State willing to help North f inancially, says Varadkar
British PM says ‘real work starts now’ as Stormont returns
THE Taoiseach has insisted the Government is willing to help the North with financial support as ministers in the restored Stormont Executive pressed the UK for more cash.
Leo Varadkar’s pledge came as he and British prime minister Rishi Sunak visited Belfast to mark the return of devolution to the region.
The two leaders met for private discussions at Stormont yesterday morning, but did not conduct any joint meetings with local politicians or joint press conferences. The lack of a sideby-side public appearance fuelled talk of tensions in the Anglo-Irish relationship following Ireland’s move to launch a legal challenge against the UK government’s contentious legislation to address the legacy of the Troubles.
Later, Mr Sunak said the ‘real work starts now’ as he met with the North’s first ever nationalist First Minister, Sinn Féin’s Michelle O’Neill, and her DUP counterpart, Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly.
The institutions were restored on Saturday following a deal between the UK government and the DUP to address unionist concerns
‘Everyday issues need attention’
over post-Brexit trading arrangements, which included passing new legislation at Westminster. The British Treasury has offered a £3.3billion (€3.85billion) funding package to support the return to powersharing. While Mr Sunak has said the offer represents a ‘generous and fair settlement’, Stormont ministers have written to the British government insisting it is not enough.
Mr Varadkar highlighted that his Government had already invested millions of euros in projects in the North that had a cross-border element, and said more funding pledges through its Shared Island Initiative would be forthcoming.
The bulk of investment has focused on capital infrastructure projects. The Taoiseach, addressing reporters in Parliament Buildings in Belfast, said he was confident the new administration in Belfast would last.
‘I want to thank people who made today possible, to congratulate the First Minister, the Deputy First Minister, the new Executive on taking up their new roles, and really pledge to do everything that we can do to help this Executive to be successful,’ he said.
‘There’s a lot of everyday issues that need attention here in Northern
Ireland, and I know they’re going to work very hard on that. We’re keen to get north-south cooperation going again and have a meeting of the North South Ministerial Council in the next couple of weeks and focus on some of that practical co-operation that works well for everyone on the island.
‘So, very keen to work with a new Executive and looking forward to doing that.’
Asked by reporters if his Government was prepared to offer ‘new’ money to the region, the Taoiseach said: ‘Yes, we are.
‘You know the Shared Island fund is there and we would intend to make further allocations from that over the course of this year. But we’re also very keen to coordinate that with the Secretary of State [Chris Heaton-Harris] and also with the Executive, now it is up and running.’
Mr Sunak said his government’s funding deal was ‘significant and generous’ and would focus on ‘long-term sustainability’ as well as addressing the immediate issues. He added: ‘I had very constructive meetings this morning with the Executive, with political leaders across Stormont, and it is a historic and important day for the country, because Northern Ireland’s politicians are back in charge... which is exactly how it should be.
‘Now, our new deal gives them more funding and more powers than they have ever had, so they can deliver for families and businesses across Northern Ireland.’
Mr Sunak also insisted that Stormont’s leaders should focus on the ‘day-to-day’ concerns of people, rather than the prospect of a poll on reunification, in response to weekend comments from Ms O’Neill in which she claimed a border referendum could be held in the next ten years.
Meeting: Leo Varadkar and British PM Mr Sunak at Stormont in Belfast yesterday ‘It is not constitutional change, it is delivering on the day-to-day things that matter to people,’ the prime minister said.
Mr Varadkar would not be drawn on the question of reunification when asked by reporters.
Both the UK and Irish sides also moved to play down suggestions of a rift between them yesterday. Mr Varadkar was asked to respond to the suggestion of disquiet in No 10 amid claims the Taoiseach had ‘muscled in’ on Mr Sunak’s visit to the region. The Fine Gael leader said: ‘I had a very good welcome and very good meeting... And there’s a long-standing tradition since the Good Friday Agreement was signed that the Taoiseach would attend events like this.’
‘I had a very good welcome’