British and Irish Prime Ministers Rishi Sunak and Leo Varadkar welcomed the restart of Northern Ireland's institutions in Belfast on Monday, where they met the new head of government, Republican Michelle O'Neill.
• Also read: Northern Ireland: Institutions reboot with historic change
• Also read: Northern Ireland: End of the crisis in sight after a long blockade of local institutions
Rishi Sunak hailed “a historic day” for the country following the end of the political stalemate.
He welcomed “very constructive meetings” with the new leaders of the British province, where power is shared between unionists committed to keeping Northern Ireland in the UK and republicans committed to unifying the island.
“It is a very good thing that the institutions are operational again,” responded Leo Varadkar.
Northern Ireland's institutions were blocked for two years due to the boycott of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), which is firmly linked to membership of the British Crown. This party was protesting against new post-Brexit trading rules that they say threaten the province's place in the United Kingdom.
But London and the DUP reached an agreement last week that paves the way for the executive and legislative branches to resume work.
Sinn Féin vice-president Michelle O'Neill took the helm of Northern Ireland's government on Saturday as the first supporter of Irish unification, a historic shift in the British province with a past marked by three decades of bloody conflict.
Under the co-government resulting from the 1998 Good Friday Agreement that ended that conflict, which claimed 3,500 lives, Michelle O'Neill is working with DUP Deputy Prime Minister Emma Little-Pengelly.
Michelle O'Neill on Sunday raised the possibility of a referendum on Irish unification within the next decade.
But Rishi Sunak urged Northern Ireland officials to focus on “the day-to-day matters that matter to citizens” rather than constitutional changes.
Leo Varadkar also said that the question of reunification was “not for today”.
Local government is responsible for areas such as housing, health, employment, agriculture and the environment.
London will release a £3.3 billion envelope to support public services that recently suffered a strike of historic proportions.
The new leader has called for more, but Rishi Sunak described the funding as “generous and significant”.
During their meeting in Belfast, Rishi Sunak and Leo Varadkar stressed that a “stable, efficient and prosperous” Northern Ireland would be extremely beneficial for bilateral relations, a Downing Street press release said.
“The time was difficult, but patience was the key to reaching an agreement,” said this press release.