Few enough commentators have noted it, so it falls to Sam McBride to point out that the material corollary of Sinn Fein crashing the institutions is that the cost of RHI will keep rising:
As a direct result of Sinn Fein’s move, it is now not possible for the Assembly to pass emergency legislation – which would take at least 10 days to pass through the Assembly – to curb the cost of the out of control scheme.
And an inquiry on the terms outlined by Sinn Fein also cannot be set up, because it would require primary legislation. Sinn Fein vigorously opposed holding a full public inquiry under the Inquiries Act 2005.
However, to give its inquiry even basic teeth, such as the power to compel witnesses and documents, it therefore will require Assembly legislation to do so, which will be impossible prior to the formation of a new Assembly and Executive in March –if that even happens then.
Mr McGuinness’s decision actually came on the very day when Mrs Foster ended her opposition to calling a full public inquiry into the scandal.
Ho ho ho. Fun and games never end in this place.
Mick is founding editor of Slugger. He has written papers on the impacts of the Internet on politics and the wider media and is a regular guest and speaking events across Ireland, the UK and Europe. Twitter: @MickFealty