People in Northern Ireland are concerned about the state of the NHS, remain pessimistic on the cost of living, affordable housing and immigration, but are optimistic about AI’s potential to improve public services, according to a new report published today.
The State of the State 2026 is an annual report delivered by Deloitte and the independent think tank Re:State that examines attitudes to government and public services from the people who rely on them and the people who run them.
The research includes a survey by Ipsos UK of 5,847 UK adults aged 16-75, including over 500 in Northern Ireland, as well as in-depth interviews with more than 100 public sector leaders.
In this year’s report, Northern Ireland’s public sector leaders highlighted the need to accelerate the pace of transformation of public services while managing the expectations of the public over what can and will be delivered and called for decisive leadership from government.
Healthcare, cost of living and immigration top public priorities
When asked to name their priorities for improvement from a list of issues, the cost of living, the NHS, and immigration and border security topped the list in all parts of the UK. However, Northern Ireland was the only region where the NHS was the public’s biggest area of concern, cited by 79% of those surveyed, followed by the cost of living (75%) and immigration (52%). Next on the list in NI were the availability of affordable housing (46%) and social care (46%).
While people in NI were more satisfied than dissatisfied with local council services, schools and local amenities, satisfaction was down across almost all categories of public services when compared to the last time the question was asked in the 2020 survey.
People in NI had a higher level of dissatisfaction about hospitals and healthcare than England, Wales or Scotland, with 58% expressing dissatisfaction, compared with just 18% five years ago. A further 44% are dissatisfied with housing, up from 24% five years ago, and 44% were unhappy with the provision of social and care services for vulnerable people, up from 23% in 2020.
On a more positive note, people in Northern Ireland identified opportunities for Artificial Intelligence in public services and they are more optimistic than the rest of the UK that the use of AI and other advanced technologies will improve over the next few years (38% in NI think it will get better, vs the UK average of 32%). A quarter (26%) see it as more of an opportunity than a risk, 34% of people believe AI could help the public sector process information, 33% think it could reduce administration and 29% expect it to speed up delivery and reduce waiting times. However, 49% of people in NI also said they were concerned that AI might cause job losses and reduce human contact.
In compiling the report, Deloitte’s team spoke to more than 30 leaders across politics, government, public services, business and the voluntary sector in Northern Ireland. They informed extensive commentary in the report on issues such as the government’s financial position, the pace of delivery and transformation, net zero and the use of AI in Northern Ireland’s public sector.
Marie Doyle, office senior partner at Deloitte in Belfast, said: “My takeaway from this year’s report is a sense that Northern Ireland’s public want to see change, and our public sector leaders want to deliver it. Our interviews with officials and politicians alike found real clarity on what the sector can change to better serve the public. That is a positive sign and just one reason I’m optimistic for Northern Ireland’s future.
“While many of the big challenges facing the public sector, and society more generally, are well documented, the extent to which politicians, officials and the public seem willing to embrace new solutions and new technology, such as AI, provides encouragement that an innovative approach to service delivery will drive future change.”