Debate contribution: Programme for Government
Debate contribution by Ms Connie Egan on .
- MLA
- Ms Connie Egan
- Party at the time
- Alliance Party
- Date
- 7 October 2024
- Type
- Debate contribution
- Business
- Private Members' Business
- Heading
- Programme for Government
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 4579620
Read the official Assembly record
Text
My party and I will support the motion and the amendment. Northern Ireland has not had a Programme for Government since 2016. Publication of the draft Programme for Government is a notable step in the right direction and an indicator of positivity for the future of Northern Ireland. My colleagues and I engage in this debate in good faith. Yes, there are things in the draft Programme for Government that can, we believe, be improved upon, and I only hope that we can approach the debate constructively and keep in mind that the published document is in draft form and is being consulted on. That said, my Alliance Party colleagues and I agree that more needs to be done to put in place clear and measurable objectives that are rooted in accountability. That should be done after the consultation period, when groups in our society and Committees have had a chance to input into and further shape the draft Programme for Government. That would create clarity and visibility for the public on what the Executive wish to lead and support delivery on. The Programme for Government is not just for Executive use. It is for everyone across our society, so that they can see the direction of this place that we call home. It creates pillars and goalposts for businesses, delivery partners, campaigners and community organisations to work with, to use to hold us accountable and to shape their work plans and priorities for the coming years. I welcome the inclusion of the ending violence against women and girls strategy as a priority in the Programme for Government. The Executive Office's recent launch of the strategic framework complements the work that Minister Naomi Long is doing alongside the Department of Health on the strategy for ending domestic and sexual abuse. Alliance has never been a stranger to the fight for transformation of public services, so it is also welcome to see that in the draft Programme for Government. For us, as legislators, to adequately deliver and work to the Programme for Government, we must first strengthen the underlying missions and focus on which we build our objectives. Our society, while progressing, remains divided in many ways. The new Programme for Government must find a path forward to forge the benefits of a truly shared society. That is what the everyday person not only wants but expects to see from us. Peace provides that path. The missions laid out in draft — people, planet and prosperity — create a focus for delivery, but that focus will be restricted until we understand that peace is not just a cross-cutting principle but a stand-alone mission of its own. The mission of peace is inextricably linked to the transformation of public services, many of which the motion notes, and it is undoubtedly necessary to relieve the squeeze that our public finances are experiencing. A mission on peace and peacebuilding will ensure that reconciliation, diversity, equality and inclusion are embedded in everything that the Executive do. Division manifests duplication, additional costs and opportunities for development. Peace provides a solution to those. We simply cannot afford the burden of not progressing with peace. Research that Ulster University recently developed highlighted the idea that the cost of division in education in Northern Ireland could be up to £226 million per year. Paramilitaries have been estimated to cost the public purse up to £750 million per year, as noted in the draft Programme for Government under the priority "Safer Communities". A peace pillar would ensure that there would be a focus on reconciliation, diversity and inclusion throughout the entire Programme for Government. It is simple: we need a Programme for Government. We have not had one for far too long. We need buy-in from Assembly colleagues and wider society to make delivery possible. Measurable targets, with outcomes that properly interrogate the issues that we face as a society, will aid that delivery. However, whether it is growing the economy, creating safer communities, improving public services, tackling poverty or supporting the vulnerable, none of the goals in the draft PFG will become reality without putting peace and peacebuilding at the heart of the Executive's agenda. We in Alliance will continue to make the case for that mission, and we hope that we will be supported in the effort to put peace at the heart of the delivery of everything that we do.
733 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
Assessment
Jev’s structured answers met the documented threshold for “not flagged”.
- Overall probability that the activity is being used to promote, exploit or escalate an identity-based controversy: 0.05 (flagging needs at least 0.70; at or below 0.30 is not flagged).
- None of the five culture-war criteria was met (each was below 0.60).
- Assessed as legitimate policy scrutiny (0.90).
- No identity-based framing was identified (0.85).
- Subject area: Legacy of the Troubles, victims and paramilitarism.
- The overall probability was at or below the not-flagging threshold.
This is an AI-generated assessment of the text, made against published criteria. It is not a finding of fact about the MLA or their intentions. The Assembly record itself is the fact.
Jev’s structured answers
| Question | Probability | Met? |
|---|---|---|
| Identity framing | 0.07 | No |
| Sectarian or communal antagonism | 0.02 | No |
| Cultural grievance politics | 0.03 | No |
| Dog-whistle messaging | 0.02 | No |
| Controversy escalation | 0.04 | No |
| Legitimate policy scrutiny | 0.90 | Yes |
| Overall judgement | 0.05 | At or below not-flagging threshold |
| Option | Probability |
|---|---|
| No identity-based framing (chosen) | 0.85 |
| Reports or questions it | 0.00 |
| Criticises or condemns it | 0.15 |
| Adopts it | 0.00 |
| Subject | Probability |
|---|---|
| Legacy of the Troubles, victims and paramilitarism | 0.60 |
| Sectarianism, hate crime and community relations | 0.27 |
| Gender, sexuality, abortion and related social issues | 0.06 |
| Sexism, misogyny, ageism and other equality groups | 0.05 |
| No identity-related subject | 0.01 |
Assessed 21 October 2026 at 11:23 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.
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