Summary

  • The British and Irish governments have published the text of a draft deal aimed at restoring power sharing.

  • The Northern Ireland secretary has asked the assembly speaker to convene a sitting on Friday.

  • The DUP said the deal is "a basis upon which the assembly can be re-established" while Sinn Féin's executive will meet to consider it.

  1. The price of the deal?published at 12:00 Greenwich Mean Time 10 January 2020

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  2. NI Chamber says 'failure not an option'published at 11:59 Greenwich Mean Time 10 January 2020

    The NI Chamber of Commerce and Industry has welcomed the draft text after what it said had been "three years of paralysis".

    It says the deal will allow an executive to start addressing the problems within the health service and education system, as well as "taking action to to grow the economy and support the community and voluntary sector".

    stormontImage source, bbc

    It added: "We therefore encourage the five main political parties to progress it urgently. Business, health and education cannot wait any longer - failure is not an option."

  3. SDLP to consult other parties on draft dealpublished at 11:52 Greenwich Mean Time 10 January 2020

    SDLP leader Colm Eastwood would not be drawn on whether or not he is considering taking his party back into an executive.

    Mr Eastwood said there were still “more discussions to have with other parties” before a decision would be made.

    He said the SDLP’s demands include better childcare provisions for working parents, an increase in social housing and the expansion of Magee.

    COLUM AND NICOLA

    The party met the UK and Irish governments on Friday morning to see if the “financial envelope was large enough to cope with the asks we have”.

    While he said discussions about a specific sum of money are ongoing, he said he is “confident there is a very significant amount of money” on the table.

  4. Alliance unhappy with some elements of draft dealpublished at 11:42 Greenwich Mean Time 10 January 2020

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  5. SDLP meets secretary of statepublished at 11:25 Greenwich Mean Time 10 January 2020

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  6. 'Time for school pressures to be dealt with'published at 11:17 Greenwich Mean Time 10 January 2020

    The draft deal has been welcomed by the National Association of Head Teachers in Northern Ireland (NAHT NI).

    “For years, school principals have had to do more with less money and less resources so it is now time that these pressures in school are dealt with and that every school will indeed have a sustainable core budget," said NAHT NI president Geri Cameron.

    Geri CameronImage source, HOC

    She said that while "detail is scant" on education in the draft deal, NAHT NI representatives are willing to work with MLAs going forward.

  7. Coming up on Radio Ulsterpublished at 11:10 Greenwich Mean Time 10 January 2020

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  8. Dealing with the pastpublished at 11:02 Greenwich Mean Time 10 January 2020

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  9. Working weekend?published at 10:44 Greenwich Mean Time 10 January 2020

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  10. 'Sign the deal today'published at 10:39 Greenwich Mean Time 10 January 2020

    Industry leaders from Retail NI, Manufacturing NI and Hospitality NI have released a joint statement urging "all the main parties in Northern Ireland to sign the deal today and get the assembly back up and running."

    The groups, which form the umbrella group Trade NI, said: "The clear prioritisation of the Northern Ireland economy highlights the many challenges that businesses have faced over the past three years.

    Shoppers in Belfast

    "While this is a good start, improvements are still needed to drive the economy forward and support the growth of business across Northern Ireland."

  11. Draft deal is "good for policing"published at 10:20 Greenwich Mean Time 10 January 2020

    PSNI Chief Constable Simon Byrne welcomes the proposals

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  12. Unionists to have Irish language veto?published at 10:11 Greenwich Mean Time 10 January 2020

    The DUP MP Sir Jeffrey Donaldson was asked on BBC Radio Ulster's The Nolan Show if unionists would have a veto over Irish language changes:

    “Any standards that are to be set for the use of the Irish language have to be agreed by the first minister and that does mean the DUP will have a very important and crucial say in how those standards are drawn up and what they will be.

    “We will not agree to standards that impose Irish on people who don’t speak it.

    Sir Jeffrey Donaldson

    "There will be no compulsory Irish in schools and there will be no Irish road signs.”

    Sir Jeffrey added "unionist consent will be required" as "that is the way Stormont operates".

  13. Health Department picketpublished at 10:09 Greenwich Mean Time 10 January 2020

    Jayne McCormack
    BBC News NI

    Nurses and health care workers are staging a picket outside the Department of Health.

    They are arguing that they’ve been told money is there to resolve the matter and that they need to ensure they get it.

    Nurses and healthcare workers at the Department of Health

    They have called on Julian Smith to ensure the money is released - deal or not.

  14. NI secretary goes back to schoolpublished at 10:01 Greenwich Mean Time 10 January 2020

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  15. Policing board backingpublished at 09:56 Greenwich Mean Time 10 January 2020

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  16. Derry education group welcomes draft dealpublished at 09:35 Greenwich Mean Time 10 January 2020

    The Derry University Group welcomed the commitment to a new graduate entry medical school in the city and to increase the maximum number of students at Magee to 10,000.

    The group also welcomed the Irish government's assurances of capital investment to support expanded higher education provision in Londonderry.

    Magee Campus

    It added that it believes a new cross-border university for the North West would deliver this provision.

  17. Business leaders press parties to agree draft dealpublished at 09:28 Greenwich Mean Time 10 January 2020

    President of the Londonderry Chamber of Commerce, Redmond McFadden, said representatives from business, education, health, trade unions and civic organisations, held a meeting with the five main political parties at Stormont on Thursday.

    “At that meeting we pressed the urgent need for the parties to agree the draft deal which was published by the British and Irish Governments," he said.

    DRAFT DEALImage source, GETTY

    He said three years without ministers making local decisions had had an "enormous impact" on economy and wider society.

    "A lack of effective and meaningful representation here is curtailing investment in our region, stifling job creation and driving our young people away," he added.

    Ivor Ferguson from the Ulster Farmers' Union and Owen Reidy, Assistant General Secretary of ICTU and also urged the parties to accept the deal.

  18. UUP still digesting the dealpublished at 09:21 Greenwich Mean Time 10 January 2020

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  19. A new dawn?published at 09:17 Greenwich Mean Time 10 January 2020

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  20. University expansion tied to dealpublished at 09:04 Greenwich Mean Time 10 January 2020

    Julian Smith also said the expansion of the Ulster University campus at Magee in Londonderry is guaranteed if the political parties back the deal.

    The Northern Ireland secretary told BBC Radio Foyle: "We will deliver on Magee once this executive is formed and delivering on a whole lot more.”

    Magee Campus
    Image caption,

    Magee Campus is home to Ulster University in Derry

    Plans for a medical school at the campus have been delayed due to the lack of devolved government.

    There are also proposals to increase student numbers across the campus's other departments.