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

I propose to take Questions Nos. 10 and 86 together.

The Northern Ireland Executive was collapsed in February 2022, nearly two years ago. It is now more than 20 months since the ensuing Northern Ireland Assembly elections and the strand one institutions have yet to be stood up. Since assuming my current role, the restoration of the Assembly and the Executive and, with them, the North-South Ministerial Council, has been one of my top priorities. To this end, I have engaged with the Secretary of State on more than a dozen occasions, as well as with the main political parties in Northern Ireland. To facilitate restoration, the Government gave space for negotiations between the European Union and the United Kingdom. The European Union stretched to agree the Windsor Framework with the United Kingdom nearly a year ago. This, I believe, offers a sound foundation for progress in Northern Ireland, and has provided the basis for the ensuing discussions between the United Kingdom Government and the Democratic Unionist Party. Unfortunately, last week, another deadline to elect an Assembly Speaker and form an Executive passed without those talks delivering the necessary progress.

Yesterday, Westminster passed legislation to extend the window to form an Executive until 8 February. I know that Deputies across this House will join me in hoping that this short window is used to take the decisions urgently needed to restore the Executive. My officials and those of the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland are staying in close touch on these developments. Last week saw the launch of a major strike across Northern Ireland, involving workers from a range of vital public services. Those on the picket lines underlined their frustration at the impact that almost two years without a functioning Executive has had on their ability to do their jobs and on the quality of services provided to the public. I understand and share their frustration, as do ordinary citizens, business owners and the many elected representatives who want to see Stormont get back to work - those who want to see Northern Ireland working and working well.

The decision to continue the blockage in Stormont and to continue the deterioration of core services that has accompanied it belongs to one party. I appreciate that the issues at play involve deeply held views but I remain convinced that the best way to address them is with a restored Executive in place. I hope they use this latest window to enable the restoration of the institutions and the full functioning of politics in Northern Ireland. I am very conscious that the other parties elected to the Assembly, each of which has a democratic mandate, are enormously frustrated at being prevented from doing the work they were elected to do. I am also conscious of the increasingly urgent need for decisions on issues that affect the day-to-day lives of the people of Northern Ireland. This situation cannot be allowed to drift indefinitely. The absence of power sharing creates and deepens challenges for all communities. The people of Northern Ireland need to see politics working for them. The early and sustained restoration of the power-sharing institutions would be the best way forward, underpinned by a strong partnership between the two Governments. The Government is ready to engage constructively with any new Executive to assist and to work together in areas where North-South co-operation could make a positive difference.

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