Donaldson Rules Out Policing Powers In May

As expected, Ian Paisley's Democratic Unionist Party has ruled out the devolution of policing and justice powers within the proposed 10-week timescale.

The party's Jeffrey Donaldson – who has chaired a Stormont committee that has looked at the issue for the past seven months - said that the May target date, set in the St Andrew's Agreement, wasn't now likely.

In an interview for the BBC’s Politics Show, Mr Donaldson said the DUP would not be rushed.

"It is a question of ensuring there is adequate public confidence that the Assembly is ready to take on these powers," said Mr Donaldson at the weekend.

While Sinn Fein criticised the DUP's stance - saying there is no reason why the May deadline cannot be met - he said there also has to be political agreement on it.

"I don't think any of these things are in place," he said during the programme.

The government recently put fresh pressure on party leader, Ian Paisley to agree to devolve policing and justice powers to the Stormont Executive.

Both London and Dublin wanted 'the final piece of the devolution jigsaw' to be completed by May.

Speaking in Belfast last month, Northern Ireland Secretary of State Shaun Woodward urged a change of heart.

He said he hoped that sooner rather than later local politicians "will embrace the final part of devolution".

Mr Woodward said real leadership would enable the Executive "to get on with actually running policing and criminal justice for themselves."

However, responding to the earlier call for action by PM Gordon Brown and Irish leader, Bertie Ahern, Mr Paisley last month told the Stormont MLAs that as First Minister he had "absolutely no intention" of bringing such a proposal to the Assembly.

(BMcC)