Media Talk: Northern Ireland, what next?

With Sinn Fein agreeing to support a united police force in Northern Ireland despite evidence of past complicity between Special Branch and loyalists paramilitaries, the Northern Ireland elections are due to go ahead in early March. Will they work this time?

Sinn Fein’s decision to support the police brings devolution a step closer. Sinn Fein’s president Gerry Adams called it ‘one of the most important decisions in the recent history of our country’.

But could the report by the police ombudsman for Northern Ireland, which revealed the connections between Special Branch and loyalist paramilitaries still derail the move?

And will the DUP commit to power sharing?

Join us as we discuss what happens when power returns to Stormont.

Henry McDonald – Ireland Editor of The Observer and author of six books including three definitive works on Ulster’s paramilitary factions, INLA-Deadly Divisions,  UVF and UDA.  He is currently writing a book on the impact of the peace process on Irish republicanism.

John Ware – former Panorama reporter, who made a series of programmes about collusion in Northern Ireland culminating in a two part programme called Licence to Murder. Evidence from this programme was used in September 2005 at Belfast Crown Court to convict Ken Barrett, the Loyalist gunman who shot the Belfast solicitor Patrick Finucane in 1989.

John O’Dowd – Chief whip of Sinn Fein Assembly team.

Moderated by Peter Taylor – award winning BBC reporter who has covered Northern Ireland for over 30 years and written six books on the conflict – including the definitive BBC trilogy, Provos, Loyalists and Brits. Awarded the OBE for services to broadcast journalism, primarily for his coverage of the Northern Ireland conflict.