• 3 months ago
Magee expansion, A5 and rail link mentioned in ‘Our Plan’ draft Programme for Government

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00:00The First Minister and I wish to inform Members that, following the unanimous agreement to
00:04the Draft Programme for Government by the Executive on Thursday, the Executive Office
00:08will today launch a public consultation. The Draft Programme for Government outlines the
00:13Executive's bold ambition for Northern Ireland. It is different from what has been attempted
00:18in the past. It is reflective of the realities we face today, but it is also ambitious for
00:24the future. It is also realistic about the financial position we find ourselves in and
00:28the shortened mandate in which we operate.
00:32We make no apology for being ambitious. We want to build on our reputation as a great
00:37place to live, work, study, invest and visit. We want to build on the fact that we are global
00:43leaders in key sectors such as cyber, fintech, advanced manufacturing and health and life
00:48sciences. And we want to continue to invest in our young people so that we can continue
00:53to have a young, dedicated and highly skilled workforce. Our aim is to change the lives
00:59of our people and communities for the better.
01:03To deliver on this aim, the Programme for Government contains nine priorities. These
01:08are the immediate priorities which we will work to this year and throughout the duration
01:12of this mandate. They are to grow a globally competitive and sustainable economy, to deliver
01:18more affordable childcare, to cut health waiting lists, to end violence against women
01:24and girls, to provide better support for children and young people with special educational
01:29needs, to provide more social, affordable and sustainable housing, safer communities
01:36and to protect Lough Neagh and the environment, and to reform and transform public services.
01:44We must all focus on delivering this programme together for everyone. We know that there
01:50are challenges, but there are opportunities. With our plan, we have a way forward. It provides
01:57a roadmap for people, organisations and departments.
02:03The Programme for Government provides a basis for transformational change in the things
02:06that really matter. I look forward to us, the Executive and this Assembly, working together
02:11to make a real difference. The scale of the challenges we face requires new thinking and
02:17structures. A missions-based approach will help us to measure and prioritise our work.
02:23These missions are people, planet and prosperity, and they are underpinned by a cross-cutting
02:29commitment to peace. When it comes to people, we have some of the highest levels of life
02:34satisfaction in Europe, but not everyone here is able to have a positive experience of life.
02:41People from more deprived areas are more likely to suffer from poorer physical and
02:45mental health, for example. We need to invest in people and ensure that they are supported
02:50to succeed and prosper. We want everyone to reach their full potential.
02:57The planet mission focuses on the natural environment. It is vital to everyone's health
03:02and wellbeing, both now and in the future. We are all very aware of the increasingly
03:07evident biodiversity crisis, as seen, for example, in Lough Neagh.
03:13The prosperity mission considers our economic performance. While it has improved dramatically
03:18in the past 25 years, it still lags behind where it could and should be. Our GDP per capita
03:25remains stubbornly low, and this is particularly true outside of Belfast. We need to make sure
03:31that we are building the skills needed to attract investment that can grow our economy
03:35and benefit workers everywhere.
03:38In terms of peace, we want to build on the successes of the past 26 years to make sure
03:44our peace is lasting, meaningful and prosperous for everyone here. By focusing on people,
03:51planet and prosperity, we will shape a fairer and more peaceful society. We know that equality
03:57of opportunity and good relations are central to this goal, supporting our commitment to
04:03safer communities. A key feature of the new programme is its focus on collaborative working
04:09between organisations and groups across the public, voluntary and private sectors. It
04:14is also a programme in which individuals and communities can play an active part.
04:20The Executive will therefore work collectively to deliver this programme and to drive forward
04:26work at both departmental and sectoral boundaries. We will also be tracking performance regularly,
04:33and publishing annual reports on the progress we are making so that everyone can understand
04:37the impact we are having. To improve the lives of people here, we need to deliver real change,
04:43and the programme for government provides us with a framework to deliver that change
04:46as an Executive.
04:50We are determined to find solutions. We are determined to take action to ensure that our
04:56communities have access to the life opportunities they deserve. We are determined to make this
05:02place a place we can all be proud of and call home. We are determined to deliver for the public.
05:10The consultation will provide people here with an opportunity to consider the programme
05:15and provide their views on it. We can only have an effective plan for Northern Ireland
05:20if we are able to hear from those it is most likely to impact. That is why it is important
05:27that as many people as possible share their views during the consultation process.
05:32Our plan is for all of us, and we all have a stake in making it happen.
05:40The constructive opposition has been constructive in calling for a programme for government for
05:45months now. We welcome the fact that one has been published, but we have also been clear
05:48that the people of Northern Ireland have expected clear targets and clear plans to deliver.
05:55On page 27 of the programme for government, there is a chart that lists the increase in
06:01patients waiting for a consultant appointment. It went from 70,000 in 2008-09 to 428,000 in
06:09the most recent year, but I cannot find anywhere in this document a specific target to reduce
06:15those times and waiting lists. Will the Deputy First Minister point me to where in that document
06:21I can find such a target? I hope that the Leader of the Opposition will continue in
06:28his constructive approach and engage with the draft programme for government that has been
06:33published today. I am very pleased by the fact that we have reached this point, that it is a
06:36very ambitious programme and that it is a very focused programme. I am also pleased with the
06:40fact that now everybody in society gets a chance to shape it into the final document. Alongside
06:45that final document, we will be able to judge our success by how we will value or measure our
06:50outcome. I am very delighted by the fact that we are absolutely committed to being open and
06:56transparent in terms of the progress that we are going to make. There is nobody in this Chamber
07:01who underestimates the scale of the challenge that we have in our health service, but the best way
07:06we will fix it is by working together. It is not just the responsibility of the Department of
07:10Health. I believe that all of the Executive colleagues are now committed to working together
07:13to ensure that we bring down hospital waiting lists. At the end of the day, this programme
07:18for government has to be about making a difference in people's lives. I am confident that we have
07:22the plan in which we can turn things around. I am confident that the whole of the Executive
07:27has committed to transformation. I am also very confident that we can be judged along the way.
07:31When we have the final programme for government, we will have our wellbeing framework. I know that
07:35the Member has only had a chance to look through the document briefly before this session, but
07:40you will see within the document itself that we are going to publish annual reports, so we are
07:44going to be able to be measured in terms of what we have set out to achieve. We will mark our
07:50progress under each of our missions, whether that is people, the planet or prosperity,
07:54in terms of peace. Once we have that final programme for government, alongside it will be
08:00a whole set of outcomes and indicators. All of society will be able to judge how successful
08:05the Executive has been.

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