Peter Robinson, leader of Northern Ireland’s largest unionist political party, has been rushed to hospital less than 24 hours before a fresh round of talks are held aimed at saving the region’s power sharing from collapse.
The Democratic Unionist party said Robinson was taken to the Royal Victoria hospital in Belfast late on Saturday following a reaction to medication.
The 66-year-old suffered a heart attack back in May, which he put down to poor diet and a lack of exercise. Robinson underwent a medical procedure to have stents fitted.
Just over a week ago he stood down as first minister in protest over a Police Service of Northern Ireland assessment that the Provisional IRA still exists and was behind the murder of former republican prisoner Kevin McGuigan.
A spokesperson for the local health trust in Belfast said Robinson was “comfortable and doing well” after treatment.
Jeffrey Donaldson, the Democratic Unionist MP for Lagan Valley, later confirmed that Robinson will be released from hospital on Sunday afternoon, adding that Robinson will be at Monday’s talks in Stormont.
Sinn Féin deputy first minister Martin McGuinness tweeted a get-well message for the DUP leader:
Concerned that Peter Robinson admitted to hospital but pleased that he is comfortable & doing well.Wishing him the best for recovery.
— Martin McGuinness (@M_McGuinness_SF) September 20, 2015
Both the DUP and the Ulster Unionists confirmed over the weekend that they will attend negotiations at Stormont House on Monday. The discussions will be co-chaired by the Irish and British governments.
The British government announced on Friday that it was setting up an independent ceasefire monitoring system to evaluate whether or not the IRA and other paramilitary organisations still exist, in an attempt to save Northern Ireland’s devolved government from collapse.
Secretary of state Theresa Villier’s announcement that a report will be completed by mid-October on the IRA, and in particular the McGuigan murder, enabled the two main unionist parties to attend this Monday’s discussions.
The talks are aimed at rebuilding faith between unionists and republicans following the political crisis sparked by the McGuigan murder.
Currently, the Northern Ireland executive exists in a political limbo because Robinson stepped down as first minister this month. All but one of his Democratic Unionist party ministers in the power-sharing coalition have resigned, but to keep the executive in shadow existence, Robinson has appointed Arlene Foster as the acting first minister. She also remains in her post as finance minister.
Sinn Féin has consistently denied that the IRA was involved in killing McGuigan, who was targeted in August because republicans in Belfast believed he was the gunman behind the murder of his one-time IRA comrade Gerard “Jock” Davison in May.
Family and friends of McGuigan insist the IRA carried out the murder of the former republican prisoner outside his home in east Belfast.