Diane Forsythe
South Down · Democratic Unionist Party · Northern Ireland
“The Schomberg Society and the staff and pupils of Kilkeel Primary School worked hard alongside the team from Blue Eagle Productions, especially director Rosie McClelland, to deliver a fantastic performance. We saw Northern Ireland's history, heritage and the pupils' great talent shining through.”
“<BR /> <BR />The production was an excellent way to mark that important historic event and for those P7 pupils to bring their time in primary school to a close. It was bittersweet for the year group, as one of their dear classmates was notably missing.”
“As we come to the end of another school term, I pay tribute to some excellent work at Kilkeel Primary School in my constituency, especially by the P7s. I declare an interest, as my son is one of them.”
“Mrs McCabe, the school principal, shared with the children the words of Proverbs chapter 17, verse 17 on how true friends love at all times — through the good times and the hardships of life. I thank Mrs McCabe for her leadership.”
“The Minister will not be surprised by my question on the delay of the accounts certification on SEUPB, as we are in June 2026, 18 months after the end of financial year 2024. Those accounts have still not been certified in both jurisdictions, and a full further financial year has since passed.”
“Minister, you say that you want to avoid unintended consequences for businesses and property owners, but those measures do nothing for existing long-term businesses that are struggling on, already occupy premises and cannot afford to invest in their properties, and there will be consequences for them.”
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“There seems to be a lack of understanding among some Members about the role of the delivery unit. Will the deputy First Minister provide some clarity and explain how important it is that the unit is small and is able to be agile enough to deliver as intended?”
“I look forward to the updated Budget proposals from the Finance Minister showing that being applied to our SEN services across Education and Health in Northern Ireland. <BR /> <BR />People in Northern Ireland are under immense pressure in their homes, their businesses and their families. Families with children with additional needs are not pawns in anyone's game. They need long-term, sustainable support, not just a sticking plaster. Today is about so much more than summer schemes. We have been able to satisfy one small aspect of the issue that we face across special schools, and we need further support throughout the academic year. <BR /> <BR />I call on the Finance Minister to invest not only in the buildings but in the hope, opportunity and dignity of every child who relies on us all here to get it right.”
“It does not suit the Sinn Féin agenda of the past to speak to honesty, and, clearly, it does not suit its present agenda, but let us get real: if there is not enough money, services will be cut across the board, and people in our community will suffer. We need to get serious about working together to address this. We need to mitigate the impact on people, not mislead them or frame this for cheap political gain. <BR /> <BR />The UK Treasury recently recognised the huge increase in demand for SEN services across the entire United Kingdom and awarded additional funding to local councils in England. In Northern Ireland, we receive Barnett consequentials, and we are due to receive £380 million over the next three years.”
“Will the Finance Minister show that he can stand up and do that, or will he have, in the words of Cathy Mason, "no leadership and no plan"? <BR /> <BR />We have witnessed the publication of a draft multi-year Budget that will mean significant cuts to education, despite clear commitments about what it would mean. The non-statutory services in the Education Department will be cut if the Budget is applied. It is a Sinn Féin-proposed Budget that will mean education cuts. Sinn Féin Members regularly slate the Education Minister for cuts to every single service in education, including youth services recently, yet it is their Finance Minister who is imposing the cuts. <BR /> <BR />Members of the public deserve better. They deserve honesty.”
“I thank the Member for his intervention. I completely agree. I also note that the issue of special educational needs is an Executive priority in the Programme for Government. How can anyone say that they support that Programme for Government objective and then fail to allow it to be discussed and planned for around the Executive table? <BR /> <BR />I fully agree with the Education Minister's point that it is not just an education issue; it is a societal obligation. We must invest in facilities, empower our children, support our teachers and uphold our commitment to inclusion and equality. <BR /> <BR />I call on the Minister of Finance to provide adequate funding to the Department of Health and the Department of Education to ensure that children with special needs can be properly supported throughout the year.”
“However, it is sad to note that, some six months after initially being tabled, the Education Minister's Executive paper on capital funding for special educational needs has not been put on the Executive agenda.”
“We must also recognise how much worse things will be if it is not just the summer schemes that are at risk but the entire school system. Those risks, throughout the year, are genuine and real. <BR /> <BR />The Education Minister has raised those risks consistently. On 16 September 2025, he called for a flagship Executive investment programme to transform educational facilities for children with special educational needs. His proposals were for a £1·7 billion, Executive-led, SEN capital investment programme, ring-fenced over the next 10 years. That strategic initiative would transform the infrastructure, supporting Northern Ireland's most vulnerable learners. In submitting the proposals, the Minister said:”
“Those who engage in such behaviour let themselves down further. Danny Baker should, to use his own words, reflect upon his behaviour and that of his colleagues, which has been tone-deaf. <BR /> <BR />Safety should be paramount in special schools. The safety and safeguarding of pupils and staff are so important. Risk assessments are essential in those facilities. The complexity of needs has been increasing each year. The higher risk in recent years has often meant that there is a reliance on the goodwill of principals and staff. Everyone needs to work together here. <BR /> <BR />We should be sitting up and listening to the response to take on board the huge impact that losing those summer schemes would have had on parents and children.”
“I declare an interest as Assembly private secretary to the Education Minister and someone whose mum is employed as a classroom assistant. <BR /> <BR />This past week has been an incredibly stressful time for many parents, children and school staff. I do not underestimate in any way what that has meant to so many, and there has been great relief expressed to me by a range of constituents on the reinstatement of the scheme. I am pleased that a resolution on the 2026 summer schemes has been arrived at, and I welcome the intervention of the Health and Education Ministers in resolving the operational issue. However, the high-profile response to the risks facing summer schemes should not be used and abused as yet another opportunity for petty and cheap political point-scoring. Sadly, that has been widespread in this case.”
“However, using renewables alone is not possible for us here, and we need to see honesty in our politics.”
“She seemed to agree with the content of our amendment, as she talked about the need to manage where we are with fossil fuels while having a detailed and realistic plan to reduce our dependence on them as we move forward on renewables. She talked about strategic interventions and the significant investment in the grid of over £2 billion. She shared our concerns about dispatch down. <BR /> <BR />To me, it feels like most people around the House have not disagreed with the content or themes of our amendment. We recognise that, as we move towards renewables, we will not click our fingers and achieve it overnight. I do not feel that anybody has disagreed with that in substance. We need to recognise the essential role that fossil fuels play here and how susceptible we are to sharp moves in the market.”
“Paul Frew highlighted issues around wind fuel. He said that, even if 100% was wind fuel, we would still need a power plant powered by fossil fuels to distribute it. Jonny Buckley highlighted the need for consumer choice. Sian Mulholland rightly highlighted fuel poverty and its real impact on many families across Northern Ireland. Declan Kearney talked about the need for a whole-of-government and whole-of-society response, which, I am sure, everyone agrees with. <BR /> <BR />In her response, the Minister firmly committed to the statutory targets, and I welcome her support for moving forward with the east-west interconnector.”
“Colm Gildernew was followed later by Cathy Mason with her bizarre criticism of the DUP Communities Minister, who moved at pace within hours of the announcement of £17 million by standing up his officials, unlike other Ministers, who took months to take action publicly on other measures. <BR /> <BR />Diana Armstrong spoke about how renewables alone cannot meet the needs of Northern Ireland, especially not in the short term. She said that the statutory milestones are repeatedly missed, as are our targets, and that we need to be realistic about that. She also spoke about the need for the east-west interconnector. <BR /> <BR />Mark Durkan and Pádraig Delargy spoke about Northern Ireland's specific vulnerability and susceptibility to price increases, how significant that is in rural areas and the real impact of that.”
“He also highlighted the importance of continuing with fossil fuels alongside managing our way towards increased renewables.”
“He talked about the need to get on with grid connection policy and said that, if there is a possibility of reaching the targets, we need the east-west interconnector. I am quite new to the Economy Committee, and, when it comes to the dispatch down issue, I find it flabbergasting that there is such a drive for increased renewables, yet, when the energy is created, there is no capacity to fully take it and do something with it. We really need a proper policy in place. Phillip also outlined the need to be honest with the public about how the 2030 targets are not achievable, and he challenged the contradictions in the Alliance policies and positions on that. He also highlighted the Audit Office report on energy and how it has shown no impact from the legislation to date.”
“Thank you, Madam Principal Deputy Speaker. I will reflect on the comments that have been made around the House. Kate Nicholl spoke of the need to be ambitious in setting targets. Phillip Brett outlined the need for our amendment.”
“I thank the Minister for his work in America to promote those historical links. I very much value the history, unlike other parties in the Chamber, which are determined to rewrite all aspects of history. Minister, your work in the area has been described by some Members as "sectarian" and a "vanity project". How do you respond to that?”
“The Minister's statement referenced Public Health Scotland's assessment of the impact of the policy in Scotland, including headline estimates about a reduction in alcohol-related deaths and admissions. However, despite a minimum unit price being introduced in 2018, the National Records of Scotland reported in 2024 that the number of alcohol-specific deaths in Scotland was at its highest level since 2008. Minister, how do you square that circle?”
“Whilst everyone agrees that we need more funding in Northern Ireland to deliver better public services, we need to deliver better with the funding that we already have and tackle the waste in the system. I commend the motion to the House.”
“That will hopefully include seeking to reduce corporate costs; Departments taking a more hands-on approach to efficiency savings from their ALBs; advancing ambitious Health and Social Care efficiency programmes; supporting an overhaul of the commissioning and delivery framework for major infrastructure projects; driving down legal bills across Departments; targeting better cooperation between Departments; exploring opportunities for estate rationalisation; exploiting opportunities provided by newly agreed arrangements on the transfer of surplus land between Departments and public bodies; and reducing ideological spending across government. <BR /> <BR />We in the DUP believe that this is the time to set those targets and that efficiency agenda as we move towards setting the Budget.”
“While equality before the law and fair treatment in the workplace are principles that we strongly support, spending of that scale and nature must be subject to rigorous oversight. Where EDI initiatives risk straying into areas of political advocacy or where their benefits are not clearly defined and measured, public trust is undermined. <BR /> <BR />In proposing the motion today, we highlight the fact that we believe that an efficiency agenda for Northern Ireland that aims to eliminate wasteful spend across government is needed. Almost two decades have passed since Departments last committed to making cumulative efficiency savings as part of the Budget process. In particular, we support agreeing mandatory rolling targets for every Department to identify and deliver efficiencies in their day-to-day spending.”
“For example, the Department of Finance continues to pay £2,500 annually for Civil Service membership of the Stonewall Diversity Champions Programme, despite serious and ongoing concerns about that organisation's role in political activism and its perceived influence on public policy development. Meanwhile, the Department for the Economy's arm's-length bodies, including Belfast Metropolitan College, other colleges and tourism bodies, are projected to spend over £64,000 on EDI-related activity. Worryingly, despite significant operational and financial pressures in the PSNI, it spent more than £1 million on EDI staffing between 2020-21 and 2024-25, which is a level broadly comparable to the annual spend in our health and social care trusts for the same purpose.”
“The DUP does not believe that public policy should place aspirational climate change targets ahead of investment in and advancement of the high-quality public services that our communities not only deserve but require. The cost of achieving those unrealistic climate change targets has been cited as being in the region of £90 million a year until 2050. Do Members really believe that that is the best use of public money? <BR /> <BR />Ending ideological spend also needs to be a priority. In recent years, significant sums of money have been directed towards equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) initiatives across many Departments and arm's-length bodies, often with limited scrutiny and little measurable assessment of outcomes.”
“Public spending priorities reflect the growing disconnect in our politics between ideology and the everyday realities facing our voters. We need to restore a primary focus on the day-to-day issues affecting the lives of the vast majority of people, and we need to be open to the arguments about scrapping net zero, protecting single-sex spaces and ending uncontrolled immigration. We see huge overspends and waste as a result of the culture of political correctness gone mad, and the Democratic Unionist Party has been a strong advocate of common sense over ideology in the Northern Ireland Executive and the Assembly. The costs that come with that need to be challenged.”
“Some cost substantially more. That is unsustainable. An assumption against them, unless essential and fully costed, would be welcome.”
“Workforce productivity is not formally measured across the Civil Service, and that limits the ability to assess performance. <BR /> <BR />We have seen recent developments in the public-sector reform strategy in Scotland that are worth learning from. The Scottish Government published a major public-sector reform strategy in June of last year. In that strategy, they committed to adopting a preventative, joined-up and efficient approach to the delivery of public services through their work streams. An important pledge was the application of a presumption against the creation of new public bodies by assessing and challenging any new proposals. We have too many arm's-length bodies (ALBs) in Northern Ireland — in excess of 120 — and new commissioners are created regularly and at a minimum cost of £1 million a year simply to exist.”
“Some 97% of the Civil Service staff were in non-industrial roles; two thirds of the jobs were categorised as "general service"; there were 5,486 vacant posts declared across the Northern Ireland Civil Service (NICS); there was a greater reliance on temporary staffing solutions, with 4,939 agency workers employed as of April 2025, which is more than double the number recorded in April 2019; and we see an increase in sickness absence rates, with an average of 13·4 days lost per staff member and costs rising from £32 million in 2018 to £48·8 million in 2024-25. It was reported that the Civil Service does not routinely collect data on the underperformance of staff, and we see that HR Connect — the designated shared recruitment service — is unable to meet the scale and pace of recruitment demanded by some Departments.”
“In December 2025, the Minister of Health indicated that £120 million less had been spent on off-contract nurses, midwives and health workers since May 2023. However, to put that into perspective, the total health agency expenditure between April 2022 and March 2024 was £770 million. The Audit Office report, 'Leading and Resourcing the Northern Ireland Civil Service', which was published in January past, identified a number of key findings.”
“If the proportion of Northern Ireland public-sector jobs were matched by the proportion of public-sector jobs in the UK population, the figure would be 11·9%, which compares with 8·7% for the whole of the UK. That is disproportionate and needs to be investigated as to why and whether it delivers value for money here. When public-sector pay awards and the like of increases to employers' National Insurance contributions are applied, that high proportion means that the cost to the Northern Ireland public purse is significantly more than it is elsewhere. <BR /> <BR />Agency spend on staff across the board costs too much, and that money could be better spent on properly paying some of our Health and Social Care (HSC) workers.”
“However, inefficiencies in how our available funding is allocated, how it is spent and how services are configured are also a major drag on delivering better outcomes. There needs to be strong leadership to drive efficiency and tackle wasteful spending across the public sector. <BR /> <BR />In recent months, some Northern Ireland Audit Office (NIAO) reports have been shocking. There is a projected £3 billion overspend on major capital projects. More recently, we had the follow-up report, 'Leading and Resourcing the Northern Ireland Civil Service'. There has been a renewed focus on the need to increase productivity and deliver better value for money in Northern Ireland's large public-sector workforce. In Northern Ireland, we have consistently had a higher proportion of public-sector jobs per capita than the whole of the UK.”
“<BR /> <BR />Despite day-to-day spending by Departments rising over the past six years, the quality of many public services is declining. We have seen inflationary pressures, ongoing pay costs, changing demographics and a lack of progress towards public-sector transformation all contribute to a perfect storm in which rising demand outmatches available budget envelopes and Departments struggle to maintain even their current levels of service. One approach to that is to reduce the constraints on public spending, including making the case for a fairer and more responsive funding settlement from the UK Government. The DUP leader, Gavin Robinson MP, has long made that case, as have others across the House. It is important that we continue to do that.”
“Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. The DUP has tabled today's motion, as we face the extremely challenging task of trying to agree a multi-year Budget for Northern Ireland. In these most challenging financial times, there is a need to take practical action to tackle waste and inefficiencies in our government systems. Some have sought to frame the motion as an attempt to attack and vilify individual Ministers and parties, but that says more about them and their petty politics. Alliance is pushing selective and misleading claims instead of engaging with the real issue of waste and inefficiency in government that we raise today. I care about improving efficiencies in government systems and about safeguarding and improving the quality of front-line public services in Northern Ireland. That is the intention of the DUP motion.”
“Minister, you mentioned that the most senior officials in your Department had a lapse in knowledge, forgetting about £81 million being bid for by Treasury. We have seen delays in legislation and two years of your departmental accounts being disclaimed — it looks like a third year, as the Audit Office will not even put its name to the accounts. The Audit Office also published a scathing report on the energy strategy. Under your leadership, the Department's performance genuinely cannot be considered to be good. Will you look at it again and consider reviewing it?”
“Members across the House have highlighted many concerns today, and while it is disappointing that the Minister is not here today to respond, I hope that we will hear back from him on these issues. We have heard plenty of warm words. The Minister must ensure that women across Northern Ireland receive the care and respect that they deserve. They have waited long enough.”
“<BR /> <BR />I will also mention, as the advice from the Public Health Agency is to contact your GP, that huge challenges still remain in Northern Ireland in accessing GP services. The additional pressures that this puts on everyone in Northern Ireland are extreme, especially for women who, quite often, put off their smaller health concerns while busying about looking after others and carrying out caring responsibilities and childcare commitments. The key advice is for women who are concerned to present to their GP with their symptoms, but if they cannot access those appointments, that is very concerning. <BR /> <BR />In closing, we need to see action on women's health issues.”
“Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month is this month — March — and the Public Health Agency is reminding people to be aware of the signs and symptoms of ovarian cancer. Those may include persistent pelvic or abdominal pain, increased abdominal size or persistent bloating, difficulty eating or feeling full quickly, urinary symptoms, changes in bowel habits, extreme fatigue, unexplained weight loss and bleeding after menopause. The symptoms of ovarian cancer are frequent, happening more than 12 times a month, and persistent and new, meaning that they are not normal for you and may have started in the past year. The advice is that, if you experience any of those symptoms, please contact your GP. Finding ovarian cancer early improves the chances of successful treatment.”
“The ongoing devastation and plummet in public confidence has been truly shameful, and it is unresolved, with the Southern Health and Social Care Trust offering some apologies but no overall accountability. Those women deserve better. <BR /> <BR />I also take the opportunity to raise awareness of ovarian cancer. Linda Dillon mentioned Stephen McCormick. He is a friend and former colleague of mine, who has done so much work in memory of his wife, Julie. Target Ovarian Cancer reports that 40% of women mistakenly believe that their cervical screening will detect ovarian cancer. It is so important to highlight that those tests do not detect ovarian cancer and that women need to understand the symptoms and be very aware of when they need to come forward.”
“Thank you. I thank the Member for her intervention. I absolutely agree. All these issues are so personal to women and so serious. They all need to be taken into account, and there is no better place to do that than in a health strategy for women and in action plans. <BR /> <BR />Some of the long waits that women here face worsen their health situations, meaning that women take more time off work or school and struggle with caring responsibilities. Often, they go on to need more serious and invasive medical interventions. The sooner that conditions are treated, the sooner women can get on with their lives. <BR /> <BR />I will speak to some specific concerns that affect women. Other Members mentioned the cervical cancer scandal.”
“There really is such a need for women and girls in Northern Ireland to have better, more accurate and more timely information to support them with their needs and as they face those challenges.”
“I thank the Member for tabling the motion. I am pleased to welcome her back. <BR /> <BR />I remember the lack of a women's health strategy being raised two years ago in the Chamber. It is really disappointing to be here saying and hearing a lot of the same things today. It is the women in Northern Ireland who are being failed. Throughout our lives, women experience many physical changes and challenges, from periods and infertility to childbirth, menopause and everything in between. The very least that women deserve is to be able to access appropriate, timely and compassionate healthcare when they need it the most. The DUP has consistently called for greater support for endometriosis care, menopause care and perinatal health services.”
“Minister, are you considering removing rates that are due to be paid on any new categories of business premises in your review of rates?”
“Does the First Minister accept that the draft Budget was not agreed by the Executive? Does she recognise that, if we are to secure a three-year Budget, the Finance Minister needs to seriously engage with all Ministers?”
“The Committee Stages of both Bills are on track for completion in the weeks ahead. <BR /> <BR />It is clear for all to see that we are operating with huge financial pressures on our public services. That reflects our entire society, in which every home and business is feeling the pressure. It is our duty to do our best to ensure that every pound and penny of public money is spent properly and delivers measurable value for money. We will support the Budget Bill as an opportunity not just to roll forward last year's position but to work forward with transformation, including through the open-book exercise, as we enter the years ahead.”
“<BR /> <BR />There is disappointment that the local growth fund is not referred to in the multi-year Budget proposals. At lunchtime today, some of us were at the all-party group on the voluntary and community sector, where it was highlighted, once again, that some 400 jobs are due to go in just two weeks' time, if there is no intervention. NICVA's NI Can't Wait campaign rings very true. <BR /> <BR />On the use of the sole authority, I note that the black box total has increased, which is far from ideal. However, the Finance Committee has scrutinised at length the Administrative and Financial Provisions Bill and the Northern Ireland Fiscal Council Bill, which, once passed, will, we will be pleased to see, remove a substantial amount of funding from the black box.”
“There is a genuine opportunity to transform and reform how our public services are delivered and how our public finances are managed and scrutinised. While some are eternally pessimistic and say things like, "There won't be a multi-year Budget", I do not believe that there is a fundamental lack of will. We want to see a multi-year Budget, because that will facilitate better strategic planning, secure our voluntary and community sector and remove year-end panic spending, which is rarely done well. However, we want to see the progression of a multi-year Budget that prioritises quality front-line public services, that is achievable and deliverable and that aligns with the Programme for Government priorities. Not just any multi-year Budget will do; it needs to be right.”
“We have now seen the £400 million reserve claim applied to the 2025-26 projected overspend, with the repayment profiled over the next three years, and an additional £380 million Barnett consequentials over the same period. With the multi-year Budget consultation now closed, it is critical that all those things and the open-book exercise interconnect to deliver a meaningful Budget plan for 2026-27 and beyond. I hope that the Minister can give us an update today on how the open-book exercise is going. <BR /> <BR />This is a critical opportunity that we need to take. The DUP has long called for reform of the Northern Ireland Civil Service and transformation of public services in order to move away from siloed working and to transform how our business is done.”
“I hope that that improves, especially now that the Budget consultation has closed and allocations are close. Departmental budgets will need to be closely scrutinised by all our Committees, once allocations have been made. <BR /> <BR />We are, once again, in the position of using accelerated passage for the Budget Bill. Whilst that is generally the position, we recognise that, although it is not ideal, the Bill would not have been able to progress without accelerated passage. The Budget Bill passes the points of resolution, which have been debated, on the finalisation of the 2025-26 figures, as well as the rolled forward Vote on Account, enabling our services to keep running into 2026-27.”
“As it has progressed under accelerated passage, we have all spoken about the detail of the Budget Bill in recent weeks. However, I will highlight, once again, the importance of fully scrutinising the finances; looking at the agreed priorities in our Programme for Government and seeing where our Budget flows to enable their delivery; and looking at how funding is allocated to deliver all the services in each Department. The Finance Committee gets excellent briefings, and that has happened on the Budget Bill. I thank the Department of Finance officials and the Minister for facilitating engagement with the Committee. Whilst they lead the way and issue guidance across other Departments, it has been clear from the debates that not all Committees get the detailed briefings that we do.”
“<BR /> <BR />I encourage the Minister to consider the issue further, especially, as he mentioned, with so many closures of local banks and building societies affecting our rural communities. The DUP supports the motion.”
“As noted, the exemption applies to ATMs valued individually, that is, those outside petrol stations or on high streets, but those in banks, building societies and shops tend to be valued as part of the building and do not avail themselves of the relief. That often results in ATMs being available to members of the public only during office hours from 9.00 am to 5.00 pm or, sometimes, fees being passed on to customers. <BR /> <BR />The relief scheme has a modest cost. The Minister said that it was £30,000 per year, yet, as Áine Murphy said, it impacts significantly on many in our rural communities. A modest increase to the provision to include more ATMs could reap huge returns in social and economic value in our rural communities, where it is still well proclaimed that cash is king.”