Leas-Uachtarán Shinn Féin Michelle O’Neill said, “We are almost two years since the restoration of the Assembly and Executive.
“It goes without saying that working as part of a four-party Executive with different and often conflicting political positions is difficult and complex.
“It has undoubtedly been challenging but when Ministers work together constructively there has been real progress made.
“The greatest challenge that we face collectively is, of course, the severe underfunding of our public services. When the British Labour Party came to power in 2024, they promised a new dawn after years of Tory cuts and austerity. Yet with a continuing cost-of-living crisis and a recent budget that failed to support workers, families and businesses in a meaningful way, Labour has continued along a similar path to the Tories.
“Austerity, cuts and stealth tax increases are all measures that hit those with the lowest incomes, rather than taxing the wealthy.
“That is a wrong.
“The reality is London has never and will never prioritise the interests of the people of the north of Ireland.
“Only where we can make our own decisions on this island will we be able to build sustainable public services.
“Alongside our determination to deliver in the here and now for the people the Executive is elected to represent, Sinn Féin is actively engaged in the growing debate on constitutional change and building a better Ireland. More people are discussing the exciting possibilities of a post-partition Ireland and what the future would look like for themselves and their families.
“That is why both the Irish and British governments must engage in those preparations now. Sinn Féin has called for a referendum by 2030, and I will continue to press that case.
“2026 promises to be an exciting year. Belfast will host Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann, a significant moment for Irish culture and language building on the historic appointment of the North’s first Commissioner for the Irish Language in October.
“There is an Irish saying: Tús maith leath na hoibre – a good start is half the work.
“Let us make a strong start to 2026. The future is ours to shape, and by working together, we can make it a brighter one.
“Athbhliain faoi Mhaise Daoibh.”
