Assembly to debate censure motion over Bobby Storey funeral attendance

Author: Sasha WyliePublished 1st Apr 2021

The Assembly will return from its Easter break early to debate a censure motion over Sinn Fein members' attendance of the funeral of Bobby Storey.

The political row has been brought to the forefront after the PPS decided not to prosecute 24 elected representatives of Sinn Fein who attended the funeral last June.

However, they announced on Wednesday that their decision will be reviewed after a number of requests.

Sinn Fein deputy First Minister Michelle O'Neill, who was among the 24, has reiterated her apology for any damage that had been caused to public health messaging and has expressed determination to rebuild public trust.

The scenes in the west Belfast in June unfolded at a time when strict limitations on funerals were in place and led to claims that Sinn Fein had flouted rules it was responsible for creating at Stormont.

The motion will be debated in the Assembly at 12pm on Thursday, after the Executive meeting to discuss coronavirus regulations.

However, it is unlikely there will be a joint press briefing with the First and Deputy First Minister in the afternoon.

SDLP MLA Matthew O'Toole said the recall would provide a "forum for accountability".

Policing board

The policing board will also meet on Thursday morning, but it will be behind closed doors.

The Chief Constable is likely to face questions over how senior police officers engaged with organisers of the funeral.

Northern Ireland's First Minister has repeated her calls for the region's police chief to quit.

Arlene Foster branded PSNI chief constable Simon Byrne's position "untenable'' after the Public Prosecution Service cited police engagement with the organisers of Bobby Storey's funeral among reasons why any prosecution would likely fail.

Mr Byrne has vowed not to quit, rejecting claims police facilitated rule breaking or turned a blind eye to the scenes involving more than a thousand mourners lining the streets at a time when strict limitations on funerals were in place.

The First Minister also called for Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary to step in and independently investigate the police's handling of the events around the funeral.