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Executive meeting 'must go ahead' | |
(about 4 hours later) | |
First Minister Peter Robinson has said he hopes a meeting of the Stormont Executive planned for this Thursday will go ahead. | |
He faced questions in the assembly about the failure of the executive to convene since last June. | |
Sinn Féin has said not enough political progress has been made to allow Thursday's meeting to go ahead. | |
However, Mr Robinson said there were more than two dozen issues that needed to be dealt with. | |
"The situation requires much more of me simply than grandstanding and scoring party political points," Mr Robinson said. | |
"What I do say is I would be deeply disappointed and the disappointment I have would be reflected right across this community, if the executive does not meet on Thursday." | |
Ulster Unionist leader Sir Reg Empey said Sinn Féin should "back down now" and allow the executive to meet. | |
"To Sinn Féin I say; give up this foolish behaviour; bring your ideas to the executive and assembly review committee where they can be fully debated by all parties," he said. | |
"Let the executive meet and see what it can do to help the most vulnerable and back down on this unjustifiable blockade of government business." | |
SDLP leader Mark Durkan said Sinn Féin should realise the "total weakness" of its position. | |
"Sinn Féin's tactic will simply mean that the entire calendar for further meetings will be frozen," he said. | |
"That would play into the hands of the DUP and Jim Allister." | |
Prime Minister Gordon Brown is due to visit Northern Ireland on Tuesday. | Prime Minister Gordon Brown is due to visit Northern Ireland on Tuesday. |
The assembly got back to work at Monday lunchtime with DUP MLA Ian Paisley Junior raising a point of order about security searches ahead of that visit. | |
He wants a reassurance that all offices will be searched. Some Sinn Féin assembly members had raised concerns about their offices being searched without prior notice. | He wants a reassurance that all offices will be searched. Some Sinn Féin assembly members had raised concerns about their offices being searched without prior notice. |
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