THE rights of citizens must be respected and protected if there is to be any deal to form a new Executive, Sinn Féin’s Northern Leader Michelle O’Neill has said.
Speaking from the Stormont talks, the Mid-Ulster MLA commented: “There are three important discussions taking place today – here in Stormont between the parties and the two governments, the Brexit talks in Europe and the Taoiseach meeting with the British Prime Minister later.
“Sinn Féin’s priority remains the establishment of a credible and sustainable Executive delivering quality public services for all citizens.
“We want to see an Executive in place which is dealing with health, education, housing, the economy and delivering for all citizens because that is what people are entitled to.
“They are also entitled to see their rights respected and protected.
“That includes language rights, marriage equality and their rights as European citizens.
“So there needs to be a step-change in how government is done here. Sinn Féin is up for that.
“There is also a particular onus on the new Taoiseach to step up and assert his government’s role as co-equal guarantor of the Good Friday Agreement.
“It is fundamentally wrong that Irish citizens in the north should be denied the same rights as those living everywhere else on the island.”
