A step forward in the North

On February 5 at Hillsborough the Northern political parties delivered an important agreement that will secure the devolution of policing and justice powers to the Assembly. This completes the devolution process as envisaged in the Good Friday Agreement and fulfils a key objective of the agreement and a central element of the agreement reached at St. Andrews in 2006. It is an important achievement in Northern Ireland's continuing journey to becoming a fully normalised society. Over the 10 days of intensive talks members of the parties approached difficult negotiations with a willingness to deliver a sustainable agreement, fair and beneficial to all the people of the North. The time was right to devolve policing and justice powers to the Assembly. The benefits of devolution are there for all to see - local accountability for key issues such as prisons, police and prosecutions will benefit the Assembly and the people as well as moving Northern Ireland further along the path to security and societal normalisation. In these economically difficult times, the government and the executive are looking to deliver economies of scale, achieve real value for money in infrastructure and energy, and provide access to convenient healthcare for people on both sides of the Border. The government has made significant contributions to the cost of the A5 road linking Dublin with Derry, through Monaghan and Tyrone. There is now a single electricity market for the whole island. We are continuing to deliver on joint initiatives, such as the broadband initiative known as Project Kelvin in the north west and the planned radiotherapy facility at Altnagelvin. This type of co-operation will make a significant contribution to facilities and services in the border regions. The Gardaí and the PSNI also co-operate closely in combating cross Border crime and, more recently, dissident activity. This co-operation will be further enhanced when the new minister of justice joins the executive in a few months. There is still work to do however and the Government now expects further progress across all outstanding commitments, including on the Irish language and on North/South Institutions. It is our firm belief that the values underpinned by the Agreement - partnership, tolerance and mutual respect - can form the bedrock of a more secure, prosperous and inclusive Northern Ireland for all communities.