Mrs Long wrote to both Fianna Fáil leader Michéal Martin and Fine Gael leader Simon Harris to outline how the incoming Irish Government, as co-guarantor of the Good Friday Agreement, can play a role in securing the long-term future of the Assembly and Executive.
“Ireland will soon have a government that is hopefully stable and delivers for people. The same cannot be said, however, for the local Executive and Assembly, which despite restoration last year and a period of relative stability, remains vulnerable to a repeat of the ransom politics which saw it collapsed for five of the last 10 years,” she said.
“The Irish Government is a co-guarantor of the peace process and as such, has a role to play in securing the future of the very institutions which ensure Northern Ireland can operate as a functioning society. This must include a renewed focus on reform.
“The case for delivering that reform at this time is irrefutable and indeed, Michéal Martin made incredibly encouraging comments regarding Alliance’s proposals at our party conference last year. He was able to see, more than 25 years on from the Good Friday Agreement, how our society in Northern Ireland has diversified and our binary political structures need to evolve to recognise that change.
“Whilst things today seem relatively stable, the underlying instability in our structures have not been addressed by or since last year’s restoration of the institutions. The potential for collapse remains real with the whim of a single party able to bring things down again if they so wish.
“With new Governments in place on both sides of the Irish Sea, and a functioning Assembly and Executive at Stormont, we have a crucial window of opportunity to reopen a serious dialogue with both about reform, away from the pressure of looming elections or amidst a crisis. I hope the incoming Irish Government, as well as the Labour Government, avail of that opportunity and prioritise the issue.”