I’d always argue two women is going to be better – O’Neill
THE all-female team leading the new powersharing executive in the North will show young women they can achieve anything, new First Minister Michelle O’Neill has said.
She told of her pride that her family were at Stormont to see the historic moment on Saturday when she was appointed as the North’s first ever nationalist First Minister.
She also spoke of her hope that she will be able to forge a close working relationship with the DUP’s deputy First Minister, Emma Little-Pengelly, pointing out they have many shared priorities.
Ms O’Neill’s first day in office at Stormont on Saturday was a whirl of media interviews, meetings and time with family as she familiarised herself with her new office.
She spent Friday evening working on the speech she would deliver on Saturday, while also trying to keep an eye on the progress of Ireland’s opening Six Nations clash.
She arrived at Parliament Buildings at around 11.30am on Saturday and spent some time with her daughter Saoirse, son Ryan and her grandchild in the First Minister’s office.
She was still putting the finishing touches to her speech when Sinn Féin party leader Mary Lou McDonald arrived.
Next there was a meeting of party MLAs before Ms O’Neill walked alone, applauded by supporters, down the stairs into Stormont’s Great Hall, past a portrait of her political mentor, Martin McGuinness, and into the debating chamber, where the historic meeting of the restored Assembly began after two years of political deadlock.
Watching her from the public gallery were her son and daughter, Ms McDonald, former Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams, and Mr McGuinness’s son Fiachra. Her mother watched from home.
After Ms O’Neill and Ms LittlePengelly made their speeches, there was a short adjournment during which Ms O’Neill returned to her office to deal with official business and pose for photos. She then returned to the debating chamber while the rest of the Stormont ministerial posts were filled.
Afterwards, she embraced party colleagues Linda Dillon and Caoimhe Archibald, and posed for selfies in the corridor with councillors from her native Tyrone. She also had official portraits taken with Ms Little-Pengelly.
Ms O’Neill said it had been an exhausting but fulfilling day.
She said: ‘I feel good, there is no doubt about it. I can feel that sense of pride from wider society. Whenever I stood for election I said I would be a first minister for all and I am so glad that people actually embraced that and I wanted to reflect that. A big job ahead, no doubt, but certainly I am up for it.
‘I have the energy to do it because, as we know, the politics here can be challenging, but I do think that this has been such a historic day for so many reasons, but not least the fact that my parents and grandparents never thought a day like today would come. This place [Stormont] was designed in such a way it wasn’t to happen, but here we are. It is progress, it is change.
‘I think the fact that we are here, 26 years past the Good Friday Agreement, this speaks volumes to the change that is happening.’
She added: ‘Big work ahead of us but I’m delighted that we’ve finally got to this point.’
Ms O’Neill also reflected on
the importance of family, saying: ‘We always care what our family thinks. They will be the first to tell you the truth. It was great to have everybody here because it is such a historic moment. But I hope the people at home, looking on, heard what I wanted to communicate, that I will work for all.
‘People want to see politics working. They want us to be dealing with things like childcare. They want us to be reforming our health service and making sure they can get access to the health service when they need it. There is so much ahead of us to do, but we are up for it.
‘The Executive office is now two women at the helm. We also have two junior ministers who are also female [Aisling Reilly and Pam Cameron]. I think that speaks volumes to young women out there that they can achieve anything they set their minds to. I wanted to talk directly to those young people, that I want to have their backs. They can change the world. If I can do anything to leave a legacy, it would be just to give them that gift of a better society where hope and opportunity is something that they feel every day.’
She said that she and Ms LittlePengelly share many priorities, including childcare.
She added: ‘I would always argue two women is going to be better.’