Debate contribution: Cost-of-living Crisis

Debate contribution by Ms Diane Forsythe on 19 October 2026.

MLA: Ms Diane Forsythe
Party at the time: Democratic Unionist Party
Date: 19 October 2026
Type: Debate contribution
Business: Private Members' Business
Heading: Cost-of-living Crisis
Assembly identifier: Official Report component 5795936

Text

I thank the Members for tabling the motion and keeping a spotlight on the cost-of-living crisis that all of us are feeling across our constituencies. As Mark Durkan said, the issue is not new or a temporary blip. There is an unbearable strain on families, consumers, businesses, farmers, fishermen and hauliers. Petrol and diesel costs have rocketed, while prices are shocking, and that has a detrimental impact on family budgets and the ability of all working people to make a living. It is, however, disingenuous of the signatories to the motion or anyone else to suggest that no measures have been put in place to support households. We have seen our DUP Minister for Communities do what he can, with the roll-out of the £100 oil support for eligible households. That scheme was designed to reach beyond those who already receive benefits, recognising that many hard-working households also feel the strain. Its roll-out is occurring at what is for many families one of the most financially demanding times of the year. We also welcome the £63 electricity discount funded by the UK Government and rolled out through the Department for the Economy that will automatically be applied to electricity accounts without requiring an application to be made. More can be done, however. The Government should cut fuel duty, and, while global prices remain high, they must scrap the net zero taxes and costs that are being borne by the taxpayer. VAT charges on home heating oil should be zero-rated until it is clear that the global instability currently affecting the oil market has settled. People want to see a long-term plan that rewards work, lowers the tax burden on ordinary households and allows businesses to grow and create jobs. We all know that working people are under real pressure. Reassuring words are not what is needed. The time for government action is now, and we in the DUP have been consistent in calling on the UK Government to take specific practical measures: to cut fuel duty to save customers money at the pumps; to remove VAT from domestic heating oil until the market settles; to carry out a cost-benefit analysis of net zero policies; and to prioritise more local energy production in light of the instability of foreign imports of oil and gas. The motion refers to the Budget. Similar issues were debated last week, so I will make my points again. Northern Ireland needs a sustainable Budget that protects our public services, not just a multiyear settlement that locks in inadequate funding and deeper cuts and is a sticking plaster for our finances. The gap between what our hospitals, schools and front-line services need and what is being provided is growing year after year. The draft Budget on the table earlier this year was absolutely insufficient, with the Minister of Education alone facing shortfalls running into hundreds of millions of pounds that would require more than 6,000 teacher redundancies. In talking about the Budget, Mr Durkan referred to the need for more housing. The draft Budget was not one that prioritised social housing. The problem is that it did not ensure that money would flow towards one of the key headline targets in the Programme for Government (PFG), with insufficient capital allocation to enable the Communities Minister to meet the housing targets. That draft Budget could not be supported, because it would not deliver that level of housing. Mr Durkan also referred to the need to settle pay awards for low-paid workers. Under the current Budget proposals, if we do not receive a better package, there will not be the money to settle the pay awards that those people deserve. He also referred to insurance prices, specifically to car insurance. It is important to note that car insurance is not a devolved matter. The Finance Committee has done a lot of work on banking, insurance and other services that remain reserved matters for the United Kingdom. There is not a lot that we can —.
I thank the Member for his intervention. I absolutely agree that car insurance is incredibly expensive, especially for young drivers. My point was that members of the Finance Committee have been working to raise the profile of that issue where we can. There are other measures that can be taken. When we look into it, we see that one of the main reasons for the high insurance premiums is the high number of personal injury claims in Northern Ireland. That needs to be picked up at the Justice Committee and elsewhere. I will go back to the Budget and the cost-of-living crisis. Our Executive are united in addressing the issues for the greater good of the people and businesses in Northern Ireland.
Everyone takes the issue seriously. There are measures that we need to take. We need to continue to be united in addressing the need for a long-term funding settlement for Northern Ireland. If we do not have the money, we cannot invest to save, and we cannot help our people. We need to be honest about that.

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

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