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THE DUP HAVE accused the Irish government of getting involved in the Stormont Assembly talks by urging the North to legalise same-sex marriage, which is a Sinn Féin policy demand.
Both powersharing parties have already missed three different deadlines this year to form a Stormont Assembly, and leaves an uncomfortable precedent to the British and Irish governments on how to react.
As talks aimed at form a Stormont Assembly slowly grind to a halt, Sinn Féin responded to criticism from the DUP that they’re demands are “unreasonable” and “amount to blackmail”.
Sinn Féin MLA Conor Murphy told Morning Ireland that this was ”simply not true”.
He said that most of what Sinn Féin are asking for – which include an Irish Language Act, the legalisation of same-sex marriage and the resignation of Arlene Foster – have been already agreed in previous agreements, and haven’t been implemented.
These are rights and entitlements that people agree to in the [Republic of Ireland] and in Britain… so they’re not unreasonable demands at all.
I can’t understand why the DUP would not allow someone who wishes to live their life through the medium of Irish the right to do so.
Meanwhile, the DUP’s Arlene Foster has said that Sinn Féin “has a shopping list that keeps getting longer” and dismissed the chances of an agreement if this didn’t change.
The DUP’s Sammy Wilson told Morning Ireland today that it wouldn’t come to an agreement on Sinn Féin’s terms.
“The Irish government is sticking its nose in business it has no responsibility for,” he said, before criticising the Taoiseach for urging the North to change its laws to allow same-sex marriage.
He said he hadn’t heard the Taoiseach urging any other member of the EU who haven’t legalised same-sex marriage to change their laws.
More disagreement
Yesterday, Sinn Féin accused British Prime Minister Theresa May of setting the Northern Ireland peace process back decades after a further delay in talks.
Michelle O’Neill, Sinn Féin’s leader in Northern Ireland, said an agreement between May and the Democratic Unionist Party’s 10 MPs in the London parliament to prop up her minority government was at fault.
“She is in hock to the DUP,” O’Neill told reporters in Belfast in comments aired on national television.
Sinn Fein are disappointed but not surprised that a deal has not yet been done. What this constitutes is a monumental failure on behalf of Theresa May.
“She has set back decades of work,” O’Neill said.
The British government continues to insist that the deal has no bearing on the Northern Ireland peace process.
The DUP, in turn, has been critical of Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney’s support for an Irish Language Act, and Coveney was quick to then distance himself again:
The governments can support and encourage but, in the final analysis, it is only the parties themselves that can make an agreement with each other.
Britain’s Northern Ireland Secretary James Brokenshire warned that if no agreement was reached, he would be forced to draft a budget for the province and have it enacted by civil servants, but a day later said only that he would “reflect carefully” on how to manage public services.
- With reporting from AFP
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Even explosive devices go around in groups in Tallaght…………
One day we will tune in to Six One News and it will say “Good Evening, it’s Six One News with ……. Nobody was shot in Dublin today and no pipe bombs were dealt with by the army” As it is this is what we have come to expect and now the animals don’t even care about children. Sad.
I thought he was firing those rockets into the sea. He’s got some explaining to do . Thankfully nobody hurt.
Lol Some people prob wont get the joke!!!
The Dublin bomb squad should go over to Iraq and teach them how to disarm bombs. Plenty practice!!!!
Can you get an IDA grant for opening a bomb factory?
Cough cough “Gilligans crew” cough cough.
Wow dublin is like Chicago in the 1920s and 30s
Yes but Chicago jailed their criminals for tax evasion where we elected them to represent us in the dail .
Tallagh trash
Cheers for that.
Where is Tallagh ? Or did you mean Tallaght.
A rather silly comment to make des.
Des you know where you can put that comment
Des could you please explain why you referred to all of Tallaght people as trash have you ever been to Tallaght ?
And your from where des??
Ignore the likes of Des. He is probably living in some leafy suburb deprived of such facilities as our wonderful Hospital that saved me from cancer, our Civic Theatre, National Basketball Arena, one of Ireland’s top public Library’s, Swimming Pools, Square Shopping Centre and numerous other facilities, most of which have been provided and continue to be maintained by a vibrant and very special community whose spirit is a lot stronger than any other thug or critic.
If you don’t like it Go home you don’t have to stay here
AS#HOLE!
Looked like my comment was not put under the AS#HOLES that I wanted it to! My AS#HOLE comment was meant for ‘des papazian’, like his name, his comments make no sense!
SORRY! Not with it today, my previous comment could easily refer to Stevie Leslie also! Pathetic comments from a pathetic pair……….. of AS#HOLES!
Des you wouldn’t say that in Tallaght now would you.
Des there are plenty of lovely people living in Tallaght so keep your smart comments to yourself or better again if you don’t like it go home .
Yes Clyon so dont come to close
Just let bombs go off.may improve the kip and take sum skum with it
have your say