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Six-week window emerges ahead of potential fresh elections in Northern Ireland

Inside Politics: In the Dáil, Paschal Donohoe’s posters continue to pester Fine Gael

Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Chris Heaton-Harris. Photograph: Brian Lawless/PA Wire

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Jennifer Bray
Thu Jan 19 2023 - 07:56

Writing on irishtimes.com this morning, Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Chris Heaton-Harris sets the scene for the 26th British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference, which takes place on Thursday at Farmleigh.

The forum is an institution of the Good Friday Agreement, bringing together the UK and Irish governments to discuss matters of mutual concern.

While there are some major topics up for discussion – the war on Ukraine, the UK government’s fiercely opposed legacy bill – Heaton-Harris writes that all of these discussions will be set against a backdrop of one overarching issue: “the ongoing lack of a stable, accountable, devolved Government in Northern Ireland”.

In his piece, he strongly indicates that he will not call a fresh Assembly election immediately after the period for restoring the Stormont Executive expires at midnight on Thursday.

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Instead, he says he will “use the next few weeks” to “assess carefully all options” and will also “continue to talk to all interested parties before I make any decisions”.

As Seanín Graham reports here, Thursday is the last day an Executive or Assembly can be formed before Heaton-Harris comes under a legal obligation to hold a new election within 12 weeks.

All the indications point towards Heaton-Harris holding off on calling any such election until early March, with a date somewhere between March 2nd and March 5th looking most likely. His hand would be forced around then because it takes roughly six weeks to plan and run an election.

The Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) is still blocking a return to powersharing in protest against the Northern Ireland protocol, and is continuing to demand significant changes to that agreement. Negotiations between the UK and European Union on the protocol are ongoing.

If a deal manifests in the six-week window that is now emerging, and the DUP re-enters powersharing, the Northern Ireland Secretary could then retrospectively extend Thursday’s deadline for forming an executive and an election would be avoided. While speculation has been mounting that London and Brussels could be nearing a breakthrough on the protocol, those talks are still understood to be complex and difficult. And so it is all eyes on Brussels, and then all on eyes on the DUP should there be a breakthrough.

Back to Thursday’s events, Tánaiste Micheál Martin will represent the Irish Government at the British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference. He will be joined by Minister for Justice Simon Harris and Minister for Environment Eamon Ryan. Expect to see a press conference once the meeting has concluded as well as a joint communiqué. We will have updates throughout the day on irishtimes.com, so do keep an eye there.

Paschal’s posters pester Fine Gael

Harry McGee reports that the businessman who provided workers to erect posters for Paschal Donohoe during the 2016 general election campaign has continued to make contributions to Fine Gael.

The Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform had a torrid day in the Dáil yesterday, which culminated in a statement just after 5pm. In the course of that statement, Harry writes, Donohoe revealed that Michael Stone, founder of engineering company Designer Group, had since made two donations to Fine Gael worth a combined €1,716 by buying tickets for the party’s Superdraw.

Stone bought five tickets worth €334 in 2020 and 22 tickets worth €1,382 in 2021 from Donohoe. His donations to the party draws were below the limits set out by law, the Minister said, and were “not required to be disclosed”.

Donohoe apologised for the omission and said he was “very sorry that it has happened”.

The original issue centred around expense costs for six workers who erected posters and who were paid €917 over three days in the lead up to polling day. Stone, a friend and supporter of the Minister, also gave the use of a van, valued at €140.

Donohoe said on Wednesday evening that he was providing the extra information in the interests of transparency, but the Opposition have accused the Government of failing to answer questions fulsomely. The Minister’s position appears to be that he will be making no further comment on the matter, expect to Sipo. That won’t cut the mustard with the Opposition. Expect to see this return to the political agenda during Leaders’ Questions on Thursday.

Best reads

Opposition outrage at Paschal Donohoe’s less than transparent postering arrangements in his Dublin Central constituency more than six years ago sounded a smidgen over the top, writes Miriam Lord.

Migrant workers earning substantially less than Irish counterparts, Emmet Malone reports.

More women TDs are coming out and revealing the scale of the abuse they are receiving in the course of their work, including Josepha Madigan and Holly Cairns.

Meanwhile, The Irish Times view is that it is a dangerous and intolerable situation.

Wondering what is going on at Davos? The Inside Business podcast has you covered.

Playbook

In the Dáil, Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan will took questions on his brief at 9.30am, while Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform Paschal Donohoe was up an hour later. Leaders’ Questions began at noon, before a Bill giving the Government extra powers in the event of a severe oil curtailment. Topical Issues are scheduled for 7pm, and the Dáil will adjourn just before 10pm until next week.

The Seanad does not return until next week.

It was business as usual down in the committee rooms, however, as the Public Accounts Committee met at 9.30am. They heard from the Housing Agency on their financial statements. They also discussed their draft work programme for the term. The Committee on Public Petitions will met at 1.30pm, while the Joint Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement met at the same time, hearing from Dr Martin Mansergh.

The full committee agenda can be found here.