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After the resignation of Martin McGuinness as Deputy First Minister in January 2017 triggered the collapse of the power-sharing government at Stormont, Northern Ireland has been run by civil servants. The ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳’s Ireland Correspondent Chris Page talks to those at the front-line of public services to see what impact the lack of ministers is having. We hear from a primary school principal that blocked toilets and broken sinks are being fixed by volunteers as there’s no one to lobby for more money to pay for building work.

A woman dealing with cancer tells us she’s been let down by local politicians in accessing vital drugs. And Northern Ireland’s top civil servant tells us how he’s coping with running a country without any ministers to provide direction. Do we really need politicians or are things better without them?