Noah Donohoe: NI secretary 'would meet' family over teenager's death

The teenager was found dead in a north Belfast storm drain in June 2020

Northern Ireland Secretary Shailesh Vara has said he is prepared to meet the family of Noah Donohoe over concerns about information relating to the teenager's death.

Last week, a law firm representing the family said it had "grave concerns" over an application to withhold information in police files.

The 14-year-old was found dead in a storm drain in north Belfast in 2020.

A Public Interest Immunity (PII) certificate was signed by Mr Vara.

The use of a PII certificate is opposed by Fiona Donohoe, Noah's mother, who believes it is an attempt to cover up the circumstances of her son's death.

The PSNI has ruled out foul play.

• Private hearing set before Noah Donohoe inquest

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Speaking on Monday, Mr Vara said the whole community's thoughts were with Noah Donohoe's family.

"I did it after very careful consideration, I looked at the files in detail - I can give an assurance - not withstanding redactions… that there is nothing that would impact on the substance of the case concerning the sad passing of Noah.

"I'm more than happy to meet his family to try and explain to Noah's mother where I'm coming from."

Mr Vara also said he did not want to have to cut the salaries of MLAs as a result of the executive at Stormont not being in place.

The secretary of state is obliged to call another election if power-sharing is not restored by 28 October, however he could put in place legislation to delay a fresh poll as has happened during previous periods of stalemate.

Stormont has been without a power-sharing executive since February, after the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) pulled its first minister out of government in protest over the Northern Ireland Protocol.

• What is the Northern Ireland Protocol?

An election was held in May and the DUP was returned as the second-largest party, but it is refusing to return to government until post-Brexit trading arrangements are changed.

Stormont ministers are allowed to stay in post for six months after an election to give time for any stand-offs to be resolved, before another poll is called.

"The fact is I'm hoping that it doesn't come to this stage that there is the need to cut salaries, I want the assembly up and running," said Mr Vara.

"I know the people of Northern Ireland won't want another election.. what is right is for politicians to do what they're supposed to do and serve the people," he added.

"I'm not thinking about what I may or may not do at the end of October."

'People want to get on'

Sinn Fein's Stormont leader Michelle O'Neill told the Financial Times she has no confidence that Mr Vara intends to call fresh assembly elections if the power-sharing institutions are not restored by the end of October.

"These are people who continually find ways to go around the law," she said.

Mr Vara responded to her comments by saying he was "sorry that Michelle takes that view of me".

"I have spoken to her on a couple of occasions and I certainly haven't indicated to her anything about what I would or would not do at the end of October," he said.

"Be in no doubt, the law is clear, right now as the law stands I will have to call an election at the end of October if we don't get an executive up and running.

"I very much hope that we don't get to that stage because I know the people of Northern Ireland won't want an election just before Christmas… people just want to get on with their lives," Mr Vara added.

Mr Vara also urged political parties at Stormont to help people who are struggling to pay energy bills by restoring Stormont's devolved government.

"Right now we have £437 million that is just waiting to be spent and we have people in Northern Ireland who are suffering as much as anywhere else in the UK," he said.

"There are rising energy costs, there is an issue of the rising cost of living and we still have an assembly that is not sitting."