Brendan HughesBBC News NI political reporter
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Gavin Robinson would be pleased to meet Catherine Connolly
‘Grist to the mill’
He said the party would be “pleased” to meet with Connolly when she visits Northern Ireland in future in her formal capacity.
“It’s not a snub,” the East Belfast MP told reporters at Stormont on Monday.
“I was personally invited by the Taoiseach of Ireland (Irish prime minister). I received the invitation on Thursday last week.
“I personally responded to him on Friday to indicate that whilst I recognise the significance of this event for his nation, I trust that he in turn recognises the significance of eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month.
“I think he has accepted that, and I think the vast majority of people in Northern Ireland have accepted that.”
Robinson dismissed the idea that the party could have sent another representative to the event in Dublin.
“It’s not about tokenism. I have graciously received an invitation and I have graciously replied indicating that there is a clash,” he said.
“I don’t think anything will be gained by people trying to add some grist to the mill or make this an issue that it’s not.
“There is a clash. It is unfortunate.”
‘Cross-community duties’
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Emma Little-Pengelly said she wished Catherine Connolly well and hoped to speak to her
On Monday Little-Pengelly said she was seeking a “personal call” with Catherine Connolly.
The DUP minister reiterated her party leader’s comments and said it was an “unfortunate clash” that the event date falls on Remembrance Day when she already has a number of engagements.
“I recognise it’s a huge personal day for the incoming president,” she said in response to questions in the assembly.
“I have sought to have a personal call with her in recognition of that very significant personal achievement and what she is about to embark on.”
However Sinn Féin assembly member Órlaithí Flynn told Little-Pengelly that many people would view her absence as “not fulfilling your duties, your cross-community duties”.
She said it was in “extremely stark contrast” to First Minister Michelle O’Neill laying a laurel wreath in Belfast on Remembrance Sunday.
In response, Little-Pengelly said she was “not going to rise to political point-scoring”.
She added that both ministers have attended different engagements, both separately and together.
The minister said a “generosity of approach is to recognise that both of us have been out there”.
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Claire Hanna said the DUP decision not to attend was a “misstep”
Earlier, the leader of the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) described the DUP’s absence from the inauguration as “going backwards”.
Claire Hanna said it was a disappointing “misstep” and an “indictment of the DUP and their lack of vision at the moment”.
“We appreciate the potential clash around Remembrance, but they have plenty of elected representatives,” she told reporters at Stormont.
“And I have no doubt if they were serious about respecting each other and meaningfully participating in sharing this place well that they could find somebody to attend this event tomorrow.”
Last week DUP minister Little-Pengelly said it was not possible for her to attend the inauguration due to “a number of other commitments in Belfast and Windsor” to mark Remembrance Day.
Alliance Party assembly member Paula Bradshaw told the BBC’s Sunday Politics programme the DUP should send an alternative representative.
Bradshaw also confirmed her party leader, Naomi Long, could not attend as she will be at a Remembrance service, but Alliance would be represented by deputy leader Eóin Tennyson.
UUP MLA Steve Aiken confirmed he would be attending in place of the party leader Mike Nesbitt who has other commitments.
The TUV MP Jim Allister said he would not be attending and questioned “why would any unionist endorse and give creedence to such a person”.
“I don’t think they should,” Allister told BBC Radio Ulster’s Talkback programme.
