DUP ‘blocked’ Michelle O’Neill from engaging with Irish president
It has also been claimed that the meeting with Catherine Connolly in October was just postponed.
The DUP “blocked” First Minister Michelle O’Neill from engaging with Irish president Catherine Connolly, Gavin Robinson has claimed.
The DUP leader was speaking as he announced his party’s deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly had ceased participating in joint engagements with Ms O’Neill.
This is to include not facilitating Ms O’Neill from participating in a Remembrance Sunday service at Belfast City Hall next month.
During a press conference at Parliament Buildings on Friday in the continuing fallout following the Drumcree parade dispute, Mr Robinson announced consequences for his party’s partner in government Sinn Féin.
During his speech, Mr Robinson claimed: “We blocked her from engaging with the president of Ireland three weeks ago.”
It was put to Mr Robinson that the meeting with Ms Connolly, due to take place on October 6, had been postponed rather than cancelled, and had been planned to be rescheduled.
Mr Robinson said a meeting had been scheduled, “until the law breaking of the First Minister, and then it was cancelled because of the law breaking of the First Minister”.
He added that he had received a “strange telephone call” from Sinn Féin president Mary-Lou McDonald “indicating to me how disappointed she would be”.
But he said “she was left in no uncertain terms about how disappointed I am, and the unionist people are, and the decent people of Northern Ireland are with the utter recklessness and law breaking of Sinn Féin”.
“It’s cancelled and there will be no more joint engagement until there is a punishment and consequence for those who broke the law.”
In a statement, the office of the Irish President said: “At their meeting in Belfast in February, President Connolly invited the First Minister and Deputy First Minister to a lunch at Áras an Uachtaráin.
“A date of 6th October was subsequently agreed for the lunch.
“However, in advance of it taking place, the Office of the President received a request from the Executive Office asking if the lunch could be postponed, which the Office of the President agreed to.
“A further date for the lunch has not yet been agreed.”