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Brexit: DUP and Sinn Féin attend Theresa May meeting Arlene Foster says she and Michelle O'Neill must work together
(about 4 hours later)
Prime Minister Theresa May is discussing Brexit with the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) and Sinn Féin. Arlene Foster has said she and Michelle O'Neill must work together if the DUP and Sinn Féin remain the two largest parties after the assembly election.
She is meeting the parties at a Joint Ministerial Committee (JMC) summit in Cardiff, where ministers will discuss support for trade and investment. Mrs Foster was speaking after she and Mrs O'Neill attended a Brexit meeting with Prime Minister Theresa May.
DUP leader Arlene Foster and Sinn Féin's Northern Ireland leader Michelle O'Neill are attending the meeting. Mrs O'Neill said she was the only politician at the meeting representing the "democratic will" of the people of Northern Ireland to remain in the EU.
Mrs May will travel to Dublin later to meet Taoiseach Enda Kenny, with Brexit also on the agenda for their talks. She said she argued that NI should have "special status" in the EU.
Mrs O'Neill said she had spoken to James Brokenshire and Theresa May about Mr Brokenshire's remarks on legacy investigations at the weekend, and told them that the secretary of state had "disrespected the views of families who have been bereaved by state violence".
Mr Brokenshire said inquiries into killings during the Troubles are "disproportionately" focused on the police and the army.
"I took the opportunity to relay to James Brokenshire how disappointed I was at his comments, about how they were not acceptable, that clearly he disrespected the views of all those families that have been bereaved by state violence," Mrs O'Neill said.
"I think that clearly that there was insensitivity in terms of James Brokenshire's comments, the timing of them, given that we're in the weekend of Bloody Sunday anniversary, so it was wholly unhelpful.
"Clearly we need to deal with the legacy issue if we're going to move forward as society."
Mrs Foster said Monday's meeting of the Joint Ministerial Committee was originally meant to be held in Belfast, but had to be switched to Cardiff because of the collapse of the assembly.
An assembly election is to be held on 2 March after the Northern Ireland Executive collapsed over the botched Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) scheme.
Asked if she thought a JMC meeting would be held in Belfast, she said: "Yes it will, absolutely."
Mrs Foster said she and Mrs O'Neill would "have to work together, because if the people of Northern Ireland decide that Sinn Féin and the DUP are the two largest parties then we have to move forward and we have to get the institutions up and running again as soon as possible".
The JMC is designed to keep the UK's devolved regions informed about Brexit and it is made up of leaders and ministers from the devolved governments in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.The JMC is designed to keep the UK's devolved regions informed about Brexit and it is made up of leaders and ministers from the devolved governments in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
Mrs O'Neill is attending the Brexit discussions in her capacity as health minister, while Mrs Foster is also present although she is no longer first minister. Mrs May is now in Dublin later to meet Taoiseach Enda Kenny, with Brexit also on the agenda for their talks.
Analysis: Gareth Gordon, BBC News NI political correspondent in Cardiff Mrs O'Neill attended the Brexit discussions in her capacity as health minister, while Mrs Foster was also present although she is no longer first minister.
It will be interesting to see the chemistry between DUP leader Arlene Foster and Sinn Féin's newly-appointed Stormont leader Michelle O'Neill at Monday's JMC meeting.
But it has not started well - before they had even arrived, Mrs O'Neill said the DUP leader had no right to be here as she is no longer first minister after the collapse of the Northern Ireland Executive.
The DUP says Mrs Foster is entitled under the law to fulfil some functions of the office, but when I ran into Mrs O'Neill at the airport she said that justification was stretching it.
Sinn Féin accused the DUP leader of being in denial about losing her ministerial job.Sinn Féin accused the DUP leader of being in denial about losing her ministerial job.
But the DUP replied that Sinn Féin should check the law that enables Mrs Foster to continue to carry out some of her ministerial functions.But the DUP replied that Sinn Féin should check the law that enables Mrs Foster to continue to carry out some of her ministerial functions.
Ahead of the discussions, Mrs O'Neill said the government had "ignored the views of the majority of the people" in Northern Ireland on Brexit.Ahead of the discussions, Mrs O'Neill said the government had "ignored the views of the majority of the people" in Northern Ireland on Brexit.
While the UK as a whole voted to leave the EU in last June's referendum, 56% of people in Northern Ireland wanted to remain inside the union.While the UK as a whole voted to leave the EU in last June's referendum, 56% of people in Northern Ireland wanted to remain inside the union.
"Brexit is clearly bad for the island of Ireland, it's clearly bad for the economy and it's clearly bad in terms of the peace process," she said.
"I don't believe [Mrs May] is listening - I need her to listen to views of the majority of the people of the north who voted to remain within the European Union."
Mrs Foster said it was important that she was present to make sure Northern Ireland has its "voice heard" at the Brexit talks in spite of the political crisis that has led to the collapse of Stormont and the calling of an assembly election.
"Yes, we have particular issues to deal with at home, but we must deal with the issue of exiting the European Union because that doesn't wait for anyone," the former first minister said.
"It's certainly not going to wait for us to get our at together in terms of Northern Ireland."