Debate contribution: Core Grant Scheme
Debate contribution by Ms Cara Hunter on .
- MLA
- Ms Cara Hunter
- Party at the time
- Social Democratic and Labour Party
- Date
- 7 April 2025
- Type
- Debate contribution
- Business
- Committee Business
- Heading
- Core Grant Scheme
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 4891262
Read the official Assembly record
Text
I welcome the opportunity to speak to this important motion on behalf of the SDLP. It is an issue that has been discussed at length at the Health Committee. The number and scale of groups that have contacted us about their concerns, and the very real impact that such a loss of funding will have on their ability to operate, is truly shocking. Let us be under no illusions about the work that our great organisations in the community and voluntary sector do across our constituencies. They are doing the work that the statutory sector should be doing, plugging the gap that has been left by years of underinvestment and financial mismanagement in the Department of Health. The core grant scheme has funded those organisations for more than 20 years. Let me be clear: the community and voluntary sector is absolutely essential to the delivery of strong healthcare in our communities. All of us see that at first hand in our constituencies. Whether in the field of mental health support, suicide prevention, support for our carers or disability services, we see hard work every day from staff in the sector. Undermining the core grant scheme puts in severe jeopardy the ability of those organisations to deliver positive outcomes. It leaves their talented and caring staff and boards questioning their organisation's future viability and their position in it. It is a very stark and sad reality that we are facing. Many Members have mentioned the names of some people who work in those organisations. There are too many to mention. The people who work in the community and voluntary sector are truly the backbone of our communities, and they have done that work for decades at a time with utmost dedication, care and professionalism. On that note, I would really like to put on record my significant thanks to the Northlands centre in Derry for the incredible work that it does. It is the backbone of the north-west when it comes to providing support not only to people who are struggling with addiction of all kinds but to their families. Addiction really is a family disease. It impacts on your loved one, and it impacts on you as an extension of your loved one. The Northlands centre, for nearly 50 years now, has been helping people in my constituency as well as people from Foyle and from the wider west Tyrone area. It is absolutely devastating to read the 'Derry Now' article that states that Northlands will not be receiving core funding. The north-west is so filled with a sense of hopelessness and has a high level of deprivation, high levels of addiction and high rates of suicidality, and to hear that the funding has been pulled for the Northlands centre gives me more questions than answers. I wanted to put that on the record. Where does that leave us? I think that NICVA summed up perfectly what now needs to take place: an immediate increase in core funding to at least match previous levels; a comprehensive review of the scheme's purpose and scope; the development of a new three-year funding programme that reflects the sector's essential role; clear criteria for grant allocation that recognises the organisational impact and sustainability in our communities; and long-term commitment to supporting voluntary sector infrastructure. It is great that we are having this conversation today. This task is not just for the Health Minister and at the Health Minister's feet. This is something for the whole Executive to really look at and address, because it requires a collective solution to what are ongoing problems in our communities.
602 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: 0.03 (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 (0.95).
- No identity-based framing was identified (1.00).
- Subject area: Disability (including neurodivergence and mental health), disabled people and disability or sickness benefits.
- 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 | 0.02 | No |
| Controversy escalation | 0.02 | No |
| Legitimate policy scrutiny | 0.95 | Yes |
| Overall judgement | 0.03 | 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 |
|---|---|
| Disability (including neurodivergence and mental health), disabled people and disability or sickness benefits | 0.66 |
| No identity-related subject | 0.31 |
| Gender, sexuality, abortion and related social issues | 0.02 |
| Another identity-related subject | 0.01 |
| Flags, emblems, symbols, names and memorials | 0.00 |
Assessed 21 October 2026 at 12:20 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.
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