Northern Ireland ? Britain said Sunday it intends to try to hand power immediately to a new Catholic-Protestant administration for Northern Ireland – but is open to Protestant demands for an extension to May.

Northern Ireland Secretary Peter Hain said Saturday’s decision by the major Protestant party, the Democratic Unionists, to reject today’s deadline for a fully functioning administration contained good news.

The Democratic Unionists had committed to sitting down with Sinn Fein, the major Catholic-backed party, within six weeks, he said, and Britain would do what it could to make sure this happened.

“This is the first time the DUP has said they will share power with Sinn Fein. People said this would never happen and it is a breakthrough,” he said.

The Democratic Unionists for years have refused to cooperate with Sinn Fein, citing its links to Irish Republican Army violence and crime. But significant peace moves – the IRA disarmed and renounced violence in 2005, and Sinn Fein in January pledged to cooperate with the Northern Ireland police – have undercut Democratic Unionists’ hatred of Sinn Fein.