Arlene Foster urges NI parties to stick to language deal

Arlene Foster has urged NI's political parties to stick to a language and cultural deal they agreed to in January 2020.

Speaking in the NI Assembly ahead of her resignation as first minister at 13:00 BST, Mrs Foster said the deal was "the only model for success".

Her departure came six weeks after she was ousted as DUP leader.

In her statement to the assembly, she also said she would continue to speak up for women in public life.

When Mrs Foster resigned, Sinn Féin's Michelle O'Neill also lost her position as deputy first minister because the roles are a joint office.

There is now a seven-day period for the approval of a new first minister and deputy first minister by Sinn Féin and the DUP.

Sinn Féin has suggested it may not support a new DUP first minister unless legislation on the Irish language is approved by ministers before 10 July.

Mrs Foster said parties should support the deal on culture - which included language legislation - which was included in the New Decade, New Approach deal which restored devolution to Northern Ireland in January 2020.

She said: "My team and I sought and secured a cultural package that would see a range of measures to advance identities and protect them for future generations.

"This is the only model for success - not one step forward for some and one step back for others."

The deal included an Office of Identity and Cultural Expression, an Irish language commissioner and a commissioner to enhance and develop the language and culture of the Ulster-Scots/Ulster-British tradition.

She said she would now spend more time with her family "whether they like it or not".

"It's just as well, Mr Speaker, I am such a good daughter, wife and mother," she added, in an apparent reference to Edwin Poots' statement in 2016 when Mrs Foster became first minister that her "most important job" remained "that of a wife, mother and daughter".

Mr Poots has replaced Mrs Foster as Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) leader.

Mrs Foster added that she had unfinished business to ensure Northern Ireland succeeds in its new century

"I will contribute in whatever way I can to see Northern Ireland advance politically, socially, economically and culturally as part of the UK," she said.

"Strong functioning devolution is vital to this."

She also called for changes to the Northern Ireland Protocol - the part of the Brexit deal which keeps Northern Ireland within the EU single market for goods - which she said had thrown relations between the UK and Ireland and the UK and EU "out of balance".

She said: "If Brussels continues to think the protocol is enough, they are in denial.

"Imbalance and instability in the context of Northern Ireland is a truly dangerous cocktail.

"Northern Ireland is part of the United Kingdom and needs to be treated as such."

Mrs Foster served as first minister from January 2016 to January 2017 - when the NI Assembly collapsed - and again from January 2020.

She stood down as DUP leader after an internal party revolt, with at least 22 assembly members (MLAs) and four MPs signing a letter of no confidence.

Her departure prompted a series of resignations within the DUP, with several councillors and party members expressing their anger about how she was ousted.

She didn't sing this time but she used a joke comparing her final speech to Father Ted Crilly's at the Golden Clerics.

It wasn't that - for a start there were very few barbs, although Edwin Poots was probably the target when she talked about being a better wife and mother.

On the issue which now threatens the existence of devolution - language - she praised the cultural package in the New Decade, New Approach Agreement, saying a step forward for one was a step backwards for others.

And she took a final swipe at the Northern Ireland Protocol saying, "Northern Ireland is part of the UK and needs to be treated as such", accusing Brussels of being in denial.

But that is now a problem for others.

Mrs Foster, however, says she has "unfinished business", whatever that will be.

Speaking last week, Mrs Foster said she was sad about the manner of her departure, but was "looking forward" to new possibilities.

Stormont Speaker Alex Maskey said the assembly's business committee would on Tuesday be asked to consider scheduling an assembly sitting to nominate a new first minister and deputy first minister next Monday.

New DUP leader Edwin Poots has said he will nominate his colleague Paul Givan to become the new first minister.

Sinn Féin must nominate a candidate for deputy first minister or a first minister is unable to take office.

The DUP's other new ministers affirmed the pledge of office and took up their posts on Monday afternoon.

Michelle McIlveen replaced Peter Weir as education minister while Paul Frew took over from Diane Dodds as economy minister.