'Steely resolve' among parties to save Stormont, says Flanagan

Charlie Flanagan said "every party is up for [the] talks" at Stormont that will be led by Theresa Villiers

There is a "steely resolve" among Northern Ireland's political parties to save the power-sharing institutions, an Irish government minister has said.

A crisis has developed at Stormont after the murder of an ex-IRA man and the Ulster Unionist Party's subsequent withdrawal from the executive.

Negotiations between the five main parties are due to begin this week in an attempt to find a resolution.

Irish Foreign Minister Charlie Flanagan said "every party is up for talks".

The discussions, led by Northern Ireland Secretary of State Theresa Villiers, will cover two issues - welfare reform and paramilitary activity.

Breakdown

The murder of Kevin McGuigan Sr last month caused a political row after Northern Ireland's police chief said members of the Provisional IRA had a role in the killing, and that the organisation still existed.

That was rejected by Sinn Féin - it said the IRA had "gone away".

But the Ulster Unionists said Sinn Féin's denial that the IRA existed caused a breakdown in trust and it left its government role.

On welfare reform, the British government has said it will legislate on the proposed changes in Northern Ireland if the Stormont parties cannot reach agreement.

The parties had agreed on a welfare reform deal in December, but there has been deadlock on the issue since Sinn Féin withdrew its support in March.

Setback

Mr Flanagan said each of the main parties had told him of their "hurt and frustration" over those matters.

"But underneath that, I have discerned a deep and steely resolve to save the power-sharing institutions," he added.

Alex Attwood said accused the DUP of "insider-dealing" with the government ahead of the cross-party talks

"Every party is up for talks because, whether they are articulating it or not, every party knows what is at stake - the survival of the power-sharing institutions themselves."

Mr Flanagan said failure in the discussions would be a "serious setback for the people of our island".

He added that each party had to enter the talks "knowing compromises and courage will be required".

Derailed

The SDLP claimed that Ms Villiers' announcement that the government would take welfare reform powers away from Stormont was designed to help the DUP.

"The DUP have been looking for cover to go into talks, so as is their nature they have been insider-dealing, this time with the British government," SDLP MLA Alex Attwood said.

"And the British government has given them some ground.

"But the rest of us cannot be derailed from making these talks work."

However, the DUP MP Jeffrey Donaldson said if welfare reform is not resolved public finances will collapse.