Sinn Féin Vice-President Michelle O’Neill is to be sworn in as Northern Ireland’s first nationalist First Minister today.
After two years on hold, Stormont’s devolved government is to return to power sharing, with elected representatives returning at 1pm today.
Ms O’Neill will follow 11 unionist leaders before her and be officially sworn as Northern Ireland’s First Minister.
She said her appointment shows how much has changed in the Northern Ireland Assembly and Ireland overall.
“By the very fact that for the very first time, someone from Sinn Féin, a nationalist and Republican, a woman from Tyrone will be First Minister - that speaks to the change that's happened across this island,” she said.
Northern Ireland Assembly
The Assembly will today appoint its Speaker, Deputy First Minister and eight ministerial positions.
Sinn Féin, the DUP, the Alliance Party and the Ulster Unionist Party will each appoint ministers from their party as they all gained the required minimum seats to qualify.
Sinn Féin will be entitled to three ministers, the DUP to two, while Alliance and the UUP will be entitled to one each.
The Social Democratic and Labour Party, who gained 7 seats in the general election two years ago, will not be entitled to a minister appointment.
Democratic Unionist Party Leader Jeffrey is an MP in Westminster and will therefore not be appointed Deputy First Minister, which must go to an MLA.
Returning to Stormont
The catalyst for change in Northern Ireland came earlier this week when Mr Donaldson announced his party was ready to end their boycott of the Assembly.
The DUP collapsed the assembly two years ago in protest of post-Brexit trading arrangements.
The party reached a deal with the UK Government during the week which Mr Donaldson said will remove the “Irish Sea Border” for imports to Northern Ireland from Britain.
The deal will also mean the Withdrawal Act is amended so EU law will no longer apply automatically in Northern Ireland.
Main image: Sinn Fein vice-president Michelle O'Neill and MLA Conor Murphy leave Stormont Castle, Belfast, 2/02/2024. Image: PA Images / Alamy Stock Photo
