8,847 of 97,616 records that can be analysed have been assessed so far (9.1%); 87,449 are waiting for analysis and 1,320 failed and will be retried. Totals and rankings will change as the remaining records are processed, so they do not yet represent the full mandate. How much has been processed
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Every imported question, contribution and motion, with its classification. Non-qualifying, uncertain and not-yet-analysed records are all included so the analysis can be checked independently.
I thank the Minister for her answer. There seems to be a lack of movement. Could the Minister detail in a written response what engagement has taken place by Invest NI in East Londonderry? The Mosecure data centre is supposed to have been operational for 10 years or more, but a brick has not been turned.
I thank the Member for his question. We share a constituency. As I mentioned in an earlier answer to Mr Robinson, who is another constituency colleague, the local economic partnership is a key plank in developing proposals for each local area. Yesterday, I had the opportunity to attend the Causeway Coast and Glens…
I thank the Member for that question and for highlighting the work of credit unions. My Department is working closely with the Irish League of Credit Unions, the Ulster Federation of Credit Unions and other stakeholders to co-design and deliver credit union policy and legislative change that will modernise and…
Go raibh maith agat, a Aire. The Minister will be more than familiar with the fact that the credit unions are a vital part of that enterprise sector and with the role that they play in helping people who are, for the best part, financially excluded. Will your Department work with credit unions to strengthen their…
The social enterprise co-design group held its most recent meeting on 13 March 2025, when it was updated on progress on the implementation of the social enterprise action plan and began discussions on how to further develop the work in future financial years. Subsequently, just last week, I met the group's chair and…
My Department is committed to bringing a Bill — the one that I referred to in my previous answer — to the Assembly in autumn 2025, and we are keen to make progress. I recently met RenewableNI, and, just yesterday, I met the NI Maritime and Offshore network. The sector is very keen to see progress and to work with us…
The Member is right. We are working on an offshore renewable energy installations Bill, which will establish frameworks for the decommissioning of safety zones and the rights of navigation in our waters. We are working with the Office of the Legislative Counsel (OLC) in respect of that. I envisage that incentivisation…
I can absolutely assure the Member that we are listening to those voices. I very much commend Caleb's mummy, Alma, for her campaign and the work that she has done to shine a spotlight on the issue. Indeed, as part of the stakeholder engagement that I outlined, my officials have had many opportunities to speak directly…
Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire as ucht a freagra. We have all been inspired by the Caleb's Cause campaign. In that light, can the Minister assure us that she will listen to the voices of young people and their parents when it comes to improving services?
Last year, my departmental officials were tasked by my predecessor, Conor Murphy, with reviewing the existing skills and training provision and the relevant legislative protections for school-leavers with special educational needs. They were asked to bring forward recommendations. They took a twin-track approach to…
As I said, we continue to monitor the impact. We are working with the Tourism Alliance and Tourism Ireland to understand the impact. We will continue to take an economic analysis of that over the coming weeks and months to make the case for an exemption. Many European citizens travel with ID cards and are therefore…
The Home Office estimates that the ETA fee could cost the UK economy up to £735 million over five years. Will you publish your Department's research on the economic impact of that on Northern Ireland, Minister? Is that research being used to push for exemptions for the North?
I thank the Member for her question. I am deeply concerned about the impact of the introduction of the ETA scheme and what it will mean for our tourism sector, especially as it goes live for European citizens tomorrow, as the Member mentioned, and the cost will increase from next week. Last week, I met representatives…
In March, I travelled to the US with officials from Invest NI. I met senior executives from key US investor organisations and engaged with business leaders, potential new investors and industry networks. The visit was not a trade mission but rather an opportunity to reinforce the North’s position as an attractive,…
The Department and its predecessor Departments have a long history of seeking to widen access and increase participation for disabled people across the programmes and provisions that they have funded. The supports vary, depending on the type of provision that is being accessed. In addition to the widening…
That is a really important aspect. We talk a lot about having programmes in place to support individuals who face barriers to work and training. It is really important to me that we have those programmes in place, but, equally, we are working with employers to address some of the barriers to employment that people…
Thank you so much, Minister. That was comprehensive and really useful. Is your Department doing any work with employers to encourage inclusive workplaces that will be more useful for disabled people to come into?
Getting young people with a disability into a good job is a critical part of my economic vision. The loss of European social fund (ESF) funding has had a significant impact and has significantly reduced the skills and training support available to disabled people. Despite that, we continue to work closely with the…
The research was commissioned just before Christmas. We are expecting a report soon. We had hoped to receive it by the end of this month. There will be opportunities to analyse the outworkings of the report. The objective, I suppose, of the research was to give us an understanding of the issues and to have an…
From east Belfast to the north-west, businesses are being forced to shut down as a result of the cost of doing business. Minister, you referred to research that you have commissioned: what conversations have you had with the Minister of Finance about the recommendations from that research?
The report of the high street task force was an important stage in our approach to improving our high streets. My Department had particular responsibility for the report's recommendation 8, "Fair Work on Our High Streets". That recommendation very much aligns with my economic priority on good jobs. Work is being done…
We are all aware of the changing nature of our high streets and city centres. It is not just us who grapple with that. I am willing to work across Departments to look at how we can support the development of strong and thriving high streets. We had the high street task force, and many of its recommendations are being…