DUP LEADER JEFFREY Donaldson has formed an eight-person group to gauge opinion on the Windsor Framework and report back to him by the end of March.

The agreement, which was published one week ago today, seeks to resolve issues caused by the Northern Ireland Protocol and will result in the DUP’s return to power-sharing in Stormont if they give their approval.

Donaldson’s group is composed of former DUP leaders and Stormont first ministers Peter Robinson and Arlene Foster, DUP MP Carla Lockhart, DUP House of Lords member Peter Weir, businessman Ross Reed, lawyer John McBurney and DUP MLAs Brian Kingston and Deborah Erskine.

The DUP leader said the group is comprised of individuals with “political, legal and business experience” and its findings are set to inform the party’s decision around the framework.

“But we also want to hear from others as well, key stakeholders across the communities in Northern Ireland, to hear what their views and concerns are, and we will collate all of that information, and that will feed into our ongoing engagement with the Government to ensure that we get clarification on those matters that are less clear and that we are also able to influence what happens next in terms of legislation,” he said.

“I want to be in a position within the current month to come to a view on behalf of the DUP and we will do that collectively as a party.”

Donaldson also said that  having Stormont working again for the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement next month is not a deadline he is working to.

“That is not a factor in my thinking, I am not in fact working to any deadline, I’m saying that what we want to complete our process is analysing and assessment of the framework, get the professional advice that we’ve sought, consult with people, key stakeholders, and then come to a view as a party,” he said.

Today I have established a group to commence and undertake a wide consultation process within NI, listening and taking views on the Framework document. This work will be undertaken in parallel with our on-going engagement with the UK Government. https://t.co/HAXHTmbs3Z

— Jeffrey Donaldson MP (@J_Donaldson_MP) March 6, 2023

Also today, former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern  said he expects the DUP to take “a few weeks” to consider clarifications on the Windsor Framework.

At Stormont after a plenary session of the British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly to mark the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement,  Ahern said it is “reasonable” for people to seek legal and working clarifications on the agreement.

“I think it is reasonable in a document that is so lengthy and so many legal backgrounds that people will have clarifications, particularly both legal clarifications and working mechanisms,” he said.

“It would seem like a few weeks is a reasonable time.”