Debate contribution: Waste and Inefficiency in Government

Debate contribution by Ms Claire Sugden on 23 March 2026.

MLA

Ms Claire Sugden

Party at the time

Independent

Date

23 March 2026

Type

Debate contribution

Business

Private Members' Business

Heading

Waste and Inefficiency in Government

Assembly identifier

Official Report component 5465996

Read the official Assembly record

Text

It is difficult to oppose in principle a motion on government inefficiency. There is inefficiency in how we operate, and that needs to be addressed. We duplicate, delay and, too often, revisit the same issues without ever properly resolving them. The Audit Office has highlighted real problems from workforce planning to the delivery of major projects, and those problems affect not just public finances but public confidence. What is particularly frustrating is that much of this is not new. We have had such conversations many times. We have had reports, recommendations and strategies over a number of years that point to the same issues, yet progress has been slow and, in some cases, very limited. If we are serious about tackling inefficiency, we have to be honest about why it exists here. In Northern Ireland, inefficiency is not just technical but systemic. We have prolonged periods without a functioning Executive. With the Government down for years at a time, momentum is lost, decisions are delayed and reform is stalled. When things restart, we often do not move forward but instead pick up from where we left off or, worse, start again. That leads to drift, and that drift is our inefficiency. We also see it in how we plan or, more accurately, in how we fail to follow through on our plans. We talk about strategy. We produce action plans, but, too often, delivery does not follow. Only last week, I brought a motion to the House on a women's health strategy. There was talk of an action plan, yet we have waited two years only to see nothing happen. There is not a lack of planning but a lack of delivery. We see the same pattern in workforce planning. The pressure on GP services, for example, is not simply about demand; it also reflects a failure to plan for that demand. We know that our population is an ageing one and that need is increasing, yet we have not matched need with the workforce required to satisfy it. The result is that people cannot access care when they need it. Pressure builds across the system, and the cost to services and individuals increases. That is inefficiency. Inefficiency is not confined to one service; it is a pattern. If we do not plan ahead, invest early and act on the strategies that we regularly produce, we will continue to spend more while delivering less. That is the deeper issue that the debate needs to address.

There is a legitimate conversation to be had about structures. We should challenge duplication and question whether bodies deliver value, but it cannot simply be about reducing numbers. The existence of an arm's-length body should be determined by need and by the value that it delivers. In some cases, that might mean reform; in others, it might mean recognising gaps. For example, there is a strong case to have a commissioner focused on women, not for the sake of creating another structure but because we do not adequately address issues that disproportionately affect women, whether in respect of health, safety or opportunity. That is about need and outcomes. We have to be honest about how we treat the structures that we already have. There are organisations and statutory bodies that exist to provide expertise, oversight and advice, yet their work is too often not acted on. If we establish bodies but fail to listen to them — and we do; we fail to engage with them — or to act on their recommendations, of course they will be seen as inefficient. The issue in such cases is not those bodies' existence but our response, as elected representatives, to them. Yes, we should tackle waste and improve efficiency, but, if we focus on structures or reducing spend in isolation, we will miss our bigger problem. Efficiency is not just about spending less; it is about doing things properly in the first place. It is about planning ahead, following through on decisions and aligning our services with the needs that we know are coming. If we do not do those things, we will continue as we are: drifting, reacting and spending more money without delivering the outcomes that people expect and elect us to deliver. That, more than anywhere else, is where the real inefficiency lies.

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

Assessment

Not flagged

Jev’s structured answers

Assessed 21 October 2026 at 15:08 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.

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