Sinn Féin has declared that a united Ireland is 'within touching distance' as the party prepares to take the post of Northern Ireland first minister for the first time. The statement came after the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) agreed to end its two-year boycott of power-sharing institutions, following a deal with the UK government.
Mary Lou McDonald, the Sinn Féin leader, said on Tuesday that the expected restoration of Stormont represented a 'historical turning of the wheel' that would unite the island. 'In historic terms, it is within touching distance and I think that is a very exciting thing,' she said. Her deputy, Michelle O'Neill, is expected to become first minister as early as this weekend, marking the first time a nationalist has held the post.
The DUP's executive endorsed the deal early on Tuesday, with leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson claiming it removes restrictions on goods moving within the UK. 'That was our core key objective and I believe what we have secured represents real change,' he said. The agreement is conditional on two statutory instruments at Westminster, expected to be fast-tracked on Thursday.
UK Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris described the deal as a 'vast array of decent improvements', while Downing Street said it provided a 'strong basis' to restore Stormont. Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar welcomed the deal but cautioned that Dublin and Brussels needed to see the text to ensure no negative consequences for the Windsor Framework or the Good Friday Agreement.
If no glitches arise, Stormont could be recalled as early as Friday to elect a speaker and appoint an executive. The DUP is entitled to the deputy first minister post, which holds equal power but less symbolic weight. O'Neill acknowledged an urgent workload, including a fiscal crisis and crumbling healthcare, vowing to 'fight back against this Tory austerity agenda'.
The UK government has offered a £3.3bn financial package conditional on Stormont's restoration, including funding for pay rises to avert public sector strikes. However, Alliance leader Naomi Long described the breakthrough as 'bittersweet' given the time lost, while SDLP's Matthew O'Toole said it was 'not the time for champagne corks'.
