DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson: Catholic activist from Dublin, Paddy Monaghan, offers to canvass for party at election

Paddy Monaghan is a leading figure with the Evangelical Catholic Initiative in Dublin which works for reconciliation across the island.

"I very much welcome the deal that Sir Jeffrey Donaldson has been able to present to his party executive and bring them on board," Mr Monaghan told the News Letter.

"It's a major breakthrough agreement, and it's widely welcomed by many evangelical Catholics and evangelicals down south."

He shares core values with the DUP, he said, particularly on issues such as abortion and euthanasia.

"We hope and pray that the DUP will be a moderating influence on Sinn Fein, and I pray God's richest blessing on Jeffrey Donaldson.

"I'm also confident that even if some people leave the DUP over this, I think a lot more will join it because of it [the deal].

"So I would encourage Jeffrey Donaldson to be bold and to be strong and follow through as soon as possible on the commitments - and may the UK Government stick to their side and do it quickly."

He is not a member of the DUP but volunteered to canvass for an unnamed politician in the party several months ago.

"A southern Catholic has already volunteered to canvass for him and I told him that I'm very happy to do the same.

"Because he espouses Judeo-Christian values that I also uphold but that Sinn Fein and, sadly, the SDLP no longer uphold. For example, I am pro-life and against euthanasia."