The Northern Ireland Executive's programme for government has been published
The programme for government was approved by a majority of MLAs on Monday evening after a day of debate in the assembly
First Minister Michelle O'Neill told the assembly the programme for government was a "significant milestone" for the executive
Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly described it as "not the totality of our ambitions" but rather it is about "prioritisation"
Matthew O'Toole of the SDLP said it was a "missed opportunity"
The paper sets out priorities for executive departments and targets to meet over the next two years
The plan, called "Doing What Matters Most", was unanimously agreed by the four parties in the executive last week
And that brings an end to today's debate on the programme for government in the assembly. Thank you for joining our live page.
This page was written by Eimear Flanagan, Rebekah Wilson, Rebekah Logan, Catherine Moore and Michael McBride, and edited by Ralph Hewitt.
Have a good evening.
A motion on the programme for government is carried in the assembly chamber following a vote.
Ayes: 70
Noes: 10
"My aspiration indeed is to have as many happy and thriving people and families in every part of this wonderful place that we call home," Little-Pengelly says.
"I want to create a Northern Ireland which is one of the best, if not the best small, open and agile economies in the world.
"I genuinely believe that we can do that, I believe we have opportunities regardless of how challenging the circumstances may be."
The deputy first minister says despite being small, Northern Ireland has every opportunity to achieve big things.
Deputy first minister Emma Little-Pengelly is on her feet in the assembly.
She welcomes the many differing views expressed in the chamber today and says the programme for government is "not the totality of our ambitions" but rather it is about "prioritisation".
"Prioritisation is always difficult," she told assembly members.
"We are in a fiscally constrained environment. It is difficult to fund everything that we want to fund and that does require hard decisions."
But the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) minister says her message was one of “hope" and believes the executive can deliver.
"It is a message of ambition and it is a message of seeking to do everything in our power to deliver for the people of Northern Ireland," Little-Pengelly says
"The programme for government provides a roadmap to grow our economy, strengthen our communities and support hardworking families."
Marie-Louise Connolly
BBC News NI Health Correspondent
Perhaps the most contentious question on hospital waiting times is - is the Department of Health willing to use the independent sector to help clear the lists?
BBC News NI understands that only last year, an offer by an independent hospital to cut gall bladder and hernia waiting lists by half, at a cost of about £6m, was turned down by the Department of Health.
While the offer may have been welcomed - it is understood there was not the additional resources as all focus was trying to get the health workers pay deal over the line.
Independent MLA Claire Sugden says the executive must deliver and not simply repeat what we have heard before.
"I hope this will lead to good change, but we have seen similar pledges in the past on health reform, childcare, tackling paramilitarism, housing, education, social care and economic growth," she says.
Sugden says the people of Northern Ireland "lack confidence that these institutions have the ability to actually deliver".
"In order for the people of Northern Ireland to realise that this building has any value - we have to deliver - they are tired of words and need actions."
Image source, NI AssemblyGerry Carrol from People Before Profit said the PfG was "a clear indication that the executive is out of touch with the people they claim to represent".
"The mere existence of this programme for government has been hailed as a celebration. I would ask - is the bar really this low? Do ordinary people not deserve better?"
He added that it "beggars belief" that the draft programme for government, released last year, was "completely absent of any real or measurable or time-bound targets".
"The fact that the executive were forced to go back to the drawing board to add a few concrete goals shows what they would be happy to get away with if given the chance," he said.
"The final version is a minor improvement on the vague, aimless original."
Clodagh Rice
BBC News NI business correspondent
The number of people on a waiting list underlines the fact we aren't building enough social homes.
There are nearly 48,000 households currently on a waiting list for a social home, about 36,000 of those are in housing stress.
The target in the programme for government is to have started work on at least 5,850 new build social homes in Northern Ireland by 2027 - that's fewer than 3,000 homes a year for the next two years.
While having a target is welcomed, this isn't the first target that's been set.
The executive wasn't able to deliver on its previous target of building an additional 2,500 new social homes a year, falling short of that by completing about an estimated 1,400 last year.
Ramping up will be a challenge - achieving any of these targets will require a cross-cutting effort to address well-documented barriers such as our water infrastructure, planning, land availability and funding.
Image source, Getty ImagesThe figures in this document are also largely in keeping with targets set in the Housing Supply Strategy which was published last year.
It said 100,000 new homes needed to be built by 2039 and one third - about 33,000 - of those will be social homes.
However, Build Homes NI, a group of developers, described the programme for government as a "lost opportunity" during a housing crisis.
“It’s not possible to build new homes - social or private - because Northern Ireland’s wastewater infrastructure isn’t fit for purpose," the group said.
Traditional Unionist Voice (TUV) assembly member Timothy Gaston says the programme for government does not address unionist concerns over post-Brexit trade arrangements under the Northern Ireland Protocol.
The protocol creates a trade border between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK.
"Where is the section on how this executive is going to deal with the protocol? It isn't so much as mentioned," he says.
"I ask unionists who claimed that they would fight the protocol within the arena of Stormont - how's that working out for you?"
Image source, NI AssemblyThe SDLP's Colin McGrath was less than complimentary to the executive parties as he congratulated them on reaching their milestone after a year in coalition.
"In the spirit of kindness to the executive who constantly accuse the opposition of lacking positivity, let me offer them a 'well done'.
"Well done for doing just about enough to fulfil the absolute minimum expectation of any government and finally agreeing a programme for government.
"But let's be clear, it's not implemented, it's not fully funded, it doesn't even have clear accountability, mechanisms or targets."
Louise Cullen
BBC NI Agriculture & Environment Correspondent
“Planet” is one of the executive’s three missions, and “Protecting Lough Neagh and the Environment” is priority number eight of the nine objectives of the programme for government.
One of the actions it outlines has already been fulfilled – Northern Ireland’s first Environmental Improvement Plan was published within days of the consultation being opened.
And under the programme for government's “People” mission, a Food Strategy Framework has also been published to help support farmers and local food producers.
But there are questions about how other aims like housing targets can be met when enabling infrastructure has already been ruled out by NI Water.
The company said last week it would move to a maintenance programme for its facilities in Belfast rather than upgrading, due to funding shortfalls.
While carbon budgets covering 2023-2027 have been set, a Climate Action Plan has yet to go out to consultation.
The Climate Action Plan will also require executive approval, which delayed the publication of both the Lough Neagh Action Plan and the Environmental Improvement Plan.
With no specific targets in the programme for government to improve the environment, campaigners may well ask just what commitments Stormont can be held to.
Sinn Féin's Jemma Dolan says the programme for government is "a positive step" but says it is essential that "locally elected representatives work together" to help deliver for "workers, families and communities here".
The Fermanagh and South Tyrone MLA says she recognises that "the ability of the Executive to deliver the public services our citizens deserve continues to be constrained by decisions made in Britain".
She says the programme for government is welcome, but adds that constitutional change is needed to "unlock our full potential", adding that it would "give us the opportunity to build something new, and address better public services and build an economy which meets the need of every one of our citizens".
Image source, NI AssemblyAlan Chambers from the UUP tells assembly members he is disappointed that Belfast Lough did not get "one direct mention" in the programme for government, which is also facing pollution problems.
"Belfast Lough should be a jewel in the crown of what Northern Ireland has to offer to visitors and residents alike, in terms of a recreational and leisure facility," he said.
"The level of unacceptable pollution is moving steadily down the lough, starting with the already heavily polluted waters in the harbour area."
Chambers claimed the situation in Belfast Lough is "already a disaster but it's heading for a greater crisis that will eventually replicated Lough Neagh".
Mark Simpson
BBC News NI
Image source, PA MediaMore money is needed for the redevelopment of west Belfast's Casement Park
Anyone hoping for a concrete guarantee about the redevelopment of Casement Park will not find it in the programme for government.
More money is needed to rebuild the west Belfast stadium – at least £140m extra – but there is only a general commitment to the project in the document.
“We will make progress on the redevelopment of Casement Park and initiate investments in sub-regional and grass roots sports,” say ministers on page 65.
Communities Minister Gordon Lyons has started the ball rolling on a £36.2m Northern Ireland Football Fund which will help improve Irish League grounds.
However, the Casement Park project remains in limbo due to the funding shortfall.
A total of £62.5m has been ringfenced by the Stormont executive and is available, but it is not enough for work to begin.
Casement Park remains on the Stormont executive’s lengthy to-do list.
Image source, NI AssemblyDUP MLA Diane Dodds said she was glad to see reducing waiting lists as one of the main targets of the PfG.
“Waiting lists and the length of them are a terrible burden on so many of our constituents,” she said.
“We also must acknowledge that when we complain about waiting lists, there are amazing people in our health service who do amazing work but they are frustrated by the limitations of the position, the limitations of what they can deliver and most importantly they are really frustrated by the really detrimental impact on their patients.”
Image source, NI AssemblySian Mulholland from Alliance also welcomed the PfG's commitment to improving the health of Lough Neagh, describing it as "one of the most significant environmental disasters we have faced in a generation".
"It's a public health emergency, it's an economic risk and an environmental catastrophe all rolled into one. It affects our drinking water, tourism, agriculture and infrastructure."
She called for "cross-departmental action" to address the problem but added accountability was also necessary.
"We need clear mechanisms in place to track and report progress on nutrient management, septic tank regulation and pollution enforcement."
Image source, NI AssemblyChair of the justice committee and DUP MLA Joanne Bunting said “adequate resourcing will be essential” to deliver the PfG.
She highlighted that there are 6,300 PSNI officers – the lowest number in its history.
“The chief constable has advised of his concern that policing was not given more focus in the draft PfG,” Bunting said.
“The committee was pleased to note that the business case to increase the number of officers and staff over a three-year period was recently approved by the department and submitted to the Minister of Finance.
“This is expected to cost £206m over five years, and it’s important that it’s fully funded, and the PSNI is provided with the funding it needs to keep our community safe.”
Sinn Féin's Emma Sheerin says the publication is an "important step", adding that she welcomes the fact that "regional imbalance has been tackled and that work has already been underway".
She added that she wants to ensure "that all areas of the north receive a fair bite of the cherry and that all of our communities can benefit from good jobs and investment".
Image source, NI Assembly
Image source, NI AssemblyDeclan McAleer of Sinn Féin said farmers and food producers "must remain central" to the executive's ambitions as he welcomed the programme for government.
"Our rural economy depends on agriculture, which supports thousands of jobs," he said.
McAleer said he welcomed the commitment in the PfG to environmental sustainability and the prioritisation of Lough Neagh which has suffered serious problems from toxic algae in recent years.
He added that farmers play a critical role in helping Northern Ireland meet its climate targets but said they need support to do so, backed by investment.
"Farmers need better incentives for carbon sequestration and biodiversity initiatives along with targeted funding to help them transition to sustainable practices without compromising food production," he said.
"Clear and fair policies on ammonia controls are also crucial, allowing farmer to upgrade or replace infrastructure while maintaining a competitive agricultural sector."
Alliance MLA Connie Egan says the programme for government "is not perfect by any means, but it is a foundation for progress".
"A foundation to build upon - to build homes, to build a workable healthcare system, to build our nature recovery, to build an increasingly improved education system, and to build safer communities."
Image source, NI AssemblyEgan particularly welcomed the fact that ending violence against women and girls had been agreed as one of the executive's nine priorities.
"Northern Ireland is still one of the most dangerous places to live as a woman in Western Europe, with 20 domestic homicides with a female victim since 2020," she said.
"This document is a roadmap, a pathway, but is only the baseline of what we should be achieving, and I know the public will hold us to account on that."
