Seán Haughey (Dublin Bay North, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The Northern Ireland Assembly elections were held on 5 May last year. As we know, the Democratic Unionist Party, DUP, by blocking the appointment of a speaker prevented the assembly from functioning, which, in turn, prevented the establishment of an executive. Meanwhile, the everyday problems in the North continue to get worse. Hospitals waiting lists are twice as long as they are in the South. Lough Neagh becomes more and more polluted. There are serious concerns about the budget in Northern Ireland. Deputy Tóibín mentioned the need for flood relief schemes. The Windsor Framework between the EU and the UK has been agreed and will be substantially implemented over the next 12 months. What are the prospects now for the restoration of the Northern Ireland political institutions? The Taoiseach went to Belfast in August to meet with the political parties there. Some reports suggest that the DUP is planning a return to Stormont but if this does not happen, what alternatives are being considered by the British and Irish Governments in the context of the revisions of the Good Friday Agreement? What were the views of the British Prime Minister on these matters when the Taoiseach met him on the margins of the European Political Community meeting?

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