Business Committee Comments on Timetable Proposed by the Unionists

General considerations:

- A level of intensification which consolidated 10 weeks hours worth of work into 2-3 weeks was unreasonable

- This would not allow time for reflection and informal discussion that the Talks required

- This would adversely affect the ability of delegations to appropriately respond to papers

- Schedule C was not the right answer: it was too intense and and did not take account of work outside of the Talks process

16 July deadline:

- The Unionists cannot resume discussions after 16 July as that would be part of a new process. Some intensification of the process is therefore vital.-

Additional meeting times to consider:

- the evening of Wednesday 26 June (in addition to 25 June)

- a meeting during the day on Thursday 27 June

- 1 July (with the Minister of State in the Chair)

- 2 and 3 July

- 4 July (with the Minister of State in the Chair)

- 8, 9, and 10 July

- The UDUP proposal of a 2130 finish time was too late