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AN TAOISEACH MICHEÁL Martin has called on the DUP to “honour” the mandate of the people of Northern Ireland by contributing to the restoration of the Stormont institutions as the election deadline looms.
Commenting yesterday, Martin said that it did not appear that there would be an agreement reached by Friday:
“From the meetings I had on Monday there doesn’t appear to be a likelihood that the Executive or the Assembly will be restored by the deadline.”
The Taoiseach added that it is “not satisfactory” that the powersharing institutions are not functioning.
There is less than a week to form a Stormont executive before the UK’s Secretary of State Chris Heaton-Harris will be obliged by law to call a fresh assembly election.
The DUP is refusing to nominate ministers to form a new executive until the Westminster Government takes decisive action on the Northern Ireland Protocol.
They argue that the post-Brexit arrangements hamper trade and place a border in the Irish Sea between Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
Speaking at Fianna Fail’s annual party dinner in Dublin on Saturday, Martin said:
“The British Government are adamant and the outgoing government was adamant that there will be elections. We will engage with the British Government ministers over the coming days to keep abreast of the situation.
Meanwhile, I would say to the DUP that they should participate in the assembly and they should contribute to the restoration of the executive because otherwise we are denying democracy, denying the mandate that the people of Northern Ireland have given to their elected representatives to form a parliament and to form the executive.
‘Stop-start’
The Fianna Fail leader said there has been too much “stop-start” with the Stormont institutions.
“It’s never satisfactory, in my view, that after elections, the assembly doesn’t get established, or the executive, and I think, historically, we’ve had too much stop-start with the assembly and with the executive over different periods, and that’s simply not good enough,” he said.
I think the people are becoming increasingly annoyed about that. And I would say – particularly to the DUP in this case, because the other political parties want the restoration of the executive and the assembly – I would say to the DUP to honour the democratic mandate that has been given.
With reporting from Christina Finn
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DUP and Honour in the same sentence? MM has lost the plot.
@Peter O Donnell: MM and mandates, I know he got into power through ‘democratic’ means but he certainly had no mandate by the vast majority of Irish people to govern this country prior to the last election.
@Frank Cauldhame: That’s actually incorrect Frank. We elect TDs to the Dail every 5 years and they elect the Taoiseach. If your not happy with our style of democracy then start a campaign to change it and see what the majority of our citizens want.
@Tom Leddy: I know how our electoral system works, its quite simple Tom.
@Tom Leddy: he deceived the voters. He told them that he wouldn’t go into government with FG and he did. He actually said that the messages her was receiving on the doorsteps was that people wanted FG out of office.
@Frank Cauldhame: yawn
@Frank Cauldhame: yawn
@Tom Leddy: ua uua
Stop trying to be Bertie Ahern. Stop meddling. Sort out the refugee mess ye have created. Sort the health service. The Mercy hospital in Cork said the place is dangerous for patients. Ambulances lined up for hours on end tying up paramedics. One crew during the week had a patient there for over five hours before the crew could return to West Cork. Come on!, grow a pair and do your job.
Our glorious and charismatic leader…
@Eamonn O’Hanrahan: Shortly to be followed by another beauty.
Please make it stop.
@G Row.: hopefully will on next election unless they do another coalition to keep SFout god help us tho https://www.redcresearch.ie/latest-polls/live-polling-tracker/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIguvPuOP2-gIVrIBQBh336wtKEAAYASAAEgJrBfD_BwE
@Joanne Stokes: FF are facing wipeout, they are 22 percentage points behind SF. Thats some gap.
Martin can’t talk, he repeatedly fails to honour promises and pledges when it suits his own end. The most recent is the scurrilous failure to honour his pledge to the poorest section of our community who are caught up with prepay meters they cannot afford to keep in credit that they would be covered by the moratorium on disconnections. He is condemning the most vulnerable section to a miserable winter, Anyone know why a Taoiseach would so such a thing? Is he compromised in some way?
@Jim O’Sullivan: the poorest section in society is getting €600 electricity bill credit, plus fuel allowance, plus fuel allowance lump sum, plus double welfare bonus etc
@Stephen Kearon: All people on bill pay who qualify get those as well plus the protection of the moratorium, they cannot be disconnected this winter it It is only those on prepay who are not getting the moratorium protection. Care to explain why?
@Stephen Kearon: Are you still accepted among the Fianna Fail fraternity, considering ?
@Stephen Kearon: a fraction of the additional taxes, levies and duties gouged by your beloved FFG over past year when cost of living crisis kicked in.
Maybe an election is the way to go. An opportunity to consign the DUP to the rubbish bin of history.
@Skipper Mac: that wont happen though
Big respect for Martin, great leader in my opinion
@Aidy McBride: Are you a member of Fianna Fáil?
@Dave Barrett: No, he’s probably a member of Sinn Fein who knows the value of keeping Martin to the forefront of this government. His the biggest vote-getter SF has!.
@Jim O’Sullivan: Sinn Fein lol
@Jim O’Sullivan: Could be a she.
Last weeks business reported that NI is now the most prosperous commerical area in the UK. The best of both worlds and Irish Passports thrown in as well! Who needs an assembly ? Even Mr. Mogg has set up business here to trade with the EU. MM is right the lack of goverance /regulation in NI and the fallout of Brexit can have dire consequences for our future stability.
Are they just going to keep having general elections for eternity? It’s a mad loop.
DUP election was not to join the Assembly until the protocol was gone -that was their mandate.
A nice big cruise ship a torpedo
@Anthony Ross: obviously you’re for a United ireland minus the people who you don’t like lol. Lad.
have your say