Conor Murphy allocates £45m to NI councils as part of Stormont strategy

Mr Murphy has been economy minister since Stormont was restored in February 2024.

He set out a new economic strategy which prioritised regional balance, productivity, “good jobs” and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Mr Murphy acknowledged the funding for the 11 councils was a relatively modest amount of money to be spent over three years.

However he said it was also intended to provide a focus for councils and other local organisations to work together to set their own priorities.

“Spending the money is one part of it, another part of it is people coming together to define their economic needs, to work with the department, to work with Invest NI in terms of pursuing those needs,” Mr Murphy said.

The regional balance policy is aimed at improving economic performance in areas outside greater Belfast and includes an overhaul of Invest NI, the economic development agency.

Mr Murphy said that if inward investors were “fixated” on Belfast “we are not going to turn them away” but there were greater efforts to persuade people to set up in other areas.

He also suggested the hybrid working used by many technology firms would work in favour of that policy.

“The nature of some of those tech businesses is they can operate remotely so they don’t necessarily need to have their staff in a single location,” he added.

The “good jobs” element of the economic strategy will involve legislation to improve workers rights.