Sinn Féin Vice President Michelle O’Neill has called on the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) to end its “boycott” of the Northern Irish Assembly. 

Speaking at the party’s Ard Fheis in Athlone yesterday, Ms O’Neill said patience with the DUP has evaporated. 

“It is crucial to reaffirm our commitment to power-sharing based on equality, democracy, ensuring inclusive governance for everyone, regardless of their background,” she said. 

“As a First Minister for All I will never treat others the way our communities were treated in the past.” 

Sinn Féin became the largest political party in Northern Ireland following a general election in 2022, lining up Ms O’Neill to serve as First Minister of the country. 

However, the DUP refuse to nominate a Deputy First Minister until its issues with the Northern Ireland Protocol are dealt with. 

'Patience has run out'

Ms O’Neill said the “democratic institutions of the Good Friday Agreement in a state of paralysis”. 

“The DUP has had more than enough time to address their concerns regarding the Brexit Protocol,” she said.  

“Public patience has run out. 

“It is now time to see the assembly and executive restored.” 

The Sinn Féin Vice President said the party is “committed to steering this transition with maturity and stability”. 

“Fostering a new era of Irish-British relations with the spectre of a new Westminster government in London, and Mary Lou McDonald as the first woman Taoiseach leading government in Dublin,” she said. 

Ard Fheis

The Sinn Féin Ard Fheis enters its second day today in Athlone.  

Yesterday, Finance Spokesperson Pearse Doherty told Newstalk it is a time of “real hope and opportunity” for the party. 

“It’s about setting out to the public a choice in the next election, it is a clear choice of the continuation of this Government, which means a worsening housing crisis under Fianna Fáil or Fine Gael, or a Sinn Féin-led Government that will fix this crisis once and for all,” he said.