Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has told Stormont's leaders the "real work starts now" as he held talks in Belfast after power-sharing returned to Northern Ireland. Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, who is also at Stormont to mark the restoration of devolution, said it was a "very positive day". Westminster has allocated £3.3 billion to the newly formed Executive. However, Northern Ireland's leaders say more money is desperately needed to deliver public services. Report by Jonesia. Like us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/itn and follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/itn
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00:00 There must have been a sense of relief for both the Prime Minister and the Taoiseach
00:04 today as they witnessed the Northern Ireland executives' first meeting for two years.
00:10 "There were various times over the past year or two where I didn't think this day would
00:14 happen, so it's great that the institutions are back up and running again and obviously
00:21 we want these actions to be a success."
00:24 Northern Ireland's power-sharing institutions were restored over the weekend following a
00:28 deal between Rishi Sunak's government and the DUP, addressing unionist concerns over
00:33 post-Brexit trading arrangements.
00:35 "It's the beginning and actually the real work starts now."
00:39 Westminster has allocated £3.3bn to the newly formed executive.
00:44 However, Northern Ireland's leaders say more money is desperately needed to deliver public
00:49 services.
00:50 "Our new deal gives them more funding and more powers than they've ever had so that
00:55 they can deliver for families and businesses across Northern Ireland and that's what everyone's
00:59 priority is now.
01:01 It's not constitutional change, it's delivering on the day-to-day things that matter to people."
01:09 History was made on Saturday as Sinn Féin's Michelle O'Neill became Northern Ireland's
01:13 first ever Nationalist First Minister.
01:16 "Your national identity, your cultures, your traditions are important to me.
01:22 I will be both inclusive and respectful to you all.
01:26 None of us are being asked to surrender who we are.
01:29 Our allegiances are equally legitimate.
01:32 But let's walk this two-way street together, let's meet one another halfway."
01:37 Last week Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou MacDonald said a united Ireland was within "touching
01:42 distance".
01:43 But today the Taoiseach, who has said previously he believes he will see a united Ireland in
01:47 his lifetime, would not be drawn on the issue.
01:50 "I think today really is about marking the fact that the Good Friday Agreement, which
01:54 we voted for in big numbers, North and South, is now functioning again.
02:00 The Assembly is operating, the Executive and hopefully the North-South bodies and the Minister
02:05 of Council soon.
02:06 So I think today really should be about that rather than constitutional questions."
02:10 Whilst Sinn Féin believe a referendum on Irish unification could take place within
02:14 the next 10 years, DUP leader Geoffrey Donaldson insists that Northern Ireland is firmly part
02:20 of the UK.
02:21 "I believe that today is a good day for Northern Ireland.
02:24 A day when once again our place in the United Kingdom and its internal market is respected
02:31 and protected in our law and restored for all our people to enjoy the benefits of our
02:38 membership of the Union."
02:40 After two years of impasse, Northern Ireland's politicians have a huge amount of work to
02:45 do, from public sector pay to hospital waiting lists to childcare.
02:49 But disagreements between the Northern Ireland Assembly's two largest parties have seen
02:54 this chamber remain empty for five of the last seven years.
02:58 The people of Northern Ireland will now be hoping that their representatives' commitment
03:02 to basic public services will not again be blindsided by arguments over constitutional
03:08 minutiae.
03:08 [BLANK_AUDIO]