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.
Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. I will certainly not take 15 minutes. I hope that this can be a debate in which we interact with one another about a particular issue at Craigavon Area Hospital. I start by thanking the Minister for Infrastructure for coming along to be part of the debate. My aim is to highlight genuine…
I thank the Member for giving way. It is telling that, when we are debating the cost of division, some parties decided to go into their individual trenches. Does the Member agree that, irrespective of whether there is constitutional change on this island, we will still live in a divided society unless we all work…
Does the Member agree that, in the past decade, around £1 billion has been spent on shared education projects and that, while those may be positive experiences for those pupils, that money could be better spent on delivering an excellent education system?
Thank you, Deputy Speaker. I thank all the contributors to the debate. We found a lot of common ground, albeit most of the contributors spoke through the filter of their political party. Remarkably, Timothy Gaston agreed with Declan Kearney about this place's not being workable, but we in the Alliance Party believe…
Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. I rise to make a winding-up speech in support of the DUP amendment that was proposed by Diane Forsythe. As Diane said, the DUP is committed to supporting a shared future for all in Northern Ireland and to tackling division. However, that needs to be done with communities and not be…
FlaggedDecided on a second assessment.Irish language, Ulster-Scots and language policyCriteria met: Controversy escalation.
I thank the Alliance Party for tabling the motion. We compliment it, and I believe that our amendment complements it also. We have heard and shared our deep concerns today about the high cost of division in Northern Ireland. It is a cost that, as we have heard today and see every day, places an unsustainable burden on…
Thank you very much, Minister. My question is about the Fiscal Council. I fully endorse the view that it has to remain independent. However, one way to make it independent and to move faster is to bring its statutory status to the fore quickly. Can the Minister expedite that, please? That is where we need to be.
I thank the Minister. He is always willing to take part in debate, and I appreciate that engagement. The Minister often asks that Members come to the Chamber with solutions. We have suggested a solution, as we see it. If the Minister does not agree with that approach, what is his suggested approach to ensure that the…
I thank the Minister for giving way. Whilst I understand the difficulty in asking the Fiscal Council to undertake a full assessment, does the Minister see any merit in asking academics, for example, to undertake an assessment and then asking the Fiscal Council to have due regard to Departments' approach to tackling…
Thank you, a Leas-Cheann Comhairle. I welcome the opportunity to participate in today's debate on tackling the financial and societal impacts of division. The 2016 Ulster University Economic Policy Centre study, which Members have been discussing today, suggested a broad range in the possible cost of division of…
You have 45 seconds left. Give me 45 seconds of positivity on how you will reconcile this community, this place, this land, this region, Northern Ireland, whatever you call it. What are you going to do?
I appreciate that the Member struggles with any form of reconciliation and that he nitpicks and niggles at everything that is negative and at the wounds and hurts of the past, but surely the Member's party can see some benefit in sharing this society and working to build a better community that everybody can benefit…
Through the Member, I ask the Alliance Party this: if it is saying that it is voting against Irish street signs where a majority of residents oppose them, does that not mean that the policy that they supported at the time needs to be changed? If they accept that they will not support it where a majority of residents…
You could look at decisions by Alliance Party Belfast city councillors when the issue came up and the majority of people or even just 50% voted in favour of or against it. Look at your facts.
I find the motion deeply ironic. While the Alliance Party likes to portray itself as the champion of a shared society in meaningless motions such as this, when it comes to legislation and policy, it supports things that fan the flames of division. As I pointed out last week, polling illustrates that there is no…
FlaggedIrish language, Ulster-Scots and language policyCriteria met: Identity framing, Cultural grievance politics, Dog-whistle messaging, Controversy escalation.
I am pleased to speak on the motion, which, for me, is less about the cost of division and more about the opportunities in a united community. Nowhere better illustrates the possibilities than our education system. The challenges in education are huge, and we could spend the circa £800 million that the motion…
I want to focus mainly on some of the areas to which we can direct tackling the cost of division. First, however, before I go into that detail, I want to set out that the Alliance Party does not believe that the cost of division is the only reason why Northern Ireland's finances are in such a bad state. It is,…
Thank you very much indeed, Mr Deputy Speaker. I will return to the debate. For information, we will support the DUP amendment to the motion. The last Member to speak in the debate before Question Time was Declan Kearney. I think that you will give me latitude, Deputy Speaker, because of the amount of time that Declan…