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Michelle O\u2019Neill has fired a warning shot to the new leadership of the DUP, stating that powersharing in the North cannot be built on broken promises.<\/p>\nMichelle O\u2019Neill has fired a warning shot to the new leadership of the DUP, stating that powersharing in the North cannot be built on broken promises.<\/p>\n
Sinn F\u00e9in\u2019s leader in Stormont said the Northern Ireland Executive must be grounded in \u201cfairness and inclusion\u201d.<\/p>\n
Ms O\u2019Neill made the comments as she paid tribute to Arlene Foster, who stepped down as First Minister.<\/p>\n
Her resignation means that Ms O\u2019Neill has been removed as deputy First Minister from the joint office.<\/p>\n
Political leaders now have seven days to approve a new first minister and deputy first minister.<\/p>\n
There has been growing tension between Sinn F\u00e9in and the DUP over the issue of Irish language legislation, which has threatened the nomination process.<\/p>\n
Ms O\u2019Neill, who stood opposite new DUP leader Edwin Poots in the chamber as she made her remarks, said there is a need to work on the basis of \u201copenness, transparency, accountability and in good faith\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s the only way in which we can share power together,\u201d Ms O\u2019Neill added.<\/p>\n
\u201cAll of us in this chamber are called upon to lead. That means leading and delivering for everybody.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat means delivering a power-sharing that\u2019s grounded in fairness and inclusion.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s certainly what I\u2019m here to do. I hope that we have willing partners in which to do so also because you can\u2019t build power-sharing on broken promises.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou must deliver upon agreements that are made. I\u2019m committed to do that. I hope others are also committed likewise to doing that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Addressing Mrs Foster, she said they both used their platforms to highlight misogyny in society.<\/p>\n
\u201cBeing in public life, as we all know, isn\u2019t an easy job at times. It can be very, very challenging and there are many highs and also many lows,\u201d Ms O\u2019Neill added.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think that particularly for a female in public life, it\u2019s even more challenging.<\/p>\n
\u201cMany sacrifices are made, and we have to deal with the additional burden of misogyny that exists in society.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think if there\u2019s one thing that I can say that we have done well together, is the fact that we\u2019ve highlighted that on numerous occasions and taken up many platforms.\u201d<\/p>\n
Referring to the restoration of the Executive last January, Ms O\u2019Neill said that many commitments were made, including health and education reform.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe were committed to doing all those things, and obviously the pandemic hit within a short number of months and we very much put all our efforts and all our energies in to try and chart our way through the pandemic,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat has been no mean feat, it\u2019s been extremely, extremely challenging and Arlene and I were certainly thrust into working very closely together over that time, even to the point where Arlene joked at one stage that we were in each other\u2019s bubble.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe were trying to do our best. That\u2019s the long and short of it.<\/p>\n
\u201cI want to say that Arlene, I want to wish you the very best for the future and for your family, for your beloved mother who you\u2019ve spoken about on a number of occasions.<\/p>\n
“I hope you get more time to spend with your family.”<\/p>\n