Written by Amanda Ferguson
BELFAST (Reuters) – Northern Ireland faces a “brighter future” with the restoration of devolved government after two years of deadlock, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said during a visit to Belfast on Sunday.
Sinn Féin's Michelle O'Neill was appointed First Minister on Saturday, the first time an Irish nationalist has been appointed in a landmark historic event for the British region.
Sunak's government brokered an agreement with the pro-British Democratic Unionist Party to allow the return of power-sharing by easing trade frictions after Britain's exit from the European Union.
“In the last few days we have made significant progress towards a brighter future for people here,” Sunak told television stations.
“Everyone has worked hard to achieve this moment, and everyone is committed to making it a success and delivering for the people in Northern Ireland who have been without their devolved government for too long,” he said.
Power-sharing in the region was an essential part of the peace agreement signed in 1998, which ended decades of political and sectarian violence.
Sinn Féin is the former political wing of the Irish Republican Army (IRA), which campaigns on both sides of the Irish border to end British rule in Northern Ireland and create a united Ireland.
O'Neill told Sky News on Sunday it had been a “decade of opportunity” for Northern Ireland.
“We can share power, we can make it stable, and we can work together every day on public services, while also pursuing our equally legitimate aspirations,” she said.
However, Sunak said the focus should be on public service.
“Everyone is committed to the Belfast Good Friday Agreement, but I think everyone also agrees that it is time to focus on delivering on the everyday issues that matter to people, families and businesses in Northern Ireland.”
Sunak is due to meet O'Neill and Deputy First Minister Emma Little Pingally, of the Democratic Unionist Party, on Monday, according to his office.
Under the power-sharing agreement, the position of MP has equal powers but has less symbolic weight than the position of Prime Minister.
(Writing by Paul Sandel, Editing by Sharon Singleton)
