RISHI SUNAK told Stormont’s leaders “the real work starts now” as he embarked on a visit to Northern Ireland to mark the return of power sharing.
The Prime Minister arrived in Belfast on Sunday – a day after devolved government was restored after two years of deadlock.
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This morning he held talks with First Minister Michelle O’Neill, who made history by becoming the first nationalist to hold the role, and Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly.
As the meeting got under way inside the castle, Mr Sunak told the joint heads of the executive: “It has taken a lot of hard work and indeed courage to get us sitting round this table.
“Today isn’t the end; it’s the beginning, and the real work starts now.”
Meanwhile, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, who is also at Stormont to mark the restoration of devolution, said it was a “very positive day”.
He and Mr Sunak, whose governments are co-guarantors of the Good Friday Agreement, held a bilateral meeting at Parliament Buildings.
The new powersharing Executive is set to hold its first meeting on Monday as it begins the task of trying to manage Northern Ireland’s strained finances.
Power sharing was restored after the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) ended its boycott over post-Brexit trade rules.
The DUP agreed to re-enter the institutions after a deal was struck with the UK Government, which included the passing of new legislation at Westminster.
As part of the deal, the Government also pledged £3.3bn for the restored Northern Ireland Executive, with much of the money aimed at stabilising public services and settling public sector pay disputes.
The Prime Minister said the offer represents “a generous and fair settlement”.
But in a letter to the PM, all Stormont ministers argue the current financial package on offer “does not provide the basis for the Executive to deliver sustainable public services and public finances”.
Ahead of Monday’s meeting with Mr Sunak, Ms O’Neill said: “If we are to tackle the serious problems across public services – in our hospitals and our schools – then how we are funded needs to change and I will be strongly pressing that point at today’s meeting.
“It is critical that the Executive has the right resources to deliver effective public services for all our citizens and we will engage with the Prime Minister to achieve our shared objective.”
Ms Little-Pengelly said the Executive would be “speaking with one voice” in its meeting with the Prime Minister.
She added: “We will be saying that the people of Northern Ireland deserve better public services and that we need to work together – the Executive and the Government – to deliver long-term fiscal stability.
“We are ready to engage with the Government and get down to the work of putting our finances on a sound footing.
“However, we will also be seeking to ensure the UK Government provides sufficient funding in a package to fulfil its promises on public sector pay.”
