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By Gareth Gordon
BBC

The head of the Orange Order has revealed he has been in communication with the Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams.

He made the disclosure at a meeting of the Grand Lodge in the Republic on Saturday.

Gerry Adams wrote to the Orange Grand Master Roberts Saulters some months ago requesting information on the Order.

Mr Saulters said he had replied, sending Mr Adams some literature on the traditions of the institution.

Mr Adams wrote back confirming he had received Mr Saulters correspondence.

The exchange was confirmed by an Orange Order spokesman, however sources said it is unlikely to lead, at this stage, to a meeting between the Grand Lodge and Mr Adams.

In June it was revealed that three senior Orangemen from Portadown had met Gerry Adams and an aide. An exchange that was criticised by the Grand Lodge.

The meeting of the Grand Lodge in County Cavan on Saturday was the first in the Republic since partition, another sign of changing times for the institution.

News Letter
26 September 2008

PETER Robinson set a new tone for the debate on policing and justice, when he said “it will” be devolved to Stormont.

In a key speech, which will be picked over in detail by republicans, and in London and Dublin, the DUP leader said those who thought his party was opposed to the transfer of law and order powers from Westminster “just don’t get it”.

Unionists, he argued, had historically demanded local control of policing responsibility.

And, he insisted, it was “a (DUP] manifesto commitment and a unionist ideal” to see this happen.

But, as he edged forward his supporters, the wider unionist community and the political process, he stressed once more that only when “essential conditions have been met” and “public confidence” is there, will the devolution of the powers actually occur.

“We will not be pushed or bullied on this matter,” he said. “Our terms are unalterable.”

The First Minister was addressing a dinner in Fermanagh, where DUP members were in celebratory mood, after the Enniskillen by-election victory of Arlene Foster.

He was speaking, too, ahead of what looks increasingly like a crucial week for the survival of devolution.

His party and Sinn Fein need to find a way through their current deadlock before a scheduled Executive meeting next Thursday and a North-South Ministerial Council meeting the following day.

After republicans agreed not to block Northern Ireland ministers participating in a British-Irish Council meeting in Scotland yesterday, the Robinson speech had the look of a choreography emerging.

A reciprocal gesture – albeit just the slightest of steps.

He sent a message to republicanism – of “we do want to do the policing deal” – which eased the tension around talks.

But he also had words of assurance for uncertain unionists.

“We will take our decision based on content, not the calendar,” he said.

Crucially, though, he underlined. “We want devolution to take place, and it will. Those who believe the DUP does not favour any form of policing and justice devolution just don’t get it,” he said.

“It was our great unionist forefathers who first argued to get these powers into Stormont and a later generation of unionists who opposed them being removed. I want to see the return of policing and justice functions to Stormont – but, importantly, and as our manifesto clearly states, providing such powers are not placed in the hands of any Sinn Fein minister.

“But only when the essential conditions have been met. The other key condition for us is attaining support and confidence from the community in the structures and in those who will operate them.”

In a signal that he may be gearing up for an internal unionist debate – the party has spoken of consulting its grassroots before any decision – Mr Robinson also said “there are many misconceptions about what the devolution of policing and justice actually means”.

These range from who the minister would be right through to what powers the minister would actually have, he said.

“That is why we must ensure all the outstanding issues are satisfactorily resolved,” he added – presumably in order to have the internal argument based on concrete facts.

“Our 2007 election manifesto made it very clear that the DUP would not support a Sinn Fein minister exercising control over policing and justice functions in the foreseeable future. A justice minister must be able to command widespread community support,” he said.

In a week where Secretary of State Shaun Woodward reset his sights by speaking of devolving policing powers within 12 months, the First Minister made no suggestion he was suddenly rushing to sign up to Sinn Fein’s biggest wish.

But he said his party has already made strides in “agreeing the context for devolution” – having settled on a single justice ministry for instance.

If the process is now to move forward he called for the blockade of the Executive to be lifted because “I do not respond well to threats”.

And he told Sinn Fein its “harmful obstruction of Executive business is eroding confidence”, so it would be better to restore good governance to the Province rather than languishing in stalemate.

Finally, to unionists, he urged them to be confident.

And he highlighted Gordon Brown’s recent appearance at Stormont as a warning that the collapse of the institutions and a return to direct rule was not in their interests.

He said the Prime Minister came “riding over the hill to parrot Sinn Fein policy and implement a republican agenda”. “Direct rule is Dublin rule,” he said.

BBC

The deputy first minister has said there is no point in having an Executive meeting if it is a charade.

Martin McGuinness said the DUP were unable to come to terms with partnership government.

First Minister Peter Robinson has said it is imperative that the Executive should meet as planned on Thursday.

“I don’t have to do anything to help the situation. I’m ready to go now. I want the Executive to meet, there is a lot of business for it to do,” he said.

Speaking at a DUP function in Lisnaskea on Friday, Peter Robinson said he and his party were ready to work and that the Executive had been held hostage to Sinn Féin’s demands on policing.

“What we need to do now is not to blockade the Executive but to use the agreed processes and seek to reach agreement, and build confidence in the community for this to take place,” he said.

“There is one certainty - Sinn Féin’s harmful obstruction of Executive business is eroding confidence not only in devolving new powers but in the devolution we have already achieved.”

Talking to the BBC’s Inside Politics programme on Saturday, Mr McGuinness accused Mr Robinson of failing the partnership test.

“Whenever the DUP come into government with Sinn Fein they should be under no illusions whatsoever,” he said.

“If it is not on the basis of partnership then it isn’t going to work.”

Mr McGuinness also said the first minister had refused to issue a joint statement congratulating the Tyrone senior team on their All-Ireland win last weekend.

“We had the ludicrous situation during the summer where there was a proposition that a joint wreath would be laid by the first and deputy first ministers at the commemoration in Omagh and the DUP refused to participate in that,” he said.

“These are important pointers to the difficulties the DUP face in coming to terms with the whole issue of engaging in a partnership government based on equality.”

By Victor Gordon
Belfast Telegraph
Saturday, 27 September 2008

A district council in Co Armagh is spending too much to help Orangemen ‘spend a penny’, a Sinn Fein councillor has claimed.

Cllr Mary Doyle from Armagh City and District Council wants the £10,000 set aside for portable public loos each year to be re-routed to other council facilities. The main drain on the toilet flush fund is the County Armagh annual Twelfth demonstration, with seven of the county’s 11 district situated within the area served by the Armagh council.

The county demonstration is alternated among the 11 Orange districts in County Armagh each year, the other four being in the Craigavon Borough Council area (Portadown and Lurgan) and in Newry and Mourne (Bessbrook and Newtownhamilton).

Said Ms Doyle: “I raised the issue with the council this week and discovered there isn’t really a policy on providing portable loos. It seems to date from a cosy arrangement some years ago between council officers and the organisers of parades. Most of the money goes on Orange demonstrations and loyalist band parades and this is disproportionate to the nationalist and republican section of the population.”

It is understood that the county demonstrations require at least 50 portable toilets and these are provided and serviced by private companies with Armagh council providing the finance. The seven Orange district falling within the council area are - Richhill, Tandragee, Loughgall, Armagh, Killyleagh, Markethill and Keady.

A spokesman for the County Armagh Grand Lodge said: “We understand that Armagh council finances the portable toilets and we appreciate that. We also believe that portable loos are provided for events like the Tandragee 100 and the St Patrick’s Day parade in Armagh city, but it’s up to each individual Orange district what arrangements are made.

“Newry and Mourne District Council has always been very co-operative in the Bessbrook and Newtownhamilton demonstrations and that is deeply appreciated. We understand that Craigavon Borough Council does not pay for portable toilets.”

This was confirmed by a spokesman for the Portadown District who said: “We have to organise and pay for them ourselves, and we do that through a private company. It’s a specialised service and it’s done very expertly, but the council pays no part.”

A spokeswoman for Armagh and City and District Council confirmed that Ms Doyle had asked for a policy to be established on the provision of portable toilets and this would evolve in due course.

Armagh City and District Council will be amalgamated with Craigavon and Banbridge councils in 2011 to form the new Armagh City and Bann District Council.

Independent.ie
September 26 2008

The Northern Ireland Executive has been held hostage to Sinn Fein’s demands on policing, Peter Robinson said tonight.

Republicans have issued threats and eroded confidence in the power-sharing devolution so far achieved, the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) leader claimed.

The Executive has not met for more than three months after Sinn Fein boycotted it over lack of progress towards handing policing responsibilities to a local minister.

Mr Robinson told a meeting in Fermanagh: “Having agreed the context for devolution and having agreed the mechanism through which progress could be made, you will know how disappointed we were when, instead of engaging in this process, threats were issued and the Executive was held hostage on the issue.

“I do not respond well to threats.'’

The First Minister said he would not be pushed or bullied into moving on policing and added that such powers would not be placed in the hands of a Sinn Fein minister.

“What we need to do now is not to blockade the Executive but to use the agreed processes and seek to reach agreement and build confidence in the community for this to take place.

“There is one certainty - Sinn Fein’s harmful obstruction of Executive business is eroding confidence not only in devolving new powers but in the devolution we have already achieved.'’