Emma Little-Pengelly and Matthew O'Toole in spat over Irish voting rights - as DUP minister says NI is not in some constitutional 'half way house'
Stormont’s deputy First Minister says Northern Ireland is not “in some constitutional half way house” – amid a row over the extension of voting rights for the Republic’s presidential election to Irish citizens here.
Emma Little-Pengelly says nationalists need to “be honest” about what motivates their support for the proposals – arguing that the move would imply that the the Irish President has “some kind of jurisdiction” in the province.
Earlier this year, Sinn Fein, SDLP and Alliance MLAs backed the extension of voting rights to NI during an Assembly debate – arguing the franchise should be available to “all Irish citizens on the island of Ireland”.
The DUP politician’s comments on social media prompted a jibe from opposition leader Matthew O’Toole, who said Ms Little-Pengelly was unelected.
Posting on X – the SDLP MLA said: “Unelected head of government prefers unelected of head of state. I suppose there's a kind of consistency”.
The Lagan Valley MLA was co-opted into a seat won by then-leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson, who served as MP for the area. Mr O’Toole was himself co-opted into his South Belfast seat when Claire Hanna was elected to Westminster in 2020, and was subsequently elected in his own right.
The DUP MLA hit back at Mr O’Toole, describing his comments as “Petty and personal, on what is an outlining of the legitimate argument on the constitutional realities and [Belfast Agreement] legalities and import”.
Ms Little Pengelly said: “The argument for voting rights in NI for the Irish President of the 26 counties, a key constitutional role of a separate sovereign state has nothing to do with the broader issue of ex-pat voting rights and all about those voting in NI claiming this President as their President with some kind of jurisdiction in Northern Ireland.
“Our constitutional position is clear, (as set out in the GFA by the way). NI is in the UK. We are not in some constitutional "half way house. People aren't stupid. Be honest about what this is about”.
Speaking on the subject at the North South Ministerial Council on Friday, Mrs Little-Pengelly said: “In relation to presidential voting rights, Northern Ireland has a head of state, and that head of state reflects the political reality”.