Northern Ireland Assembly Election

Thursday 21st March 2019 Written Statements

[The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (Karen Bradley)]

I am today laying before Parliament a statutory instrument which extends the period for Executive formation under the Northern Ireland (Executive Formation and Exercise of Functions) Act 2018 from 26 March 2019 to 25 August 2019.

This means that from 26 August 2019 I will fall under the duty to propose a date for an Assembly election. I do not consider it appropriate to extend the period for any less than the full five months permitted by the Act. A shorter period could risk not allowing sufficient time for a talks process to conclude.

I have taken the decision to extend this period following engagement I have had with the five main political parties in Northern Ireland and the Irish Government over the past few weeks.

In those discussions all five parties reaffirmed their commitment to restoring a power-sharing Executive and the other political institutions set out in the Belfast agreement.

I also consider that the five parties and the Irish Government would support a short, focused set of roundtable talks to restore all the Belfast agreement institutions.

These will involve the UK Government, the five parties and the Irish Government, as appropriate, and will take place in full accordance with the well-established three-stranded approach.

I am proposing a short, focused set of round table talks to restore devolution and the other institutions at the earliest opportunity.

[HCWS1434]