Hillary Clinton to Address Stormont Assembly to Urge Devolution Deal

The Belfast Telegraph reports that Secretary Clinton's visit to Northern Ireland will focus on an historical and important agreement to provide more power to the Stormont Assembly, the unicameral legislative body of Northern Ireland. Established in 1998, the Assembly exercises legislative powers not reserved to Parliament. Hillary Clinton has long been involved in helping to seek peaceful solutions to "the troubles," as they are known, in the north. It's why the Irish love her so much.

The Secretary will be addressing the Assembly tomorrow, and will be speaking with leaders of Sinn Fein and the unionist party to encourage agreement on some details that have stalled the deal which would lead to the establishment of a ministry of justice at Stormont.

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will today hold talks with Northern Ireland's political leaders in Belfast as they broker an historic deal on sharing responsibility for the region's justice system.

Republicans and unionists have yet to finalise an agreement on devolving policing and justice powers from Westminster to the Stormont Assembly, but lengthy talks with Prime Minister Gordon Brown last week carved out a financial blueprint for the move.

The American delegation will today discuss its continued political and economic support for the Irish peace process when Mrs Clinton meets First Minister Peter Robinson and deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness.

The US Secretary is making her seventh visit to Northern Ireland since she first arrived as First Lady with her husband President Bill Clinton to famously boost the fledgling search for peace in the 1990s.

READ MORE HERE