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I have not pledged support for anybody's interlocutor; I have acknowledged that they are moving to that juncture. I have been clear in saying that those groups should not exist. They should not be given financial reward to leave the stage. They should just cease to exist. People should not engage with them on that…
I thank the First Minister for that answer. Given what we have seen over the last week and the role of dissident republicans in that activity, do you stand by your support for the UK and Irish Governments' interlocutor, whom they are appointing to engage with those very organisations?
Yes, I absolutely can. It was absolutely disgraceful. Dissident republican groups or any such group should not exist. They should leave the stage. We are here because we are trying to build a shared and inclusive society. That is the work that we are all committed to doing. The scenes that we witnessed in Derry were…
I have no idea of what star rating of hotel I have stayed in. I do not interfere in any of that business. Somebody in our office will do the logistics, and that is fine. I will say that I am very conscious of being prudent with public money. When Ministers have a job to do — they have a job to do to travel the world,…
You may not seek it out, First Minister, but you know that your colleague Conor Murphy, who is a former Economy Minister and Finance Minister, stayed in the Fullerton Hotel in Singapore, which says on its website that it reflects: "the full-blown colonial confidence of its builders". It cost more than £6,000 for him…
Yes, I know you do. That is why you signed the letter that we sent collectively to the British Government when we first formed the Executive. Austerity has hurt us badly. We are dealing with a difficult financial climate as a direct result, and we continue to do so under the new Labour Government. People should always…
Yes. As I said, the competitions to recruit the commissioners launched on 10 March and closed on 28 March. I am pleased to say that two of the panels have already completed their sift of applications: on 11 April for the Irish language commissioner and on 16 April for the Ulster-Scots and British tradition…
In line with the requirements of the Identity and Language Act 2022, we are jointly responsible for the appointment of the Irish language commissioner, the commissioner for Ulster Scots and the Ulster-British tradition and the director and members of the board of the Office of Identity and Cultural Expression. We are…
Yes. As I said in my previous answer, there is no agreement in the Executive Office on the issue. I have also read that report and very much welcome more such reports coming into the public, which in itself encourages conversation and creates an opportunity for people to have hard data on what that looks like and the…
A recent report from the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) provides further evidence that, compared with the North, the Southern part of our island has higher wages, stronger economic growth and better living standards. Does the First Minister agree that that shows that partition has failed and that it is…
It is more a question of why you are so surprised that there is no agreement on that issue in this office. It is no secret to anybody that I am an Irish republican who wants to unite the people of the island. It is also no secret to anybody that the deputy First Minister is a unionist who wants to maintain the link to…
First Minister, you have been highly vocal in public about the goal of achieving Irish unity, yet, with your hands on the levers of power in the North, you have taken few, if any, tangible steps towards formally advancing preparations for unity. The Irish Government, through the Shared Island unit, have pumped…
I agree with you absolutely. We should all work towards a situation where there are no barriers to trade across these islands, on this island and between our islands. That is where we should all aim to be, and we have highlighted that in every meeting and conversation that we have had. In May, we have a bilateral with…
There is great instability and uncertainty in global trade due to the Trump tariffs. Does the First Minister recognise the ongoing damage caused by trade friction of any kind and the need to maximise the benefits of Northern Ireland being able to trade at least for goods in all directions as freely as possible?
Thanks. We all witnessed the shock waves that arose as a direct result of the tariff announcements, which have created much uncertainty and concern. Businesses are struggling, and they find themselves back in the situation of not knowing what is going to happen next. One thing that businesses dislike more than…
Brexit has had a huge negative impact socially and economically here. With regard to lessons learned, will the First Minister detail what work is ongoing in response to the US tariffs to protect the regional and all-Ireland economy?
That is something that the Economy Minister also raised with her counterpart. We do not know where this is going to end, but, if we find ourselves in a position at the end of this whereby, for example, you have to apply for the reimbursement, that needs to be simplified. They need to make it easy. Businesses cannot…
I will let you off with that one, Mr Speaker. Thank you very much. I thank the First Minister for her answer. She will, I am sure, agree with me that businesses have had to bear, through the Windsor framework, the pressures of Brexit and getting their duties paid back through the HMRC reimbursement scheme and the…
The question was more of a general question. Let me be clear: tariffs will serve none of us well. They are bad for business and create uncertainty. They can lead to so much uncertainty that we could end up with a hike in inflation. It is therefore not a good scenario for anybody. What is important right now is…