Committee publication · Correspondence · 4 March 2026
Correspondence from NICCY relating to Local Growth fund, dated 23 February 2026.
Summary
Chris Quinn, Commissioner for Children and Young People (NICCY), writes to express serious concern about a 64% reduction in Local Growth Fund allocations and a shift to a 30% revenue/70% capital model. Quinn argues these changes will severely damage vulnerable children and young people in Northern Ireland, affecting 24,000 beneficiaries and putting 64 organisations and 400–650 jobs at risk, and requests the committee make representation to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to reverse the decisions.
Key findings
- A confirmed 64% overall reduction in Local Growth Fund funding will have 'profound and deeply damaging consequences' for vulnerable children and young people in Northern Ireland, with no adequate child rights impact assessment undertaken.
- The shift to a 30% revenue/70% capital funding model fails to recognise that youth and community work is relational, intensive and people-driven rather than infrastructure-driven.
- Sector analysis shows 24,000 beneficiaries will be affected, 64 organisations are at risk, and 400–650 skilled workers face redundancy.
- Northern Ireland faces unique challenges: one in four children living in poverty, 19,500 children legally homeless, record numbers in the care system, and intergenerational trauma from conflict legacy.
- Community-based services funded through the Local Growth Fund provide early intervention for children facing homelessness, addiction, trauma, and exploitation, preventing escalation into crisis and safeguarding systems.
Tone
CriticalTopics
Key actors
Chris Quinn, Office of the Commissioner for Children and Young People (NICCY), Tonia Antoniazzi MP, Northern Ireland Affairs Committee, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, Northern Ireland Executive, Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
Notable line
“… the Local Growth Fund is not merely a financial instrument — it is a safety net. It is essential that the Government honours its responsibility to uphold children's rights and ensures that no child …”
Key Quotes
“The confirmed 64% overall reduction in funding, alongside the shift to a 30% revenue / 70% capital model, represents not only a severe withdrawal of vital community support but also a decision taken without an adequate child rights impact assessment.”
“These services save lives and create genuine pathways into education, training, and employment, preventing escalation into crisis, safeguarding systems, or criminal exploitation.”
“A shift toward capital-heavy investment fails to recognise the reality that youth and community work is relational, intensive and people ‑ driven, not infrastructure-driven.”
“At a time when criminal gangs continue to exploit vulnerable young people, when trauma remains an everyday reality in many communities, and when statutory services are already overstretched, the removal of this lifeline is not just short ‑ sighted — it is dangerous.”
“… the Local Growth Fund is not merely a financial instrument — it is a safety net. It is essential that the Government honours its responsibility to uphold children's rights and ensures that no child or young person is left further behind.”
Source · parliament.uk record ↗