Debate contribution: Assembly and Executive Reform
Debate contribution by Mrs Emma Little-Pengelly on .
- MLA
- Mrs Emma Little-Pengelly
- Party at the time
- Democratic Unionist Party
- Date
- 8 June 2026
- Type
- Debate contribution (made as a minister)
- Business
- Oral Answers to Questions
- Heading
- Assembly and Executive Reform
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 5600556
Read the official Assembly record
Text
First, we have to recognise that the Northern Ireland economy is an economy transformed. There is no doubt about that. Even when I graduated from Queen's University as a young lawyer in the early 2000s, your options were somewhat limited. To get into some of the bigger companies, you would have had to go to London. Today, we have Citigroup. I recently had a meeting with Bank of America. It is going to create up to 350 jobs here in Northern Ireland by the end of the year. Given the advancements in back-office services, professional services, cybersecurity, research and innovation and advanced manufacturing, we have really transformed our economy. The Member is absolutely right: economic inactivity and productivity are two significant issues that we need to tackle. Unfortunately, economic inactivity goes well beyond stop-start government. It is a community issue. It can be a family issue. There can be long-term transgenerational unemployment and economic inactivity. It can be to do with poverty, lack of ambition and educational underachievement.
There are many different elements, and I feel incredibly passionate about the issue. I did not go to a grammar school; I went to an excellent non-grammar school, Markethill High School. I want every child, regardless of the school they go to —grammar or non-grammar — to achieve, get their qualifications and change their lives for the better. Economic inactivity does not do that. You are absolutely right: they are big issues that will not be resolved by simply one aspect. All of the Departments must work together.
256 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
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