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Martin McGuinness rounds on Mike Nesbitt for 'irresponsible' talks comment

'Disappointed': Martin McGuinness Expand

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'Disappointed': Martin McGuinness

'Disappointed': Martin McGuinness

'Disappointed': Martin McGuinness

By Noel McAdam

The Irish government will be involved in the looming multi-party talks, Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness has insisted.

And he dismissed the objections of unionists to Dublin's participation as "much ado about nothing".

Republic Foreign Affairs Minister Charlie Flanagan will meet Northern Ireland Secretary Theresa Villiers in Dublin today to discuss the forthcoming talks about parades, flags and dealing with the past.

He said: "Our discussion is about how we can best work with the North's political parties to resolve current difficulties and legacy issues which continue to have a corrosive effect on government and across the community."

At question time in the Assembly yesterday, Mr McGuinness accused Ulster Unionist Party leader Mike Nesbitt of being "totally irresponsible" by objecting to Dublin playing a role.

Mr Nesbitt had said last month he was putting Ms Villiers "on notice... that there is no official role for any foreign government in the internal affairs of Northern Ireland".

Mr McGuinness said: "I think that it is very disappointing and very unfortunate that people try to score a political point on a matter of such great importance.

"There is a huge responsibility on all of us to play a positive and constructive role in an attempt to find a way through the vexed issues of the past, parades, flags, symbols and emblems, and the budgetary challenges that we, as an Assembly and Executive, face.

"We will do that only if people approach these subjects in a responsible frame of mind. I think that the comment made by the leader of the Ulster Unionist Party was totally irresponsible.

"I think that this is much ado about nothing," he said.

And the senior Sinn Fein figure also made clear he expected the budget stalemate and failure to implement welfare reform to feature in the discussions, which both governments have signalled should aim to conclude this side of Christmas.

Belfast Telegraph

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