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COUNTING IS UNDERWAY in Northern Ireland following yesterday’s Stormont Assembly election, but once the count is done and dusted, the real work of forming a Government starts.
This election could see Sinn Féin become the largest party in the North for the first time ever, while Alliance appears to be making significant gains today at the expense of the DUP.
The First Minister for Northern Ireland has always been a unionist.
Under the rules, the first minister and deputy first minister are the joint heads of Government of the Northern Ireland Executive.
While Sinn Féin would gain no more authority if it displaces the DUP as the largest party and its Stormont leader Michelle O’Neill assumes the first minister’s job, it would symbolically signify a big change of order.
There has been speculation that the DUP might refuse to accept the prospect of Sinn Féin taking the First Minister role.
Sinn Féin Vice President Michelle O’Neill said it would be “absolutely unfathomable” to tell the electorate that a new Executive would not be formed following the election.
Sticking point
While there is much focus on who takes the two top jobs, the real sticking point for DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson, and perhaps for the formation of any Government, is the Northern Ireland Protocol.
Donaldson has said he will turn up on day one after the election, but will not form an Executive until concerns around the Northern Ireland Protocol are dealt with.
When asked this morning if he was optimistic that a Government could be formed, Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney replied “it can be difficult”.
He told RTÉ’s Morning Ireland that he will be working with all the parties in Northern Ireland to address the issues around the protocol, acknowledging that more flexibilities are needed.
What happens after today?
Despite the issues around the first ministerial role and the protocol, the newly elected Assembly that emerges today must meet within eight days and will be asked to nominate a first and deputy first minister.
However, there’s unlikely to be agreement, meaning we are probably in for long and protracted talks over the coming weeks and perhaps even months.
If the DUP refuses to nominate a Sinn Féin deputy first minister, the Stormont ministers from the last Executive will continue in their jobs for another six months.
If there is no Executive formed after six months, a new election could potentially be triggered.
If there is no agreement on Government formation, the Assembly and the Executive cannot function, which could ultimately result in a return to direct rule from London.
If no Executive is formed, it effectively leaves the North in limbo, with the Assembly having no power to sign off on key decisions such as budgetary matters or create new laws.
Stormont has been out of action of sorts on a number of occasions. The “cash for ash” scandal resulted in a three-year hiatus in 2017.
The formation of a Government in Northern Ireland could be painstakingly slow after today’s count, but with everyday issues like the cost of living up front as one of the big election issues this time around, the hope is it will get off the ground sooner rather than later, for everyone’s sake.
Speaking this afternoon, after being elected on the first count to his constituency, Donaldson was asked about leaving Westminster behind him.
“Well, I’ve made my position clear on that. I’ve been deemed elected. Let’s wait for the final declaration and as I’ve said, my party officers will meet, we’ll discuss the next steps in this process as to how we can most effectively apply pressure to bring about the objectives that we need, which is a stable Northern Ireland, a stable economy and our political institutions up and running, provided the Protocol is dealt with,” he said.
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Every article is becoming repetitive a politician who hasn’t given a shite all year is suddenly outraged by something or other it’s almost as if there is a election on the horizon.
Denis Naughton has been trying to fix loopholes that sex offenders can take advantage of for over 2 years but he won’t get credit because he voted against Enda Kenny in the leadership battle & eventually left fg. He seems a decent politician.
Hi John,
The only person to believe there are any loopholes in the current legislation is Mr. Naughten himself. He is attempting to further his political career by going after those who are hated by the majority of people.
There are no loopholes in the laws, Ireland has some of the most robust sexual offender laws in the world.
Never mind, we’re getting calorie counts on beer bottles. Can’t have everything you know.
It’s obvious to me that Denis Naughten (whoever he is) cares greatly about this..otherwise he would have said nothing and I would continue to be blissfully unaware of his existence.
Just chop their danglers off then it won’t matter as much where they are.
You can’t… They have human rights! Which is strange as I don’t regard them as human
But what if they’re an 18 year old rapist?
why are they only following the ones with both hands tied,it’s the ones without there hands tied we should be worried about……
Castration for more than 2 offences.
No lock up for life
“A new report says that 18 registered sex offenders are living within walking distance of schools in Cork”.
Not all sex offenders are paedophiles.
But some probably are
Beat me to it.
@Paul
Look at the case of that girl who’s brother saved her
Why beside schools???
What about the sex offenders from the U.K. who are hiding here at the moment as well?
Hi Michael,
All current research shows that where someone lives has absolutely zero affect on either their rate of risk, or rate of re-offense. Restricting where people live actually has the opposite affect, and leads to increased risk.
Anyone subject to those laws in the UK become subject to the same in Ireland. Do you think an arbitrary change in the time will force offenders to comply?
I was referring to sex offenders who are here to escape the U.K. Police as in recent years the amount of news stories about this has been staggering, I was not blaming anyone lol.
Natanael, no way was I blaming any country as there are plenty of pedos here, I used the point to highlight the fact that criminals can cross into any country to escape their own police service normally to continue in their crime. My way to highlight an important point that seems missed in my view, I do that with other posts as well lol.
Mr. Naughten seems to want to further his political career on the back of sexual offenders – a very easy target. He talks on the subject without actually giving any factual evidence or information. For example, it has been shown that were an offender lives has absolutely no connection either with their level of risk or rate of recidivism. According to The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation from a report of July 2015, the rate of recidivism for sexual offenders is less than 1%.
There are no loopholes within the monitoring of sexual offenders within Ireland. Ireland has one of the most robust systems in the entire world for dealing with this issue. On Mr. Naughtens point about “roam around the country for six days”, for an offender to comply with the current legislation they would have to stay at 60 different addresses within a one year period.
There are only a very limited number of countries in the world which even have sex offender registry. There have been zero documented cases where any form of sex offender registry has done anything positive for child protection, stopped any sexual crime, or reduced the already extremely low rate of re-offense.
Mr. Naughten would want to read up on all current research on the subject.
I dont think anyone has any issue with increased monitoring of high risk sex offenders, anything that keeps people safe is beneficial. But lets do whats right not just what makes the press happy. A sex offender living in a house or apartment overlooking a school is not right….but what difference does it make if they are living within 500 yards of a school or 50 miles? It makes NO difference at all! A sex offender who is motivated to offend isnt going to let distance stop him or her…they will hop on a bus or walk a few extra 100 yards. Not that there has ever ( as far as im aware ) been a case in Ireland where a stranger has entered a school and molested a child.
I think that sometimes the laws are changed to give the appearance of something being done rather than actually making a change. It wont cost the government anything to prevent sex offenders from living within half a mile of a school…so lets do it to make it appear that they are being tough on this crime. Even though it wont make the slightest bit of difference to the safety of our children. Whereas it WOULD cost a lot more money to provide the resources and extra gaurds to monitor high risk offenders which would make a difference.
The bottom line is that kids and women need to be protected. Let our politicians know that we want them to make laws that will actually have a positive effect, and not just pay lip service to it.
have your say