Debate contribution: Regional Balance Bill: Second Stage

Debate contribution by Ms Sinéad McLaughlin on 8 September 2026.

MLA: Ms Sinéad McLaughlin
Party at the time: Social Democratic and Labour Party
Date: 8 September 2026
Type: Debate contribution
Business: Private Members' Business
Heading: Regional Balance Bill: Second Stage
Assembly identifier: Official Report component 5674504

Text

I really like what you are saying about the data. In such tight financial times, how we spend our money is really important, because we need to know what the impact of the spending will be and how it will improve people's lives. At this point, I am not entirely convinced that we spend money to get the best outcomes for people and their communities. It is quite telling: every party in the Chamber agrees, I think, that Northern Ireland should be funded to its objective need, but, when we get the money here, we do not spend it on the basis of objective need. We want it to be given to us in one way, and we then spend it in whatever way, and the people whom we are failing are still failed. That is the outcome. Sometimes, I think that, if we spent the money on the basis of the data, we would have much better outcomes. That is why the framework is robust in its methodology, metrics and the data that is required. It is so that we can make the right interventions at the right time to improve people's lives.

194 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.

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