Michelle O’Neill said Stormont Executive officials would look at how funding would be provided to Northern Ireland.
All parties in the Stormont Executive agree that Northern Ireland needs a better funding model from Westminster, the new First Minister has said.
Michelle O’Neill said Northern Ireland’s public services were being “starved” by the government.
She told the BBC in one of her first broadcast interviews since becoming Northern Ireland’s first nationalist prime minister.
On Saturday, she described her appointment as a “new dawn.”
A power-sharing government has returned to Northern Ireland after the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) ended its boycott over post-Brexit trade rules.
Mr O’Neill told the BBC that Northern Ireland’s funding model was “a top priority for us to work together on” at the Northern Ireland Executive, which is scheduled to meet for the first time since the restoration of devolved government on Monday. Ta.
The UK government is set to announce a £3.3bn package following the restoration of electricity sharing, much of which will go towards resolving public sector pay disputes and easing burdens on public services.
Mr O’Neill said the offer from the Treasury “admitted that it was underfunded”, adding that it was a problem and that “it’s something we all need to pay attention to so we can do better on health”. “I intend to,” he added. , Education and Public Service”.
Financing packages come with conditions
The £3.3bn funding scheme the UK government is providing to support the new executive includes around £580m to resolve public sector pay claims and £1bn to “stabilize” public services. Contains the above.
But on Friday, the DUP leader warned that the amount earmarked for salaries would be less than what is currently needed.
A recently leaked letter from the Northern Ireland Civil Service Secretary cites more than £630m of pay pressure across the public service.
The funding package also comes with a condition that the Northern Ireland Executive commits to additional revenue increases, meaning new or higher taxes and levies on households and businesses.
A revenue increase plan is expected to be published by May, alongside a public service reform plan.
How is Northern Ireland funded?
The day-to-day running of Northern Ireland’s public services, such as health, education and police, costs around £13 billion a year.
Some of that funding is raised locally through taxes and other fees, but the majority (over 90%) comes from the Treasury.
A new funding model has been proposed that aims to better reflect the actual level of need in Northern Ireland, but some local political leaders say it is not enough. .
However, Mr O’Neill admitted that after two years without devolution of government, the newly appointed executive branch had urgent problems to resolve.
“There are things in our inboxes that need immediate action: affordable child care, building social and affordable housing,” she said.
“Turn around the economy. We have the Windsor Framework so we have access to both markets (UK and EU). We can leverage that to create more jobs, higher paying jobs. There is a need to.”
“We have a huge opportunity ahead of us and all the challenges we have to face, but I think the fact that our executives can step up and do it now gives us a chance to make it happen. Masu.”
“Things are changing in Ireland.”
Mr O’Neill also said he believed a united Ireland could be achieved in his lifetime, perhaps within the next 10 years.
“The very fact that we have a nationalist elected prime minister for the first time speaks volumes about the changes that are taking place across our island,” she said.
“A lot is changing about our Ireland.”
Asked how he could pursue constitutional reform of NI’s status in the UK while being a leader for all communities in Northern Ireland, Mr O’Neill said: “It’s very doable” and “all at once. I can do multiple things.” .
“We believe we can operate with shared power while pursuing other discussions in parallel.
“Let us be courageous and confident in taking our sides on the debate, and remembering that the heart of the beauty of the Good Friday Agreement is that it is only the people who decide it.”