Every imported question, contribution and motion, with its classification. Unflagged, uncertain and not-yet-analysed records are all included so the analysis can be checked independently.
I appreciate the Minister's giving way. To be fair, he is willing to engage in debate, and that is to his credit. The Minister wants us to produce an exact alternative to his document. I have lots of issues with his document, but I am not going to wave any document about. I just want to ask this robust question: will…
I thank the Minister for giving way, because I want to respond to the point that he is making. Mr Carroll can speak for himself and what he is calling for. We published a paper today, but I have talked about this stuff in the Assembly today. What you describe is a Budget from which you just divvy out the money that…
Go raibh maith agat, a Leas-Cheann Comhairle. We have had an extensive debate, with, I think, 27 Members speaking on the Budget. As is perhaps understandable, it has gone back and forth on what the Executive's priorities should be, what the Executive have prioritised, what Members would like to see prioritised and…
We are being asked today to support a Budget that is supposed to shape the future of the North but, instead, reads as a list of missed opportunities and broken promises. In 2022, people in communities across the North were promised that things would change. Sinn Féin and the DUP told them that their health service…
I have been sitting for the past two or three hours listening to the Opposition tell us what the Executive are not doing. Here is an opportunity for you: what would the Opposition do on that point? I am intrigued.
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…
Thank you for highlighting those points, particularly about housing. Does the Member accept that the Labour Party's proposals to introduce changes to welfare and PIP, albeit not the Executive's doing, will have an incredibly negative effect on many people's ability to afford their housing costs? Indeed, some of those…
At a time when our communities face immense social and economic hardship, the Budget represents a deeply worrying failure, but that is not surprising. The Executive have an appalling record over the years. They have failed our people time and time again. Let us look at the Executive's appalling record and legacy. On…
It would be fair to describe this Budget as another year of crisis management: another year of what were once winter pressures in our emergency departments but are now pressures felt 365 days a year; another year of a housing waiting list that is growing whilst private rents soar and landlords evict tenants into…
The Budget is not just a set of numbers; it is a test of whether the Executive can turn words into action or whether they will continue the cycle of failure, short-termism, blaming and shifting that has held the North back for far too long. Let us be clear: the public deserve a Budget that works and matches resources…
The Budget is more of the same that I have seen in my 11 years as an MLA, only with tighter margins and bigger consequences. Of course, there is a job to be done in keeping services ticking over. People still need hospital appointments, classrooms still need teachers, and the police still need to be on our streets. I…
I thank my colleague, who is on the Infrastructure Committee, for giving way. Has he noted, as I have, that, despite all the talk, the allocation for waste water goes up by less than 2% from 2024-25 to 2025-26, which is below inflation and far below what needs to be invested?
The Budget is a masterclass in managed decline. It tries to paper over the cracks of the damage done by decades of disinvestment from London and dysfunction and a dearth of ideas here. As my party colleagues have mentioned, if "Doing what matters most" is the Executive's guiding principle, it does not appear to…
As I have just walked into the Chamber, it is very courteous of the Member to give way. He mentioned the review being published. The Minister could confirm this for us, but I do not think that there is a plan to publish it. It is my understanding that it has been provided to the UK Government. Does the Member agree…
Much has been debated in the Chamber today and on previous occasions about the various Budget Bills. Although the debate on the 2025-26 Budget may appear to be rather technical and complex, the key fact to note is that it is part of the mechanism for formally agreeing £19·44 billion of the total UK Government…
As infrastructure spokesperson for the Alliance Party, I rise to support the Budget and to highlight the reasons why infrastructure is so strategically important for many of our ambitions as an Assembly. Since restoration last year, my role has given me the opportunity to speak with engineers, builders, planners and…
I speak on behalf of my party but also as a member of the Education Committee. I will address some short remarks to the Budget as it pertains to the issues under the remit of Education. There are a range of projects and programmes that Members in this place, not least me — I reflect on the recent comments made by my…
Budgets are, in essence, moral documents, because they detail not just how much we spend but what we value and what we really want to spend our money on. Regrettably, if this Budget is the Executive's statement of values, I am afraid that the message from the Executive is loud and clear: healthcare does not matter…
I rise as an Alliance spokesperson for communities. While the total of £940·9 million resource DEL, £270 million capital DEL and £48·1 million in financial transactions capital provides substantial funding, critical challenges remain. The Department's earmarked resource funding of £184·1 million meets key needs,…