Debate contribution: North/South Bodies: Funding

Debate contribution by Ms Diane Forsythe on 27 May 2025.

MLA

Ms Diane Forsythe

Party at the time

Democratic Unionist Party

Date

27 May 2025

Type

Debate contribution

Business

Private Members' Business

Heading

North/South Bodies: Funding

Assembly identifier

Official Report component 4972242

Read the official Assembly record

Text

At the outset, I acknowledge the good work of the North/South bodies in a number of fields. In my South Down constituency, I have seen at first hand the delivery of important projects and schemes by the SEUPB and InterTradeIreland. Sunday past was Ulster-Scots Day, so it would be remiss of me not to mention the Ulster-Scots Agency as we mark three years since the Ulster-Scots community was officially recognised as a national minority of the United Kingdom. The parties opposite are being disingenuous when they try to frame the debate as being one of unionists blocking Irish language funding. They gloss over the fact that the Minister for Communities recently enabled the provision of additional funding of £547,000 to Foras na Gaeilge from the Irish Government and allocated a further £103,500 to the Ulster-Scots Agency as part of a one-off adjustment to the current funding provisions. There are no plans to reduce funding in 2025. North/South cooperation under the auspices of the North/South Ministerial Council and its six implementation bodies is predicated on cross-community consent and the safeguards put in place by the Belfast Agreement to ensure that proper lines of accountability exist to the strand-one institution, namely the Assembly. The ratio of funding for each of the bodies was conceived on the basis of the assessed benefit of their activities to each jurisdiction. Opening the door for autonomous funding allocations by Departments North or South would represent a departure from that assumption and could, in theory, see either Government bringing undue influence to bear on activities outside their jurisdiction. Again, that engages concerns among unionists on what that would mean for Northern Ireland's constitutional position. I move to the SDLP amendment. Notwithstanding our overriding objection to the motion, it is baffling that the SDLP amendment removes the line that criticises the cuts to winter fuel payments and the welfare changes: I wonder why that is. The Opposition's calls for more fiscal devolution and a cross-border development strategy have been well rehearsed in the Chamber over recent months. Our position is unchanged: there is already provision through InterTradeIreland to promote mutually beneficial economic opportunities for businesses in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. Why do we need another development strategy? Is that really about the SDLP wanting to hand Dublin more influence in how the devolved Government in Northern Ireland tackle the social and economic challenges that our society faces? Does it not recognise the immense benefits of being part of the United Kingdom, typified by the Londonderry and Strabane region city deal? We fully support the amendment's call for a new funding model. The Holtham review commissioned by the Department of Finance provides a platform for renewing that debate in discussions with Treasury. However, the fixation on devolving further fiscal powers, with all the complexity that that entails, at a time when the fiscal deficit between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK has been widening, is something about which we continue to have deep reservations. Moreover, if that discussion is taken forward, its primary objective will be to transform our core public services in Northern Ireland, not to boost the coffers of North/South bodies or quangos. More fiscal devolution, just like the removal of the checks and balances on the funding of North/South bodies, would inevitably add a new dimension of volatility to the Executive's Budget and to relations between Ministers. That is not something that we are willing to countenance. I repeat: the parties opposite are being disingenuous in their framing of the debate. The Opposition oppose everything yet offer little, whereas the DUP has long led the campaign to secure a fairer funding model for us in Northern Ireland. Let us not forget that our United Kingdom Government provide over £18 billion in block grant funding to Northern Ireland.

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

Assessment

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Assessed 21 October 2026 at 12:35 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.

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