Ulster Unionist Party Leader Robin Swann MLA has said that the current Stormont talks process must address reform of the Petition of Concern and transparency and governance issues if progress is to be made.
Speaking after the latest roundtable meeting involving Party leaders, Robin Swann MLA said:
“It is now time to get down to the nitty gritty of this talks process. We are at the stage where decisions have to be taken and we have a very small window to get Stormont and the institutions restored.
“The Ulster Unionist Party wants to see movement on reform of the Petition of Concern. We also need to see real progress on transparency and governance issues and how the Executive makes decisions, not least in terms of the accountability of Ministers and Special Advisers.
“It must also be borne in mind that the long-awaited RHI report will feed into all of this. It would be totally counter-productive for us to set a lower bar than the one that may be suggested by Sir Patrick Coghlin.
“There is a duty on all the parties involved in these talks to reach a resolution that gets the Assembly up and running again. Progress is far from guaranteed but we owe it to the people of Northern Ireland to do everything possible to restore devolved government and start delivering for them.”