Clinton Schedules Irish Visit

US secretary of state Hillary Clinton is to come to Ireland during a visit that will include talks with the Northern Irish political leaders.

The date of the visit was confirmed this afternoon as October 12th and following high profile talks in the North, Ms Clinton is expected to travel to Dublin and London.

The agenda for her visit is believed to include discussions on the devolving of policing and justice powers, an issue over which the current DUP and Sinn Fein leaders are at loggerheads.

Yesterday, First Minister Peter Robinson was accused of getting "cold feet" over the devolvement of powers by the Deputy First Minister Martin Maginness.

The DUP leader later retaliated calling the remarks "intemperate".

The Northern Ireland Secretary Shaun Woodward said during his speech to Labour’s conference in Brighton today that Mrs Clinton would be visiting the North “within the next few weeks”.

Mr Woodward said the devolution of policing and justice powers to Stormont was the “last part of the jigsaw” to give the province the prosperous future it deserves.

He told delegates Mrs Clinton and her husband former president Bill Clinton had been “unstinting” in their support for Northern Ireland.

“I can announce today that within the next few weeks Secretary of State Hillary Clinton specifically wants to come to Northern Ireland to help look at the jobs and opportunities and investment that America can bring to Northern Ireland,” he said.

(DW/KMcA)