Debate contribution: Budget 2025-26

Debate contribution by Mr Patsy McGlone on 19 May 2025.

MLA

Mr Patsy McGlone

Party at the time

Social Democratic and Labour Party

Date

19 May 2025

Type

Debate contribution

Business

Executive Committee Business

Heading

Budget 2025-26

Assembly identifier

Official Report component 4968763

Read the official Assembly record

Text

We have heard today about some of the problems that we face, and many of them are very apparent. In our offices, we deal with many issues to do with health, education, housing: the list goes on. I will start with housing. I referred earlier the major issues that we will face as a result of the drastic changes to welfare that are coming down the line. I do not know how the Executive are preparing for that, but one thing is for sure: we are not providing enough social housing. As we know, there are 47,000 people on waiting lists for social housing. The consequence of not providing enough social housing is that people are looking in the private rented sector. Rental costs in the private rented sector have, partially as a result of Liz Truss's wonderful ideas about finance, gone up, and there is not enough money being provided in housing benefit to cover the rent and rates that people have to pay. People who are already in difficult circumstances are dipping into their benefits to try to top up their rents. Therefore, people are being driven deeper and deeper into poverty. I do not know whether the anti-poverty strategy will come anywhere close to addressing that, but we will be facing a storm unless there is a major shift by the UK Government on benefit reform. We are already in difficult circumstances, and that is before we even go to the infrastructure issue, which is due to a lack of adequate investment, although there are other issues at NI Water that have to be resolved. Due to inadequate investment in infrastructure, we are seeing a lack of houses, and the market then decides the price. Lack of available housing in any given area pushes up the price of housing and makes it less available to many young people and many families. We talk about affordable housing and all that, but, as a result of those issues, affordable housing has become a concept rather than a reality. I am not sure how the Executive will attempt to address that. We have not heard anything from them about that. Nothing at all.

Yes, sure.

Minister, I do not have a bank of hundreds of civil servants and special advisers around me to come up with what the Government should be doing. This is about what the Government should be doing. Lead the way, Government. You have got an Executive. Lead the way.

I do not know whether you have read our document. You probably have not. There are that many other documents that you should be reading, but anyway. We are seeing very little product. We will probably see a host of announcements about this review, that review and the other review. That will probably happen in the six months in the run-up to the election. I can safely predict that. Again, it is more smoke and mirrors until we get to the other side of the election and see how it is going. I will return to some of the Budget issues that we are facing. I will go to DAERA and the removal of ring-fenced agriculture funding. That transition has caused some problems in the farming community. Inheritance tax is another issue, but we do not need to go there, Mr Deputy Speaker, because you are well apprised of that. That is an issue for the Executive, not one caused by the Executive. I accept that. There have been cuts to support for our rural communities. We face significant environmental governance and pollution challenges, including, as you know, Mr Deputy Speaker, the issues around Lough Neagh. The bovine TB eradication efforts are being underfunded, and it is predicted that, this year, the disease will cost upwards of £60 million by way of compensation and charges for veterinary and other services. Reliable sources state that the cost is likely to be £70 million next year. I really do not know at what point we will arrive at clear actions or get some direction to address that. I say this advisedly: we cannot have any more reviews on the issue. There has been some direction by way of an action plan. However, it is costing the taxpayer multiple millions. We cannot drift any further on TB. Many other issues cropped up at the Balmoral show last week. The nutrients action programme is a stick without a carrot. We see how, down south, the Government have, in a forward-thinking way, directed action on nutrients. I accept that nutrients must be addressed, but you cannot inflict further responsibilities on the farming community, many of whom have very little annual income. You cannot inflict further impositions on that community when you are not supporting and encouraging it to do what it needs to do. That requires investment and the nurturing of our agricultural communities, everyone in which, bar those who step way out of line, is a custodian of the environment and the land. We are facing other issues, including the Mobuoy dump. I really do not know what to say about that one, as it seems to have been about the place forever. I really do not know what cost the illegality of others there will bring upon the public purse, but it is coming down the line. DAERA ideas such as nature-friendly farming are good, but it is incredibly important to get sufficient support in the community to nurture those ideas and to make sure that our farmers are fully supported. Farmers want to do the right thing by the environment, like we do, but they require support. Sin an méid atá le rá agam, a Leas-Cheann Comhairle.

I look forward to the Minister, in his response, explaining what the Executive are doing.

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

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Assessed 21 October 2026 at 12:38 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.

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