First Minister Michelle O'Neill defends decision to attend Bobby Sands statue unveiling
The First Minister has defended her decision to attend the unveiling of a statue that marked the 44th anniversary of the death of IRA hunger striker and MP Bobby Sands.
Michelle O'Neill and other Sinn Féin members were among those who visited the memorial garden in west Belfast over the weekend, a move that has been criticised by the DUP.
Belfast City Council has subsequently revealed it is investigating whether the statue was built without planning permission, after saying it did not receive an application for it.
In response, Ms O'Neill has said that the matter is an issue for those who erected the statue.
She said: "Firstly, I was very content and very happy actually to attend the unveiling and to be there and to see the statue.
"Bobby Sands is a huge figure, a huge iconic figure in terms of republicans here in Ireland, but also in terms of the whole historical political journey that we have been on.
"The hunger strikes marked a pivotal time in our history, so I was very honored to be there and to be part of the ceremony on Sunday.
"A First Minister for all looks like exactly what Sunday looked like for me.
"I attended the Bobby Sands unveiling. And then I went on to attend the service at Saint Anne's Cathedral to mark the end of WW2.
"That's a First Minister for all and actually demonstrating in actions that I would fulfill that promise."
Sands died on May 5 during the 1981 hunger strike, aged 27.
The father-of-one had been elected an MP for Fermanagh and South Tyrone less than a month before his death.
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