border inquiry into allegations of the IRA moving sex abusers across the border. Charlie Flanagan was speaking at a news conference in Armagh.
The sex abuse allegations are not formally on the agenda. The talks concern disputes on flags, parades, the legacy of the Troubles and welfare reform.
However, the Irish prime minister (taoiseach) has been highly critical of the IRA's alleged intervention in child abuse cases, following recent claims made by Belfast woman Maíria Cahill. Mr Flanagan was speaking following the North South Ministerial Council conference on Friday.
Ms Cahill alleged she was raped by a suspected IRA man when she was a teenager, and that the IRA forced her to confront her rapist before helping to cover up the case. He said the next week would be a "crucial" one for the talks.
Five people who were prosecuted as a result of her claims were later acquitted of all charges, after Ms Cahill withdrew her evidence. "I believe it is incumbent on everybody to ensure that, in rugby parlance, we bring matters over the line," he said.
Speaking ahead of the meeting in Armagh, Mr Kenny said: "I look forward to engagement on Friday with members of the Northern Ireland Executive at the North South Ministerial Council where we will have a detailed and open discussion on financial and economic matters. First Minister Peter Robinson said he believed that the talks had intensified to a new level.
"The meeting will afford us the opportunity to highlight progress, particularly in the economic sphere, in north-south co-operation. "It is necessary to intensify to intensify the talks process to a level that has not yet occurred," he said.
"We will discuss issues which impact on the protection of children, particularly in relation to e-safety. "I have asked my officials to clear my diary over the next 10 days.
"The visit will also give me the opportunity to discuss the current political talks process with the first minister and deputy first minister," Mr Kenny added. "If we have not broken the back of the process then, I believe it will be very difficult to do so before Christmas. If it is not done before Christmas, it will not be done before the UK general election."
The Irish government is currently participating in separate, all-party talks in Belfast, convened by Northern Ireland Secretary of State Theresa Villiers. Mr Flanagan said that a significant degree of progress had been made in the talks over a wide range of issues, including the immediate problem of whether to implement welfare cuts handed down from Westminster.
The talks are aimed at finding solutions to long-running disputes on flags, parades, the legacy of the Troubles and welfare reform. Unlike the rest of the UK, reductions to the welfare budget have not been implemented in Northern Ireland.
The North South Ministerial Council (NSMC) is a cross-border body established as part of the 1998 Good Friday Agreement. Sinn Féin remains resolutely opposed to introducing the cuts, while the DUP maintains that the consequent reduction in Northern Ireland's block grant means that there is no choice. The shortfall is estimated at £200m.
The purpose of the council is to improve cross-border co-operation on matters of mutual interest to people living in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. On Thursday, Mr Robinson warned that the devolved assembly could fall if the current talks process ends without agreement.
A previous effort to find new mechanisms to deal with the flying of flags, parades, and the legacy of the conflict ended without agreement last Christmas.
Sinn Féin has tabled a paper calling for a Peace Investment Fund to be created.
Northern Ireland's Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness has suggested that contributions could be requested from UK, Ireland, the European Union and the USA.