Debate contribution: Good Relations Funding
Debate contribution by Mrs Emma Little-Pengelly on .
- MLA
- Mrs Emma Little-Pengelly
- Party at the time
- Democratic Unionist Party
- Date
- 7 September 2026
- Type
- Debate contribution
- Business
- Oral Answers to Questions
- Heading
- Good Relations Funding
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 5669826
Read the official Assembly record
Text
Not only has funding now gone out to groups but the First Minister and I moved quickly to put together a new fund this year: the response fund of almost half a million pounds. Working very closely with officials in the Executive Office, the Education Authority (EA), councils and our partners in Communities in Transition (CIT), we have been able to impact on thousands of young people at risk of getting involved in disorder or into some of those narratives. We have, of course, also worked with those from ethnic minority communities. Let me be very clear: all violence or disorder that is based on a person's race or on anything to do with their characteristics is wrong. I said that at the time, and, when I have engaged with them, members from the ethnic minority communities have thanked us for that leadership and for those strong messages. Of course, there were other issues. We have engaged in detail about what people want to see done if such a thing were, unfortunately, to happen again.
That includes better communication, from officials, teams and the Home Office, as to what is happening. We have taken that on board and made a commitment to make sure that communication is improved.
208 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
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