"There cannot be a lasting deal without two-way compromise", Mr Robinson told a full audience in the Peter Froggatt Centre at Queen's.

Addressing the complexities of negotiating a stable settlement in the current context, Mr Robinson argued that if the Assembly and other institutions are to be restored, careful thought should be given to the design of the rules and processes for decision making.

Mr Robinson said that the passage of time will not easily or alone repair the relationships that have been disrupted, but that the leaders of the parties had a responsibility to work towards that end, and to show leadership for their own supporters. 

The lecture, entitled: ‘Negotiating the way forward: restoring government in Northern Ireland’, was part of the Queen’s Policy Engagement (QPol) series at the University and his first public lecture as part of his honorary professorship at the Senator George J. Mitchell Institute for Global Peace, Security and Justice. 

Read the full text of Mr Robinson's speech at the QPOL site here.

 

Pictured (L-R) are: Professor Richard English, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Internationalisation and Engagement at Queen's University Belfast; the Rt Hon Peter Robinson; Professor James McElnay, Acting President and Vice-Chancellor of Queen's University Belfast; and Professor John Brewer, Acting Director of the Senator George J. Mitchell Institute for Global Peace, Security and Justice at Queen’s University Belfast.