East Derry MLA on Stormont talks team

The County Derry woman was first elected in May, 2016, and successfully held her seat in the March 2 snap election. She’s on the negotiating team alongside the party’s leader in the North, Michelle O’Neill and party veterans Alex Maskey and Conor Murphy.

“I was honoured to have been selected by Sinn Féin to be part of our team for the current talks at Stormont and I have been taking part in those negotiations for the last week.

“These negotiations are not about securing a new deal; we want to see implementation of the commitments made in previous agreements over the last two decades and the restoration the political institutions based on equality, respect and integrity in government.

“The British Government needs to live up to its responsibilities and implement the agreements which have been made. The Irish Government too has a role to play as co-guarantor of the Good Friday Agreements.”

Talks are being held to restore the power-sharing executive, but parties have just three weeks to overcome their differences and reach a deal.

The talks began last 
Monday.

If Northern Ireland’s parties fail to reach a deal by March 27, voters face the prospect of going back to the polls for a second snap election within a matter of months.

Irish Foreign Minister, Charlie Flanagan and the NI Secretary James Brokenshire, have been involved in the talks process.