Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I have five of the 15 questions. First, I congratulate Ms Michelle O'Neill on her appointment as Sinn Féin's Northern leader. It is fair to say that Sinn Féin is probably the last party in a democratic country which can appoint or anoint a leader through the laying on of hands rather than a vote. I think it is interesting. There was not a whole lot of commentary about it either, which is interesting as well in terms of the degree of analysis and questioning of these issues.

I note that an independent inquiry into the renewable heating scandal has now been established in recent days and that involved a complete U-turn on behalf of the Minister involved. The worst aspect about this is that it has been set up in such a way that the people of Northern Ireland will be given no answers before they vote and all they will hear are the political claims and counter-claims.

We should also note Deputy Adams's speech here last week when he stated that Sinn Féin had never done anything wrong in government, had never ignored smaller parties and is completely spotless in spite of the revelations about party funding, sectarian appointments, etc. During Question Time yesterday, the truly incredible claim was made that others are to blame, for example, for the failure to establish the civic forum even though Sinn Féin closed it down and opposed its return. Using the phrase of the moment, they are offering so-called alternative facts.

The DUP has behaved appallingly over recent years and it has to change fundamentally or there can be no progress. The question is how there can be any progress if all we hear from the next largest party is denial and partisan pottering.

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