Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Sinn Fein ‘the only party still blocking’ new Executive deal
DUP blasts talks offer as ‘stunt’
SINN Fein is preventing politicians from dealing with growing problems in health, education and the economy, the DUP claimed yesterday.
It was responding to criticism from its former Stormont partners that it was halting the restoration of power-sharing.
Senior DUP member Simon Hamilton said the Executive should be formed immediately, with a parallel process instigated to deal with the outstanding issues at the heart of the political rift, such as the Irish language and the ban on same-sex marriage.
Talks between the parties were postponed for the summer after they failed to reach agreement.
On Sunday, Sinn Fein’s Stormont leader Michelle O’neill wrote to the UK and Irish governments and leaders of other political parties calling for talks to resume on Monday.
But dismissing that plea as a “stunt”, Mr Hamilton told BBC Radio Ulster: “It’s to deflect away from the growing criticism there is of Sinn Fein because of their failure in helping to restore an Executive is having a negative effect”.
The former Finance Minister rejected the claim that the DUP was failing to implement previous deals on the matters of dispute.
He said: “I can go through all of the areas Sinn Fein say there were previous agreements and show them the fact there were no previous agreements.
“There was no previous agreement with the DUP in respect of implementing an Irish Language Act.
“The DUP would go up to Stormont this morning and form a government and deal with those difficult issues that there are around health, around education and the economy, which we believe are more important than the issues which Sinn Fein are stalling the restoration of an Executive on.
“They are the only party blocking the restoration of an Executive to deal with those difficult issues and there are many who are coming to the conclusion that Sinn Fein do not actually want to go back into government.
“They are not serious about restoring devolution.”