Other News In Brief

Alliance Renews Call For Political Reform In NI

Alliance Leader Naomi Long has reiterated her call for reform of NI's political institutions following the recent anniversary of the resignation of Paul Givan as First Minister.

She said a series of reforms proposed by Alliance offers the only serious opportunity to restore the Assembly and Executive, and secure their long-term future.

Long said: "We have just passed the first anniversary of the withdrawal of the DUP from the position of First Minister and now their current refusal to nominate a deputy First Minister. The drift caused in a time of hardship for the public and for public services is completely unacceptable. The need to reform the institutions so the Executive can deal with the list of issues needing urgent attention has never been greater.

"We were elected to find solutions to the problems affecting people every day, and it's long past time those of us who are willing were allowed to start delivering. If the DUP continue to hold the people of Northern Ireland to ransom, we need to reform our political institutions so those who wish to govern can do so, and those who wish to opt out can no longer impede progress.

"In April 1998, parties representing all sections of our community came together to put their names to the Good Friday Agreement. The Agreement was a foundation for future progress, not a ceiling to our ambitions for our community. Alliance has always been pragmatic about the need for our political structures to evolve, and as we approach the 25th anniversary of the Agreement without a functioning Executive, the case for reform is now indisputable.

"At a minimum, changes need to be made to the process of nominating a First and deputy First Minister, so if a party is unwilling to nominate, the opportunity passes to the next largest party. To facilitate effective government, weighted majority voting should replace parallel consent for 'cross-community' votes in the Assembly. In addition, the use of petitions of concern and for 'cross-community' votes within the Executive should be restricted to specified issues, to prevent wider abuse.

"These proposals do not alter the fundamental principles of the Good Friday Agreement, but significantly, could begin to restore public confidence in the institutions, while kick-starting devolution by allowing those who wish to form an Executive to do so, instead of holding hostage the best interests of everyone in our society."

Green Party Welcomes Royal Assent Of Buffer Zones Bill

Green Party leader, Mal O'Hara, has welcomed the news that a Buffer Zones Bill, proposed by his predecessor Clare Bailey, has now received Royal Assent.

The Bill, which establishes safe access zones for premises providing abortion services, received unanimous Supreme Court support and will become enforceable by 7th May 2023.

Cllr O'Hara said: "I want to pay huge kudos to Clare Bailey and her team for making this law a reality. I also want to pay tribute to campaigners and grassroots activists who have campaigned for this for many years. This means that the deliberate campaign of intimidation and harassment against women and people needing to use abortion services will come to an end. I look forward to people being able to access abortion and reproductive healthcare services legally, locally and safely."

DUP Urged To Do The Right Thing For People – SDLP

The DUP need to do the right thing for people in the North and support the nomination of an Assembly Speaker, SDLP Health Spokesperson Colin McGrath has said.

Mr McGrath slammed "disgraceful comments" from the DUP's Ian Paisley on proposals for the Assembly to return to allow the passage of Dáithí's Law.

He said the SDLP would back the recall of the Assembly to pass the legislation, but said a solution must be found for the full restoration of the Assembly and Executive.

South Down MLA Mr McGrath said: "The decision taken by the DUP to collapse the Executive and Assembly and hold people in the North to ransom has never been justified. Since the collapse of the institutions the cost of living emergency has deepened, the crisis in our health service has got much worse and countless important initiatives have fallen by the wayside. In that time period we have seen serious harm caused to the faith in politics here.

"Stormont is far from perfect, but it could have made a significant difference with strategic interventions to help people during the current crises we face. The DUP have again been afforded the opportunity to make a positive difference by supporting the nomination of a Speaker to progress Dáithí's Law, a piece of legislation that would bring hope to people across the North in need of an organ transplant.

"This is a life and death issue that has been highlighted by the MacGabhann family and won support from all walks of life and in that context I find the comments from the DUP's Ian Paisley absolutely appalling. We have been clear that we support a positive solution to the current impasse, but the DUP needs to think seriously about how far it is willing to take the politics of protest and division, and at what cost."