According to Northern Ireland’s new first minister, Michelle O’Neill, all parties within the Stormont Executive agree that Northern Ireland requires a better funding model from Westminster. O’Neill stated that Northern Ireland’s public services are being ‘starved’ by the government. The new first minister, who recently became Northern Ireland’s first nationalist first minister, said this during one of her first broadcast interviews. She expressed her appointment as a ‘new dawn’ over the weekend.
Following the Democratic Unionist Party’s (DUP) decision to withdraw its boycott over post-Brexit trade rules, Power-sharing government returned to Northern Ireland. Emma Little-Pengelly, a member of the DUP, was appointed deputy first minister by the executive. The first and deputy first ministers hold a joint office and have equal power. However, O’Neill becoming the first minister is considered a landmark moment for Irish nationalism.
O’Neill confirmed that Northern Ireland’s funding model is the “number one priority issue that we have collectively” in the Northern Ireland Executive. This meeting will take place on Monday, after the restoration of devolved government. A £3.3bn package is expected to be released by the UK government to help the new executive, much of which has been earmarked to resolve public sector pay disputes and ease the strain on public services. The package includes £580m in settlement of public-sector pay claims and over £1bn in “stabilisation” of public services.
O’Neill stated that the offer from the Treasury ‘acknowledged that we’re underfunded’, adding that it was an issue “we’re all going to turn our attention to so that we can then in turn do things better in terms of health, education and public services”. Additionally, the funding package comes with the condition that the Northern Ireland Executive will commit to additional revenue raising, imposing new or higher taxes or charges on households and businesses. It is expected that a revenue-raising plan will be published alongside a public service transformation plan in May
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