Member's statement: Member's Bill: Regional Economic Balance

Member's statement by Ms Sinéad McLaughlin on 14 January 2025.

MLA

Ms Sinéad McLaughlin

Party at the time

Social Democratic and Labour Party

Date

14 January 2025

Type

Member's statement

Business

Members' Statements

Heading

Member's Bill: Regional Economic Balance

Assembly identifier

Official Report component 4736184

Read the official Assembly record

Text

Last month, I launched the online consultation for my private Member's Bill on regional economic balance. I am grateful to all those who have responded to date and to those who will do so during the period of consultation. It is a cause that is close to my heart, as many people will know, and, to me, the law is long overdue. Recently, I looked back at the 2011-15 draft Programme for Government. It talks about:

"addressing regional imbalance as we move ahead"

and contains specific interventions for places in my council area such as Fort George and Ebrington, but words are cheap. It lacks any mention of transformational legislation. We know that regional inequalities are still a running sore, more than 10 years later; in fact, poverty indices show that the gaps are getting wider. For many, that sounds all too familiar. The places that the Bill intends to help deserve better than the same thing simply being done over and over again. Everyone knows that I am never shy about standing up for my home city. It is our second city, and, in order for the whole of Northern Ireland to grow, it makes sense that we invest in a place with such huge potential. If we turn a blind eye to the wider north-west, the whole of Northern Ireland suffers, but the Bill is for every area of Northern Ireland that has been left behind. We are all too aware that it is simply a myth to say that everywhere east of the Bann prospers while everywhere west of the Bann suffers. Our economy is much more complex than that. Yes, our city — the second city — demands urgent intervention, but it is also important to say that there are areas of Belfast that face deeply rooted disadvantage. I am looking at my colleague across the Chamber from North Belfast. There are areas of Tyrone and Fermanagh that feel cut off from being able to get ahead, and there are areas of Newry, Mourne and Down where poverty is still too high. The Bill is for every area that is left behind so that our economy can work for everyone. As the consultation progresses, we will publish our proposals on the specific case, as we see it, for legislation. I look forward to engaging with Members from across the House as we do so. We seek to build an economy that works for all of our constituents. I ask Members to have a look at the consultation and to, please, respond. The consultation closes on 16 February.

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

Assessment

Not flagged

Jev’s structured answers

Assessed 21 October 2026 at 11:47 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.

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