Debate contribution: EU Office in Belfast

Debate contribution by Ms Kate Nicholl on 12 January 2026.

MLA

Ms Kate Nicholl

Party at the time

Alliance Party

Date

12 January 2026

Type

Debate contribution

Business

Private Members' Business

Heading

EU Office in Belfast

Assembly identifier

Official Report component 5312065

Read the official Assembly record

Text

In a world of so much change and uncertainty, there is comfort to be taken from the fact that we are able to have the same debates ad nauseam. At least we are consistent in that. This is about being practical. We know that we have left the EU. A lot of us did not want that; some of us did. The result was chaos and uncertainty, and people have been doing their best to bring some stability. I know that the leader of the Opposition likes to take credit for the phrase "dual market access", and I am happy to put it on the record that I believe him in that assertion. All of us — not just him — should be talking about the opportunities. I agree with Pádraig that we have a compelling story to tell, but it is not just about the universities, skills and geography; it is about the people.

The success that we have in different industries in Northern Ireland is remarkable.

While I was listening to the contributions, I was reflecting on the fact that the Northern Ireland office in Brussels was meant to come and present to the Windsor Framework Democratic Scrutiny Committee, I think, last week. That evidence session had not been signed off, so we did not get it; it was delayed. We have that luxury here. Things are delayed and we put things off because of the politics of it all, but people in the real world do not have that luxury. My colleague Stewart Dickson described the office as a European External Action Service, and the point about likening it to the consular services is such an important one. We have other offices in Northern Ireland that represent other countries, and that makes life simpler. It makes things easier for trade and for getting information. The fact that we had to wait weeks for our own office in Brussels to come to our Committee to speak to us shows what this place is like and why we need to make it more accessible, open up more doors and make things easier for businesses, because they do not have that luxury. Making it simpler by having an office that would allow businesses to navigate increased complexity and uncertainty —.

Thank you. Yes, I was there, and I am slightly offended that you do not remember my presence on that trip. We walked to a restaurant together. I remember the trip, and there was one thing that I noticed: at the airport, we met a member of the business community who was on the same flight and was meeting senior elected members of the Commission, I think, whereas, as Committee members, we had meetings with mid-level policy officers. While that was useful, it struck me that we do things so far downstream. If we had an office and observer status — Mr Brooks, you look shocked. You are welcome to intervene, if you would like to.

I am not slighting mid-level officials; I am saying that our access, since we left the EU, has been limited, so we need to take every opportunity that we can. We do not have the influence that we had previously. We meet policy officers. If we had more offices and more engagement, businesses and people here would have access to more information, and we would be able to know what is coming further upstream. We may disagree on Brexit and its outcomes, but we agree that we want the best for people. If we knew further upstream what was coming legislatively, and if we had more engagement, surely that would be better for everyone. We sometimes put politics before pragmatic solutions, and that does us a disservice. If only we could just park the fact that Brexit happened :you wanted it, I did not, and that is the way that it is. Let us now look at how we can have meaningful discussions about practical solutions, as opposed to always making sure that someone does not think — heaven forbid — that I like the EU a wee bit more than I actually do. Let us park that and get on with finding practical solutions. Having an office in Belfast can only be a good thing. It is not negative. It is not a Trojan horse. It is just a way of making life easier for people. We therefore support the motion. We support any sensible, pragmatic solutions. Please, for the rest of 2026, can we start having conversations that deal with Brexit and the EU in that spirit?

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

Assessment

Not flagged

Jev’s structured answers

Assessed 21 October 2026 at 14:17 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.

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