Sinn Féin giving DUP ‘soft landing’ over Project Eagle

The SDLP has accused Sinn Féin in the Northern Assembly of giving the DUP a “soft landing” over the Nama Project Eagle controversy.

The UUP and the SDLP put forward motions following recent revelations about Nama’s sale of the Project Eagle portfolio of loans relating to Northern Ireland properties.

The Sinn Féin amendment to the UUP motion about accountability removed the word “Assembly” from the motion. This means First Minister Arlene Foster and Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness do not have to make a statement in the chamber and take questions from opposition politicians.

The motion was passed following an amendment from Sinn Féin’s John O’Dowd, who said he did not believe a fresh inquiry into the controversy by Stormont’s finance committee would serve a useful purpose. He said the emphasis should be on the Irish Government’s new commission of inquiry into the affair.

SDLP justice spokesman Alex Attwood accused the DUP of creating “a smokescreen to deny accountability” over the Nama deal.

“The DUP used the recent opinion of the NCA [National Crime Agency] as a smokescreen to resist accountability. They say it is ‘bizarre’ for more inquiry given the NCA advice. But there was a criminal investigation at the same time as the Stephen Lawrence inquiry and there may well be a Dublin commission of investigation as the NCA continues its work.

“The line between a criminal inquiry and a separate investigation can be properly and successfully navigated. The DUP know this. Their resistance is to accountability – nothing more and nothing less.”

‘Not a big ask’

The SDLP, UUP, Alliance Party, Green Party and Independents had called for the First Minister and Deputy First Minister to make “a statement to the Assembly”. Mr Atwood described this as “not a big ask”.

“Yet Sinn Féin deleted ‘Assembly’ from the motion and called for a statement only. It seems some want to rush to the sound of clicking cameras rather than the hard questions of MLAs on the floor of the Assembly.

“Why would Sinn Féin give the DUP a soft landing and avoid an Assembly statement? It seems that non-aggression between the DUP and Sinn Féin now extends to Nama.”

Mr Atwood accused the DUP of “joining with Sinn Féin on their Nama amendment because it was the least worst option for them and offered the least transparency for the public”.

A Sinn Féin spokesman told The Irish Times: "The SDLP would say that. The SDLP failed to make any impact on the first day of the Opposition but instead attempted to score political points and failed."

UUP leader Mike Nesbitt said: “It was very clear that the DUP and Sinn Féin have now agreed a no-first strike pact with one another. The cost will be paid by the people, as together the DUP/SF coalition government voted against our call for the First Ministers to respect the authority of the Assembly and talk to us about the Nama scandal, as well as voting to ignore the international damage being done to our reputation as somewhere to do business.

“It certainly looks like Sinn Féin and the DUP are firmly tied to the mantra of ‘the party comes first’. That will be to the detriment of Northern Ireland and its people.”