Bobby Storey funeral: NI Assembly ‘owed an explanation’ from Sinn Fein

Sinn Fein ministers owe it to the NI Assembly to explain their attendance at the funeral of Bobby Storey last Tuesday in breach of Covid-19 social distancing restrictions, Naomi Long has said.
From left to right, Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald, former Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams, and deputy First Minister Michelle O'Neill attending the funeral of Bobby Storey. Photo: Liam McBurney/PA WireFrom left to right, Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald, former Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams, and deputy First Minister Michelle O'Neill attending the funeral of Bobby Storey. Photo: Liam McBurney/PA Wire
From left to right, Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald, former Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams, and deputy First Minister Michelle O'Neill attending the funeral of Bobby Storey. Photo: Liam McBurney/PA Wire

The Stormont justice minister was commenting after several Sinn Fein ministers and MLAs – including deputy First Minister Michelle O’Neill – had prominent roles at the mass gathering in honour of the former IRA member in west Belfast.

It later emerged that the showpiece funeral at Milltown was not for the purposes of a burial, as the coffin was taken to Roselawn in the east of the city for cremation.

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Speaking on the BBCNI Sunday Politics show, Ms Long described a subsequent meeting of party leaders as “tense” and having been “called in a crisis”.

The Alliance leader also confirmed that an assembly motion is being drafted, that will call on Sinn Fein ministers to both apologise and to explain their actions.

“It is my understanding that the assembly parties have been in discussions because they would like an explanation to the assembly,” she said.

“We have heard statements, we have heard discussions at executive and at party leader level. We have been able to have those discussions.

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“While they were at times robust they were also restrained in that there was a lot of hurt as well as anger, and a lot of disappointment, but people managed to temper that against the fact that we all want this to work. We want to be able to go forward...but I think the assembly are owed an explanation.”

It is expected that MLAs from the other four Stormont Executive parties will sign a motion criticising Sinn Féin ministers over their attendance at the funeral

The motion will specifically call on Michelle O’Neill and Finance Minister Conor Murphy to issue an apology for their actions.

On Friday, First Minister Arlene Foster said the presence of Sinn Fein ministers at the funeral “totally undermined” the NI Executive’s position on public health matters.

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Although Ms O’Neill has used the word “sorry” in respect of the impact the images had on grieving families who missed out of having proper funerals, she stated: “I will never apologise for attending the funeral of my friend”.