As the prospect of a deal to restore devolution in Northern Ireland before Christmas is ruled out, the region remains without a functioning executive for almost two years. The Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) terminated the power-sharing institutions at the beginning of 2022 over post-Brexit trade regulations. It was hoped that an agreement to restore Stormont could have been made before the parliamentary recess on Tuesday; however, the DUP stated that the party would not be “calendar-led”. The impact of the political limbo on people’s lives in Northern Ireland is significant.
Dr Emma Walker, a lecturer at Queen’s University Belfast, pays nearly £2,000 a month for childcare for her three-year-old twins. After bills are paid, she has less than £100 per month left to live on. She ran out of money last month and required her father’s help to pay for transportation to work. Earlier this year, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced an expansion of free childcare support, but it was not implemented in Northern Ireland. Dr Walker hopes a new Executive will change that.
Hazel Smith, who lives in Whitehead, suffers from chronic pain and has been told she will have to wait up to three years to see a pain clinic. She stated that she is “saddened and angered” to be told how long she would have to wait for hospital treatment. Hazel feels like she has been “left on a shelf,” like many other disabled people, and that waiting means that “they’ll deal with you when they get around to it.”
Liam McGuckin, principal of Greenisland Primary School in Carrickfergus, is due to retire this year and said that the system is disintegrating in Northern Ireland. Teachers, classroom assistants, and school leaders are demoralised, and children are not getting the education they deserve. He believes that it is time to restore the institutions to secure the future of education.
Sharon Caldwell runs Antrim’s baby bank, which provides basic items to new parents such as nappies, clothes, and buggies. Over the past few months, demands have doubled, and more people are struggling to make ends meet. Sharon believes parents should always be at the forefront of the government’s thinking, so not a single child goes without their basic necessities. She would love to be in a position where no child goes without, and she knows that other baby banks have started up because people need them.
Overall, the political crisis in Northern Ireland has significant repercussions for people’s lives, from education to childcare, healthcare, and basic necessities. People deserve a functioning executive that works to improve their standard of living and supports them
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