Politicians must take inspiration from Lyra McKee, says Bradley as talks planned
Political leaders must take inspiration from murdered journalist Lyra McKee to make Northern Ireland a brighter and more peaceful place, Northern Ireland Secretary Karen Bradley has said.
It comes after the British and Irish governments confirmed a new round of political talks aimed at re-establishing devolved powersharing in Northern Ireland.
It was confirmed that talks on the restoration of powersharing institutions will resume on May 7 and all the main parties will be invited.
Earlier this week, political leaders attended the funeral of Ms McKee in Belfast.
At her funeral, Catholic peacemaking priest Father Martin Magill challenged politicians as to why it had taken the death of the 29-year-old, who was shot by dissident republicans, to unite them.
Ms Bradley described her murder as a âsickening attackâ, adding that communities in Northern Ireland and political parties have come together to condemn the shooting.
Speaking at a joint press conference with Irelandâs Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney, Ms Bradley said: âLyra was a role model to many and always fought to make Northern Ireland a better place.
âLyra symbolised the new Northern Ireland and her tragic death cannot be in vain.
âAll of us must take inspiration from what Lyra achieved in her life and work to make Northern Ireland a brighter, more peaceful and prosperous place for everyone.
âMy absolute determination is to see the restoration of all the political institutions established by the 1998 (Belfast) Agreement.â
The institutions have been suspended for more than two years following a row between former governing partners the DUP and Sinn Fein.
Endless rounds of negotiations failed to break the deadlock.
Sinn Fein has rejected DUP leader Arlene Fosterâs latest offer to break the political impasse in Northern Ireland.
Mr Coveney said: âThese few days belong to Lyra, her partner Sara, her family, friends and the people who loved her.
âWe mourn with them and grieve for the life and career that was cut short so brutally and needlessly.
âShe was a brave, bright and brilliant person who exemplified the spirit of what we need today.
âHer ambition to change her society for the better through her career and telling her own story and supporting others to do the same could not stand in starker contrast with the people who took weapons on to the streets of Derry with callous disregard for human life, to intimidate, injure and kill.â
Mrs Bradley said the talks offer the âchance to move forwardâ to restore the political institutions.
âWe have a narrow window in which genuine progress can be made and we must act now,â she added.
Mr Coveney also urged young Catholics to join and support the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI), saying it âtakes real courage to transform your community despite often intimidating circumstancesâ.
He said: âThey know that communities have to be able to see themselves in the communities theyâre working with.
âIf you want to show your support for a better future, show your support for the police.
âSupport young people who are brave enough to consider joining that police force.â
In a direct message to dissident republicans, he said: âThey are a small minority who try to control communities through fear and intimidation and twisted, warped thinking.
âThey are not protecting communities, they are endangering them.â
Mr Coveney said there was an âurgent need for positive and determined actionâ because âwe are leaving far too much wide open space for other kinds of voices that donât believe in democracy but that peddle hate and fearâ.
He said the British-Irish Council would convene on May 8, the day after fresh talks on powersharing begin.
Mr Coveney added: âI think what every decent-thinking person in Northern Ireland wants now is to see us take that spark of determination that I think we have all felt in the last few days and to see if we can build a momentum from that to do something real and positive.â
Asked how confident she was that the fresh round of talks would succeed, Mrs Bradley said: âI think what we saw this time last week â with the party leaders coming together, going to the Creggan estate, standing united, putting out a joint statement â really gives me a clear indication that the party leaders do want to do this.
âWe are very realistic about whatâs going to be involved and whatâs going to be needed. It isnât going to be easy, but I am absolutely determined â as is Simon â that we will make a success of this.
âI truly believe, from my conversations with the leaders this week, that they agree with that.â
Mr Coveney added: âI think itâs different this time. I think thereâs a real understanding that Northern Ireland desperately needs its own government right now.â
He said that Northern Irish people could see that âthe ordinary day-to-day stuff of politics is not workingâ.
âPeople are saying, âEnough. Do your job. Establish Stormont in a way that will allow it to work again through an executive that hopefully involves all partiesâ,â he added.
Earlier, Prime Minister Theresa May and Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said: âWe also heard the unmistakable message to all political leaders that people across Northern Ireland want to see a new momentum for political progress.
âWe agree that what is now needed is actions and not just words from all of us who are in positions of leadership.
âWe have agreed to establish a new process of political talks, involving all the main political parties in Northern Ireland, together with the UK and Irish governments, in accordance with the three-stranded process.
âThe aim of these talks is quickly to re-establish to full operation the democratic institutions of the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement â the Northern Ireland Executive, Assembly and North-South Ministerial Council â so that they can effectively serve all of the people for the future.â
The Prime Minister and Taoiseach added: âWe understand the complexity of the underlying concerns of all parties, and the need for renewed trust, mutual respect, generosity and new thinking to resolve the issues.
âAs Prime Minister and Taoiseach, we are determined to work together to ensure this process comes to a successful conclusion.â
They will review progress at the end of May.
The pair also agreed that there should be a meeting of the British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference during the same period.
The conference will consider East/West relations, security co-operation, and political stability in Northern Ireland.
Mrs Foster wants a twin-track approach where the devolved institutions are restored quickly to deal with issues such as running the health service, while a separate process addresses disagreements like that over same-sex marriage.
Sinn Fein deputy leader Michelle OâNeill has rejected that and said issues such as marriage equality and protection for the Irish language need to be delivered to pave the way for restoration of the devolved institutions.