Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Tánaiste for his reply. He stated clearly the Government position that there is no need for a new election. I agree entirely. All of us in this House would agree. The last Stormont election was just 24 weeks ago. Clearly, there are very pressing issues affecting the people in Northern Ireland every day, particularly with the cost-of-living crisis, and they need a functioning Executive and a functioning assembly to resolve those issues. Given we are facing a last chance today to resolve the matter without the calling of another election by the British Government, I am asking what our Government's plan B is. If an election is announced at five minutes past midnight, as seems likely despite everyone's wishes here, it is unlikely to change the dynamics in the North. Is it not now time to look again at how we can reform the governance arrangements in the North in keeping with the principles of the Good Friday Agreement to ensure there will be functioning democratic institutions in the North and the will of the people as expressed through assembly elections can be carried out through functioning democratic institutions? I am suggesting to the Tánaiste that no party should be excluded from power-sharing in that scenario, that every party should be given the option to take part, and that it is undemocratic to allow one party to take a unilateral decision to veto power-sharing and hold all others in Northern Ireland to ransom.

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