Christmas devolution 'unrealistic' - DUP

After a marathon debate, the Northern Ireland Assembly voted in support of legislation linked to the devolution of policing and justice powers.

But despite Tuesday's Stormont discussions running from before midday until nearly midnight, the vote merely prepared the way for the devolution process, and focus now shifts back to the crucial negotiations between the DUP, Sinn Fein and the government.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown has offered a £1b package to fund the transfer of the powers, but the DUP has said it will not agree a final deal until other conditions have been met.

In a further development during the later stages of the debate, leading Democratic Unionist Simon Hamilton said that even if the parties agreed to complete devolution, structures could not be put in place by the deadline of December 7th suggested on Tuesday by the nationalist SDLP.

"It's just, practically, not realistic at all," he said. "We will not be led by calendar dates."

'Stalling'

Sinn Fein has accused the DUP of stalling the process after the unionist party called for a series of conditions to be met, including the scrapping of the Parades Commission.

Last night's debate also highlighted cross-party divisions on the issue, with some of the sharpest exchanges between Sinn Fein and the SDLP.

The nationalist SDLP sought to highlight supposed weaknesses in the plans for devolution, including the absence of a completion date and uncertainty over a 2012 sunset clause set into the rules for electing a future Justice Minister.

The party unsuccessfully tabled a series of amendments that included a call for the creation of the planned Justice Ministry by December 7th, the last full day of business before the Christmas recess.

The SDLP's Alex Attwood said: "The purpose of this amendment is to create certainty, avoid further delay and doubt and to empower the Assembly to do that which it should always have been doing in respect of justice and policing obligations."

But Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness said the SDLP demands were unrealistic and said setting deadlines before a final overall agreement was reached would only risk undermining the entire process.

Justice Minister

The Alliance Party is favourite to produce a justice minister when powers are transferred. The SDLP had argued that it would be entitled to the position according to the process for dividing posts.

DUP Strangford MLA Simon Hamilton said whoever was selected must be capable of commanding support from both sides of the community.

"It is the loss of the chance to have the department of justice in the hands of the SDLP that's at the core of everything... it isn't some high point of principle," he added.