'No common ground' on human rights between DUP and Sinn Féin, says McDonald

Sinn Féin President Mary Lou McDonald.

Mary Lou McDonald has said there is "no common ground" between the DUP and Sinn Féin on human rights matters despite an agreement being reached on the Irish language.

A deal between the two main parties in Northern Ireland was hammered out in the early hours of this morning, which paves the way for  Stormont leaders to be appointed later today.

The Sinn Féin president said there is finally "a real timetable" for the introduction of a controversial Irish Language Act in the North, after a workaround was found that will see the legislation go through Westminster and not Stormont.

The development came after a night of intensive talks involving the UK's Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis and DUP and Sinn Féin delegations in Belfast.

However, Ms McDonald continued to hit out at the DUP for not allowing Act na Gaeilge pass through the Northern Ireland Assembly and for delaying the introduction of marriage equality and abortion rights.

"We have, unfortunately, no common ground with the DUP on the matters of rights, and this isn't just on Irish language, this has been also the case in terms of marriage equality in terms of women's rights, and so on.

"When it comes to the realisation of people's rights and recognising the diversity and making space for people, there is one problem party and that party is the DUP," she told RTÉ's Morning Ireland.

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She accused political unionism of continuously obstructing, frustrating and delaying change, but added that the "jig was up" and Westminster had to intervene on the Irish language.

However, Ms McDonald welcomed the fact that measures will now be in place early next year.

"What's been agreed is that legislation will be brought forward in October it will match what we agreed over a year and a half ago in terms of the legislation. The legislation will be processed through Parliament by means of accelerated procedure, the government will seek that, and there is a commitment that we will have the commissioners for Gaeilge and Ulster Scots in place by March," she said.