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Martin McGuinness, Richard Haass and Peter Robinson Paul Faith/PA Wire

"Richard Haass didn't fail, the political parties failed." - North First Minister

While Richard Haass put the blame for the breakdown at the door of the unionist and Alliance parties, Martin McGuinness says it is time to compromise.

THE DEPUTY FIRST Minister of Northern Ireland, Martin McGuinness, says that he is not interested in “playing the blame game” over the breakdown of the Haass talks.

McGuinness was speaking in Dublin today after Haass told the BBC that the responsibility for the breakdown in talks lay at the door of the unionist and Alliance parties.

“For the three parties that were not prepared to endorse it, they each had obvious concerns, some were articulated more than others,” Haass told the BBC.

“I would prefer for them to speak and to justify or explain their choices about what it was that led them to think that they, narrowly, or the society as a whole, would be better off without this agreement.”

Compromise

McGuinness said that it was time for the North’s parties to compromise.

“The Haass approach offers a very clear way forward.

“I think that parties that have not come on board ignore at their peril that the world is looking at us. This is a time for leadership. Am I happy with everything in the document? No, but I’m prepared to go with it.

If we all get what we want, what’s the prospect of us getting a solution? Zero. So we have to compromise.

The North’s First Minister said that any suggestion Haass was personally culpable were off the mark.

“Always remember, the responsibility for finding agreement did not lie with Richard Haass, so he did not fail. The political parties failed and it is now up to them to roll up their sleeves and continue with the work,” said Peter Robinson.

Read: Richard Haass says some in Northern Ireland are being ‘unrealistic in the extreme’

Read: Meghan O’Sullivan warns of ‘darker downside’ to Northern Ireland stalemate

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37 Comments
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    Mute Wee Lebowski
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    Jan 10th 2014, 4:25 PM

    This document was drawn up by Hasss, a right wing American, a member of Bushs admin, and still it’s not good enough for unionism? That speaks volumes about them, they don’t want a shared future, they never have… The supremacist mask is slipping yet again! The orange order are a massive obstacle to agreement.

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    Mute Cillian_Durkin
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    Jan 10th 2014, 6:55 PM

    They made one of the Orange Order’s top men one of their negotiators.

    Unionism has to really ask itself if it wants a shared future.

    They have fought and lost every battle from one man, one vote. Penal Laws, the vote for women, every democratic form in the last 200 years.

    All lost and still the fight on.

    50
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    Mute Jamie McCormack
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    Jan 10th 2014, 10:13 PM

    We simply need to contain unionism, it will die a death as time moves on. Managing unionism into the inevitable is the real job. Unionists need to feel cherished, as The 1916 Proclamation stated. Lose the hatred, keep the history is my message to unionists.

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    Mute Roland 303
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    Jan 10th 2014, 5:05 PM

    Compromise seems to be a dirty word for unionists. They seem to equate it with surrender. There is absolutely nothing in the Haass Proposals that wouldn’t have improved life for everyone in the north. But then we know its the Orange Order calling the shots here. Putting up barriers to progress. Shared future? They don’t want to share anything with Nationalists because they despise them.

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    Mute JB
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    Jan 10th 2014, 11:44 PM

    Nothing wrong with compromise

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    Mute Mick Early
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    Jan 11th 2014, 2:26 AM

    Well said. Unionism is dying of its own accord, let them die on their own swords!

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    Mute Mark Connor
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    Jan 10th 2014, 5:53 PM

    Well done Martin McG. Blame and ‘failure’ talk isn’t going to help… keep trying for agreement .. it’s the only viable option

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    Mute Tom Kenny
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    Jan 10th 2014, 4:45 PM

    What do people expect when they vote in hardliners from both sides and leave the likes of Seamus Mallon etc. on the side line. While the orange order are living in a time warp and have nothing to offer if I was from that side of the community I would not trust Sinn Fein. It’s the power hungry big mouths from both sides that have always brought the North down these troubled roads, while the reasonable voices like John Hume etc are left looking on. Then you have to listen to Ian & Gerry rewrite history, sickening.

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    Mute Eamonn Óg Ó Gallachóir
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    Jan 10th 2014, 5:05 PM

    Im not surprised a unionist like you want want Seamus and John Tom both retired many years ago Mallon was a careerist Patsy John hume did eventually move beyond those nationalist parties like fine gael who were anti good friday agreement so fair play there but even the latest govt papers show sdlp were out of touch in 1973 and if you look at the recent bbc politics shows nothing has changed

    47
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    Mute Wee Lebowski
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    Jan 10th 2014, 5:13 PM

    Tom you do know SDLP were involved in these negotiations as well? They and Sinn Fein both accepted the document.. Sinn Fein or the SDLP are clearly not the problem here.

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    Mute Tom Kenny
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    Jan 10th 2014, 5:13 PM

    Actually Eamonn in my younger years before my brain fully developed I actually helped the local shinner at election time with posters etc, long before it was popular. So you’re well wide of the mark calling me a unionist, but a typical shinner, shout down others and twist the truth. Thankfully I’ve matured enough over the years to realise you can’t justify everything just because it suits your point of view. Now trot along, good lad

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    Mute Tom Kenny
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    Jan 10th 2014, 5:18 PM

    Wee Lebowski I do realise that and I apologise for getting up on the soap box

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    Mute Eamonn Óg Ó Gallachóir
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    Jan 10th 2014, 5:32 PM

    Pardon me It was you who said you were from that side of the community read above perhaps the development of your argument is like that of your politics old and wasted

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    Mute Tom Kenny
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    Jan 10th 2014, 5:35 PM

    Take of the dark glasses, You might be able to read then, I never said any such thing, I said IF. You just read/saw what suited you………………..nothing new there

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    Mute Eamonn Óg Ó Gallachóir
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    Jan 10th 2014, 5:50 PM

    iF ok me bad you need to check your glasses too as I didn’t write being part of any party anywhere

    15
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    Mute Tom Kenny
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    Jan 10th 2014, 5:54 PM

    True you didn’t, but I took a peak at your FB page :p

    6
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    Mute Eamonn Óg Ó Gallachóir
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    Jan 10th 2014, 5:59 PM

    My political views are Phoblacht na hÉireann that and that only Tom im a member of no party fact

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    Mute Tom Kenny
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    Jan 10th 2014, 6:07 PM

    Fair enough Eamonn, the simple point I was trying to make is that it is a pity that it is the hardliners that dictate the direction the north goes. Which is a pity.

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    Mute Eamonn Óg Ó Gallachóir
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    Jan 10th 2014, 6:14 PM

    No if we had hardliners in the twenty six who stood up to the British threat of violence we wouldn’t of had partition and violence this past 100 years that’s the pity, the peace process is just that a process for uionists and some nationalists on both sides of the artificial border to begin the development of a unified Ireland even the utv news channel are moving away from the union

    26
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    Mute Tom Kenny
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    Jan 10th 2014, 6:27 PM

    So in your imagination if there was a united Ireland there’d be peace???????????? Your not living in reality. Did you happen to watch the spotlight programme last year on support for a united Ireland amongst nationalists in the north, if you did then you’d realise it won’t be happening any day soon. The Good Friday Agreement should be the only show in town regardless what you think.
    Your thinking is definitely skewed if you think
    “the peace process is just that a process for uionists and some nationalists on both sides of the artificial border to begin the development of a unified Ireland”

    6
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    Mute Tom Kenny
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    Jan 10th 2014, 6:31 PM

    Here Eamonn read this http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-21345997
    I suppose that it’s the Brits telling lies

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    Mute Cillian_Durkin
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    Jan 10th 2014, 8:09 PM

    In fairness the SDLP wouldn’t get out of their own way. The SDLP were ending for the dust bin of history no matter what the circumstances.

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    Mute Mick Early
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    Jan 11th 2014, 2:28 AM

    First of all Seamus Mallon is dead! The SDLP did nothing for peace in the north, could not even vote for Nelson Mandela’s freedom the City of Derry! Useless fools and now they are comely obsolete!

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    Mute Mick Early
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    Jan 11th 2014, 2:31 AM

    You missed the whole point Tom! Sinn Fein were crucial to the compromises not SDLP!

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    Mute Mick Early
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    Jan 11th 2014, 2:33 AM

    And what party do you tow your allegiance to! Sounds like Blueshirtism to me!

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    Mute Mick Early
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    Jan 11th 2014, 2:35 AM

    Very true, because they could not make up their minds what aide they were on! They called themselves Nationalists but acted more like Unionista!

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    Mute JB
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    Jan 11th 2014, 10:22 AM

    At least they renounced violence, the same cannot be said for Sinn Fein.

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    Mute Mick Early
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    Jan 11th 2014, 3:57 PM

    on the contrary, Sin Fein have indeed renounced violence, as you would see if you were not so blind! The problem with the SDLP was they believed in everything and nothing. They denounced violence but lacked the courage to take on the State violence in any meaningful way.

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    Mute Gráinne Duggan
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    Jan 11th 2014, 8:59 PM

    So attending commemorations ceremonies for dead bombers is renouncing violence?

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    Mute Mick Early
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    Jan 12th 2014, 12:34 AM

    Yes, Sinn Fein have renounced violence as indicated by McGuinnesses words and actions. However honoring fallen volunteers, men and women who gave their lives is perfectly legitimate as long as the past is the past. There is no organized Republican paramilitary organizations today and when so called dissidents carry out acts of violence they are condemned by Sinn Fein. So yes they have renounced violence. Do you believe that there is any other organization or party who could have achieved the decommissioning which Sinn Fein did? Face facts there would be no GFA without the courage of Sinn Fein!

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    Mute Patrick Lyons
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    Jan 10th 2014, 4:18 PM

    McGuinness cannot be the First Minister and the Deputy First Minister at the same time. He might like to be but I think that others might also be involved.

    13
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    Mute Mike Houlihan
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    Jan 10th 2014, 4:27 PM

    Pedant Pat. Seemed a reasonable summation of the the situation as it stands from Mr McGuinness.

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    Mute Paul Roche
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    Jan 10th 2014, 4:39 PM
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    Mute Patrick Lyons
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    Jan 10th 2014, 4:54 PM

    Thanks Paul. I did not realise that both shared equal power. I think the article refers to Mcguinness as being the First Minister. It is a bad day when you do not learn something new.

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    Mute Paul Roche
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    Jan 10th 2014, 6:19 PM

    You were not entirely wrong Patrick.
    The headline abbreviated his full title of Deputy First Minister.

    11
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    Mute Cillian_Durkin
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    Jan 10th 2014, 8:41 PM

    Legally they both are the same jobs.

    In another few years Sinn Féin will be the largest party and entitled to the first Minister post.

    They have already said they will then change the title to joint first minister so that Unionists can say that an Irish taig does not have the job.

    Even though it is still the same job.

    The more they are accommodated the more they act up.

    19
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    Mute Mick Early
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    Jan 11th 2014, 2:36 AM

    Indeed! The more they get the more they want!

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