Debate contribution: Child Poverty: North Belfast

Debate contribution by Mr Brian Kingston on 24 September 2024.

MLA

Mr Brian Kingston

Party at the time

Democratic Unionist Party

Date

24 September 2024

Type

Debate contribution

Business

Adjournment

Heading

Child Poverty: North Belfast

Assembly identifier

Official Report component 4645057

Read the official Assembly record

Text

I thank Nuala McAllister for bringing the topic to the Floor. As she referenced, the Public Accounts Committee conducted an inquiry into child poverty in Northern Ireland, with the Audit Office publishing the report in March this year. The report stated that the percentage of children in Northern Ireland living in relative poverty is 18%, with 8% having lived in persistent poverty for at least three of the past four years. We note also, as was referenced, that the Cliff Edge Coalition submitted a briefing to the Public Accounts Committee that stated that the number of children in North Belfast living in poverty is 29%, which, after West Belfast, is the highest percentage in any constituency in Northern Ireland. We are aware of the welfare benefits issues relating to that, and we have had debates on those matters, including the two-child limit for those claiming child tax credit, universal credit and the overall benefit cap. We have had debates about whether the Assembly can mitigate and compensate for the decisions made by the Government at Westminster. However, we do not have the welfare benefits budget; that is retained at Westminster. Mitigating those benefit restrictions would cost tens of hundreds of millions of pounds, which would come from the departmental budgets for public services in Northern Ireland. Not surprisingly, no Minister is saying that they could offer such spare finance. Of course, many initiatives seek to address disadvantage, reduce poverty, promote personal and community development in North Belfast and assist people to move out of poverty. As others said, it is a multifaceted issue, and it requires action from all Departments in association with the voluntary and community sector and the private sector. It is important to recognise that the circumstances in which people grow up can vary greatly. Some will be fortunate and have generally supportive circumstances, whereas others will have more challenging circumstances due to family, personal or community issues. The Assembly's overall aim should be to help everyone to achieve their potential in life and to provide extra support where it is needed to compensate for challenging circumstances. Child poverty touches many levels of government, as well as the community and private sectors. When it comes to employability, the Department for Communities, as, I am sure, the Minister will mention, provides jobs and benefits offices. I visited the one on the Shankill, and I saw that its staff have genuine care for their clients. They provide one-to-one support for people who are seeking employment. Those offices are supported in the community sector by job assist centres and through the dedicated support of Belfast Works Connect, which reaches people who are deemed to be economically inactive, far from the labour market and in need of the extra support that will help them into training and employment. We all share the concerns about the Shared Prosperity Fund, which is ending at the end of the year. We want to see that extended and renewed in the long term. Many family support services are also relevant. Under the Departments of Health and Education, at a community level, social services and projects like integrated services for children and young people support families with additional challenges. There is also Sure Start, which supports those essential early years in a child's education. We recognise the dedication of staff and teachers in our nurseries and primary schools and in special needs provision, with the opening of Harberton North Special School and the units in many mainstream schools that now provide for special educational needs. At post-primary level, 11 schools in North Belfast participate in the area learning community, and Belfast Metropolitan College focuses on helping people to achieve their potential in life. In fairness, both Ulster University and Queen's University Belfast have a renewed focus on community outreach and improving the accessibility of higher-level education, which we will all want to work with them on. In the Department for Communities, the neighbourhood renewal partnerships work in the most disadvantaged 10% of areas, and all of us, as North Belfast representatives, will work with our neighbourhood renewal partnerships and support the desire for a North Belfast community partnership. As was mentioned, housing is a massive issue. At lunchtime, members of the all-party group on homelessness met Grainia Long, the chief executive of the Housing Executive, highlighting the shortage of emergency accommodation and social accommodation. The number of those presenting as homeless increased by 7·3% in Belfast over the previous year alone. Under the Executive Office, there is support through the social investment fund and Urban Villages. My time is running out, so I will briefly mention the Department of Justice's support for interface and intercommunity work, which is a particularly acute issue in North Belfast at times.The Department for the Economy recognises the importance of developing industrial land for employment purposes and working with the private sector to encourage the creation of good jobs. We recognise that many companies care about corporate social responsibility. The work of voluntary and community sector groups is essential. The city council supports community development, employment agencies and leisure and exercise spaces. The Department for Infrastructure and DAERA —.

The work of providing a positive local environment and public realm is important. The issue of improving people's opportunities in life and addressing child poverty and poverty generally crosses so many sectors of government, and it is one that we will all continue to work on.

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

Assessment

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Assessed 21 October 2026 at 11:06 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.

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