Debate contribution: Regional Balance Bill: Second Stage
Debate contribution by Mr Maurice Bradley on .
- MLA
- Mr Maurice Bradley
- Party at the time
- Democratic Unionist Party
- Date
- 8 September 2026
- Type
- Debate contribution
- Business
- Private Members' Business
- Heading
- Regional Balance Bill: Second Stage
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 5674510
Read the official Assembly record
Text
I thank the Bill sponsor, Sinéad, for all the hard work that she has put into bringing the Bill this far. I give it tacit support at this stage and wish her well for its passage to Committee Stage. Regional balance must be more than a phrase in a departmental strategy. It must mean that where someone lives does not determine the quality of employment, education, healthcare or public services available to them. When we talk about the north-west in the Chamber, we invariably talk about the Derry City and Strabane District Council area. I will talk about the other north-west, the north and the north-east, which encompass East Londonderry and the Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council area, because they seem to be left out of an awful lot of discussion in this place. For too long, investment and decision-making have been concentrated in and around Belfast. Belfast is important to our economy, but Northern Ireland cannot prosper if areas such as East Londonderry and Causeway Coast and Glens are continually expected to accept second place. One size does not fit all. The evidence is stark. In 2025, Causeway Coast and Glens had the lowest workplace earnings of any council area in Northern Ireland, at over £150 a week less than the average wage in Belfast. Only 58·6% of local employment met the Department's definition of a "good job". Again, that was the lowest proportion of any council area in Northern Ireland. That is not regional balance, which is why I look forward to Sinéad's Bill progressing. Our area has enormous potential. We have a skilled workforce, successful businesses, a strong manufacturing and agriculture base, a world-renowned tourism industry and an Ulster University campus at Coleraine. Tourism alone cannot provide the balanced economy that we need, however. We must attract permanent, well-paid employment in manufacturing, digital technology, agri-food, life sciences and professional services. I also inform the House that we have the quickest and most secure internet link between Europe and America, which is anchored in Coleraine but is vastly underutilised. Invest NI reported £40 million in supported business investment in Causeway Coast and Glens during 2025-26. While that is welcome, the comparable figure for Belfast was £325 million. How do we spread regional balance without harming investment in Belfast? We cannot take it from Belfast and put it anywhere else. We have to be careful in how we manage it. Regional balance will not happen by accident. It requires deliberate action, measurable targets and Ministers being prepared to challenge the established pattern of investment. The Causeway Coast and Glens growth deal provides an important opportunity, but we must ensure that its projects are delivered promptly and produce meaningful employment throughout the borough. The Coleraine campus of Ulster University must also be central to our plans. We need investment in courses, research and student accommodation in partnership with local employers. Young people should not have to leave East Londonderry simply to obtain an education or a well-paid career. However, the award of £7 million to Ulster University, with the caveat that it be spent at Magee campus; the award of a further £1·5 million; and the recent announcement of another £800,000 for Magee lead me to ask where the regional balance is for East Londonderry and the north and north-east. Regional balance must extend beyond economic policy. It means proper investment in the A26, the A29, the A37, reliable public transport, improved digital connectivity and stronger town centres. It also means protecting essential public services. The future of Causeway Hospital is a regional balance issue. We cannot encourage families and businesses to locate on the north coast while centralising or removing the hospital services on which they depend. Causeway Hospital serves a large rural and coastal population. Decisions must properly consider distance, journey times and the pressures already facing other hospitals. Causeway Hospital and Ulster University are the two largest employers in the Coleraine and East Londonderry area. I call on the Executive to introduce clear regional targets covering jobs, investment, infrastructure, skills and public services. Every major spending decision should include a regional impact assessment. The people of East Londonderry are not asking for special treatment; they are asking for fair treatment and the same opportunities as are available elsewhere. Regional balance must become a test that is applied to every budget, every strategy and every major Executive decision. That is how we will unlock the potential of regions such as Foyle and East Londonderry, strengthen the Causeway Coast and Glens area and ensure that prosperity is genuinely shared across Northern Ireland. I wish the Bill sponsor success with her desired goals — and not just for Foyle; I hope that the Bill will be a catalyst for more sustainable regional balance for all regions of Northern Ireland, including East Londonderry and the Causeway Coast and Glens area.
810 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
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