Sinn Fein blames DUP deal with Tories as Northern Ireland power-sharing talks collapse

Irish republicans say breakdown also caused by failure to secure marriage equality and language rights

The announcement of no progress in breaking the Stormont impasse brings direct rule from London ever closer (AFP)

Power-sharing talks in Northern Ireland have collapsed after Sinn Fein and the DUP failed to reach agreement, following a 10-month impasse at Stormont.

Sinn Fein said the difficulties in reaching a deal had been “compounded” by the DUP’s confidence-and-supply pact to prop up Theresa May’s Government.

James Brokenshire, the Northern Ireland Secretary, had set a deadline of Monday for a deal between the parties to be reached to reinstate the Stormont executive in the region.

But the DUP and Sinn Fein failed to secure an agreement, resulting in the latter’s declaration that talks had collapsed.

The announcement brings direct rule from London ever closer.

Mr Brokenshire said earlier on Wednesday he was preparing to impose a budget after warning that Northern Ireland would begin to run out of money by the end of November.

Stormont has been hamstrung since January after more than a decade of joint-rule between unionist and nationalist politicians came to an end.

The political crisis was triggered by allegations of a financial scandal in which the DUP leader, Arlene Foster, was implicated.

In a statement, Sinn Fein’s leader, Michelle O’Neill, said issues around the introduction of an Irish language act and the reluctance of the DUP to agree to legislate for same-sex marriage had stalled progress.

She said: “The only reason they are denied is because of DUP resistance to the rights agenda and the British Government’s acquiescence in this.

“That has been compounded by the Tory-DUP pact.

“The British Secretary of State is wrong when he says that it only the parties themselves who can reach agreement, he and the Irish government also have obligations.”

Ms O’Neill added that “endless talks without conclusion” were “not sustainable” and insisted her party would only re-enter government once marriage equality, language rights, the Bill of Rights and the right to coroners’ inquests had been achieved.

However, Nigel Dodds, the deputy leader of the DUP, accused Sinn Fein of “blocking” talks and said it was time for Mr Brokenshire “to get on with” setting a new budget for the region.

The DUP’s East Londonderry MP Gregory Campbell said Sinn Fein had “produced a shopping list of preconditions” and accused his opponents of “rank hypocrisy” for “complaining about the speed of progress” while blocking “key decisions”.

The failure to reach a deal followed a full day of negotiations on Tuesday, with both parties leaving Stormont after 9pm without any sign of a breakthrough.

On Wednesday morning, Mr Brokenshire said he was “taking forward the necessary steps that would enable a Budget Bill to be introduced at Westminster at the appropriate moment in order to protect the delivery of public services in Northern Ireland”.

He added: “It remains firmly in the interests of Northern Ireland to see devolved government restored, to see locally elected politicians making decisions for the people of Northern Ireland.

“With goodwill and compromise on all sides the parties can still achieve this and it is what needs to happen.”

Mr Brokenshire is expected to speak in Westminster on the issue on Thursday.

The DUP promised to back the Tories on key votes in a deal worth £1bn for Northern Ireland after Ms May lost her Commons majority in the June general election.