Enda McClafferty & Eimear FlanaganBBC News NI
Premier Michelle O’Neill has ruled out introducing water charges while in office.
She also denied the government’s claims that Stormont’s political parties had signed up to revenue-raising measures as part of the policy. £3.3bn deal agreed before Christmas.
Mr O’Neill also claimed he would be the “first minister for everyone” and would attend events across community and political divides.
That includes going to Windsor Park to watch a Northern Ireland football match.
Mr O’Neill was asked about Stormont’s finances in his first in-depth interview with BBC News NI since becoming Northern Ireland’s first minister.
In particular, she was asked whether Stormont’s party had committed to introducing measures to raise more money in Northern Ireland.
“You can’t put a burden on people.”
In December, the government proposed a £3.3bn funding package to restore Stormont’s devolution, which is expected to be announced shortly.
A key condition attached to the package was the willingness to raise more funds locally through taxes and fees.
But Sinn Féin deputy leader Mr O’Neill denied he had “signed up any revenue increases”, adding that he believed other parties had not done so either.
“I’m clearly saying no to water bills,” she told BBC News NI.
“I want to be clear that we cannot force people living through a cost-of-living crisis to shoulder additional household costs while public services decline.”
Her stance is as follows Comments from Deputy Prime Minister Emma Little-Pengery The Democratic Unionist Party said it was unsustainable to ask people to pay more for Northern Ireland’s “poor public services”.
A spokesperson for the Office for Northern Ireland said: “Like all governments in the UK, the Executive needs to make choices that support stability, prosperity and sustainable public services.”
The spokesperson added that the Treasury will write to Finance Minister Caoimhe Archibald in due course to set out the details of the funding and related terms.
IRA commemorative
Ms O’Neill is the first nationalist to hold the post of Prime Minister of Northern Ireland since it was created under the Good Friday Agreement in 1998.
She said she would use her position to “extend a hand of friendship” to people with a background as a trade unionist and in other parts of the world who call Northern Ireland home.
One of her first official efforts was to Attending Northern Ireland Police Graduation Ceremonyhis first public appearance as a member of Sinn Féin.
pacemakerMr O’Neill has previously attended controversial IRA commemorations as a senior member of the Irish Republican Party.
Asked whether he intended to attend such a commemoration while in office, he said he wanted to remain true to his current role, but added that the people had the right to “remember the dead.”
“When we talk about the past and people who have lost loved ones, I think first of all we need to be very mindful of the fact that there are families who are grieving,” she said.
“The most important thing about the Good Friday Agreement itself is that we all have to respect the right of people to remember the dead. That’s the number one starting point here.”
Asked whether it was a yes or no to attending IRA commemorations, Mr O’Neill said: “I am very comfortable and very sincere in saying that I am a republican.”
But he added: “We all come from different backgrounds and we need to be mature enough to understand that people have a right to remember their dead.”
“I am very conscious of the office I hold and every decision I make is based on the fact that I have integrity and respect for the office of the First Minister.”
Congratulations from the King
Ms O’Neill said she had “no doubt” that she would attend football matches at Windsor Park, home of the Northern Ireland national team, in her new role.
In 2023, she tweeted her support for Northern Ireland football manager Michael O’Neill and his men’s team ahead of an important match.
The First Minister said sport “can unite many people in society” and said he would accept an invitation to Windsor Park.
Ms O’Neill also revealed that she received a handwritten letter of congratulations from the King after taking up her new role.
Who is Michelle O’Neill?
Liam McBurney/PA MediaBorn Michelle Doris on January 10, 1977, she grew up in the rural village of Clonaugh, County Tyrone, and comes from a prominent Irish republican family.
She began working for Sinn Féin in 1998 after the Good Friday Agreement, the peace deal that helped end three decades of violence in Northern Ireland.
When her father resigned from Dungannon South Tyrone Borough Council ahead of the 2005 election, she won the seat vacated by her father in the Trent constituency.
Her parliamentary career began in 2007, when she joined Martin McGuinness and Francie Molloy as MP for Mid-Ulster.
When Mr McGuinness passed away shortly after the collapse of Stormont in 2017; Mr O’Neill has been chosen to replace Sinn Féin deputy leader..
Sinn Féin nominated Mr O’Neill as First Minister after winning the most seats in the May 2022 parliamentary elections.
It was an iconic moment in Northern Ireland’s history, with a nationalist holding the top job at Stormont for the first time.
Mr O’Neill attended a graduation ceremony for the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) in Garnerville, east Belfast last week, marking the first time the party has attended such an event.
PSNI Chief Constable John Boucher said Ms O’Neill’s attendance was a “very positive attitude”.
In May 2023, Ms. O’Neill attended the coronation of the King. He said it was important to show respect to others..