Date for fresh political talks 'to be set in next few days'

Gregory Campbell said he expects talks to begin within the next 10 days

A date for a fresh round of political talks to restore power sharing in Northern Ireland will be set in the next few days, a DUP MP has said.

Gregory Campbell told BBC Radio Foyle he expects the date to be "within the next 10 days".

But Sinn Féin said: "Another round of talks for talks sake have no political or public credibility."

Discussions between the DUP and Sinn Féin ground to a halt in October.

Northern Ireland has been without an executive since January when the two parties split in a bitter row.

They have failed to find a resolution in spite of several rounds of talks.

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"It will be the case that there will be more talks," Mr Campbell said.

"Hopefully they will be more productive than they have been recently and gaps have been narrowed.

"The date will be arranged in the next few days and then I would have thought the talks will certainly occur within the next 10 days."

Sinn Féin MLA John O'Dowd said: "After the last phase of talks failed Sinn Féin met with both the taoiseach (Irish prime minister) and british prime minister to make clear that it is now their responsibility to bring forward proposals for meaningful talks which have agreement as an objective and can reach a successful conclusion.

"The focus must therefore be on the implementation of previous agreements and the delivery of a rights based society rather than venue or process which will not resolve these fundamental difficulties."