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Thank you, Minister, for your answer. A recent report has demonstrated that women over 50 in Northern Ireland are, in comparison with other jurisdictions, less likely to be in employment. How will your 'good jobs' Bill help to deliver for those women and get them into employment?
The Member's point is a critical one, because we have a situation in which there are very high levels of employment and low levels of unemployment, yet economic inactivity remains at a high level — I think that we said 26·5% — on average across the North. The further north and west that one goes, the percentage goes…
As I said in response to a previous question, the expansion to 10,000 students for the Magee project was a New Decade, New Approach (NDNA) commitment. All parties that were turning into Executive parties at that stage were committed to it, as were both Governments, who also had a contribution to make in that regard,…
Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire as an tuairisc chun dáta sin. Lena chois sin, a Aire, can you give us an assurance that, notwithstanding the dire financial situation that your Department faces, funding for Magee will continue to be prioritised?
The short answer is this: very challenging. Like, I have no doubt, most Departments, we got much less than what we bid for. That will present real challenges for us in areas such as skills and higher and further education, as well as for everything else that the Department is committed to supporting in the time ahead.…
As I stand here today, I cannot. I would need to get some sense of its effectiveness. I am, however, happy to write to the Member in the time ahead. We will consider any schemes that are effective or working well and that we can afford to do. Affordability is a key issue for us. One then has to set that against the…
I thank the Minister for his answer. Minister, have you given any consideration to supplementing the Northern Ireland sustainable energy programme? Can you perhaps provide your assessment of its effectiveness?
We have done an energy efficiency scheme for businesses through Invest NI, and we want to look at what more we can do for domestic customers. The challenge, as ever, for every Department is to have the finances to be able to do those things. Executive targets for reducing carbon emissions will include the need for…
The Finance Minister will bring rates proposals to the Executive shortly, and I think that she intends to provide as much support as she can to the business community. When I was the Minister of Finance, we reduced the business rate by 18% because we recognised that it was a high burden. The vast bulk of our…
The incoming Irish Government are committing to reducing VAT for tourism and hospitality businesses to 9%. The UK Government afford small businesses rates relief at a much higher level than we do. Minister, will you and your Executive colleagues commit to bringing forward proposals to support our business community as…
Just last week, we launched the task force report on tourism and hospitality, in which there is an ambition to grow that industry and its income. I hope that, in doing that, we will secure employment for people and businesses in that sector. I have no doubt that these are challenging times. We came out of COVID, with…
Just last week, I engaged with the Labour Relations Agency (LRA) forum, on which a number of business organisations are represented. I did not hear that level of concern, but, if the Member has, we will endeavour to engage on that. The report to the Committee last week was, if you like, a summation report on the…
Thank you, Mr Speaker. Minister, business organisations and employers have expressed huge concern at the manner in which the consultation on the Bill was carried out and the lack of proposals from the Department. Will the Minister give a commitment to the House that, once he has taken policy decisions, he will go out…
The 'good jobs' employment rights consultation proposed to introduce the right to up to one week of leave pro rata for unpaid eligible carers over a rolling 12-month period, to provide care for a family member or other dependant who has a longer-term or otherwise significant care need. We will continue to engage on…
I held my 'good jobs' employment rights public consultation between 1 July and 30 September 2024. My officials and I have engaged constructively with stakeholders throughout. My consultation focused on four key aspects of a 'good job': terms of employment; pay and benefits; voice and representation; and work-life…
We engage with industry — with clusters and with individual companies — to ensure that we have the bespoke training, through, for example, skills academies, that is needed for a particular area in order to create a skills pipeline for the people who operate in that area. The skills fund aligns with my economic plans.…
Minister, you mentioned the fact that you met MEGA just before Christmas. It was a good meeting, and anybody would attest to the work that MEGA has done. Will you confirm that MEGA, which is the organisation that I know most about as it is in Mid Ulster, and other organisations are taking a leading role? Industry…
I have had a number of meetings with the manufacturing sector in Mid Ulster over the past year or 18 months, most recently last November. It is doing a remarkable job, and its organisation through the board of Manufacturing and Engineering Growth and Advancement (MEGA) adds strength to what it is delivering. We…
Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire. As the Minister knows, Mid Ulster is a manufacturing hub that sends products all across the world. Digital skills are particularly important in the development of many businesses, especially those in the manufacturing sectors. What specific plans does the Department have for that…
The latest economic evidence shows that the local labour market continues to remain very challenging, with an annual undersupply of 4,300 workers, unemployment remaining historically low at 1·6%, economic inactivity remaining high at 26·5% and many sectors reporting recruitment challenges. With over 90% of the 2030…
I agree with the First Minister in that we are putting significant effort and resources into those plans. We want to ensure that tourism, which the question relates to, has an opportunity, through the priorities that I have set in the Department and that are now included in the Programme for Government, to improve…
Minister, do you agree with the First Minister's claim that the Executive are wholly behind devoting energy and resource to getting pre-clearance for Belfast International Airport, which would be great in theory but looks vanishingly unlikely in the circumstances? Would your Department's energy not be better focused…
I had a very constructive meeting with several members of the tourism cluster, and the Department and Tourism NI recognise the value of all tourism clusters in the North, which raise the profile of those destinations and enhance the capability of tourism providers. Tourism NI has worked closely with a number of…
Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire as an fhreagra sin. Minister, thank you for recently meeting the members of the Loughinsholin tourism cluster, along with me, from Mid Ulster. Do you agree that that group has massive potential to strengthen tourism in Mid Ulster, and will you agree to visit that tourism, please?