SDLP South Belfast MLA Matthew O’Toole has said the DUP should hang their heads in shame after blocking the election of a Speaker in the Assembly on Monday.

Mr O’Toole said the DUP’s continued blockage of the institutions at Stormont would hurt people dealing with rising costs and languishing on health waiting lists the most.

He accused the DUP of being more concerned with their own self-interests than dealing with the issues impacting people in the North.

South Belfast MLA Mr O'Toole said:

“It’s absolutely unconscionable that with all the issues that are impacting families in the North at the minute, the DUP are continuing to block our institutions from functioning in order to serve their own self-interests. They should hang their heads in shame.

“The vast majority of our MLAs turned up at Stormont today ready to get back to work. Ready to get on with the job of getting financial support to people who are struggling to heat their homes and put food on the table, to reform our health service and cut health service waiting lists and all the other issues that prey on the mind of everyone from parents to pensioners. The DUP prevented that from happening.

“The DUP should be nominating a deputy First Minister and doing the job people elected them to do, today they refused to even elect a Speaker to allow us to introduce emergency legislation to get money into the pockets of people who need it most. It’s the DUP’s way or no way and they owe an explanation to every single family struggling across the North. While the DUP posture over the Protocol, people are suffering.”