The British government is to rush emergency legislation through the House of Commons over the next week to recall the Northern Ireland Assembly, it was confirmed today.
Northern Ireland Secretary Peter Hain told MPs the emergency bill would enable the 108 Assembly members to gather at Stormont on May 15th for the first of two bids this year to elect a power-sharing executive.
As he outlined the plan for reviving devolution, Mr Hain said the British and Irish governments wanted a locally elected administration to be formed by November 24th.
He warned if a devolved government could not be established, Assembly salaries and allowances would be stopped; there would be no election to a new Assembly next year; both governments would have to halt work on devolution in Northern Ireland; and the British and Irish governments would develop cross-Border bodies and areas of co-operation under Belfast Agreement.
"Northern Ireland has also undergone a positive transitional experience but the potential of full devolution remains tantalisingly out of reach.
"The blunt truth is that Northern Ireland is in great danger of being left behind as, not only the rest of the United Kingdom strides on successfully but as the Republic of Ireland continues to be one of the biggest global success stories of our generation," he said.
"It is now for Northern Ireland's politicians to catch up and catch up fast. Northern Ireland's people demand nothing less."
Devolution has been suspended since October 2002 since allegations of an IRA spy ring in Stormont emerged.
A new Assembly was elected in November 2003 but its 108 MLAs have never taken part in any debates or committees because no power-sharing government has been formed.
There have been three failed bids to restore power sharing - each stumbling over the issue of Provisional IRA disarmament.
Last July, the Provisionals announced an end to their armed campaign and last September completed their programme of disarmament.
However, the DUP have remained sceptical, insisting there must be proof that all PIRA criminal and paramilitary activity has ended before they will sit in a government featuring Sinn Féin.
Questioned by the opposition about possible Republican involvement in the murder of Denis Donaldson and a recent vodka heist, Mr Hain said he had received no intelligence that either crime had been "sanctioned, approved or in any way organised" by the IRA leadership.
PA