Direct rule ‘is not an option’ says Sinn Fein

SINN FEIN has warned that direct rule is not an option for Northern Ireland as Democratic Unionists called on the UK Government to start setting budgets for schools and hospitals.

As republicans sat down for talks with the Irish government on the Stormont powersharing crisis, DUP leader Arlene Foster,

was calling on Downing Street to start taking big spending decisions.

“Frontline staff have been living hand to mouth for too long. The Northern Ireland people deserve better,” Ms Foster said.

“I am not prepared to allow this to continue. Decisions need to be taken.”

The DUP leader made her calls for decisions to be made on infrastructure, education and healthcare as Sinn Fein leader and deputy leader Mary Lou McDonald and Michelle O’Neill walked into Government Buildings in Dublin. Ahead of the meeting with Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Tanaiste and Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney, Ms McDonald called for decisive action from both Dublin and London. “We don’t accept any call for a cooling off period, in fact we’re saying very clearly that there cannot be vacuum, we need action and we need the two governments to be decisive at this point,” she said. The Sinn Fein leadership and Ms Foster are expected to hold separate talks later this week with Prime Minister Theresa May.