'Mistrust And Lack Of Respect Is Putting Devolution At Risk' - Long

The Alliance Party does not believe an agreement to form a new power-sharing Executive will be reached by Friday, 14 April.

Leader of the party Naomi Long said "mistrust and a lack of respect" between the larger parties is putting devolution "at risk".

She also described the situation as "ludicrous".

Mrs Long said: "Nineteen years ago yesterday, parties were able to sign the Good Friday Agreement, despite the huge gaps between parties, because the will was there. It is extremely concerning issues which are relatively small in comparison could effectively be the undoing of devolution in Northern Ireland. That is a ludicrous situation.

"If we do not restore devolution, we have lost this project. We have invested in this over my entire lifetime to get from where we were in the early 1970s to where we are now. You do not throw that away lightly. You certainly don't do it over what are relatively minor differences and vanity projects.

"I am appealing directly to the other parties to make the effort to get this deal done in the next few days. Look at the consequences of failure for the people who elected them. We need to deliver for the people who asked us to do exactly that."

Meanwhile, SDLP Education Spokesperson Colin McGrath has said the impact the ongoing political crisis is having on children and young people is "unacceptable".

Mr McGrath said that cuts to education, as a result of the inability of the last Executive to agree a budget, put children in the firing line for a failure of politics.

He said: "Every day now we're hearing about a new cut to a critical education service. Whether it's a reduction in youth service funding from an Education Authority austerity spree or cuts to school budgets, our children are being punished for a failure of politics. It isn’t acceptable.

"The funding cut to St Ronan's in Newry which has forced the principle to ask parents to fund after-school activities and Spanish lessons is a clear indication that this situation is not sustainable. And this follows a spate of cuts to youth services as budget lines are stretched to breaking point. Our young people deserve better.

"Parties must emerge from their entrenched positions and prepare for a creative compromise that deals with the challenges facing us and sees a restoration of devolved government. We still have an opportunity to deal with these issues. All minds must be focussed on that in the days ahead."

(CD/MH)