SDLP Leader of the Opposition Matthew O’Toole has said the party’s Opposition team is determined to deliver for people across Northern Ireland.

Mr O’Toole was speaking during the sitting of the Assembly on Saturday.

He also challenged the First and deputy First Minister to commit not to collapse Stormont in future.

South Belfast MLA Mr O’Toole said:

“Having an official Opposition at Stormont provides us with an opportunity to deliver better governance for people across the North. We will use the role of Opposition to speak out for families who have been struggling with the cost of living, patients left languishing on health service waiting lists and children who are not getting the education they deserve. We will be a positive and constructive opposition, but we won’t be found wanting when it comes to ensuring delivery for families.

“The SDLP’s job in Opposition is not to tear lumps out of anyone. It is to bring long-awaited accountability, to lift up our democracy, to lift up our people. To deliver hope, ambition and change in equal measure. The huge job of work ahead of us cannot be underestimated, but every single SDLP MLA will give their all when it comes to the issues impacting the lives of people across the North.

“For my first act in leading the SDLP Opposition I asked both the First and deputy First Minister to commit themselves to putting on record that they would not collapse the Executive and Assembly and leave the people of the North without government. It’s clear that if we are to achieve anything we cannot continue with the threat of collapse looming over Stormont. As I take on the role of Leader of the Opposition achieving this vital reform is one of my key priorities.”