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AN TAOISEACH MICHEÁL Martin has said that the DUP’s refusal to participate in forming an executive in the North was “unacceptable”.
Martin said that the DUP’s refusal to take part in the assembly was damaging the functioning of the institutions of the Good Friday Agreement, and this was to the detriment of people in the North.
“It is to the detriment of the people of Northern Ireland that their Executive is not in place to take the decisions and provide the leadership that the North needs, particularly as we face into a difficult and economically challenging winter,” Martin said.
“It is a denial of the mandate they gave in the elections of the fifth of May.
What we are faced with is the decision of one political party not to participate in the Northern Ireland Executive, and by so doing, damaging the functioning of the institutions of the Good Friday Agreement. It is unacceptable.
An Taoiseach was speaking earlier today at the British Irish Association Conference at Pembroke College in Oxford. He said had been “completely consistent on this issue” and had expressed similar views when Sinn Fein withdrew from the Executive in 2017.
Martin said that when the Executive broke down on previous occasions, both governments worked hard to resolve the issues, “make progress and restore the Institutions”.
That should be our approach now also, with issues regarding the Protocol addressed in parallel through EU-UK talks.
Assembly elections were held on 5 May of this year following the collapse of the Northern Ireland Executive. The DUP withdrew in protest against the Northern Ireland Protocol.
Sinn Féin secured 27 seats and the DUP won 25, but the DUP said it would not nominate a deputy first minister until “decisive action” is taken on the protocol, which has led to a deadlock.
Speaking at the same conference yesterday evening, in comments carried by RTÉ News, the UK government’s Northern Ireland Secretary of State Shailesh Vara said if parties in the North didn’t form an Executive, he would call another assembly election by the end of October.
Northern Ireland Protocol
The Northern Ireland Protocol was agreed upon by the EU and the UK during Brexit negotiations. It governs the trading relationship between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK, and is aimed at preventing a hard border on the island of Ireland.
There have been some implementation difficulties with the protocol, and it has become a serious bone of contention between the EU and the UK, with the British government bringing forward legislation to unilaterally suspend key aspects of the protocol. Ireland and the EU have said that this would break international law and renege on key aspects of the Brexit withdrawal agreement.
Speaking yesterday, Vara said that the British government’s plans to set aside part of the protocol was an “insurance policy”.
“Our aim with the legislation on the Northern Ireland Protocol is to put in place an insurance policy so that we can ensure we have a way of resolving the issues with the Protocol,” he said.
Like all insurance policies, they are better if they’re not invoked but we must bring about a resolution.
However, today Martin said the moves by the UK to suspend aspects of the protocol risked causing further instability in the North, and will fray the relationship with Ireland.
“I am deeply concerned about the British Government’s legislation which would unilaterally undo core elements of the Northern Ireland Protocol,” said Martin.
The Taoiseach said he was concerned by what such moves could mean for a partnership between the UK and the EU and for the message it would send about rules-based international order. But, most of all, Martin said he was “concerned because it is neither in the interests of the people of Northern Ireland nor what they want”.
He said the EU recognised “that there have been genuine difficulties with aspects of the implementation of the Protocol”.
But we need to address these together. The EU has listened very carefully to the concerns of people in Northern Ireland.
Martin was speaking ahead of the announcement of a new Prime Minister on Monday, when either Liz Truss or Rishi Sunak will become the new leader of the Conservative Party.
“I wish them well in the challenging times ahead,” he said.
I want to work in an open and constructive way with the new British Prime Minister.
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Oh aye? What you gonna do about it Taoiseach???
@Greachán Ó Ceallaigh: silly comment
@Greachán Ó Ceallaigh: he’s going to do SFA, just like all the other issues on his own doorstep don’t mind talking about a seperate jurisdiction.
Another soundbite by the transparent Taoiseach, he’s never been interested or has he ever done anything to help the people of the north ( don’t get me started on the sleaze Leo ) just another empty gestures. Insipid Coalition politicking….
@Epgenetics29 Declan Christy: what should he do?? Send in the tanks?? At least the republicans and loyalists can agree on one thing, they both hate Leo and Simon Coveney.
@Andrew Dillon: major issue is we don’t have any tanks
Drawing a false equivalency and playing the “both sides” angle.
The DUP are refusing to form an executive. This is on the DUP, and that’s it. The DUP want Westminster to rule if they can’t hold the majority, and that needs to be called out.
@Donnie Brasco: what I took from what he said, there was no both sides angle. DUP blocking NI executive. No one under any illusions otherwise.
“It is to the detriment of the people of Northern Ireland that their Executive is not in place to take the decisions and provide the leadership that the North needs.”
We have a government here in the south and they won’t make any decisions to help the people dealing with the number of crises we are experiencing.
Focus on the Republic Mick and cut out your nonsense.
Let’s concentrate on our own problems within our counties first
The housing disaster is his failure. As is the health system
Simple answer,, Stop there pay packets, and see how quick they get together
They don’t listen to each other. Why listen to him?
@Mary Nugent: Perhaps they never will…
No whats unexceptable is your weak governance of this country. Watching us be ripped off at every turn. Only to hear your shallow condemnation of issues with absolutely no action
Why do people in NI put up with the sheer lack of performance by their politicians including Sinn Feinn. Wake up and make it happen.
@Appaddy: the same way we put up with the shower we have. For one, the Northern ministers can’t claim travel expenses seeing they don’t go to work. Not like the clowns we have who show up for work and charge the tax payer a fortune for same, but like the crowd up North they do nothing. This is typical Mehole try sorting out something he can’t but don’t dare sort out the problems he can
This should be called the Sinn Fein Journal judging by comments
The only thing I can think of when I hear and see this person is.
What is the difference between Humans and Animals.
Animals would never have the weakest in charge of the pack
Definition of unacceptable. Too bad to be accepted, approved of, or allowed to continue:
So how do you propose to stop it continuing?
It wouldn’t be FF if they didn’t get a diģ in against SF, Mr Martin hope you don’t mind me calling you Mr Martin, you didn’t earn the title to be called other than your name. SF pulling out was nothing compared to the DUP, SF pulled out because the DUP made a mess of the money for heat, or something like that. the DUP are just being childish because SF did better.Now what are you going to do about the DUP don’t forget you have a part to play and don’t be leaving it all for SF to sort out, you will be left in the back room.
Pfft they are simply mirroring Sinn Fein when they were having a strop & they were blaming the DUP back then too they can’t win either way so guess they don’t care what Mr Martin has to say & back there the last time there was uproar at the suggestion that they cut their salaries off.
Soon the new PM will call for fresh elections in the North and if the DUP gets the highest number of seats then the Executive can get back up and running..
It’s that simple..
More tripe from Fine Fail. The GFA allowed for this by allowing the mechanism DUP are using which is the same one SF used before. Just like everyone said back then, stop paying these idi0 ts and they’ll do what they’re supposed to.
have your say