Debate contribution: Election of Speaker and Deputy Speakers

Debate contribution by Ms Michelle O'Neill on 27 October 2022.

MLA: Ms Michelle O'Neill
Party at the time: Sinn Féin
Date: 27 October 2022
Type: Debate contribution
Business: Assembly Business
Heading: Election of Speaker and Deputy Speakers
Assembly identifier: Official Report component 4178118

Text

Today, the Assembly is meeting in a last-ditch attempt to form a Government and get things up and moving. People will be watching, bewildered, as they go to their work, and they want to see their politicians doing the same. Most of us are here because we want to do the job that we were elected to do. Today, our caretaker Ministers rally to take decisions within tight limits before their civil servants are left in an impossible position come midnight, where they are expected to run our essential public services yet have no Budget and no powers to do so. Jeffrey Donaldson and the DUP are in a perpetual stand-off with the public, the majority of whom they do not speak for or, indeed, represent. He stood for election, yet failed to show up. This is his mess and a failure of leadership by him and his party. Jeffrey Donaldson and the DUP have left us all at the mercy of the heartless and dysfunctional Tory Government, whose own survival is all that ever counts. The Tories care less for the consequences that their dire policy decisions and political choices have on the lives of workers and families here. Jeffrey Donaldson points the finger at everyone else for the DUP's indefensible and enduring failures. The fact is that, back in May, people voted for change. They voted because they want politics to work. The electorate want grown-up politicians to take everyday challenges seriously — the things that impact on the lives of workers and families. Jeffrey Donaldson and the DUP do not take those matters seriously. At a time when so many workers, families and businesses are suffering from the incredible pressures of the cost-of-living crisis, at a time when our health service is broken and needs to be fixed and at a time when waiting lists need to be tackled, people need to know that we have their backs. The Secretary of State met with the parties yesterday and restated his position that, at one minute past midnight tonight, should no First Minister and deputy First Minister be appointed, he will call another election. Here we are in the Chamber today, and, in this hour, we could appoint a Speaker, a First Minister, a deputy First Minister and a new Executive who could meet immediately to take decisions to put money into people's pockets today. The DUP, however, continues to deny and disrespect the outcome of the May election. The DUP wants yesterday: it is no longer available to you. What the people here want is the change that they voted for back in the May election. Yesterday evening, the new British Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, met the European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen. They stressed the importance that they both place on relationships between London and Brussels, and on working together as friends and allies as they confront the global challenges, the uncertainties of war in Europe and the energy crisis. They also stated their shared preference for joint solutions and a negotiated solution to the current protocol issues, which will provide the stability and predictability that society and businesses here need after the disruption and upheaval of Brexit. Most parties in the Chamber, whilst opposed to Brexit, support the protocol and want it to work better. So, the negotiating parties have our fulsome support to land a deal. For the avoidance of doubt, however, let us also be clear: this Assembly and Executive have no mandate nor any role in those negotiations. So, to hold back power-sharing and to hold down the public in the meantime is futile, reckless, short-sighted and senseless. The public will give their verdict on all of that in the next number of weeks. If the DUP continues to block power-sharing, let us also be clear that direct rule as we have known it in the past is not an option. The alternative to power-sharing is joint authority from London and Dublin.

661 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.

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