Social Investment Fund: UUP Proposals

Oral Answers to Questions — Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister – in the Northern Ireland Assembly at 2:30 pm on 1 February 2016.

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Photo of Ian McCrea Ian McCrea DUP 2:30, 1 February 2016

T5. Mr I McCrea asked the First Minister and deputy First Minister whether, if we had taken on board the Ulster Unionist Party’s suggestions as part of its Budget proposals for the last financial year, which were to use up the money from the social investment fund, we would have been able to deliver the projects that we have been able to deliver. (AQT 3405/11-16)

Photo of Martin McGuinness Martin McGuinness Sinn Féin

Rather than focusing on what other people do, whether in relation to a party voting against the Budget, or parties not voting against the Budget but uttering criticisms of it, we prefer to focus on what we are doing: constructively and positively delivering for communities. Of course, the social investment fund has a bottom-up approach, in which local communities identify their priorities. We have been happy to go with that. There have been criticisms in the House about delay, but the delay is about getting it right. These are huge amounts of money, and we need to be sure that they are being spent properly in the interests of all of our people.

You can clearly see from the projects that are being rolled out that they are having, and will have, a very positive effect in communities. I remember an SDLP Member for West Belfast, at the beginning, when the social investment fund was being spoken about, trying to make out that it was a slush fund for paramilitaries. I think that the working out of all of this, and the very careful nature of how it is dealt with, has proven that statement to be totally and absolutely wrong. The social investment fund is bringing, and will continue to bring, huge benefits to local communities. It is they who have made the decisions, and all the projects that have been put forward thus far are highly creditable.

Photo of Mitchel McLaughlin Mitchel McLaughlin Speaker

Ian McCrea for a very quick supplementary.

Photo of Ian McCrea Ian McCrea DUP

Obviously, the £1·4 million investment from the social investment fund into my constituency is something that I welcome. I take it from the deputy First Minister's answer that he does not want to get into the, "He said, she said" aspect of those who were for and against it. Does the deputy First Minister believe that those who would oppose such a measure, or who intend or propose an alternative use for it, are, in essence, saying that they do not believe that these projects are good projects and that the Executive should re-prioritise their Budget?

Photo of Martin McGuinness Martin McGuinness Sinn Féin

There has been criticism from the party that the Member has identified. I think that that criticism was wrong-headed. Clearly, these projects, whether in mid-Ulster or elsewhere, will bring enormous benefits to local communities. It ill behoves anybody in the House to try to undermine projects that we are funding on foot of communities having identified for us developments in their areas which would bring them enormous benefits.