On Tuesday of last week I wrote about how the First and Deputy First Ministers were working on a draft letter inviting nominations for the future Justice minister. Last night the final version landed in MLAs pigeonholes, calling for job applications to be handed in by next Friday and talking about identifying a potential minister before Christmas.
This sounds more in tune with Martin McGuinness's timetable rather than Gregory Campbell's talk of years (although the East Londonderry MP has been in touch to clarify that he was using the terms "years" on the Nolan show or "decades" in the Assembly chamber to illustrate how long the business could be without "community confidence". He says that equally it could happen far more quickly if such confidence is achieved.)
On the face of it, the positive tone of the letter is a contrast to the negative rhetoric which has been flying around between the parties in recent days. Jim Allister reckons its the start of a "roll over" by the DUP, but both the DUP and Sinn Fein are playing it down as essentially an administrative step.
So with the DUP and Sinn Fein counting themselves out of the running, who could the nominations be? Ulster Unionist sources say they won't be responding to the letter officially, although it's thought their deputy leader Danny Kennedy might be their choice if there is a vote in the chamber.
The SDLP intend to attend any party leaders' meeting, but insist that whoever they nominate will still be their choice should the matter come to a formal vote. Essentially they don't want to informally anoint a "chosen one". There's been a fair bit of talk about the barrister Alban Maginness in the past, but party sources were staying tight lipped about their choice pending a meeting early next week. One source even suggested to me that the UUP and SDLP might find a joint nominee - something which would set the cat among the pigeons.
Despite this the most likely scenario remains an Alliance justice minister, probably the leader David Ford. But as our Attorney General designate John Larkin might tell whoever gets nominated next week, it's one thing to be identified for a job, another to actually get down to work.
It's only days since two American socialites made headlines for gate crashing Barack Obama's state dinner. Now Fianna Fail find they have a guest in their party they weren't quite bargaining on.
Of course Gerry McHugh didn't crash the Fianna Fail party as such. Instead he joined their Fermanagh forum like other individual members in the county. But last night the Fianna Fail press office in Dublin didn't seem aware of his arrival, and today Fianna Fail sources said Mr McHugh hadn't made clear his status as an MLA when he applied for membership.
Mr McHugh may be part of Brian Cowen's party, but he will continue to sit as an independent at Stormont. Fianna Fail told me today they had no intention of seeking a formal places on the blue benches of Stormont and do not plan to contest the 2011 election.
Gerry McHugh's erstwhile colleague, Sinn Fein Chief Whip Caral Ní Chuilin, insists he is "fast becoming a figure of political ridicule". He claims Fianna Fail is the best vehicle to forward his long term republican aims.
As I write, the Justice Bill has just passed its final stage through Stormont. Its the measure which will enable a local politician to take over a new Justice department. The debate largely rehearsed old arguments. In his concluding statement Martin McGuinness told the SDLP that whilst they claimed they were in favour of speedy devolution the only "real politik" way it would be achieved would be through a cross community appointment.
At one point John O'Dowd told Alex Attwood that the SDLP had convinced Sinn Fein of their candidacy for the justice job and Sinn Fein would support them. Is this an indication that republicans are getting cold feet about David Ford? Or is it just a sign that in an election the DUP could be relied on to veto the SDLP, whilst Sinn Fein would block the UUP?
Either way, after hours of debate even the MLAs seemed to have got tired of the same old arguments - the bill passed on a mercifully swift oral vote. Now it is back to the "real politik" world of DUP "community confidence" and Sinn Fein impatience.
Tonight Peter Robinson put out an apparently hard hitting statement which poured scorn on Declan Kearney's speech at Dunloy at the weekend. However he also included a line which seemed to contrast with Gregory Campbell's comments earlier this week indicating it could take years for justice to be devolved. Instead Mr Robinson clarified "making the decision to devolve policing and justice functions will not be measured in years; it will be solely measured in whether outstanding issues are resolved and this can only be done in a climate free from threat."
I'm just off air on Evening Extra where I was explaining why MLAs pulled the motion which would have given them a £7000 wage hike from 2011. The on the record reason is that the SDLP and the DUP told the Speaker party leaders hadn't been sufficiently consulted on the proposal from the Assembly commmission. They also argued that a vote for a salary increase would pre-empt the job of a new independent statutory body now being processed through Westminster.
However others, such as Alliance's Sean Neeson, argue that the Stormont parties were consulted well in advance (after all the Assembly Commission consists of their nominees). So were they running scared of the public reaction after last week's leak of the pay rise and Sinn Fein's vocal opposition?
Anyway, pending a ruling from a new body, the MLAs have taken a temporary vow of poverty. My former colleague Liz Fawcett has pointed out to me that our ministers haven't apparently spent a lot of time examining poverty recently - according to a written answer given to the SDLP's Mary Bradley an Executive Sub Committee on Poverty set up in November last year has only met twice - once when it was formed and once in May. A third meeting is due this week.
I'm 
© MMIX~RS~q~RS~~RS~z~RS~42~RS~)