Debate contribution: Executive Budget: Public Services
Debate contribution by Ms Michelle O'Neill on .
- MLA
- Ms Michelle O'Neill
- Party at the time
- Sinn Féin
- Date
- 21 September 2026
- Type
- Debate contribution (made as a minister)
- Business
- Oral Answers to Questions
- Heading
- Executive Budget: Public Services
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 5742083
Read the official Assembly record
Text
There is no irony, actually, but I welcome your interest in the fact that I was in Cardiff with the First Ministers of Scotland and Wales. I very much welcome the interest from everybody on your Benches. Is that not great? Welcome to the conversation. Let us talk about what is better for all of us; let us talk about the future; let us design that future together; and let us work together to end all the damages and ills of partition. Your MP colleagues continually refer to the fact that Westminster fails people here. It will always fail us. Let us recognise that together and work to build something better together. When I became First Minister, I said that I would be a First Minister for everybody: I meant that, and I have lived up to it at every turn. As I also said, I am a republican, and I will never surrender who I am — I never ask you to surrender who you are — so you should not be surprised. If you are surprised, you need to read into politics a wee bit more.
188 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
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