Ministers challenged over 'unedifying bickering' between Stormont parties

First Minister Michelle O'Neill and Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly

The first minister and deputy first minister have rejected concerns of "unedifying bickering" between their parties since Stormont returned from its summer recess.

Sinn Féin vice-president Michelle O'Neill and Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) minister Emma Little-Pengelly were appearing before an assembly scrutiny committee.

Alliance Party assembly member (MLA) Paula Bradshaw, chair of the Executive Office committee, told them it "suits both your parties politically to keep this place divided".

Both ministers strongly dismissed the claim, with O'Neill saying that everyone was determined to "build a better society".

Political spats

The Northern Ireland Assembly's return from its summer recess this week has been marked by several political spats.

O'Neill and DUP leader Gavin Robinson clashed on Tuesday in a row over the Army withdrawing from a jobs fair in Londonderry.

Robinson accused O'Neill of not being a "first minister for all" over her party's stance, while O'Neill told the MP in response to "butt out".

In a separate dispute, Alliance MLA Nuala McAllister was ejected from the assembly chamber on Tuesday after a row with the deputy speaker, Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) MLA Steve Aiken.

Questioning the first and deputy first ministers on Wednesday, Bradshaw listed several policy areas where she felt there had been a lack of progress.

"Meanwhile what we are seeing is a lot of very unedifying bickering between the political representatives from both your parties," she said.

"And I would put it to you that we are not seeing progress on these pieces of work because I think it suits both your parties politically to keep this place divided and to keep people suspicious of each other."

O'Neill responded: "I mean, I don't agree with your assessment of course.

"I believe that we're all tasked with trying to build a better society here and I believe that's everybody's determination.

"I think on different issues at different times we might have different views on things, and that's OK."

Little-Pengelly told Bradshaw: "I completely disagree with your analysis of this."

The DUP minister said a "significant amount of work has taken place" in their Stormont department in spite of "limited additional funds".

She said that work in the Executive Office was moving forward "at pace".

First Minister Michelle O'Neill speaking at the Executive Office committee

Terse exchanges

There were some tense exchanges at the committee as O'Neill was questioned by Traditional Unionist Voice (TUV) MLA Timothy Gaston.

He asked if MLAs were "speaking to the 'first minister for all' today, or are we speaking to the first minister of no alternative".

She responded: "You're speaking to Michelle O'Neill, First Minister."

Gaston was referencing past comments by O'Neill in which she said there had been no alternative to IRA violence during the Troubles.

Sinéad McLaughlin of the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) told ministers she was "really dismayed at how toxic this environment is in this place".

"We've only returned - this is our third day back - and it's not a nice environment," she said.

"There's a great deal of toxicity, and we can see it quite clearly in ministers' statements and statements in the assembly as well."

O'Neill said they were "delivering" on their priorities in the programme for government and she was "proud" of their achievements so far.

"So I think we have really built strong foundations from which to build upon," she said.

Little-Pengelly said while there will be disagreements in government, "so much of what we have done has shown that collegiate approach".