Time for DUP to make a decision, Michelle O’Neill says in New Year message

The party vice president, who stands to become Stormont First Minister if powersharing is restored in Northern Ireland, accused the region’s main unionist party of rolling back on a deal to revive devolution prior to Christmas.

The Stormont institutions have been suspended for almost two years due to a DUP boycott in protest at post-Brexit trading arrangements.

The DUP has insisted it will not end its blockade until it secures legislative assurances from the Government on Northern Ireland’s trading position within the UK.

Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris has insisted that talks with the DUP over its concerns have now concluded.

However, DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson has claimed the engagement will continue, making clear he is not yet in a position to back the legislative proposals the Government has offered the party.

In a new year’s message to party supporters, Sir Jeffrey said that 2024 “is the year we want to see our negotiations successfully concluded” with the UK Government.

Talks between Mr Heaton-Harris and the main Stormont parties over a £3.3 billion financial package to accompany the return of devolution broke up at Hillsborough Castle earlier this month without any agreement to restore the Assembly and Executive.

The package would include money to make an outstanding pay award to public sector workers.

With their pay demands still unmet, unions are planning a major strike across Northern Ireland on January 18.

In her New Year message, Ms O’Neill said she remained determined to lead a new Executive as “First Minister for All”.

“And despite the recent political setback at the Hillsborough Talks when the DUP rolled back from joining the rest of us to form an Executive, we must focus once again on overcoming this in the new year,” she said.

“Negotiations between the DUP and British Government on the Windsor Framework are concluded.

“It is time for the DUP to make a decision.

“It’s time to move forward in lock-step, ensuring people have the Assembly and government they deserve.”

In an apparent reference to the dual market access offered by Northern Ireland’s post-Brexit arrangements, Ms O’Neill said local parties needed to seize the “enormous economic opportunities ahead to attract investment, create new jobs, and to better all our people’s lives, no matter your background”.

“We urgently need a new Assembly that works at pace to deliver a fair pay rise for our healthcare staff, teachers, and public sector workers,” she added.

“That tackles crippling health waiting lists that have left people without hope, and in pain.

“And that ensures people with special educational needs and their families have access to properly funded, first-class support services.

“We need an Executive back in place that listens to the voices of young people, families and workers.

“We owe it to our young people to make that progress happen.”

On Friday, Mr Heaton-Harris made clear the Government would not stand by and allow public services to deteriorate in Northern Ireland while Stormont remains suspended.

The Northern Ireland Secretary said he was preparing a budget to support civil servants in stabilising public finances if the powersharing impasse is not resolved, but warned there must be a limit to how far the Government could go.

Under current rules Mr Heaton-Harris is obliged to call new Assembly elections on January 18 if the powersharing Assembly has not returned – the same day the strike is planned.

But writing in the Belfast Telegraph, the Northern Ireland Secretary said he would not be treating that date as a deadline.

He said: “I am considering all options carefully, however, I want Stormont to return as soon as possible so I am not treating this date as a target and will be relentlessly working with all parties to find a way forward.

“January 18 is also the date when thousands of public sector workers will go on strike over pay. A returned Executive could stop these strikes and the disruption it brings to people.

“By getting back to work they will unlock the £584 million made available by the UK Government to address public sector pay.

“People in Northern Ireland expect and deserve devolved government back as soon as possible, to make use of the financial package we have put on the table.”

He added: “In its absence, however, the UK Government cannot and will not just stand by and allow public services and finances to decline further.

“Which is why, just like last year, we are preparing a pragmatic and reasonable approach to support the Northern Ireland Civil Service in stabilising public finances and services via a sustainable budget, should the Executive not be back in place to do so itself.

“But we are clear that there must be a limit to how far the UK Government can go without an Executive in place.

“That is because the financial package we have offered requires decisions on how to improve and modernise the public services and these must be taken by locally-elected politicians with the mandate to do so.

“It should not just be for local politicians to dispense funding from the UK Government.

“They should take active and sometimes difficult decisions about where priorities lie, because they know the place and the needs of their constituents better than anyone else.”

In a message to party supporters ahead of the new year, Sir Jeffrey said that 2024 was “likely to be another hectic year”.

He said that the party’s “long and justified campaign” in relation to the protocol has seen progress made, while admitting that it had “taken longer than anyone wished”.

He said the party wants to drive down long waiting lists and help working families.

Mr Donaldson also said that when a UK general election is called, the party is “confident” that it has a “solid record of delivery that we can campaign on”.

“This is the year we want to see our negotiations successfully concluded and the UK Government implement actions that will see Northern Ireland’s place in the United Kingdom restored and the harm caused by the Northern Ireland Protocol erased so that we can move forward together,” the DUP leader said.

“This means safeguarding our place in the UK internal market both now and for the future, whilst retaining our access to the EU single market.

“These objectives are not mutually exclusive, nor do they lead to the creation of an all-island economy.

“In our long and justified campaign we have made progress and whilst the process has taken longer than anyone wished, nevertheless, we have not lost our focus or desire to secure long-term solutions, measured against the tests in our manifesto which work for Northern Ireland and our place within the United Kingdom.”

He added: “The challenges we face are not insignificant, but they are no greater than many we have successfully surmounted in the past.”