Debate contribution: Local Growth Fund

Debate contribution by Ms Diane Forsythe on 21 October 2025.

MLA

Ms Diane Forsythe

Party at the time

Democratic Unionist Party

Date

21 October 2025

Type

Debate contribution

Business

Private Members' Business

Heading

Local Growth Fund

Assembly identifier

Official Report component 5197371

Read the official Assembly record

Text

As chair of the Assembly's all-party group on the voluntary and community sector, I am a champion for the sector. I recognise the huge value of its contribution to society and our public services. This morning, I was pleased to join members of the sector with the Northern Ireland Council for Voluntary Action (NICVA), the Finance Minister and colleagues on the steps of Parliament Buildings to show my support. The voluntary and community sector in Northern Ireland continues to deliver front-line services to the public, filling gaps where public services do not reach, especially in response to crises such as the recent storms. Members in every corner of the Chamber will, no doubt, testify to the impact that those organisations have in their constituencies. It is vital that our voluntary and community sector feels valued for the work that it does. Ensuring stability and sustainability for its services and volunteers is critical to ensuring that the support infrastructure is there for those who need it. It seems that Sinn Féin has copied its motion from September 2024. My party's position remains the same as it was then. The DUP believes that the UK Government have a responsibility to provide clarity on the future of the funding without delay. It is appalling that community and voluntary organisations that are doing essential work have been left in such an uncertain position, with NICVA reporting that nearly 24,000 people, including people with disabilities, women, lone parents, carers and young people, face losing access to life-changing support. We want to see the previous spending power under the EU structural funds replicated and enhanced. The UK always paid in more to the EU than it received back under structural funding. There can be no excuse for any shortfall in funding now. The DUP does not accept that that was, in some way, inevitable as a result of our exit from the EU. Ultimately, previous Governments made promises that they did not honour. My party is also of the view that long-term multi-annual budgeting for replacement EU funds should be a priority. Over the past three years, we have repeatedly sought clarity on when the funding would be available, how it would be administered and the degree of input that would be afforded to local Ministers. It is clear on all those fronts that the engagement of the previous Government was severely lacking. We want to see that remedied. Just last week, in the House of Commons, DUP leader Gavin Robinson MP raised that directly in questions to the Secretary of State. We have always been clear that the aims and funding objectives of the local growth fund must align with the Executive's agreed plans for economic growth and social inclusion. We cannot be in a situation again where funding that comes from the UK Government duplicates aims that are already covered by the Executive programme or where Northern Ireland's circumstances are not reflected in the development or administration of the funding. Equally, the DUP does not believe that providing a more meaningful role for the devolved Administrations in deciding how and where the funding is targeted needs to be at the expense of retaining a national approach to providing greater economic and social cohesion between different parts of the United Kingdom. It should be noted that, even under the framework of previous EU structural funds, there was a role for the UK Government working in conjunction with the devolved Administrations. Given the tough decisions that need to be taken by Ministers in coming weeks and months, my party, on balance, does not believe that it would be prudent or constructive to provide greater uncertainty to the community and voluntary sector and add to the challenges facing our Departments by devolving responsibility for those schemes solely to local Ministers. We do not want to see political ideology stymie growth in Northern Ireland. It is evident to many that Sinn Féin's ideological opposition to defence issues risks holding Northern Ireland back from investment, growth and job creation. The establishment of the East-West Council provides a constructive platform for the UK Government and Northern Ireland Executive to work together to address the issues that have hampered the realisation of the full potential of replacement EU funding to date. We support the replacement funding, but we do not support devolving full power to local Ministers. Today, we will stand with the sector. As was said by the previous Member, across the House, we want to see a quick solution to the matter because the voluntary and community sector deserves better.

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

Assessment

Not flagged

Jev’s structured answers

Assessed 21 October 2026 at 13:32 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.

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