“If the public increasingly believes devolved government exists only as a permanent stage for political grievance and managed outrage, confidence in the institutions themselves will continue to erode, regardless of what delivery statistics say.”06:00, 31 May 2026First Minister Michelle O’Neill MLA (right), and deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly MLA(Image: Liam McBurney/PA Wire)For the first time in quite a while, I found myself reading Stormont’s progress report with a degree of surprise.That is not because Northern Ireland’s problems have suddenly been solved. Far from it. Our waiting lists remain among the worst in these islands; families are still under immense financial…