The Lagan Valley MLA has said: “I was asked last week to detail the top three issues facing Northern Ireland right now. My answer was health, education and the economy. All three require a shared island approach if we are to deliver better for people here.

“For example, a constituent of mine has a young child who had to travel to Manchester for cancer care treatment. At her lowest and most vulnerable point, she had to go on a commercial flight with all the potential to pick up bugs and infections, rather than having access to care on this island. A more cross-border working could transform the experience of patients and their families.

“In terms of our economy, we need to utilise relationships north and south to allow our businesses to grow and export on an even bigger scale. Invest NI should be working in collaboration with IDA Ireland, rather than trying to compete with it.

“In education, we must encourage our young people to explore all their options and the potential opportunities on offer from opting to study at institutions throughout the island.

“At the core of Alliance’s principal values is a dedication to delivering better for everyone based on reconciliation and a shared future. In order to do so, we must remove the barriers to that kind of progress, whether that's looking east-west or north-south, and strive to capture the benefits of all-island cooperation.”