Word: stormont
(lookup in dictionary)
(lookup stats)
Dates: all
Sort By: most recent first
(reverse)
...Tuesday, March 9, the Northern Ireland Assembly will vote on the devolution of policing and justice powers from Westminster to the local government at Stormont, as the neoclassical building where the province's parliament meets is known. If the measure is passed, as is expected, a new post of Justice Minister will be created at the Assembly in April, carrying responsibility for the province's police, prisons and courts, hitherto controlled by London's Northern Ireland office. (See pictures of new hope for Belfast...
...Ireland's government would take control of policing and justice matters. After years of Protestant outcry, the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) recently backed the move. Sinn Fein has agreed to support a new group overseeing contentious parades by the Protestant Orange Order. The accord has steadied the ship at Stormont, but the power-sharing government, particularly the beleaguered First Minister and DUP leader Peter Robinson, still faces serious challenges...
...bulk of security intelligence on dissidents is gathered by MI5, whose work would remain largely unaffected by the devolution of policing and justice powers to Stormont. Nevertheless, a large-scale dissident attack could derail power sharing, an objective Mooney believes dissidents are intent on achieving. "These people are fundamental republicans, and violence is a way for them to appeal to a wider audience," says Mooney. "The greatest trick they ever pulled was convincing the world they had gone away. While the intent is there, you can't rule out more acts of terrorism." (Read "Sectarian Tension Returns to Northern Ireland...
...recent talks on policing, Protestant and Catholic parties stayed in separate rooms, with messengers shuttling between the rival camps. Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams recently wrote on his blog that some unionist politicians refuse to share an elevator with him. As external pressures mount on the shaky consensus at Stormont, the parties' ability to work together across the sectarian divide will be tested to the full...
...vivid demonstration of how deep the rifts still run in Northern Irish society, the fiery gathering also showed how much has been achieved in the 10 years since political power was devolved back to Stormont. Victims and survivors from Catholic and Protestant communities mingled in a stuffy conference room at the Europa Hotel, itself targeted several times by terrorist bombers but these days better known as a venue for conferences and weddings. "We now need to take the next step", said Lord Robin Eames, the former Anglican Primate of All Ireland, and co-chair with former priest Denis Bradley...