Debate contribution: North/South Bodies: Funding

Debate contribution by Mr David Honeyford on 27 May 2025.

MLA

Mr David Honeyford

Party at the time

Alliance Party

Date

27 May 2025

Type

Debate contribution

Business

Private Members' Business

Heading

North/South Bodies: Funding

Assembly identifier

Official Report component 4972244

Read the official Assembly record

Text

It has been depressing to listen to what has been said. We have come to a point at which our public services are under severe strain. We have had 14 years of Tory Government austerity cuts to our finances, and now we have a Labour Government who seem to be continuing that austerity agenda. We have a health service that is at breaking point and a housing crisis that is growing, mainly because people cannot connect to waste water infrastructure, which stops the building of houses. Our inadequate waste water infrastructure and lack of planning reform are major barriers to economic growth. We are at a critical point: we need to act decisively and secure funding to help protect and grow key services. Alliance welcomes the Irish Government's commitment to increase funding for the six North/South bodies. We are being presented with an opportunity to fund key services like InterTradeIreland to help grow our economy, create jobs and grow exports without the burden being placed on local budgets. Yet we have just heard that a party in the Chamber — the DUP — wants to reject that. I have listened to what has been said, and it simply sounds like a trap of fear, where we are living in the territorial battle of a bygone day in which everything is about land. For anyone watching, I stress that failing to support the Irish Government's commitment is indefensible. The excuse for not supporting it has no basis in any reality. The benefits of additional funding to North/South bodies — we are talking about supporting Waterways Ireland and the Loughs Agency — would be the protection of our natural resources and the promotion of sustainable tourism. We are talking about language and culture and strengthening programmes for Foras na Gaeilge and the Ulster-Scots Agency to preserve and promote diverse cultural heritage. We are talking about economic growth and creating investment through InterTradeIreland and the Special EU Programmes Body to drive job creation, innovate and grow further our cross-border trade. Everybody and every expert will tell you that cross-border trade is vital to taking our companies into Europe and increasing our export rates. The argument to reject the funding is just indefensible, especially at a time when we have strained public finances. All the outcomes that I have just mentioned are priorities of the Assembly, yet we have a mindset of fear that I just do not get. It is as though we would rather have nothing than accept a closer relationship with or investment from the South and would rather further prevent sharing this place and creating growth, which just keeps our people down. As I said at the start, it is beyond depressing. It is a frightening mindset to reject support that would not only help to alleviate the pressures on budgets but help to deliver measurable benefits for our constituents. In doing so, the DUP is undermining the Assembly's credibility and its commitment to pragmatic and practical solutions that will deliver better things for ordinary people. That is further proof that the party's cry at election time to "Make Northern Ireland work" is nothing more than an ironic slogan. It is false advertising. It bears no truth in reality. The Assembly should act now to secure the funding and translate it into real-world improvements for our environment, our economy and our cultural heritage. Alliance will always champion pragmatic, inclusive solutions that prioritise the needs of everybody here. By embracing that, the Assembly can demonstrate leadership and deliver meaningful change for people here. We are committed to building a shared and prosperous society that is sustainable. A fundamental value is working to share the island and working together to deliver better for people. We are not interested in territorial battles. It is depressing to hear the debate being reduced to arguing over land. Alliance is focused on people and on uniting people, working to bring better things for everybody here and for a shared future where we see true reconciliation between all the people who live in this place. That is laid out before us in the motion. We are happy to support it and the amendment.

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

Assessment

Not flagged

Jev’s structured answers

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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