Sinn Féin MLA Conor Murphy has said the time for delays on forming an Executive are long past and called on the DUP to end its blockade of the political institutions.  

Speaking after the DUP leader today told a Westminster Committee that he had collapsed the Executive ‘with great reluctance’ Conor Murphy said:  

“It’s now almost 18 months since the DUP crashed the institutions, and four months on from the EU and British Government deal on the Protocol. 

“It is simply not good enough and not acceptable that after all that time, one party is still blocking parties from working in the Executive and Assembly to deliver for the people. 

“Families facing increased food, heating and housing costs, holiday hunger and uncertainty around their children’s education need to know that we as politicians have their back. 

“They need locally elected ministers working together to fix the problems in our health service, and to offset the damage being caused to public services by savage and cruel Tory cuts.

“The time for excuses and delay is long past. What the public need to hear now from Jeffrey Donaldson and the DUP is that they are ending their blockade and going back to work. 

“The onus is on Jeffrey Donaldson to act in the public interest and stop putting his party before the people who want and deserve government and the proper delivery of public services. 

 “Sinn Féin stands ready to form an Executive today, and to work together with all the parties to support public services and deliver for the people we collectively represent.”