Sinn Féin steadfast on All-Ireland Institutions

I see Upper Bann MLA John O'Dowd has released a statement making it very clear to the DUP where the party stands in relation to any attempts at diluting the All-Ireland dimension of the Good Friday Institutions.

It comes on the back of a motion submitted by the DUP for debate on Monday questioning the 'value' of the North South Ministerial Council. Clearly it's a bit of an attempt of chest thumping in advance of the upcoming election, but ultimately it's going nowhere. According to John Mór Sinn Féin immediately set about initiating a 'Petition of Concern' which essentially means that this motion from the DUP will need cross community support. Obviously that support won't be forthcoming from Sinn Féin.

So that's where we are with that, sin é.

The DUP's pretty cynical attempt at out Allistering Allister is a no-go.

As Republicans, Sinn Féin will not allow the All-Ireland aspects of Government to be eroded or undermined. We are an All-Ireland party, the only Republican Party in the Assembly and are working to advance the Noth-South institutions for the benefit of all.

As we head further into economic challenges, the fallacy of partition grows ever more evident, day by day. An Island like ours, with two Transport System's, two Education and Health System's, two Economies, is unnecessary and I believe becoming increasingly unwanted and unjustifiable. The All-Ireland institutions are one way of highlighting the logic in increased practical co-operation throughout the Nation for the betterment of citizens and as John rightly put it, the DUP would be better focused on assisting those efforts within an All-Ireland framework as opposed to thinking up Assembly Motions which they know aren't going to succeed.