Debate contribution: Appointment of the First Minister and deputy First Minister

Debate contribution by Ms Michelle O'Neill on 3 February 2024.

MLA: Ms Michelle O'Neill
Party at the time: Sinn Féin
Date: 3 February 2024
Type: Debate contribution (made as a minister)
Business: Assembly Business
Heading: Appointment of the First Minister and deputy First Minister
Assembly identifier: Official Report component 4255100

Text

Is mór an onóir liom seasamh anseo i mo Chéad-Aire.
Today opens the door to a future — a shared future. We mark a moment of equality and a moment of progress, a new opportunity to work and to grow together, confident in the idea that, wherever we come from and whatever our aspirations, we can and must build our future together. I am delighted to see every MLA back in the Chamber today. I welcome the fact that the DUP has decided to re-enter the democratic institutions and that the outcome of last year's Assembly election is now being respected. I also look forward to there being a meeting of the North/South Ministerial Council (NSMC) shortly. The power-sharing coalition that the parties are forming here today must now dedicate itself to delivering an ambitious agenda for change. I wish all incoming Ministers well, and I pledge to work with and to collaborate with you all. The public are now relying on each of us to act in their best interests and to serve our whole community with good faith. We must make power-sharing work, because, collectively, we are all charged with leading and delivering for our people. In common cause, we must work to make life better for workers, families and communities and to create hope and opportunity. We must be respectful of each other. The days of second-class citizenship are long gone, and today confirms that they will never come back. As an Irish republican, I pledge cooperation and genuine honest effort with all those colleagues of the British and unionist tradition who cherish the Union. This is an Assembly for all: Catholic, Protestant and Dissenter. Despite our different outlooks and different views on the future constitutional position, the public rightly demand that we work and deliver together, and also that we build trust and confidence in our ability to collectively do that. That will require courage and ambition, not just from those of us who are elected but from the public. We should all invest in this. The more of us who do that, the better chance it has to succeed. This power-sharing coalition will undoubtedly face great challenges, and there are many nettles for us to grasp. The rising cost of living has been a heavy burden on many households and businesses, and there are people out there who are living hand to mouth. They need our help. Too many patients are waiting for treatment and support. Teachers, nurses and all our public-sector workers are being forced onto the picket lines, and that demands urgent action from us. There is no escaping the impact of Tory austerity. It has badly damaged our public services. The Tories have presided over more than a decade of shame and caused real suffering to the people we represent. I wish to lead an Executive with the freedom to make our own policy and spending choices. We cannot continue to be hamstrung by the Tories in London, so, together, we must unite and we must fight, with one voice, the corner of everybody whom we represent, every citizen in this society. We must fight for properly funded public services. I know that we have many shared priorities, and those will be reflected today, but we must deliver more. We must deliver more on affordable childcare to support workers and families, and more on social and affordable homes, because everybody has the right to call somewhere their home. We must transform our health and social care system and ensure that children with additional needs have first-class support. Key infrastructure developments, such as the A5 and A29 road schemes, Casement Park and other signature projects, will be delivered so that we can enhance connectivity and support communities. Regional balance and the continued investment in Derry and the north-west are essential. We must work together to mitigate the climate catastrophe, protect Lough Neagh and realise its massive potential. With new leadership in the Economy Department, we will work in partnership with businesses, the trade union movement, education providers and the community and voluntary sector to improve economic performance. A reformed Invest NI will be required to promote regional balance, because everybody should share in the benefits of prosperity. We will now begin to seize the considerable opportunities that are created by the Windsor framework to use our dual market access, grow our exports and attract higher-quality FDI and realise the all-island economy's potential. We must do more to shape the type of society that we live in. Violence against women and girls is an epidemic, an emergency, and it requires urgent action. That means every one of us working collectively to challenge the misogyny and sexist attitudes that have led and continue to lead to violence against women. As political leaders, we need women and girls in our society to know that we have their backs, we are looking after them and we are going to bring in laws to protect them. One of the first actions that this incoming Executive must take is to introduce the new strategy to tackle violence against women and girls. I know that we are all committed to doing that. Our society is becoming increasingly diverse, as reflected in the census results. That is something to be respected and also celebrated. Everyone, from every section of this society, must know that they matter and we care. Last year, we marked 25 years of peace and the signing of the Good Friday Agreement. That was a political accommodation that provided a peaceful and democratic alternative to 30 years of conflict. We all know collectively, as a society, the value of peace. Today we are all heartbroken for the suffering of the Palestinian people. Today, in this Chamber, I call for an immediate ceasefire, dialogue and peace.
I was a 20-year-old mother at the time of our agreement. I remember vividly the sense of hope and that real feeling of optimism. I got right in behind the politics, and I have worked since then to build the peace. There is no question that our society has been fundamentally transformed because of our peace process. I stand here, an elected First Minister, proud as someone who represents that Good Friday Agreement generation and someone who will lead us into the next 25 years. I am also an Ulster woman, a Tyrone woman and a deeply proud Irish and European citizen. This is an historic day, and it represents a new dawn. For the very first time, a nationalist takes up the position of First Minister. That such a day would come was unimaginable to my parents and grandparents' generation, but, because of the Good Friday Agreement, that old state that they were born into is gone and a more democratic and equal society exists. This is now a better place for all of us. This place that we call "home" and which we all love — the North of Ireland, Northern Ireland — where you can be British, Irish, both or none, is all a changing portrait. Yesterday is gone. Today is a new day, and my appointment today reflects the change that is happening. I am a republican. I will serve everyone equally and be a First Minister for all. To all of you who are British and unionist, I say this: your national identity, your cultures, your traditions are important to me. I will be inclusive and respectful to you all. None of us is being asked to surrender who we are. Our allegiances are equally legitimate. Let us walk this two-way street together; let us meet one another halfway. I will be doing so with an open hand and with heart. Much suffering and trauma persists in our society as a result of the injustices and tragedies of the past. We must never forget all those who have died or been injured or their families. I am sorry for all the lives lost during the conflict, without exception. As First Minister, I am wholeheartedly committed to continuing the work of reconciliation between all of our people. The past cannot be changed or undone, but what we can do — what we all can do — is build a better future. I will never ask anyone to move on, but I really hope that we can all move forward. I want us to walk in harmony and friendship. My eyes are fixed firmly on the future, looking towards that future where we unify people and society. Every generation must write its own chapter and define its own legacy. Scotland's greatest Irishman, James Connolly, proclaimed what are my ambitions for our young people:
"our demands most moderate are, We only want the earth."
It is my dream that our children and grandchildren will achieve beyond all of our wildest dreams and all of our wildest ambitions. I believe in our young people. They can change our society; indeed, they can change the world, if we only give them the chance. Let that be our legacy. Let our legacy be that chance — that freedom — for every young person and every child out there. Nineteen ninety-eight opened up a new horizon of hope and optimism. Now, in 2024, let us gift today's generation everything that they deserve.

1,547 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.

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