Michelle O’Neill says Stormont may return ‘within weeks’ as decision ‘imminent’

https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/politics/michelle-oneill-says-stormont-may-return-within-weeks-as-decision-imminent/a20114717.html

Sinn Fein’s Stormont leader Michelle O’Neill has indicated she believes devolved government in Northern Ireland may be able to be restored within the next number of weeks.
Ms O’Neill, who is set to become the first nationalist First Minister when the Assembly returns, was speaking to media during a visit to Bute House in Edinburgh where she met Scottish First Minister Humza Yousaf.

While talks continue between the DUP and the UK Government over addressing unionists’ concerns around post-Brexit trading arrangements, Ms O’Neill said she has been kept abreast.

“I’ve been engaged with both the British Government and the Irish government the whole way through,” she said.

“I’ve been very clear in terms of what needs to not happen – what needs to not happen is that we need to be ensuring that there’s nothing that does any jeopardy to the 1998 Good Friday Agreement, and that we need to make sure that there’s nothing that unravels the deal that’s been done on the (Northern Ireland) protocol in the form of the Windsor Framework.

“I think that it’s very clear to me that the discussions have been going on for 18 months now. Now is the time for a decision to be made, and I hope it’s the right decision and I hope it’s a positive decision, and I believe that that decision is imminent.”

Pressed on a timeframe, Ms O’Neill said: “The British Government and others are saying that we’re at the final stages. So if that’s the case, then it’s the time for decisions to be made.

“And I believe that that is in the timeframe of the next number of weeks. Let’s hope it’s a positive decision. Let’s hope we can get an executive up and running, let’s hope the DUP end their blockade and get back in around that executive table.”

During a visit to Edinburgh, Sinn Fein’s Stormont leader Michelle O’Neill expressed regret that no ministers from Northern Ireland would be attending the British-Irish Council meeting in Ireland later this week.

No Stormont ministers are currently in post while the DUP continues protest action calling for action on unionist concerns about the Windsor Framework.

She called for a restoration of devolved government, adding: “And let’s hope we can get back to going to meetings such as the British-Irish Council meeting, to raise the issues that we have, the common ground that we have to stand up for good public services and the people that we represent collectively.”

Ms O’Neill said it was her first in-person meeting with Scottish First Minister Humza Yousaf since he came into the post.

“We’ve already (got) strong relationships, always have had, and I want to see that continue in the time ahead,” she said. I think it was important to meet this week given that later this week, there will be a British-Irish Council meeting. Unfortunately because of the political situation in the north of Ireland, the Executive will not be there.

“I think that it’s important that we get back to the juncture where we have an Executive up and running, where we have powersharing restored. That’s something that the First Minister, it’s an ambition he shares, he would like to see powersharing restored in the north.

“I wanted to give him an update in terms of where we’re at in terms of the political situation at home, and hopefully that in the coming weeks that a decision will be made, a positive decision by the DUP to return to powersharing.”

by LoveLaughLarne