All of Mr Conor Murphy’s imported questions, contributions and motions in this mandate, newest first, including those assessed as not flagged, uncertain or not yet analysed.
I agree that our universities and colleges should work collaboratively to deliver the best outcomes for learners. It is also important to recognise that schools and community-based providers play an important role in ensuring a joined-up and effective education sector. In order to ensure that colleges and universities…
The high street task force, which is responsible for a lot of those matters, is led by another Department, and the Department for the Economy makes a contribution to it. We are keen to work with all Departments to help the high street, particularly in areas that have been unexpectedly damaged. High streets are…
As I mentioned, we are working with Invest NI and the Strategic Investment Board (SIB) to develop the net zero accelerator fund. It is intended to be a catalyst for attracting and complementing private investment in the green economy. We are also working with the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities…
As I said, the primary focus of that programme is the energy efficiency support grant. In the region of 600 applications have been received, a couple of hundred of which have already been processed. That scheme only opened in May, so you can see that there is a wide range of interest in it. We also are engaging with…
I recognise the need to assist businesses to meet our climate change targets. My Department is working with Invest NI to deliver financial support for businesses through a new scaled phase of its energy and resource efficiency programme. The main part of that programme is the energy efficiency capital grant scheme,…
A report was published, I believe, when the Assembly was down, from which flowed an implementation plan. I think that that is what the Member is referring to. That was used for internal guidance for officials on how they brought that work forward. I understand that there were no plans to publish that, but I am sure,…
The 14-19 framework is a joint endeavour between my Department and the Department of Education. The Minister of Education and I have met to discuss our approach to the work and our shared priorities, taking account of the current education and skills environment. As a first step, we have prioritised careers as a…
Of course, councils have a responsibility to protect public funding and make sure that funds are distributed appropriately. I would also like to ensure, however, that there is a degree of flexibility. At the outset of our engagement with the councils, we asked them to apply a degree of flexibility to ensure that they…
Like the Member, I represent one of the areas where flooding occurred, so I know of the urgency of getting funding out to businesses. I hope that councils can make every effort to ensure that that happens quickly. I understand that there is a complex process of assessment and verification and a need to protect public…
Local councils are responsible for making payments under the flood relief schemes funded by the Department for the Economy. There were 108 applications to the enhanced flood scheme across two councils. As of 3 June, the councils have issued letters of offer to 27 businesses, with a value of £1·601 million. To date,…
I thank the Member. I want to record my gratitude to my colleague Deirdre Hargey for stepping up in my absence and keeping momentum going in the Department. On the question of regional balance for this scheme in particular, Invest NI will use the portal and closely monitor the enquiries and applications that are being…
The energy efficiency capital grant was announced in early May and is open for applications across a wide range of businesses. The grant is aimed at helping businesses to reduce emissions and lower their energy demands through the installation of energy efficiency measures and renewable technologies. The application…
I welcome the opportunity to speak about this important issue. Climate change is one of the defining challenges of our time, and moving away from fossil fuels will be a vital part of the transition towards a greener economy and a more sustainable way of life. Reducing carbon emissions is one of my four key objectives.…
Costings have been done, but they need to be bottomed out. Part of the paper that we brought to the Executive will do that. The Executive need to be agreeable to bringing the scheme to a close, and we will then put that forward. We have no doubt that it will be a matter of some debate and discussion. We have a sense…
The Member will be aware that a previous Executive committed, as part of an agreement, to closing the RHI scheme. I have put forward proposals to the Executive to do just that. I hope that the Executive will deal with that in the not-too-distant future. We have a situation where the scheme is not delivering its…
The Member correctly identifies that not only are those good jobs and good skills to have but that they are transferable, wherever you go. We are also now in a situation in which people cannot get apprentices or skilled workers, such as people with construction skills and a whole range of others. There is a greater…
There is a range of programmes that deal with apprenticeships. They are critical. As I said in response to one of your colleagues, when you go internationally in particular, you hear people saying that the attraction of here is the people and the skills. We need to ensure that we have sufficient skills. We used…
Local political and cultural tours are opportunities to bring tourism benefits, including those from tourism spend, into areas that have not necessarily had a peace dividend. Things like the black taxi tours on the Falls and the Shankill are, I think, the second-biggest attraction in Belfast, without having been…
I have already had conversations with officials. A piece of work is already agreed and funded by the Shared Island Fund to consider linkages in relation to the Wild Atlantic Way and the Causeway coast. There is scope for looking at the other major brands, Ireland's Ancient East and the Hidden Heartlands. We are in a…
A large brand attracts people. They become interested in the overall attraction — it might be the Wild Atlantic Way, which runs the full length of the west coast — and then, when people are interested in going there because of the large brand, you get into the local sectoral offer and what is available. That is what…
I agree with the Member that we could do much more. Some 70% of people employed in the tourism industry are outside Belfast, so support for it certainly adds to regional balance. A consultation document was out, and there has been a lot of feedback on that. We are now setting up a tourism implementation group, which…
Yes. I am more than happy to meet the Minister for Communities, as we have a shared interest in the matter. When we talk to people abroad and here, the big attraction for investment is the people and their skills. That is the number-one attraction that people refer to. Our biggest challenge is getting more people and…
A lot of the funding that we provided to the sector came directly from European funding. That European funding was lost. We managed to plug the gap over COVID, but that funding came to an end in the last round. The funding was not replaced, despite the Government's promises. We have moved from a process where the…
As I said, that is a matter for the Executive as a whole. We have a responsibility there and we have a responsibility to work with others on it, and we certainly will not slack. That is why I made net zero one of the four priorities for the Department. When a strategic focus was being provided to the Department, I…
I did not set the targets, so it is nothing to do with my ambition. The Executive in the previous mandate agreed the targets, and we all have to bend our will to make sure that we meet them. It is not just a legal obligation to meet them; it is a moral obligation. I understand that other jurisdictions are struggling,…