THE NORTH'S First Minister Peter Robinson has described the Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams as a "sad spectacle". Sinn Féin and the DUP remain deadlocked over the issues that are blocking meetings of the Executive.
Mr Robinson, speaking in Crilly Orange Order hall in Co Tyrone at the weekend, said Mr Adams should be treated with "pity rather than scorn" after the Sinn Féin leader recently said there were elements in the DUP who were bigots and who "didn't want a Catholic about the place".
The worsening of the relationship between the two party leaders comes with another meeting of the Executive scheduled for Thursday. Again there appears little likelihood of this taking place, which would mean that Northern Ireland ministers would not have met in collective cabinet session for four months.
While this would spell the end of most western governments the British and Irish governments - otherwise focused on the global economic crisis - continue to stand aside from the impasse, arguing that it is for the Northern parties to resolve their own problems.
There is concern however that the bitterness of the exchanges between Mr Robinson and Mr Adams is indicative of the DUP and Sinn Féin becoming more entrenched in their positions.
Sinn Féin is blocking meetings of the Executive until it has commitments on issues such as devolving policing and justice, the Irish language, education and future use of the Maze prison site.
Equally, the DUP is refusing to make specific commitments on these issues.
On Friday night Mr Robinson responded to Mr Adams's comments in Cleveland over a week ago where he accused elements of the DUP of anti-Catholic bigotry.
"The central accusation made by Mr Adams is wrong. The DUP is committed to working the Assembly for the maximum benefit of all of the people of Northern Ireland," said Mr Robinson.
"What a sad spectacle Gerry Adams has become. He has resorted to making outlandish and absurd claims in order to grab some media attention and seek support for his party's present absurd position," he added.
"Gerry Adams' comments are to be treated more in pity than in scorn. They betray a fundamentally sectarian mindset. Not only does he fail to comprehend that unionism is not a religion but that it is also possible to be a Roman Catholic and a unionist at the same time."
