Politics

Gerry Adams: 'Stormont can only be restored if Sinn Féin and DUP work together'

Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams has said unionists will find it "very difficult" to move to a "rights based society"
Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams has said unionists will find it "very difficult" to move to a "rights based society" Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams has said unionists will find it "very difficult" to move to a "rights based society"

UNIONIST politicians find it "very difficult" to move to a "rights based society" because their leaders used to boast the north was a Protestant state with a Protestant parliament, Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams has said.

During a lecture in Armagh last night, the Louth TD said the talks impasse can only be resolved through Sinn Féin and the DUP working together - a move which he said will present challenges for both parties.

He said his party is only engaged in talks with the DUP because it wants to restore power-sharing at Stormont.

"As Martin McGuinness explained at the beginning of the year, those institutions can only be sustainable if they have equality, respect and integrity at their core," he said.

He added: "What we need to do collectively is to accept that a rights based society is in everyone’s interest".

"Moving to that position given that their leaders used to boast that they had a Protestant Parliament and a Protestant state, is very difficult for political unionism."

He said unionists must recognise they can only return to the executive on the basis of institutions that are "bedded in equality and fairness".

"In other words, they have to treat the rest of us as equals and we have to treat them as equals," he said.

"Is the DUP leadership up for this? We will know soon enough."

The Sinn Féin leader called on Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and British Prime Minister Theresa May to play a full role in the talks.

And he hit out at Secretary of State James Brokenshire, claiming the Tory MP had been "less than helpful".

Mr Adams called on Mr Varadkar to "rise above" his Fine Gael party's rivalry with Sinn Féin in the Republic.

"It is crucial that he makes the north a priority, not just because of Brexit, although that is critical, but because of the obligations and responsibilities of his office," he said.

The Sinn Féin president claimed that the British government was not invested in the talks.

"For their part this British government has no investment in the process, and no affinity with it. It is beset with its own difficulties and is only in power with DUP support," he said.

"James Brokenshire has been less than helpful. Brexit will be a disaster for all the people of the island of Ireland.

"That includes unionist business people and farmers who must be appalled by the DUP leadership’s attitude and their disrespect for the vote of the people here."