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 thank the Minister for her answer. She and I agree on some of the overarching themes, but she referenced mutualisation and privatisation together. Does she accept that, although mutualisation is about community ownership, privatisation is a different financial model?
Under the current funding model, my Department fully funded NI Water for the first three years of the current price control (PC) period to the level that the Utility Regulator deemed necessary. We all recognise that there is a need for additional funding for all public services, and NI Water is not immune. Water and…
I appreciate the Member's giving way; he is always generous in giving way. If the protocol and the Windsor framework are so bad for the Northern Ireland economy, why have we generally outperformed the UK economy consistently since Brexit?
Yes, well, Mr Honeyford referred to Lagan Valley, and I could not let that go. We have been told that Northern Ireland would have access to the UK market and the EU market and that everyone should be overwhelmed by the fantastic opportunity that that provides. How wrong that has turned out to be, for one simple…
I start by commending the DUP for tabling an amendment that correctly identifies the fact that there is no evidence of any benefits from the fantasy of dual market access. I heard Mr Honeyford give a couple of examples. I would like to hear more about those, just to make sure that it is dual market —.
I thank the Member for giving way. I apologise for sickening everybody about my city and region, which I love well. I do not talk negatively about it all the time, but I will say something negative: the poverty rate in Derry sits at 24%. The Member is lucky: he represents a constituency that has half the poverty rate…
I am happy to support the motion. As Kate said, some of the work is already happening. Last month, I clearly laid out Alliance's position on a shared island, which is about working practically to build and share reconciliation here and across the island. That is our focus. I stated that Alliance wanted to see a shared…
Mr Deputy Speaker, you can rest assured that I will stick to the topic. I concur with my colleague Gary Middleton about the announcement this morning of the £40 million investment in Londonderry and Coleraine. I did not get a chance to speak earlier, but I feel that I should recognise that. Job creation and…
I appreciate the fact that our Opposition colleagues have tabled the motion for debate today, and I thank the junior Minister for attending. If I stray into the realms of Fermanagh and South Tyrone, which I intend to do, I hope that it does not take us too far off course. At the outset, I will say that I do not…
I want to say lots of things, but my head is reeling from some of the comments that have been made. The Chair of the Economy Committee is excellent, and I very much enjoy being on the Committee with him, but it is totally bizarre to accuse Sinéad McLaughlin of not being proud of her city: it is all that she talks…
Go raibh maith agat, a Leas-Cheann Comhairle. As a party with representatives in both Derry and Donegal, Sinn Féin is acutely aware of the long-standing obstacles that the north-west has faced. The north-west is rich in opportunity. To realise its potential fully, however, we need strategic, coordinated and ambitious…
We have mentioned that dual market access should be promoted. E&I Engineering is operating on both sides of the border, and it is operating in the North because of dual market access. We know the value of it well.
I thank the Opposition for tabling the motion for debate. It is a useful opportunity to discuss facts and not fiction. Like the Member opposite, our party is committed to the growth of the north-west; indeed, the first visit that I undertook after being appointed as DUP economy spokesperson and Chairman of the…
I beg to move Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. The subject of the motion is close to my heart and part of the reason why I entered public life. The SDLP motion calls for a dedicated economic task force to drive investment, skills and sectoral growth across the north-west. Having grown up in and spent the majority of my…
I welcome the allocations for the important matter of public-sector transformation. I also welcome the fact that the transformation board secretariat will have a role in monitoring and reporting on progress. Is the Minister confident that these will not be just five-year projects but will result in genuine savings and…
The funding that is noted in front of you is successful and deals with part of the waste water treatment challenge that we face. I have previously said in the Chamber that, when we talk about waste water, we are often talking about hundreds of millions or hundreds of billions of pounds, but the reality is that a small…
Gabh mo leithscéal, a Cheann Comhairle , as I was not in the Chamber for the entirety of the Minister's statement. I thank the Minister for his statement and for the significant funds that he announced, particularly for Health and special educational needs. Minister, maybe you can help me to understand something. As…
Minister, I presume that the £61 million earmarked for the Department of Health's primary care multidisciplinary teams is distinct from the £135 million to reduce waiting lists that was announced as part of the Programme for Government yesterday. Minister, will you confirm when the Health Minister was advised of that…
Minister, you referred to your being the previous Infrastructure Minister. Is the £15 million that has been allocated to the DFI urban drainage proposal the total amount that was bid for? From your experience in that previous role, do you think that it will be sufficient to make an impact on the challenges faced in…