The SDLP leader has called on the UK government to fast-track legislation which would help prevent the collapse of the North’s power-sharing institutions.
The Northern Ireland (Ministers, Elections and Petitions of Concern) Bill, which is currently making its way through the Commons, is intended to strengthen the stability of Stormont.
Among other provisions it will extend the period of time allowed to replace the First or Deputy First Minister if either post-holder resigns from seven days to six weeks.
The Bil is expected to receive Royal Assent and become law in November.
The DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson has threatened to withdraw from the Assembly within weeks unless changes are made to the Northern Ireland protocol, which is opposed by unionists. His party is also boycotting most north-south ministerial meetings.
In the House of Commons on Wednesday, Colum Eastwood said "health waiting lists are through the roof in Northern Ireland and hard-pressed families are being hit by decisions from this government, but the Democratic Unionist Party has been hit by a bad opinion poll so it is threatening to bring down the very institutions of the Good Friday Agreement.
“Will this prime minister commit today to fast-tracking the legislation going through this House, agreed at New Decade, New Approach, to stop the institutions coming down if one political party has a petulant strop?”
In response, Boris Johnson said he agreed it was "very important that the institutions of Northern Ireland should be robust and should continue."
Political football
However, he added that "a responsible Government have to address the issues of the protocol, the lopsidedness and the way in which the European Union has chosen to interpret those issues, which I do not believe satisfies the Belfast/Good Friday agreement. That is what we are going to do."
Addressing a House of Lords Committee on Wednesday, Mr Donaldson said the EU should stop using Northern Ireland as a “political football” and the “delicate constitutional balance” in the region was “too fragile for people to play games with”.
Mr Donaldson also said he would like to see Northern Ireland move to a system of voluntary rather than mandatory coalition government and advocated reform of the institutions in the “medium to long term”.
He said: “I would like to see Northern Ireland move towards a voluntary coalition style of government where we reach a level of political maturity where after an election parties get together and decide who wants to be in the government, agree a programme for government and then go forward on a voluntary coalition basis.
“Because I think mandatory coalition at times can be unwieldy, difficult and makes it difficult to get decisions which are pressing.”
The nature of the North's political system, he said, meant there was "a tendency at times when we run into difficulty to look to big brother, the UK government, also nationalists very often turn to the Irish Government. "
Reform would mean “the political parties in Northern Ireland take more responsibility for the tough decisions that have to be made on a consensus basis and perhaps through a more voluntary, rather than mandatory coalition arrangement.”
Additional reporting – PA
