Northern Ireland Seeks Increased Funding From UK Government

Northern Ireland's new power-sharing executive called on the British government on Monday to boost its offer to ease the region's strained budget beyond the 3.3 billion pounds included in a deal to restore the devolved administration. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak met political leaders in Belfast, with Sinn Fein's Michelle O'Neill and DUP's Emma Little-Pengelly, to discuss the funding package. The new devolved government published a letter to Sunak that said the 3.3 billion pound package, while welcome, would only provide a short-term fix and did not provide the basis to deliver sustainable public services. The British government offered the package in December after talks with all parties, but Northern Ireland's ministers said it was not enough to meet the long-term level of need to deliver public services. The funding is in addition to the €3.8 billion package announced as part of the deal to get the institutions back up and running.