Dublin South West Sinn Féin TD, Seán Crowe, has called on the Irish Government to robustly stand up for the principles of the Good Friday Agreement, and all subsequent agreements, in the face of the British Government’s failure to leave up to its commitments, and the DUP’s continued intransigence.

Speaking during Parliamentary Questions to the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Deputy Crowe said:

“The DUP have failed to live up to their obligations on equality, respect and reconciliation. The RHI scheme and the continued arrogance of the DUP has undermined the political institutions and led to their collapse.

“On an almost daily basis there are leaks and further revelations linking DUP Ministers, MLAs, and their relatives to the RHI scheme.

“I informed the Minister that Sinn Féin will not turn a blind eye or ignore financial scandals, incompetence, or the waste of public money.

“I called on Minister Flanagan to ensure that the Irish Government play their part in defending the integrity and credibility of the political institutions in the face of DUP arrogance, disrespect and incompetence, and the British Government’s failure to leave up to its commitments and obligations.”

Crowe continued:

“I also raised recent comments that came from the DUP in which they falsely claimed that they never committed to the Government bringing forward an Irish Language Act. This is despite such a commitment being explicitly stated and agreed to in the internationally binding St. Andrews Agreement of 2006.

“I informed Minister Flanagan of the partisan and inflammatory intervention from the British Secretary of State, James Brokenshire, who said the introduction of an Acht na Gaeilge has to ‘command cross-community respect’. This runs completely contrary to the core principles of Agreements reached.

“I called on Minister Flanagan to urgently contact the Secretary of State and inform him that the commitment to an Irish Language Act is a core component of the St Andrew’s Agreement, and is in no way conditional. It does not depend on the mood swings of the DUP and their forgetful memories of some of their MLAs.”

ENDS