Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
‘ARROGANT AND5 INCOMPETENT’
Ulster Unionists launch attack on DUP Party let Sinn Fein ‘collapse’ Stormont
THE Ulster Unionist Party last night accused the DUP of “arrogance and incompetence” over the latest talks collapse.
It said its rival had “played fast and loose with the future of unionism”.
The statement added: “Firstly, by a combination of arrogance and incompetence they created the opportunity for Sinn Fein to bring down Stormont and force a new set of negotiations on Gerry Adam’s terms.
“Secondly, they enter negotiations based on a Sinn Fein agenda and end up on the cusp of an Irish Language Act and changes that could have led to Gerry Kelly being Justice Minister.
“Thirdly, unionism now finds itself being a spectator as Her Majesty’s Government agrees a legacy deal behind our backs and apparently without the DUP’S knowledge.
“Baroness Paisley blames Arlene Foster for the crisis, Edwin Poots claims authorship of the ‘agreement that never was’ and meanwhile we have no input into Brexit, our hospital waiting lists are at record levels and schools at their wit’s end to survive financially. It’s outrageous.
“The leadership of unionism cannot be left in the hands of the DUP.”
The statement came in the wake of a row over funding for legacy inquests. DUP leader Arlene Foster claimed yesterday “no one in the party was aware” of money being made available.
She was speaking after her colleague Jeffrey Donaldson MP told The View on BBC he was “unaware” of an alleged deal to release money for legacy inquests.
Mr Kelly claimed resourcing was agreed and he could “prove it” with paperwork.
The North Belfast MLA also said a legacy deal would have omitted any statute of limitations to curb security force prosecutions.
In her statement, Mrs Foster said: “No one in the DUP was aware of inquest funding being progressed in the absence of an overall agreement or a decision to advance all elements of the Stormont House Agreement. It would be astonishing if the Government granted funding inquests in the absence of an overall agreement.
“It is a matter of public record that SF has been talking to the Government about progressing legacy inquest funding. I was aware of this during the talks. We were also talking to the Government about matters of importance to us. I will be raising this matter with the Secretary of State.”
In 2016, Northern Ireland’s most senior judge Sir Declan Morgan asked for
YESTERDAY
money to deal with a backlog of inquests into some of the most controversial killings of the Troubles.
Sinn Fein deputy leader Michelle O’neill yesterday said she has “briefed the Victims Commissioner Judith Thompson on the progress made on Legacy matters in the recent Stormont negotiations”.
She added the Government “did commit to releasing the inquest funding and to go ahead with the consultation, minus the amnesty proposal for British State Forces”.
TUV leader Jim Allister said news of the funding should come as no surprise. He added: “It has been clear for some time Sinn FEIN/IRA had got a deal on money for legacy inquests. Everyone who listened to Mary Lou Mcdonald a week ago would have known as much.”