Politics

Sinn Fein's Michelle O'Neill optimistic over Stormont restoration

Speaking on the BBC's Sunday Politics show, Michelle O’Neill said she wants to "give hope to people" that a solution to the crisis can be found. Picture by Mal McCann
Speaking on the BBC's Sunday Politics show, Michelle O’Neill said she wants to "give hope to people" that a solution to the crisis can be found. Picture by Mal McCann Speaking on the BBC's Sunday Politics show, Michelle O’Neill said she wants to "give hope to people" that a solution to the crisis can be found. Picture by Mal McCann

SINN Féin’s leader in the north has said she is optimistic that an Executive at Stormont can be restored, as the one-year anniversary since the political collapse approaches.

Speaking on the BBC's Sunday Politics show, Michelle O’Neill said she wants to "give hope to people" that a solution to the crisis can be found.

"I believe this can be done, but it can only be done if there is political will there," she said.

While she said she wanted an Executive up and running, Ms O'Neill laid the blame for the current deadlock firmly at the feet of the DUP.

"At the heart of the Good Friday Agreement was mutual respect and parity of esteem and that was a principle which the DUP have failed to take on board and look after all the citizens we're elected to look after,” she said.

"They've continued to block people's rights, whether than be marriage rights, legacy inquest rights, whether that be language rights."

For several months, senior DUP figures have advocated a return to direct rule if a deal to restore the Executive cannot be reached.

Stormont has been without an Executive since January, when Sinn Fein’s former northern leader Martin McGuinness resigned over the botched RHI scheme.

It his resignation speech, Mr McGuinness also cited other issues that he felt the DUP had failed to act on, promising there would be "no return to the status quo" at Stormont until previously held commitments were honoured.

In the last year, a series of talks among the two main parties have made little headway, as numerous deadlines set by the Secretary of State James Brokenshire have came and went with little indication of any white smoke.

Sticking points in the talks include an Irish Language Act, a Bill of Rights and the legalisation of same sex marriage.

In November, Mr Brokenshire was forced to allocate funding to stop public services running out of money, which the SDLP leader Colum Eastwood called "direct rule in all but name".

An inquiry into the renewable heat incentive scheme that brought the Executive down is underway and is expected to last several months.