Debate contribution: Job Creation and Cross-border Cooperation in the North-west
Debate contribution by Mr Maurice Bradley on .
- MLA
- Mr Maurice Bradley
- Party at the time
- Democratic Unionist Party
- Date
- 4 March 2025
- Type
- Debate contribution
- Business
- Opposition Business
- Heading
- Job Creation and Cross-border Cooperation in the North-west
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 4833060
Read the official Assembly record
Text
Mr Deputy Speaker, you can rest assured that I will stick to the topic. I concur with my colleague Gary Middleton about the announcement this morning of the £40 million investment in Londonderry and Coleraine. I did not get a chance to speak earlier, but I feel that I should recognise that. Job creation and cross-border cooperation in the north-west would have implications for my constituency of East Londonderry. The problems that the north-west has are exacerbated even more in the other north-west, which never received a mention in the previous Economy Minister's regional balance initiative. The motion emphasises economic growth, infrastructure development and cross-border collaboration in the north-west. If implemented effectively, it could also yield significant benefits to the Causeway Coast and Glens region, but there is no mention of that. The north-west and north coast have strong potential in health and life sciences, renewable energy, regulated manufacturing and fintech, all of which align with the evolving economic landscape of the Causeway Coast and Glens area. The expansion of medical research and biopharmaceutical industries at the Coleraine campus of Ulster University, which is home to the university's world-leading biomedical research facilities, should see increased investment and job creation, but no major investment in the Coleraine campus has been announced in the House. The region's coastal geography offers opportunities in offshore wind, tidal energy and sustainable tourism, creating direct and indirect employment from the Foyle to Ballycastle and beyond. Manufacturing hubs in the north-west could benefit from shared cross-border expertise, creating supply chain opportunities for businesses in the Causeway Coast and Glens region as well. The proximity to Northern Ireland's growing fintech sector, coupled with digital infrastructure improvements, could support the development of financial technology start-ups in the area, utilising Coleraine's unique data centre, but there is no mention of that. The motion calls for coordinated investment in the north-west's infrastructure, which could directly impact on the Causeway Coast and Glens area through enhanced transport links between key economic corridors, indirectly benefiting connectivity in the region, but there is no mention of the other north-west. There is also the potential for sustainable tourism development, capitalising on existing attractions such as the Giant's Causeway and the walled city and enhancing visitor accessibility. A joint strategy involving Invest NI, InterTradeIreland and IDA Ireland aims to attract new businesses and support start-ups in the north-west by September 2025. Of course, the Causeway Coast and Glens area must be included, enhancing collaboration between local enterprises and cross-border trade initiatives.
I also encourage cluster development, particularly in emerging sectors such as green technology and advanced manufacturing.
If included, my constituency stands to gain from the motion through increased investment, job creation and cross-border trade opportunities. We would all acknowledge the opportunity to redress regional balance by leveraging the region's unique strengths in tourism, education and renewable energy. The region can play a crucial role in the broader north-west economic strategy. The development of an economic task force and a joint investment strategy will be essential in unlocking such benefits and ensuring long-term regional prosperity, but it must be across Northern Ireland.
516 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: 0.04 (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 (0.89).
- No identity-based framing was identified (1.00).
- 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 | 0.03 | No |
| Sectarian or communal antagonism | 0.02 | No |
| Cultural grievance politics | 0.02 | No |
| Dog-whistle messaging | 0.03 | No |
| Controversy escalation | 0.02 | No |
| Legitimate policy scrutiny | 0.89 | Yes |
| Overall judgement | 0.04 | At or below not-flagging threshold |
| Option | Probability |
|---|---|
| No identity-based framing (chosen) | 1.00 |
| Reports or questions it | 0.00 |
| Criticises or condemns it | 0.00 |
| Adopts it | 0.00 |
| Subject | Probability |
|---|---|
| No identity-related subject | 0.99 |
| Constitutional question, Brexit, the Windsor Framework and sovereignty | 0.01 |
| Flags, emblems, symbols, names and memorials | 0.00 |
| Parades, bonfires and commemorations | 0.00 |
| Irish language, Ulster-Scots and language policy | 0.00 |
Assessed 21 October 2026 at 12:03 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.
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