Following the latest Assembly stage of the Fiscal Council Bill, the Upper Bann MLA said: “At a time when people are facing crumbling public services, record waiting lists and budgets stretched to breaking point, the Executive can ill-afford to keep spending hundreds of millions of pounds maintaining duplication and segregation. That is money that should be going into frontline services.

“The Alliance amendment would have empowered the Fiscal Council to independently assess the cost of maintaining duplicated and segregated services. It was a practical step to provide clear, evidence-based information to support better decision-making.

“When presented with this straightforward opportunity, Sinn Féin and the DUP blocked it. That suggests those parties are not serious about reform, but instead are allergic to scrutiny and unserious about transforming public services.

“Alliance will continue to press for openness, transparency and responsible budgeting, and for a long-overdue conversation about how to tackle the cost of division and build a more shared, integrated and united community.”