Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Not on this issue I am not. In response to Deputy Pearse Doherty’s questions, we have made it clear to the British Government, in the right and appropriate way, that a move to direct rule is not where we want to be and it is not where the British Government wants to be. It is also not where the DUP wants to be, in my view, even though that is what it effectively requested yesterday. Instead, Karen Bradley, the Secretary of State, and I will work together with the parties to try to bring us back to a point where we focus on finding accommodation with each other again with a view to trying to get an executive up and running. Any alternative to that is bad news for everybody - unionism, nationalism and both Governments. We will work hard to avoid that happening.

See this speech in context