North Belfast DUP MP Nigel Dodds says no to Irish Government interfernce in Haass talks

DUP Deputy Leader Nigel Dodds hit out at suggestions by the Irish Foreign Minister about an intervention by the Irish Government in the Haass talks.

Mr Dodds told Prime Ministers Questions in Parliament that the comments were “deeply unhelpful”.

Commenting from Westminster, Mr Dodds said, ‘The vast majority of issues within the Haass talks are internal issues within Northern Ireland and therefore there is absolutely no role for the Irish Government.

“The remarks therefore of the Irish Foreign Minister regarding some kind of intervention by his Government are deeply unhelpful.

“There can be absolutely no suggestion of any kind of imposed solution to the Haass talks.

“They are issues which need to be solved between the five parties engaged in talks as recently as yesterday when the leaders met.

“The most helpful thing that the Irish Government could do about the past is to be more forthcoming about the role of the state authorities there in collusion with the Provisional IRA,”  he added.