Debate contribution: Ending Violence Against Women and Girls

Debate contribution by Ms Michelle O'Neill on 21 September 2026.

MLA: Ms Michelle O'Neill
Party at the time: Sinn Féin
Date: 21 September 2026
Type: Debate contribution (made as a minister)
Business: Oral Answers to Questions
Heading: Ending Violence Against Women and Girls
Assembly identifier: Official Report component 5742041

Text

First, I assure the Member that we are doing everything that we can to get an agreed Budget. Your party is one of the four parties that, collectively as an Executive, agree a Budget. It is important that we get the right Budget, that it is fit for purpose and that it creates a baseline for our funding so that we do not end up limping from crisis to crisis. That remains our endeavour, and I can tell you that work is under way to agree a Budget. For the area of ending violence against women and girls, we have planned an allocation of over £4 million — almost £5 million — in our contingency planning envelope, based on our assumptions about the Executive Budget process. Work is therefore continuing, and we are still investing in the campaigns and areas of work that I outlined in my initial answer. It is important that that work do not stop, and I can assure the Member that we are making sure that it does not, because we want to build on the success that we have had thus far. We want to build on all the progress made and sustain everything that has proven to be really effective. There is no delay to our plans to continue with the work that we have started.

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

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