Northern Secretary Peter Hain has insisted that devolving policing and justice powers to a restored Northern Executive is a key element of the St Andrews Agreement. This is despite remarks by the DUP's Nigel Dodds that it would not happen for a "political lifetime".
This recent comment by the North Belfast MP, with his added assertion that Sinn Féin would just "have to lump it" on the issue, caused anger among republicans.
Some said that by word and tone Mr Dodds's remarks were similar to Dr Paisley's "sackcloth and ashes" demands of Sinn Féin two years ago - comments that were seen as partly responsible for destroying the chance of a deal between the two parties in December 2004.
The St Andrews Agreement sets a target, as opposed to a categorical date, of May 2008 for transferring these powers to the Northern Executive. Mr Hain in an interview with The Irish Times yesterday expressed his firm wish to see this date met.
"I want to see a commitment to devolution of policing and justice powers. It was an important part of the St Andrews Agreement, it contained a clear commitment and target for devolution of these powers. It is important that we aim steadfastly for that target," he said.
"I am not too fussed about this issue; I think it can be resolved," he added.
Mr Hain, who is due to announce an early March date for Assembly elections at Westminster on Thursday, said he believed the current stand-off between the DUP and Sinn Féin over policing could yet be resolved ahead of the deadline for nominations of first minister and deputy first minister-designate on Friday week, November 24th.
Mr Hain expressed concern, however, about "excitable political and media speculation" that was causing political and public confusion and anxiety. Some reports suggested that Mr Hain, rather than the parties, would nominate Dr Paisley and Mr McGuinness to the shadow first minister and deputy first minister posts. "There is no question of me making those nominations. How could I?" asked Mr Hain.
He added, however, that the nominations from the DUP and Sinn Féin must occur in the Assembly. "The nominations are a bridge to the transitional Assembly, the consultation with the people [ ie the March election] and the restoration on March 26th of the full Assembly. If you don't cross the first bridge then you have dissolution," he said.
How to reconcile the DUP's demand that Mr McGuinness make a commitment to policing on Friday week, with the Sinn Féin position that this is not possible as it would pre-empt a Sinn Féin ardfheis on the subject, is still very difficult work in progress, he indicated.
"The procedures we adopt for the nominations are still to be decided . . . there is some detail still to be refined with the parties and the speaker Eileen Bell," he said.
While DUP politicians in particular have spoken of slippage in the St Andrews Agreement, Mr Hain said this would not happen. "I read a lot of excitable political speculation at the moment of the March 26th deadline being postponed. Let me say categorically there is absolutely no chance of that happening," he said.
"If for some reason the DUP or any other party feels unable to participate in powersharing, the whole deal collapses like a pack of cards," he added.
The bottom line, he made clear, was that if the nominations did not happen on Friday week then it was curtains for the current "Hain" Assembly, Assembly pay, and the St Andrews Agreement and all the financial and other promises contained in the deal.
