AS Stormont broke for Hallowe’en, key figures from Northern Ireland’s main parties were locked in talks to try and reach a resolution on a string of outstanding issues, including the past.

U.S envoy Gary Hart, a former Presidential candidate, was at Parliament Buildings yesterday morning for meetings with party representatives, including the Ulster Unionist’s Tom Elliott (pictured left).

Mr. Elliott has used the new round of inter-party talks to call on Taoiseach Enda Kenny to launch an inquiry into the Enniskillen bombing and find out what the Irish government knew about the IRA’s movements in Border areas during the Troubles.

And with the anniversary of the 1987 bombing next month, the UUP MLA pressed Irish Foreign Minister Charlie Flanagan, who was present at last week’s talks, to “help us get answers”.

Speaking to Stormont Files, Mr. Elliott said: “The Irish government could carry out their own investigation into the Enniskillen bombing and make it public. I think there is a clear indication that the bomb came from the Republic of Ireland and feel the Taoiseach could carry out an investigation around that or into the operation of terrorist operations in the Border area.

“Minister Flanagan said they would not be found wanting if they were required to do something. I do feel that the Irish government has been too relaxed in the way they have dealt with the IRA operating within their jurisdiction and that includes in the lead up to the Enniskillen bomb,” he said.

In addition to the past, there are many issues in the in-tray of those MLAs taking part in the talks, including welfare reform, flags, the make-up of Stormont and the budget which Mr. Elliott says “should be number one on the list”.

But it appears that MLAs, including Mr. Elliott, can’t even agree on what to talk about in the talks.

“My view is that we should be discussing the budget as a priority, but we are not and as a result the exchanges in these talks have been frank. I have been frank because we don’t even seem to have a process for dealing with the talks. For example, two days this week we are talking about things we didn’t talk about last week. I feel there is no structure to get a resolution.

“And I don’t think there will be a resolution if they are going to continue to try and resolve all of the issues together. If we focus on the budget I think we could get a resolution by the end of November, but I am pessimistic and if we group everything together then I don’t think we will sort this,” said Mr. Elliott, describing this period at Stormont as his “most difficult yet”.

“There is a stalemate because there are so many issues and the willingness from many to actually deal with issues is limited. Quitting the Executive is always an issue and is always an ongoing consideration by my party. Once you are not a lead party you have to see if you are better placed in it or out of it. The thought process now is are we getting anywhere from being part of this?” he said.

Mr. Elliott and the DUP’s Arlene Foster, the Enterprise Minister, are the only Fermanagh-south Tyrone MLAs involved in the talks which are aimed at resolving issues between the five parties that some fear could result in the collapse of Stormont.

Minister Foster told Stormont Files yesterday that it was “absolutely critical” that a deal on the budget is reached by tomorrow.

“The budget should be a priority in these talks. The Chancellor of the Exchequer has made it very clear that one of the conditions of receiving the £100 million loan is that we have to have the draft budget sorted by the end of this week. Let’s be clear about this; welfare reform and the budget could bring down Stormont if they are not resolved and Sinn Fein need to wake up to this.

“There are very real pressures on Stormont and this is a real concern for me. Things are very tight, but we have to make it work. If we don’t have devolution in Northern Ireland there would be many problems for the population, particularly people in Fermanagh,” warned Minister Foster.