No Informer Access For Devolved Security Minister

Any devolved security minister at Stormont would not be privy to details on police informers, incumbent NIO direct rule Minister Paul Goggins (pictured) has said.

Mr Goggins said any future minister would not have direct access to such information, nor would they see all classified intelligence documents on counter-terrorism strategies.

The Northern Ireland Office said these matters related to UK-wide security, and would therefore only be accessible to Westminster officials.

Policing and justice powers in Northern Ireland have been administered from central government in London since 1972.

A condition of the St Andrews agreement, which saw the restoration of devolved institutions, was that a policing and justice department would eventually be presided over by a Stormont minister.

However, the NI Executive has failed to find cross-party agreement on a timeframe for devolution of the department.

The issue has resulted in a virtual deadlock of the heart of local government.

The DUP has insisted there is still not enough confidence in the unionist community for the installation of a local policing and justice minister.

While Sinn Fein has claimed the DUP are in breach of the terms laid out in the agreement, and subsequently boycotted the last three rounds of Executive meetings.

The DUP retains a strong veto over the devolution of the powers.

It was originally mooted that the proposed policing and justice ministry would be installed by May this year.

The only agreement reached on the matter, so far, is that neither Sinn Fein nor the DUP will put forward a candidate for the ministerial post.

It has been widely reported that the job could go to the cross-community Alliance Party.

However, the SDLP has strongly rejected this suggestion.

The SDLP pointed to the mandate clause in the St Andrews Agreement, which provides a quota on the number of representatives a party should muster before they are granted a ministerial portfoilio.

Under current terms, the Alliance Party would not be eligible for a department.

However, NIO Minister Shaun Woodward has given a strong indication that this criterion could be briskly amended in Parliament, if needs be.

Alliance Party Leader David Ford has refused to be drawn on the issue, only stating one can "never, say never" in politics.

See: DUP Boss Meets Cowen In Dublin

(PR)