Official Report: Tuesday 04 March 2025

Mr Speaker: Before we move to Members' statements, I advise —.

Mr Muir (The Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs): On a point of order, Mr Speaker.

Mr Speaker: Yes, in a moment.

I advise Members that I will not be in the House next week, as I will be undertaking engagements in Canada and the United States.

Mr Muir (The Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs): On a point of order, Mr Speaker. When answering a question last week during Question Time in relation to the management of poultry litter, I referred to Northern Ireland Water when I meant to refer to the Northern Ireland Environment Agency. I just want to correct the record. Thank you.

Mr Speaker: I am very happy to facilitate you in that, Minister. I appreciate your doing that.

Ms Sheerin: Seo Seachtain na Gaeilge, am tábhactach dúinne uile go léir a bhfuil meas an-mhór againn ar ár dteanga dhúchais. Rinne Rialtas Shasana iarracht mhór ar dteanga a chur den tsaol, ach níor éirigh leo. Tá muid an-bhródúil go bhfuil ár dteanga anois ag gabháil ó neart go neart mar gheall ar an obair, agus ar an dul cun cinn atá á ndéanamh ag gníomhaithe Gaelige.

I mo cheantar féin, Doire theas, tá go leor ranganna le fáil ag gach léibheal. Tá mé féin ag baint an-sult as bheith ag freastal ar ranganna i nGlór na Speiríní i mBaile na Scrine. Gabhaim buíochas le Conchúr, le mo mhúinteoir Clare, agus leis an fhoireann uile.

Is é an dearcadh a bhíodh ann i bhfad ó shin in Éirinn go raibh ár sinsear bocht agus ainbhiosach mar gur labhair siad Gaeilge. Ach tá páistí go fóill ag caint Gaeilge. Tá cuid mhór le ceiliúradh againn. Tír gan teanga, tír gan anam.

Mr Brooks: I will address the comments made by the First Minister in the Chamber yesterday about the investment set out in the Prime Minister's statement that will see £1·6 billion spent on defence for Ukraine, with 5,000 missiles to be manufactured in my constituency, which will result in the recruitment of 200 additional staff and the securing of many other jobs.

In response to that, the First Minister said that she was incredulous that the Government would spend that money, and spend it in Northern Ireland, because she thought that it would be better spent on other things.

There is a lack of understanding from the First Minister. We have had many years of peace in this country and across Europe because of the defence that this country has provided, along with the United States and other NATO allies, in the wake of the Cold War. At the time of Brexit, there was a lot of talk about how the EU, in and of itself, having been formed after the world wars, had provided that peace across Europe. What we know is that peace was maintained largely by Europe in cooperation with the United States through NATO, which kept the Russian aggressor at bay.

The deal is about providing defence to a country that lies outside NATO, did not have those defences and has had to face a Russian aggressor in an illegal war. The Ukrainian people have had to fight that war with support largely from this country, Europe, the United States and other NATO allies — real freedom fighters, real soldiers, who stood face to face with the enemy. Last week, in the Chamber, we had talk of one of the heroes of those on the Benches opposite — a man who left a bomb outside a bar on the Shankill Road — yet they criticise the UK Government for wanting to provide munitions to those who are fighting a real aggressor in eastern Europe. The people of East Belfast are proud of the role that companies in our constituency have played and will continue to play. We are proud of the next-generation light anti-tank weapons (NLAW), which became so symbolic of Ukrainian defence in the early stages of the war.

I will say one thing for Sinn Féin: it is consistent. Its paper 'Defending Irish Neutrality' is really a critique of successive Irish Governments who wished to invest more in their defence. I encourage the Republic of Ireland to look again at that, because it has freeloaded on the backs of NATO and others for some time. This is what makes me incredulous: Sinn Féin, despite carrying out terrorist campaigns that bombed the heart out of our economy for 30 years, asking the Irish state to continue not to invest in its own defence and to freeload on the backs of others. That reinforces the fact that the only place that Sinn Féin supports US foreign policy has been in Northern Ireland. The paper speaks against it, yet, despite not going to the White House —

Mr Speaker: The Member's time is up.

Mr Brooks: — in Washington, Sinn Féin will go out, fundraise and tell Americans that they are on their side.

Miss McAllister: As we move closer to the new financial year, there is growing concern among GP practices and dental practices about the hike in National Insurance contributions. Every one of us in the Chamber has heard from constituents about access to and availability of GP services in our areas. That frustration for many of our constituents is shared by GPs. Their services are under more pressure now than they ever have been. They and their staff not only share that frustration but see it every day. They are worried about outreach and reaching out to patients who desperately need primary care every day.

I visited my local GP practice to see first-hand the pressure that happens every morning. I arrived just before 8.00 am, when the phone lines open. At Grove Medical Practice, they have a system through which you can pre-book, and you can also phone up in the morning. I saw first-hand how the GPs' receptionists are straight onto the phones, as they are every day, yet the queues are still there. They simply cannot make their way through all of that. Despite that, GPs stay on after hours every day to make sure that they see as many patients as they can.

That is not unique to my constituency. As I said, it is across all our constituencies. The Public Accounts Committee is undertaking an inquiry into GP access to which the Royal College of General Practitioners has said that the National Insurance hike could be catastrophic and that we could see even more contract hand-backs among GPs across Northern Ireland.

If it is difficult in urban areas for GP practices, it will be even more so in rural areas. Last week, the British Medical Association's general practitioners committee (GPC) for England, following negotiations with the Government, announced a package of an extra £889 million a year. That is a 7·2% increase in contract value, yet the negotiations here between the BMA NI and the Department of Health have been described by our Minister as "toxic". The debate is not toxic. We need to go back to the drawing board to ensure that our GPs and their staff are valued by the Department, the strategic planning and performance group (SPPG) and all stakeholders across Northern Ireland. Coming into the new financial year, we do not want to see more contracts being handed back. We want to see leadership. We want to see our GP services be made secure. Most importantly, we want to see positive outcomes for our constituents.

Mr McHugh: Pléifidh mé an haemacrómatóis ghéiniteach. Tá níos mó eolais ag daoine ar an fhadhb sláinte sin de bharr feachtas teilifíse a rinneadh le deireannas. Lena chois sin, bhí imeacht san Áiléar Fhada le haird a tharraingt ar an cheist.

Déantar an haemacrómatóis ghéiniteach a rangú mar ghalar neamhchoitianta. Tá an galar sin ag caitheamh ar dhuine as gach deichniúr, ach, is léir nach galar neamhchoitianta é ar chor ar bith. Ós rud é go bhfuil an haemacrómatóis ghéiniteach chomh leitheadach sin i measc na gciníocha Ceilteacha — na hÉireannaigh, na hAlbanaigh agus na Breatnaigh — is minic a thugtar an "mhalacht Cheilteach" uirthi.

Tarlaíonn an haemacrómatóis ghéiniteach nuair a fhaigheann duine géin ar leith ón dá thuismitheoir, agus, mar thoradh air sin, coinníonn an corp an iomarca iarainn, rud a théann i bhfeidhm ar orgáin ríthábhachtacha amhail an croí, an t-ae agus an paincréas.

Dá mbeadh scagthástáil leitheadach ann i dTuaisceart na hÉireann le hiompróirí an ghalair sin a aithint, d’fhéadfaí cur chuige láidir a fhorbairt le gabháil i ngleic leis an iomad fadbhanna sláinte a bhaineann leis an ghalar sin. Ach, mo léan, níl an scagthástail leitheadach ar na bacáin go fóill.

Tá áthas orm a rá, áfach, gur furasta an galar sin a chóireáil, ar dea-scéala é do na daoine sin a bhfuil an galar ag cur orthu. Tá an galar ormsa fosta. Déantar féithligean, nó tarraingt fola, nuair is gá, a trí nó a ceathair de huaireanta sa bhliain de ghnáth, lena chinntiú go gcoinnítear leibhéil iarainn ar leibhéal sábháilte.

Is féidir an fhuil a bhailíonn Seirbhís Fuilaistriúcháin Thuaisceart na hÉireann a athúsáid. Ar an drochuair, ní féidir sin a dhéanamh i gcás na ndaoine a théann faoi fhéithligean san ospidéal, nó níl áit stórála ag na hospidéil ná níl an gléas acu leis an fhuil dheonaithe a dháileadh.

Meastar gur in iarthuaisceart na hÉireann — Tír Eoghain, Dún na nGall agus Doire — is mó agus is minice atá an haemacrómatóis ghéiniteach le fáil. Dá dheasca sin, tógadh fuil ó chuid mhór daoine in ospidéil nach raibh an cumas iontu an fhuil sin a choinneáil. Faoi láthair, déantar an fhuil sin a scriosadh i ndiaidh an fhéithligin.

Sin an cheist a chuirim faoi bhráid an Tí.

Le go mbíonn soláthar maith de tháirgí fola againn —.

Mr Speaker: The Member's time is up.

Mr McHugh: Go raibh maith agat.

Mr Speaker: The Member's time is up.

Mr McHugh: Go raibh maith agat.

Mr T Buchanan: Today, I want the House to remember the brutal murder of Thomas Loughlin, a part-time lance corporal in the Ulster Defence Regiment (UDR). He was fatally injured on 2 March 1984 by an IRA booby trap bomb that was planted under his vehicle. Mr Loughlin, a Water Service employee from the Spamount area of Castlederg, had just got into his vehicle outside his home in Drumnabey Park and moved a short distance when the bomb exploded, fatally wounding him. His wife had been waving from the doorway of their home that morning, with their three-month-old baby in her arms, when the explosion happened, which blew him out of the vehicle and caused damage to the surrounding homes in the street. Neighbours took the child while she ran to comfort her husband as he lay dying on the road awaiting the ambulance to arrive.

Many people in the area who were leaving for work that morning spoke of the sheer horrific nature of the scenes that they faced, with young children who were getting ready to go to school having to be shielded from the devastation outside their homes. A young mother was left without a husband, and a three-month-old baby was robbed of a father, whom she was never to know. That is a family torn apart and a community left devastated by bloodthirsty murderers who had no thought or care for the anarchy that they created or the sorrow that they left behind.

Why was Thomas Loughlin murdered? Simply because he was a Protestant; there is no other explanation, and yet we are told that there was no alternative to that. In July 1984, four months after that brutal murder, Private Norman McKinley, who was the best man at Thomas Loughlin's wedding, and Private Heather Kerrigan, who was bridesmaid to and sister of the bride, were murdered in an IRA attack at the border near Castlederg while on patrol in the area. Three of the four people in the wedding photo that hangs in that home were brutally murdered in that short space of time, with the bride being the only one left. No one has been brought to justice for those callous and cold-blooded murders. In 1993, self-confessed IRA informer Declan "Beano" Casey from Strabane was mentioned in connection with Mr Loughlin's murder and linked, in newspaper reports, to other murders in the Castlederg area, yet he has never been brought to book for what was carried out.

On 4 August 2022, First Minister, Michelle O'Neill, said that there was "no alternative" to the IRA's armed campaign. That is a gross insult to the many innocent victims of IRA terrorism. To date, she has refused to withdraw that comment. We can therefore only assume that she still fully supports the murder by the IRA of those people in Castlederg and those throughout the rest of Northern Ireland. I challenge the First Minister, rather than continuing to commemorate and glorify IRA murderers —

Mr Speaker: The Member's time is up.

Mr T Buchanan: — and therefore adding insult to those who are already grieving —

Mr Speaker: The Member's time is up.

Mr T Buchanan: — to come to the House and do the honourable thing by retracting her callous statement and apologising —.

Mr Speaker: The Member's time is up.

Mr Gildernew: Tá go leor le ceiliúradh againn inniu le fás agus forbairt leanúnach na Gaeilge, agus is léir sin don té a dhearcann ar Sheachtain na Gaeilge. Tá an Ghaeilge ag borradh léi i bpobail áitiúla ar fud na Sé Chontae. Feicimid an méid sin, ní hé amháin san éileamh ollmhór atá ar an Ghaeloideachas, ach sa dóigh a bhfuil pobail ag titim isteach leis an Ghaeilge agus á foghlaim.

Mar sin féin, tá iomaire fada romhainn go fóill. Ní mór a chinntiú go bhfaighidh eagraíochtaí Gaeilge maoiniú cóir ceart ionas gur féidir leo leanúint ar aghaidh ag forbairt na teanga. Ba mhaith liom an deis seo a thapú ní hamháin le buíochas a gabháil leis na heagraíochtaí sin as an obair luachmhar a dhéanann siad, ach chomh maith leis sin, lenár dtacaíocht iomlán agus lenár ndlúthpháirtíocht iomlán a chur in iúl do na grúpaí a bhí ar stailc an tseachtain seo caite. Tá easpa maoinithe d’eagraíochtaí Gaeilge ina bac go fóill ar fhás na teanga, agus ní mór aghaidh a thabhairt ar an cheist sin.

Caithfear an straitéis Gaeilge a chur i bhfeidhm gan mhoill. Is minic a chuir mé an méid sin ina luí ar an Aire Pobal. Le cur i bhfeidhm na straitéise Gaeilge, déanfar an teanga a chosaint agus a chothú, agus beifear in ann riar ar ráchairt na nGaeilgeoirí, rachairt atá ag dul i méid i rith an ama. Is céim ríthábhachtach chun tosaigh í, agus ceann a mbeidh tionchar buan, dearfach aici ar thodhchaí na Gaeilge inár bpobail.

Mr Middleton: In the previous Westminster mandate, the DUP successfully fought for £20 million of towns funding for Londonderry and £20 million of towns funding for Coleraine. It was deeply disappointing that that funding was paused by the Labour Government.

Today, however, we have received confirmation that that £40 million investment across Londonderry and Strabane over the next 10 years has been released once again. That is welcome news for my constituency. The investment, on top of the city deal money, the Inclusive Future Fund and, indeed, the Executive money towards addressing regional imbalance, represents over £300 million of investment in my constituency.

It is crucial that the UK Government continue to demonstrate their commitment to growing the north-west and all parts of the United Kingdom by taking practical steps. It is important that the mechanism used to deliver that £40 million of funding across our constituencies in the north-west is one that reaches those who are hardest to reach. In the grand scheme of things, the amount of money announced today may be small, but it has the potential to be a catalyst for further growth, further job opportunities and further investments in my constituency. This is a welcome, good news statement, and I look forward to seeing what the investment can do for my constituency.

Mr Carroll: Dé Céadaoin seo caite bhí oibrithe Gaeilge ar stailc. Bhí bród mór orm seasamh leo. Bhí siad ar stailc mar gheall ar na ciorruithe atá ag teacht.

Tá pobal na Gaeilge ag déanamh obair mhór gach lá leis an teanga a chur chun cinn. I mo cheantar féin, in iarthar Bhéal Feirste, tá grúpaí Gaeilge ag déanamh sár-iarracht. Baineann mo chlann féin úsáid as neart de na seirbhísí iontacha sin. Ach tá maoiniú ceart de dhíth anois. Tá pá ceart de dhíth ar na hoibrithe. Agus tá airgead ceart de dhíth ar na seirbhísí. Ní raibh ardú ann ar mhaoiniú Fhoras na Gaeilge le 20 bliain anuas. Tá sin scanallach.

Aontaím le mana na n-oibrithe: réiteach anois, infheistíocht chothrom. Ba chóir don DUP deireadh a chur leis an bhac atá siad a chur os comhair na Gaeilge. Ach tá locht ar an Choiste Feidhmiúcháin iomlán fosta. Céad leathanach sa Chlár Rialtais — alt amháin faoin Ghaeilge. Tá gach páirtí ar bord leis an nualiobrálachas anois.

So, fair play don na hoibrithe ar stailc. Ní bheidh réiteach ann ó Stormont gan pobal na Gaeilge a bheith ar na sráideanna.

Ms Forsythe: Last Saturday, the kingdom of Mourne lost one of the most precious jewels in its crown: sadly, Evelyn Edgar passed away following a short illness. She was small in stature, but her smile and her heart and its reach were larger than life.

Evelyn was loved so much by everyone, especially her family, whom my thoughts and prayers are firmly with at this time: her parents, John and Ann; her dearly loved sister, Sarah, and brother, Newell, who were more than siblings — they were all best friends; her brother-in-law, Gordon; and her adored nephews, Paul and John. The entire family circle and wider community will so dearly miss Evelyn, but they are grateful to know that, through her faith, she is at home with her Lord and that they will all meet again.

Evelyn was firmly grounded in the Mourne Ulster-Scots heritage, and she took every opportunity to promote it. She gave her all to every organisation that she was in and did so in a quiet and unassuming manner, seeking no recognition. She would probably be completely scundered at the thought of my speaking about her in the Northern Ireland Assembly, but she deserves recognition for the huge impact that she had on so many lives in our community.

Evelyn was a dedicated and lifelong member of Orangefield flute band for 40 years and the band's secretary for 30 years. Evelyn, in spite of her illness, was attending band practice up to two weeks ago and was delighted at the band's success last week in the Flute Band Association of Northern Ireland contest.

Evelyn was a founding member of Orangefield Cultural Society and was hugely involved in doing the best for Ballinran Orange hall and the community, working hard behind the scenes and putting everyone else before herself. Evelyn was a stalwart, steadfast and loyal member of the Schomberg Society in Kilkeel, volunteering immeasurable time and energy to its Ulster-Scots work, which she loved. She was also a long-serving member of the Schomberg fife and drum band.

Evelyn founded the Ulster-Scots women's group, the Highland Heathers, which, as chairwoman, she put her heart and soul into. She was even ringing up from hospital last week to make sure that the ladies had everything in order. She cared so much for others.

Evelyn was a Christian woman of firm faith. Her testimony to the world was in how she was every day: loving, kind, unassuming, faithful, hard-working and a family woman. If only we were all more like Evelyn, the world would be a better place. On Friday night in hospital, among friends and family, Evelyn shared in the reading of Psalm 121, which is on the lectern of her own Ballinran Orange hall:

Evelyn will be dearly missed. She made a huge impact on so many lives in her too short a time on earth. My prayers are especially with John, Ann, Sarah, Newell, Gordon, Paul and John today as they gather in Mourne Presbyterian Church. I hope that they find comfort in knowing that Evelyn is safe in the arms of Jesus.

Mr Dunne: I take the opportunity to mark Marie Curie's great daffodil appeal, which happens every March. Marie Curie is a great charity that seeks to raise awareness of needs and barriers in order to support people at the end of their life and their carers, loved ones and families across Northern Ireland. Marie Curie is a charity that has a special place in the hearts of many people across our country, including mine.

Marie Curie's 'Better End of Life Report 2024' found that one in three people were:

Alarmingly, every five minutes in our United Kingdom, someone dies without the end-of-life care that they so desperately need. Those statistics should alarm us all. In Northern Ireland, it is estimated that 90% of people would benefit from a palliative care approach before they pass away. Unfortunately, too many still face barriers and challenges in accessing support when they so greatly need it.

I have had the privilege of collecting for the charity on a number of occasions, and I look forward to doing so again. I have always been amazed by the kindness and generosity of people across the country for this great cause. I thank the public of Northern Ireland, who get behind Marie Curie every month of the year but particularly in March to support the cause. Behind every daffodil there is a story. I have always been heartened to hear the stories behind every donation and the various ways that Marie Curie has brought comfort, hope and compassionate end-of-life care and support to families during some of their darkest moments.

I hope that today will be a reminder that more could be done to support those at the end of their life and their loved ones. We as an Assembly should commit to working to remove any remaining barriers, and there should rightly be a focus on strategic outcomes and approaches to palliative end-of-life care. It is welcome to see death, dying and bereavement in the Programme for Government. That is important progress, given that almost 4,000 people still miss out on vital end-of-life care in Northern Ireland.

Finally, I pay tribute to the many hard-working staff — doctors, nurses and volunteers — who keep Marie Curie's work going all year round, including in the Marie Curie hospice facility. I make a special mention of Marie Curie's North Down fundraising group, which works tirelessly to raise funds across the year.

Mrs Cameron: I congratulate the Randalstown Ulster Scots Cultural Society on recently receiving the King's Award for voluntary service. The organisation has truly become a beacon of hope and unity, offering a welcoming environment for everyone in the local community. Each week, it hosts an average of 10 diverse programmes that cater for the interests and needs of residents from free musical tuition in a variety of instruments to engaging physical activities, Highland dance sessions and the cherished seniors' club.

Its impact goes far beyond those programmes. Throughout the year, the society embarks on numerous additional activities aimed at building the capacity of the local community, such as raising funds for worthy local charities and fostering a community-focused approach to reducing social isolation. The honour is a testament to the dedication, passion and hard work of the volunteers, who collectively contribute nearly 13,000 voluntary hours of service each year. That is incredible. It is their unwavering commitment that makes all the activities possible.

Again, I congratulate Wendy Kerr and the amazing team of volunteers at the Randalstown Ulster Scots Cultural Society, and I wish them all the very best for the future.

Mr Butler: I welcome a survey that has been launched by Minister Muir, who has taken the time to seek the opinions and attitudes of farmers, who will be most directly affected by future net zero proposals in agriculture. It is vital that policy is shaped, I am sure that we all agree, by those who work the land to produce our food and who will bear the consequences of any regulatory changes. However, my purpose in speaking this morning is to issue my concern that the survey appears to be open to anyone to complete and submit, with the link being widely shared on social media.

Whilst engagement and hearing the voices of those who will be impacted most is important, there are, sadly, serious questions about the integrity of the data being gathered at the very start of the consultation. If non-target individuals are able to participate, how can we be assured that the results will accurately reflect the views of Northern Ireland's farmers and growers?

The farmers from Lagan Valley who contacted me this morning are genuinely concerned that their views will not be represented. It is vital for participation in targeted consultation that the process is not open to invalid involvement, but, sadly, this morning, the evidence is already appearing across social media that that is not the case.

I urge the Department to act speedily in this regard, because we know that our farmers are under incredible pressure not just because of draconian taxes and the onslaught of TB but, now, when they are being asked to contribute to the climate debate, which we all want to be part of, there is, unfortunately, already some nervousness that the consultation process developed by the Department is not fit for purpose. I do not raise that to be naughty; I raise it to get the message out that we need to act with haste.

Mr Speaker: That concludes the contributions of all the Members who sought to make a statement.

Mr Brett: On a point of order, Mr Speaker. This is no attack on the Minister, but, yesterday, an indication was given by the Department of Finance that a statement would be made today. An email to all Members has just landed at 10.58 am with the contents of the statement. The statement relates to a significant amount of public funding. I am a member of the Finance Committee, so I got it 30 minutes ago, but other Members of the House have not received a copy. Members have been in the Chamber since 10.30 am, and that is not an appropriate way for such a major statement to be made.

Mr Speaker: I thank the Member for the point of order. The statement was put in the Library, so it meets the Standing Orders of the Assembly. However, it is not normally how things are done, and the Minister may wish to apologise for that. I have received notice from the Minister of Finance that he wishes to make a statement.

Mr McGrath: On a point of order, Mr Speaker. I concur with the remarks that have just been made. It is only appropriate that we have a half-hour suspension to allow Members to fully read the document. There may be the method of putting it in the Library, but that is not the traditional method. It is emailed to Members or made available outside the door, and we received it at 10:58 am, which does not give us enough time to discuss such a major announcement on an Opposition day.

Mr Speaker: The Member has asked for a suspension, and I am prepared to grant that suspension. The Assembly is suspended for the next 30 minutes.

Mr Speaker: Order. I have received notice from the Minister of Finance that he wishes to make a statement. Before I call the Minister, I advise Members that they have had half an hour to look at the statement, so I expect their questions to be concise, relevant and probing.

Some Members: Hear, hear.

Mr Speaker: I call the Minister.

Mr O'Dowd (The Minister of Finance): First, I apologise to you, Mr Speaker, and to my Assembly colleagues for the administrative error that led to the delay in today's proceedings.

The Executive's Programme for Government, 'Our Plan: Doing What Matters Most', has made the reform and transformation of our public services one of our nine key priorities. As our society changes, we must ensure that our public services adapt and evolve to meet the new and changing needs of communities. As an Executive, we have been clear that we want to transform the delivery of public services and make life better for the people whom we serve. I am pleased to announce today £129 million of transformation programme funding for innovative projects that will support and drive the transformation of our public services. That funding will make a real difference in improving health outcomes for citizens, supporting children with special educational needs (SEN) and in funding initiatives in our justice system to make our communities safer. It will also support infrastructure projects to address pressure on our constrained drainage and waste water infrastructure and make improvements in the planning system, which is central to economic growth. All those are key priorities in our Programme for Government.

The final package for a restored Executive included £235 million in ring-fenced transformation funding over a five-year period commencing in 2024-25. On 9 May 2024, the Executive agreed to establish an interim board, chaired by the head of the Civil Service, Jayne Brady, and the assessment criteria to consider transformation proposals from Departments. The criteria upon which proposals were sought included those that could increase the financial sustainability of public services; transform the model of delivery of public services to improve effectiveness and efficiency; and increase prevention, cost savings and early intervention. The interim board assessed 47 proposals from Departments, and proposals that were deemed to be transformative progressed to stage 2 assessment. It is the proposals that were successful in that assessment that I will allocate funding to today.

The interim board presented its recommendations to the previous Finance Minister, who put forward her recommendations to Executive colleagues. Those recommendations were approved on 28 January. As a result of that work and following my efforts to agree the terms of reference for the interim board with the Secretary of State and, separately, to secure release of the funding from the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, I am now in a position to announce the proposals that have been successful in the first tranche of transformation funding.

Six successful proposals will benefit from funding across a five-year period. The successful proposals and funding amounts are as follows. There is £61 million for the Department of Health's primary care multidisciplinary team (MDT) proposal. MDTs are a partnership between GP federations and health and social care trusts that have introduced new early intervention, physiotherapy, social work and mental health roles in general practice to work alongside existing teams. The transformation funding will enable the completion of the model in seven existing MDT areas and the expansion to an additional five GP federation areas, with a combined population coverage of around 670,000 people. That will improve health outcomes for citizens as well as helping to address health inequalities across the North.

There is £27·5 million for the Department of Education's special educational needs proposal. That proposal aims to reform services to ensure that there are better outcomes for children. It will support a suite of pilot programmes that focus on early intervention and on building an appropriately skilled education workforce. It aims to help address the unsustainable financial trajectory of SEN provision and to improve the support that is provided to children and young people with special educational needs, ensuring that they have equal opportunities to participate in all aspects of life, with greater emotional well-being, societal inclusion and life skills.

There is £20·45 million for the joint Department of Justice and Public Prosecution Service (PPS) proposal on speeding up and transforming the criminal justice system. That proposal aims to support the transformation of criminal justice to reduce delay and maximise efficiencies. That will happen through the promotion of more timely engagement between the PSNI and the prosecution and defence services. The proposal will also target alternative approaches to out-of-court disposals for lower-level crime, which will free up capacity in our courts for more serious cases.

There is £2·19 million for the Department of Justice's modernisation of electronic monitoring proposal. That proposal will allow DOJ to transform the way in which it monitors individuals who are released into the community. The funding will enable the creation of a multidisciplinary team to examine the technical and policy implications of implementing GPS location monitoring for those on bail or on licence who are fitted with an electronic tag.

There is £15 million for the Department for Infrastructure's urban drainage proposal. That proposal will fund a pilot project to make a robust case for how we can transform the way in which rainwater is managed in our towns and cities. The pilot will use nature-based drainage solutions to demonstrate the benefits of managing rainwater naturally on the surface to slow its flow into our rivers and piped drainage systems.

There is £3 million for the Department for Infrastructure's transforming planning proposal. That proposal will lead to the appointment of independent persons to deliver reports on planning and environmental considerations relating to major "hear and report" work. That will help the Planning Appeals Commission to address its resource issues and will drive economic delivery through our planning system.

In addition, £300,000 will be allocated to the Executive Office to undertake a digital maturity assessment. Eighteen of the original 47 proposals that are digital in nature will be assessed collectively as part of that digital maturity assessment to ensure a more strategic, system-wide approach to digital transformation. Funding was also allocated for the administration and operation of the public-sector transformation board, including for the provision of expert advice to support the delivery of Departments' proposals. The board's secretariat will monitor and report on the progress of funded projects as they are implemented to ensure that projects deliver their outcomes. I will formally notify Departments of their funding allocations, including the conditions of approvals, to enable spend to commence in 2024-25.

Following the allocation of the funds, approximately £102·5 million remains for distribution. That funding will be utilised through a combination of digital proposals, which are deemed to be transformational and agreed by the Executive, and proposals received following any subsequent call for transformation proposals. My expectation is that the second call for proposals will take place in late spring or summer of this year. I therefore place on record my thanks to the public-sector transformation board for all its work during that process and to all Departments for their engagement and active participation in the transformation programme. Having come from the Department for Infrastructure, I can say that the process that has been undertaken has been a positive one so far. Officials have reflected to me that the novel and innovative process has challenged them. led to the development of strong proposals and allowed Departments to demonstrate how they can accelerate the transformation of public services when given the opportunity.

While the £235 million in funding will in no way tackle the magnitude of the issues at hand, it will be significant in helping to develop and implement a model of delivery to stimulate the wider transformation of public services. Transformation will take time, and this is a step on that journey. It also demonstrates the Executive's commitment to the reform and transformation of our public services, as published in the Programme for Government this week.

Mr O'Toole: Minister, it is welcome that we have clarity on the public-sector transformation board after more than a year. The purpose of this ring-fenced money, however, which is a one-off, was to make interventions that are genuinely transformational and cost-saving. On reading the allocations, as legitimate and clearly welcome as many of them are, there is no clarity on exactly what the cost saving will be. Given the widespread agreement that Health is clearly the most crisis-hit part of our public services, would it have been better to simply ring-fence all or most of that money for the health service to say, "Let's make an intervention that is genuinely transformative to waiting lists, rather than divvying it out between Departments"?

Mr O'Dowd: The purpose of setting up a board to look at those matters and to make recommendations to the Executive was that its members were believed to be best placed to do so from a transformation perspective across the entire Executive. The Member suggests that all of the £235 million should have been given to Health, and that is a proposal on its own. However, we currently give around 51% of our total Budget to Health. The question is this: how much more can we give to Health? Today's announcements, and the innovations and transformation that we are making today, will ensure that the general public will see genuine transformation across our public services. The funding for Health that I have announced is transformational. Where they are in operation, the multidisciplinary teams have made a hugely significant difference to the delivery of healthcare, and the further funding that we have announced today will continue that. The announcement that I have made today will ensure that approximately a third of the population is covered by multidisciplinary teams. That is a good start.

Ms Forsythe (The Deputy Chairperson of the Committee for Finance): I thank the Minister for this statement and announcement. People right across Northern Ireland recognise that we need transformation of our public services, and it is welcome that this £235 million was ring-fenced for that in the financial package. Minister, with the announcement of £129 million for transformation projects, starting immediately, how will you, as Minister of Finance, monitor centrally how each of those projects are delivering transformation? Ultimately, as Minister of Finance, you will have to report back on the package and whether transformation was delivered and how it was measured.

Mr O'Dowd: As part of the terms and conditions of allocation of funding to each of the Departments, they will be asked to recommend experts in their field to be appointed to the transformation board, subject to its agreement to those appointments. Those experts will report back, through the transformation board, to me, and I in turn will report back to the Executive. There will be continuous monitoring of the projects to determine whether they are delivering the transformation that they said that they would deliver, and those appropriately qualified individuals will do that.

Mrs Dillon: I thank the Minister for the statement; it is much appreciated. It is interesting that Mr O'Toole thinks that transformation is about reducing waiting lists. Reducing waiting lists is what the Minister has said that he will do with the money that he has got to do exactly that. Transformation is about transforming how we deliver health, and multidisciplinary teams are one way to do that. That is about early intervention and ensuring that people get treatment where and when they need it. Can the Minister give us some more information about the primary care multidisciplinary teams, please?

Mr O'Dowd: The primary care multidisciplinary team programme is a partnership with GP federations and trusts. The programme has introduced new early intervention physiotherapy, social work and mental health roles into general practice to work alongside existing teams in seven of the 17 GP federations. The MDTs help to stabilise primary care, transform access to services for patients, focus on prevention and management of conditions away from hospital settings, and can better utilise the skills of the community and voluntary sector.

MDTs will improve health outcomes for citizens as well as helping to address health inequalities across the region.

The £61 million across five years that we are announcing for Health today is about improving health outcomes for citizens and keeping people out of the hospital setting. Primary care has significant pressures as do hospital settings. I am not in any way stepping into the shoes of the Health Minister, but, if we can support the primary care sector, it means that fewer people end up in hospital.

Miss McAllister: I thank the Minister for the statement; in particular, I welcome the £61 million for the multidisciplinary teams. It is known that GP practices that have MDTs are less likely to have contract hand-backs. Will the transformation board look at the knock-on effect of that funding, in particular on workforce planning? Where there are going to be more MDTs, there will be a shuffle in the whole system of physios and social workers, and we need to ensure that we have the workforce.

Mr O'Dowd: The transformation board cannot take on the role of Departments or Ministers and nor should it. It carries the specific role of the implementation of the proposals that were brought forward by Departments to the transformation board. While experts will be appointed to monitor and report, the wider discussions in any Department and the wider implications, positive and negative, will have to be managed by the Minister and his or her team.

Mr Boylan: Cuirim fáilte roimh ráiteas an Aire.

Minister, who is making the decisions on the proposals?

Mr O'Dowd: The interim transformation board made recommendations to my predecessor that were then brought to the Executive for a decision. The decisions are being made by the democratically appointed Executive here, so there is full accountability around the decisions and their implementation.

Dr Aiken: I thank the Minister for his remarks. Minister, on page 10 of your statement, you state:

Are the funds to be spent between now and the end of next month, or, in fact, are those items to be spread over a further period?

Mr O'Dowd: We are all acutely aware that we are approaching the end of the financial year. The reprofiling of the spend is accepted, and we continue our discussions with the Treasury on that, but there is no issue in that regard. We are not expecting a full spend in this financial year, given that we are three weeks or whatever it may be from the end of the financial year. The reprofiling of the spend is needed and accepted and will be progressed.

Mr Frew: The Minister says in his statement:

It is a step that has taken over a year. What we have today is scant detail in words on pages relating nothing but pilot schemes, examination and assessment boards. Funding, we find, is being allocated to the administration and operation of the public-sector transformation board itself, including the provision of expert advice. That begs this question, Minister: who made the decisions to exclude bids? Where is the expert advice on a board that is not even working with an agreed terms of reference, and how much assessment has the Minister put into the bids that were excluded?

Mr O'Dowd: A discussion is going on in the Dáil as to whether the Opposition should sit on the Government Benches, and you often remind me of that discussion. [Interruption.]

You always remind me of that discussion.

Dr Aiken: That is praise, Paul. [Laughter.]

Mr Frew: I know.

Mr O'Dowd: There are terms of reference. They were agreed by the Executive and the NIO. We appointed a board to do a job, which was to look at the proposals coming forward from Departments, and it is only right and proper that that board was allowed to do its job. If I or my predecessor interfered in the role of the board, I suspect, you would accuse me of interfering in the role of the board.

Let the board do its job. It brought forward the proposals to my predecessor. My predecessor brought them to the Executive. The Executive scrutinised those proposals, voted on them and accepted them. That is the process that has been in place.

Mr Blair: I thank the Minister for his statement. Will Departments, once feedback is provided, be able to resubmit proposals that were not successful at the stage 2 assessment, given that many of them were a clear example of change in itself and of invest-to-save initiatives, such as the DAERA proposals on bovine TB?

Mr O'Dowd: It is up to Departments and Ministers what they do when the next round of funding is announced. I suggest that they take on board the feedback from the transformation board as part of the stage 2 process. In my statement, I reflected on the fact that, when I was in the Department for Infrastructure, my officials found the process to be challenging but very useful. If Ministers are to resubmit proposals, my advice to them is that they fully take on board the feedback received from the transformation board.

Ms Dolan: I welcome the Minister's statement. I may be asking him to step back in time, but will he outline how the transforming planning proposal will make a difference to planning?

Mr O'Dowd: I am definitely stepping back in time now. When I was first appointed Minister for Infrastructure, how we might reform planning was always front and centre of discussions in the Chamber, with interested parties and with a broader audience. Given the pressures on the Planning Appeals Commission, it was clear that we needed to take the step of appointing independent examiners. The transformation funding gave us the opportunity to do that. We made a bid, and I am thankful that the transformation board accepted it. That will take some of the pressure off planning, allowing decisions to be made much more quickly than they would have been without the funding, and thus we will support the economy moving forward.

Mr Buckley: I welcome the funding, but the statement fills me with no confidence about the speed of delivery. A transformation board that is chaired by the head of the Civil Service, Jayne Brady, has taken 10 months to deliver a minuscule amount compared with what Departments deal with yearly. Is it any wonder that our public services are in the state that they are in? Where is the urgency? Does the Minister share the school of thought that the speed of delivery on transformation runs the risk of making snails look like greyhounds?

Mr O'Dowd: I know that the Member races pigeons [Laughter.]

I do not know how much he knows about greyhounds, but I know that he races pigeons.

Would we all like to do things more quickly? Yes, we would. First of all, the board was appointed in May, and there was a call for proposals from Departments. Those proposals had to be drafted, detailed and submitted. The board then had to work its way through 47 proposals. I think that, in total, there was £750 million worth of bids. The board had to work its way through those. It then had to work with the NIO and the Treasury. I do not know whether the Member will ever have the opportunity to do that, but, at times, it is snail's pace.

We are an awful place for looking at the glass as half-empty. We have just announced £129 million worth of transformation funding for our Departments. From this point on, let us make sure that that £129 million is used effectively and efficiently to deliver the transformation that is needed.

Miss Hargey: The Minister and I see today's announcement as a positive step, because, as the Minister said, we are allocating £129 million of additional money to our public services to transform them, which is important. In that context, what are the benefits of the new approach to the allocation of transformation funds, and how can it be developed?

Mr O'Dowd: It has presented a challenge and an opportunity to Departments to think about what they could do should resources become available to them, and I am not talking only about external resources. As we move forward and have political and financial stability, Departments need to start looking at their budgets to see whether they can allocate even small amounts of money to transformation.

As we approach the spending review in June, and we move to a three-year resource budget and four-year capital budget, there is an opportunity for Departments to continue transformation, which is necessary and central to the Programme for Government, and to look at their own pots of money to see whether there is a small amount of money that they could use to continue the transformation work.

Mrs Erskine: I thank the Minister for his statement. It is welcome to see the transforming planning bid moving forward, because planning is central to our economy and investors are turning away from Northern Ireland due to the delays in our planning system. The Minister mentioned that the £3 million for transforming planning will lead to the appointment of independent persons. Can he confirm whether those people will sit under any Department and, if so, he is confident that they will have the flexibility to deal with ongoing issues that arise about the length of time for and quality of responses from statutory consultees, which impinges on the time that applications remain in the system?

Mr O'Dowd: As the Member will be aware, response times from statutory consultees are improving through measures that have been taken in the Department for Infrastructure. The independent inspectors will be appointed by the Department for Infrastructure, as they can be under planning legislation. They will be focused on delivering responses and findings to hearings and moving those hearings forward, rather than involving themselves in the minutiae of planning operations.

Mrs Guy: I welcome the announcement. I am really glad to see that the proposal for special educational needs has been included. The Minister of Education recently published his SEN reform agenda, which itself is a transformational programme, but the amount that has been allocated today is a fraction of what is needed for that. Minister, will you publish the full details of the original pitch or bid that was submitted to the transformation board, and provide an explanation of how the selected projects will deliver transformational change?

Mr O'Dowd: It may be up to the individual Departments to publish their bids. I will take a look at who is responsible for that. In principle, I have no difficulty with publishing the bids, but it may be up to individual Departments to publish them.

Today, I have announced the funding allocations. It will be up to individual Departments to set out how they propose to deliver that funding in line with the letter of offer that will issue from my Department. As I said, experts will be appointed to oversee the delivery of those projects. I am not suggesting for one second that the funding that I have announced today will solve all the problems that Departments face, but it is a significant step forward with regard to transformation of services, how those services are delivered and the objective of delivering them. As I said to an earlier questioner, there are also opportunities now for Departments to look individually at how they deliver transformation within the budgets that are allocated to them.

Mr McGrath: This proposal will see over half of the population of Northern Ireland not having access to an MDT model. It means that you, Finance Minister, are presiding over a postcode lottery for access to MDTs. According to the sector, the GP federations that are yet to become MDTs struggle to attract staff, face longer waiting lists and are more at risk of collapse. In fact, at an event last week, one GP suggested that it may be time to move on from MDTs because it is taking so long for them to be rolled out. Minister, do you agree with the Executive's two-tier health system and postcode lottery? Do you think that it is acceptable?

Mr O'Dowd: I look forward to the day when I stand up in the Chamber and respond to a proposal from the "constructive Opposition". I really do look forward to that day, because the "constructive Opposition" have now had a year to bring forward their alternative proposals.

Mr McGrath: What has Mary Lou done? What are Mary Lou's proposals?

Mr Speaker: Order.

Mr O'Dowd: Well, if you are interested, Mary Lou and her colleagues produce an alternative Budget and alternative Programme for Government each year. I am just looking forward to reading the same from the "constructive Opposition".

I will say this: if I had not stood up here — [Interruption.]

It is difficult to respond, Mr Speaker.

Mr Speaker: Minister, I encourage you not to get distracted by the chuntering. We will hear you, Minister.

Mr O'Dowd: He clearly does not want to hear the answer.

If I had not stood up here today as a member of a constructive Executive and announced £61 million of investment in Health, far fewer people would be able to access multidisciplinary teams, and the GP whom the Member refers to would be justified in his criticism of the slowness of delivery. We have just accelerated that delivery.

Mr Sheehan: Will the Minister give more information on the special educational needs proposal?

Mr O'Dowd: Some £27·5 million from the transformation fund has been allocated to the Department of Education for the special educational needs proposal. The delivery is focused on two strands. The first is focused on providing the right support at the right time for children and young people with SEN: for example, it will incorporate a range of tests and trial initiatives over three academic years, including early childhood interventions, alternative models of support for children with SEN, the development of special schools as centres of expertise and the piloting of inclusive play and nurture approaches. The second strand will focus on building a skilled and confident education workforce and ensuring that it is equipped and empowered to build supportive learning environments for pupils.

Mr Brett: First, I welcome today's announcement. It is a positive step forward in delivering transformation. I am keen to try to understand the decision-making process slightly more. As humble Back-Benchers, it would be useful to understand whether it was the public-sector transformation board that made the recommendations on the funding awards. I see that the Department for Infrastructure bid for £9 million for planning reform, which was welcome, but the decision was to allocate only one third of that. I am keen to understand whether it was an Executive decision or a recommendation by the board to fund it only to that degree.

Mr Speaker: The breaking news today, Minister, is not your statement but that Back-Benchers are humble. [Laughter.]

Go ahead.

Mr O'Dowd: We will have a debate about that on another occasion. [Laughter.]

The recommendations were made by the transformation board to the previous Finance Minister, who brought them to the Executive for ratification and agreement, or, if they so chose, disagreement. I should declare an interest as the former Infrastructure Minister. Of course, I would have liked to see the full £9 million given, but the board was dealing with bids of up to £750 million, so it had to make decisions or recommendations on the basis of the funding available to it. I think that the decisions and recommendations that have been made are good and will make a huge difference to the planning system and, therefore, to our economy.

Ms Egan: Thank you, Minister, for your statement. As a member of the Justice Committee, I welcome the investment in the Department of Justice. What is the Minister's assessment of the composition and effectiveness of the interim board, and do you envisage that it will be made permanent before the second round?

Mr O'Dowd: I plan to make the board permanent before the second round and to propose a number of appointments to it that reflect different skill sets. In fairness to the three people who have worked on the interim board, they have done an excellent job. They have carried out their remit and allowed me, as Finance Minister, and the Executive to make this announcement today to transform public services. I will propose that we appoint at least two new people to the board: one will be an expert in science and data; the other's expertise will be in value for money.

Mr McMurray: Minister, you referred to your being the previous Infrastructure Minister. Is the £15 million that has been allocated to the DFI urban drainage proposal the total amount that was bid for? From your experience in that previous role, do you think that it will be sufficient to make an impact on the challenges faced in that Department?

Mr O'Dowd: I cannot recall whether it is the full amount that was bid for, but it is quite a substantial investment. It looks at one of the elements of how we tackle the huge challenge of waste water infrastructure moving forward. Although not the sole solution, sustainable urban drainage will give us another option for how we deal with that huge challenge and in a way that is friendly to the environment.

Mr Gaston: Minister, I presume that the £61 million earmarked for the Department of Health's primary care multidisciplinary teams is distinct from the £135 million to reduce waiting lists that was announced as part of the Programme for Government yesterday. Minister, will you confirm when the Health Minister was advised of that sum and whether, unlike the situation with the "up to £135 million" that was announced yesterday, you are sure that the entirety of that sum actually exists?

Mr O'Dowd: It is not my role today to answer questions on the Programme for Government. I understand that there was a full debate in the Chamber yesterday on the Programme for Government. I can, however, assure Mr Gaston that I will work with the Health Minister, as I will with all other Ministers, to deliver the Programme for Government commitments.

Mr McNulty: Gabh mo leithscéal, a Cheann Comhairle

, as I was not in the Chamber for the entirety of the Minister's statement. I thank the Minister for his statement and for the significant funds that he announced, particularly for Health and special educational needs.

Minister, maybe you can help me to understand something. As you said, you have come from the Department for Infrastructure, so you must surely recognise that major transformation is being stymied by the lack of waste water drainage or treatment capacity, with no drains and no cranes. It has been noted that funding has been committed to storm water management and that there are elements of combined sewerage separation that will benefit the waste water treatment system, but did the Department for which you were previously Minister not make a bid to the fund to deal with the lack of waste water treatment capacity? Why has that bid not been successful?

Mr O'Dowd: The funding that is noted in front of you is successful and deals with part of the waste water treatment challenge that we face. I have previously said in the Chamber that, when we talk about waste water, we are often talking about hundreds of millions or hundreds of billions of pounds, but the reality is that a small injection of money at the right time and in the right place makes a difference. The £15 million will make a difference, and the £19 million that was announced in the October monitoring round made a difference. Let us look for finances where we can find them and at where we can do things differently on the transformation of waste water treatment. Let us also look for the significant funding that is required for waste water treatment works. As I said to Mr Gaston, I will continue to work with all Ministers on the delivery of the Programme for Government and on the change that is required to deliver public services.

Mr Kingston: I welcome the allocations for the important matter of public-sector transformation. I also welcome the fact that the transformation board secretariat will have a role in monitoring and reporting on progress. Is the Minister confident that these will not be just five-year projects but will result in genuine savings and efficiencies so that the transformations will be financially sustainable?

Mr O'Dowd: The bids were agreed on the basis that they would not simply be five-year pilot programmes but would be integrated into Departments' delivery mechanisms. One of the board's roles will be to continue to monitor that. The board will report to me, and I, in turn, will report to the Executive. This is not a pilot scheme; it is about transforming public services in the long term.

Mr Deputy Speaker (Dr Aiken): Ladies and gentlemen, that concludes questions on the statement. Thank you, Minister.

Ms McLaughlin: I beg to move

Mr Deputy Speaker (Dr Aiken): The Business Committee has agreed to allow up to one hour and 30 minutes for the debate. The proposer of the motion will have 10 minutes to propose and 10 minutes to make a winding-up speech. As an amendment has been selected and is published on the Marshalled List, the Business Committee has agreed that 15 minutes will be added to the total time for the debate.

Before I invite Sinéad McLaughlin to open the debate, I inform the Assembly that the Economy Minister is not able to be in the Chamber today and that junior Minister Reilly will respond on behalf of the Executive. Welcome, junior Minister, and thank you very much indeed. Sinéad, please open the debate.

Ms McLaughlin: Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. The subject of the motion is close to my heart and part of the reason why I entered public life. The SDLP motion calls for a dedicated economic task force to drive investment, skills and sectoral growth across the north-west. Having grown up in and spent the majority of my professional life working and living in the north-west, I am all too familiar with the barriers that are ever-present for those who wish to provide a better life for themselves and their families.

I came into politics to stand up for a place that has, too often, been left behind. Derry is a great city. The north-west is a region that I love with my heart and soul. We have unrivalled potential, innovative businesses and creative people. The city that I see today has been transformed in many ways since I grew up. The people of my city know that change is rarely delivered by those in power in Belfast, so the change that we have seen so far is, in no small part, down to decades of Derry people campaigning, marching and advocating for more.

Some people have argued about why the north-west needs a specific, special lens or deserves a specific focus. I have become used to having that discussion throughout my time in public life, and I do understand it. There are great strengths in every region, town and city across the North. When I talk about positive discrimination for the north-west, some people ask, "What is so special about that region?". Many see a historical wrong to be righted. I, too, understand that instinct. The truth is that there is an economic case for the region that goes far beyond settling old scores.

Urban centres drive economic growth by concentrating capital, expertise and infrastructure. It is as simple as that. The north-west region, with Derry city as its urban capital, is a significant economic area of scale. It provides a counterbalance in our economy to make sure that we are not dominated by just one city. Focusing on ever more development in the capital simply does not make good economic sense. As Paul Mac Flynn of the Nevin Economic Research Institute (NERI) has pointed out, we can actually effect a leap in productivity by focusing on the north-west region. That can boost the economy across Northern Ireland.

It is also a region that already boasts cross-border structures and a focus from the Irish Government through the national development plan. Joined-up spatial planning has grown in momentum and importance in the region in recent years. We have an actual opportunity to exploit that for the benefit of everyone through increased government support for collaborative approaches. Special case intervention can then capitalise on that opportunity by directing our focus and investment towards the region. That is what we mean by positive discrimination: measures that can support the region by overinvesting, practically driving capital and opportunity towards the people there so that our economy is balanced everywhere, and everyone has a chance to succeed.

Those arguments for the north-west are now well established, yet we still have a long way to go. It is time for the Government to step up and meet the ambitions of our people. Despite recent progress, we still do not have the university of size that has been promised, and without the quality of jobs that are needed, we are still, far too often, at the top of all the wrong league tables.

As the motion indicates, the north-west has a significant economic potential that requires strategic focus and investment — potential that is largely driven by the region's unique ability to benefit from access to the UK and EU markets.

Dual market access is a privilege that no other region can claim, and it is about time we started to use it properly for the benefit of the north-west. It would be totally redundant to downplay something that would benefit businesses across Northern Ireland, not least in the Derry City and Strabane District Council area.

The north-west also has huge potential in a number of sectors, including renewable energy and manufacturing. If we are to reach our net zero goals, the region must play a critical role. Its unique ability to generate a large amount of offshore wind and support the development of hydrogen and battery storage will not only align with our net zero goals but support the Minister's desire to create good jobs. As I have mentioned, manufacturing remains a key strength in the region, with emerging potential for Derry to be seen as a fintech hub, and there are local start-ups and strong university links to support growth in financial technology services.

The benefits of the Derry-Letterkenny corridor are also something we cannot ignore. As the Irish Government's national planning framework indicated, the north-west metropolitan city region is a key enabler for regional growth. Every day, thousands of workers cross the border, which makes it a vital corridor for employment, retail, health, education, social, cultural and community services. Those opportunities have also been recognised by a number of cross-border bodies that operate in the north-west, yet, in the subregional area action plan, cross-border cooperation is mentioned in only three lines. We need much more ambition than that.

We can learn from the example set by other regions around the world, such as Basel and the Basque region. Research by Paul Gosling found that it has managed to develop strong cross-border links through greater investment in transport, the development of life sciences and culture and the shared political will to promote the area. If we draw on those examples, the case for developing a new economic task force for the north-west city region could not be clearer. Such a task force could examine and develop coordinated investment, infrastructure improvement, skills development and sectoral growth initiatives on both sides of the border.

Ultimately, the key responsibility for such development lies with the Economy Minister. I am sorry that she is not here today to hear the debate on our motion. We no longer want warm words and good intentions; we want a joint strategy that delivers for the people of Derry and beyond and addresses the decades of underinvestment. It should take a new and explicit approach to setting targets for population growth in the region and aim to increase earnings and disposable income per head of population above the Northern Ireland average. The strategy must set out how the Executive will use their levers to ensure that those in the north-west have equal access to the jobs, better healthcare and opportunities that many of those east of the Bann take as a given. The strategy should also lay the ground for specific legislation that mandates all Departments to tackle regional imbalances. I firmly believe that any strategy to address regional imbalance will be successful only if it is supported by proper legislation. That is why it is in the best interests of all in the House that such legislation is introduced, and that is what I seek to do.

The north-west has the talent, the location and the economic potential to be a major driver for prosperity, which will benefit everybody in the North. We must ensure that our businesses can fully utilise dual market access, and we need to finally see the Executive and the Irish Government working together to build a thriving economic region. Now is the time for action. I urge all Members to support the motion, which will improve not only the lives of those in the north-west, but the lives of all our people across Northern Ireland.

Mr Brett: I beg to move the following amendment

Mr Deputy Speaker (Dr Aiken): Phillip, you have 10 minutes to propose the amendment and five minutes to make a winding-up speech. All other Members who speak will have five minutes.

Mr Brett: I thank the Opposition for tabling the motion for debate. It is a useful opportunity to discuss facts and not fiction.

Like the Member opposite, our party is committed to the growth of the north-west; indeed, the first visit that I undertook after being appointed as DUP economy spokesperson and Chairman of the Committee was to the city of Londonderry with my colleague Mr Middleton. That was because I recognised the vital role that Londonderry and the wider north-west play in the economic importance of Northern Ireland.

The motion is, though, somewhat bizarre. We have absolutely no mention of a city deal project that will be vital for the north-west, a project of £300 million of investment that my party proudly championed at Westminster. Indeed, it is a project that the party opposite rightly championed, but, today, there is absolutely no mention of that vital UK Government support. I did a bit of research on some of the projects that will be funded under that scheme, and that increased my surprise as to why the party opposite excluded it from the motion today. Funding has already been secured for the redevelopment of Strabane town centre. The Member opposite — Mr McCrossan — is a clear and unwavering advocate for his home town of Strabane, but there has not been a single mention in the motion or use of precious parliamentary time today to highlight the benefits that have already been secured for his town. The regeneration project for the Derry riverfront, Strand Road and Walled City areas in the heart of two SDLP Members' constituency of Foyle does not have a single mention in the motion.

I noticed that the motion includes the benefits of dual market access twice, but the Member who moved it, in the 10 minutes that she spent speaking, did not give one example of an investment secured as a benefit of dual market access. I am happy to give way to Ms McLaughlin, if she wants to put on record now an example of an investment secured in her city as a result of dual market access. That is because there has not been one. Not one has been secured. You would have thought that, if you were moving a motion that twice mentions the benefits of dual market access, you might have been able to name one. I am not asking for 10, but, given its prominence in the motion, I ask for one. Clearly, there is not one. I happily give way to Ms McLaughlin.

Ms McLaughlin: We have mentioned that dual market access should be promoted. E&I Engineering is operating on both sides of the border, and it is operating in the North because of dual market access. We know the value of it well.

Mr Brett: So, not a single example. The company that she has referenced was in operation before the ridiculous implementation of the protocol. I salute that business. Despite the bureaucracy pushed for by her party — the rigorous implementation — that would cost jobs in her constituency, that firm is still able to thrive.

Do not take my words, but let us take the words of the chief executive of Invest Northern Ireland, who was before the Committee that Ms McLaughlin and I have the pleasure of serving on together. I asked him to give an example of the dual market access that is being talked up in the motion. How many examples was he able to give? The same number as the Member opposite: zero. It is important to read that into the record of the House for the avoidance of doubt. He said:

There is not a word in the motion about that.

My party will continue to champion the north-west region, and I encourage the Members opposite, on some occasion, to take the opportunity to speak proudly of the city that they represent. If I were a foreign investor and saw motion after motion telling us how terrible the city of Londonderry is and listened to political representatives —.

Ms McLaughlin: Will the Member take an intervention?

Mr Brett: We had 10 minutes from you, Ms McLaughlin, and I have already given way once. I will make some progress on the remarks that I want to make.

If I am an investor and I continually hear from the city's political leadership, which, for many years at Westminster and for the majority of the time at the Assembly, has been the SDLP, that the city is such a bad place, at some stage I will think, "Why would I want to invest there, if the only remarks that I hear are negative?".

My colleague and I will take the opportunity to highlight some of the great aspects of the economy in the north-west: £300 million of investment as a result of a city deal for Londonderry and the wider region that will create jobs and investment for people across that region and £10 million each for Coleraine and Londonderry secured from the towns fund, which is a UK Government fund. Surprise, surprise: that does not make it into the motion tabled by the Opposition. You would almost think that they do not want to highlight those excellent —.

Mr McCrossan: We want more.

Mr Brett: I commend you for wanting more, Mr McCrossan, but it is important that you recognise at some stage the importance of the investment that has been secured and celebrate it. [Interruption.]

Mr Deputy Speaker (Dr Aiken): Gentlemen. Will you resume your seat, please, Mr Brett? I will give you an extra minute.

I enjoy robustness in a debate, but I detest chuntering from a sedentary position. I know that we all love to indulge in that, but, please, let us hear the Member who is speaking. You will all have ample opportunity to speak later if you so wish. Let us keep it civil, and let us keep it moving.

Mr Brett, you have an extra minute.

Mr Brett: Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker.

A dedicated task force for the growth of the Magee campus was rightly agreed by the Executive, because they recognise the importance of that to the wider region. Again, there is no mention of that in the motion.

We will hear from my able colleague, the Member for East Londonderry Mr Bradley, who continues to champion investment in his constituency and in Coleraine university — I am sure that he would love to have the opportunity to have a dedicated task force — but, again, that is not worthy of a mention in the SDLP motion.

A dedicated funding stream of £2·5 million that the Executive agreed as a priority will go to City of Derry Airport (CODA). No other airport in Northern Ireland will get that support. The Executive recognise the importance of CODA. How many mentions of that are there in the motion? Zero.

I encourage the Opposition, at some stage, to recognise the work that all parties and the Executive have rightly done to support Londonderry and the wider region. I encourage Members to read the Department's subregional economic plan, in which other parts of Northern Ireland rank much lower than the region named in the motion. There is no dedicated task force for those regions, no £300 million from a city deal and no £10 million from the towns fund. There is no Executive funding stream for their airport and no task force to grow their higher education centre.

Ms McLaughlin and her party are excellent representatives and champions of their constituents, but, at some stage, they should recognise the importance of the work that has been done. If I continually hear representatives talk down the city and say that it has received no attention, I may be confused by that, because the investment that the UK Government and the Executive have secured has been second to none for the people whom they represent.

Mr Deputy Speaker (Dr Aiken): Mr Delargy, you have five minutes.

Mr Delargy: Go raibh maith agat, a Leas-Cheann Comhairle.

As a party with representatives in both Derry and Donegal, Sinn Féin is acutely aware of the long-standing obstacles that the north-west has faced. The north-west is rich in opportunity. To realise its potential fully, however, we need strategic, coordinated and ambitious action.

The development of a Derry-Letterkenny economic corridor has the power to transform not just the north-west but the entire island, creating high-quality jobs, developing world-class infrastructure and delivering prosperity for workers, families and businesses.

I want to outline our commitment to key strategic projects in the north-west. In January this year, Conor Murphy allocated £5·15 million to Derry City and Strabane District Council, the largest funding of any region. Sinn Féin has played a key role in the expansion of the Magee campus, securing land for development. Just last week Caoimhe Archibald announced the acquisition of Timber Quay, Queen's Quay and the council car park. Together, that will allow us to get to 10,000 students and more.

Sinn Féin has consistently advocated, through word and action, balanced economic development of City of Derry Airport. The Department for the Economy is now a key partner in developing our connectivity, which lifts a significant financial burden off ratepayers in Derry. That agreement has allowed for the growth of our airport, with over 130 flights now leaving City of Derry Airport each month.

On another aspect of connectivity, Sinn Féin has led the campaign and ministerial commitment on the vital upgrade of the A5, connecting the north-west with the rest of Ireland. We are also advocating enhanced support for businesses that wish to operate on both sides of the border, ensuring that workers and entrepreneurs can fully avail themselves of the opportunities presented by dual market access.

In local development, the £290 million Derry and Strabane region city deal will deliver infrastructure and economic growth. Meanwhile, continued investment in the Ebrington site has led to the establishment of a maritime museum and EY's regional headquarters being situated there, creating jobs and stimulating the local economy.

We are fully committed to an all-Ireland approach. We work in tandem with our Oireachtas team to deliver investment and growth across Ireland. Sinn Féin representatives in the Dáil have been pressing for increased funding for all-Ireland infrastructure and to ensure that the Irish Government prioritise investment in the north-west through the Shared Island Fund, particularly in the development of Magee.

The idea that investing in the north-west benefits only people in the north-west is fundamentally flawed. We know the old adage: a rising tide lifts all boats. A stronger economy in Derry and Donegal will benefit people right across Ireland. It is not only relevant to us all; it is the responsibility of each and every one of us to make it happen.

Ultimately, while we can work collectively to deliver change in the here and now, we know that the biggest change that the north-west needs is Irish unity. Ní bhainfidh geilleagar an Iarthuaiscirt barr a mhaitheasa amach fad is a bheidh Éire roinnte.

Sinn Féin is committed to working on an all-Ireland basis to deliver for the north-west. That means working in the Assembly and in councils, and it also means working in Dublin. Let us seize this opportunity to work together to build prosperity for the people of the north-west and for our entire island.

Ms Nicholl: I want to say lots of things, but my head is reeling from some of the comments that have been made. The Chair of the Economy Committee is excellent, and I very much enjoy being on the Committee with him, but it is totally bizarre to accuse Sinéad McLaughlin of not being proud of her city: it is all that she talks about.

We welcome the motion on job creation and cross-border cooperation in the north-west. We know the importance of utilising skills, resources and talent on a cross-border basis. We support all those ambitions and objectives. We need improvements to cross-border labour mobility and collaboration on skills development. It makes sense, and we are already seeing significant collaboration on a cross-border basis, which is important to note.

Sometimes the pace of delivery from this place is slow. I am often inspired by the cross-border collaboration and partnership that we see between regions, councils and business. That is to be embraced. Excellent work is being done already in the north-west, and it is important that we continue to develop that. We face a range of common challenges across the island, and we can augment our power if we work together.

One criticism that I have of the motion is that the north-west already has the north-west strategic growth partnership and the north-west regional development group, which are designed to do what the Opposition have called for in their motion, so it would be good to understand a bit more about what they expect any new economic task force to deliver and whether that is potentially duplication.

I was going to talk a bit more about clustering, economic niche and the importance of cross-border collaboration, not just in the north-west but right across the border. In the Economy Committee, when we had representatives from the north-west, we saw the advanced work that they were doing and how that has sparked conversations between councils in Fermanagh, Cavan and Monaghan. It is not just important for the region that we are looking at; it is about how it raises ambition across the island.

I really want to talk about dual market access and why we will not support the DUP amendment. Dual market access is not just a status. It is an advantage for Northern Ireland businesses, a launch pad for new or expanding businesses and an opportunity to take advantage of. People ask why there are not examples. My colleague will be able to reference some examples in his constituency where dual market access has been of benefit. The issue is that, when the Assembly is up, half of our Ministers will not sell it or talk about it; the other half of the time, the Assembly is down, so we are not able to promote it.

Mr Brett: Will the Member give way?

Ms Nicholl: Go ahead.

Mr Brett: I wonder whether the Member has had time to read the Programme for Government, because there is absolutely zero mention of dual market access in that.

Ms Nicholl: I have.

Mr Deputy Speaker (Dr Aiken): The Member has an extra minute. I remind Members to keep the debate to the motion before us.

Ms Nicholl: Thank you, Deputy Speaker. The amendment refers to dual market access, as does the motion, so it is important that we have that discussion.

Dual market access is not mentioned in the Programme for Government — I wonder why. I wonder whether it may be because DUP Ministers have an issue with it. We have to be pragmatic here and not fall into the trap of taking some sort of ideological position, "We cannot talk about it because it is siding a bit too much with the EU". This is an amazing opportunity for us. It is not just about seamless trading between GB and the 27 EU member states. It gives our businesses a competitive edge and an opportunity to optimise supply chains, and embracing dual market access does not just strengthen and boost our business in the north-west and beyond. If we really harness it, we could really strengthen Northern Ireland's reputation as a dynamic hub for trade and innovation. Job creation and economic stability are good things, and we should embrace any opportunity that we can in that regard. Dual market access is one such opportunity. It seems as though we are cutting off our nose to spite our face when dual market access is something that we could be really proud of and really utilise. I do not understand why we cannot do that.

I thank the Opposition for tabling the motion. It is really important that we look inward but also focus on how we can sell outwards to grow our economy. It is not just about getting investment in; we need to be outward-looking and think about what Northern Ireland and the north-west have to sell to the world.

Mr Deputy Speaker (Dr Aiken): I remind Members that, when we are making our remarks, we are supposed to be talking about the north-west. I will more than happily listen to issues related to the north-west, but, if it stretches beyond that —.

Ms D Armstrong: I appreciate the fact that our Opposition colleagues have tabled the motion for debate today, and I thank the junior Minister for attending. If I stray into the realms of Fermanagh and South Tyrone, which I intend to do, I hope that it does not take us too far off course.

At the outset, I will say that I do not believe that any of us, for one moment, underestimates the economic opportunities available across Northern Ireland and the potential for transformation of the north-west. We all fully support that. We all recognise the economic importance of our business sectors and understand that more must be done to focus on regional growth across Northern Ireland. However, promoting the benefits of dual market access for specific and specialist sectors when that is, as yet, unproven is damaging to our economy, to business confidence and to finding a solution. We cannot work on the premise of unevidenced findings. Dual market access may seem to be appealing, but, in practice, as outlined by the Chair of the Economy Committee, it presents regulatory and trading challenges, especially with the Irish Sea border. Furthermore, in a time of global uncertainty and potential US tariffs on the UK and EU markets, Northern Ireland could face significant difficulties, given that it is part of both the single market and the UK market. That is evident from my discussions with businesses in my constituency of Fermanagh and South Tyrone. The Opposition's disregard for that is surprising.

To ensure that the north-west succeeds, we must focus on proven initiatives that drive regional growth, including cross-border trade. The city deal in the north-west and the Mid South West growth deal in my constituency provide the tools to help unlock opportunities for businesses. That is why we campaigned for them. After the threat to the Mid South West deal, we fought collectively to reinstate it. However, as an MLA for Fermanagh and South Tyrone, I feel that the continued focus on the north-west will be to the detriment of other regions in Northern Ireland, not least my own. The south-west in general feels a prevalence of indifference to escalating investment and job opportunities compared with that experienced by its counterparts east of the Bann. I want to see a balanced and comprehensive approach, as envisaged by the subregional economic plan, that will yield growth and success for everyone across Northern Ireland. I commend the north-west's business, arts, culture, hospitality and tertiary education sectors for their success and ambition to date and for their cross-border cooperation. I want to see that success mirrored in other regions of Northern Ireland, which are evolving at a different pace. The north-west has so much to offer, and with recent funding allocations of £300 million from the city and future fund deals, plus the additional £10 million that was announced this morning, the region is in an advantageous position to spearhead growth and job creation.

I thank the proposer for bringing the motion to the Chamber today. I will support the amendment, which my DUP colleagues put forward.

Mr Bradley: Mr Deputy Speaker, you can rest assured that I will stick to the topic. I concur with my colleague Gary Middleton about the announcement this morning of the £40 million investment in Londonderry and Coleraine. I did not get a chance to speak earlier, but I feel that I should recognise that.

Job creation and cross-border cooperation in the north-west would have implications for my constituency of East Londonderry. The problems that the north-west has are exacerbated even more in the other north-west, which never received a mention in the previous Economy Minister's regional balance initiative. The motion emphasises economic growth, infrastructure development and cross-border collaboration in the north-west. If implemented effectively, it could also yield significant benefits to the Causeway Coast and Glens region, but there is no mention of that. The north-west and north coast have strong potential in health and life sciences, renewable energy, regulated manufacturing and fintech, all of which align with the evolving economic landscape of the Causeway Coast and Glens area. The expansion of medical research and biopharmaceutical industries at the Coleraine campus of Ulster University, which is home to the university's world-leading biomedical research facilities, should see increased investment and job creation, but no major investment in the Coleraine campus has been announced in the House.

The region's coastal geography offers opportunities in offshore wind, tidal energy and sustainable tourism, creating direct and indirect employment from the Foyle to Ballycastle and beyond. Manufacturing hubs in the north-west could benefit from shared cross-border expertise, creating supply chain opportunities for businesses in the Causeway Coast and Glens region as well. The proximity to Northern Ireland's growing fintech sector, coupled with digital infrastructure improvements, could support the development of financial technology start-ups in the area, utilising Coleraine's unique data centre, but there is no mention of that. The motion calls for coordinated investment in the north-west's infrastructure, which could directly impact on the Causeway Coast and Glens area through enhanced transport links between key economic corridors, indirectly benefiting connectivity in the region, but there is no mention of the other north-west. There is also the potential for sustainable tourism development, capitalising on existing attractions such as the Giant's Causeway and the walled city and enhancing visitor accessibility. A joint strategy involving Invest NI, InterTradeIreland and IDA Ireland aims to attract new businesses and support start-ups in the north-west by September 2025. Of course, the Causeway Coast and Glens area must be included, enhancing collaboration between local enterprises and cross-border trade initiatives.

I also encourage cluster development, particularly in emerging sectors such as green technology and advanced manufacturing.

If included, my constituency stands to gain from the motion through increased investment, job creation and cross-border trade opportunities. We would all acknowledge the opportunity to redress regional balance by leveraging the region's unique strengths in tourism, education and renewable energy. The region can play a crucial role in the broader north-west economic strategy. The development of an economic task force and a joint investment strategy will be essential in unlocking such benefits and ensuring long-term regional prosperity, but it must be across Northern Ireland.

Mr Honeyford: I am happy to support the motion. As Kate said, some of the work is already happening. Last month, I clearly laid out Alliance's position on a shared island, which is about working practically to build and share reconciliation here and across the island. That is our focus. I stated that Alliance wanted to see a shared island approach on key issues that affect us, and our economy is one of those. As an Assembly, we need more detail to enable progress to be made.

I will talk through the motion. Sinéad's commitment to her area is absolutely commendable. She talks about regional balance as code for Derry at every Committee meeting. She champions her area, and I commend her for doing so, but we have called for the same collaborative approach to be taken across Northern Ireland. The SDLP is becoming more solely focused on the north-west and seems to be nowhere near as interested in its other Members' constituencies, never mind those of the rest of us. We need a joint task force approach across Northern Ireland and not exclusively for the north-west, but I agree that the north-west is an important part of the total. We all need to see the potential realised. That means working on a shared island basis, building reconciliation as part of a much wider remit.

Ms McLaughlin: I thank the Member for giving way. I apologise for sickening everybody about my city and region, which I love well. I do not talk negatively about it all the time, but I will say something negative: the poverty rate in Derry sits at 24%. The Member is lucky: he represents a constituency that has half the poverty rate of ours. That is why we need interventions. It is not that we have enough; we need more.

Mr Deputy Speaker (Dr Aiken): The Member has an extra minute.

Mr Honeyford: Thank you, Deputy Speaker.

I am not saying that we do not need interventions; I am just saying that there are other areas. You have brought me on to that subject. Look at the deprivation rates of north Belfast or west Belfast. Those areas have some of the lowest incomes, as have the Causeway Coast and Glens area or Newry, Mourne and Down. All I am saying is that there are other areas. The problem is not specific to Derry.

My constituency of Lagan Valley has the highest house prices and the highest disposable income but the lowest job availability in the area, and Invest NI has no capability to bring employment to it. We are restricting jobs in my area for the people who live there. Everywhere has problems; I do not deny that. We sit on the Belfast-Dublin economic corridor: if Invest does not focus on my area, we will not see the benefit of that. The investment will go elsewhere, predominantly to the South. We cannot ignore the facts. Northern Ireland is such a small region. I totally agree that we should focus on the north-west and Derry, but we should focus equally on other places such as the Causeway coast.

Just as councils have a local development plan, we need a master plan from this place to map out and show where the regions are. The Member talked about fintech and renewables in Derry, and it is the same in Belfast. We also need a map for grid connections and strategic economic zones. We need to know what is happening in Fermanagh. We need a road map and a strategic plan from the Assembly or from the Department for the Economy to show that.

It is Opposition day, and the SDLP continually goes on about being a constructive Opposition. I completely agree that there are significant opportunities, and the Member named renewable energy as one. Unfortunately, there are two barriers to that. Neither is tackled, but we need to tackle them. One is grid development, which I have just referenced. We need a plan. There needs to be legislation North and South to allow the connection of wind farms or solar at the quickest and easiest point. The motion is words on a page, but, if EirGrid's grid stops at Sligo or south Donegal and cannot develop any further north without grid connection and we have a grid connection in Derry, surely we should be able to work together to connect and work as a partnership from which everybody will benefit.

Mr O'Toole: Will the Member give way?

Mr Honeyford: No, because I have already given way, and I am running out of time.

That is one practical opportunity that could realise potential in the area. The other side of that — I commend the Member for moving the motion and talking about it — is that her party's councillors are opposing it on the council. On one hand, SDLP Assembly Members are bringing forward renewable energy as a campaign and wanting more — I want more — but, on the other hand, the party's councillors are sitting in the council chambers, where they are not the Opposition, and opposing more renewable energy in the area. You cannot talk out of both sides of your mouth. We need to start getting real, as political parties, to deliver change.

I cannot agree with the amendment that the Minister — [Laughter.]

Not the Minister, the Chair. One day, though: I talk as a prophet. I cannot agree with it. I will give two examples. Coca-Cola has invested in my area. It has 450 jobs and, with dual market access, has just created another 90 jobs because Monster Energy has just brought its energy drinks to Lisburn. The whole factory would have gone South without dual market access. Monster Energy has just invested in Lisburn, and all of the drinks are manufactured there. PRM is another example of a company that is benefiting from dual market access and about to triple the size of its place in Lisburn. There are two examples of what you were asking for.

Mr Gaston: I start by commending the DUP for tabling an amendment that correctly identifies the fact that there is no evidence of any benefits from the fantasy of dual market access. I heard Mr Honeyford give a couple of examples. I would like to hear more about those, just to make sure that it is dual market —.

Mr Deputy Speaker (Dr Aiken): Mr Gaston, we are talking about the north-west.

Mr Gaston: Yes, well, Mr Honeyford referred to Lagan Valley, and I could not let that go.

We have been told that Northern Ireland would have access to the UK market and the EU market and that everyone should be overwhelmed by the fantastic opportunity that that provides. How wrong that has turned out to be, for one simple reason: inward investment was supposed to flow into Northern Ireland because of dual market access, but it has not done so. Under questioning from the Committee Chair, Mr Brett, Invest NI had to admit that there had been no upturn. Why is that? It is because the price of access to the EU market was the fettering of trade from Great Britain. A manufacturer wishing to set up a business in Northern Ireland in order to have access to the EU market is bound to consider, "Where will I get my raw materials?" If they decide, as many do, that they must get them from GB, they will discover that they have a trade border to navigate.

Dual market access has always been a fairy tale and oversold. As a member of the EU single market, which, sadly, we are, we have to subjugate our sovereignty to that of the EU. That means that, to enjoy the so-called benefits of the single market, we have to subject ourselves to 300 areas of law that we do not make and cannot change. EU laws are foreign laws. The truth is that it is our services industry, not our manufacturing industry, that has expanded. The irony is that services are not covered by the protocol; they remain within the United Kingdom context.

The proof of the pudding is always in the eating. Being in the EU single market is not benefiting the economy of Northern Ireland or, indeed, the north-west; instead, it fetters our relationship with our biggest partner. It all comes back to this fundamental question: is it right that, as a people, we are governed by laws that we cannot make and cannot change? That can never be right.

Mr O'Toole: I appreciate the Member's giving way; he is always generous in giving way. If the protocol and the Windsor framework are so bad for the Northern Ireland economy, why have we generally outperformed the UK economy consistently since Brexit?

Mr Deputy Speaker (Dr Aiken): The Member has an extra minute.

Mr Gaston: Thank you very much, Deputy Speaker. I thank the Member for his intervention and for recognising that I am generous about letting other people in.

When we talk about the protocol, the answer lies with the EU and mutual enforcement. However, the Irish Government, in their political pursuit of unifying the island of Ireland through the protocol, rejected that which is the basis for international trade elsewhere: if you want to make goods that are destined for a foreign market, you make them to the standards of that foreign market —

Mr Deputy Speaker (Dr Aiken): Mr Gaston.

Mr Gaston: — and you will mutually enforce —

Mr Deputy Speaker (Dr Aiken): Mr Gaston.

Mr Gaston: — each other's laws.

Mr Deputy Speaker (Dr Aiken): Mr Gaston.

Mr Gaston: Yes, Mr Deputy Speaker?

Mr Deputy Speaker (Dr Aiken): I have given a lot of latitude during the debate, but it is about the north-west. Let us discuss the implications of whatever the issue happens to be for the north-west. Thank you.

Mr Gaston: Thank you very much, Deputy Speaker. I was just coming back to the north-west and how mutual enforcement would benefit the north-west as well as the rest of Northern Ireland.

I will go back to mutual enforcement. It is a fundamental element of international trade. We do not need the protocol, not in the north-west or in the rest of Northern Ireland.

I welcome the fact that the DUP has found reverse gear since its 'Safeguarding the Union' document, when it embraced the ideal of dual market access. I will join DUP Members in the Lobby to vote for their amendment.

Mr Deputy Speaker (Dr Aiken): The Business Committee has arranged to meet at 1.00 pm. I propose therefore, by leave of the Assembly, to suspend the sitting until 2.00 pm. The debate will continue after Question Time, when the first Member to be called will be junior Minister Reilly, who will have up to 15 minutes to respond.

Mr Speaker: Question 5 has been withdrawn.

Ms Kimmins (The Minister for Infrastructure): Under the current funding model, my Department fully funded NI Water for the first three years of the current price control (PC) period to the level that the Utility Regulator deemed necessary. We all recognise that there is a need for additional funding for all public services, and NI Water is not immune. Water and sewage infrastructure has suffered from years of historical underinvestment as a result of the austerity policies that the British Government implemented, and we are dealing with the legacy of those policies.

My Department has provided NI Water with a budget allocation of almost £0·5 billion in this financial year, which is just under 40% of the total non-ring-fenced budget that is available for the entire Department. Furthermore, my predecessor provided NI Water with an additional £32 million of public money in the recent October monitoring round, of which £19·5 million was to fund targeted action to release waste water constraints. In partnership with the Executive, I will be continuing my Department's three-pronged approach by working with colleagues to try to increase waste water investment, by reviewing the policy and legislation for developer contributions, with a view to launching a consultation later this month, and by securing Executive agreement for a water, flooding and sustainable drainage Bill to be introduced in the Assembly.

My Department has reviewed water utility company structures across Britain and Ireland for best practice, including the mutualisation model, in which I know the Member is interested. The privatisation and mutualisation models that are favoured in England and Wales require charges to be paid by domestic water customers, however, so they are essentially water charges by the back door. Furthermore, recent evidence has demonstrated that those governance models do not necessarily provide the better levels of services that people expect and can lead to higher levels of debt and to increasing costs.

I am keen to see the delivery of improvements to our waste water infrastructure in order to facilitate housing growth and economic development, as well as to help improve water quality. I will continue to work in partnership with NI Water to ensure that we make the most of the funding that we have available for essential public services. I will also continue to work with my Executive colleagues.

Mr McMurray: I thank the Minister for her answer. She and I agree on some of the overarching themes, but she referenced mutualisation and privatisation together. Does she accept that, although mutualisation is about community ownership, privatisation is a different financial model?

Ms Kimmins: A mutualisation model would result in the relinquishing of Executive oversight, which in itself would be concerning. Given that we have seen examples across the water of where mutualisation has not worked well, achieving it here would require domestic water customers to pay charges. There is no ambiguity about that. NI Water would also be required to secure debt and financing on quite a significant scale. To do that, it would be required to borrow large amounts of money that would have to be financed in some way. For me, mutualisation is just another way of dressing up the introduction of water charges for domestic customers. I am committed to ensuring that we do not place an additional financial pressure on people who are already struggling with the cost of living and everything else that we hear about day and daily.

Mr Boylan: I welcome the Minister to her first Question Time. For clarity, because there seems to be some confusion, will she clearly explain why she believes that mutualisation leads to water charges?

Ms Kimmins: As I said, I believe that mutualisation is essentially water charges by the back door. A mutualisation model would require the Executive to relinquish oversight, which is not the direction in which we want to go. We want to ensure that we have that level of governance over how water is treated and how the waste water system is working. I therefore do not think that mutualisation is a positive option. We have seen that it has not worked well across the water. I want to ensure that we can continue to provide the highest standards of waste water infrastructure while ensuring that we are not creating additional costs for domestic customers.

Mr Gaston: The Minister for Communities has announced the building of 100,000 new houses by 2039, while the Programme for Government (PFG) commits to 5,850 new social houses being started by 2027.

The current waste water infrastructure could not support those developments. What conversations have you had with the Minister for Communities? Have you given him a commitment that you will support him, through funding Northern Ireland Water, to ensure that he can provide the houses that he outlined in those announcements?

Ms Kimmins: I thank the Member for his question. It is important to outline that waste water infrastructure underpins quite a lot of the priorities in the Programme for Government. There is a commitment not just by me as the Minister but across the Executive to deliver on those priorities. As I said in previous answers today, I will continue to work on my three-pronged approach, which involves working closely with all Executive colleagues to deliver the funding needed. The reality, as the Member will know, is that the overall Executive Budget would not be enough to deliver the required waste water upgrades. However, that does not mean that we do nothing. I will continue to work to the best of my ability with all Executive colleagues to do as much as we can to deliver on our waste water infrastructure and ensure that the homes that we have committed to build are built at the earliest possible stage.

Mr Allen: Minister, in a recent engagement with the Committee for Communities on housing, Northern Ireland Water highlighted a requirement of £1·8 billion, which has been highlighted repeatedly, but there is no funding for that. At what stage will the Department for Infrastructure accept that the current funding model really is not working?

Ms Kimmins: I do not believe that the current funding model is not working. The problem is that we do not have enough funding. I have given answers today on options that Members put forward such as mutualisation and privatisation. There is a concerted effort to push us in the direction of implementing water charges: that will not happen; I am committed to not doing that. The Member is shaking his head. Just to be clear: I am not suggesting that that is what he was saying. What I am saying is that I am looking at all available options. Things have been done. In the October monitoring round, my predecessor, John O'Dowd, provided £19·5 million, which will help to unlock capacity that will build 2,300 homes. When we put our heads together, it can happen. I will continue to do that, working with all colleagues around the table.

Mr Dunne: Given the severe impact of the water capacity crisis on domestic and commercial development, and our ever-growing housing waiting lists, what innovative engineering solutions are being considered? Is best practice across the world being fully explored to try to solve the crisis, which is not new?

Ms Kimmins: I thank the Member for his question. The Finance Minister announced today a funding allocation through the transformation fund that includes £15 million for urban drainage. That is one way of looking at the innovation that is available to treat rain water, which, as NI Water has said, forms a large part of the water going through treatment systems. At Committee last week, we had a discussion about global practice. We are committed to looking at best practice not just across these islands but across Europe and globally. As I said at Committee, I rule nothing in and nothing out. It is important to recognise, however, that we have a good funding model. We have options that we are considering and working through in the three-pronged approach. We will continue to look at all options that can help to deliver on waste water.

Mr Durkan: The Minister said that she is not ruling anything in or anything out, but has she, in effect, ruled out the expert-led review of the funding and governance of Northern Ireland Water, which was recommended by the Audit Office? She said that she does not believe that there is anything wrong with the funding model, and I share her concerns about some of the solutions that are being mooted by others. However, if there is nothing wrong with the funding model, is the Minister confident that the governance of Northern Ireland Water is everything that it should be?

Ms Kimmins: At Committee last week, we also talked about the NI Audit Office report, which was published last year. The Department has already undertaken six reviews of funding and the status of NI Water. After all that, we have come to the conclusion that it is best to continue with the existing funding model. The outcome of that work is for the Assembly to consider. It is for the Assembly to choose whether it wants to change NI Water's form or funding model, but that would require the introduction of domestic water charges. No matter how many times we talk about it, that would be the ultimate outcome if we were to change. What I am saying is that we will look at all the suggestions put forward. My priority is to ensure that we do not put an additional burden on hard-working families and people right across the North who are already struggling with the cost of living. We need to find sustainable solutions.

I take on board what the Member said, but it is important that any changes —. On the other point about changing the funding model or how we currently operate, that would require further delays to the progress on our waste water infrastructure. At this time, I am committed to doing as much as I can. That may require taking a phased approach to doing things and basing that on the funding that is available to me. I will make sure that I continue to work with all partners, including NI Water, to ensure that, when more money becomes available, we are ready to use it.

Mr Speaker: Mr Sheehan is not in his place.

Ms Kimmins: It is important to note that the majority of housing developments pass through the various processes of planning, consents, construction and adoption with relatively few issues. Departmental data indicates that over 92% of all housing developments are adopted without the need to engage in enforcement action or have the development added to the list of unadopted sites. However, I fully recognise that a significant number of developments are not completed to the correct standard and remain unadopted.

A number of measures have been put in place by my Department over recent years to increase the effectiveness of enforcement. Following approval by my predecessor, Minister O'Dowd, bond calculation rates were raised in 2023 to ensure that bonds would be sufficient to complete construction works should a developer default. That represented the first rise since 2008.

In addition, following the 2024 Assembly motion on tackling the high number of unadopted housing developments and roads, a commitment was given to develop more effective private streets enforcement guidance to reduce the risk of new developments being added to the backlog of unadopted sites. I am reviewing that guidance. I met officials in recent days to discuss the issue and consider our next steps, and I hope to be able to make an announcement very soon.

Mr McGuigan: I thank the Minister for that response. Further to that, will she outline what DFI's legislative responsibility is in the adoption of developments?

Ms Kimmins: That is an important point to clarify for the record. In my view, where the developer defaults, it is the developer's responsibility. They have been paid for the properties that have been built.

As for my Department's responsibility, the statutory basis for the adoption of private streets is provided for in the Private Streets (NI) Order 1980 and the Private Streets (Amendment) (NI) Order 1992. The Private Streets Order requires developers to take out a bond surety, which is a financial guarantee that the developer will meet their obligations. If the developer defaults, the authority may draw down the bond in order to have the works completed to the required standards. Where a developer has defaulted on their agreements by leaving a site incomplete or the company's ceasing to trade, my Department has a discretionary option to commence enforcement by issuing notices under the relevant legislation and using the bond moneys to complete the works necessary to bring the infrastructure to the required standard. If the value of the work necessary to bring a development to an adoptable standard exceeds the value of the bond held, my Department has no legal requirement to complete the work and no funding mechanism to bridge the gap. Unfortunately, unless alternative funding can be identified, a development will remain unadopted.

Mrs Erskine: I welcome the Minister to her first Question Time today. I declare an interest as somebody who lives in an unadopted development. The Minister will be aware that I hope to introduce a private Member's Bill on the issue.

There does not seem to be any deterrent for developers who continually build homes but leave the infrastructure outside the homeowner's door in a very poor condition. Homeowners are left in a merry-go-round situation, with the issue going back and forth between DFI and the developer. Minister, has any enforcement action been taken, even in the past five years, against developers who have created that situation?

Ms Kimmins: I thank the Member. I completely appreciate her frustration. I know that the issue has come up in many areas. I reiterate the point that, essentially, the Department's hands are tied. It is the responsibility of the developers who sold the houses. People bought those in good faith and expected them to be finished. I appreciate that it is a very difficult situation, and I have a lot of empathy for all those impacted on by it.

Since 2021, enforcement action has been initiated by my Department on approximately 28 sites. The number of enforcement actions is restricted by several factors, including Department and contractor resource and a shortfall of funds remaining in the bond. As I have previously mentioned, I am considering new private streets enforcement guidance that may influence how and when enforcement action is taken in the future against developers. Hopefully, I will be able to update the House fairly soon.

Mr Stewart: I welcome the Minister to her place. Minister, you talk about your legislative responsibility regarding bonds: one of my biggest frustrations in representing the hundreds of people in East Antrim who live on unadopted roads is the ability to call down those bonds. One development in my constituency was abandoned by the developer over 15 years ago. That bond has still not been accessed despite your Department having the legislative resources to do so. Why is it such a bureaucratic, long and drawn-out process for people to finally get the works done in those areas?

Ms Kimmins: I thank the Member for that question. That demonstrates just how challenging the issue is, and I have committed to reviewing the guidance and, hopefully, updating it so that it is more streamlined and shows clearly what we can do within our remit to bring the issues to a resolution at the earliest possible stage. That has been recognised, and that is why we are where we are. I hope to be able to provide further information fairly soon.

Mr Honeyford: I welcome the Minister to her place. We all have examples of this. In Lagan Valley, residents of the Ayrshire development have lived in their homes for years, yet DFI has reported recently that technical designs were not even done or submitted. Residents have been left frustrated and living with unfinished roads. Will any new guidance be applied retrospectively? If not, why not? Surely DFI has to be way stronger from the start, before houses are even occupied.

Ms Kimmins: At this point, it would be remiss of me to pre-empt what will come out of the current review. I hope to be able to provide the Member with further updates at the earliest possible stage.

Ms Kimmins: I confirm that Translink received funding through the Department for Transport's Union connectivity fund to undertake a feasibility study regarding the reopening of the railway line between Lisburn and Antrim. As well as considering engineering requirements, demand forecasting and cost estimates, the study is considering reopening the three stations previously in operation on the line at Ballinderry, Glenavy and Crumlin. In addition, three locations for a new station at Belfast International Airport are being appraised to identify the preferred option. The report is due to be completed in spring 2025, so, hopefully, in the next few weeks. I look forward to reviewing its recommendations on how to improve connectivity across our island.

Mrs Guy: I thank the Minister for her answer. Has her Department made any budget bids to the fund for the delivery of the Knockmore line, which includes that link to Belfast International Airport?

Ms Kimmins: Maybe I could come back to the Member on that in writing. I have not become aware of any since I have come into post. I can double-check that with the Department and come back to you in writing.

Mr Gildernew: Comhghairdeas leat faoi do chéad Tráth na gCeist, a Aire, agus ádh mór ort.

Can you update the House on the development of projects proposed under the all-Ireland rail review, Minister?

Ms Kimmins: Go raibh maith agat, a Cholm. My Department continues to work with our colleagues in the Department of Transport, supported by the European Investment Bank (EIB), to consider the recommendations in the review and identify the rail interventions that could be well advanced or delivered over the next decade to 2035. Rail services on the island are already being developed towards the report's vision. That includes an increase in the hourly train service between Dublin and Belfast, while procurement has also started on a new faster and more sustainable Enterprise train fleet for the Dublin to Belfast route. We hope to see that in place by 2029.

In addition to the reopening of the Knockmore line, Translink has other feasibility studies ongoing that are linked to recommendations in the rail review and are due to report by spring/summer this year. I will then need to consider which projects to prioritise as funding opportunities become available. The outcomes from the EIB work and the ongoing feasibility studies will help to inform that. Just last week, I attended my first North/South Ministerial Council (NSMC) meeting and was delighted to meet my counterpart in the South, Minister O'Brien. That issue was high on the agenda. I look forward to continuing that work with my colleagues in the South.

Mr Buckley: The Minister will know that there is a lot of excitement across Northern Ireland about the potential reopening of old lines. In particular, one that is well known to her, as it is to me, is the Portadown to Armagh railway line in our constituencies. Following on from her answer to the previous question, what engagement will there be with local communities when the Department decides whether to advance a line?

Ms Kimmins: Yes, I am aware of that line in particular, given that it goes through my constituency as well. With all of the projects, engagement and consultation with communities are critical. While we await the outcome of the feasibility studies, we will consider, in the next steps, what that consultation will look like. I hope to see further progress on that in the very near future.

Mr McNulty: The Minister's Department deserves huge credit for the hourly Enterprise service between Belfast and Dublin. It is a game changer for public transport, so well done. Will the Minister please give an update on the reopening of the Armagh to Portadown line?

Ms Kimmins: I thank the Member for his comments. The Enterprise service that he alludes to has been highly successful. We have seen a 49% increase in passengers, which is a success story in itself for public transport.

The Portadown to Armagh line, with an onward connection to Mullingar, was identified as a medium-term intervention in the all-island strategic rail review in support of the recommendation to develop the railway to boost connectivity in the north midlands. The feasibility study builds on an initial study that was funded by the Department and carried out by Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council in 2022. Initial outcomes from the study suggest that there is sufficient forecast demand between Armagh and Belfast and in the local urban corridor of Portadown, Lurgan and Lisburn and that journey times will be competitive with the car. It is anticipated that the feasibility study report will be available in the coming weeks, and I will study its recommendations when I receive it.

Mr Speaker: Question No 5 has been withdrawn.

Ms Kimmins: Work to upgrade the eastern footway and cycle track on Stranmillis embankment commenced on 27 January this year and is expected to take approximately 15 weeks. It is a sizeable investment to upgrade our existing cycling infrastructure in Belfast, with investment from my Department of £580,000. I recognise the value of maintaining the route to a high standard to ensure that the facilities remain attractive to users. It is one of the most important cycling routes in Belfast, connecting the north and south of the city, through the Lagan towpath, the riverside path and the M2 foreshore. It is one of the first schemes to benefit from new intuitive red surfacing and splayed kerbs to increase safety and the usable width for cycling. The footway reconstruction will also significantly improve the pavement surface for pedestrians along the route.

Ms Nicholl: I thank the Minister for her answer. I commend the officials who have been engaging with residents and the community on this. Without integrated infrastructure to make cycling safer and more efficient, people will not make that transition to active travel. As well as the Stranmillis embankment work, what schemes is her Department taking forward to improve cycling infrastructure in South Belfast, and how will they be connected up to make journeys safer? I notice that Methody students are just coming into the Public Gallery, and this directly impacts them.

Ms Kimmins: The Lagmore Avenue scheme is programmed to start on site in the coming weeks. The west Belfast greenway phase 1A is also programmed to start very soon — sorry, I have lost my train of thought. The joys of technology.

It is dependent on land acquisition being finalised. There are other schemes for which the design is substantially complete, and officials are preparing traffic regulation orders for statutory consultation. Design work is ongoing for the majority of the other schemes on the short-term list in the Belfast cycling network delivery plan, and the public will be informed through upcoming engagement events as scheme designs progress.

Mr O'Toole: I welcome our year 11 students from Methody, as Kate said.

I welcome the upgrading of any cycle lane, and the one on the Stranmillis embankment is well used. However, it is an existing embankment that is well used, and we are spending scarce resources closing it down, when there are other active travel opportunities in South Belfast. I think about additional cycle lanes on the Ravenhill Road or the Carryduff greenway. Is it the best use of half a million pounds to update what is already a very well-used and popular cycle and running track when there could be other demands in the constituency?

Ms Kimmins: The Member has potentially answered his own question, because, given that it is so well used, it is important. It has been surveyed, and it is important to those who use it to invest in maintaining our existing pedestrian and cycling facilities to ensure that infrastructure remains safe, effective and attractive to users as we continue to encourage that behavioural shift towards walking, wheeling and cycling.

As the Member alluded to, the cycle track at the Stranmillis embankment has been in place for over 25 years, and this is the first time that this level of investment has been required. The surface of the existing footway has deteriorated to the extent that sections may present difficulties to pedestrians, especially those using mobility aids or prams. Patching repairs have been carried out in the past, but the current investment will upgrade the facilities along the route for pedestrians and cyclists for many years to come. It is an important part of the work that we do, but it does not take away from the need for the further new schemes that we are committed to delivering across the North, not just in Belfast.

Miss Brogan: Does the Minister have a plan for reaching the commitment to spend 10% of our transport budget on active travel?

Ms Kimmins: I am still here. Just give me a second.

Yes, I am committed to increasing investment in active travel. I have to do that, if we are to meet the requirements of the Climate Change Act 2022. In addition to the delivery of active travel projects, my Department routinely invests in existing pedestrian and cycling infrastructure, as we have discussed. Work is ongoing to analyse the overall transport budgets and identify all areas of departmental spend from which pedestrians and cyclists benefit. When that analysis is complete, it will allow my Department to report a comprehensive position of overall active travel spend against the requirements of the Climate Change Act.

Ms Kimmins: Public transport connects and enhances our communities, providing a convenient, flexible and accessible way to travel. The safety of our public transport workers and passengers is vital. Indeed, our public transport workers deserve to feel safe doing their job and should not be subjected to attacks, whether verbal or physical. Translink initially withdrew services from the area in 2018 due to an antisocial behaviour incident. It engaged with the local community and elected representatives and reintroduced services up until 6.00 pm. That service was restored, as there was not deemed to be demand for a service after 6.00 pm. With additional housing development in the area, however, Translink is reviewing its service offering and will continue to work with local elected representatives to extend the service into the evening.

Mr Carroll: I thank the Minister for her answer. It is crucial that communities have access to public transport. I think that there is a demand for services after 6.00 pm in the Lagmore area and beyond. I understand that there may have been a recent change to Translink's decision.

Does the Minister agree that worker safety and protection is paramount, and will she indicate what measures her Department has put in place to make sure that, while there is access to public transport, workers are protected and safe in their place of work?

Ms Kimmins: I outlined initially that, when such incidents happen, we will continue to work with communities and elected representatives in the areas where they happen. Translink would be in a better position to answer the question about the safety of its workers and to talk about lone working policies and things like that. I am happy to get further clarity on the policies that are in place and get back to the Member in writing.

Mr Baker: Does the Minister agree that it is important that that consultation happens with the community? I was a representative when that bus service was withdrawn in 2016 and when we got it back in 2018. It is important that youth workers, unions, bus drivers, Translink and community reps work hard. That delivers for everybody, and going forward beyond 6.00 pm will be another success.

Ms Kimmins: Yes, that is critical. From the outset, we want to ensure that areas do not get a reputation that goes before them in a negative way. We all have a responsibility to play our part and ensure that, where such issues arise, we work together to resolve them. The most important thing is to put an end to such issues. No one should feel unsafe going to their daily work. That consultation — that piece of work — is critical to protect workers and ensure that the people of that area have access to the public transport services that they need and deserve.

Ms Kimmins: My Department has developed a draft active travel delivery plan including draft network maps for our larger towns and cities such as Bangor, Donaghadee and Holywood in the North Down area. Public consultation on the draft plan closed on 28 February, and I thank everyone who took the time to respond. My officials will now review the submissions received and make any necessary amendments to the plan before submitting it to me for final approval. When it is complete, the plan will complement the Belfast cycling network delivery plan to provide a firm basis for prioritising the delivery of improved active travel infrastructure in our towns and cities, providing enhanced sustainable connectivity for the next 10 years and beyond.

My Department also works closely with councils to support them in the delivery of their greenway and active travel priorities. In the Ards and North Down Borough Council area, funding of £6·4 million has been committed by my Department to deliver greenways connecting Comber and Bangor to Newtownards. I recently attended an event marking the commencement of the construction for the Newtownards to Bangor greenway. My officials continue to work with their counterparts in council to finalise the design for the Newtownards to Comber greenway.

Mr Speaker: We move now to topical questions.

Ms Kimmins: I thank the Member for his cordial words. I recently met officials in relation to that scheme. The upgrade and signalisation of Caw roundabout is the responsibility of the developer, as included in the planning consent for the adjacent H30 development. The Department continues to work with the developer on the matter.

On 15 November and 12 December last year, the developer submitted further information on the traffic assumptions and modelling updates. Additional design information was received on 17 February this year. I met officials on receipt of that, and it is currently being reviewed in line with the Department's responsibility to protect road safety. I hope that we will be able to make further progress on that very soon.

Mr Durkan: I thank the Minister for her answer. This is a long-running issue, and I have started to feel like Andy Dufresne writing to ask for more books for Shawshank library.

Minister, I am unaware that it was ever the case that the upgrade of the roundabout was the entire responsibility of the developer. Yes, there was a responsibility on the developer to make a financial contribution. It is my understanding now that the developer is prepared to and has made an offer to pay for the works in their entirety and that that is awaiting sign-off from the Minister. Can the Minister assure us that she will deal with the issue in an urgent fashion?

Ms Kimmins: Yes, without getting into the detail of the case, it is important that we recognise that. It is an important part of the scheme. However, I have a responsibility to ensure that anything that is approved by me or through the Department meets the criteria required. I understand that this is a very important scheme that will lead to the significant development of housing in that area, so I want to ensure that whatever is approved is fit for purpose and will not lead to further issues down the line in years to come. That is not to say that I foresee that. I want the Member to understand that I want to consider carefully the proposal that is put in front of me, so that I can be confident in whatever decision I take.

Ms Kimmins: I thank the Member for the question. Lagmore Avenue Belfast cycling network scheme is programmed to start on site on 10 March. West Belfast greenway phase 1A is also programmed to start this financial year but is dependent on the land agreement that is currently being finalised. Scheme designs are complete for Island Street and Sydenham greenway phase 1. My Department is preparing to commence statutory consultation on those schemes in the coming weeks.

Officials are working to resolve a number of objections received during the statutory consultation for the Montgomery Road BCN scheme. Design work is ongoing for the majority of the other short-term schemes, including Ravenhill Road; north Belfast city centre connections linking York Street train station to the Cathedral Quarter and Ulster University; Limestone Road/Cavehill Road; Durham Street linking to Belfast Grand Central station; and Dublin Road/Botanic Avenue linking the southern side of the city centre to Queen's University.

Mr Baker: Thank you, Minister. Does the Minister agree that community engagement is vital to developing cycling infrastructure?

Ms Kimmins: Absolutely. As I have said to other Members through the course of today's Question Time, the Department is committed to ensuring that we engage with the community at every opportunity. It is important that they have their input. We are committed to ensuring that we give people the choice to walk, wheel or cycle for many of their shorter, everyday journeys, regardless of their age or their ability. Local communities are best placed to tell us what they need to help make that a reality.

Stakeholder engagement is at the core of this scheme development, with the new design guidance for active travel infrastructure embedding meaningful stakeholder and community engagement throughout the design process. There has been early engagement on a number of schemes, including the Ravenhill Road BCN scheme and the Glenavy to Crumlin active travel improvements. The views received at those events have been extremely valuable in helping our teams to shape and develop detailed design proposals.

Ms Kimmins: I do not know the specifics of the scheme. As I said earlier, a key priority for me is to ensure the delivery of waste water infrastructure. I continue to work with NI Water to progress that work, which is essential. I recognise the significant financial constraints, but we must keep going with what we have in order to ensure that we continue to deliver, albeit at a slower pace than we would like. I am happy to look at the matter in further detail. If the Member wishes, I am happy to meet him. My approach to all waste water issues is to progress development.

Mr Bradley: I thank the Minister for her answer. My office continues to get complaints about raw sewage in Christie park, a park along the banks of the River Bann that walkers, runners and families use. Does the Minister recognise that that is a health and safety issue as well as an infrastructure one?

Ms Kimmins: Absolutely. It goes without saying that we should not be seeing raw sewage on any of our public footways or in areas that the public use. The Member has reiterated why there is a real need to progress the scheme more quickly. The reality is that the funding is not there, but that does not mean that we stand still. We have to keep going. I continue to work with Executive colleagues to look at other natural drainage solutions. I will be introducing a water, flooding and sustainable drainage Bill, and we are also looking at developer contributions. Although none of those is a silver bullet in isolation, we are committed to looking at all solutions to help move the situation forward.

Ms Kimmins: I thank the Member for raising the issue. It is something that I lobbied for strongly prior to my becoming Minister. It is a piece of work that, like my predecessor, I am very keen to see rolled out where possible. I met officials at the end of last week to look at the review and to discuss where we go next. I have a few questions, however, about how we progress the scheme further and about its potential limits. I therefore hope to be able to make an announcement in the near future.

Mr Dunne: I thank the Minister for her answer. There is a lot of positive feedback in the review report. In my local area, the 20 mph zones have been well received by parents and school staff. I will press the Minister on time frames. Is she confident that the scheme will be rolled out further in the incoming financial year?

Ms Kimmins: Yes. I hope to see that happen in the fairly near future. I will keep members of the Committee for Infrastructure updated. As I have said, road safety is a huge priority for me, because we are witnessing the highest number of deaths on our roads, many of whom, sadly, now are pedestrians. It is therefore incumbent on us all to do what we can to reduce the numbers to as low as possible, and ideally to zero. We do not want to see anybody lose their life on our roads. For me, the scheme is very important, as it is about protecting our children as they go to and from school and about protecting people who live in residential areas. I am considering the issue very seriously, but I want to ensure that we get the maximum benefit from whatever I announce next. I am therefore considering the issue at the minute, but I hope to be able to announce something fairly soon.

Mr Speaker: Question 5 has been withdrawn.

Ms Kimmins: In each of the past three years, the Driver and Vehicle Agency (DVA) has conducted over 1·1 million vehicle tests, which are the highest numbers ever recorded. In June last year, my predecessor, Minister O'Dowd, introduced temporary exemption certificates for five- and seven-year-old cars within specified date ranges. That measure, along with the high number of vehicle tests being conducted, means that the average waiting time for an MOT test has fallen from over 100 days at the end of May 2024 to approximately 30 days in February 2025.

In 2024, there were only six days of the year on which the DVA did not offer MOT appointments. Disappointingly, on average, around 800 vehicle test appointments are missed each week due to no-shows, placing additional demand on the service. It is very important that, at this point, I offer my gratitude to all the staff in our MOT centres. Without the Trojan effort of those workers across the North, we would not see that reduction in waiting times. It has been very important. I know that all our constituency offices have been lobbied heavily on that issue.

Ms Dolan: Thank you, Minister. Yes, constituency offices have been lobbied heavily on it. Do you expect biennial MOT testing to ensure a permanent reduction in waiting times?

Ms Kimmins: I can advise that the biennial MOT testing consultation presents a number of options for testing as well as considering road safety, environmental impact, insurance premiums and the potential impact on the local automotive industry. In considering the way forward for vehicle testing, I will factor in the responses from the public and key stakeholders on those important issues and the operational impact of the opening of two new test centres. I can advise that the two centres will provide the capacity to test over 200,000 additional vehicles per annum, which will help the DVA to meet the future demand for the service.

Ms Kimmins: I reiterate that I am working really hard and at pace to ensure that the A5 is delivered. We must ensure that the A5 is delivered at the earliest possible stage. I and my officials have been having regular liaisons with our counterparts in the South of Ireland on that critical project. As recently as last week, at a North/South Ministerial Council meeting, officials met our counterparts in the Department of Transport, and I had discussions with Minister O'Brien about the A5. I am committed to ensuring that we continue to move ahead with it as quickly as possible.

Mrs Dillon: Go raibh maith agat, Minister.

You know that I have very personal reasons for having an interest in the A5 and how it is progressed. When do you expect to receive a judgement following the hearing?

Ms Kimmins: Including that of the Member and many others whom the A5 serves, so many families have been impacted on in that way. I am very cognisant of that. I hope that we will see a conclusion to the current legal case at the earliest possible stage. It is listed for hearing in the High Court on 18 March, with an expected time frame of three consecutive days. Whilst there is no defined time frame for the handing down of the court's decision following the hearing, the court has previously indicated the importance of getting the case dealt with as quickly as possible, so I hope that that will also be in the not-too-distant future.

Ms Kimmins: Of the additional £19·5 million provided to NI Water during October monitoring, £7 million has been allocated to addressing waste water constraints in the upper Falls area of west Belfast. That investment will facilitate the progression of seven new housing developments, comprising around 1,200 homes, as well as five commercial units. The connection of those new homes to NI Water's waste water infrastructure will be subject to the completion of the capital works in the upper Falls area by NI Water and the delivery of storm water offsetting solutions by developers. Targeted investments such as that will help to contribute to the delivery of the aims and objectives of the Executive's housing supply strategy.

Mr Sheehan: Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire as a freagra.

Does the Minister agree that the Department and NI Water should be working closely together to prioritise unlocking more housing connections in west Belfast?

Ms Kimmins: Absolutely. One of the first engagements that I had when I came into post was with NI Water's chief executive and chair, because it is very important to me that we work closely together to address the waste water constraints. We have a shared aim in achieving that, and this will, undoubtedly, help to facilitate new housing connections in west Belfast and across the North. Working together enables us to focus any additional investment on where it is most needed. We have seen how that has happened in the most recent October monitoring round, where we were able to target waste water constraints and facilitate connections for the housing developments that I mentioned. That additional investment is projected to deliver capacity for 2,300 new properties overall and to connect to the infrastructure during this price control period. In addition, my officials are working collaboratively with colleagues in DAERA and DFC to contribute to the aims and objectives of the Executive's housing supply strategy.

Mr Speaker: That brings Question Time to a conclusion.

Mr Sheehan: On a point of order, a Cheann Comhairle

. Earlier, I attended the excellent event for Seachtain na Gaeilge in the Seanad

. I commend you for organising that event. However, I became so engrossed in engaging with some of the visitors that I clean forgot that I had a question for oral answer. I apologise to you and your officials for not being in my place.

Mr Speaker: Apology accepted, Mr Sheehan. I hope that you enjoyed your stew; I have not had mine yet.

I ask Members to take their ease while we change the Table.

Mr Deputy Speaker (Dr Aiken): Junior Minister, you have up to 15 minutes if you so wish. Over to you.

Ms Reilly (Junior Minister, The Executive Office): Go raibh maith agat, a Leas-Cheann Comhairle. Tá áthas orm a bheith ábalta labhairt thar ceann an Aire ar an ábhar tábhachtach seo.

The motion references the benefits of dual market access. Minister Archibald sends her apologies as she is in Berlin, in part to raise awareness among companies in Germany and the EU more broadly of that unique status. Invest NI has established a dedicated unit to capitalise on that opportunity, to support our indigenous businesses to grow their exports and to attract FDI opportunities. There are indications that local exporters are already benefiting. In 2023, our manufacturing exports to the EU increased by 17%. For Wales, the figure was 0%, while England experienced a decrease of 4%, and Scotland saw a decrease of 17%. That trend continued in 2024.

Minister Archibald continues to deliver the economic vision set out by her predecessor, Minister Murphy. His vision statement identified regional balance as one of four priorities and specifically referred to the north-west as an area with "huge potential for growth." The motion references the need for various partners to come together to drive economic development in the region. A local economic partnership is being set up for that purpose. It will identify the key economic priorities for Derry and Strabane, which will undoubtedly include asks of Departments and the Irish Government. For example, a long-standing ask of the Department for the Economy has been that more be invested in City of Derry Airport. The airport plays a vital role by providing the north-west with connectivity to other parts of Europe and the rest of the world through its London Heathrow route. The Department for the Economy aims to assume responsibility for airport policy and, subsequently, from 1 April 2025, the provision of funding to Derry City and Strabane District Council for the future sustainability of City of Derry Airport. That will lift the burden from local ratepayers and enable the council to reinvest about £3 million in funding initiatives to support regional balance. Membership of the partnership is primarily a matter for the council, but I expect cross-border links to be recognised and the organisations mentioned in the motion to be considered.

Although the motion refers to skills, it does not specifically mention the Magee expansion, which will be a key driver of economic development in Derry and the broader north-west region. A comprehensive plan to achieve 10,000 students by 2032 has been published, and, last week, Minister Archibald announced that the land needed for those 10,000 students had been acquired. The Department for the Economy also supports a number of cross-border skills projects through the PEACE PLUS skills development investment programme. Those projects involve as prominent partners Ulster University, North West Regional College, Atlantic Technological University and the Donegal Education and Training Board.

Other important initiatives that are not mentioned in the motion are the city and growth deal projects. Those will invest £293 million in key sectors such as tourism, advanced manufacturing, digital innovation, life and health sciences and clean energy. In addition, the Inclusive Future Fund will see a further investment of £110 million, with £55 million coming from the British Government and £55 million in match funding from the Executive.

As a result of those and many other developments, a powerful value proposition is emerging in the north-west. The motion reflects many of the positive developments that are already under way, and I hope that we can continue to work together to realise the economic potential of the region.

Mr Deputy Speaker (Dr Aiken): Thank you very much indeed, Minister. I call on Gary Middleton to make a winding-up speech on the amendment. You have five minutes.

Mr Middleton: Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. I very much welcome the opportunity to discuss the north-west, job creation and our economy.

I speak as somebody who was born and bred in Londonderry and who is very proud of the place that I represent. I have now been elected for 15 years and have served in the council and here at the Assembly. It gives me great pleasure to see some of the changes in my constituency. There has been huge change since 2010 not just in the transformation of the landscape but in the fact that young people now have opportunities that I did not have just a number of years ago.

My colleague Mr Brett outlined our party position on our amendment, which I believe strengthens the motion. The city deal is the single biggest UK Government investment in our city — it is over £300 million — and not mentioning it is a glaring omission from the motion. The city deal project is a catalyst. It does not solve all the ills, but it is a game changer for development in our city and in some of the innovative projects that we will see come forward, not least the expansion of Magee university.

It is important to highlight another issue in the SDLP's contribution. One member of that party mentioned:

here at the Assembly or in Belfast. That is a fundamental mistake. In fact, when we look over the years that the Assembly was in operation, we see that the change has been transformational, not least in the Waterside at Ebrington, with the new hotel that has been built, the innovative businesses that are on-site and the Derry/Londonderry North Atlantic (DNA) maritime museum, which is to come on field fairly soon. That collaboration, which has involved working among ourselves as elected representatives in the Assembly and working closely with Londonderry Chamber of Commerce, the strategic growth partnership and Invest NI, will deliver change and make a real difference.

I very much share the concern of my colleague from East Londonderry Mr Bradley about the north-west package and making sure that the north-west goes right along and includes the Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council area. It has a significant part to play in growing the north-west economy. When we look at measures to grow the economy across Northern Ireland and talk about task forces, we need to ensure that every part of Northern Ireland grows and that we succeed in creating the maximum potential right across Northern Ireland.

I will turn to some of the contributions. As I said, Ms McLaughlin, in opening, talked about the need for special intervention. I do not doubt that we need special intervention across a number of areas where there are clearly particular problems, as identified in the regional balance report. My colleague Mr Brett highlighted the success of the city deal investment that this party proudly championed. Pádraig Delargy talked about the role that his party played in realising the change in the airport, the upgrade of the A5 and other pieces of infrastructure. Such cross-party working is vital for ensuring that each Department delivers within its particular roles and responsibilities. Kate Nicholl said that the pace of delivery is slow but recognised her party's belief that there are opportunities in dual market access. Diana Armstrong spoke on the same theme but also highlighted the fact that, if a specific task force were set up for the north-west, there would be an impact on her constituency, and she considered what that would mean. I very much share her concerns. As someone who represents the north-west, I think that it is important that other areas in the west are not left behind. My colleague Mr Bradley talked about the importance of his constituency, and I commend him for being a tireless champion for that area. It is regrettable that he seemed to be the only one who talked about the East Londonderry constituency during the debate. My colleague Mr Honeyford from the Alliance Party talked about the Shared Island approach on key issues. As a party, we will not shy away. Where there are opportunities to work together, we need to do that but, obviously, not with a particular political agenda.

My time has run out.

Mr Deputy Speaker (Dr Aiken): I call Matthew O'Toole to make a winding-up speech on the motion. Matthew, you have up to 10 minutes.

Mr O'Toole: Thank you very much, Mr Deputy Speaker. What a useful and interesting debate we have had on the first motion of our SDLP Opposition day on job creation and cross-border cooperation in the north-west. There have been lots of constructive comments and a little bit of sniping. That is fine. We are the Opposition, and we do our own constructive, robust accountability for others, so, as it were, we can take it when others have criticisms for us. That is fine. I will address some of them.

Let me start by addressing one of the repeated things that came up a lot in the debate, which is, "Why just Derry?". First of all, this is about the wider north-west, and the motion is very clear about that. We have two excellent representatives for East Derry and West Tyrone, and they will speak today for the wider north-west. We are proud of our party's standing up for the wider north-west, with Derry at its heart, including Strabane, Coleraine and that whole wider region and, indeed, the wider cross-border region. We make no apology for putting this on the agenda here at Stormont today in a way that the north-west has not always been on the agenda at Stormont. I say that as a South Belfast representative but one who has Derry roots. My mum is from Derry. I know that city very well. It is part of me too. There is no contradiction in me being leader of the Opposition, a South Belfast MLA, someone who is originally from County Down and standing up for Derry and the wider north-west. I have no difficulty doing that at all, and I am slightly bemused to hear representatives stand up and say, "Why not this place? Why is the SDLP talking about that? Why is the SDLP talking about this?". We are doing so because it matters. These things matter, and we make no apology for talking about them.

I will come on to addressing some of the comments, but I want to set a broader historical and geographic context for why all this matters. The historical context is that, 60 years ago last month, the Lockwood report was published and brought to this Building when it housed the old Northern Ireland Parliament. It failed to deliver a university to Derry — or Londonderry, if you prefer — which is Northern Ireland's second city or the capital of Ireland's north-west or however you prefer to talk about that city. It failed that city at that point. That was part of a longer failure of that city but also the wider region, which includes Strabane and the wider north-west. It was a critical part of the criticism of that old — bluntly — Stormont regime and Northern Ireland Government and, indeed, the situation that had pertained since the partition of Ireland and the creation of Northern Ireland. I am not harping on those as old subjects, but I am clearly willing to set them out as part of the historical context for why we are debating these issues.

There is also a geographic context. By the way, however, if you really want a historical context, go back and pick up 'Das Kapital', because the only Irish and, indeed, one the few UK cities mentioned in 'Das Kapital', which was written by Karl Marx, is Derry and its Tillie and Henderson's shirt factory: the industrial and economic lineage. People are looking at me bemusedly, but this stuff does matter. It is a proud city, and we have no qualms about standing up and demanding the best possible future for that city and that region.
The wider region has been failed for too long, but it is also doing really well. It has huge potential. It has huge opportunities and brilliant businesses operating in that region. A few people mentioned the city deal and asked why we did not talk about the city deal. It is a bit churlish to pick out every single word that is not mentioned in the motion and complain that it is not there. As Mr Brett acknowledged, we have been strong supporters of the city deal the whole way through. As with every other party in the Chamber, we were determined that that money would be un-paused and that those projects, which will, hopefully, be transformational for Derry and, indeed, Strabane, would be un-paused. The Riverine project is a significant part of that deal too. We were proud and happy to work with other parties in the Assembly to deliver that.

Dual market access is so important, because it is a unique selling point for the region. I am fairly certain — check Hansard — that I was the first Member to use the phrase "dual market access" in the Chamber. Now they are all talking about it. I have been championing it for a long time, as has the SDLP. We are convinced that it can be transformational for our region.

Some Members mentioned the remarks of the chief executive of Invest NI. The chief executive of Invest NI and Invest NI more generally are selling that proposition. I am happy to acknowledge what he said in Committee, but he did not say at any point — the DUP can correct me — that there was no ability to sell Northern Ireland on the basis of its dual market access. He acknowledged that, in the few years for which we have had that differential proposition, we have not had those specific investments, but those investments take a long time and are based on political stability. Guess what — hint, hint, DUP — we have not had a lot of political stability in this place.

I will move on to some of the other comments. Pádraig Delargy was right to say that investment in the north-west benefits the entire region and, indeed, the entire island of Ireland and that it has to be on a cross-border basis. That it why our motion calls for a cross-border task force. The Prosperity Commission was an absurd group of Brexiteers who were bemused as to why lots of us thought that a hard border on the island of Ireland was a bad idea. When they looked at the north-west, they said grandly that they were satisfied that the wider north-west — Derry and Donegal — was an integrated economic unit. Despite what people say about the awful consequences of the protocol, even that group of English Brexiteers said, "This is one region economically, and the international border in the middle of it does not really represent either its potential or how people live on an everyday basis". That is why we make no apology for suggesting a cross-border task force. I think that Kate Nicholl asked whether that would duplicate the growth partnership: it does not. Look at the example of the Magee task force: we commended the Minister for creating it. Creating a focused, concentrated task force — the clue is in the name — that operates on a time-limited basis with a remit to suggest focused policy levers is a different intervention from an ongoing growth partnership, albeit the north-west growth partnership does important work, and we commend it and, obviously, work with it.

As I said, Pádraig said that north-west investment benefits the whole island: he is right. He also talked about the importance of cross-border economic policymaking: I agree with him. That is why I am depressed to see that Sinn Féin Ministers did not get more of that into the Programme for Government. Sinn Féin Ministers control all three major economic Departments — the Economy Department, the Finance Department and the Infrastructure Department — in the region. You would not think that from reading the document, because it has the fingerprints, I am afraid, of DUP policymaking on it. In fact, at page 85, it puts the North/South Ministerial Council and InterTradeIreland, which were created by the Good Friday Agreement and are underpinned by international law, on the same footing as the East-West Council and Intertrade UK, which are organisations that came out of a grubby secret deal between the DUP and the Tory Government. They are not the same as cross-border bodies created by the Good Friday Agreement, and it was depressing to read that in the Programme for Government. While I acknowledge that Pádraig was right in what he said, it was disappointing not to see more of it in the Programme for Government.

Maurice Bradley talked about delivering for Coleraine. We want to deliver for Coleraine . I have a colleague who stands up for Coleraine every day in the Chamber. There is nothing in our motion that suggests that we do not want delivery for Coleraine too; indeed the wider north-west is what the motion is about. That includes Coleraine, Strabane, Letterkenny and Gaoth Dobhair

. It includes all of those places, because that is one economic unit, and we want to see it reach its full potential.

The Minister talked about many of the positive investments and developments: I welcome that. I also acknowledge that the Economy Minister is in Berlin, selling dual market access. I hope that, now that we know that, we will get an update from her and can hold her to account. Hopefully, she will deliver that. I welcome that. It is good that, finally, we have a Minister who is championing our dual market access.

Gary Middleton moved his party's amendment, which, I am afraid, we will not support, and was proud to stand up for the city that he represents and calls "home". Political differences aside, lots of people acknowledge that Gary cares intensely about his city. Lots of us care about it, but we also care about the wider north-west region. That is why we want to agree the motion and see more focused action from the Executive. That is not because we think that the Executive have not done anything for Derry or, indeed, other regions in this place but because we want more of it.

There has been a little bit of J D Vance today — "You should be grateful for what you have got" — as if the people of Derry and the north-west should say, "Thank you" for all that they have had: no. People of the north-west want more for their future, and they are exactly right to demand that. We in the SDLP Opposition will always stand up for them and everyone in the region. I commend the motion to the House.

Mr Deputy Speaker (Dr Aiken): Thank you very much, Matthew, for making your speech an elegy rather than a eulogy.

Did anybody get my joke?

A Member: I did.

Mr Deputy Speaker (Dr Aiken): Thank you. Come on.

Mr Deputy Speaker (Dr Aiken): Before we move on to the next item, we will pause to allow a change at the top Table.

Ms Hunter: I beg to move

Madam Principal Deputy Speaker: The Business Committee has agreed to allow up to one hour and 30 minutes for the debate. The proposer of the motion will have 10 minutes in which to propose and 10 minutes to wind up the debate. As two amendments have been selected and are published on the Marshalled List, the Business Committee has agreed that 30 minutes will be added to the total time for the debate.

Cara, please open the debate.

Ms Hunter: Thank you, Principal Deputy Speaker. I welcome the opportunity to propose our motion in recognition of how much pain addiction causes in our communities across the North, focusing in particular today on the north-west.

I thank the Minister of Health for being here. I thank his predecessor as Health Minister, Robin Swann, who brought forward the drugs and alcohol strategy. In a previous role, I was the chair of the all-party group (APG) on addiction and dual diagnosis, and I greatly appreciated his attendance at that time and his efforts when I sat on the Health Committee.

I will run through a few statistics. In 2022, the latest year for which statistics are available, Northern Ireland had the joint highest rate in the UK of deaths from diseases caused by alcohol. Between 2018 and 2022, the rate of drug deaths here was over three times higher in Northern Ireland's most deprived areas than in wealthy areas. Deaths due to drug-related causes have increased by 98% since 2012, and, between 2018 and 2022, over 40% of drug misuse deaths occurred in NI's most deprived areas. Today, therefore, I will also touch on the link between poverty and drug deaths.

The north-west has an acute need when it comes to addiction, going from my constituency of East Derry to Foyle and wider west Tyrone. I will begin by thanking those who founded the Northlands centre in Derry and all its staff, past and present, who have done exceptional and remarkable work in supporting my constituents and those of others beside me across the north-west. I record my particular thanks to Denis Bradley, who continues to advocate for the right services in the area for those who are struggling, recognising the complex nature of addiction, particularly in a post-conflict society such as ours, where many in our communities have dealt with complex trauma. There is an undeniable relationship between such trauma and addiction that often ends up being passed on to future generations. We must build on the great work being done by Northlands and build a fully funded, purpose-built addiction and recovery centre in the north-west. Cross-border collaboration is key on the issue, and I welcome the fact that recent PEACE PLUS funding has recognised the needs of those struggling with an addiction in our border areas.

Addiction is, sadly and wrongly, often perceived as a class-based issue. That could not be further from the truth. Addiction impacts all in our society, regardless of class, colour or creed. Some are better at hiding it than others. Work on policy issues such as addiction must be done on a cross-party, cross-community basis. That is key to highlighting to the public that health comes above politics and that we will always do our best to serve our constituents on issues that matter to them, such as addiction.

The motion could not have come at a better time. I was deeply saddened yesterday to find that the word "addiction" was not mentioned once in the Programme for Government. I feel that the House can come to a consensus on the issue and build on that to ensure that we give our constituents the right services to support them. Our motion focuses on the wrap-around support needed for those struggling with an addiction, such as employment, training and housing. Those are things that will help them to get back on track. Drug and alcohol addiction is, sadly, all around us. It interrupts lives and robs people of the best years of their life, as well as their success and their prosperity. It impacts not only on the individual as a patient but on entire families.

Mr McCrossan: I thank the Member for giving way. This is, indeed, a hugely important area, and it is close to my heart not only as a local MLA but personally. Does the Member agree that, if those who are struggling with addiction cannot access to the support and services that they need, that has a direct consequence for families, who are desperate for help and often find themselves battering at a locked door?

Ms Hunter: Absolutely. I thank the Member for his intervention. Judging by the constituents whom I have spoken to, people who have an addiction will often go to an A&E department but cannot get the support that they need because they have either drugs or alcohol in their system. They are pushed from pillar to post. They go to mental health services for support and are pushed back to addiction and vice versa. Undoubtedly, addiction impacts on entire families. It robs children of happy childhoods; it can lead to financial pressures in the home; and, sadly, as we saw when we had the discussion on ending violence against women and girls, it can be a huge contributor to domestic violence.

Across the North, support groups meet weekly to discuss addiction. No one should be afraid to step forward and engage on those matters. I highlight the remarkable work of the National Association for Children of Alcoholics (NACOA), which launched in 1990 in response to the large number of children of alcoholics who were without support. It is a fantastic organisation that really touches on the importance of supporting vulnerable young people every day and providing them with a non-judgemental safe space where they can talk about their parent who is struggling with an addiction. More locally, in Belfast, Al-Anon supports families of alcoholics. I will give a shout-out to Colette in the Belfast office, who is exceptional and has provided a lot of support to my constituents.

Every day, across the North, children with non-functioning alcoholic parents are attending school. As my party's education, children and young people's spokesperson, it is important that I touch on the issue of children who come from homes where parents or loved ones struggle with an addiction, and we are expecting them to get the same grades as children who come from safe, stable and happy homes. That is a societal issue, and it is important to include that.

As a society, with the struggles that we so often face with addiction, we do not support young people to an efficient standard. We do not support them efficiently in school, either. Having a parent who is an alcoholic or who struggles with drug addiction is noted as an adverse childhood experience, which I know that Members across the House care deeply about addressing. It can contribute and lead to emotional dysregulation in young people, leading to a fear of conflict, a lack of self-esteem, hypervigilance and more.

Sadly, drugs are becoming more widely available, more readily available online, and the police can do only so much with the resources that are given to them. Therefore, we must ensure that the police force is given the necessary support to stop drugs from filtering in and ruining communities.

Drug use is often a result of trauma. It is important to raise the issue of mental health shortfalls. I would like to see more investment in our mental health strategy because it is nowhere near sufficient. We can do more when it comes to young people. As someone who was educated in America, I know that Americans are robust in educating young people about the fears of drugs, about drug deaths, what they look like and how common they are. They talk about statistics. We need to do a bit more of that. We do not do enough about how to consume alcohol and the impact that it has on the body. I am passionate about that. I have spoken to young people, and it seems that the education on alcohol has not changed much since I was at school, 12 years ago. Early intervention is key.

Drugs and alcohol can cost Northern Ireland up to £1 billion each year. Reports show that, at any one time, around 200 beds are being used by patients who have a drug- or alcohol-related issue.

As a proud east Derry woman, with family from west Tyrone, I have seen in my lifetime the acute need in the north-west from beginning to end. We hear that each and every day in our constituency offices. People are really struggling. This issue is undeniably linked to poverty and deprivation as well, as we are seeing that drug deaths are three times more likely in more-deprived areas.

I thank those who are here, including the Health Minister, for being here, for listening to our case and for trying to understand the complex nature of addiction and mental health in our communities and the urgent need to have a fully funded, purpose-built addiction support and resource centre.

Madam Principal Deputy Speaker: I call Danny Donnelly to move amendment No 1.

Mr Donnelly: I beg to move

Madam Principal Deputy Speaker: Thank you, Danny. You will have 10 minutes to propose the amendment and five minutes to make a winding-up speech. Please open the debate on the amendment.

Mr Donnelly: Thank you, Madam Principal Deputy Speaker. I thank the Opposition for tabling the motion. We in the Alliance Party are happy to support it. I will propose our amendment to the motion, seeking to improve what are already strong foundations. I will talk about our amendment before touching on the motion more widely.

Our amendment adds an additional line to the motion, recognising that areas with greater levels of deprivation, including those in the north-west, have a disproportionate number of people exposed to adverse childhood experiences. That is associated with higher rates of excessive alcohol consumption and drug use in adulthood, as we heard.

The Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) conducted research into the socio-demographic analysis of drug- and alcohol-specific deaths in Northern Ireland, which shows that there are five times more alcohol-specific deaths in the most deprived areas compared with the least deprived areas and more than twice as many drug-related deaths, again, as we heard from the proposer of the motion. Although Belfast has the highest age-standardised mortality rates given that it is the largest council area, Derry City and Strabane District Council is a close second, emphasising the extent of the problem in the north-west.

Drug and alcohol addiction ruins lives and, sadly, is sometimes fatal. In 2023, sadly, we lost 356 people to alcohol-related deaths. The Derry City and Strabane District Council area had the second highest rate of alcohol deaths at 49 people, after only Belfast at 77. When adjusted for population, however, Derry City and Strabane of District Council has a higher rate of alcohol deaths at 28 per 100,000 people compared with 30 per 100,000 people in Belfast. Those numbers are very concerning, but it is essential to remember that they are not just numbers. They are individual lives lost, and they will be people's loved ones.

The increase in substance abuse and addiction is very concerning across all of Northern Ireland, but especially in the north-west, where there has been historical deprivation and a lack of investment — a failure of previous Governments here over the last century. That is evident in so many respects, particularly for the city of Derry, given its inadequate transport routes, with only one railway line and no motorway and dual carriageway — it is the only city on the island of Ireland not to have such a connection — and the long-awaited but delayed upgrades to Magee university. We are seeing progress on some of those issues — for example, the investment in the north-west transport hub and the revitalisation of areas such as Ebrington — but it is unacceptable that inequalities continue, both in the north-west and in many areas outside greater Belfast.

There is also the impact of adverse childhood experiences and the lasting impact that those can have on individuals for the rest of their life, as outlined in our amendment. In Northern Ireland, and especially in the north-west, that is often related to the history of the Troubles and the legacy of intergenerational trauma as a consequence of the 30-year conflict. Just last month, academics at Queen's University revealed the widespread impact of childhood trauma among Northern Ireland's adult population. The research indicates that 60% of our adult population reported at least one traumatic childhood event, with 30% of respondents reporting conflict-specific trauma. What is also very concerning is that, despite it being almost 27 years since the Good Friday Agreement, many young people here continue to experience trauma linked to paramilitary activity, especially in the north-west and more deprived areas. Linking that to the other part of our amendment, the levels of adverse childhood experiences and Troubles-related trauma are disproportionately concentrated in socio-economically disadvantaged communities. That emphasises the need for trauma-informed approaches to deal with drug and alcohol abuse across Northern Ireland.

The growing number of drug-related deaths is extremely worrying. NISRA's 2024 report on drug-related and drug-misuse deaths indicates that there has been a 98% increase in drug-related deaths since 2012, the majority of which were individuals aged between 25 and 44. We must do what we can to prevent any further unnecessary deaths. One way to deal with the issue would be through the introduction of a new addiction treatment and recovery centre. Such a centre would be focused on individuals and focused on dealing with the harms of substance abuse. With support, people can turn their lives around, and we can help people through what are extremely challenging times. Having such a centre in the north-west would complement the many organisations in Derry that carry out important work to tackle addiction and support people. While Derry is not in my constituency, I have visited the city and met organisations such as ARC Fitness, which was founded by Gary Rutherford, a former nurse of the year who, following his own struggles with substance abuse, uses fitness to help people through addiction struggles; Northlands, which does invaluable work and has done so for decades, and Foyle Haven, which supports people in the homeless community.

There are specific ways in which we can confront substance misuse, and I encourage the Department of Health to consider those. We need to move to a harm reduction model. One way to do that would be to introduce an overdose prevention centre, a safe and hygienic space where people can take drugs under professional supervision and under the watch of trained staff who have safe equipment that they can give out and who can respond to overdoses. Overdoses are medical emergencies, and, if treated in time, they can be reversed. They can be treated with naloxone, which has recently seen an expansion in its availability. There are 200 such centres across 17 countries, and there is detailed peer-reviewed evidence and research from those centres. The UK's first safer drug consumption facility recently opened in Glasgow. It gives people who use drugs the opportunity to do so in a calm, hygienic and supervised environment. The centre is called the Thistle, and it is run by the Glasgow City Health and Social Care Partnership. The centre is staffed by a multidisciplinary team made up of nurses, psychologists, harm reduction workers, social workers, medical staff and admin staff. The staff offer people safer injection techniques and provide harm reduction advice to minimise the risk of overdose and intervene with assistance if overdose occurs. It also gives the clients the opportunity to engage with healthcare and social workers on other issues that may be affecting them. Overdose prevention centres are prohibited by section 5 of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971, but, in Scotland, the Lord Advocate provided guidance for police that it was not in the public interest to prosecute someone for using an overdose prevention centre. In 2023, Belfast City Council voted to support a motion on setting up an overdose prevention centre in the city, and it had an encouraging debate on that important topic.

Another option would be permitting the provision of drug-testing services in places where drug use is known to be prevalent, improving safety for people who could be vulnerable. That could include nightclubs or other locations where young people may be spiked or otherwise targeted by dangerous people on a night out.

We must also consider the reform or replacement of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. It is outdated and clearly not working. It punishes vulnerable people rather than dealing with the root causes of drug abuse and substance misuse. We cannot deal with that issue, as it is reserved by Westminster, but we can engage with the new Labour Government and question their plans for tackling those issues on a UK-wide basis.

We need a cross-departmental approach to truly deal with addiction and drug misuse. Other factors that contribute to addiction include poor mental health, poverty, inadequate or lack of housing, and problems with gaining employment. The Minister of Health cannot deal with all those issues. There must be cooperation with other Departments, such as Economy and Communities, to ensure long-term progress. I encourage each Department to adopt a cooperative approach so that we can deal with drug addiction in our society and ensure that we can focus on saving lives, reducing harm, rehabilitation and long-term recovery.

Mr Middleton: I beg to move amendment No 2:

Madam Principal Deputy Speaker: Thank you, Gary. The Assembly should note that the amendments are mutually exclusive. If amendment No 1 is made, the Question will not be put on amendment No 2. You will have 10 minutes to propose amendment No 2 and five minutes to make a winding-up speech. All other Members who are called to speak will have five minutes. Gary, please open the debate on amendment No 2.

Mr Middleton: Thank you, Madam Principal Deputy Speaker. Although my party will support its amendment, it is happy to support the Alliance amendment.

Addiction does not discriminate. It can enter anyone's life, either personally or through the struggles of a loved one. Whilst addiction knows no boundaries in whom it can affect, it ultimately takes lives and destroys the lives of valued family members, friends and colleagues. I cannot think of any community across my constituency or Northern Ireland, whether urban or rural, or, indeed, further afield that has not been negatively impacted on to varying degrees by addiction. Addiction comes in many forms. It is important to note that it is not always constrained to substance abuse. Addiction is a chronic condition that is faced by the individual, who often sees impacts on many aspects of their life, including, but not limited to, mental and physical health struggles, relationship breakdown or loss of career.

Addiction is treatable. It can be managed effectively, and there can be recovery. There is hope. However, the right treatment path has to be available for the person who needs that help. There must be a clear route out of their troubles. That must be locally available so as not to put a further barrier in the way of a life-saving necessity. Many local initiatives are doing excellent work in the Foyle constituency. One such organisation is HURT (Have Your Tomorrows). HURT was set up by the inspirational Sadie O’Reilly in 2001 after the untimely and devastating loss of her son Tony to heroin addiction. HURT continues to do phenomenal work in the north-west and celebrated 20 years of supporting local people and their families through addiction. HURT has a uniquely placed drop-in centre that offers a holistic and family-based support methodology to addiction recovery as well as addiction prevention programmes, youth personal development courses and workshops. Of course, many other organisations, such as Northlands, ARC Fitness, which has already been mentioned, Extern, Aware and Hope North West, as well as many local churches, do phenomenal work locally.

I want to highlight another notable and impressive local initiative that was set up by north-west man Conor McDermott. At just 24 years old, he set up Walled City Social, a group that lifts the stigma for young men between the ages of 20 and 30 who want to socialise without alcohol. It provides non-alcohol-focused events for young men, focusing on mental and physical health and providing positive environments in which to socialise without alcohol's being involved. Conor has recognised the growing focus on social drinking and associated pressures and has created a fantastic, positive venture that will no doubt help countless young men with their physical and mental health.

As with all community support initiatives, projects and charities, we increasingly see that their provision bridges some of the gaps between formal medical treatment, family support and vital social aspects. Such organisations are vital, but just as vital is the need for a dedicated treatment centre that can provide bespoke specialised treatment has the capacity to take on patients from the north-west and not isolate them from their locality, their family or their community by expecting them to travel great distances for the treatment that they so badly need. It is vital that all parts of our community health support and health services work well, but it is even more vital that they work well together. A dedicated treatment centre would allow for that.

Like many families across the Foyle constituency and, indeed, our country, I have seen at first hand the devastating impact of addiction, specifically substance abuse, and how it affects so many families that I represent in the north-west. I have spent hours sitting with a family member and phoning every treatment centre and charity available asking for help for an addict, only to be turned away at each turn, not because the centres do not want to help but because of a lack of local capacity. It is only when you go through the process with someone who is desperate for help that you truly realise how badly that help is needed.

The Assembly must look at the person, see their suffering and ensure that they are treated as the patient that they rightly are, as that will remove the stigma that is associated with addiction. The stigma alone, together with the knowledge of how difficult it can be to get help, often causes the patient not to reach out for help or not to receive the help that they need in a time that they need it most. Your postcode should not dictate the level of treatment that you receive.

The message from me, my party and those whom I represent is clear. We hope that we can be unanimous today in our message to the Minister of Health, who has kindly given of his time to be here today. We must see dedicated and timely action to ensure that an addiction treatment centre is delivered for the north-west. We have lost too many loved ones, and so many loved ones are caught in the endless spiral of addiction and associated problems. They have an overwhelming sense of hopelessness and are not sure where to turn. We have to provide a solution. We can no longer ignore the people who are desperate for help.

During the COVID pandemic, alcohol and drug use increased by 60%. That staggering statistic from Ulster University shone a light on those who already faced social marginalisation and highlighted the fact that they faced elevated levels of harm. The human cost is immeasurable and untold, while the financial cost to Northern Ireland is immense, but the short-term goal of a establishing a treatment centre will help those most in need and literally save lives. In the long term, it would free up finances that could be reused for health provision. I therefore see no reason — fiscal or moral — why we cannot garner support for a centre. I encourage Members to support our amendment. Hopefully, we will see a unanimous position taken today.

Ms Ferguson: The issue of substance use and addiction is of utmost importance, particularly in the north-west. As we have heard, it has touched the lives of so many individuals, families and communities across our society. I particularly acknowledge those who are dealing with the grief of losing a loved one to addiction and the many who are helping and supporting their loved one in very difficult situations now, this evening, tomorrow and the next day. I also thank the Member for tabling the motion, which acknowledges the significant economic and social costs of untreated addiction and the need for planning for increased rehabilitation and recovery infrastructure.

The motion covers much of what was in my party colleague Órlaithí Flynn's motion from almost a year ago, in April 2024. She raised serious concerns about the official statistics on drug-related and drug-misuse deaths and rightly acknowledged the connection between poverty, social deprivation, isolation, mental health and addiction issues. Alcohol-specific deaths and deaths in which alcohol has been identified as a contributor have been increasing over the past two decades here. Between 2001 and 2019, deaths as a direct result of alcohol misuse increased by nearly 50%. In addition, during the five years up to 2023, the number of such deaths in the most deprived areas was almost four times higher than in the least deprived.

We have also seen a considerable rise in drug-related deaths in the past two decades. In 2022, 154 lives were lost due to drugs. That was a 40% rise from the 2012 figures. On the basis of a three-year rolling average, it is clear that annual drug-related deaths have almost doubled, rising from around 100 per year in 2010 to 200 per year in the period from 2020 to 2024. It is fair to say that the numbers of drug-related deaths here are some of the highest in western Europe. Unsurprisingly, that is markedly linked to deprivation.

As someone said, we need to mention the elephant in the room: the fact that we live in a post-conflict generation with intergenerational trauma. It will be fundamental that we focus not only on factors such as poverty and destitution but on the importance of trauma-informed responses. Like many Members, I have met so many incredible, compassionate, concerned and committed individuals in Derry City who go above and beyond in community groups and in health, advice, housing, homelessness, youth and education services. Many have mentioned the fantastic centres that we have. We are really fortunate to have the committed staff and volunteers in the likes of the Northlands Centre, Hurt, Depaul, AA, Start 360, the Western Drug and Alcohol Coordination Team (WDACT), Inspire, Foyle Haven and ARC Fitness; I could go on. Due to the need on the ground, the volunteers in those organisations have committed themselves — committed their lives, sometimes — to supporting those who face an addiction. They, too, feel the impact.

I would be delighted, Minister — I have invited you — if you could get down to see some of those organisations, particularly Hurt. I know that you were not able to get down to its 20th anniversary, but it provides an amazing service in its centre, and I would be keen for you to see the work that is being done on the ground. Front-line staff in the Depaul charity have noted that, in 2023, front-line administrations of naloxone in our constituency increased by 259%. That life-saving medication can be used to reverse the effects of drug overdoses, so that increase shows you the scale of the problem that we are dealing with in the city.

I want to reflect the fact that behind every statistic that we have mentioned today is a human life and a family. Sometimes, loved ones and children are left behind. We should treat every death as preventable and agree across the Chamber on the need to redouble our effort, focus on adequate funding and look to international best practice. The research has been done. I acknowledge the Department's work in introducing the substance use strategic commissioning and implementation plan, which was launched in November 2024; the substance use needs assessment in the Western Trust area, which was launched in November 2024; and the review of tier 4 detoxification and rehabilitation services, the consultation on which has just finished. We have had enough reports and research. The evidence is there now, and it is for the Department and the Minister to invest in the services and support our organisations —

Madam Principal Deputy Speaker: Ciara, your time is up.

Ms Ferguson: — that deliver an amazing service on the ground.

Mr McGuigan: Cuirim fáilte roimh an díospóireacht, agus gabhaim buíochas leis na Comhaltaí sin a mhol an rún seo. Ar dtús, ba mhaith liom a rá go bhfuil ár saoránaigh atá ar slabhra ag an andúil — andúil sna drugaí, san alcól nó sa chearrbhachas — agus a bhfuil cónaí orthu áit ar bith sa Tuaisceart, chan amháin san iarthuaisceart, go bhfuil faillí á déanamh iontu cionn is nach bhfuil go leor ionad cóireála ann. I Sasana, mar shampla, tá deich n-ionad cóireála cearrbhachais de chuid NHS ann a fhaigheann lánmhaoiniú. Sa Tuaisceart, níl oiread is ceann amháin ann.

I also welcome the call in the motion for the issues of mental health and addiction to be addressed on an all-Ireland basis. That just makes obvious sense.

Tá ionad cóireála den scoth ann san iarthuaisceart: White Oaks i gContae Dhún na nGall.

White Oaks has saved many lives and set many individuals stricken by addiction on the path to recovery. Ar an drochuair, caithfidh saoránaigh ón Tuaisceart táille a dhíol as a chuid seirbhísí.

That means that those suffering from addition are less likely to pay for treatment.

Others have mentioned voluntary organisations that do great work on addiction and in supporting those with addictions and their loved ones. I particularly want to put on record the great work of Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous and Gamblers Anonymous. On any given day, they host numerous meetings across the island and help people to recover through shared experience and a 12-step programme. Some of the most impressive people whom I been fortunate to meet in my life I have met in the rooms of Alcoholics Anonymous and Gamblers Anonymous.

Tacaím leis an rún, nó ba chóir ionad cóireála saintógtha a bheith ann san iarthuaisceart. Idir an dá linn, áfach, thiocfadh lenár nAire Sláinte focal a chur ar na seirbhísí atá in úsáid sa Deisceart le gurbh fhéidir le bunadh an Tuaiscirt iad a úsáid fosta. Rinneadh neamart i ngalar na handúile ar feadh i bhfad ró-fhada. Caithfimid mórán níos mó a dhéanamh.

Madam Principal Deputy Speaker: Thank you, Philip.

I owe Alan Chambers an apology. Alan, I should have called you before calling Philip. It is not favouritism —

Mr Chambers: Madam Principal Deputy Speaker —.

Madam Principal Deputy Speaker: — I am just not at the races today. Tá brón orm.

There you go.

Mr Chambers: Thank you very much for calling me. I thank the Opposition for tabling the motion. Any opportunity to discuss and highlight the damages of substance misuse is to be welcomed. Substance misuse, whether of drugs or alcohol, is undoubtedly a serious problem across Northern Ireland. Misuse can destroy lives, and, sadly, as happens all too often here, it claims lives.

Excess alcohol consumption alone costs Northern Ireland up to as much as £900 million every year, but, as the debate has rightly highlighted, misuse is not just a financial problem but a human one. It is a sad reality that addiction is an issue gripping many families across our region. Sometimes, addiction is known and can be seen; sometimes, it is hidden. Either way, it is a tragedy for the people involved and their families.

Much as I fully understand the logic that we can no longer continue to do the same thing and hope for a different outcome, we need to invest more in specialist addition services, more early intervention measures and more front-line support. The framework for tackling the problem already exists: the Department's appropriately titled 'Preventing Harm, Empowering Recovery' framework is a clear, action-led document to allow people to access the support that they need. Thankfully, the plan has a particular emphasis on prevention and intervening before misuse escalates into something even more damaging.

I can empathise entirely with the particular focus in the motion on a north-west treatment centre, and the 'New Decade, New Approach' document will, understandably, have raised expectations further. It is regrettable that there has been so much uncertainty over funding contributions. Nevertheless, I was pleased to note the recent announcement of PEACE PLUS funding of €8 million for a community alcohol detox+ (CAD+) project.

Reiterating the comments of colleagues, I commend all the staff and volunteers at the Northlands Addiction Treatment Centre, who provide a truly incredible service for people across Northern Ireland.

It has become clear that the Minister has a commendable focus on tackling health inequalities. The most recent annual report — last year's — once again set out in incredibly stark terms how alcohol and drug misuse indicators continue to show some of the largest of all the health inequalities that are being monitored. I am sure that there are many issues that occupy the mind of the Minister, but the sheer level of inequality, combined with the harm and sadness caused by substance misuse, likely features prominently with him.

Mr Durkan: Addiction is a plague on our society. It is the great equaliser that spares no one based on age, gender, social status or background. It is a disease that shatters lives, devastates families and cripples communities. Many in the Chamber know all too well the consequences of addiction. We have seen the heartbreak in the eyes of bereaved parents and have spoken to those who are in the grips of substance dependency who feel that they have nowhere left to turn. Some of us have fought or are fighting addiction ourselves.

We have witnessed the growing number of people who suffer in silence and have fallen through the cracks of an under-resourced and fragmented support system. The crisis is painfully evident in the north-west. We are experiencing some of the highest rates of alcohol and drug dependency in Northern Ireland, yet we continue to lack the vital infrastructure that is needed to combat the epidemic effectively. The statistics are shocking. There have been 212 drug-related deaths in the past year alone, and that number is rising. Each number represents a life cut short, a family grieving and a future stolen.

It is not a coincidence; it is the direct result of decades of underinvestment, austerity-driven cuts and the political failure to deliver the resources that our communities so desperately need. The cost of inaction is staggering. Untreated addiction places an enormous burden on our healthcare system, our emergency services, our police service and our economy. It leads to increased rates of homelessness, crime and unemployment, but, more than that, it destroys lives. We have been passing the problem from pillar to post for too long, at times treating addiction as a criminal justice issue instead of the public health crisis that it truly is.

We need a new approach that is rooted in compassion, collaboration and evidence-based treatment. That is why we are calling on the Minister of Health and the Executive to:

That is not just about providing another facility; it is about creating a centre of excellence that can offer a dual-diagnosis approach and recognise the intrinsic link between addiction and mental health. It is about ensuring that those who are seeking help do not have to navigate a labyrinth of disconnected services but can access the holistic wrap-around support that they need to recover and rebuild their life.

Crucially, it must not be done in isolation. The Minister must work with Executive colleagues and counterparts in the Irish Government to integrate addiction treatment into a wider regional strategy for mental health, housing and employment support. Recovery is not just about detox and rehabilitation; it is about long-term stability and ensuring that individuals who leave treatment have access to safe housing, meaningful employment and a strong support network to help them stay on the path to recovery.

We must also take stronger action against those who profit from the misery of addiction. Drug dealers — the death dealers — who peddle destruction in our communities must face tougher sentences. The police must be given the resources and have the appetite to target the organised crime groups that flood our streets with lethal substances. Enforcement alone is not enough, however. Prevention and early intervention are key. We need better education, more community outreach and a greater investment in mental health services to address the root causes of substance misuse before it spirals into addiction.

Like others, I thank some of the wonderful organisations — many of them have been named — such as ARC Fitness, Northlands, HURT, Foyle Haven Day Centre and the White Oaks Centre, which is a stone's throw away in Donegal. They all provide proof that recovery is possible and that lives can be rebuilt with the right support, but they cannot do it alone. They need sustained investment and a commitment from the Government that they will back their work with real investment.

Today, the Assembly has an opportunity to take a stand and say clearly that we will no longer turn a blind eye to the crisis, that we will no longer allow vulnerable people to be abandoned in a broken system and that we will prioritise treatment over punishment, compassion over condemnation and action over empty promises. This is a matter of life and death. Let us not be complicit in further loss. Let us deliver the addiction treatment and recovery centre that the north-west so desperately needs.

Madam Principal Deputy Speaker: Thank you, Mark. I was reluctant to interrupt you.

Mr Carroll: I support the motion. We need a fully funded, purpose-built addiction treatment and recovery centre in the north-west. People in areas such as Strabane and Derry have some of the highest levels of poverty, deprivation, housing stress and inequality in these islands. It is worth saying that, despite repeatedly having political leaders come from those areas, there has been a litany of failure and refusal to deliver on the demands and needs of working-class communities, including the one that we are discussing today. I suggest that the failure is because of the type of politics that often dominates this place. Not only do we have stalemate, collapsed institutions and the like, but when Ministers are in place, we have a consensus around an economic model that works for the very people whom it was designed to benefit, the super wealthy, whilst everybody else is stuck with food banks, in-work poverty and so on and so forth.

To tackle the regional disparities that exist in Derry and elsewhere, we need to challenge the economic narratives that have dominated for the past 50-plus years here. They are, "Live within your means", "Don't have Governments borrow too much", "Keep figures in the black" and so on and so forth. Such approaches are not only bereft of any alternative thinking at a crucial time, but they lead directly to the harm experienced by so many in our communities. I do not see how there is a chance — a snowball's chance, you may say — of the motion becoming a reality when we had an inadequate Programme for Government passed yesterday and we have a Budget process that is sped up to get things done quickly before anyone has a chance to really figure out what is going on and get answers to basic questions. That Budget also allows economic inequalities to continue unchecked.

There absolutely needs to be a recovery centre in the north-west. To be honest, given the scale of addiction to alcohol and other substances, legal and illegal, in our communities, we need to see addiction treatment centres right across the North. People in my constituency need and would benefit from such support services, and it is a crime that there is such a lack of services currently.

At this point, it is worth asking why people become addicts. Obviously, people have their own stories. It could happen to anybody. Issues around trauma have already been mentioned today. We do not often link poverty, economic inequality and alienation as key drivers of addiction for so many people. To escape the pain and difficulty of everyday life, many people self-medicate with legal and illegal substances. In the North, in 2023-24, almost 4,000 people were recorded on the substance misuse database as having presented to services for problem substance misuse. I suggest that it probably has gone up since then.

We need, crucially, a health-based approach to this issue and not a criminal, policing or war-on-drugs approach, which is absolutely catastrophic and has failed. We should also challenge the absurdity, the waste of time and the ruining of people's lives that the current approach to the possession of cannabis, for one example, is causing. From 2019 to 2023, there were over 10,000 prosecutions for personal possession of cannabis. That is a shocking statistic, and I call on the Health Minister and the Justice Minister to challenge that approach and to speak out against it. We need to see a decriminalised approach to drugs. That approach works. The Portuguese model has, rightly, been recommended across the world to help and support people who are tackling addiction and struggling with addiction. I call on the Health Minister and Executive parties to back that approach.

Madam Principal Deputy Speaker: The next Member to speak is the Minister of Health, Mr Mike Nesbitt. You have 15 minutes to respond.

Mr Nesbitt (The Minister of Health): Principal Deputy Speaker, thank you very much. I thank also the proposer of the motion and the Members who moved the two amendments. I do not think that we can ever spend too much time raising awareness of the harms of substance use and putting a focus on all that we can do collectively to try to address this topic.

As Members will be aware and as has been stated in the debate, tackling health inequalities has become a passion of mine, and, currently, the largest inequalities in health relate to substance use. In the most deprived areas, for example, drug-related deaths are almost six times higher than in the least-deprived areas. In the Western Trust area in 2022, there were 26 drug-related deaths, each with a devastating impact on family, friends and community. While the conversation often turns to drugs, we should also remember the impact of alcohol. In 2023, 68 people in the Western Trust area died from alcohol-specific causes. That is simply unacceptable, and I am therefore committed to taking action. We also know of the cost to the health service and to Northern Ireland. It is estimated that substance-related harm costs us up to £1·5 billion a year. Again, however, I emphasise that we should primarily focus on the human cost.

Despite some positive progress, such as a reduction in the number of young people drinking alcohol or using substances, the level of harm has been increasing. That is driven by a range of factors, including the availability of new substances, increased complexity of cases and polysubstance use. Our strategy, Preventing Harm, Empowering Recovery, therefore acknowledged that we require a revised, joined-up, whole-system approach to our services in Health and Social Care (HSC) and across other Departments.

The motion helpfully recognises the links between substance use, mental health, housing and economic inactivity. While the substance use strategy is Health-led, it rightly recognises that a whole-system approach is required to address not just the causes of substance use but the causes of the causes. All those sectors are part of the strategy's implementation and of the programme board that oversees delivery. Substance use is also an issue that knows no borders, and my Department works closely with colleagues in Ireland and across the UK through the British-Irish Council and four nations ministerial meetings on the topic. On delivery in Health, Members may be aware that I launched the HSC substance use strategic commissioning and implementation plan in November of last year. The plan has been co-produced by the Public Health Agency and the strategic planning and performance group (SPPG). It creates a new whole-system, outcomes-focused strategic service delivery plan that covers all tiers of service provision for substance use, and it will last for the next four years. The plan addresses various levels of need relating to substance use in our population, and it encompasses service provision ranging from early intervention and preventative services to specialist inpatient detoxification and residential rehabilitation services. The plan is part of our wider health reform agenda, which stresses the importance of using our existing services in better ways to meet the needs of the population.

As part of that reform agenda, an independent review of tier 4 addiction services has been commissioned by the SPPG as an accelerated work stream within the commissioning and implementation plan. The aim of the independent review is to scope the needs of our population relative to current hospital inpatient detoxification and residential rehabilitation services for substance use issues. The review is in draft and has been subject to a 12-week public consultation that closed on 19 February. The review makes 20 recommendations to support the development of a regional specialist assessment, treatment and recovery network. This will enable people to receive the right assessment, the right treatment and the right support at the right time, in the right place and from the right people.

The consultation on the review received 55 responses, of which 66% came from the Derry City and Strabane District Council area. Early analysis of the responses indicates a high level of agreement with all 20 recommendations, ranging from 85% to 99% support for the proposals. Subject to further analysis of the consultation responses and the required departmental approvals, the recommendations will be prioritised for implementation by the SPPG and the Public Health Agency this year and going forward. It is important to note that the review does not recommend that a new dedicated treatment and recovery centre be developed in the north-west but instead that joined-up working be improved and better pathways developed between existing services.

Such services include community detoxification services, community addiction teams and community mental health teams, early intervention and prevention services and primary care inpatient detoxification services and residential rehabilitation.

The report's recommendations will most notably impact on current residential rehabilitation provision, with the recommendation that such services should be subject to a regional procurement exercise. It is intended that, by taking a procurement exercise regionally for residential rehabilitation services, there will be a beneficial impact for people requiring those services, with consistency and equity of access to services on an evidence-based approach.

The recommendations of the regional independent review also concur with the findings of the local population-based needs assessment for the Western Health and Social Care Trust area in relation to substance use. That needs assessment was commissioned by the PHA and the SPPG to better understand the needs of the population in the north-west area and to identify gaps in services. It identified the wide-ranging impact of substance use in the Western Trust area. It requires a comprehensive, whole-system response to the development and improvement of services and support in order to bring about lasting change for the population. It further identifies the need to support the development of recovery communities across the Western Trust area and to increase the use of data and performance information to ensure that future commissioning decisions are informed by an understanding of what works and take cognisance of changing trends. The implementation of the recommendations made in the assessment are being considered in the Western Drug and Alcohol Coordination Team, with the support of the PHA, the SPPG and the Western Health and Social Care Trust.

I am also pleased to note the recent announcement of PEACE PLUS funding of €8 million for an innovative community detox-plus project in Northern Ireland, and that is namely in the Western and Southern Health and Social Care Trust areas and the border counties of Ireland. That funding has been secured through the collaborative health and social care addiction services investment area's PEACE PLUS healthy and inclusive communities theme, and it will contribute towards the more efficient delivery of health and social care services relating to addictions.

Service providers in the north-west area will therefore develop enhanced and comprehensive community care for those with problematic alcohol use, with the primary objective of mitigating the harmful effects of alcohol on individuals, families and communities, while addressing the socio-economic issues that continue to undermine the health and well-being of our population. That will be achieved by supporting adults in safely detoxing at home or in a community space rather than within residential services.

My Department is currently funding a pilot project in the north-west, the aim of which is to improve the physical and mental health of individuals directly and indirectly impacted on by problematic substance use.

Funding has been provided to Addiction Recovery Coaching, a community-based, not-for-profit addiction recovery organisation in Derry/Londonderry. To Members who have mentioned ARC, I say that I have visited it and been inspired by the leader, Gary Rutherford. I have not just visited; I have invested in that service. It is led by people with lived experience of substance use and addiction, as well as by mental health professionals and accredited therapists. Their work promotes an understanding of the recovery pathway and a reduction in the stigma associated with addiction. That support is provided through access to physical activity, professional support and reconnection with community. It complements and supports the work of other community and statutory services.

We need no reminder that those impacted on by drugs and alcohol use are our sons and daughters, our brothers and sisters, our mothers and fathers and our friends and colleagues. Almost everybody in this region has been or knows somebody who has been affected by substance use, so it is an issue that touches us all. Please let me take this opportunity to once again restate my commitment to making a positive impact in relation to substance use across this region.

One comment that I want to reply to is that of Mr Carroll. It is about the causes of the causes. It is not enough just to say, "Alcohol use or substance use causes ill health". What causes people to abuse substances in the first place? Yes, poverty is absolutely a key factor, and that is why I say to the House that tackling this is not just an issue for the Department of Health: we need an all-Executive, all-systems approach to tackling it.

Mr Carroll: I appreciate the Minister's giving way, and I agree with his agreement with me, if that is the right way of phrasing it. Will he comment on the fact that 10,000 people were prosecuted for personal possession of cannabis between 2019 and 2023? Does he think that that is an adequate use of public resources for tackling the issue?

Mr Nesbitt: I thank the Member for his intervention. I understand his position. My position is that, if we can tackle the causes of the causes, the need for prosecutions will go away. I know that he does not think that there is a need for prosecution now. Others take a different view, however. Let us therefore tackle the causes of the causes so that the issue does not arise at all.

Mr Donnelly: Will the Minister give way?

Mr Nesbitt: Yes.

Mr Donnelly: Does the Minister agree that the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 is outdated, that it needlessly punishes people who use drugs and that its impact on people in Northern Ireland should be reviewed?

Mr Nesbitt: I thank the Member for his intervention. The fact that the law dates from 1971 suggests that it may well be fit for review. The Member is taking me into the area of a different debate, and it is a debate that I would very much welcome the House having, including our debating taking a position on whether we are in the right place, and have been since the early 1970s, or whether it is time to look at taking a different approach. Again, for me, the fundamental is to look at the causes of the causes and how we address them.

Without wishing to stir things up or to divide the House, I gently say that I note that the motion and, indeed, the two amendments call on me:

During the debate, however, nobody has yet suggested what I should deprioritise in order to make that happen. Should I deprioritise the building of the children's hospital at the Royal so that we have the capital for the centre in the north-west? Should I deprioritise nurses' pay so that we have the resource to fund the operation of a centre annually? That is part of the problem. If we are to do this, we need capital and resource, and I do not see them becoming available. I therefore reaffirm my commitment to doing what I can to help those who are subject to substance use and abuse, but we have to be realistic about what is possible.

Madam Principal Deputy Speaker: Thank you, Minister. I call Maurice Bradley to make a winding-up speech on amendment No 2. I advise you, Maurice, that you have five minutes.

Mr Bradley: Thank you, Madam Principal Deputy Speaker. I join my colleagues from the north-west in calling for the establishment of a dedicated treatment centre. The Minister highlighted some of the statistics from the Western Trust, but the problem is much larger than the Western Trust area. The area also takes in the Northern Trust. No statistics have been quoted from the Causeway Coast and Glens area. I remind Members that, according to NISRA statistics, the Belfast City Council area, with 14·3 deaths per 100,000 of population, has the highest incidence rate. Second highest is the Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council area, with 10·7 drug-related deaths per 100,000 of population. Third highest is the Derry City and Strabane District Council area. That tells me that there is a bigger picture that shows that, across the north-west, there is a problem with addiction. The Minister rightly says, "If you want it, how will you pay for it?". One suggestion for the Minister is for him to reduce the number of health trusts from five to three and make savings that way, because this wee country of ours is too small to be governed by five health trusts. I digress, Madam Principal Deputy Speaker, so I apologise.

Madam Principal Deputy Speaker: You do it well, Maurice. [Laughter.]

Mr Bradley: Establishing a dedicated treatment and recovery centre in the north-west, in which I include the north coast, is now a priority. Substance misuse, including drug and alcohol addiction, continues to be a major public health challenge in the north-west and in the Causeway Coast and Glens area, with the regions experiencing some of the highest rates of dependency in Northern Ireland. The economic and social costs of untreated addiction place significant strain on healthcare services, policing and local economies. Despite the scale of the issue, there is no dedicated, fully resourced addiction treatment centre in the north-west, in which I include the Causeway Coast and Glens area. People in those areas often face long waiting times, travel barriers and fragmented support services, making recovery more difficult. A fully funded, purpose-built addiction treatment and recovery centre for the north-west and the Causeway Coast and Glens area would improve accessibility, reduce travel barriers and offer specialist addiction services, including detoxification, rehabilitation, mental health support and harm-reduction strategies. It would also lessen the burden on hospitals, emergency services, policing and social care. There needs to be support for long-term recovery by integrating addiction treatment, mental health services, housing support and employment programmes. The Assembly would need to ensure that the centre were fully funded and sustainably resourced. Establishing a dedicated addiction treatment and recovery centre in the north-west and north coast area would be a critical step forward in tackling substance misuse. A fully resourced, trauma-informed integrated care approach would not only improve public health outcomes but reduce the long-term social and economic costs associated with untreated addiction.

Centralising health services in Belfast is not the answer. Another look needs to be taken at how this country divvies up its health services. The impending removal of acute services from the Causeway Hospital will mean that the nearest acute hospital to the Causeway Coast and Glens area is Altnagelvin, putting more pressure on the Western Trust, with no ambulances to take anybody anywhere.

I have a few minutes left.

Madam Principal Deputy Speaker: You do, surely.

Mr Bradley: Right.

Cara Hunter, who proposed the motion, told us that the death rate through addiction is three times higher in Northern Ireland than elsewhere. She cited the complex nature of drug and alcohol addiction and called for a wrap-around approach. Daniel McCrossan mentioned how difficult it is to get appropriate help when it is needed, which leads to further despair, with families and friends being adversely affected. Danny Donnelly talked about Belfast's high rate of deaths and how addiction destroys lives and families. He said that, 27 years on, young people are still suffering the after-effects of the Troubles, and called for cross-party cooperation to deal with the issue.

Gary Middleton highlighted, rightly, the fact that addiction can strike anyone. He informed us that the right treatment for the right addiction is important, as there are more addictions than alcohol and drug addiction. He also called for treatments to be available in the north-west and for increased capacity to deal with the stigma of addiction. Ciara Ferguson made reference to the deaths caused by addiction and the pain and sorrow caused to families by those bereavements. She also told us that drug abuse and alcohol abuse is on the increase.

Madam Principal Deputy Speaker: Maurice, your time is up. I am sorry about that.

Mr Bradley: Ach, dear. Thank you. [Laughter.]

Madam Principal Deputy Speaker: You are welcome. Sorry about that. You were on a roll.

I call Nuala McAllister to make a winding-up speech on amendment No 1. Nuala, you have five minutes.

Miss McAllister: Thank you, Principal Deputy Speaker. I support both amendments and the motion. I thank the proposer of the motion for bringing it forward.

I agree with my colleague Danny Donnelly about trauma-informed practice, not just in treating addiction but across all services in Northern Ireland. It is very important. If we took a more trauma-informed approach to the way in which we run our services, a lot of people could be saved from the extreme consequences of poverty, such as addiction, and we could help people earlier in their life.

It is really important that we speak to the motion today, given the update from the Minister about the consultation. As I move through my winding-up speech, I will have a few questions for the Minister, which can be answered at a later date. I highlight the prevalence of the data that has been used across the Chamber. Data is very important in taking an evidence-based approach to any services, particularly health services. Economic prosperity was mentioned last week and again earlier today. We highlighted the need to focus on areas of multiple deprivation. If it is true in that respect, it is also true for our health services. The fact that a drug death is three times more likely to occur in a deprived area speaks volumes about where those services should be prioritised.

In the north-west, there are particular situations in which people cannot access services. It is not because transport is difficult to access physically; the services do not exist. One question to the Minister, therefore, is on the regionalisation of our services: will all the barriers be knocked down to ensure that anyone, no matter where they live in Northern Ireland, whether it is in the north-west or in Belfast, will have access to a regional rehabilitation service, particularly a residential one? Will they have community transport?

Many Members spoke about family support and how addiction impacts on the whole family. Some people do not have a family support network around them when crisis point is reached and they are no longer able to help themselves. Who will help those people to access services, whether they are in Belfast or not? We need to look at that seriously. A lot of people who get help from the community and voluntary sector are alone, so we need to make sure that any barrier to their accessing treatment is removed. When it comes to collaboration and the commissioning of services, I want to hear more about what is being done with the community and voluntary sector and the impact of that work. Will there be an increase in the workforce in community mental health and community rehabilitation teams? Will there be an increase in the number of beds?

I disagree with nothing that Members across the Chamber have said. We can all agree that we need dedicated treatment for every individual in Northern Ireland and that the treatment should depend on their circumstances. Most of all, we need to address the causes of addiction, one of which is poverty. I absolutely agree with the Minister that a whole-Executive approach is needed to address poverty. It needs a Health approach, a Communities approach and a Justice approach. With addiction to drugs in particular, we cannot police our way out of it or leave it up to the justice system. When the police try to take a different approach, they are often criticised by the public, but we cannot arrest our way out of addiction to drugs. The people who sell to addicts and prey on vulnerable people must be targeted as well; we cannot forget them. We must, however, target the reasons why people become addicted in the first place.

As I said, I am grateful to the Member who proposed the motion. It is important that we have an opportunity to explore it. I look forward to working with the Minister and hearing about progress on the review and the reform of services across the region. Hopefully, some of the questions can be answered later.

Madam Principal Deputy Speaker: Before I put the Question on amendment No —. Sorry, I am having a day. I am having a mare. Colin, go ahead. You have 10 minutes in which to make a winding-up speech on the motion.

Mr McGrath: Thank you very much, Principal Deputy Speaker. I feared that people would run to the door before I could speak.

One of the first things that I will comment on, forbye the seriousness of the issue, is that I was straining a bit to hear what Members were saying. That is a reflection of the fact that we were a little quieter, and that showed agreement. When we are in agreement in the Chamber, the decibel levels go down, not least from me. That is a good indication that Members across the Chamber are of the same opinion.

We have in front of us two amendments that are mutually exclusive. Our party has no problem with either. The fact that the Question will be put on them in order means that they will not both be supported, but we would be happy to support both, because we are all pushing in the same direction and coming from the same place in trying to deal with the issue.

For many of us, including me, it is not an easy conversation to have. We all have family members who have to deal with addictions and their ramifications, and some of us may have to do that ourselves. As with everybody in our community, if you put 40 Members in a room, quite a number will have had to deal with the issue at first hand. It is important that, when discussing the matter, we do so with compassion and sensitivity, because addiction is not a choice. It is not a weakness. It is an illness, and many people suffer from that illness. If we can take that as a starting point, we can take the next step collectively to address the level of care that such a person requires. I will say that again, because I think that it is a powerful thing: care is needed for that individual.

According to the Northern Ireland substance misuse database, almost 4,000 people suffer from an addiction and have presented to services for support. We know that we can probably multiply that — we could double it, treble it or quadruple it — and get the number of people who are actually living in our community with problems. The majority of those people are men, and around half are in the 26-to-39 age bracket with an addiction to drugs. Some have an addiction to drugs and alcohol. Cocaine was reported as the most commonly used drug, and more than half reported the daily use of drugs. Again, that speaks to the scale of the problem. We have come to work — we have been here for two days already — and we will be back to our constituencies and doing Committee work by the end of the week. Five days will have passed. Half the people on that list are living, every day, with the impact of what is happening as a result of their illness.

The database gives an indication of where some of the issues are presenting, but it also provides the evidence that is necessary to allow us to respond. Cuan Mhuire sits just outside my South Down constituency. We also have Ward 15 in Downpatrick, which I can see from my living room. Those places have a person-centred approach to care, and their focus is on helping those who suffer from addiction to see the goodness in themselves and to discover a sense of purpose in their life. Since its foundation in 1984, many thousands of people have benefited from Cuan Mhuire's services. The Friends of Ward 15 provides help and support through a community response. That centre is there and is the hub of the support. The community, including family and friends, if they are there, can come in and provide help. That is an example of how such services can ensure that the stigma that is felt by those who are suffering from addiction is removed. No more stigma should be attached to those who are seeking help. We should try to support people who need help, and we should congratulate people who seek help by saying, "Well done. You've stepped up. Here's the support services that will get you further in your journey". Such support should be available across the North. That is why we have considered that today for the north-west and, as I will repeat for Maurice Bradley, for the Causeway Coast and Glens area. We heard that as well.

I am never a fan of picking out what individuals said, so I will reflect back what Members said, because there have been excellent contributions. We need to note them. Reference was made in the debate to the high rate of alcohol deaths. When we think of addiction, we think about drugs and often overlook the fact that alcohol causes one of the biggest addictions in our community. The fact that drug deaths are going up speaks to the sense that we need to do something about it.

As many Members referenced, deprivation is closely very connected and related to addiction. The level of deprivation that is there speaks to the reason why areas such as the north-west will have higher rates of addiction. There should be a good opportunity there to find the right support services to help people. A number of Members spoke about the various groups that are in the community, such as the Northlands centre. Nobody wants to see a replication of work that is already being done, and nobody wants to take work away from organisations in the voluntary and community sector. It is about how we can try to connect them via a hub to which we can bring people and groups together and say, "If you're going to go out and do that, here's another group that is going to go out and do something different. If nobody is going to do this, we will do it here in this centre". That is why we want to see the development of a centre for the north-west.

It was well highlighted that the Programme for Government had no mention of addiction. It contained a list of some of the things that need to be prioritised, but it is worth noting that, while we are having a debate about addiction, there was no reference in it to that.

We also had a discussion about the ripple effect of addiction and how family, friends and people who are closest to those affected are also impacted on. Sometimes, it is the family members who feel the most helpless. They can see the person, they have love and concern for the individual, and they can see the harm that is being done, but when they try to find support, they just do not know where to go or where to start. That is very disempowering, and it can be very frustrating.

We also talked about mental health and the connectivity, the dual diagnosis, between the two strands of addiction and mental health. That is a point that we continually make. I worry that, for as long as I have been here, we have been making that point, but it seems that nothing is being done about it. Maybe a nice, big, new centre in the north-west, in the Causeway Coast and Glens area, might be able to take on the dual diagnosis and become the cheerleaders and say, "What can we do to try to provide services for matters such as that?".

Another striking remark by a number of Members was that the cost of inaction is just huge. I appreciate that it is difficult for those who hold the purse strings to get continual asks for extra services and delivery, but it is also deeply frustrating when you think about how much money it will cost to deal with the ramifications of certain actions, illnesses, conditions and instances, whereas if we just invested the money, we would be able to save so much more money down the line. Maybe the Minister could consider the Shared Island Fund or the new transformation fund. Maybe there are ways that a centre in the north-west would save money in the long run over other services and provisions and, therefore, would be a good idea.

The Opposition wanted to have the debate for the north-west. It is part of a jigsaw puzzle of services right across the North, therefore, it would benefit people in the north-west, but it would also assist the overall network of services that are provided for everybody and would be a great addition to the help that we could provide. There is cross-party support for it here. Everybody who has spoken today has been in support of it, so I hope that that can go some way to getting it on an agenda somewhere to keep the idea alive and see if we can deliver for the people of the north-west and, ultimately, deliver for their families, friends, community and the network of service provision and others that are impacted on right across the North.

Madam Principal Deputy Speaker: Thank you, Colin. Before I put the Question on amendment No 1, I remind Members that, if it is made, I will not put the Question on amendment No 2.

Madam Principal Deputy Speaker: Members, take your ease.

Mr Durkan: I beg to move

Mr Deputy Speaker (Mr Blair): The Business Committee has agreed to allow up to one hour for the debate. The proposer of the motion will have five minutes in which to propose and five minutes to wind up. As an amendment has been selected and is published on the Marshalled List, the Business Committee has agreed that eight minutes will be added to the total time for the debate.

Mr Durkan: The motion addresses an issue that continues to choke the north-west and strangle opportunities there: the chronic and historic underinvestment in transport infrastructure. The people of Derry, Strabane, Limavady and the Causeway coast deserve a modern, efficient and well-connected transport system that meets the needs of businesses, commuters, tourists and families alike. Year after year, however, we find ourselves fighting for even the most basic improvements and the righting of historic wrongs. Yes, we have seen improvements. We welcome the Executive's eventual acceptance of shouldering the financial burden of the City of Derry Airport, the benefits of which should be felt not only by ratepayers in the Derry City and Strabane District Council area but by many across the North and in Donegal and beyond.

The state of our transport links is not just an inconvenience but a barrier to the success of our second city — my first city. The lack of adequate rail links and road infrastructure is a major factor in the regional inequalities that persist across the North. It is time for the Executive to deliver real, tangible improvements, not just lip service and never-ending but never-arriving announcements.

We have seen that lip service paid time and time again when it comes to improving rail services, particularly in regard to the critical phase 3 of the Derry to Coleraine upgrade. Last year, in the mouth of the general election, the then Infrastructure Minister celebrated the delivery of £97·7 million for that project, but a wee bit of digging revealed that just 5% of that proposed investment would be delivered in this financial year. The upgrade, which was supposed to be completed in 2027 — that in itself was a revised date — now will not begin until May of that year. Raising hopes of such a transformational and long-overdue project is completely unacceptable. The perpetually postponed upgrade will go a long way in righting some of those long-term injustices and must be a priority. It will help to tackle regional imbalance and steer the city on a course towards a brighter future.

A quick glance at the map shows the blatant disparity in rail provision between east and west. The gap in the map is an indelible mark on the cultural psyche that suggests that the north-west — Derry, largely, and Donegal as well as Fermanagh — is a place that is shut off, isolated and unsuitable for prospective investors.

That said, we have seen some modest, incremental improvements in rail timetabling. Since the hourly Belfast to Derry service was introduced several years ago, we have witnessed, year-on-year, record-breaking passenger numbers for Derry rail. 2023 marked a 54% increase in usage, which has seen the Derry rail station climb from the seventeenth-busiest station in the North to the seventh. That is the living embodiment of, "If you build it, they will come". Yet, inexplicably, Derry has only six rail services on a Sunday, whereas every station east of the Bann has 13 on the Belfast to Coleraine line. There have been no efforts in the last few years to improve that frequency. When I asked the Minister to commit to improvements, she simply recognised that it would be beneficial. In real terms, Derry — the second city — receives 2,600 fewer rail services every year than the stations east of the Bann. Without being disrespectful to any other Member's constituency, I say that those are places with a much smaller population base than the North's second city.

Derry remains the only city of its size on the island — someone made the point in the previous debate — with a single-track railway. That is a clear symbol of transport inequality. If the Executive are serious about improving connectivity, they must take the all-island rail review off the shelf and put it on the ground. We need dual tracking on the Derry to Belfast line to improve frequency, reliability and safety and the reopening of the Derry to Portadown line to restore vital cross-border links. The leader of the Opposition, my colleague Matthew O'Toole, was speaking —.

Mr Deputy Speaker (Mr Blair): Your time is up, Mr Durkan.

Mr Durkan: Oh, thank you.

Mr Middleton: I beg to move the following amendment:

Mr Deputy Speaker (Mr Blair): You have five minutes to propose the amendment and three minutes to make a winding-up speech. All other contributors will have three minutes.

Mr Middleton: Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. Our amendment strengthens the motion. We have discussed many issues today that affect the north-west, and the issue of transport infrastructure is vital in ensuring that we reach our full potential in terms of our economy, our tourism sector and, of course, our connectivity to other areas. There has been a concern over many years that the north-west lags behind other regions in strategic infrastructure investment, despite the fact that the movement of people and goods in the north-west is a key international gateway that provides access by road, rail, sea and air.

Inadequate transport infrastructure has long acted as a barrier to economic growth, investment and connectivity. The north-west transport plan is a long-overdue step that will go some way towards addressing the region's infrastructure needs. As identified in the regional development strategy 2035, Londonderry has a significant role to play as the capital of an expanding north-west. As a party, the DUP is committed to better transport infrastructure serving the entire north-west from Strabane across to the north coast. As is highlighted in our amendment, we must:

We need a joined-up plan that will deliver for all our hardest-to-reach communities.

The north-west transport plan will cover local transport issues, such as active travel, public transport, local road networks and parking, and will set the framework for transport policy and investment decisions until 2035. The six-stage process for the development of the plan must progress without delay, but it also needs to be right, addressing local needs and challenges. The motion touches on the need to expedite the remediation of the Mobuoy site to unlock further growth in the north-west. It is vital that we see the further extension of the A6, but we must also address the challenges that exist in relation to some sections of the A5.

Tourism makes an important contribution to our council area, with a total spend of over £63 million in the Londonderry and Strabane district in 2023. There were 475 tourism businesses, accounting for over 5,000 jobs. Improved transport infrastructure would help boost the tourism experience of visitors from these islands and across the world. For our constituents, however, improved infrastructure would mean greater investment and better connectivity, thereby unlocking further job opportunities.

Since the 1950s, the Northern Ireland rail network has been cut by 450 miles. Northern Ireland has also suffered historical underinvestment in its rail network and services compared with other regions of the UK. As one placard displayed at a protest about trains stated, "Our wains need trains". The rail network is so important that, over many years, parents have lobbied for improvements to it.

We do not currently have rail electrification, and there are clear disparities in access to services in areas such as Fermanagh, as, no doubt, my colleague Deborah will mention. That ought to change as a result of the work that is being done on assessing the potential for greater rail connectivity. We need to see further progress made on the line between Portadown and Londonderry as well.

The all-Ireland strategic rail review and the Union connectivity review present a clear vision for better connectivity throughout the British Isles. Full delivery on their commitments stands to unlock opportunities for our economic growth and for job creation. To that end, we, as a party, will work constructively with the Minister and other Executive colleagues and alongside the UK and Irish Governments to progress the feasibility studies that are under way.

Miss Brogan: D’admhaigh Rialtas na Breataine féin nach bhfuil an Tuaisceart ag fáil leath a sháithe de mhaoiniú leis na glúnta. Má rinne Westminster faillí sa Tuaisceart san am a chuaigh thart, is fíor go ndearna Cnoc an Anfa agus Dáil Éireann araon faillí san iarthuaisceart. Bhí sé thar a bheith deacair cistiú, infheistíocht agus tograí bonneagair a fháil don taobh thiar den Bhanna thar na blianta.

Féach an strambán faoi champas Mhig Aoidh, faoin A6 is faoin A2, an phraiseach atáthar a dhéanamh de cheist an mica, agus an dóigh ar cuireadh ceal ar líonra iarnróid na hÉireann, más cruthú atá de dhíth ort.

Is céim sa treo cheart é plean iompair an iarthuaiscirt 2035 leis an rud a chur ina chothrom. Molaim an tAire Kimmins agus a réamhtheachtaí, an tAire O’Dowd, as a dtiomantas leanúnach don phlean iompair agus do na tionscadail atá bainteach leis, nó seolfar acmhainní siar dá mbarr. Bhí an dá Aire seo chun tosaigh ag dáileadh acmhainní go cothrom, rud a rachas chun sochair chan amháin don iarthuaisceart ach don tír ar fad.

Laghdóidh na t-uasghrádú ar an A5 agus ar an A6 na hamanna taistil, agus cuirfidh siad feabhas ar na naisc idir Doire, Béal Feirste agus Baile Átha Cliath. Lena chois sin, cuirfidh siad go mór le sábháilteacht na mbóithre contúirteacha sin. Má théimid i ngleic le fadhb na dramhaíola nimhniúla ag an Mhagh Bhuí, cuideoidh sin le dul chun cinn an A6. Thairis sin, cosnóidh sé Abhainn na Fochaine agus uisce óil na mílte duine.

Tá obair mhór le déanamh ag an Tionól agus ag Dáil Éireann má tá an neamart a rinneadh ar iarthar na hÉireann le fada le tabhairt isteach. Ach is céim chun tosaigh é plean iompair an iarthuaiscirt.

Mr McReynolds: As the Alliance infrastructure spokesperson, I welcome the motion. As someone with strong family links to Strabane, I also thank the Opposition for tabling it.

As we have heard, the north-west transport plan has the potential to support social and economic development and the environmental sustainability of the transport system in the north-west, opening up opportunities for connectivity and economic growth to better serve communities there. Good, well-thought-out plans for active travel, public transport and the associated infrastructure make life better and easier for the individuals and businesses based there.

That is against the backdrop of the historical and chronic underinvestment, which Mr Durkan mentioned, that has restricted the growth of those networks to allow for sustainable transport choices.

We all know that spending on public transport in Northern Ireland is the lowest among the UK nations, at £193 a head, which is less than half the spend in England and Wales. It is for that reason that publication of the north-west transport plan could bring transformative change and benefits for the region and improve the quality of life for those living there. However, the plan must be backed by significant capital investment and strategic planning to ensure that it is delivered. Moreover, it must be resourced with appropriate numbers of staff to consult, review and deliver upon the plan, otherwise it will remain as links to images on a website. I say that as someone who has witnessed the delays taking place in DFI. I am aware of planning permission applicants who received overdue required amendments, who amended and resubmitted them on the same day, and who, as of now, are still waiting because attention has been diverted elsewhere or staff are too under-resourced to deliver basic permissions.

My understanding is that options for the remediation of the Mobuoy site will soon move to public consultation, which is a key step in the journey to secure that site. I know that the Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs Minister is keen to see that progress rapidly to benefit the progression and finalisation of the A6.

Introducing sustainable connections in and between towns and cities in the north-west is crucial. I urge the Minister to bring forward the engagement report, draft plan and consultation on the options for the north-west transport plan as soon as possible to ensure that we can move forward on delivering the sustainable transport networks that are key for a modern society.

Mrs Erskine: I welcome the opportunity to speak in the debate, even though I am speaking about the north-west, not the south-west. Hopefully, colleagues can support our amendment.

Go to anybody who lives in the west of the Province and you will find that they talk about the lack of investment in our transport network and infrastructure. Strategically placed and expanded infrastructure networks, be they roads or public transport, can be the gateway to income generation and employment, which is desperately needed in the west, given the number of towns and villages that have high deprivation figures and indicators.

As mentioned by my colleague Gary Middleton, the regional development strategy 2035 identifies the significant role that Londonderry has to play in the expansion of the north-west. It is important that we keep in mind, however, that Londonderry, as beautiful and as rich in history as that city is, is not where investment stops and finishes. We must look at the north-west and the south-west as an overall piece. We must be strategic in linking up our public transport network. By developing infrastructure, we can create jobs and opportunities. Yesterday, we chatted about the Programme for Government being a key enabler of all the priorities. Doing that in the north-west, which is an area of economic deprivation, will be a major boost to the economy.

As stated in the 'North West Transport Plan 2035 Baseline Report', which was published in March 2024:

Londonderry —

At the heart of government policy is regional balance, and that must stretch to our infrastructure offering. Ultimately, we are trying to promote the tourism product that is outside Belfast. Our infrastructure is letting the side down on that. Tourism makes an essential contribution to Londonderry, the north-west and, indeed, my area of the south-west. An estimated 185,000 hotel rooms were sold in the Londonderry City and Strabane District Council area in 2019, which is the second highest figure of all the council areas after Belfast.

I must quickly add that, if we are using Londonderry as a gateway to the north-west —

Mr Deputy Speaker (Mr Blair): The Member's time is up.

Mrs Erskine: Oh. OK. Thank you.

Mr Deputy Speaker (Mr Blair): You added that quickly. Anyway.

Mr McMurray: I will definitely try to keep my comments brief. I support the north-west transport plan. I would like to see it delivered sooner rather than later. The same goes for the expansion of all-Ireland rail. As a society, we are much too dependent on private cars. We urgently need significant investment to create a clean, sustainable transport system. The north-west transport plan will hopefully help to improve the sustainability of the local transport system and support sustainable travel in and around Derry and Strabane. That will do the area a lot of good. My reading of the Department's transport study of the area is that local bus services and pedestrian and cycling infrastructure all have scope for improvement. I hope that, once published, the north-west transport plan will help to deliver some of that.

I have spoken to a local colleague about the A6 and understand that the slow progress of phase 2 is causing a lot of bother for the village of Drumahoe in particular. I have been told that, during the morning rush hour, there is a queue of traffic coming off the A6 that is almost as long as the village itself. That is unhealthy for air quality. I hope that a way can be found to overcome any barriers that the project faces currently. As for the illegal waste site at Mobuoy, I know that consultation on a draft remediation strategy is in the pipeline. I will be interested to see what the outcome of that is.

Mr Deputy Speaker (Mr Blair): Thanks to those Members who have spoken. I now call Keith Buchanan to make the winding-up speech on the amendment. You have up to three minutes.

Mr K Buchanan: Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker.

Mr Deputy Speaker (Mr Blair): Sorry, Keith: I failed to call the Minister. [Laughter.]

I now call the Minister for Infrastructure to respond. Minister, my apologies. You have up to 10 minutes.

Ms Kimmins (The Minister for Infrastructure): Thank you, Deputy Speaker. I thank the Members who tabled the motion. Transport infrastructure for the north-west is an important topic. I very much welcome the debate. I am sure that everybody here aspires to and wants to see the delivery of a thriving north-west. Certainly, I am keen to see that. My predecessor, Minister O'Dowd, and I are committed to achieving regional balance during the mandate. My party has championed that for some time and will continue to do so. It is important to emphasise the huge potential of the north-west region, which has been described here. My job is to ensure that the impediments that have held it back, and continue to do so, are removed and to ensure that it can reach its full potential. As Infrastructure Minister, I see my role as providing the building blocks that support the region's growth.

Members have talked about the A6. Over recent years, we have constructed many miles of new dual carriageway on the A6. The recently completed Dungiven to Derry stretch was the North's largest ever road scheme. It provides a much improved link from Derry to Belfast and the gateways along the east coast. It has been transformative for the north-west. However, the Member who spoke previously mentioned the frustration of not being able to compete the phase of works that would connect the A6 through to the A2 and the Foyle Bridge to allow quicker journeys around the city, and I understand that frustration. My officials are working closely with their counterparts in the NIEA and other relevant stakeholders to expedite the remediation of the illegal waste site at Mobuoy. Once DAERA's draft optimum remediation strategy is finalised, my officials will be able to develop a delivery strategy and timeline for the A6 phase 2 project.

It is important to connect Derry with Belfast, but equally important is the Derry to Dublin connection via the A5. From an economic perspective, improving connections from Derry to our principal cities makes clear business sense. Of course, the principal factor in all of that is the improvement to make it safer. Too many lives have been lost on the A5, and the upgrade will save lives. The project is vital. I am confident that it will help to transform our social and economic geography by promoting the north-west.

As many of you are aware, I am bringing forward a new transport strategy along with a new suite of transport plans. The transport strategy is substantially complete, and I plan to publish it for consultation in the next couple of months. The strategy will set out the vision and my strategic priorities for our transport system through to 2035. It will articulate the role of transport as a social, economic and environmental enabler and establish a set of transport priorities for my Department to deliver against. The regional strategic transport network transport plan will consider the strategic transport network, which includes our railways and the strategic road network.

Mrs Erskine: I thank the Minister for giving way, because I did not get to my point about the all-island strategic rail review during my contribution. I recognise that transport plans are coming forward, but does the Minister not think that it is short-sighted that Fermanagh is not included in those plans to make sure that the north-west and the south-west are connected and that we have that tourism offering, which can be enabled through the all-island strategic rail review?

Ms Kimmins: I thank the Member for her intervention on that. The importance of having Fermanagh as part of that is well recognised, certainly by my colleagues who represent the same constituency as the Member. I hope that, as part of our broader transport plan, we can ensure that Fermanagh is not left behind. It is about looking at how we can improve connectivity right across the island and ensuring that no part of our island is left in isolation. I am keen and happy to continue to work with the Member and other constituency colleagues on that.

The remainder of the suite of plans for the north-west transport plan considers the local transport issues, including active travel, public transport, the local road network and parking. The north-west transport plan is one of those and covers the Derry City and Strabane District Council area plus its zone of influence. That plan is not being prepared in isolation; rather, it is an integrated plan that is being developed in close partnership with the council as it brings forward its local development plan in parallel.

When we think of Derry, we know that much is happening. We have an expanding university, a central riverfront and the Walled City regeneration project. My officials are working with colleagues in the Department for the Economy on the expansion of Magee university to maximise the benefits and establish a structured programme of continuous engagement with local residents and community groups. When considering local transport in the district, active travel needs to be the first choice for shorter journeys. I realise that that is not practical for everyone or for journeys that are slightly longer, and the role that buses play has to increase. They are the key to moving people efficiently and effectively within and between Derry and Strabane and their satellite settlements, many of which, it is important to remember, are in County Donegal.

I am not naive to the financial pressures that are faced, but I recognise buses as the solution to achieving more sustainable transport. The riverfront city deal project, which the council initially led, is starting to reallocate city centre road space to buses and active travel. I am determined that the north-west transport plan will build on that, creating a cleaner and greener environment. Derry already has the first citywide fully zero-emission bus fleet. I am committed to providing a frequent city service and to having the infrastructure to improve reliability so that buses will not be snarled up in traffic as a result of our giving them more priority to allow for sensibly planned routes and timetables.

Peter McReynolds and his colleague asked about the publication of the north-west transport plan. Officials are working closely with Derry City and Strabane District Council and other stakeholders on its development. An early engagement exercise was completed on 5 November, with 92 responses received. That engagement sought to gather the public's views about the transport needs in their area and on the draft vision and objectives of the transport plan. My officials are working through that feedback and will apply it as they prepare the draft plan. As I said, the plan will cover a raft of local transport issues and will provide the most detail in Derry and Strabane. It will also consider other local transport issues across the district, and I intend to publish that draft north-west transport plan for public consultation later this year.

Rail infrastructure projects often take many years to develop and design before construction begins. A large proportion of my Department's staff are engineers, and I am reminded that many infrastructure projects constructed in the 19th century are still part of the fabric of Ireland, offering a return year-on-year for generation after generation. I am very conscious about the decisions that I make today, as they will have impacts on our children, grandchildren and those in many generations to come. Rail is best suited to longer-distance journeys that are on higher-demand corridors. The all-island strategic rail review has considered that and has come up with recommendations that offer an exciting proposition for sustainable travel. Having not constructed new railways in the North for more than a century, the rail review brings a level of anticipation, but it is also important to recognise that those projects will take time.

The strategic review was prepared jointly with my counterpart in the South and looks towards a 2050 horizon. Feasibility studies are being prepared on several of the corridors recommended by the review. Those studies are due to report in the spring and will include a look at a new Portadown to Derry rail link. At last week's meeting of the North/South Ministerial Council, I had the opportunity to discuss the review with my counterpart in the South, Minister O'Brien. We are committed to working together to deliver on the recommendations.

Mr O'Toole: I appreciate the Minister's giving way. I know that Departments are looking at five-year business plans. Hopefully, those will tie in with a multi-year Budget. Is the Minister's Department looking at potential Budget allocations for the implementation of the all-island strategic rail review? I know that some of that would be for scoping rather than literally laying track, because of how long it takes, but is it factored into that planning?

Ms Kimmins: I thank the Member for that question. I have had briefings with officials on the review. It is a very ambitious plan, but there is so much opportunity for delivery. As has come up in every discussion — not just those relating to my Department but those relating to other Departments — it can be difficult to plan, given the financial constraints and particularly given that we are operating with annual Budgets. We are, however, looking at all options available to us, including the Shared Island Fund and other external funding opportunities, to see how we can deliver. We are being realistic and managing expectations. Those are the conversations that I am having with my counterparts.

Last week, I met representatives from the Rail Industry Association (RIA) who had come over from Scotland. That was a very important conversation because it underlined the importance of having a plan and recognising that we cannot do everything all at once. If we can do things in phases as funding becomes available, that will help us to recruit and retain the required staff.

That is the scoping that we are doing at the minute. I do not have specifics around funding.

Mr Deputy Speaker (Mr Blair): Time is up, Minister.

Ms Kimmins: OK. Apologies. Thank you.

Mr Deputy Speaker (Mr Blair): I call Keith Buchanan to make a winding-up speech on the amendment. Keith, you have up to three minutes.

Mr K Buchanan: Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. I had better get going, because time seems to be short today. [Laughter.]

I will run through people's comments broadly, to give a quick overview.

At the start of the debate, Mark Durkan referred to the north-west being choked and strangled. That was interesting terminology. He talked about the Executive paying lip service only. He then talked about an increase in rail passengers and referred to a figure of, I think, 54%. He talked about the lack of rail service on a Sunday and compared that with the situation in other parts of Northern Ireland.

Gary touched on the importance of tourism to the north-west. That area is lagging behind. He talked about the potential of getting additional finances for transport, which would increase tourism and help the whole area. He also talked about the north-west being included in the transport strategy. If I picked him up right, he said, "Our wains need trains": I do not disagree with that. Wains or adults, we all need trains.

Nicola Brogan referred to the 2035 transport plan as a step in the right direction. To be fair, she talked about the A5 upgrade, which is important to her. She talked about improving safety and travel times on that road.

Peter McReynolds talked about social and economic development. He talked about active travel infrastructure. A week or two ago, we had a debate about active travel. It is a question of how the Minister gets a balance so that active travel does not go too far. I will not quote my line on active travel, because I think that Members have all heard it. We should not go too far. I am not against active travel, but it is about getting the balance right so that we do not do it to the detriment of roads. Peter also talked about backing plans with funding, and he made a comment about the public consultation on the Mobuoy site.

Deborah is from the west; I am sure that you are all aware of that [Laughter.]

She referred to the lack of infrastructure in the west more broadly. There is the north-west, and then, from my point of view in Mid Ulster, there is west. Then, there is the south-west. There is an issue with the lack of rail ambition and linking up the whole public network in the west more broadly, not just the north-west. Deborah talked about regional balance and touched on tourism, which impacts on the north-west as well as the south-west. There is also tourism in Mid Ulster, by the way.

Andrew McMurray referred to sustainable travel. It you watch his Facebook, you will have seen that he is a big advocate of that. He said that there was room for improvement in bus services. Andrew is a big advocate of active travel.

The Minister talked about her role being to provide building blocks to improve the north-west. She spoke about the A6 improvement, talked about the Dublin-Londonderry journey times via the A5 and the work on that. I think that I have got this right: she said that the publication of the draft north-west transport plan would be later this year.

Mr Deputy Speaker (Mr Blair): Thank you. That was right on time.

I call Matthew O'Toole to conclude and to make a winding-up speech on the motion. You have five minutes.

Mr O'Toole: Thank you very much, Mr Deputy Speaker. That was a really thoughtful debate. It is not the first time that we have debated the north-west today, because it is an Opposition day devoted to the north-west, but it is not the first time that we have talked about cross-border infrastructure and rail, and I doubt that it will be the last, as the official Opposition. I will not go through and respond to all of the remarks, in part because Keith Buchanan did that very effectively and has saved me a job. There are a few points that I will summarise.

I talked earlier about the fact that my mum was from the Maiden City of Derry. She will not forgive me for pointing out that she is old enough to have caught the train from Derry to Dublin from the old Foyle Road station. People who go to Derry sometimes wonder, particularly if you bring a child over the Craigavon Bridge, why there are two platforms: an upper deck and a lower deck. The reason is that one of them carried trains from Derry to Dublin. The truth is that the north-west and, indeed, the entire north-west of the island of Ireland — even if you define it as the south-west of Northern Ireland, it is the north-west of the island of Ireland — has been let down over the last century in terms of connectivity, be it on the roads, whether that is the A5 or the A6, or in rail connectivity. There is a historic opportunity now. We hope that it happens on a cross-party basis, and we, as the Opposition, will support and encourage Ministers from any party, including the current Minister, to make progress on this, because what we have done to connectivity to the north-west is one of the tragedies of the past century.

Our motion addresses not just expanding the rail network and improving the service but tackling one of the major delays to the expansion of the A6: the appalling environmental crime at Mobuoy. We do want to see progress on that. It is somewhat disappointing that we haven't heard clarity from the Executive yet about when we will see practical action on Mobuoy. We are now more than a decade on from a former SDLP Environment Minister discovering that appalling crime and revealing it to the world, but we still do not have a clear plan to properly remediate it and deal with all the consequences, once of which is the delay to the completion of the A6. We want clarity on that.

The A5 has been mentioned. That, too, is not just a critical part of improving connectivity but a vital part of saving lives on the entire north-west corridor of the island from Aughnacloy, Monaghan and Navan, if you like, all the way up to Derry and beyond, into Donegal. Too many lives have been lost. That connectivity is critical. We welcome the progress that has been made on the A5, but, as with others, we will ensure that there is more progress.

My colleague Mark Durkan talked about the "Build it, and they will come" ethos in terms of rail connectivity. The increased services in the original phase of increasing the Derry to Belfast capacity proved that thesis. The hourly trains from Belfast to Dublin have proved that thesis. I will not play the blame game, but, in this part of the island and, in fact, in other parts of the island on the other side of the border, we destroyed the rail network. We destroyed connectivity. We dismembered connections between different parts not just of Northern Ireland but of the island of Ireland. That removed connections in a way that was profound and not just in an economic sense. It removed communities.

Deborah talks passionately about Enniskillen: Enniskillen was a railway hub. It was not quite the St Louis of the north-west of Ireland, but it was connected to Bundoran, Clones, Monaghan, Portadown and all those places. What an ambition. The Minister will not be able to rebuild all that in her time in office, but what a great thing it would be historically for us all to be a part of rebuilding that network. We can start that now, in this mandate.

I want to point out that, although we are consensus-building with this motion, we are still the Opposition. The Programme for Government that was brought out yesterday talks about the all-island strategic rail network. It says that the Executive will consider the findings of the all-island strategic rail review. If you look to the South’s Programme for Government, you will see that it says that they will work to implement the findings of the strategic rail review. There is a slight textual difference there, and I would like to see the two jurisdictions get on the same page. It needs to be funded, and I recognise that that is a challenge. Let us be ambitious, however, and set out a clear path for delivery.

There are other bits of connectivity that we need to address. That includes — it would be remiss of me not to mention it, because I have a lot of relatives affected by it — the completion of work to upgrade the Buncrana Road and a lot of other things to do with the north-west transport plan, but it needs to be part of a broader picture that reconnects people in the north-west of the island of Ireland to Belfast, Dublin and the world of economic and cultural opportunities beyond. We will keep bringing the issue to the Assembly and pressing Ministers constructively to deliver for the people.

Mr Deputy Speaker (Mr Blair): The next item of business is an all-party motion on International Women's Day 2025.

Ms Sugden: I beg to move

Mr Deputy Speaker (Mr Blair): The Business Committee has agreed to allow up to one hour for the debate. The proposer of the motion will have 10 minutes to propose and 10 minutes to make a winding-up speech. All other Members will have five minutes. Please open the debate on the motion.

Ms Sugden: Thank you, Deputy Speaker. It is my privilege, as the current Chairperson of the Northern Ireland Assembly Women's Caucus, to move the motion. The motion is the second of the mandate to be tabled by the caucus, which is a united, cross-party forum made up of all current women MLAs. It aims to address the under-representation of women in politics in Northern Ireland and to highlight the importance of women in public life.

The theme for International Women's Day 2025 is "Accelerate Action". It is a call to action to advance and celebrate women's equality worldwide. The theme of "Accelerate Action" has been chosen because, at the current rate of progress, it will take until 2158, which is roughly five generations from now, to reach full gender parity, according to data from the World Economic Forum (WEF). We want to lend our voices and use our positions as elected representatives to push for collective action and shared ownership for driving gender parity.

International Women's Day has been around for over 100 years, as many issues still impact on the advancement of women. The world now rightly expects diversity, equality and inclusion. The world notices its absence and celebrates its presence. We have come a long way as regards the representation of women in political life in Northern Ireland, but we have not come far enough. The Good Friday Agreement contained a clause that affirmed the right of women to full and equal political participation, but women remain under-represented in all spheres of political life: the Assembly, Westminster and local government. Today, our count of women MLAs has reached 40%, 28% of Northern Ireland's MPs are women and approximately 26% of councillors are women: that is not adequate representation. The political landscape must not put women at a disadvantage. Our political systems must reflect the people whom they represent.

It would be remiss of me not to welcome the fact that, for the first time, the majority — 58% — of those who sit at the table of the Executive Committee are women. It has also been recognised that the Northern Ireland Assembly has had a notable increase in female representation, which rose from 13% in 1998 to 36% in 2022. We know that women's full and meaningful political participation in public life helps to advance gender equality as a whole. However, we need to address the structural barriers. The caucus is working to address the marginalisation by focusing on what the barriers are and working to create targeted action to break them down and work towards a vision of Northern Ireland where women are equally represented in politics.

On 11 February 2025, the Women's Caucus hosted a networking event here in Parliament Buildings, to which we welcomed women local councillors from across Northern Ireland. The event allowed us to share lived experiences, which are key to understanding how to address under-representation of women in politics, how to identify what needs to be done to attract more women into politics and how to support more women in their political advancement. It is evident that support for other women and, notably, cross-party solidarity amongst women is increasing. Our Women's Caucus is an example of that, and so, united across party lines, we tabled the motion. The potential here is transformative for the Assembly and for Northern Ireland.

I truly feel uplifted when I hear the passion for making a difference to local communities, and we hear that from our female representatives. In sharing our pathways, however, it became very clear that many women face barriers on their political journey. Such barriers include the hateful abuse and negative comments on social media and other online platforms, and there is more that we can do there. Personal safety is also a very real concern. Another is work-life balance, with a focus on the challenges presented by trying to juggle caring responsibilities. A career in politics needs to be seen to be achievable for those with caring responsibilities. The lack of adequate maternity leave for elected representatives is a further barrier. Council and parliamentary structures, such as the infrastructure, culture, operations and methods of work, can be a real and perceived barrier to full participation. When this Building was designed, it was designed by a man, without his being mindful of the fact that, one day, there would be women here. We need to change that in 2025. A lack of training available to elected representatives can also lead to feelings of isolation and imposter syndrome. I am sure that every woman in the Chamber has felt imposter syndrome. Confidence is gained through experience and support, but we cannot get that experience and support if we are not here doing the job.

Last Friday, I attended the sitting of the Women's Parliament, where, again, the passion and commitment that is coming from women leaders in society was really evident here in this Chamber in Parliament Buildings. They shared their lived experiences, and they wanted to debate the issues that matter to them and to the people whom they represent in their communities. Some of the key areas highlighted were violence against women and girls, affordable childcare, unpaid work and, again, caring responsibilities. We have rehearsed many of those concerns in the Chamber over the years. Indeed, we have rehearsed them over the past number of days and weeks, but we must now see tangible change. We must use our voice to raise one another up, because we can benefit from that unity of approach.

As a caucus, we recognise that the challenges faced by women remain the same, and they include juggling work and home; the need for maternity leave and childcare; the problems of gender-based abuse and isolation; and the need for resilience and self-confidence. The political landscape must not put women at a disadvantage. Our political systems must be reflective of the people whom they represent, and we are committed to working, as far as is possible, to address the structural barriers to women's full participation in public life. We are committed to an Assembly that is accessible to women and that facilitates equality of participation. We have agreed recently to undertake a gender-sensitive audit, and we look forward to seeing that work progress throughout this year. We know that, to deliver real change, we must think beyond the caucus and work together to combine support, resources and political will.

We want to work in partnership with those wishing to support women who want to become further involved in politics, and we want to play our part in supporting and enabling women to take that leap into political life. We know that there is no shortage of potential political representatives and leaders. The Women's Parliament, just last week, was evidence of that, but we want to do what we can to nurture that potential into action and progression so that, when they get here, we ensure that they stay. As a caucus, we also want to support the women who are already elected to the Assembly. We want to make sure that women MLAs have access to ongoing learning and development opportunities. We are also very keen to learn from our counterparts in other regions of the UK and Ireland, to learn about and share how things are done elsewhere and to bring back that knowledge so that everyone can benefit from it. I urge the Assembly to support the motion, because together we can accelerate action for gender equality. I commend the motion to the House.

Ms Reilly: Agus muid ag tabhairt aghaidh ar Lá Idirnáisiúnta na mBan, ba mhaith liom labhairt ar chúpla ábhar a bhaineann leis na mná go ginearálta.

Fiú sa bhliain 2025, tá bearna ann idir pá na mban agus pá na bhfear. Níl sin inghlactha. Tá fáthanna difriúla leis sin: tá i bhfad níos mó ban ná fear ag obair go páirtaimseartha; bíonn ar na mná sosanna gairme a ghlacadh le clann a thógáil; agus tá níos mó ban ag tabhairt aire do dhaoine sa bhaile go ginearálta. Tá dualgas ar chomhlachtaí agus ar eagraíochtaí na bearnaí sin a dhruidim agus cothrom na Féinne a thabhairt do mhná ar fud na tire. Tá an Coiste Feidhmiúcháin ag obair air sin fosta, tríd an chuidiú le costais cúraim leanaí, mar shámpla. Is mná is mó a bhíonn sa bhaile ag tabhairt cúram do leanaí, rud a chuireann bac orthu fostaíocht agus taithí oibre a fháil agus a chuireann bac orthu dul chun cinn ina saol gairmiúil agus, sa deireadh, ardú páighe a fháil.

Tá straitéis sláinte ar leith de dhíth do na mná. Aithníonn níos mó daoine go bhfuil géarghá le straitéis sláinte na mban a dhíríonn isteach ar dhifríochtaí inscne agus ar thorthaí sláinte dearfacha do chailíní agus do mhná. Cuirim fáilte roimh an phlean gnímh ar shláinte na mban a d’fhógair an tAire Sláinte. Ach tá straitéis ar leith de dhíth a bhfuil maoiniú agus tacaíocht ag gabháil léi.

Is fadhb phráinneach ollmhór é an foréigean ar na mná in Éirinn agus níos faide i gcéin. Tá na Sé Chontae ar cheann de na háiteanna is contúirtí san Eoraip do na mná. Dár ndóigh, tá straitéis ar leith i bhfeidhm ag Oifig an Choiste Feidhmiúcháin, agus cuireadh maoiniú ar fáil do na comhairlí áitiúla le dul amach chuig grúpaí. Cuirfear cláir oideachais, céardlanna, áiseanna praiticiúla ar fáil agus níos mó arís leis an airgead sin. Caithfidh gach Roinn, gach earnáil agus gach cuid dár bpobal úinéireacht a ghlacadh ar an obair sin a chur i bhfeidhm le go mbeidh domhan ann ina bhfuil gach aon cháilín agus gach aon bhean sábháilte agus meas orthu.

Tá na mná ag tabhairt aghaidh ar na saincheisteanna a luaigh mé. Mar ionadaithe poiblí, caithfimidne bheith ag obair go dian leis na bacainní sin a bhriseadh síos agus sochaí níos cothroime a chruthú. Lá Idirnáisiúnta sona na mBan daoibh go léir. Déanaimis ceiliúradh ar an lá seo agus ar an dul chun cinn a rinneadh, ach coinnimís linn ag brú le tuilleadh athruithe a fháil.

Ms Brownlee: Today, as we gather to mark International Women's Day 2025, its theme, "Accelerate action", is not just a slogan. It is a call to urgently demand real and immediate progress towards achieving gender equality. It is recognition that, while change is happening, it is not happening fast enough.

For too long, we have spoken of gender equality as a distant goal that we aspire to achieve in the future, but the future cannot wait. Women and girls across Northern Ireland continue to face barriers in their personal and professional lives. As the motion rightly highlights, we must increase our momentum and urgently tackle those challenges. If we are serious about gender equality, we must ask this: what is holding us back? The answer is pay gaps; workplace discrimination; unequal access to leadership; the high cost of childcare; family and caring responsibilities; gender-based violence; and online abuse. All those issues remain real and pressing.

In Northern Ireland, women remain under-represented in politics and business, although there has been significant progress. The cost of childcare remains a significant barrier to career progression. Too often, women are more likely to be in lower-paid or part-time work. I know from personal experience that, without childcare support, there would be no way for me to be in this Building. Such support allowed me to continue my studies at uni and enter employment. Without it, I would definitely not be here today. We must ensure that every woman and girl has the same opportunities to study, work, lead and succeed.

International Women's Day is a time to celebrate women's achievements and highlight the incredible contributions that women make in all aspects of life, particularly in areas where they have historically been under-represented. In sport, we have seen phenomenal role models such as Rachael Blackmore, the first female jockey to win the Grand National, prove that women belong at the highest level of all competitions. Locally, Marissa Callaghan, captain of the Northern Ireland women's football team, has been an inspiration, leading her team to its first major tournament. In STEM, Northern Ireland is home to pioneering scientists and engineers such as Professor Tara Moore, a world-leading researcher. Women such as her are paving the way for more young girls to see science and innovation as a career path that they can and should pursue. We have so many women who have challenged stereotypes, broken down barriers and paved the way for future generations, and we are incredibly proud of them all.

As we mark International Women's Day, we must commit to accelerating that action, not just today but every day. We must ensure that the next generation of women and girls grows up in a world where equality is not just an aspiration but a reality. Today, we remember the incredible women — our mothers, grandmothers, sisters and friends — who work tirelessly in the home, in business, in politics, in sport and in science to shape our future for us all.

Ms Egan: Ahead of International Women's Day on Saturday — the theme this year is "Accelerate action"— I join women around the Chamber in support of the motion. It highlights the absolute necessity of taking decisive steps to achieve gender equality and the need to address systemic barriers that exclude women from reaching their full potential. I am glad that we tabled the motion on an all-party basis and that we can come together for International Women's Day with a call to action.

Women play an absolutely vital role in our society, all whilst living in one of the most dangerous places to be a woman in western Europe. Since 2020, there have been 20 domestic homicides in Northern Ireland with a female victim. Recent research from Ulster University found that 98% of women here have experienced at least one form of gender-based violence or abuse in their lifetime. That is entirely despicable and needs to change. How can we expect women to live and thrive when they are trying so hard just to survive? The Chamber has not shied away from those challenges, and the launch of the strategic framework to end violence against women and girls in September 2024, alongside the domestic and sexual abuse prevention strategy, is very welcome progress. That said, we can all agree that there is so much more to do, and we cannot lose the momentum behind those goals. That is why tackling gender-based violence remaining a core priority of the Northern Ireland Executive in the finalised Programme for Government, published just this week, was so welcome.

The theme of this year's International Women's Day rings true. We cannot stagnate, become complacent or pause our progress when there are still so many challenges ahead. We must accelerate our action and keep going. This is not a job for women alone; it is a job for everyone across society. It is not a job for the justice system alone: whilst ensuring that justice is delivered when harm occurs is integral, every Minister, Department and elected representative has a role in preventing sexism, abuse and misogyny from even happening in the first place. Everyone in society has a responsibility and can play a role in shifting culture and leading change.

"Accelerate action" looks like supporting women and girls into leadership, decision-making, business and STEM, all areas of society where they are under-represented. It looks like transforming our healthcare system so that, no matter your gender, you can receive the healthcare that you need. It is elevating women's achievements in sports and actively bringing them into sectors that are hard to break into. It is also making sure that the environments that women are in are safe and are adaptable to them.

We need to challenge the pervasive culture of misogyny that is rife in our society. In a Secondary Students' Union report in 2022, 70·6% of pupils said that they did not believe that sexism was taken seriously enough in our schools. These are children who are trying to grow, learn and become who they want to be, but they are faced with yet another barrier to doing that. The online space is constantly growing and uncontrollable. We need to work with colleagues from other nations to ensure its regulation. All of that reinforces the responsibility on us as legislators and the need for intervention and prevention work across all sections of society.

I see trailblazers leading the way in my constituency and community of North Down, working in a personal capacity to economically empower women to live to their fullest potential. I think of North Down and Ards Women's Aid and Kilcooley Women's Centre, which support women in crisis and those who need access to multiple agencies to secure their safety. I also think of our local leaders and the women in arts venues, churches, community groups and schools who consistently show up and make spaces more inclusive every day. My party and I are dedicated to ensuring that women from all backgrounds have the support needed to succeed, and we are keen to work with as many people and parties around the Chamber as possible to ensure that that happens.

Ms D Armstrong: I support the 2025 International Women's Day campaign theme, "Accelerate action", and I thank the chair of the Women's Caucus and its members for tabling the motion.

Despite progress in recent years, as others mentioned, women still face significant barriers and biases, particularly in areas such as employment, caregiving responsibilities, gender norms and violence against women. In the Northern Ireland Assembly, we have seen remarkable progress in women's political participation. Today, we have a First Minister and a deputy First Minister, three Ministers and two junior Ministers who are women, but we also have 36 women MLAs, which is almost 40% of all MLAs. That is progress. In my constituency of Fermanagh and South Tyrone, four of the five MLAs are female, and it is great to see Áine here as well. However, there is still much more work to do to reach the 50:50 representation that is reflective of demographics in Northern Ireland. Indeed, I am the only female MLA in my party, which is a shame, as I know so many vibrant, successful women in our party who could make a great contribution in this place and would be welcome here.

Women's voices are important in shaping the society that we all want to live in, so the challenge for all of us here today is to lead and create the conditions to allow others to follow into leadership and decision-making roles so that women's voices are equally represented. As women, we all know that our gender still faces disparities in the workplace and in career progression. Women feel the challenge in their career when they choose to start a family, with the knock-on effect that that may have on pay and progression.

The Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency reports that 67·9% of women are in part-time employment and that about 31% of working-age women are economically inactive, often due to caring or family commitments. It is profoundly shocking that Northern Ireland has the highest rate of economic inactivity among women in the UK, and a contributory factor to that has to be that we do not have adequate and affordable childcare provision to support women in the workplace. Also, women who have given up their career to take on caring responsibilities find that, if and when they re-enter the workplace, they will have lost skills, career progression paths and important pension contributions for their future financial security. That is grossly unfair. Deep-rooted gender norms continue to influence women's opportunities and choices. Women remain under-represented in STEM subjects, partly due to gendered expectations in education and career guidance. However, the recent provision of apprenticeships in those sectors that is aimed specifically at female intakes is a positive and constructive development.

Violence against women remains a major issue. In Northern Ireland alone, there were over 33,000 recorded domestic abuse incidents in 2023, constituting 20% of all reported crimes. Alarmingly, Northern Ireland is still one of the most dangerous places in western Europe to live as a woman, with 20 women having been killed as a result of domestic homicide since 2020. As the change-makers in this place, we must also ensure that we are working for a better and safer future for all. I hope that our contributions today will encourage even more women to step up and make their voices heard, whether that is in the political arena, the business community or civic society. When women thrive, Northern Ireland thrives.

I thank each and every one of the Members who has spoken today. Their contributions were all powerful and passionate testimonies from women who are fighting for their communities every day. It is a real demonstration of the strength and determination of women across Northern Ireland.

Ms McLaughlin: I thank the members of the Women's Caucus for bringing the motion to the Floor today in recognition of International Women's Day 2025. I also thank all those who are members of or are part of the all-party group on women, peace and security, which I have had the pleasure of chairing. Those members will know that the APG recently met senior officials from the Foreign Office to discuss the need to engage with women stakeholders on gender inequality and the role of paramilitarism. While the meeting was constructive, there was a feeling that change had not been quick enough, and I think that that is the feeling across the board on gender equality. We have come a huge way in the past few decades, but much work remains to be done. In that sense, I am glad that this year's theme for International Women's Day is "Accelerate action".

Data from the World Economic Forum suggests that, if we are to continue with our current rate of progress, it will take until 2158, which is roughly five generations from now, to reach full gender parity. I do not think that the world will exist then as it does now. That is one of the big reasons why we need to "Accelerate action". In fact, we learned this week that the UK has recently been knocked back one place to 18th in the women in work index due to our sluggish pace of change on women's earnings relative to men's. That is a disgrace in 2025.

In Northern Ireland, we see at first hand how gender equality has continued to worsen due to the lack of government action. That is particularly true when it comes to, for example, our childcare crisis. Every day, parents, but particularly women, are being forced out of the workplace due to childcare fees that far outstrip their earnings. That is just one of the many ways in which women can still be disadvantaged in Northern Ireland in 2025. Those concerns have been raised by the Equality Commission, which has made a number of recommendations focused on tackling gender stereotypes in childcare. It recommended the introduction of coordinated, comprehensive and coherent measures to tackle gender-based stereotypes and attitudes from an early age, right across all areas in life. It also recommended the need for acceptance and recognition of a gender emphasis on women and men taking childcare responsibilities. Of course, those recommendations are also more widely applicable.

If we are to accelerate action towards gender equality, we must accept the role that men have in addressing the stereotypes that have divided us for too long. That should include the comprehensive reform of relationships and sexuality education in our schools, as well as leadership from the top: men in privileged positions, including colleagues in the Chamber, should seek to use their influence to echo messages of equality and lead by example among their peers. Doing so should help to trigger the transformative change towards gender equality.

The truth is that, without the role of women, Northern Ireland would not be the place that it is now. During our Troubles, women were at the forefront of calling for, and working towards, a lasting peace agreement. That was personified by our own Bríd Rodgers, who recently celebrated her 90th birthday. During the celebration, I took some time to reflect on her work. A strong campaigner for peace, Bríd played a crucial role in peace talks. In November 1999, Bríd became one of only two women to serve as a Minister in the first power-sharing Executive. Bríd, like many of her female counterparts during that period, refused to be held back by stereotypical views on gender and a woman's role in society. It is time that we followed her example and did the same. No one else is going to address the issues that we face, which is why we need to lead the charge and must accelerate action towards addressing gender equality.

Mr Deputy Speaker (Mr Blair): Members, as this is Aoife Finnegan's first opportunity to speak as a private Member, I remind the Assembly that it is the convention that an inaugural speech be made without interruption.

Ms Finnegan: Is mór an onóir liom labhairt os comhair an Tionóil inniu agus labhairt ar son an rúin thábhachtaigh seo, lena ndéantar Lá Idirnáisiúnta na mBan a chomóradh. Is mór an phribhléid liom é sin a dhéanamh le linn mo chéad óráide i bdíospóireacht Tionóil mar Chomhalta Tionóil don Iúr agus Ard Mhacha.

I acknowledge my predecessor, Conor Murphy. Conor has spent more than 40 years dedicating his life to the republican struggle, delivering real change for workers, families and communities in Newry and Armagh. I know that he will continue that great work in the Seanad, championing the cause of Irish unity.

I am a proud south Armagh woman, and I take immense pride in representing the people of my constituency. My focus will be on delivering for workers, families and communities in areas such as education, health and access to public services. Our rural border communities have been neglected by successive British Governments, with decades of Tory austerity having left places such as south Armagh behind. I will ensure that those voices are heard louder and clearer than ever before.

A key priority for me will be the delivery of the much-needed school enhancement programme for Gaelscoil Phádraig Naofa, i gCrois Mhic Lionnáin

. The school has long served our community with dedication, but it now faces significant challenges due to outdated infrastructure and inadequate facilities. I will work tirelessly so that the children and staff in Crossmaglen and in schools throughout Newry and Armagh have the opportunity to thrive in fit-for-purpose, modern school accommodation that provides safe and supportive learning environments. I will also focus my efforts on ensuring that rural schools and rural communities across Newry and Armagh remain high on the agenda. Our schools are the heart of our communities, and they must receive the support that they need to provide the best possible education for our children.

That is why I am proud to stand with Sinn Féin, the party that is leading the way for real change. In the context of International Women's Day, I am particularly proud to be part of a team in which over half our MLAs are women. Those incredible women — leaders, activists and public representatives — inspire me every day to stand up against injustice and fight against the inequalities that partition has imposed on our island.

Dearcaim anois ar an rún atá os ár gcomhair.

Women have played a crucial role in shaping Ireland's future, our communities and our economy. In my previous role as a councillor and community activist, I saw at first hand the transformative impact of strong female representation at all levels of society. Much work is needed, however, to achieve true equality. Equality is everyone's business. While International Women's Day is about celebrating women, it is also about recognising the need for us all, men and women, to work together to break down barriers. Gender equality is not just a women's issue but a societal issue, and it requires real commitment from us all in the Chamber and beyond. As we mark International Women's Day, let us reaffirm our commitment to ensuring that women's voices are heard, their rights are protected and their contributions are valued in every sector of our society.

Tá mé tiomanta bheith ag troid ar son an chomhionannais do gach duine.

I am committed to an Ireland of equals — a new Ireland based on fairness, justice and opportunity for all our people on the island.

Ms K Armstrong: I congratulate Aoife on her maiden speech. I remember when I made mine. It was during a Budget debate with Máirtín Ó Muilleoir. Unfortunately, his response was not as kind. I spoke during an untimed debate on legislation, so I did not have the nerves of meeting the time limit. Well done.

I had not intended to speak, but I will add some information to the debate. Many years ago, before I was elected either as a councillor or as an MLA, I spent some time with colleagues across all parties under the then Speaker, Mitchel McLaughlin, looking at barriers to politics for women. At that stage, we concluded that it was not the case that, when the electorate had the opportunity to vote for a woman, it did not take it. Many women who are put on the ballot are elected. What was happening was that there was a disparity between the parties. We spoke to all parties at that time, including mine. One of the things that came to light was that, when you ask a woman whether she is interested in standing, she is more likely to do so.

The Women's Caucus recently held an event in the Long Gallery. At the table that I was sitting at, all the women, from different parties, admitted that they had been asked by a man to step forward for a political position. They had done so and had been successful. Why were they asked by a man? If we are talking about accelerating women, we as women need to do more to encourage our sisters to come forward and do as we have done. It can be difficult to be a woman in politics and in leadership. Other Members have mentioned the difficulties with social media — the bullying, the trolling and all the nasty side of things — but the role comes with such benefits. We can make changes across Northern Ireland when we come together, and we have come together to do amazing things. Some of the work that is being done today by all of us on domestic violence is testament to that.

If we want to accelerate women and gender equality across Northern Ireland, we are missing a trick.

The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) has not been included enough in the underpinning of all strategies and policies across Northern Irish government. If that was included, everybody would have to think, "How are we doing? What are we doing to eliminate discrimination against women?".

I sit in this place. While it is not a bad place to be a woman in, I am sick to the back teeth of somebody having difficulty with the term "Chair". They will call a woman, "Madam Chairman" and things like that. I do not get why it is so difficult. There is a wee bit of difficulty in the House.

Another thing — it is difficult, as a woman, to understand why we cannot get over this — is how we measure section 75 impacts. The equality impact assessments that are brought forward for our policies and strategies look at who we are not doing damage to, when, in fact, it would be a massive change if it was turned around and all Departments and we as elected officials were asked to say how we are making improvements in equity under section 75 and how we are ensuring that equitable productive and proactive issues are being brought forward for women, older people and people with dependants. If we want to accelerate gender equality, we have to put our shoulders to the wheel. Part of that is progressive and proactive actions to ensure that equity is as important as equality.

As someone who represents housing, I ask Members to look at domestic violence. We have victims fleeing domestic violence, but, because the name of their perpetrator is on the lease of the house, it is the victim who has to leave. Is that right? If we are going to accelerate action, protect everyone and have a gender-equal society, we need to rethink some of our policies.

Mr Carroll: I extend solidarity to all women for International Women's Day, and I commend the work of the Women's Caucus and the Chair for moving this important motion.

International Women's Day has deep socialist, feminist and radical roots that should not be forgotten. It was first celebrated in 1909 by the Socialist Party of America to mark the New York garment workers' strike — a women's strike — the year before. Of course, women played a role in Petrograd a few years later, in 1917, demanding peace and bread — such a moderate demand but so relevant today with the way the world is going — leading an anti-war movement and toppling a tsar whose family had been in power for hundreds of years. Of course, we must not forget the role of women on this island 100 years and longer ago who took up the fight for rights of land, rights in the workplace and so on. Women won freedoms in many countries, as I mentioned, before so-called capitalist countries allowed women the right to vote, equal pay, equal work, divorce, free nurseries and abortion rights.

The theme of this year's International Women's Day, as has been said, is "Accelerate action". The Executive's work on women's liberation could be described as the polar opposite. To take one example, the North is experiencing an epidemic of gender-based violence, as we have heard, with 25 women disgracefully killed since 2020. Education and prevention are obviously crucial to ending gender-based violence; that is what is required. That requires political will and investment that the Executive seem fundamentally incapable of allocating.

It is also worth thinking about what kind of change we need. Better representation of women in positions of leadership is obviously important and valuable, but, unless feminism improves the everyday lives of all women, it will be worth nothing to many women, most women, all women. Too often, conversations about sexual assault and harassment and gender-based violence gloss over the wider context. To make it easier for women to leave toxic workplaces and abusive relationships, we need transformative changes to our current economic and political systems. We need a strong welfare state. It defies belief that women still cannot get financial support to leave abusive homes or abusive relationships. We need strong trade unions with women at their heart in the majority of workplaces. We need fair pay, universal free childcare, accessible healthcare and safe, secure and affordable housing. We also need to eradicate poverty and exploitation. There is still no anti-poverty strategy, and women bear the brunt of poverty and caring responsibilities. Gender inequality will always exist under capitalism.

We should also recognise that sexism is propped up by a toxic culture of misogyny that should be called out. We need to dismantle that culture and use every opportunity to challenge deep-rooted beliefs and attitudes that characterise women as inferior. Those beliefs and attitudes are not outdated, unfortunately; nor are they ideas that died out with previous generations. They persist in a different and, in some ways, more aggressive, well-funded form. Young men are falling prey to online right-wing agitators — occasionally, we hear similar arguments in the House — who spew regressive and reactionary ideas about lots of people but especially women, saying that they belong in the home and that women's bodies are the personal property of men: Trump and Tate, to name but two.

In reality, women have been and always will be at the forefront of the biggest struggles for change in our times. In recent years, it has been women who have been leading strikes in health and education and many other sectors. Women are also leading the Palestine solidarity movement. Mothers Against Genocide is just one example of that.

It is not enough in my view and in my party's view to settle for better representation alone and for empty corporate slogans. That will not achieve women's liberation. We need to unpick the foundations of women's oppression and fight for a future without war, poverty, inequality and exploitation, just as those women did over 100 years ago.

Ms Hunter: I too welcome Aoife to the Chamber. It is great to have another woman on board. You did very well today.

It is a pleasure to contribute to the debate, to celebrate the women in and around my constituency on International Women's Day and to share some of the uplifting things that they do to take care of the people in our communities in East Derry. Every day, across my constituency, women are brave, women are bold and women help others while struggling themselves and sharing their stories online. I will mention a few of those incredible women.

I thank Selina from the White Butterfly Foundation, which is devoted to offering compassionate, personalised and professional psychological support to parents grieving the profound loss of miscarriage, baby loss and neonatal death, for sharing her own painful story and using it as a power to change the lives of others.

I thank Olivia McVeigh for being so open online about her struggles with the agony of endometriosis and for talking openly about her treatment for early menopause in her 20s and her journey with alopecia. It is so brave to tackle the stigma that often comes with those health issues. She is breaking down barriers so that other women who endure them feel seen and heard.

I thank Taylor-Rae Falconer for opening up about the difficult journey of female infertility, often a deeply personal event and issue, about which she shares so well online.

I thank Laura McNeilly for advocating harsher sentencing for paedophiles in Northern Ireland in order to keep the children in all our communities safe and for advocating changes to the law.

I thank our very own Lilian Seenoi-Barr, the current Mayor of Derry, for her advocacy and bravery after enduring horrific racist abuse online. She is just incredible.

I thank Val in Portrush, who works for Reach, which is a community support network that, to be honest, is driven by women. Reach focuses on tackling loneliness and helping the vulnerable. Its volunteers utilise every moment of their spare time to give back to the community.

I give particular thanks to a woman called Becca, who works for West Bann Development. She offers a safe, non-judgemental space for so many young girls and other young people to come and ask for help.

I thank Grainne in Feeny, who works at Destined, which is a group that does incredible work with adults with special educational needs in our rural communities, serving Feeny, Park, Dungiven and Claudy.

This year's theme is accelerating action to achieve gender equality and end bias. A huge part of that involves educating the public on female mental and physical health issues. On that note, I thank the brave women around the Chamber such as Órlaithí Flynn and Kellie Armstrong, who have shared their stories of baby loss and miscarriage. I thank our very own East Derry woman Claire Sugden, who publicly spoke so eloquently about her journey with postpartum depression. I also thank Joanne Bunting for sharing her story of having breast cancer and for being so brave to speak about that.

Every day in here, we shout and yell at one another, but I sit with quiet admiration for many of the stories that are shared in this place. They are not only educating me but educating the public. I thank those ladies for their contributions and for coming forward and sharing their personal stories about their struggles. Their bravery is noted, and I thank them for it.

I also thank Women's Aid, Nexus, Rape Crisis NI and the sexual offences legal adviser (SOLA) team, which support women who are victims and survivors of rape and sexual harassment and assault. When we talk about accelerating action, we also need to create a society that adequately supports victims. Sadly, in the North of Ireland, less than 2% of rape cases result in a conviction: that is disgraceful. No one should fear the process of seeking justice for a sexual crime. In Northern Ireland, rape counselling notes can be used against victims in court, and I feel really strongly that that must change.

I dedicate my speech to the women and girls of Palestine, who have endured such unbelievable violence, trauma and agony over the past 513 days. Those women have witnessed their loved ones die or be wrongfully imprisoned. They have been left with no food to nourish their children. Pregnant women have been left without nourishment, water or hospitals and appropriate healthcare. I think of them today and every day. I think of their potential, the barriers to fulfilling that potential and the cowardice from the current and former UK and US Governments in not adequately speaking up for and supporting them. My hope is that we can all continue in our positions to platform the struggles of women in the North and globally to ensure that, one day, we are all equal.

Mr Deputy Speaker (Mr Blair): I call Linda Dillon to conclude the debate and make a winding-up speech on the motion. Linda, you have up to 10 minutes.

Mrs Dillon: Go raibh maith agat, a Leas-Cheann Comhairle.

As a member of the Women's Caucus, it is my privilege to wind on the debate. I thank everyone who contributed to it. We give special thanks to Aoife, who made her maiden speech in the Chamber. We will all agree, I think, that it was a very strong speech. It just shows the strength of the women in the Chamber, which is a really good place for us to be.

Aisling mentioned the need for us to have a women's health strategy. That is really important. We have heard from the Health Minister that there will be a women's health action plan. That is really appreciated, but we need to see it come forward soon. We have only to listen to Cara Hunter's contribution about all the struggles to do with women's health to know how badly the action plan is needed.

Connie Egan talked about the threat of gender-based violence. We know that the most dangerous place in western Europe for a woman is their own home in the North of Ireland, where they may experience violence at the hands of somebody who is supposed to love them. Diana Armstrong outlined the importance of women being in leadership roles and of women's voices being heard. Sinéad McLaughlin spoke about the importance of the APG on UNSCR 1325, Women, Peace and Security in raising gender equality issues. We can be in no doubt that the APG is doing a good job and that it is important that that continues. I thank Sinéad and all those on the APG for their contribution.

Aoife Finnegan spoke about being a proud south Armagh woman, and I join her in that. I am also a proud south Armagh woman who is proud now to represent women, men and everybody across Mid Ulster. Aoife is determined to raise her voice for the people of Newry and Armagh. She spoke about the transformative impact of strong female leadership and about gender equality as a societal issue.

Kellie Armstrong spoke of the need for women to ask other women to stand for election and to support each other in that. I absolutely agree with Kellie, because I have done it. I have approached women and asked them whether they would consider standing for election. Recently, two such women agreed to stand in the council elections, and they were both elected. They are outstanding women, and I am really proud. I have to say that the men around them supported them too, which is really important. A number of those who spoke in the debate referred to support from men. It is really important.

Gerry Carroll mentioned the women of Palestine, and Cara dedicated her speech to the women of Palestine. That was really poignant for us to hear, particularly today when meetings are happening in Cairo to address what will happen in Palestine in the future. Let us hope that they consider the women of Palestine.

I am not sure whether it was Cara or Sinéad who mentioned Lilian Seenoi-Barr. Lilian gave us an education at the Women's Caucus event that was held upstairs. I could not stay for the entire event, but Lilian was at the table that I sat at.

She talked to me about the advancement of women in politics in Kenya and what they have done over many, many years, long before anybody else was doing it. That was in what people consider to be a developing country. Well, let me tell you this: Kenya is well developed and ahead of all the "developed" countries in how to promote women in politics. I thank Lilian for speaking to me that day. It was an education in itself.

Cheryl Brownlee mentioned inspirational women in sport and science, and I am glad that she mentioned that jockey. I back her at every opportunity that I get because I want to see her win. It is really important to see women in those leadership roles and showing people that they can do it. We all know that they had greater challenges getting to those positions than any of their male counterparts. Again, however, in many circumstances, they did that with the support of their male colleagues and their friends.

I wanted gender quotas when I was first elected to this place, but I was told that it could not be done. I looked at other things that we could consider to urge more women into politics in this place. I wondered whether we could have proxy voting so that women could have maternity leave, but I was told, "Absolutely not"; it could not be done. It might look like self-preservation, but I was a woman in my 40s with one child, so I was pretty sure that I was not having any more. It was nothing to do with self-preservation, but I thought that it was important. If we want to encourage young women to enter politics, we need to make it possible for them to do so. When COVID hit, however, and proxy voting was required for everybody, it was possible to introduce it straight away; it was not a problem.

Thankfully, proxy voting is now available, but that is what it took for us to be able to start the journey of getting it. Obviously, now, our male colleagues will potentially get paternity leave and provision will be made for those with long-term health problems. It was really important to have proxy voting to facilitate maternity leave for women, because we have female colleagues who get pregnant — Kate Nicholl is pregnant at the moment. I cannot think of anybody else at the moment, but there may be someone whom we do not know about. It is really important. We cannot say that we want more young women in politics but do absolutely nothing to encourage them.

As a caucus, we know the power of listening, engaging and discussing. I described how hearing from Lilian Seenoi-Barr at our most recent event was an education for me. We aim to work collectively to create change and use our voices to empower one another. We were delighted to recently engage with so many other women in public life and the women's sector. We discussed how we can stand strong in our power and how we can represent and lead without having to break down unnecessary barriers. The feedback from those events will help us to pave the way for change.

We want to promote gender equality in political representation as essential and as being achievable with the correct, targeted action. I know that quotas are not for everybody, but it worked for our party. I ask Members to consider it, because, if you are looking around you and everyone around you is male, something is wrong. You have to ask what it is that you can do. That does not mean that those males are bad; we have a lot of time for them. Actually, I welcome the males who have been in the Chamber for the debate. Thank you very much for coming here and supporting your female colleagues. It is very much welcomed.

I know that I speak for all my caucus colleagues when I say that I will leave the Chamber this evening feeling uplifted and with a renewed commitment to ensure that we, as elected representatives, keep extending the ladder of participation as we strive for a truly representative political landscape. This International Women's Day is a worldwide call to acknowledge strategies, resources and activity that will have a positive impact on women's advancement, including CEDAW — Kellie Armstrong mentioned looking at CEDAW and ensuring that that is brought into much more of what we do in this place — and to support and elevate their implementation.

I call on the Assembly to "Accelerate action" by reaffirming its commitment to and support for gender equality. I like the word "accelerate" because it means to go faster. Let us go faster. Let us make this happen faster. Let us make the place that we leave a much better place for our daughters, our nieces and, hopefully, our granddaughters. I certainly do not want it to be the place that it was for our mothers and grandmothers, because it was a difficult place to be. However, I will say, and I think that this was mentioned, that we are the woman we are today because of those women. I am certainly the woman I am today because of my mother, my grandmother, their mothers and the women who fought in the most difficult times here.

I think of all the women and girls who went through the mother-and-baby homes in particular. Those women went through the most difficult times, but some of them are the strongest women in our community, so I want to mention them especially today.

Mr Deputy Speaker (Mr Blair): Thank you, and thanks to all the Members who spoke.