Alliance MLA Michelle Guy has told former First Minister Baroness Foster that the abuse of cross-community voting within the Executive blocked essential public health measures during the Covid pandemic.

The Lagan Valley MLA made the comments following an appearance by Baroness Foster before the Assembly Executive Review Committee, which is currently investigating the need for institutional reform.

Ms Guy argued that the findings of the Covid Inquiry provided sufficient evidence to justify changing the current mechanisms of government in Northern Ireland. She noted that a majority of the Assembly backed an Alliance-led motion for reform late last year following reports of dysfunction between the DUP and Sinn Féin.

"Alliance has led the campaign calling for reform of our institutions, putting it on the agenda and achieving the backing of the majority of the Assembly late last year for a motion calling for reform in the wake of the Covid Inquiry, which outlined dysfunction at the heart of the Executive between the DUP and Sinn Féin," she said. The MLA stated that it was useful to hear evidence from both Baroness Foster and Mark Durkan, particularly as the DUP was responsible for the most recent collapse of the institutions.

"Despite the rest of the globe coming together during the pandemic, we still managed to see the same old orange and green fighting and subsequent deadlock here in the Executive due to abuse of cross-community voting. Most likely, some people who are not alive today passed away because of the abuse of the mechanisms in place. That alone should be enough to change the system," Ms Guy added.

While acknowledging a period of relative stability since the restoration of the Assembly two years ago, the Alliance MLA expressed concern that the two largest parties appear unwilling to relinquish the power to collapse the institutions.

"So while we have seen relative stability in the two years since restoration, it is clear Sinn Féin and the DUP have no intention of giving up their ability to collapse the institutions at their will, which is deeply concerning. That is against public appetite. They want to see the institutions work better for them. People deserve better than having their politics and future left to ransom. Alliance will continue to be the advocate for reform and removing the ability for one party to paralyse the entire system," concluded Ms Guy.