Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
O’NEILL: RIGHTS DEAL KEY TO RESTORING STORMONT
Sinn Fein vow over further talks
SINN Fein has said there is no basis for power-sharing talks to resume unless the UK and Irish governments commit to delivering on “rights” based issues.
The party’s Stormont leader Michelle O’neill made the comments after meeting Secretary of State James Brokenshire yesterday.
She said: “When the last phase of talks ended, we made it very clear that the issue of rights was not going to go away.
“We have today had a meeting with the British government, with James Brokenshire. He did not put any process on the table that would allow for the delivery of rights or a process that we could sign up to.
“So as we stand here today, the onus remains on the British government and indeed the Dublin government to deliver the rights-based issues; rights that are available to citizens elsewhere on these islands and, in that case, that would pave the way for the Executive to be restored.
“What we can’t do is go round and round a hamster wheel in endless talks.”
Sinn Fein has called for a standalone Irish language act, but the DUP has said it will only agree to a cross-community bill with provisions for Ulster Scots.
Earlier this month, a Budget was passed at Westminster to ensure local departments did not run out of money in the absence of a devolved Assembly to pass the legislation.
In a statement, DUP MLA Simon Hamilton accused Sinn Fein of “checking out” of politics in Northern Ireland.
He said: “Sinn Fein voters, as much as voters for any party, need a government up and running again to deal with issues in health, in housing, in education and in the economy.
“One would be forgiven for coming to the conclusion Sinn Fein have ‘checked out’ of politics in Northern Ireland and are now only interested in the politics of the Irish Republic.”