NEITHER DISSIDENT republican activity nor the economic crisis would undermine the cross-party administration in Northern Ireland, the North’s First Minister Peter Robinson and Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness said in Dublin yesterday.
The two men were taking part in a joint news conference with Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheál Martin, the North’s Minister for Social Development Margaret Ritchie of the SDLP, and DUP junior minister Jeffrey Donaldson, following a meeting of the North-South Ministerial Council at Farmleigh, in the Phoenix Park.
“We have shown as an Executive that we are not going to be bullied by any dissident activity,” Mr Robinson said.
“The political community in Northern Ireland will stand together, and not just Sinn Féin and the DUP but all of the parties in the Executive and even the parties beyond the Executive are absolutely determined on that. So I think that we have seen off that threat.”
Commenting on the financial “efficiencies” sought by the UK treasury, Mr Robinson said: “In relation to the financial issues, I don’t think that there is a division between the parties in the Executive.”