NEW DUP leader Arlene Foster said she wants to make Northern Ireland "the best part of the United Kingdom in which to live, work and raise a family".
In her Christmas message to DUP members and supporters, Mrs Foster said she wanted her three children to remain in the north when they grow up.
"I will work hard to ensure that our children grow up in a country they will be proud to call home," she said.
She said although the north has a highly educated and skilled workforce "I am conscious that there are still some people who feel left behind".
Mrs Foster said the DUP will work hard to "tackle educational underachievement, particularly amongst young boys".
"We will re-double our efforts to ensure practical and meaningful solutions are implemented to tackle this problem," she said.
She said free bus passes and winter fuel payments for pensioners will be safeguarded.
And Mrs Foster said she will support people affected by the Troubles.
"The Troubles affected our home in a way I will never forget or allow anyone to rewrite," she said.
She said she wanted the north to enter a "golden age" around the 100th anniversary of its formation in 2021.
"By working together we can do it," she said.
