Stormont First Minister Michelle O'Neill has said the greatest challenge facing the Northern Ireland Executive is the 'severe underfunding of public services'. In her New Year message, O'Neill criticised the Labour Government for not keeping its promise of a 'new dawn', arguing it has instead 'continued along a similar path' as the Conservatives.
O'Neill reiterated her call for a border poll, stating that 'London has never and will never prioritise the interests of the people of the north of Ireland'. She urged both the British and Irish governments to begin preparations for constitutional change, with Sinn Fein aiming for a referendum by 2030.
The DUP leader Gavin Robinson, in his own New Year message, urged a focus on 'common sense over ideology' and said his party is 'unashamedly focused on making Northern Ireland work'. He criticised 'performative politics' and 'endless divisive border poll agitation', and stressed the importance of Northern Ireland's place within the United Kingdom.
Recent months have seen the Executive struggle to fund pay parity for healthcare workers, teachers and police with their counterparts in the rest of the UK, and disputes between Sinn Fein and DUP ministers over funding allocations. O'Neill acknowledged that relations within the four-party Executive are 'difficult and complex' but said progress has been made when ministers work constructively.
A Government spokesperson responded by stating it is providing 'record funding to the Northern Ireland Executive, including £19.3 billion per year on average through to 2028-29'. O'Neill, however, dismissed this as insufficient, claiming that 'austerity, cuts and stealth tax increases' hit those with the lowest incomes.
