Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú) | Oireachtas source

This is the information that has come through from the electoral commission. I am open to correction if it is not the case. The election will be a sham if we do not have reform of the processes by which the elections and the assembly function.

4 o’clock

If the DUP comes back and blocks the Executive from running again, we will be in the same stalemate we are in today, which is an expensive and costly stalemate. Right now, people in the North of Ireland are suffering significantly from the biggest cost-of-living crisis they have ever experienced, and they are getting no help from Stormont. MLAs are getting millions of euros in salary and not doing their job for the people. Aontú welcomes that the Taoiseach, during previous questions, said he would be supportive of reform of the institutions sometime in the future. We also welcome that the Alliance Party has now agreed with our view that there needs to be reform of it, but will the Taoiseach fast-track reform of the institutions so the DUP cannot hold us to ransom anymore?

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