Northern Ireland Assembly, 11 March 2025

366 contributions from 64 members. The official report.

Members' Statements

Carál Ní Chuilín (Sinn Féin, Belfast North)

If Members wish to be called to make a statement, they should rise in their place. Members who are called will have up to three minutes in which to make their statement. I remind Members that interventions will not be permitted and that points of order on this item of business or on any other matter will not be taken until after it has finished.

Colm Gildernew (Sinn Féin, Fermanagh and South Tyrone)

Last Wednesday, the High Court in Belfast ruled that the Executive were in breach of their legal duty to adopt an anti-poverty strategy. The ruling came on the back of a judicial review taken by anti-poverty activists, led by the Committee on the Administration of Justice (CAJ). I thank the CAJ for bringing the legal case and congratulate it on its successful outcome. It is the second time the Executive have been found to be in breach of their legal duty to adopt an anti-poverty strategy, as activists also brought a judicial review in 2015.

The activists should not have had to take such drastic action, as we should have adopted an anti-poverty strategy before now. An anti-poverty strategy for the North was a commitment first made in the Good Friday Agreement in 1998, and it was later made a legal requirement in the St Andrews Agreement of 2007. The Minister for Communities is responsible for producing an anti-poverty strategy and presenting it to the Executive for agreement. As I understand it, Minister Lyons has, so far, failed to present a final draft to his Executive colleagues for consideration. It is unacceptable that, over one year since the return of the Executive, all that we seem to be getting from the Minister is shifting deadlines and further delays. It should be pointed out that the strategy was largely completed under the previous Minister, Deirdre Hargey, so there is no excuse for this length of a delay.

Anti-poverty activists across the North are becoming increasingly frustrated by the lack of urgency with which Minister Lyons seems to treat the issue. They are also becoming concerned that the reason for the delay is that Minister Lyons has substantially watered down the draft strategy that he inherited from his predecessor. The Minister has committed to presenting a strategy to the Executive by 31 March, and he must meet that deadline, which he himself set. It is equally important, however, that the strategy that the Minister produces be ambitious and robust enough to make a real impact on tackling poverty. Crucially, it must also have the support of the activists who are on the front line every single day dealing with the consequences of poverty in our society.

Diane Forsythe (DUP, South Down)

This weekend, across Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland and the world, people will join to celebrate St Patrick's Day. On St Patrick's Day, we embrace the way in which a former slave, who embodied togetherness, brought Christianity to this island some 1,500 years ago. In context, a single century is a brief yet significant moment in time, and anniversaries can provide a valuable opportunity to reflect on our history and explore what can be learned for today.

St Patrick was born in Roman Britain in the late 4th century, a time when Christianity was already well established in parts of Europe. However, his life took a dramatic turn when, at age 16, he was captured by Irish raiders and taken to Ireland as a slave. For six years, he worked as a shepherd, enduring loneliness and hardship, yet it was during that time of suffering that Patrick's faith deepened. He turned to Christianity for comfort, praying constantly and growing in his relationship with God. Over the course of his ministry, Patrick baptised thousands of people and established churches. He travelled extensively, often in danger, to spread the message of Christ.

Patrick's work laid the foundation for Christianity in Ireland, but perhaps even more remarkable than his achievements was his character. Patrick's writings reveal a man of deep humility, gratitude and love for the people whom he served. Despite being mistreated as a slave, he returned to Ireland not with bitterness but with a heart full of compassion and a desire to shape the hope of Christ. St Patrick's legacy is a testament to the transformative power of Christianity. His life reminds us that faith is not just about personal salvation but about sharing God's love with others, even in the most challenging of circumstances.

My constituency of South Down has close links with St Patrick's story. His grave is at Down cathedral in Downpatrick, where the occasion will be marked again this year. It is great to see so many events locally and across the world, including in America, where I will be proud to see Emma Little-Pengelly represent Northern Ireland to its very best on the international stage, maximising opportunities for us at home.

St Patrick's breastplate read:

"Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me, Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me".

I wish everyone a very happy St Patrick's Day.

Stewart Dickson (Alliance, East Antrim)

The United Kingdom has a long and proud tradition of supporting some of the most vulnerable people around the world through its international development assistance, tackling poverty, supporting sustainable development and responding to humanitarian crises around the world. We have a reputation as a global leader in international development. Steady cuts to that budget over recent decades include the most recent and utterly devastating reduction in funding to 0·3% of gross national income (GNI). That undermines leadership and the vital work that is being carried out around the world.

The United Kingdom's leadership in international development has been widely respected, but the recent reduction to 0·3% risks undermining that hard-won reputation at a time of unprecedented global challenge. My party, the Alliance Party, has long advocated for restoring the United Kingdom's aid commitment to 0·7% of gross national income. Indeed, when our leader, Naomi Long, was a Member of Parliament, she co-sponsored the legislation that placed 0·7% on a statutory footing. Members of the Coalition of Aid and Development Agencies Northern Ireland work in some of the most difficult areas of the world, providing life-changing and life-saving support. Such work is only possible because the United Kingdom has a development fund.

Let me be clear about what the reduction will mean. It will mean that fewer children will receive life-saving nutrition, healthcare and education and that years of progress in tackling global poverty will be undone. To take just one example, 179 of Save the Children's programmes across the world will be impacted on by the cuts. Some 124 of those 179 programmes will be fully terminated. That will impact on approximately 10·3 million people globally. It will mean the closure of 33 health clinics and cash-for-food programmes. In the Democratic Republic of Congo, hundreds of thousands of people will stop being treated for diseases such as cholera, and tens of thousands of children will miss out on testing and treatment for malaria. In Sudan, some 300,000 people will not get the nutrition and food aid that they desperately need at this time.

The aid cuts, alarmingly, mirror the reckless approach taken by Donald Trump in slashing the US Agency for International Development (USAID) budget. We believe in tackling poverty, supporting sustainable development and ensuring that marginalised communities are prioritised in humanitarian efforts. With rising global tensions and increasing volatility of US foreign policy under Trump, the need for increased defence spending is urgent, but that should not come at the expense of life-saving aid.

We have a moral duty and a strategic interest in supporting the world's most vulnerable people, and my party, the Alliance Party, will continue to push back against the cuts.

Doug Beattie (UUP, Upper Bann)

As we hurtle towards St Patrick's Day, I am reminded of how that day drags together into one my sense of Irishness, my sense of Britishness and my military history. Today, I am wearing my regimental tie, that of the Royal Irish Regiment, which is green. Many argue that the colour of St Patrick is not green but azure blue. That is a fair argument, I guess: in the British system, azure blue is the heraldic colour that we use. Indeed, Queen Victoria, on forming the Irish Guards, allowed them to wear a blue plume in their busby — their bearskin — or a blue hackle. That gives a sense of the history.

The shamrock, which is also on my tie, is incredibly important to me and my sense of Irishness, my sense of Britishness and my military history. Why is it important to me? Many people look at the shamrock and see it as having many connotations, including religious connotations, but, for me, it is about something different. On 5 March 1900, after the news of a particularly bloody battle in the Boer War that resulted in the relief of Ladysmith, Queen Victoria telegraphed the following message to her victorious troops:

"I have heard with the deepest concern of the heavy losses sustained by my brave Irish soldiers."

On 14 March of the same year, Queen Victoria issued the following instruction:

"Her Majesty the Queen is pleased to order that in future on Saint Patrick's Day all ranks in Her Majesty's Irish regiments shall wear as a distinction a sprig of shamrock in their head-dress to commemorate the gallantry of Her Irish soldiers during the recent battles in South Africa."

For my whole adult life, as somebody in the military, I have celebrated St Patrick's Day and worn a sprig of shamrock in my regimental headdress. Many traditions come from that, one of which is that, every St Patrick's Day morning, the warrant officers and sergeants in my unit delivered "gunfire" to our soldiers. Gunfire is tea and whiskey. Traditionally, it was tea and rum, but, being Irish, we put in the Irish whiskey. The strangest place where I have ever done that was in the desert of Kuwait in 2003. We ensured that soldiers were able to celebrate St Patrick's Day on 17 March: they had shamrocks sent across to the Kuwaiti desert, put them in their headdress and had gunfire first thing that morning.

Lots of things about St Patrick's Day are important to people: for me, it is about blending my Irishness, my Britishness and my military service.

Cara Hunter (Social Democratic and Labour Party, East Londonderry)

I thank some of the local football clubs in my constituency of East Derry. I will name just a few of them: the Heights Football Club; East-End Youth Football Club in Coleraine; and, of course, Portrush Football Club. Those clubs help hundreds of children to enjoy sport and get exercise, instil in them a sense of confidence and offer them positive male leadership and role models. Many of the clubs serve the most deprived wards in Northern Ireland, with over 250 children, and the coaches often pay out of their pocket to support them. Yet, the clubs cannot get adequate access to appropriate pitch facilities in their council area.

I am deeply concerned about the lack of access to football pitches in my area to serve the needs of those clubs. I ask the Communities Minister, Gordon Lyons, to engage with the clubs in my constituency that lack access to efficient funding, changing facilities and, most importantly, pitches. Specifically, I am deeply troubled that publicly funded pitches in my constituency that are created to serve the broader community are instead reserved for just one 90-minute Coleraine and District match per week. That results in those vital facilities, which are intended to promote sport and physical activity for the whole community, being left overwhelmingly idle for the majority of the week. Restricting community access is detrimental to our young people who want to play football.

I am concerned that that will ultimately have an adverse impact on those whom we must support to get into sport. That includes children, young people, women and girls, disabled people, children with autism, the LGBT community and ethnic minorities, all of whom want to engage in sport. Two of the football clubs, East-End Football Club and Portrush Football Club Youths, have been unfairly prevented from accessing these facilities, despite their ongoing commitment to provide opportunities for our community and a safe space for children.

Football clubs in and around the Coleraine area do a fantastic job. Some of them serve more than 200 children. It is pivotal that those clubs are allowed the appropriate access. Most notably, the long-established and successful Portrush Youths summer camp has been forced to cancel as a direct result of not having access to the pitches. Also, a charity match has not been able to go ahead. That stresses how important the matter is. That is not only a gross misuse of council facilities but a violation of the principles that underpin Sport NI's headline values, which say that everybody should have access to sport.

I urge the Minister for Communities to take note of the situation and to engage with those clubs and the council. It is vital that the public investment in sport delivers the maximum possible benefit for all the children and young people who are in my constituency.

Linda Dillon (Sinn Féin, Mid Ulster)

I rise to speak about a number of children's healthcare issues. I recently met two families who have children with achondroplasia, which is a form of dwarfism. At the moment, there is no clear pathway for those children when they are diagnosed. Not only that but there are no services for them. They may be lucky enough to get on to clinical trials in England or in the South, but that is the only type of service that is provided for those children.

The families understand that the condition is rare and that they therefore may not be able to have a dedicated service just for such children in the North. They ask the Minister to look at other opportunities, such as whether there is potential for an all-island service or a service that is linked with one in England, where something might be done remotely. However, at this time, there is absolutely no service. We need multidisciplinary teams so that, when the children are diagnosed, all their needs are looked at. The lack of a service will have an impact not only on the children's health but on their education, socialisation and every element of their life. I pay tribute to the parents and carers, because they are fighting for everything that those children have, and they receive nothing in return.

I ask the Minister to look seriously at our children's services and to look not only at that one condition. We heard yesterday about givinostat, which is used to treat Duchenne muscular dystrophy. We need to look seriously at what services are available for those children as well. The same multidisciplinary team approach should be applied. There are a number of other services: we know that children are often unable to access the percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) feeding surgery. All those issues feed into serious concerns about the health services that our children receive.

I welcome the Minister's announcement on the new children's hospital. It is positive, a good thing and much-needed. We visited the children's hospital in the Twenty-six Counties, and I hope that excellent services will be delivered there for children right across this island. However, I want to know what will be delivered when we have our hospital and what will be delivered for children and their families before we have the hospital.

I ask the Minister and the strategic planning and performance group to look at what services are currently commissioned and what can be commissioned. Let us be innovative and deliver for those families and children. In some cases, they have life-limiting conditions. Let us ensure that the life that they live is a good life.

Trevor Clarke (DUP, South Antrim)

Members will be aware of Muckamore Abbey Hospital but always for the wrong reasons. Everyone is aware of the debacle that went on there for many years and of the abuse and scandals. The long-called-for inquiry began in June 2022. After sitting for 120 days, the inquiry finally comes to an end this week. However, it will not come to an end for the families until it reaches its conclusions. Oral evidence was given by 181 witnesses, and 45 statements from staff and patients were also read into the inquiry.

In giving evidence to the inquiry, the relatives of patients at Muckamore had an opportunity to have their voices heard for the first time.

Many of them made representations individually to each of us about what their loved ones were going through. Of course, they made many and various complaints to the trust, but those fell on deaf ears. It has taken all of this time to get to the stage where they can get their voices on the record independently at an inquiry.

Running alongside that, there was a separate investigation that started in 2017, which was by no means a small feat. As a member of the Policing Board — I declare an interest — I challenged the length of time that that was taking a number of times. Police were trawling through thousands and thousands of hours of footage to identify some of the abuses or alleged abuses that were going on in that facility. It is shameful that all of this has taken so long whilst families continue to have their loved ones placed in the care of Muckamore Abbey Hospital.

The chairman's remark that he "hopes" to present a report by the end of this year is disappointing. Given that the families have waited so long and fought so hard for the inquiry and have been diligent in their attention to it since June 2022, it is shameful that it will take so many months for a summary of that report to be concluded. However, I hope that they will not have to wait that long.

Of course, the inquiry will present its findings, and there will be concern from those who have loved ones in the hospital that they get justice for the harm that has been done. When all of that has been done, there will still be families with family members in Muckamore Abbey Hospital, as there are today. I urge the trust to move forward with its plans to get suitable accommodation and to get those loved ones out of Muckamore and placed in a proper facility that can care for their needs and afford them a quality of life that they have not enjoyed for many years while in Muckamore Abbey Hospital.

Kellie Armstrong (Alliance, Strangford)

I rise to congratulate two long-standing organisations in my Strangford constituency that are celebrating significant anniversaries.

I congratulate Portaferry Women's Institute, which celebrated its 90th anniversary. Portaferry WI is the second-oldest surviving institute. It was set up in 1935, and, at the first meeting, members noted that they would meet on the second Tuesday of each month. Ninety years later, they still meet on that date. While the first president was Lady Nugent, I pay tribute to another lady: Mrs Betty White. Mrs White has been a stalwart of the WI and, at recent celebrations, produced scrapbooks that covered the 90 years of activity and events. I congratulate Portaferry WI on its momentous anniversary and congratulate all the women who are keeping that tradition alive.

My second congratulations are to Ballynahinch Rugby Club, which celebrates its 70th anniversary this year. Ballynahinch Rugby Club was founded in 1954, and it is affiliated to the Ulster branch of the Irish Rugby Football Union. The first team currently plays senior rugby union in All-Ireland League Division 1A, and the club fields six junior standard adult teams. Youth teams, both male and female, compete at under-16, under-14, under-12 and mini rugby levels. It is a fantastic club that showcases excellent coaching, excellent facilities and successful teams. I wish everyone well as they continue to develop the club. Here's to the next 70 years.

Justin McNulty (Social Democratic and Labour Party, Newry and Armagh)

It is a privilege to speak today about the vital work being carried out by the Simon Community in the North of Ireland. I recently had the opportunity to meet some of the brilliant team at the Simon Community in Armagh. The dedication and compassion that they show to those in need is truly inspirational. The Simon Community is more than an organisation: it is a lifeline that provides a safe harbour for people who have fallen on tough times and helps them to rebuild their life.

While official statistics estimate that there are around 58,000 people in the North experiencing homelessness, the Simon Community estimates that, including hidden homelessness, that figure is closer to 80,000. The Simon Community recognises that homelessness is not just about a lack of shelter but about a loss of security, stability and, often, hope. That is why the Simon Community's work goes far beyond providing a roof over someone's head. It provides a comprehensive range of support and helps individuals not just to survive but to thrive.

The Simon Community supports up to 636 marginalised people every day — 636. Its work spans a variety of accommodation projects, including temporary shelters and longer-term housing solutions, as well as essential homelessness support services such as healthcare, employment support, addiction services and other help, as needed. By offering more than just a place to stay, the Simon Community helps people to regain their independence and work towards a future in which they are no longer at risk of homelessness.

What stood out to me during my visit was the deep commitment to each individual. The Simon Community does not take a one-size-fits-all approach; it understands that everyone's situation is different. It provides person-centred care that addresses not only the immediate needs but the underlying causes of homelessness. That approach is critical in helping people to move beyond homelessness, rather than simply managing the symptoms.

Of course, the work of the Simon Community is not something that it can do alone: the need for continued support is immense. It relies on the generosity of the public, volunteers and donors to continue its vital services. We all have a role to play in supporting the Simon Community's work, whether through financial support, volunteering our time or simply raising awareness of homelessness in the North. The Simon Community plays a critical role in the fight against homelessness, offering not just shelter but hope and a pathway to a better future. The work that it does is truly life-changing. I am grateful to the team for all that it does. We must all continue to support and champion its work so that no one has to face homelessness alone.

Aoife Finnegan (Sinn Féin, Newry and Armagh)

I am profoundly concerned about the recent news of the closure of Rathkeeland House surgery in Crossmaglen. The situation highlights the severe underfunding of general practice, making it increasingly unsustainable for practices to continue operating under existing contracts. Rathkeeland House surgery has served the health needs of the community for many years and has been a vital service that many people have depended on, with over 4,500 patients registered to the practice. It is vital that the Department of Health engage directly with Rathkeeland House practice to ensure that the community of Crossmaglen has access to GP services in the future.

Our GPs and their staff have dedicated years of their lives to caring for sick and vulnerable patients, yet they are witnessing the troubling trend of more clinics closing. The Southern Health and Social Care Trust has taken on additional contracts and pays GPs exorbitant locum fees to ensure that NHS patients still receive care when they need it. That is not a sustainable solution to inadequate funding, with GPs struggling to maintain NHS contracts and patients being left behind as a result. Over a decade and a half of British Government austerity has undermined our ability to invest fully in public services, including health, despite the fact that the Executive continue to prioritise health services.

The closure of Rathkeeland House surgery leaves staff facing potential unemployment, with the uncertain hope of being retained by the Southern Trust. It could mean new contracts at lower pay rates for those who have dedicated years to caring for patients. It is particularly frustrating for staff and patients to see photos of the Health Minister from nine months ago, when he visited Rathkeeland House surgery and awarded over £100,000 to it for a much-needed expansion. Now, less than a year later, the surgery is handing back its contracts due to inadequate support from the health authorities. How could the Minister have visited those premises and not recognised the dire situation that the practice was in? What concrete steps will he take to ensure that the people of Crossmaglen and south Armagh can access essential GP services? At present, the surgeries run by the health trust appear to have little or no availability, leaving patients to suffer. What immediate actions will the Minister take to bolster GP services in our area? Our community deserves answers and a commitment to ensuring that quality healthcare is accessible to all.

Deborah Erskine (DUP, Fermanagh and South Tyrone)

I congratulate Enniskillen Drama Festival, which is celebrating its 45th anniversary this year. It is a nine-night amateur drama festival that has been staged in the Ardhowen theatre each year since the spring of 1980. It was founded by a small group of local drama enthusiasts to showcase and celebrate the best of amateur drama and encourage such productions locally to as wide an audience as possible.

At the festival's inception, two amateur drama groups, Enniskillen Amateur Dramatic Society and St Michael's Drama Society, joined together to form the original committee. The first five festivals were held in the assembly hall of what was then known as the Fermanagh College of Further Education. The festival's home is now Enniskillen's Ardhowen Theatre. It is wonderful to see how the festival has progressed since its inception. Enniskillen Drama Festival's popularity led the way in lobbying for the funds that built the Ardhowen Theatre, so it is fitting that the festival still takes place in that same theatre.

On Friday, I attended the opening night and saw a comedy, 'The Whiteheaded Boy', performed by the Bart Players. It was wonderful to see so many in the audience escaping the realities of our everyday world to come together and enter a different world. That is what theatre is all about. It is important that we cherish and continue to cultivate our cultural offering here in Northern Ireland. However, we need to make sure that we continue to support our arts and culture in every way possible. Our Communities Minister is keen to do so and to ensure that there is regional balance in promoting and providing money for the arts, because it is only through the support of local businesses and funding from the council and DFC that such festivals can exist. They promote our local, home-grown talent, support people's mental health and are important in breaking down social isolation in our communities.

If you have not been to the Enniskillen Drama Festival, I encourage you to go along. It runs until 15 March with plays such as 'The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time' and Brian Friel's 'Translations'. I say a massive "Well done" to Dave Rees and all the organisers in continuing that wonderful event in Fermanagh.

Carál Ní Chuilín (Sinn Féin, Belfast North)

I call Timothy Gaston. Timothy, you have one minute and 30 seconds.

Timothy Gaston (Traditional Unionist Voice, North Antrim)

Last week, during the debate on the Programme for Government, I contrasted the two bodies mentioned on page 85 of that document, namely InterTradeIreland and Intertrade UK. I highlighted the fact that InterTradeIreland has a budget of over £6·4 million awarded to it from the Stormont Budget. I could have added that the Food Safety Promotion Board, a body that, the last time that my party checked, did not employ a single person in Northern Ireland, got over £2·4 million from the same Budget. Intertrade UK, by contrast, did not get a single penny from this place. We have since learned that it gets precious little from anywhere. The board members of Intertrade UK — there have been some good appointments — are not even being paid. Intertrade UK has no offices and no staff. Oh yes, a secretariat is provided, but even that is made up of staff provided by the protocol fanatics in the NIO. If that was the token gesture on offer to restore Stormont, one would have to ask the DUP why it accepted such a weak body, but, in truth, we all know the answer: in its rush to return to a protocol-implementing Stormont, all the DUP was interested in was something of spin, not something of any real substance.

Assembly Business

Matthew O'Toole (Social Democratic and Labour Party, Belfast South)

On a point of order, Madam Principal Deputy Speaker. Yesterday, the Education Minister announced a continuation of the childcare subsidy scheme. The original subsidy scheme was welcome, and my party worked on it with the Minister and the help of parents and others. Also yesterday, the First Minister published entirely inaccurate information suggesting that parents would be able to avail themselves of a 25% cut in costs. That information was shared widely — the First Minister has an enormous social media following — leading to falsely raised hopes for many hard-pressed parents. I appreciate that her words were not uttered in the Chamber and that the post has been deleted, but there has not been any retraction, let alone an apology. Given that the post raised parents' hopes and that the information was entirely inaccurate and false, will the Chair advise whether there is any mechanism to ask the First Minister to reflect on that, retract the information and do anything else that the Chair advises?

Carál Ní Chuilín (Sinn Féin, Belfast North)

That is not a point of order, and you know that it is not, but you have read your concerns into the record.

Ministerial Statements

Carál Ní Chuilín (Sinn Féin, Belfast North)

The Speaker has received notice from the Minister of Education that he wishes to make a statement. Before I call the Minister, I remind Members that they must be concise in asking their question. This is not an opportunity for debate, and long introductions will not be permitted.

Paul Givan (DUP, Lagan Valley)

Today, I am delighted to launch TransformED NI, my Department's new strategy for transforming teaching and learning. Last summer, writing for the Belfast 'News Letter', under the heading "Paul Givan: Change is coming to ensure Northern Ireland has a truly world class education system", I set out my ambitious intention to begin a period of renewal and reform in our education system.

Today, that strategy sets out the most detailed and systematic programme of transformation in over a generation, which will make Northern Ireland's education system truly world leading. It provides a pathway to educational excellence that is based on supporting effective teaching and a renewal of curriculum assessment, qualifications and school improvement, all underpinned by a relentless focus on tackling educational disadvantage. Together, those elements form the cornerstone of our education system, yet they have received limited focus or investment during recent decades, and all need reflection, evaluation and improvement.

The new education strategy provides a series of coherent and evidence-based actions that will transform education in Northern Ireland, allowing us to learn from and outpace the world's best. We must start the journey to reform our system with an honest understanding of where we are now.

TransformED reforms the discussion about education within the wider international context. Put simply, many countries are improving their school systems faster than Northern Ireland is, and they have smaller gaps between the more and less affluent. Our programme for international student assessment (PISA) outcomes and evaluation of the skills and knowledge of 15-year-old students from around the world show an education system that has stagnated in recent years. Our outcomes are strong in reading but only average in mathematics and science. As is the case in many systems internationally, there remains a strong correlation in Northern Ireland between socio-economic disadvantage and educational outcomes. The gap is closing, but much, much too slowly.

Notably, there are also significant variations in outcomes between schools with similar levels of disadvantage. Some schools are performing strongly but others poorly. Let us be clear: we have been overtaken not just by the East Asian powerhouses or the Scandinavian countries but by our neighbours in England and the Republic of Ireland. That is, perhaps, unsurprising, when action short of strike has left us — for many years — without inspection or effective measures of system and pupil performance. The most fundamental feature of any education system that promotes social mobility is one in which every child can attend a good school. The absence of inspection means that many schools have not been identified for the support that they need. It is incredible that we are currently without any national measure of how our children are performing in the key skills of literacy and numeracy at primary school and Key Stage 3. That is not acceptable, and it makes Northern Ireland an outlier, internationally, in being without basic performance data. Equally, we have not invested in a coherent approach to professional development, nor in curriculum review, advice or resources. It is a similar picture with our qualification system. That is simply not good enough. We are faced with what Martin Luther King referred to as, "the fierce urgency of now". There is a Chinese proverb that states:

"The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now".

The time for change is now, and the pace of change will be faster than it was in the past, because our children only get one chance. They cannot afford for us to bring change at a glacial pace while their life chances are limited by our inaction.

For too long, we have focused on structural issues, be they academic selection or types of schools, to little avail. The heart of education lies in the classroom. We need to put aside those tired old conversations and focus on what children learn, how and for what purpose. The new strategy represents a break with what has gone before. Make no mistake, this is a far-reaching agenda. It is a vision, a commitment and a call to action. Its message is simple: excellence for every child; high expectations of every child; and success by every child. Positive words cannot be just the title of a strategy. They must be the reality for every school.

To ensure that our education system is world class, we must be willing to look beyond our borders and learn from the best performing education systems globally. Countries such as Singapore, South Korea, Canada and Estonia have consistently ranked among the top performers globally. They have achieved excellence not by chance but through deliberate policies, innovative teaching and a commitment to continuous improvement.

Learning from international best practice does not mean copying blindly. Every country has its unique challenges and strengths, but by studying what works elsewhere and adapting it to our context, we can create a culture of continuous improvement. That is why I established an international ministerial advisory panel, which is made up of exceptional individuals with international expertise, to support our education system's transformation. Some are from countries that have already transformed their education system, while others are from countries that are beginning that process. They have helped inform the strategy.

I am not an education expert, and I do not pretend to be one, but I know that we can and must learn from what works here and across the world. Northern Ireland has some of the most highly qualified teachers anywhere in the British Isles, so we should also have an education system that outperforms the world's best. I want us to have an evidence-informed system that uses the best available research, data and evidence to shape the policies, practices and decisions that will govern our education system for the next decade. Taking such an evidence-based approach requires humility: the willingness to acknowledge what works and, importantly, what does not. The new strategy sets out our determination to learn in a sophisticated way from those countries that outperform us at present. It identifies the core elements of excellence that are common across high-performing jurisdictions and uses them to inform the way forward in Northern Ireland.

The strategy is accompanied by a 10-point plan for delivering educational excellence. Through each of the 10 strategic commitments, we aim to learn systematically from the most effective and fastest-improving school systems in the world and to tackle the weaknesses currently identified in our system.

We will review and redesign the Northern Ireland curriculum to ensure that every child enjoys an ambitious and knowledge-rich curriculum that develops their learning in a well-sequenced and explicit manner. We will invest in high-quality teacher professional learning and curriculum resources. We will introduce new literacy and numeracy strategies and a new school improvement policy based on international best practice. We will provide a new system of attainment measures for end of Key Stage assessment in order to set high standards for all children. We will take an integrated approach to tackling educational disadvantage in our schools, families and communities. We will introduce legislation to ensure that all learners remain in education, an apprenticeship or training until the age of 18. We will develop a coherent accountability framework for education in order to demonstrate value to government, taxpayers and parents. We will have an excellent teacher for every child, a high-quality curriculum for every school and a core offer of excellence for every parent.

Devolution is about making a difference, and, when delivered, the strategy will make a difference. Today is an important beginning, but, make no mistake, it is only the beginning. Over the coming weeks, I will make a series of important announcements about assessment, professional learning, literacy and numeracy, and school improvement, work on which is already at an advanced stage.

I have appointed two school principal panels — one for primary schools and one for post-primary schools — to offer insights and advice as we implement the strategy. My Department will also publish a costed implementation plan to support delivery of the strategy over the next number of years. I have asked my officials to prioritise the funding that is needed. It must be the first call on the Department of Education budget. The growing economic powerhouses of the 21st century are those nations that have placed an absolute premium on getting their education system right. Northern Ireland must do the same, or else we will be left behind. The world is indifferent to past reputations and unforgiving of frailty. Complacency is the enemy of progress.

To keep pace with the best education systems in the world, we must refresh and renew. It has been said that it is not the strongest who survive but those who are the most adaptable to change. The cornerstone of effective governance lies in our ability to make informed decisions. By grounding our decisions in solid evidence, we honour the trust that is placed in us, ensure that public money is spent wisely and, most important, create policies that genuinely improve the lives of those whom we serve.

If we value education, we must also value and support our teaching profession. I quote McKinsey's famous maxim:

"The quality of an education system cannot exceed the quality of its teachers".

As Minister of Education, I reaffirm my pledge to support teachers at every stage of their careers. I am determined to make teaching in Northern Ireland an attractive, high-status profession where every teacher receives world-class professional learning and development. From initial teacher education to ongoing professional development, we must ensure that every teacher has access to the resources, training and support that they need to excel in their profession.

Central to the education strategy is a commitment to invest in a comprehensive approach to teacher professional development. The strategy sets out a series of commitments to provide additional funding for schools to purchase high-quality professional learning, improve access to education research and pilot investment in supporting collaborative professional learning communities.

School leadership is also crucial to the success of high-performing education systems. Schools are rarely more effective than their leaders. Regrettably, there are increasing concerns that school leadership is not viewed as an attractive role, and senior leadership roles are increasingly difficult to fill. Providing the right opportunities for leadership development and the right programmes to develop future leaders is crucial in strengthening our education system. That is why the strategy sets out our intention to develop a replacement qualification for headship to support our newly appointed and aspiring principals, strengthen the provision of school-to-school support through a leaders of education programme and develop a professional learning programme for experienced principals. We will also review, strengthen and invest in professional learning for middle leaders.

Today, I want to address school leaders and teachers across Northern Ireland directly. I take the opportunity to express my gratitude for your hard work, professionalism and commitment to supporting children and young people. I recognise the challenges that you face each day and the increased pressures that have been placed on teachers and school leaders in recent years. They are the pillars on which we will build our children's future.

The strategy represents a critical commitment to invest in teachers and in teaching. I want us to work together to build a culture across our community where education is truly valued. World-class economies prioritise education. They make education a priority, having convinced their citizens that it is worth investing in the future through education and making choices that value education more than other things. I will continue to make the case for increased investment in education as a protective factor in the lives of our young people and as a key driver of improved economic, social and health outcomes.

We must be radical if our ambition is to be world-class. The strategy represents a new direction for education in Northern Ireland. We must focus on investing in and supporting high-quality professional development for our school leaders and teachers and on relentlessly improving curriculum, pedagogy and assessment. I approach the task of reform with a sense of ambition and energy. I look forward to working together in partnership with all representatives, parties and stakeholders to transform and improve education delivery in Northern Ireland. My aim is to ensure that our education system is truly world-leading, excellent, equitable, inclusive and able to meet the needs of all children and young people in an ever-changing world. Together we can build an education system that is stronger, fairer and fit for the future. Our children deserve nothing less.

I commend the statement to the House.

Carál Ní Chuilín (Sinn Féin, Belfast North)

Before I call Cara Hunter, the spokesperson for the official Opposition, I ask Members who wish to ask a question to continually rise in their place. We will try to get your names down.

Cara Hunter (Social Democratic and Labour Party, East Londonderry)

Minister, thank you for your statement. I welcome your commitment to tackling educational disadvantage in the North. On that matter, the National Association for Children of Alcoholics (NACOA) has published research on educational disadvantage faced by children who have parents with addiction in the home. Can you detail to the House how you will engage with such groups to ensure that all kinds of educational disadvantage are acknowledged, no children are overlooked and all are supported by your Department?

Paul Givan (DUP, Lagan Valley)

I thank the Member for welcoming the statement. It should unite Members across the House on what we are trying to do to support every child and every school. That is the ambition behind the statement.

Of course, I am happy to work with any organisation that wants to help our children and young people. The Member mentioned those who come from a more disadvantaged background. The strategy is absolutely driven by the desire to ensure that we give the best possible opportunity to those who are not as fortunate as others in our society. Those who are better off have the means to provide additional support outside the school setting. For those from an educationally disadvantaged socio-economic background, school is often their only opportunity. That is why we need to drive up our standards in every school and support every teacher.

Nick Mathison (Alliance, Strangford)

I thank the Minister for his statement. There is much to welcome, but, as always, the issue will be the delivery rather than just the aspiration.

I welcome the fact that there is a focus on investment in teacher professional development. Teachers report being overworked, however, and feeling that they spend far too much of their time on tasks that do not directly impact on children's education. If the strategy is to be a success, we need teachers to be freed up to teach. How will the Minister tackle the ongoing issues around teacher workload so that the strategy can be a success?

Paul Givan (DUP, Lagan Valley)

I thank the Chairman for welcoming the statement. He is right to highlight the issues to do with professional learning. Our teachers are central to the success of a child's educational outcome. They are the most critical asset that we have in our education system, and everything that we build around the system is to support our teachers. Teaching in the classroom is what will have the most impact, so we need to ensure that we have the most up-to-date international best practices in place in what we teach — the curriculum — and ensure that how it is taught reflects the best practices so that our children get the best opportunity for learning.

I want to ensure that the focus for teachers is on how they teach and that our focus is on supporting them through professional learning. Workload issues can often be important, but, if there are workload issues that distract teachers from focusing on the critical work that they do in teaching, we need to address them. That is why we have positively engaged with the unions. We have identified workload issues and have identified and committed to a timeline for how we can address them. I hope that we will be able to make progress on those wider workload issues.

Pat Sheehan (Sinn Féin, Belfast West)

I welcome the Minister's commitments to an evidence-based approach to improving our education system and tackling underachievement. Given the overwhelming evidence against the use of academic selection from academics, educationalists, children's rights groups, charities, trade unions and others, can we expect the Minister to look at ending the practice of academic selection and rejection during his tenure?

Paul Givan (DUP, Lagan Valley)

I thank the Member for welcoming the statement. The statement spoke to the need to focus on what I have just outlined, which is that we support every school and every teacher. It is too easy to have a debate about the merits or otherwise of academic selection — I can engage in that, and I can provide my view — but how do we ensure that every school is supported? That is what will address educational underachievement for children in all of our schools. Let us have the focus on driving up attainment in every school. The best way to do that is detailed in the statement that I have made to the House.

Peter Martin (DUP, North Down)

I very much welcome the statement. I will also reflect that it is so encouraging to see an Education Minister who is passionate about tackling educational underachievement and raising standards in the entire system. When does he expect the curriculum review, which is so clearly tied to the strategy, to report?

Paul Givan (DUP, Lagan Valley)

I thank the Member for his comments. He speaks, rightly, to the curriculum review. That is absolutely important for what we teach and for making sure that the curriculum in Northern Ireland is refreshed and renewed. The last curriculum that we had was in 2007. That was 17 years ago, and the independent review of education noted that the curriculum had not been subject to a refresh and renew process. Therefore, it is timely that we are having a curriculum review, which I commissioned. Lucy Crehan has been carrying out the work on that review, which will make a series of policy recommendations on the purpose, design, specification and implementation of the curriculum. The review is due to report in May, and my officials are already engaging on what the next steps will be.

Colin Crawford (UUP, North Antrim)

I also thank the Minister for his statement. Minister, how will your Department address current recruitment and retention challenges, and what immediate steps will be taken to make school leadership roles more attractive?

Paul Givan (DUP, Lagan Valley)

Recruitment and retention is one of the key issues highlighted in the document. It is highlighted as an issue in some specific subjects, such as science and technology and design, where there is a challenge, particularly at post-primary level. Having specialist teachers in those areas is key for our young people to get the best support possible in those subjects. Similarly, where you have teacher expertise in the world around us, which is part of the 2007 curriculum, that can be very enriching. If you do not, it is not having the impact that it should.

When it comes to recruitment, we need to make sure that our society values the profession highly and that the terms and conditions are appropriate. That is why I increased the starting salary for new recruits from £23,000 to £30,000, put up pay by over 10% for all our staff last year and why I am supporting a 5·5% pay rise this year. We need to show through what we pay our teaching professionals that they are valued. The highest-performing education systems in the world recognise that through terms and conditions.

If we are to recruit the brightest and best young people into the teaching profession, they need to be given appropriate terms and conditions and to be valued by our society. They then need to be supported so that, as they go through their professional development, they continue to develop their skills and can see a clear pathway of progression to become middle school leaders and then principals. We will do that only if we can put the right support in place. That is what the statement will do.

Danny Baker (Sinn Féin, Belfast West)

If we are serious about transforming special educational needs (SEN) provision, we must ensure that Health is at the table, working in partnership. That is particularly important with regard to allied health professionals (AHPs). I asked this yesterday during Question Time: if we are serious about giving every child the same chance, what work is under way to boost the number of qualified allied health professionals who are available to the Education Authority (EA)?

Paul Givan (DUP, Lagan Valley)

I thank the Member for that question. During Question Time yesterday, I touched on the role of allied health professionals, particularly in special needs schools. I met the Health Minister, and we have our officials engaging directly with senior officials in the Department of Health, including the Chief Nursing Officer (CNO). We are looking at the provision of medical support in special schools.

The Member is right: there needs to be more accessibility, because our young people are presenting with much greater levels of medical complexities and not just educational challenges. That requires the Department of Health to be part of the solution as we seek to support children who have special educational needs.

I published a specific statement in February on special educational needs reform, and there is a delivery plan associated with that. The priority that I have given to special educational needs is evident, which is why there is a stand-alone strategy for it. Today's statement is a high-level strategic document that will be transformative for the education system, and that will benefit every child and young person in all our schools.

Cheryl Brownlee (DUP, East Antrim)

Thank you to the Minister; I very much welcome the statement. On raising the age of compulsory education, it is noted in the report that jobs require a higher level of skill. Minister, will you detail what your Department has done to collaborate with the Department for the Economy to ensure that your work aligns with the skills needs of Northern Ireland and that there is the best possible outcome for every child?

Paul Givan (DUP, Lagan Valley)

I thank the Member for the question. The statement rightly highlights the need for our young people to continue not only in education but in training. When that was taken forward in England, there was higher uptake among young people who wanted to continue in education, so fewer people were not engaging in education or some kind of formal training, be it an apprenticeship or training. I have already committed to introducing legislation on that. That is a piece of work that we will take forward in the Assembly.

It is vital that we align what we are doing on our curriculum. We are very much looking at that knowledge-rich approach. It is about developing a mastery of the subject matter. That is not necessarily about teaching a lot more; it is about teaching the subject matter in great detail. When you have command of a subject matter, you develop confidence and can then apply that when you are exposed to new ideas. That is very important and is embedded in the new strategy.

Michelle Guy (Alliance, Lagan Valley)

Thank you to the Minister for the statement. I am happy to welcome anything that has the ambition of excellence for every child — that should be our focus. The strategy highlights the intention for all learners to remain in education and training until they are 18. For that to succeed for our young people, we need to ensure parity of esteem between academic and vocational qualifications. How will the Minister's plan deliver on that?

Paul Givan (DUP, Lagan Valley)

I thank the Member for welcoming the document. She touches on an important issue when it comes to qualifications. We have seen an increase in the different types of qualifications that are offered in our schools. That is why I am committed to reviewing qualifications: we need to ensure that, if a young person takes up a qualification, there is a clear pathway of progression either into further education or, indeed, a career. I am concerned about the proliferation of different qualifications. That is why there will be a review of the qualifications that are available in our schools. We need to ensure that the qualifications that are offered align with the needs of our society and provide clear pathways for young people. There would be nothing worse than a young person completing a qualification and, at the end of a number of years, not having a pathway into employment, further education or training. Qualifications are an important part of the transformation, so there will be work in that area.

Cathy Mason (Sinn Féin, South Down)

I will follow up on the line of questioning from the Chair of the Education Committee. Minister, professional development appears to be a key aspect of the strategy. Our teachers continue to go above and beyond despite their mounting workload. You mentioned the timeline in your previous answer. When will those workload concerns be addressed?

Paul Givan (DUP, Lagan Valley)

That speaks to the issue on which we have engaged with the unions. As part of the offer to do with the increase in pay, there was a clear commitment to address workload-related issues. The Department has provided the unions with detail on how we will take that forward.

I am very much of the view that I want our teachers to focus on teaching. That is what today's statement is about. It is about placing our teachers at the centre of what we do in our education system. We provide that support. When it comes to initial teacher training, how do we ensure consistency of approach across our training providers? In Northern Ireland, we are fortunate that we have a small number of providers that deliver excellence. We need to make sure that there is consistency. In other jurisdictions, we have identified a proliferation of different providers that offer low-level initial teacher training, which dilutes the quality. We do not have that in Northern Ireland. We have a good system, but there is an opportunity to look at that again to ensure consistency of what is being taught in initial teacher training and, after that, how to get professional development, because that is a lifelong process, and ensure that teachers get that support.

A teacher in Singapore gets 100 hours a year to focus on their own professional development. In other jurisdictions, it is a higher number of hours. When it comes to teachers who engage in senior leadership roles, the time that becomes available is significant. Resource is required to provide that support. In Northern Ireland, we provide Baker days and school development days. There are 10 days for that. How do we ensure that we support teachers' professional development during the 10 days that are available, because there has not been the investment to enable schools to do that as effectively as it could be done? How do we ensure that what is provided is consistent across Northern Ireland, so that every school is able to raise its standards?

Harry Harvey (DUP, Strangford)

With the serious pressure on the Education budget, does the Minister expect to be able to fund the strategy?

Paul Givan (DUP, Lagan Valley)

As I indicated in my statement, that has to be the priority, because the strategy will impact on every child — children of all abilities, right across all our sectors. It is very much the blueprint for my ministerial priorities. That will then align with the departmental priorities, and the resources will align with that. It will be resourced. My Department is developing a costed implementation plan. It will be in the region of £20 million in the next financial year. The majority of that will be to support teachers in their professional learning. To put it into context: we spend almost £3 billion a year on education. The most critical factor in that is our teachers. If we do not invest in our teachers, we are not ensuring the most effective use of £3 billion. That is why it is vital that we put investment into the new TransformED agenda. There is a clear, well-evidenced plan, but it needs to be resourced. That will be the first priority for my Department. It will be resourced.

Sian Mulholland (Alliance, North Antrim)

Thank you so much, Minister, for coming to the Chamber. Employers often report to us that they want students to come to the labour market with the right skills. How will you ensure that we do not reset the balance too far on a knowledge-based curriculum and diminish the skills that our young people develop? How will you ensure alignment of all that?

Paul Givan (DUP, Lagan Valley)

All the international best practice now shows that a knowledge-rich curriculum is what will achieve the best outcomes for our children and young people. With detailed knowledge of a particular subject, you acquire the skills because you have the confidence to apply that knowledge. We need to embed into the long-term memory of our children and young people the fundamental things such as literacy and numeracy, which are the building blocks of our education system. A knowledge-rich approach is the best way in which to do that.

We have been able to track how other countries that do not follow a knowledge-rich curriculum have declined and how those that do are rising up the international performance measures. It is an evidence-based approach. It is not one that should be viewed through the prism of some ideology. I look with envy at what has happened in the Republic of Ireland over the past number of years. It has been able to drive up its standards. Northern Ireland has not kept at pace. In fact, we have gone backwards. I look at what has happened in England, where it has been able to drive up its standards. Then, I look at Wales. It has been regressive. Scotland, which introduced its own more skills-based curriculum, has now recognised that there are challenges with that and is looking again at the curriculum that it has been following.

Our curriculum was set in 2007. It is right that we should refresh it and look at international best practice from the various countries that apply the knowledge-rich curriculum. You can look at China. Then you can look at Norway, Finland — those Scandinavian countries. Then you can look at Estonia. You can look at Hong Kong and at Macau in China. You can see that, across the world, countries with different kinds of Governments of various shades have gone down that route of a knowledge-rich curriculum. We should not spread ourselves so thinly that schools cover a wide variety of subjects, because then we are only scratching the surface. You need to get into mastering the core subject matter, and once you have mastery of that subject, you will apply that and develop the skills. A knowledge-rich curriculum first develops your skills. That is the best way, as evidence shows at an international level, for us to develop our children and young people, which will benefit our society and also our economy.

Deborah Erskine (DUP, Fermanagh and South Tyrone)

I thank the Minister for his statement. In 2007, I was still at school, so it just shows the importance and the need to introduce the strategy to review the curriculum. The Minister will agree that every child deserves the best start in their education journey. With regard to the skills that are needed to equip pupils, particularly those who are dealing with dyslexia and dyspraxia, who have a lack of confidence in school and have high absence rates —.

Carál Ní Chuilín (Sinn Féin, Belfast North)

Is there a question, Deborah?

Deborah Erskine (DUP, Fermanagh and South Tyrone)

Will the curriculum review look at that?

Paul Givan (DUP, Lagan Valley)

I thank the Member for welcoming the statement and for her question. What we have to view within our society is that every single child can do well. We should never tolerate a view that, because you have a particular additional need, you are not going to perform well, or that somebody has an inherent talent or ability to be good at maths or they just so happen to be good at English and that is why they perform well. Every single child can perform well with clear, consistent and explicit teaching that is structured and has a consistency of approach across our schools, with our teachers supported to do that at a consistent level. That will drive up the standards for every child. Whether it is children with dyslexia, dyspraxia or other additional needs, we should be striving to ensure that they all get the best possible education, in every setting and from every teacher. That is very much what is driving the ambition that I have for our schools and young people.

Justin McNulty (Social Democratic and Labour Party, Newry and Armagh)

Minister, your ambition to ensure that our education system is truly world-leading, excellent, equitable, inclusive and able to meet the needs of all children and young people in an ever-changing world is to be strongly commended, and I strongly support the sentiment that every single child can do well. Will you provide more information on the international ministerial advisory panel and let us know to what extent teachers, teaching assistants and school leaders have been consulted about the new approach?

Paul Givan (DUP, Lagan Valley)

I thank the Member for his very kind comments. They are appreciated. I am only supported by excellent people within my Department. There has been a team involved in this, led by Dr Suzanne Kingon, that is driving forward the agenda that I have. I can only do what I do with the best people around me. It is the same in our schools; they can only be taken forward with the principals leading and the best people around them. Your appreciation for the work that I am doing is reflective of the people around me, so thank you for that.

The international ministerial advisory panel, as I have said, is made up of exceptional individuals with international expertise to support the transformation of our education system. The panel is made up of the following: Tim Oates, who was a director of assessment, research and development at Cambridge University Press and Assessment; Christine Counsell, a leading expert in curriculum development and a former director of the Inspiration Trust; Harold Hislop, a former chief inspector in the Republic of Ireland and the current adjunct professor at Dublin City University’s Institute of Education; Hardip Begol, a former director of assessment, curriculum and qualifications at the Department of Education in England and currently a board member of Ofqual and non-executive director at Oak National Academy. We also have Daisy Christodoulou, a renowned educational author and founder of No More Marking, a company that works closely with schools in the UK, Australia and the USA to develop new approaches on assessment; Nina Hood, a New Zealand-based educationalist who is academic director of The Teachers' Institute, a new teacher training organisation; and Jennifer Buckingham, executive director of the Centre for Education Statistics and Evaluation in the New South Wales Department of Education and a well-known educational author.

The new panel brings together leading global educators to provide strategic insight, advice and guidance. They provide us with valuable insights, drawing on best practice, research and innovations from around the world, and I am deeply indebted to them for agreeing to be part of the panel. They have been able to review the strategy, and they have informed it. We are fortunate to have their global expertise.

In my statement, I indicated that I have also established two principal panels, because we have expertise in Northern Ireland as well. We have a panel made up of principals from primary and post-primary schools. They can provide us with real-time information about how the strategy would work in schools and what its impact would be. Their expertise will be critical to informing the policy and, when giving operational effect to what we are trying to do, ensuring that it is very much grounded in what will work in Northern Ireland.

Gary Middleton (DUP, Foyle)

I welcome the Minister's statement and his leadership in Northern Ireland's education sector. Minister, in the strategy's 10-point plan, you refer to:

"AN INTEGRATED APPROACH TO TACKLE EDUCATIONAL DISADVANTAGE ... within schools, families and communities."

How can we work more closely with our communities? Obviously, education does not begin and end at the school gates. What more can be done to ensure that communities have a say in our schools?

Paul Givan (DUP, Lagan Valley)

I thank the Member for his comments and questions. He is absolutely right: when it comes to education, the most appropriate time is that spent in a school setting, but a wider contribution needs to be made and not just by parents.

All the evidence shows that parental engagement is vital to how young people engage with our education system. We looked at the approach that has been taken in London of engaging parents. That has helped to drive up parents' aspirations for what they want their young people to become as well as their engagement on school attendance and the amount of homework that is carried out.

Parents are critical to what we do, but there is also the wider community response. There are organisations that can help our children and young people outside the school setting. I referenced the importance of that. We have the RAISE programme, which will be important. In the areas in which it will operate, that programme will help to provide a whole-community response to supporting our children and young people.

Phillip Brett (DUP, Belfast North)

I warmly welcome the Minister's statement, as he shares my passion for tackling educational underachievement in areas of socio-economic disadvantage.

Minister, the strategy is, clearly, ambitious. When can we expect delivery of all aspects to commence?

Paul Givan (DUP, Lagan Valley)

I thank the Member for his comments. Like many of my colleagues, he has had me visit a number of schools in his constituency. He also organised for me to meet the north Belfast principals' forum, so I know that his personal commitment to supporting our education system is real. That is reflected in comments from the principals in his constituency about his work in that area.

The Member is right about the ambitious nature of the strategy. It is ambitious, but it should be, because it is about our children and young people. They deserve the very best opportunity to succeed in life, so the strategy has to be ambitious, and it has to be driven forward. I am determined to drive it forward, and so, over the coming weeks, I will make a series of important announcements on assessment, professional learning, literacy and numeracy and school improvement. We will also publish a costed implementation plan to support the delivery of the strategy over the next number of years. That plan will identify lead organisations, delivery mechanisms and the funding required to put the strategy in place.

Matthew O'Toole (Social Democratic and Labour Party, Belfast South)

Minister, there is lots of interesting stuff in the strategy; the test will be in the delivery. One place that the strategy is not mentioned is in the Programme for Government. There is very little detail, and, in fact, the word "curriculum" is not mentioned in the Programme for Government. How much of today's statement has been agreed by your Executive colleagues?

Paul Givan (DUP, Lagan Valley)

I thank the Member for his comments and his open view on the strategy. We need to come at it with that fresh perspective and engage on the issues from an evidence-based perspective. That is welcomed. There will be some areas on which we may disagree, but I think that we can all agree on the direction of travel that has been outlined.

It is a high-level strategy, and, as we identify issues that may require referral to the Executive, we will follow the normal processes. I have not been restrained as a Minister by not having a Programme for Government, nor will my ambition to drive forward education in the areas that are not mentioned in the Programme for Government be restrained. I will continue to do that. The strategy is further evidence of my commitment to supporting our education system, our children and young people and our teachers.

Trevor Clarke (DUP, South Antrim)

Like others, I welcome the statement. The strategy is ambitious, and it is welcome that you are putting children first.

You referenced in your statement the difficulties with the inspection regime. We cannot wait any longer, so when will you move to reintroduce inspections in our schools?

Paul Givan (DUP, Lagan Valley)

I thank the Member for his kind comments. In my statement, I highlighted the importance of inspection. It allows us to identify best practice, and there are some really good examples of best practice in Northern Ireland. Part of the issue with consistency of delivery in every school is that there are schools that are performing well and other schools that are performing poorly. Some of those schools, however, have a similar intake of children, including those from a more socially disadvantaged background. The question is this: why do schools with a similar pupil profile have different educational outcomes?

Our inspection regime allows us to get that information, but it also allows us to identify schools that require support. During the period in which we had inspections, following a protracted period of non-compliance for many years, we were able to identify some schools that needed additional support. Child safeguarding issues were also identified, which, Members will rightly feel, should be of significant concern. As a result of inspections, we were able to identify issues, and measures were put in place to address them.

Northern Ireland is an outlier when it comes to non-compliance with inspections. It does not happen in the Republic of Ireland, England, Scotland or Wales. Inspections are a vital component of any education system. The current inspection process was changed. It was co-designed with the workforce and the trade unions, and the trade unions welcomed the change. It is deeply regrettable that, as a result of the current action, non-compliance is now taking place. I do not think that anybody in here could sustain a position in support of that, and that is why we need to make sure that inspection processes are not frustrated or restrained. When I met the Children's Commissioner recently, he shared my view. Our children have to come first, and inspection is an important part of that.

Mark Durkan (Social Democratic and Labour Party, Foyle)

I admire the Minister's ambition to ensure that all learners remain in education, apprenticeship or training until the age of 18. Does he have any plans to review the education maintenance allowance (EMA) eligibility criteria or the rate paid, which has not changed for 20 years, to ensure that education remains affordable for all?

Paul Givan (DUP, Lagan Valley)

I thank the Member for his kind comments about the ambition reflected in the statement. He has raised an issue about EMA funding that does not sit with my Department. I want to make sure, however, that there are no barriers to our children and young people engaging with education. Part of the reason that I introduced the School Uniforms (Guidelines and Allowances) Bill was to make sure that no economic barriers are put in place when decisions are being taken about the schools that our children and young people go to at the transfer stage. As we bring legislation to the Executive and then take it through the Assembly, how we put into effect a compulsory requirement to be engaged in some form of education or formal training will need to be considered.

Timothy Gaston (Traditional Unionist Voice, North Antrim)

I join other Members in welcoming the statement. It is full of positive language and will require significant investment in the EA and in schools.

Minister, is the ministerial advisory panel's work time-limited? When will schools start to see access to the additional support and personal development for principals and teaching staff that is promised in your statement?

Paul Givan (DUP, Lagan Valley)

I thank the Member for his comments. The initial appointments were for a year, but that can be subject to review in due course. They are in place, and, again, I very much appreciate the expertise that the panel is able to share with us as it critically reviews the policies that we are developing. What we have been able to get from the panel members has been invaluable. I get far more from them than they get out of me; I can assure the Member of that. They want to be engaged. Internationally renowned educationalists want to impart the knowledge that they have. They have been very willing to be part of that process.

I touched on professional teacher learning. Over the next number of weeks, I will be able to provide more detail on what exactly that will look like and how we will deliver on it. That is key to what we are trying to take forward: providing our teachers with that professional support. It is about attracting young people into the initial teaching colleges; what is taught in those establishments; and what professional support they receive throughout the journey of their career. It includes helping to identify those who want to become middle leaders and then senior leaders. How do we ensure that they are supported in developing themselves to take up those positions? Also, how do we secure the support of principals who may be at the end of their career but can impart great knowledge and mentor other principals? How do we harness their expertise? We have looked at examples in different countries that have been able to use that expertise, and that mentoring has been really helpful in bringing middle leaders and new leaders to a place where they have more confidence and can share their expertise.

Carál Ní Chuilín (Sinn Féin, Belfast North)

I think that I have caught everyone's eye, so that concludes questions to the Minister on his statement.

Members, please take your ease for a moment to allow those who are leaving the Chamber to do so in an orderly fashion before the next statement.

Carál Ní Chuilín (Sinn Féin, Belfast North)

Members, I am aware that there is a small issue with the sound, so please bear with us until we get that rectified.

The Speaker has received notice from the Minister for Infrastructure that she wishes to make a statement. Before I call the Minister, I remind Members that they must be concise in asking their question. This is not an opportunity for debate, and long introductions will not be permitted.

Liz Kimmins (Sinn Féin, Newry and Armagh)

In compliance with section 52 of the NI Act 1998, I wish to make the following statement on the meeting of the North/South Ministerial Council (NSMC) in the transport sector held on Thursday 27 February 2025. The meeting took place in Dublin and was chaired by Darragh O'Brien, Minister for Transport. I attended the meeting with Mike Nesbitt MLA, Minister of Health, who attended as the accompanying Minister.

The NSMC noted the significant progress made since the last meeting with the formal decision to proceed with the first phase of the A5 western transport corridor and that the A5, Donegal Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) and N2 road infrastructure projects continue to progress, with the Administrations working collaboratively, including on the mitigation of impacts on the River Foyle floodplain.

Ministers noted the progress on the establishment of a cross-border working group, which is expected to be operational in the coming months, to ensure successful outcomes through the planning processes.

The Council welcomed progress on the implementation of commitments on infrastructure investment that were outlined in the New Decade, New Approach agreement of January 2020. Ministers commended the progress on cross-border greenways, including the Sligo to Enniskillen greenway, the Ulster canal greenway and the Carlingford lough greenway, and the completion of the north-west greenway network. The Council noted that an expert-led review commissioned by the Dublin Government on potential cross-border greenway opportunities is ongoing and is expected to be completed in quarter 2 of 2025.

The NSMC welcomed the hourly Enterprise services between Dublin's Connolly station and Belfast Grand Central station that commenced in October 2024, with funding of €12·5 million provided through the Shared Island Fund and match funding provided by the Department of Transport. The Council also welcomed the publication in July 2024 of the all-island strategic rail review. The Council noted the ongoing review of the potential for government support for renewed viable air routes from Cork to Belfast and from Dublin to City of Derry Airport.

The Council acknowledged collaboration to date on policies and projects related to sustainable mobility and decarbonisation and welcomed a commitment to continue that work by the relevant Departments in both jurisdictions. Ministers noted that officials from both Administrations will progress agreed cross-border sustainable travel and transport projects, continue to liaise on policy development and seek opportunities for further collaboration.

Ministers noted that officials have progressed plans for an environment-themed workshop to showcase and share information on biodiversity best practice across the transport sector.

The NSMC welcomed the continued sharing of knowledge and experience between officials in both jurisdictions on the delivery of road safety measures and the agreement that future engagement between the Department for Infrastructure and the Department of Transport will include structured working group engagement between relevant officials to support the delivery of positive road safety benefits in both jurisdictions.

Ministers agreed to include an enhanced road safety item as an area of cooperation on the NSMC transport sector work programme. The Council recognised the progress that has been made in the delivery of the jurisdictions' respective road safety strategies. Ministers welcomed the presentation by Dr Kiran Sarma on mobile phone use while driving.

The Council agreed to hold its next transport meeting in October 2025. My officials and I look forward to working with the Minister of Transport and his officials in all areas of cooperation in the transport sector.

Carál Ní Chuilín (Sinn Féin, Belfast North)

Before I call Mark Durkan to ask a question on behalf of the Opposition, I remind Members who wish to ask a question to continually rise in their place, and we will try to include you all.

Mark Durkan (Social Democratic and Labour Party, Foyle)

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire as ucht a ráitis.

[Translation: I thank the Minister for her statement.]

We learned from the statement that the Council welcomed the publication of the all-island strategic rail review, which was published almost nine months ago. Was there no further discussion about the funding for and implementation of the review's recommendations? While the hourly Enterprise has been a roaring success in terms of passenger numbers, will the Minister comment on yesterday's embarrassing media reports that the state-of-the-art and expensive ticket machines do not facilitate the purchase of tickets for cross-border travel?

Liz Kimmins (Sinn Féin, Newry and Armagh)

I thank the Member for his question. Funding was discussed, and we hope to see further progress on that. The Minister of Transport did not provide any specifics, but we agreed to ongoing engagement.

I am happy to answer his other question, which is not related to the statement, because I have provided a response to his colleague's question for written answer. That is an operational matter for Translink, as he will be aware, which has advised that it is linked to seating arrangements on the trains and buses and that tickets can be purchased on the bus or the train or at individual ticket stands. I raised it with Translink, and it provided that response.

Deborah Erskine (DUP, Fermanagh and South Tyrone)

I thank the Minister for her statement. I declare an interest in relation to the A5: my husband's family are landowners along the route. Her statement references:

" the establishment of a cross-border working group ... in the coming months, to ensure successful outcomes through the planning processes."

The AERA Committee and the Infrastructure Committee looked at that in a joint meeting. What is the composition of that working group? What are its specific objectives for ensuring successful outcomes through the planning process? For example, will it include measures to expedite planning permission on structures to support those who have been impacted on by a vesting order?

Liz Kimmins (Sinn Féin, Newry and Armagh)

I thank the Member for her question. The specifics for the working group are all being worked through. We recognise that engagement, North and South, has been strengthened over the past year. The working group is being set up. As more information on what the group will look like and what it will set out to do becomes available, we will make sure to share it with Members.

Cathal Boylan (Sinn Féin, Newry and Armagh)

Cuirim fáilte roimh ráiteas an Aire.

[Translation: I welcome the Minister's statement.]

Will she outline the health and connectivity benefits for border communities owing to the development of cross-border greenways?

Liz Kimmins (Sinn Féin, Newry and Armagh)

I thank the Member for his question. That is very important, particularly given that both the Health Minister and I were at the meeting. It is important to recognise that cross-border greenways encourage greater levels of active travel, whether that is walking or cycling. It takes people out of private cars. More people are getting out, and that has health and environmental benefits for all our communities.

Six cross-border corridors have been identified in the national cycle network. Informal and statutory consultations were undertaken with the relevant authorities in the North during their development. They will inform and help deliver projects that will continue to benefit people's health and connectivity not just in border areas but right across our island.

Andrew McMurray (Alliance, South Down)

I thank the Minister for her statement. In referencing cross-border greenway opportunities, has the Minister considered or raised the potential of linking and developing greenways that are on the Warrenpoint side of Carlingford lough on the completion of the Narrow Water bridge?

Liz Kimmins (Sinn Féin, Newry and Armagh)

I thank the Member for his suggestion. At this stage, that has not been considered, but it is something that we could certainly look at, given the design of the Narrow Water bridge. That is aimed at tourism and at more active travel. I am happy to consider that and to come back to the Member on it.

Nicola Brogan (Sinn Féin, West Tyrone)

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire.

[Translation: I thank the Minister.]

The Minister is aware of the importance of the A5 road upgrade for the people of West Tyrone. I thank the Minister for her continued support of and commitment to the project. Will she outline the level of engagement that her officials have had with Department of Transport officials on the A5 road upgrade?

Liz Kimmins (Sinn Féin, Newry and Armagh)

Throughout the development of the A5 project there has been strong and regular engagement with the relevant authorities in the South. As I said to a Member who previously spoke, that has strengthened over the past year with the development of the new working group. We have worked very closely with the Department of Transport on the release of funding in line with the relevant budgetary and approval processes in both jurisdictions and with the Donegal national roads office on the A5 Donegal Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) projects interface. We have also been working with the Office of Public Works (OPW) on the mitigation of impacts on the River Foyle floodplain, as well as working closely with Monaghan County Council on the continued development of the N2 Clontibret to the border road scheme.

Stephen Dunne (DUP, North Down)

I thank the Minister for bringing the statement to the House. It mentions good work on the road safety strategy. Will she advise when her Department will publish its road safety action plan for 2025-26? The scale of the issues on our roads is very great, and, sadly, we have seen 139 people lose their life on our roads in the past two years.

Liz Kimmins (Sinn Féin, Newry and Armagh)

I thank the Member for his question. Last night, I attended the primary-school road safety awards in the Glenavon House Hotel in Cookstown. It was fantastic to see 22 schools from right across the North at that event. This morning, I attended a similar event with business chief executives at the road safety police headquarters in Ravarnet.

I concur with the Member. We have a huge job of work to do. As recently as last week we saw more road deaths. We need to work harder to tackle that, because more families have just had their world shattered before us. I do not have a specific date for publication of the action plan, but I hope that it will be made available as soon as possible. I will keep Members updated.

John Blair (Alliance, South Antrim)

I thank the Minister for her statement. I note the short paragraph on biodiversity loss in the transport sector. On the basis of that, does the Minister think that an environmentally themed workshop is enough on climate and biodiversity need, or is she aware of any more ambitious programmes to plan for the future in that regard on a North/South basis?

Liz Kimmins (Sinn Féin, Newry and Armagh)

I know that the Member has submitted a number of questions for written answer on that issue, and I am in the process of coming back to him in more detail. We have a number of schemes in that area, including pollinator-friendly projects such as No Mow May. There is lots of work that we can and should be doing, and I am open to other suggestions. There is always more that we can do, and I am happy to look at that in more detail. I take the Member's point, but the statement is on one meeting and does not reflect the work of the Department as a whole.

Linda Dillon (Sinn Féin, Mid Ulster)

Thank you, Minister. Minister, will you outline the similarities in the approaches to decarbonisation, North and South, please?

Liz Kimmins (Sinn Féin, Newry and Armagh)

Similar to the South, my Department is committed to a just transition to net zero and encourages everyone to make any little changes that they can, including the decarbonisation of private cars. That will be one of the most impactful transport measures when it comes to tackling the climate crisis, which is an issue with which we are all too familiar. My Department continues to work with other jurisdictions and the private sector to develop that process. However, we also need to provide attractive and sustainable transport alternatives such as public transport and walking, wheeling and cycling opportunities, which will give people cleaner, greener and healthier towns and cities in which they can thrive. That goes back to those points about the importance of our cross-border greenways and active travel routes. I am committed to working on an all-island basis, because we are one unit and should not be working in isolation on these important issues. I am working closely with my counterpart in the South and his Department.

Harry Harvey (DUP, Strangford)

As this is my first time addressing you, Minister, I wish you well in your new post. Minister, my question is on sustainable travel and transport. What further opportunities exist in that area?

Liz Kimmins (Sinn Féin, Newry and Armagh)

I thank the Member for his kind words and well wishes.

On further opportunities, we are considering quite a number of methods of tackling and addressing climate change through the improvement of sustainable travel and transport options. My Department is working on the transport strategy, and the transport plans are more divisional right across the North. As I mentioned in the statement, we are also improving cross-border greenways and active travel, and there is then the broader piece on the decarbonisation of our transport fleet and giving people more options for how they get about. There are lots of things that we are doing, including on the transition to electric vehicles, which is a huge amount of work, but it is about trying to change people's mindsets and help them understand the impact of their behaviour and of making small changes. Those are the things that we are doing, but they are always open to improvement, and we are looking across all jurisdictions, on a European basis and globally, to see what other options are available to us.

Colm Gildernew (Sinn Féin, Fermanagh and South Tyrone)

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire as ucht a ráitis.

[Translation: I thank the Minister for her statement.]

Minister, I particularly welcome the reference to the development of the A5, N2 and TEN-T network, which is crucial. Will the Minister outline the benefits of all-island cooperation on road safety, particularly along those border areas?

Liz Kimmins (Sinn Féin, Newry and Armagh)

I thank the Member for raising that important point, because, to me, all-island cooperation on road safety is critical and will help to reduce the number of people killed and injured on our roads, particularly in those border areas. Coming from one of those border areas, I am all too familiar with the impacts of that.

Last year, 69 people lost their lives on our roads. That is more than one person a week and more than one family a week who have had their lives changed for ever. So far this year — we are into the tenth week of the year, I think — 10 people have died, half of whom were pedestrians. Road traffic collisions have devastating consequences, and that is why it is not just an issue for one individual or for somebody else; it is an issue for all of us, as a society.

It is a priority for me, and you will be aware that, back in September, my predecessor, John O'Dowd, launched the road safety strategy until 2030 and the supporting 2024-25 action plan. The action plan contains 10 strategic interventions and 35 in-year actions, and it is led by my Department and its road safety partners, including the PSNI, the Fire and Rescue Service, the Ambulance Service, DAERA and DOJ.

Those partners have also joined with my Department to form the strategic road safety forum, which looks at how we can work together to improve outcomes.

Gary Middleton (DUP, Foyle)

I thank the Minister for her statement. Six months ago, the Planning Appeals Commission published a report that highlighted significant flooding issues on the Newbuildings to Strabane section of the A5. Minister, are you saying that the only progress that has been made in addressing those issues is the potential for a working group to be set up? We do not know who will sit on that or when it will come forward.

Liz Kimmins (Sinn Féin, Newry and Armagh)

A lot of work is ongoing. The specifics in the statement were about cross-border cooperation. Work remains ongoing at a very high level. I am due to receive a further update today. I can come back to the Member in writing to provide him with the most recent update. You will be aware that legal proceedings are also ongoing. The court hearing is next Tuesday. We hope to be able to press ahead, after the court decision, at the earliest possible stage. I have said to officials that we need to be ready to move as soon as we can. I am keen to do that. A lot of work is ongoing, and I will get the most recent update to you.

Peter McReynolds (Alliance, Belfast East)

I thank the Minister for her statement. I know that she attended the recent road safety awards and met Davy Jackson, who is a powerful advocate for road safety. As chair of the all-party group on road safety, I am keen to learn about the insights that the Minister gained from the presentation that she received. What learnings can be taken forward to improve road safety education here?

Liz Kimmins (Sinn Féin, Newry and Armagh)

I thank the Member for raising the issue. I spoke to Davy Jackson last night. He does fantastic work, as do Monica Heaney and Tricia O'Neill, who are from my local area and were also present last night. They do phenomenal work with young people right across the board and wider society in increasing their awareness of road safety.

The presentation was fascinating. We have asked for it to be forwarded to us. It was about mobile phone use. We are all guilty of over-relying on our mobile phones in every aspect of life. We need to ask how we use the presentation to better inform people of the real consequences of simply lifting their mobile phone while driving. Perhaps we can put mitigations in place to prevent that natural reaction. Something that really struck me while coming out of the professor's presentation was that, in many cases, people make a conscious decision not to use their mobile phone while driving, but we are in the habit of using them for everything; it is not just about making calls or sending text messages. On many occasions, people use their phone while driving without even realising. It is about trying to change that culture and make people think twice before doing that. It is also about driving home the impact and consequences of that behaviour. We will see how we can use that to better inform what we do in that regard.

Justin McNulty (Social Democratic and Labour Party, Newry and Armagh)

Minister, I was very surprised that your statement did not include any mention of the Narrow Water bridge project. You will know that that project was first conceived of by the former SDLP MLA P J Bradley, who is, sadly, deceased. Will you give us an update on progress with the bridge?

The southern end of Carlingford lough greenway has been completed for months, which is fantastic; it is getting huge uptake already. Why does progress on the northern end seem to be very slow and delayed? When will that be completed?

Carál Ní Chuilín (Sinn Féin, Belfast North)

Minister, there were three questions not relating to the statement, so you can answer them in whatever way you wish.

Liz Kimmins (Sinn Féin, Newry and Armagh)

I did not catch all the questions. We had a brief conversation about Narrow Water bridge, which, as the Member will know, is progressing really well. The fact that it is moving at pace suggests that it is going according to plan.

Áine Murphy (Sinn Féin, Fermanagh and South Tyrone)

I thank the Minister for making her statement to the House. Minister, will you update us on any cross-border working that is taking place in relation to alternative fuels?

Liz Kimmins (Sinn Féin, Newry and Armagh)

As I said, the wider piece around decarbonisation is an all-island piece of work. We have to work together as one unit. My officials are working with officials in the Department of Transport on a Shared Island project on green hydrogen. There is also Shared Island funding for an EV charging scheme for sports clubs. Projects are already taking place to look at alternative fuels, other methods of transport and decarbonisation on an all-island basis.

Paula Bradshaw (Alliance, Belfast South)

Thank you, Minister, for your statement. You referred to the plans for an environmentally themed workshop. Who will be involved in that?

Liz Kimmins (Sinn Féin, Newry and Armagh)

I will have to come back to the Member in writing on that one, because I do not have all the details of who is involved. As I said, it is in its early stages. I will be happy to write to the Member when I have more detail on it.

Phillip Brett (DUP, Belfast North)

I thank the Minister for her statement. I welcome the discussion about air connectivity on and across these islands. Now that the Minister has taken up office, does she support the retention of airport development policy in her Department's remit?

Liz Kimmins (Sinn Féin, Newry and Armagh)

As Minister for Infrastructure, my powers relating to the three main airports in the North are limited to the Airports (NI) Order 1994, which includes powers around land acquisition and airport management. Aviation management matters in the North, including airline safety whilst on board an aircraft, are the responsibility of the British Government's Department for Transport, but I am committed to continuing to work with Executive colleagues and our local airports to ensure that we protect the connectivity that we, as an island, rely on. My officials, along with officials from the Department for the Economy, are engaging with airports to improve relationships and explore ways to improve communications. I am committed to continuing that work, to listening to Derry City and Strabane District Council's case for supporting City of Derry Airport and to working with the rest of the Executive to identify ways to enhance support for our airports.

Matthew O'Toole (Social Democratic and Labour Party, Belfast South)

Minister, rebuilding and redeveloping our all-island rail network is one of the most inspiring parts of the cross-border agenda. We are supposed to agree on that, but people will be disappointed to see that the statement has just 15 words of a two-page statement on the all-island strategic rail review and simply notes its existence without any clear commitments to implementation. People would have expected more from a Sinn Féin Infrastructure Minister.

Carál Ní Chuilín (Sinn Féin, Belfast North)

Is there a question, Matthew?

Matthew O'Toole (Social Democratic and Labour Party, Belfast South)

Minister, will you give us clarity on when you will update the House — indeed, when Dáil Éireann will be updated — on the implementation of the all-island strategic rail review? From reading the statement, it seems like it will just be left on a shelf.

Liz Kimmins (Sinn Féin, Newry and Armagh)

I disagree with the Member, which will be no surprise. Rail services on the island are already being developed towards the report's vision. It is ambitious, and we have discussed in the Chamber the fact that it will take a huge amount of money and work to achieve, but I am committed to doing that and to doing as much as I can within the mandate to move it forward. There has been ongoing engagement with the Irish Government on how we develop that further. Officials continue to work with their counterparts in the Department of Transport, supported by the European Investment Bank (EIB), to consider the recommendations of the review and identify the rail interventions that could be well advanced or delivered over the next decade to 2035. Translink has also conducted a number of feasibility studies linked to the recommendations which are due to report in the spring or early summer, so we hope to see the next steps on that at that stage. I will then have to consider which projects to prioritise as funding opportunities become available. The outcomes from the EIB work and the feasibility studies will help to inform that.

The work is ongoing. We have to do it right. As we have said before in the House, whatever we do on this will leave a legacy. It will be there for many decades to come, so it has to be done not only at pace but in a sustainable way so that it will be there for future generations.

Brian Kingston (DUP, Belfast North)

The Minister reported that the Council welcomed progress on the implementation of commitments in the New Decade, New Approach agreement. Did that include any update on the Yorkgate interchange in north Belfast, which is an NDNA commitment? If it was not raised, can the Minister confirm that she is committed to progressing that project?

Liz Kimmins (Sinn Féin, Newry and Armagh)

That did not come up at the meeting, as it was a cross-border, all-island meeting, but I am happy to come back to the Member on it. We are keen to move ahead and see progress on that. The Member will know better than I do the long history of that issue. We can take that up again.

Patsy McGlone (Social Democratic and Labour Party, Mid Ulster)

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire.

[Translation: I thank the Minister.]

Under the heading, "Sustainable Travel and Transport", the Minister referred to collaboration on policies and projects. Will she provide details on what those policies and projects are, please?

Liz Kimmins (Sinn Féin, Newry and Armagh)

I have outlined the four key areas. They relate to the transport plans that my Department is working through currently; active travel and the improvement and enhancement of the cross-border greenways and connections; our work together, on an all-island basis, on the decarbonisation of our transport fleet; and the broader projects, which I mentioned in response to my colleague Áine Murphy, relating to alternative fuels and EV charging points. Those are the four main areas, at this stage.

Keith Buchanan (DUP, Mid Ulster)

The Minister's predecessor reduced verge cutting that improves sight lines on roads etc to improve biodiversity. It was classified as No Mow May. Miles and miles of hedgerows have been removed along the A5, and I would call that "Devastation in December". What is biodiversity best practice across the transport sector?

Liz Kimmins (Sinn Féin, Newry and Armagh)

The work along the A5 is about saving lives. That is why that work is happening, as the Member will be aware. There are lots of things that we can do in relation to biodiversity. It is important to look across the whole transport sector, not just here in the North but in the South, across the water and, indeed, worldwide. There are lots of good examples from which we can draw, and we will continue to do that.

Timothy Gaston (Traditional Unionist Voice, North Antrim)

I do not expect that anyone from the southern side of the border will have raised this issue, but did either Mr Nesbitt or the Infrastructure Minister raise the fact that the Grand Central station project has resulted in a 40% reduction in the takings of businesses in Sandy Row? Is there any prospect of financial assistance for them from the Shared Island Fund?

Carál Ní Chuilín (Sinn Féin, Belfast North)

Minister, the subject of that question was not covered in your statement. You may respond to it in any way that you see fit.

Liz Kimmins (Sinn Féin, Newry and Armagh)

It was not an issue for the meeting, as Madam Principal Deputy Speaker has outlined. However, I have committed to meeting residents and the community there in relation to the issues. I am sure that that will come up at that engagement.

Carál Ní Chuilín (Sinn Féin, Belfast North)

Members, that ends questions to the Minister on her statement.

Matthew O'Toole (Social Democratic and Labour Party, Belfast South)

On a point of order, Madam Principal Deputy Speaker, and thank you. I am aware that the rules in Standing Orders oblige Ministers to acknowledge when they have ministerial accompaniment at NSMC meetings, but, in this statement, the same number of words are devoted to Mike Nesbitt attending the meeting as are devoted to the all-island strategic rail review. Is the Chair's office able to look at whether statements require such energy devoted to listing attendees versus the actual content of the meeting?

Carál Ní Chuilín (Sinn Féin, Belfast North)

I am going to get you a copy of Standing Orders. I have raised this with you before — this is the fourth time. You are constantly raising issues that are not points of order. I suggest that you, as leader of the official Opposition, use the good office of our Business Committee and go through some training in Standing Orders. Your point is recorded.

Members, take your ease.

(Mr Deputy Speaker [Dr Aiken] in the Chair)

Steve Aiken (UUP, South Antrim)

The Speaker has received notice from the Minister of Justice that she wishes to make a statement. Before I call the Minister, I remind Members, as they have been reminded throughout the day, that they should be concise when asking their question. This is not an opportunity for debate, Timothy, and long introductions will not be allowed.

Naomi Long (Alliance, Belfast East)

With permission, Mr Deputy Speaker, I wish to make a statement on the enabling access to justice programme. When I launched the programme in December, I committed to moving at pace to ensure the viability and sustainability of the justice system and, more importantly, to provide better services and supports to our citizens. I set out a route map so that we can better assure ourselves that we are addressing the fundamental principle of access to justice and protecting the most vulnerable. That is why we were elected, and that is my role as Justice Minister.

I am pleased to report that there has been a generally positive response to the programme. Work is now in train, and we are making good progress. The programme delivery plan is out for consultation, and we are taking forward work in parallel to deliver on plan objectives. That includes ensuring that those providing public legal services continue to enjoy fair, proportionate and timely remuneration.

High-quality advice and representation are critical to accessing justice, so I committed to early action on fees to ensure that the system is viable and that the vulnerable are protected. I made that commitment, and I have followed through on my pledge. I am pleased to report that we are on track to introduce a significant 16% uplift in civil, family and criminal legal aid fees in May. Delivering that has been no small undertaking and is no small step, so I am extremely disappointed that, as I provide the update, victims, witnesses and defendants are enduring yet another month of damaging service withdrawal by the Criminal Bar Association (CBA). I know that many Members will be equally concerned.

This is now the fifth month in which CBA action has continued in parallel with real progress on reform; the fifth month since I met representatives of the professional bodies to discuss the reform programme; the fourth month since I formally launched a programme in the Assembly committing to urgent action; the third month since I published the delivery programme plan and associated consultations; the second month since I appointed His Honour Judge Burgess to lead a working group to identify other potential changes to legal aid fees; the second month since preliminary engagement on the working group began; and the month in which the working group started to meet.

CBA representatives are participating in the working group, which I very much welcome, but I cannot overstate my disappointment and frustration that service withdrawal continues. The scope of the action being taken by the CBA has, thankfully, reduced, but be under no illusion: the serious damage that the action is having on the justice system, individual victims, witnesses and defendants is ongoing.

The impact of withdrawal on individuals is not mitigated by the number of cases involved. It is all too easy to reduce the narrative to numbers and costs: the number of cases affected; the cost and value that individuals attach to their services; the costs that we can afford to meet and sustain; and the likely cost of recovering from the service withdrawal, which, ironically, will impact on the resources that I have to improve the underlying system. There is no doubt that those numbers and costs are an important part of the story, but what is more important and what should be first and foremost in all our minds are the people — your constituents and mine — whom the system is here to serve and protect.

The purpose of legal aid is twofold: to protect the vulnerable and to ensure that justice is served. We cannot currently say that that is being achieved. Service withdrawal means additional delay, and additional delay means that defendants, whether guilty or innocent, must wait longer for their case to be resolved. Delay means additional stress, anxiety and often trauma for many victims and witnesses, and it must be recognised that there are some victims and witnesses who are particularly vulnerable and are suffering acutely.

Delay means a greater risk of witness attrition and of people withdrawing their cooperation. It means a greater risk of victims not receiving justice and a greater risk of justice coming a little too late for some. All in all, it means a greater risk of harm to the public and a risk that the innocent remain in custody longer than is absolutely necessary and that the guilty go free. That is not idle speculation or pessimism but a very real possibility. It is therefore disappointing that those currently withdrawing services appear not to attach the same priority to those concerns as others throughout the justice system.

I take the opportunity to pay tribute to the Public Prosecution Service (PPS), to its management and prosecutors and to the victim and witness care unit in particular. I also pay tribute to Victim Support, to the staff of the Northern Ireland Courts and Tribunals Service (NICTS) and to the judiciary for their efforts to mitigate the impact of the CBA action on victims and witnesses. I understand and appreciate the enormity of the efforts involved. The work that they are doing stands as testimony to their very personal commitment to ensuring that victims and witnesses are supported and get the justice that they deserve.

I know that the withdrawal has also impacted on the work of solicitors, who, at times, have shared some of the CBA's concerns but, unlike the CBA, have engaged positively and constructively with the Department and have continued to serve their clients throughout this very difficult period. I thank them for doing so.

As Members will be aware, some solicitors who provide immigration and asylum advice have recently withdrawn from doing that work, but, unlike the CBA, they continue to engage directly with us on their alternative proposals. We have already committed to taking on board evidence produced by research on fees for immigration and asylum cases in England and Wales, and we continue to work with those solicitors, the Law Society, the Solicitors Criminal Bar Association (SCBA) and others on local reforms. In general, they are also committed to continuing to deliver public legal services in the interim while we develop a better way forward. That commitment recognises the steps that I have taken to improve the system.

Whilst I understand why the CBA has had a grievance over many years, it is more difficult to understand why it appears not to have taken cognisance of the multiple actions that are in train. As I made clear when we met, I want to ensure that they are fairly paid for the work that they undertake. We have set out not only a significant uplift in fees — at 16% — but a mechanism whereby their outstanding concerns can be addressed on the basis of evidence. It is therefore difficult to understand the motivation and expectations regarding the impact of the continued withdrawal of services. I have taken every opportunity to listen and address concerns where it has been appropriate and within my gift, but the ask seems to be ever-changing and often unrealistic.

I will take a few moments to set out for Members the work that we have done to address those concerns at each stage. As Members will be aware, the CBA initially called for the fundamental review of criminal legal aid to be published and for the recommended uplift in fees and the reform programme to be progressed. When they withdrew their services for December, they knew that those actions were imminent, and I delivered via a statement in the House.

The CBA then linked the service withdrawal to full implementation of the fundamental review, an immediate uplift in fees and the abandonment of my proposed approach to cases left on the books. Again, I responded insofar as I was able. I delayed the publication of the programme delivery plan and associated consultations to consider their representations, and, in light of their concerns, I reprioritised the delivery plan. Notwithstanding our view that the material significance for barristers' income is low, I rescheduled consideration of the issue of cases left on the books to later in the mandate. As with all other proposed actions, the policy would, in any event, always have been subject to detailed stakeholder engagement. However, if other parts of the reform package render specific action in that area unnecessary, I am happy to be informed by that. As I have been clear from the outset, the delivery plan details issues that will be explored, not final policy decisions.

I have also made every effort to ensure that fees are enhanced at the nearest opportunity: May 2025. Members will understand, as should members of the profession, that practical, legislative and governance constraints mean that an uplift could not practicably be implemented any sooner. The uplift is as recommended by the independent fundamental review. Whilst it only considered the criminal Bar, I decided that the uplift should be applied to the entirety of the Bar and the profession. That is not an insignificant step. It will mean an additional investment of £9·8 million per annum, and, following our very constructive engagement with the Law Society and SCBA, I have gone further than Judge Burgess anticipated and backdated the uplift to 1 December, when I reached my decision to increase fees. Such a move is unprecedented in the legal aid framework, where uplifts have always been prospective, not retrospective. However, I am of the view that it is justified and reasonable to apply the uplift from the point at which I accepted the recommendations, in that an expectation of improved remuneration had been created, albeit not a legal entitlement.

Notwithstanding the very damaging effects of the withdrawal of services on victims and witnesses, I have extended the backdated uplift to all members of the Bar. I did not want the members of the Bar who continue to work and deliver services to suffer any negative consequences from the CBA's action. Again, that is not an insignificant step. It represents an additional £3·5 million in fees over and above the £9·8 million annual uplift. I am also taking steps to ensure that benefits are realised as quickly as possible by introducing interim payments.

There are a few areas where Judge Burgess has acknowledged that further evidence is required to implement change, so I have appointed him to chair a working group to that end. I do not believe that Judge Burgess would have taken on that role were he in any doubt as to my commitment to delivering on his recommendations and engaging with integrity in the work. Subject to emerging evidence and departmental analysis, the terms of reference for the group anticipate that further fee changes might be effected alongside the 16% uplift in May.

The review is otherwise being implemented as recommended, so there is no reasonable cause for the CBA withdrawal of service to continue, but it does, as its ask has changed yet again. As the CBA put it to me most recently, having previously asked for the Burgess review to be implemented, the 16% uplift is now deemed not enough; in fact, it is "paltry". It is, in the CBA's view, not commensurate with the value that its members attach to their work. They want more. However, what the CBA has not specified is how much more, nor has it provided a robust evidence base for us to assess whether any further increases to any aspects of its members' fees are necessary and appropriate. Members will appreciate that such an unevidenced ask is untenable. I cannot act without evidence, even if the most vulnerable are being used as leverage. The only evidence base that we have is the Burgess report and the work done to support its implementation. The Bar and others had the opportunity to submit evidence and make representations to Judge Burgess during the 10 months of the review, and they did so. Members will appreciate that I cannot go beyond those recommendations unless further evidence supports that decision. Crucially, the working group that was established presents yet another fair and reasonable opportunity for the CBA and others to provide any additional evidence that they have.

I have been clear in my commitment to reasonable and proportionate remuneration for work undertaken, but the case needs to be made, and it needs to be robust. We are all aware of the acute pressures on all of our public services, whether in Justice or across the rest of the Executive. We are all aware of our duty to ensure that resources are used appropriately and fairly. I place on record that I am pleased that the CBA has taken the opportunity to join the working group and my personal commitment and that of my Department to continued constructive engagement, but, as Members will, no doubt, agree, victims and witnesses cannot suffer the consequences of the action indefinitely.

I had hoped that, in the absence of a full return of service, the CBA might agree a derogation in the withdrawal to allow at least some of the cases assessed as involving the most vulnerable to proceed. However, despite having agreed in principle, the first specific request for a derogation in a case where there was a real, tangible and indisputable risk to the victim was refused. That individual and the others involved in the 17 cases that were identified as critical and that, we hoped, might benefit from the derogation continue to be at risk of significant harm and of not receiving the justice that they deserve. That simply cannot continue in the longer term. I know, as will each of you, that we will now need to consider alternative models for the delivery of services currently provided by the criminal Bar. That is not a step that I wish to take, nor is it one that I would undertake lightly, but it is difficult at this juncture to see another way.

I do not know how the evolving position of the Criminal Bar Association will develop over the next few weeks. I sincerely hope that it will lead to it not only engaging with the working group constructively but restoring full service delivery at the earliest juncture. However, whatever the outcome and whatever its analysis, I am clear and have clearly communicated that I have done all that I can to meet the concerns and to deliver a mechanism to take forward any remaining concerns. There are no further steps that I can take in the absence of robust evidence. Victims, witnesses, defendants and the wider public deserve better than to be caught up in a dispute over remuneration.

Collectively, we have a moral and ethical duty to ensure access to justice, to ensure that the system can function, to ensure that resources are being used to best effect and to ensure that the vulnerable have the protection and support that the system is meant to provide. The need to look at alternative delivery models may impact on the capacity to deliver on other reform. I will take time to consider sequencing when the consultation on the delivery plan closes. Whilst that is unfortunate, it may be unavoidable. However, what will not change is my commitment to reform at pace, and I will continue to prioritise the changes that will ensure sustainability, support early resolution and ensure that citizens have access to services that address their wider needs at the point of access.

As I have said before, we have an opportunity to reset the framework for justice delivery. That is why I launched the programme for reform. That is why I have devoted resources to delivery at pace, and, as I said at the outset, we are making good progress. The programme delivery plan and the fee proposals are out for consultation. I am progressing the practical, logistical, legislative and financial steps necessary to uplift fees in May 2025, backdated to September 2024. I have appointed Judge Burgess to chair the working group to look at other areas for reform where he identified that the evidence was not available. We also continue to engage with stakeholders to shape their actions under the reform programme to improve the system and the type and nature of the support and services that we provide and to scope access interventions that will enhance service at the point of access, increase self-efficacy and enhance the use of alternative dispute resolution.

That represents significant progress over a relatively short period of time, and I intend to continue with that at that pace.

I trust that Members and Committee for Justice colleagues will continue to support me in that endeavour and will help us to take constructive action to drive that change in order to ensure a fairer, more accessible, proportionate, responsive and cost-effective system that places citizens at its heart.

I commend the statement to the House.

Justin McNulty (Social Democratic and Labour Party, Newry and Armagh)

I thank the Minister for her statement. Minister, it appears that you are at war with the Criminal Bar Association, and those who are suffering most are the most vulnerable in our society. We are now in a chaotic situation with criminal legal aid. Given that you and your party have overseen the legal aid system for most of the past 15 years —

Steve Aiken (UUP, South Antrim)

Question, Justin, question.

Justin McNulty (Social Democratic and Labour Party, Newry and Armagh)

— what responsibility do you have for that indefensible situation, and what alternative models for the delivery of services that the Criminal Bar Association currently provides are you suggesting?

Steve Aiken (UUP, South Antrim)

Minister, just before you answer, we have said this a couple of times to everybody here: keep it to a question, and keep it sharp and focused. I am not going to have that. Minister, over to you.

Naomi Long (Alliance, Belfast East)

Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. First, I am not at war with the Criminal Bar Association. I have said that I am seeking to work constructively with it to meet its concerns. I have done that progressively over recent months, and I will continue to do so in the months ahead. However, there are lines that I cannot cross. I have a responsibility for managing public money, which is inescapable, and certain legislative procedures have to be followed. I cannot circumvent those, and nor would I wish to.

Secondly, to be clear, the Criminal Bar Association is not the most vulnerable in our society. Its clients and the victims who are waiting for its services are the most vulnerable in our society, and it is their cases that are being affected by the withdrawal of services. I have made clear my desire to resolve the dispute. I have done so not only in words but in actions. We now need to see an end to the withdrawal of service, full engagement with the working group and, I hope, a constructive resolution to any outstanding issues through that mechanism. That is best for the Criminal Bar Association and the legal profession, and, most importantly for me as Justice Minister, it is best for our citizens.

Steve Aiken (UUP, South Antrim)

I call Justin Bunting. Sorry, a Freudian slip.

[Laughter.]

I have Justin on my brain today. It is weird. I am sorry about that, Joanne. I call Joanne Bunting, Chair of the Justice Committee. Joanne, over to you.

Joanne Bunting (DUP, Belfast East)

Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. It is a grave step for the Minister to consider alternative models for the delivery of services that the Bar provides. Will she elaborate a bit more on what those models might be, how long they might take to implement and what the potential risks with that approach are?

Naomi Long (Alliance, Belfast East)

We are still at the very early stages, but I am clear that we cannot continue with a situation such as when I met the Bar most recently, when it said that it was, for example, unwilling to take on category A cases, category D cases involving multiple defendants or retrials because of the complexity of that work. Those are some of the most serious and involved cases, but they also involve some of the most vulnerable victims and witnesses. Therefore, it is not sustainable for us to be in a situation where that service is not provided.

Work is at a very early stage in scoping what the alternatives might be. I have to be clear, however, that my preference is not to deflect resource from the programme of work that we set out in the enabling access to justice reform programme. I want to see the Criminal Bar Association at the table with everyone else as we work our way through what is a difficult issue. I believe that the 16% uplift is justified, but I have also been clear that there are other areas to consider. When I engaged with solicitors through the Criminal Bar, for example, they highlighted issues around the Police and Criminal Evidence Act (PACE) and the cost of fulfilling their requirements under PACE. That is something that we are now evidencing. If we can pull that evidence together in time, we will include it in the uplift in May, which may go beyond 16%. However, it has to be evidence-based, transparent and robust. If it is, I am not averse to considering it.

Deirdre Hargey (Sinn Féin, Belfast South)

It is a bit concerning that the issue and the thrust of the statement are like a war of attrition. We are keen to see the reform programme progress. It was good when it was brought in a couple of months ago. You touched on a derogation, Minister, and one case having been refused. My understanding is that there is an agreement with the Criminal Bar Association to look at derogation on a case-by-case basis. What other work is being done with the Department to progress that? Is it not better to actively engage with the Criminal Bar Association, rather than have statements from one end to the other, to try to bring the dispute to an end and to resolve the issue for everyone? What proactive steps is the Minister taking to do that over the coming weeks and months?

Naomi Long (Alliance, Belfast East)

There are two separate issues. The first is that I have to keep the House apprised of the progress that has been made. That is part of my duty as Minister, and that is why I am making this statement today. I said that I would develop the proposals and move at pace. It is important that people are aware of that, of the progress that has been made and of our direction of travel. That is important. That does not preclude my engagement with the Criminal Bar Association. That continues, and my officials continue to engage with the Criminal Bar Association, so there is no stand-off. I am simply setting out the facts as they are. I said twice in my statement very clearly that representatives of the Criminal Bar Association attend the working group, that I welcome that and that I hope to work through the issues. What I cannot excuse, however, is the continued withdrawal of services, because I do not believe that that was justified when it was announced in December, and I certainly do not believe that it is justified at this point when so much progress has been delivered — not simply promised but delivered. People need to be balanced in their views on that.

On the wider piece, I do not think that anyone wants us to be in conflict, but when it comes to the derogation, to be clear, there were 17 cases identified not by the Department but by the Public Prosecution Service and its victim and witness care unit (VWCU). People spent a lot of time identifying those 17 cases. The first and most serious — I cannot emphasise enough how grave a situation this is — was taken to the Criminal Bar Association for consideration, and it was refused. It is a matter for the PPS how it uses its resources, but given that the most serious case was refused, there is a strong argument that further work on the derogation may be simply throwing good money after bad. Unless there is some give on the derogation issue, it is very hard to see how it will happen. We are not talking about hundreds of cases; we are talking about 17 cases in which the victims or witnesses were identified as being particularly vulnerable for very specific reasons. The fact that the most vulnerable of those was brought to and rejected by the Criminal Bar Association does not create confidence that it is serious about its on-paper commitment. If it changes its mind and decides to take those cases forward outside the rigour of the withdrawal of services, we will all welcome that. What I would rather see is a return to full service.

Stewart Dickson (Alliance, East Antrim)

Minister, thank you very much for your statement to the House. Much of the commentary about the Criminal Bar Association centered on barristers not earning enough from criminal legal aid work to make it worthwhile. Minister, will you provide information on the average earnings of a criminal barrister?

Naomi Long (Alliance, Belfast East)

The earnings of barristers will vary greatly, depending on their workload and their level of expertise. We can only account for those elements of their pay that come from the legal aid system, because, of course, all barristers are also free to undertake private work and to operate outside the criminal aspects. This is only for criminal legal aid.

Between 1 April 2024 and 31 December 2024, the Legal Services Agency (LSA) paid 5,064 bills to 199 barristers, with a value of £20,412,043, for work in the Crown Court. During that period, two barristers received a total of £1·7 million. Sixty-five barristers — 33% — received at least £105,000 per annum. Thirty-three per cent of barristers received an equivalent annual gross salary of around £60,000, which equates to the top 10% of full-time annual gross pay in Northern Ireland. Thirty-eight per cent of barristers received at least £85,000. That is an annual gross salary of £48,600, which is in the top 20% of full-time annual gross pay. As I said, that is only for work in the Crown Court and criminal work. That does not cover the much wider work that barristers will take on, whether that be private work or work in other parts of the court system: it covers only the legal aid work through the criminal Bar.

I have accepted that, despite that, we still need to introduce that uplift because there has not been an uplift over a sustained period. However, it cannot be lost on many in the House that some people are earning significant amounts of money and still saying that their work does not pay. I find that there is an incongruence between those two facts.

Doug Beattie (UUP, Upper Bann)

I acknowledge the really difficult path that the Justice Minister is having to tread on that particular issue. I am alarmed about the issue of derogations that she has raised quite forcefully. Does she believe that there should be a minimum standard of delivery for the Criminal Bar Association going forward, once we have put that particular issue to bed?

Naomi Long (Alliance, Belfast East)

That is one area that we can consider. Of course, there is a wider issue about regulation of the profession, which does not actually fall to the Department of Justice. It currently falls to the Department of Finance and the legal services ombudsman, along with the professions themselves. There is a conversation to be had about basic standards of delivery. To be clear: most people — the vast majority — who engage with the legal profession in Northern Ireland are pleased with the work that it has undertaken. They find that the people whom they engage with provide them with high-quality services, professional courtesy and quality advice. We should not lose sight of that. We have a strong legal profession here in Northern Ireland. I want to ensure that we can sustain that legal profession, whilst ensuring that the money that we spend on legal aid is directed to those who are in need at their point of greatest need. That is the purpose of the public funds that are engaged in that profession. Of course, there will be other opportunities for talented barristers and solicitors to earn money through professional fees in the private sector. I want to ensure that, when a member of the public needs to access justice and could not otherwise afford to do so, the safety net of legal aid is there to ensure that they can and do access the justice that they deserve.

Ciara Ferguson (Sinn Féin, Foyle)

Does the Minister agree that the current remuneration levels in the most serious and complex cases do not allow counsel to provide the expected advocacy that those cases actually demand and that the public deserve? Can the Minister confirm that a 10% uplift is proposed for immigration and asylum case fees, not 16%, and that no uplift is proposed for legacy inquest cases?

Naomi Long (Alliance, Belfast East)

First of all, that is not accurate. The uplift for immigration fees is different in that we have decided to take a read across from work that has been done in England and Wales. We are currently in discussion with immigration solicitors. The figure that we were looking at is significantly higher than the 16% that was actually listed because it came from a study that was done in England and Wales. I am not here to reinvent the wheel. If a study has been done that says that immigration cases are more complex now than they were 10 years ago, we will look at that evidence, because it will be no different here in Northern Ireland from anywhere else that operates through the same immigration system.

The profession has come forward with three specific asks of the Department. We are now engaging with it on those asks. I actually think that what we have offered potentially is more generous than the ask that it has come to us with, which is specific. I think that we can agree one element of it reasonably quickly, but I am hopeful that, through our engagement with the profession, which has been quite constructive, we may be able to get a resolution to that ahead of actually bringing the secondary legislation to the House in May, which will allow that uplift to be applied from that point on. I am hopeful that it can be resolved.

As for the complexity of criminal court cases, if there is evidence that the work that the criminal Bar is doing does not pay, I ask that it be brought to the working group. The profession had the opportunity to provide that evidence to Judge Burgess. He concluded that 16% was the right amount of uplift for the criminal Bar. Remember that his review was based only on the criminal Bar. We extended the 16% across the rest of the Bar. He looked only at a fundamental review of criminal legal aid. He said that 16% was the right amount. Whatever evidence the profession had clearly did not convince him, but, if it wants to come back with further evidence now and present it to me, I am open to that. Where it is evidenced, as it is, I believe, with the immigration solicitors, we are open to paying that money. I have said that I want fair and transparent remuneration. However, I also want evidence and accountability.

Steve Aiken (UUP, South Antrim)

Thank you, ladies and gentlemen. The Business Committee has arranged to meet at 1.00 pm today. I propose therefore, by leave of the Assembly, to suspend the sitting until 2.00 pm. Questions on the ministerial statement will recommence after Question Time, when the first Member to be called will be Stephen Dunne.

The business stood suspended.

The sitting was suspended at 1.00 pm.

On resuming —

Oral Answers to Questions — Finance

Steve Aiken (UUP, South Antrim)

I would call Mr Stewart, but he is not in his place.

David Brooks (DUP, Belfast East)

2. Mr Brooks asked the Minister of Finance to outline what provision there is in the 2025-26 draft Budget for measures to address educational underachievement. (AQO 1706/22-27)

John O'Dowd (Sinn Féin, Upper Bann)

Tackling educational underachievement is key to improving the life chances for individuals in our society, particularly those experiencing the most disadvantage. It is also vital for developing a thriving economy that offers opportunity for all. It is the responsibility of the education bodies and, ultimately, the Education Minister to ensure that schools and teachers are supported in addressing the issue. The Department of Education has received significant increases in funding from the Executive in recent years. Its 2024-25 opening resource budget was almost £300 million or 11.6% higher than in 2023-24. That is before any in-year allocations are taken into account.

The draft Budget for 2025-26 sees the Education resource DEL budget increasing by another 9·4%, excluding earmarked funding. We know that early years intervention provides the best long-term outcomes for our children, particularly those facing disadvantage. In addition to increases in the day-to-day budget for the Department of Education, the 2025-26 draft Budget provides £50 million for the early learning and childcare strategy, doubling the amount for 2024-25. The Executive have also committed to providing a further £5 million in the June monitoring round. That funding is aimed at delivering improved outcomes for children and parents.

I also announced last week £27·5 million for the Department of Education’s proposal to support children with special educational needs (SEN) to reform services and ensure better outcomes for children. That proposal will support a suite of pilot programmes focused on early intervention and building an appropriately skilled workforce. It is for the Education Minister to identify how his Department can deliver its priorities within its budget allocation.

David Brooks (DUP, Belfast East)

At a recent Education Committee meeting, the expert panel on educational underachievement expressed concern that the allocation for 'A Fair Start' in 2024-25 amounted to £2·6 million or 6% of the £41·2 million that it had laid out in its action plan, despite it having cross-party support and being referenced in many manifestos. How does the Minister intend to support the Education Minister in delivering against that shortfall, which impacts particularly on our working-class communities?

John O'Dowd (Sinn Féin, Upper Bann)

I commend the independent review of education on its report. The findings and the implementation of that report are down to the Education Minister. The costings in the report are at a point in time; I think that they were based on the 2023-24 Budget. The position has significantly changed since then with regard to the Department of Education. I suggest that perhaps a review of those costings matched against the current provision to Education may prove worthwhile.

As I said in my original answer, the Department of Education has received a considerable uplift. I am not saying for one second that the Department of Education or any Department, for that matter, is receiving all the funds that it requires, but all Departments have received considerable uplifts since the Assembly returned.

Pat Sheehan (Sinn Féin, Belfast West)

Will the Minister address the underfunding of education here compared with other jurisdictions, as highlighted by the independent review of education?

John O'Dowd (Sinn Féin, Upper Bann)

It is often difficult to compare like for like in funding between this jurisdiction and other jurisdictions for education. As I said to Mr Brooks, the funding referred to in the independent review is at a point in time, and I think it is against the 2023-24 Budget. There has been a significant uplift in funding for the Department of Education since then, and I will continue to work with the Education Minister and other Ministers to do what I can, as Finance Minister, to support them financially. How they use the resources is a matter for each Minister.

Colin Crawford (UUP, North Antrim)

Minister, will you update us on any bids that your Department has received from the Department of Education?

John O'Dowd (Sinn Féin, Upper Bann)

The only bids that we would receive are those made through monitoring rounds. The Department of Education has benefited from monitoring rounds whenever my Department has had funds available to match its needs, and it benefited from the recent transformation fund. I think that around £27 million was directed towards the Department of Education for special educational needs specifically. It has benefited from those sources.

The draft Budget is out for consultation. Once the consultation closes, the Executive will make decisions on what will be allocated to each Department.

Colin McGrath (Social Democratic and Labour Party, South Down)

Given the severity and scale of the numbers impacted by special educational needs and the number of commitments in the Programme for Government (PFG) for it, would it be beneficial to ring-fence some of the funding that goes to the Department for special educational needs so that there could be a guarantee of that money being directed to those who need it most?

John O'Dowd (Sinn Féin, Upper Bann)

Ring-fencing is an option for the Executive. I make recommendations to the Executive on the Budget, and ring-fencing allocations for specific cases in any Department will be an option for the Executive. If I were to make recommendations on that basis, I would do so in line with the Programme for Government commitments.

Órlaithí Flynn (Sinn Féin, Belfast West)

3. Ms Flynn asked the Minister of Finance an update on the sectoral study on the cost of doing business in Northern Ireland, commissioned by his Department. (AQO 1707/22-27)

John O'Dowd (Sinn Féin, Upper Bann)

The research on the cost of doing business being undertaken by the Ulster University Economic Policy Centre (UUEPC) is on track to be delivered by the end of the month. The study was commissioned following concerns raised in the aftermath of the Chancellor’s autumn Budget. Employers, understandably, have significant concerns regarding the impact of the changes in employers' National Insurance contributions coming into effect next month. That is in addition to other cost pressures that they already face, such as insurance and energy. To assess that, the research team has been undertaking its analysis and engaging widely with over 20 sectoral and business bodies to date in order to hear the voices of those potentially impacted. The report, when finalised, will put me in a position to provide as strong a case as possible to the Treasury ahead of the June monitoring round.

Órlaithí Flynn (Sinn Féin, Belfast West)

I thank the Minister for his response. Does the Minister plan to meet businesses directly? Who have the researchers consulted?

John O'Dowd (Sinn Féin, Upper Bann)

I am meeting the business sectors tomorrow for a round-table discussion. I look forward to listening to them about the challenges and opportunities facing their sector as we move forward. I am committed to working with them. I have already lobbied the Chief Secretary to the Treasury and the Secretary of State quite strongly on those matters, and I will continue to engage in a way that allows the business sector's voice to be heard at all levels of government.

Diane Forsythe (DUP, South Down)

I welcome the study of the cost of doing business in Northern Ireland as we look into April and the incredible pressures. The childcare sector is a key aspect of the Northern Ireland economy. Is the childcare sector represented on the group that the Minister is meeting, and will he continue to engage with that sector, as it underpins businesses in Northern Ireland?

John O'Dowd (Sinn Féin, Upper Bann)

Not directly, but there may be childcare businesses that are represented by the various organisations that I am meeting tomorrow, and their voices may be heard through that. It is worth pointing out, however, that, as a proposal in the draft Programme for Government, we have doubled the amount of money going into the childcare sector from £25 million to £50 million, and the Executive have committed to allocating £5 million from the June monitoring round to the sector. That will be a total of £55 million, having started from a zero base. To give credit where it is due, the Executive have stepped forward on the matter.

Justin McNulty (Social Democratic and Labour Party, Newry and Armagh)

Minister, I welcome the fact that your Department has belatedly confirmed that rates will be included in the cost of doing business study. What specific actions will you take to reform rates in order to better support hospitality and retail, which are struggling with increased costs and repeatedly cite the crippling burden of rates?

John O'Dowd (Sinn Féin, Upper Bann)

Rates are the only local taxation available to the Executive and the Assembly. While I can understand the focus on rates, any changes will require legislation, which is possible. If we are to reduce the hospitality sector's rates base, however, we must ask whether we will reduce public services or add the burden elsewhere. That is the question that has be asked, because it will be the outcome of such a decision. There are ongoing reviews of a number of matters, and some reviews are about to start, but what is the impact of each decision that we make? There will be positives and negatives, but any decision must be made in the round. We cannot simply call for a reduction in the rates base for the hospitality sector without following through on the equation.

Eóin Tennyson (Alliance, Upper Bann)

Minister, it is welcome that the study will inform your negotiating position with the UK Government, but will it also inform your Department's position? Will we see any tangible actions from your Department to support businesses with the cost of doing business?

John O'Dowd (Sinn Féin, Upper Bann)

Of course it will inform my Department's thinking, and it will inform my thinking. I hope that it will also inform Members' thinking. It is vital that the decision-making process move forward on the basis of evidence and data, and the analysis that we are doing will allow us to do that. As I said in the Chamber yesterday, every financial decision has positive and negative consequences. We must then decide which element is the most important to drive forward, but no decision can be taken in isolation.

Paul Frew (DUP, North Antrim)

The Minister is lobbying the Government for support, but what specific support can he give businesses come April?

John O'Dowd (Sinn Féin, Upper Bann)

It is worth noting that the Executive already have in place £275 million of rate relief for businesses. That figure is not often quoted or used, but it is important to be aware of it when we work out the equation about what we want to do next. My Department is offering significant rate relief to a range of businesses. We are working our way through the rates portfolio to review each rate, and I will bid to come back to the Assembly with decisions on how we move forward. It is also worth remembering that the money that we reinvest in our public services benefits business as well. The money that we put back into public-sector wages benefits businesses as well. In many ways, it is a circular economy, and we are playing our part in it.

Paul Frew (DUP, North Antrim)

4. Mr Frew asked the Minister of Finance, pursuant to AQW 20809/22-27, how many domestic and commercial ratepayers have committed to a payment plan to reduce debt. (AQO 1708/22-27)

John O'Dowd (Sinn Féin, Upper Bann)

The question for written answer to which the Member refers relates specifically to a prior rating year debt, as of 31 December 2024. A balance owing at a point in time serves only to reflect the position at that time. It is important that the Member recognise that the collection of rates is not static and that the numbers will have changed since 31 December.

It is appropriate that I provide the current position on rate collection and on the number of ratepayers with an agreed payment plan. As of 2 March 2025, almost £1·59 billion had been collected, which is the highest amount ever. Approximately £247 million is still being collected: £142 million relates to bills after 1 April 2024, and £105 million relates to rates billed in previous years, a reduction of £75 million on the March 2024 position.

Payment arrangements are measures offered by Land and Property Services (LPS) to alleviate the financial distress to the ratepayer while maintaining rate collection, albeit at a slower pace. Throughout the year, LPS staff have been contacting ratepayers directly to remind them about the rates that they owe, highlighting the help as well as the consequences of non-payment. There are 8,434 domestic ratepayers and 908 non-domestic ratepayers with agreed payment arrangements, which are worth over £12 million.

Paul Frew (DUP, North Antrim)

I thank the Minister for his answer. He is right that the cost and burden is not static and will move over time. When I tabled the question for written answer, £115·5 million of debt was outstanding, and nearly 44 properties were in arrears. The Minister has talked about the burden and about paying a fair share, but it is clear that some people are not paying their fair share. What more can he do to decrease the debt and get the money into the Government's coffers?

John O'Dowd (Sinn Féin, Upper Bann)

There is a variety of reasons why businesses and domestic ratepayers are not paying their bills in the timely manner that we would like, and we have to understand those reasons as we deal with each case individually. When, after working with the ratepayer, it comes to light that they are not working with us, court action will be taken. I have engagement with LPS on the matter, and we will pursue outstanding debts where there is a value on that return. We may also be dealing with businesses that have gone bankrupt with no opportunity for return. I can assure the Member that we will work with ratepayers to collect our rates. Everyone has to pay their fair share. When necessary, we will bring people to court to recover rates.

Declan McAleer (Sinn Féin, West Tyrone)

Will the Minister elaborate on what support is available to ratepayers?

John O'Dowd (Sinn Féin, Upper Bann)

Wide-ranging support is available to ratepayers to assist them in fulfilling their payment of rates. Starting with domestic ratepayers, I will give some examples: there is housing benefit, rate rebate, low-income rate relief, disabled person's allowance and lone pensioner's allowance. For non-domestic rates, there is industrial derating, charitable exemptions, sport and recreation relief, freight transport relief and non-domestic vacant rate relief. Therefore, there is a range of in-place assistance across the breadth of our ratepayers, and, as I said to Mr Frew, we will work with ratepayers who are facing challenges to work out a repayment plan to allow them to pay their rates. Where we have to go to court, we will go to court.

Mark Durkan (Social Democratic and Labour Party, Foyle)

I go back to the original question on rates debt. That is on top of £65 million of rates arrears that have been written off in the past year. Yesterday, Executive parties voted for an above-inflation increase in rates. Are we robbing Peter because Paul, for whatever reason, has not been able to pay?

John O'Dowd (Sinn Féin, Upper Bann)

There will be historical debt that has been pursued and that, for a number of reasons, may not be collectable. For instance, I referred to businesses that have gone bankrupt and gone beyond the statutory period for return, which is, I think, six years plus one. There may be other reasons why people cannot repay their debt. At some stage, every business will have to come to a conclusion on whether it represents value for money to pursue a debt or to write the debt off. That is where you have to be. That is the position that was taken on the £65 million. Last year, around 92·5% of all rates were paid within the period specified. This year, we are setting a target of around 93%, and we will continue to pursue that. As I said, we will work with ratepayers. Each individual case tells its own story, and people, whether they pay domestic or business rates, face hardship at times. Many, many people work with us. Where we cannot come to an arrangement or where people have not worked with us, we will have to end up in court.

Timothy Gaston (Traditional Unionist Voice, North Antrim)

Following on from the Minister's comments that LPS will work with ratepayers, I have a case at the minute where the time frame given to the constituent to pay off their rates bill simply is not long enough for them to afford to pay it off. Will the Minister give a commitment that, where there are circumstances in which financial pressures dictate that people cannot make the payment within four years, six years or eight years, LPS will grant a longer period to pay off debt? It is more important to get the rate payment than to take ratepayers to court, only for them to default because they cannot make the rate payment.

John O'Dowd (Sinn Féin, Upper Bann)

I cannot comment on individual cases, and I can assure the Member that, as I have said repeatedly during my answers to these questions, we are willing to work with ratepayers who face hardships and challenges. If the Member wishes to write to me about the individual case, I will raise the matter with LPS.

Alan Chambers (UUP, North Down)

5. Mr Chambers asked the Minister of Finance whether he has led any discussions within the Executive regarding the introduction of new revenue-raising streams. (AQO 1709/22-27)

John O'Dowd (Sinn Féin, Upper Bann)

The Executive’s focus must be on wider Budget sustainability. We must also look at how we can do things better by improving efficiency and focusing on desired outcomes. While income generation will be part of that, decisions must be based on the economic and social context and on the need to deliver the public services that our citizens expect. The Executive's Budget sustainability plan outlined the additional income that will be generated in 2024-25 and the possible additional income for 2025-26. The plan also committed the Executive to the completion of a strategic review of income-generation measures, and that work will commence following the finalisation of the 2025-26 Budget. However, it is also incumbent on every Minister to consider the appropriate income-generation measures for their Department, and that does not require Department of Finance-led discussions.

Alan Chambers (UUP, North Down)

Have the Executive considered the mutualisation of Northern Ireland Water, or do they have other plans for providing the funding that is required to enable upgrades of failing waste water plants in the greater Belfast area?

John O'Dowd (Sinn Féin, Upper Bann)

The Executive have an agreed position on NI Water, which is that it will remain a government-owned company and will be funded through the general grant, as it is now.

Aoife Finnegan (Sinn Féin, Newry and Armagh)

What does the Department of Finance view as the main factors in sustainable Budgets?

John O'Dowd (Sinn Féin, Upper Bann)

Sustainable Budgets are not just about revenue raising; they are about doing things better, which means, of course, being as efficient as possible and ensuring that we are doing the right things by focusing on the desired outcomes. As part of the Budget sustainability plan forward work programme, my Department is taking forward a number of key steps to improve the sustainability of our Budgets, including working with all Departments on the development of longer-term fiscal sustainability plans. That will help us to understand the trajectory of spend that is associated with the strategic direction and planned changes.

Matthew O'Toole (Social Democratic and Labour Party, Belfast South)

Minister, the Budget sustainability plan sets out revenue-generation plans, some of which involve no ministerial direction or decision, are tiny and, frankly, a bit surreal. They include things such as hospital canteen charges and Ordnance Survey map charges — hardly revolutionary stuff. Indeed, in response to a question for written answer on that, it was revealed that Departments had raised more money from those measures in previous years than in the years that were covered by the Budget sustainability plan. Do you have a target for further fiscal devolution and real, meaningful revenue raising not for its own sake but to better deliver public services? That is what we are all here for.

John O'Dowd (Sinn Féin, Upper Bann)

It is only right and proper that Departments continually review the cost of their doing business and that, where they provide services, they satisfy themselves that what they charge covers the cost of those services and does not further burden the public purse. That sometimes requires decisions to be made on canteens, which you referred to, or on other matters, whatever they may be. In some instances, Departments have not increased charges for 10 or 15 years. That is unsustainable. We have to start by looking at those things. I suspect that, if I were to introduce new revenue-raising measures without having Departments look at them, you would, quite rightly, challenge me.

I am ambitious about fiscal devolution. I believe that the more tax-varying powers that the Assembly and Executive have, the better that it will be for our economy. They would also be good for political stability and responsibility. The Member is aware of how we are working our way through the interim report of the Fiscal Commission and of our engagement with the Treasury. We will continue that. We also have to do the day-to-day, mundane work. A lot of the Departments have done that work and have managed to secure significant revenue from it.

Doug Beattie (UUP, Upper Bann)

6. Mr Beattie asked the Minister of Finance how many Northern Ireland Civil Service (NICS) employees have been assaulted while on duty over the past 12 months. (AQO 1710/22-27)

John O'Dowd (Sinn Féin, Upper Bann)

Assaults on those who are serving the public are an affront to us all. There is no place for violence in the workplace or anywhere in society. Where an assault results in sickness absence, the data that the Department of Finance holds for all civil servants does not always make explicit the cause of the absence. In the case of stress-related absences, a questionnaire is issued to establish whether the cause of the stress is work-related. However, sickness absence data does not specify whether a physical injury was caused by an assault or by an accident or whether it took place in the working environment. Where an injury takes place at work, it should, however, be recorded under the Department's health and safety policy. Of course, not every assault will result in a sickness absence, but any assault at work should be recorded for the health and safety of staff.

Health and safety at work is the responsibility of the individual Departments. There has been one recorded case of assault on a member of my Department in the past 12 months. The Department of Justice has advised that, during that period, there were 96 assaults on prison officers while they were on duty and eight incidents at Woodlands Juvenile Justice Centre in which staff were injured on duty. The Department of Education and the Department for the Economy have advised me that there were no reported assaults on their staff during the period. The Department for Infrastructure has advised me that two instances of violence and aggression towards its staff were formally reported in the past 12 months.

Doug Beattie (UUP, Upper Bann)

Minister, thank you for that detailed answer. To be honest with you, I knew most of that. Here is the point: 96 officers were assaulted, while we can count the rest of the assaults on one hand. Surely it makes sense for the Northern Ireland Civil Service handbook to treat the Prison Service as separate from the rest of the Civil Service.

John O'Dowd (Sinn Féin, Upper Bann)

The Civil Service handbook protects all civil servants, including prison officers. It is there to ensure that there is equity and fair play for all. Every policy can and will be reviewed through time and to learn lessons, but the Civil Service handbook is the best way to support our prison officers and the rest of the Civil Service.

Pádraig Delargy (Sinn Féin, Foyle)

Minister, how are absences such as PTSD and other psychological illnesses managed under the sickness absence policies and procedures?

John O'Dowd (Sinn Féin, Upper Bann)

Absence management processes in the Civil Service are designed to consider and take account of the specific circumstances of each individual case. As part of the absence management procedure, all stress-related absences, including PTSD, are immediately referred to welfare support services. Alongside that, stress questionnaires are issued to establish whether the cause of the stress is personal, domestic or work related, and whether additional assistance, such as the employee assistance programme or a temporary injury allowance application, is required.

Patsy McGlone (Social Democratic and Labour Party, Mid Ulster)

Minister, the number of working days lost in the Civil Service due to sickness went up from 72,000 in July 2024 to 81,600 in December 2024, with an additional estimated cost of £1·8 million. According to the figures, stress, depression and anxiety accounted for the largest proportion of that at 41·5%. As the Minister in charge of the Civil Service, what measures is your Department taking to introduce a safer environment for people to work in and one that is more conducive to good mental health?

John O'Dowd (Sinn Féin, Upper Bann)

Supporting and working with our staff is vital. Ensuring that there is an environment in which they feel cherished and valued is also important. The Department works closely with the trade union side on how we can continue to broaden that support and offer it to our civil servants. Across society and some businesses there appears to be an increase in sickness levels. That may be due to a range of issues. We have to understand the trends within that to ensure that we offer the proper remedies to it. I and my Department continue to work alongside the trade union side to ensure that we have the right policies in place to support our staff.

Steve Aiken (UUP, South Antrim)

I call Joanne Bunting. Minister, you will have one minute.

Joanne Bunting (DUP, Belfast East)

7. Ms Bunting asked the Minister of Finance what consideration he has given to introducing legislation to regulate property management companies to bring them into line with other jurisdictions. (AQO 1711/22-27)

John O'Dowd (Sinn Féin, Upper Bann)

The law concerning shared property management is complex. While it is based on land law, it also potentially touches on or concerns areas of law that are the responsibility of other Departments, such as Communities, in respect of housing policy, and Economy, in respect of consumer protection and company law. That said, scoping work by the civil law reform team in my Department is under way to review the regulation of property management companies, service charges and other issues related to shared property management. As part of the project, meetings are being held with concerned parties and stakeholders to gain insight into the issue of shared property management. If the Member wishes to engage with that team, I am more than happy to facilitate that meeting.

Steve Aiken (UUP, South Antrim)

That ends the period for listed questions. We now move to 15 minutes of topical questions. Question 4 has been withdrawn.

Matthew O'Toole (Social Democratic and Labour Party, Belfast South)

T1. Mr O'Toole asked the Minister of Finance, given that Lough Neagh is an ecological disaster, we cannot build sufficient social homes and there is a crisis in delivering the economic infrastructure that we need, all of which can be brought back to NI Water not being properly funded, and that he has ruled out water charges, which is fair enough, and has talked about developer charges but with no further detail, to give some detail, as the person who was Infrastructure Minister until a few weeks ago and is Finance Minister now, on how we will invest in waste water infrastructure for the rest of the mandate and to please be specific. (AQT 1131/22-27)

John O'Dowd (Sinn Féin, Upper Bann)

I cannot hop from being Finance Minister to Infrastructure Minister and go back and forth, but I am more than happy to answer your question as Finance Minister.

We will continue to support NI Water in the way that we have been doing over the last number of years. This year, NI Water is receiving half a billion pounds' worth of public funding — half a billion pounds' worth — and that, in itself, is a testament to how the Executive are supporting NI Water moving forward. You have only to cast your eye to England to see what the alternatives deliver for you. The alternative funding measures, which some in the Chamber may support, such as privatisation or mutualisation, have led to increased debt among the water companies, increased pollution, less service to the public and less investment in the infrastructure that was promised under privatisation. That is not the model for the way forward. We want to ensure that public money is being used effectively and efficiently in delivering the services that are required.

I refer to the point that I have made several times. In the January monitoring round, we offered NI Water £19 million, and 2,500 homes were connected. Let us see whether more schemes like that can be achieved. As part of the transformation fund, there was £15 million to deal with storm water and rainwater in a different way. You do not have to direct it towards very expensive waste water treatment works. They should be used only to treat waste water. There are different ways of doing things, and there is a challenge for the Executive and NI Water to look at how we do things differently.

Matthew O'Toole (Social Democratic and Labour Party, Belfast South)

Minister, people hearing you say that we will continue the way we have been doing for the last few years in relation to NI Water will be tearing their hair out. Lough Neagh is an open-air cesspool. Your constituency faces on to it. The previous Sinn Féin Communities Minister promised 100,000 homes in the next 15 years. How in God's name you will deliver those without proper investment I do not know. You talked about comparing the situation with that in England. Nobody, certainly in the Opposition, is calling for an English-style system — far from it — but that does not mean that we should simply drift along as we have been doing.

Steve Aiken (UUP, South Antrim)

Question, Matthew.

Matthew O'Toole (Social Democratic and Labour Party, Belfast South)

Are you specifically saying that NI Water will have the first call on capital investment going forward? That is the upshot of what you are saying when you say that we will continue to fund it in exactly the same way as we have done through monitoring rounds, dribs and drabs —.

Steve Aiken (UUP, South Antrim)

Mr O'Toole, you were asked to ask a question. You have not asked a question, and I think that you have forfeited the right to ask a supplementary question because that went on for far too long.

I call Mr Brett.

Matthew O'Toole (Social Democratic and Labour Party, Belfast South)

On a point of order, Mr Deputy Speaker.

Steve Aiken (UUP, South Antrim)

I call Mr Brett.

Phillip Brett (DUP, Belfast North)

T2. Mr Brett asked the Finance Minister, given that he will be aware of the report issued by the Comptroller and Auditor General on the annual accounts for the Department for the Economy and that the unprecedented step of disclaiming those accounts was taken, to inform the House when he, as Finance Minister, or his Department was informed of that. (AQT 1132/22-27)

John O'Dowd (Sinn Féin, Upper Bann)

I do not have those details in front of me. I am aware of the media reports in that regard, but I have no further details in front of me.

Phillip Brett (DUP, Belfast North)

Will the Minister commit to the fact that his Department looked at the issue? This covered £1 billion of funding that was allocated by his Department to the Department for the Economy that could not be qualified by the Northern Ireland Audit Office. Given the importance of ensuring that public funding is used properly, can the Minister give a commitment to the House today that he will look seriously at the issue?

John O'Dowd (Sinn Féin, Upper Bann)

It is my understanding that the issues identified by the NI Audit Office through its disclaimer opinion are not about value-for-money propriety or how the Department manages its budget but relate to the complexity of the consolidation process. I will follow it up with my officials, but, at this time, I have no concerns about value-for-money propriety in that regard. However, I am more than happy to ask my officials to follow that up.

Timothy Gaston (Traditional Unionist Voice, North Antrim)

T3. Mr Gaston asked the Minister of Finance what he is doing to cut back on wastage such as over £250,000 spent by his Department on diversity, equality and inclusion training since 2019, as revealed in this morning's 'Belfast Telegraph'. (AQT 1133/22-27)

John O'Dowd (Sinn Féin, Upper Bann)

I think that that spend is over six years. I am proud that my Department is leading the way on equality and diversity. There should be more of it across society so that we learn to live with and respect one another. Our differences are many, and they cover many topics, but let us be different, and let us respect our differences. Let us have more equality and diversity and more training to understand how treating one another with respect and dignity benefits our entire society. Mr Gaston, as a member of a minority — a unionist — you should cherish equality legislation: it is there to protect everyone.

Timothy Gaston (Traditional Unionist Voice, North Antrim)

More wastage is what the Minister orders. Some of that money was spent on membership fees for the discredited Stonewall's Allies programme, which is used to push gender ideology. Why is taxpayers' money being wasted on that nonsense, years after the Civil Service and even the BBC recognised the need to withdraw from the scheme?

John O'Dowd (Sinn Féin, Upper Bann)

The "nonsense" that Mr Gaston talks about also refers to support for people with disabilities, deaf people and people with sight impairments. It is nonsense only if you do not agree with it. Is that what we are going to base it on? I am not going to base the equality work in my Department on whether I agree with it. It is about whether it is right for protecting minorities and those who are disadvantaged in our society. That is what equality and diversity legislation is about. You, as a member of a minority, should cherish equality legislation. You should protect it and insist that it be enhanced.