Dáithí's law should not become Stormont political 'bun fight,' says Sinn Fein
Sinn Fein has said the delayed implementation of organ donation legislation in Northern Ireland should not be allowed to become a "political bun fight," while the DUP has called on all to "put their shoulder to the wheel" so the new law can be brought in from Westminster.
Dáithí's Mac Gabhann's father Máirtín said he was disappointed but not shocked after the DUP said it would not break its boycott in order to nominate a speaker at a recall of the Assembly on Tuesday to debate the law.
The party has accused other parties of policitising the issue of Dáithí's Law.
DUP MP Gregory Campbell said "everyone should put their shoulder to the wheel to try and resolve the problem of the organ donation issue," arguing the best place for it to be done is in Westminster.
“I think it’s a mistake for anyone, whether it’s the Secretary of State or other parties to try and politicise this issue, to try and make it almost a leverage or blackmail to try and get us to do something that they know we’ve previously indicated that we’re not going to do.
“People should put that to one side and say, 'let’s do what’s best for the issue at hand, to get the organ donation issue resolved', that can best be done at Westminster.”
Meanwhile, Sinn Féin MLA Pat Sheehan says he hopes the DUP changes its mind ahead of Tuesday.
“The greatest disappointment of all is going to be with that family, because there’s only one thing certain here in all of this. If Daithi doesn’t get a heart transplant his life is going to be severely limited, and that’s what behind all of this.
“We’re not trying to play politics with it. We just want to get this last piece of the legislation over the line. We don’t want the debate tomorrow to degenerate into bun fight.
“This is literally a life and death issue, and if we weren’t to make every effort to get this piece of legislation over the line we would be accused of being negligent, so I suppose we can’t win.
“But, it’s important for Daithi, for his family and for other people who are on the waiting list for organ transplant that we get this legislation passed as quickly as possible. "
The planned law is named after Mairtin's son, six-year-old Belfast boy Dáithí MacGabhann, who is waiting a heart transplant. The law has become a touchstone issue in the political debate around the power-sharing impasse at Stormont.
In a weekend message to party members, DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson reiterated that his party would not return to devolved institutions unless issues of concern around Brexit’s Northern Ireland Protocol are resolved.
He again accused the UK Government of using the issue as “blackmail” and also claimed Sinn Féin was trying to exploit the matter for political gain.
Sir Jeffrey said that the issue could be dealt with at Westminster with an amendment he will introduce to the planned Executive Formation Bill.
Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris has raised concerns that this route would take longer and might prove difficult. It is unclear whether the scope of the Executive Formation Bill would be wide enough to permit the addition of such an amendment.
The opt-out donation system was passed by MLAs last year, but the secondary legislation required to implement it cannot be approved in the Assembly due to the current political stalemate.
The DUP is preventing the functioning of both the Assembly and the ministerial executive in protest at the post-Brexit protocol.
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The opt-out system would mean people in Northern Ireland would be presumed to be donors, unless they take a decision to opt out. It is being implemented to increase donation rates in the region.
Several previous recalls of the Assembly have all ended in failure due to the DUP’s stance on preventing the election of a Speaker.