DUP Daithi’s Law bid ‘unlikely to succeed’ - ​Cold water poured on Westminster proposal

The Northern Ireland Office expressed doubt about a DUP plan to implement the law by tabling an amendment to a piece of scheduled legislation.

The DUP is coming under increasing pressure to suspend its boycott of power-sharing at Stormont to facilitate the passing of the regulations required to introduce the opt-out organ donation system in NI.

The Executive Formation Bill, which is scheduled to be brought before Westminster later this month, deals with the legislation required to extend a deadline for holding a fresh Assembly election.

An NIO spokesman said the bill is “focused solely on the Executive formation period,” and, as such, it consists of only one substantive clause only. He added: “The scope of the bill is therefore very narrow, and amendments on issues other than the executive formation period are highly unlikely to be in scope.”

In response DUP MLA Gordon Lyons said the legislation necessary to fully enact Daithi’s Law can be tabled and enacted at Westminster, adding: “Organ donation should not be used as blackmail for the return of devolution.”