Tom Buchanan
West Tyrone · Democratic Unionist Party · Northern Ireland
“However, the Bill must give hydro operators clarity and confidence, through a sustainable licensing framework with long-term regulatory certainty, to enable them to invest and upgrade, modernise and improve fish pass technology.”
“I note that quite a bit of work in the Bill falls to the Department with regard to monitoring, enforcement and scientific assessment, which will require adequate resourcing. <BR /> <BR />The Bill must strike the right balance between encouraging investment and protecting sensitive freshwater habitats.”
“I welcome the opportunity to say a few words at Second Stage of the Fisheries, Aquaculture and Water Environment Bill. It is overdue legislation, which touches on three interlinked systems: commercial fisheries; growing the aquaculture sector; and the wider water environment, with an ambition to modernise regulation while supporting susta…”
“<BR /> <BR />Hydro schemes and hydropower to produce clean energy that will contribute to decarbonisation targets must be catered for in the Bill, with a clear vision for their future expansion. Those are not abstract infrastructure projects but local assets that generate clean renewable energy while supporting employment in rural areas.”
“Minister, under your watch, many miles of posts and wire fencing were put up along the A5 western transport corridor. However, in the past few weeks, a good bit of that has been removed by a mechanical digger and pushed into a pile for dumping.”
“In reality, however, every notice, every new form and every new administrative step will be another cost to councils. We simply cannot keep relying on councils to pick up the cost. We cannot pretend that council budgets are elastic, with plenty of stretch left in them. As is the case in many other sectors, councils are under pressure.”
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“However, it appears that the community and voluntary sector is the easy target. They are the people being targeted by Departments. I believe that Ministers could look within their own Department to see whether funding could be cut from other areas without having the same knock-on effect, but it appears that some Ministers and Departments are prepared to take the easy option and cut where it will hurt the most. <BR /> <BR />Of course, there is an added problem here. We are being fined £2 million weekly because Sinn Féin failed to honour its commitment to the Stormont House Agreement and sign up to welfare reform. That situation costs the Executive £2 million a week, friend. It costs £2 million a week — maybe we should say it again so that Sinn Féin gets to understand how much its failure to honour its commitment is costing the Executive.”
“I apologise for not being here for the earlier part of the debate. I was caught up in another event. I welcome the opportunity to speak in the debate. The community and voluntary sector across Northern Ireland is the lifeblood of the Province. Those organisations play a strategic role in their respective communities, yet it is so easy for Departments to cut and hack at their funding without due care and consideration, and without thinking through the implications for the organisations and the people who use them. <BR /> <BR />The community and voluntary sector, through a small amount of funding, is able to provide an invaluable service for those in most need, especially in isolated rural areas. We are all well aware that Departments have suffered funding cuts and that they have to live within their budgets. Nobody is denying that.”
“I thank the Minister for his response. Can he outline what particular conditions he envisages progress being made with?”
“I thank the Minister for his statement. How do you intend to encourage voluntary participation within the target groups? With regard to 2030 being the chosen target date set for measuring the success of the strategic objectives, should there not be a secondary, interim goal to measure the effectiveness of the objectives, for instance around 2025?”
“I thank the Minister for her answers so far. Does she agree that the extension of the gas network to the west will not only be a significant boost to existing businesses but will be an attraction for new businesses and a help to inward investment in the west?”
“As an economic driver going forward, it makes good business sense. By recruiting more women, the workforce talent pool is enlarged, which ensures that recruiters can employ the best staff they need for their work. Women make up half the population. By having such a small group of women employed in the STEM industrial sector, businesses miss out on the needs of customers, as their staff are male-dominated and are not best placed to understand the needs of female customers. <BR /> <BR />I believe that there is a way forward. There is something that the Minister, his Department and his Executive colleagues need to do. It is time that something was moving and something was put in place to address the imbalance that we have. I support the motion.”
“In the UK, the Women in to Science and Engineering (WISE) campaign actively seeks to increase the gender balance in the UK's STEM workforce from 13% to 20% by 2020. In light of the types of body that have been set up in other places, I feel that it is time for a similar body to be put in place specifically to address this problem in Northern Ireland. Today, I call on the Minister to develop a DEL-backed collaborative project in conjunction with the main universities here to bring together all the main stakeholders of government, business and education to have a focused, progressive and innovative approach to redressing the imbalance. <BR /> <BR />It is imperative that this is done as soon as possible to encourage females into the STEM sector. Women are very important to the STEM sector.”
“To realistically achieve that, I agree with the suggestions in the report by Queen's University entitled 'Addressing Gender Balance - Reaping the Gender Dividend in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics', which was published in 2013. It pushes for a greater collaborative effort by businesses, government and education to engage, encourage and inspire young women and girls. Collaboration is the key point. <BR /> <BR />We need to look to other countries that have already seriously started to address the issue. In the United States of America, the National Girls Collaborative Project was set up to actively promote girls' participation in STEM projects, culminating in STEM careers. That body addressed all the issues that have detracted from a workforce in which women lead the way in STEM.”
“Many jobs are seen as traditionally female or traditionally male, and that entrenched notion has filtered down many generations. To change that, we need to break the pattern by radically addressing the underlying issues that lead to such imbalance in our workforce. <BR /> <BR />The future success of the Northern Ireland economy depends on increasing numbers of skilled workers in the STEM sector. That means that we must encourage all our young people, especially girls, into that area. Of course, that starts at the primary school level. Rather than persuading our girls to go down more traditional routes, we need to actively promote all school subjects as being enjoyable and accessible to all.”
“It is a known fact that gender imbalance is an age-old problem that has increasingly been highlighted across the board, especially in science, technology, engineering and mathematical courses. It is, I suppose, inconceivable that men outnumber women in high-level STEM positions by nearly 3:1, but that stark reality goes deeper than the high-level positions. In most spheres of life and for a number of reasons, women have been relegated to the sidelines and have got used to watching on as men fulfil roles and do jobs that they feel they are incapable of doing. Many underlying beliefs accompany that gender imbalance. Traditionally, from an early age, there are roles that are seen as male and those that are seen as female. That is also transferred into the workplace.”
“I do not want the Minister to miss the mark, but the difficulty lies in how the Department handled this whole issue from the start. You may or may not be aware that my colleague Diane Dodds has already raised this with the European commissioner. Have you had any contact with the European commissioner? If so, what was the nature of that contact?”
“That is the challenge that we set out in the House this evening. Although the Agriculture Minister is taking the lead on this, the challenge is there for all the other Departments to come in and do their bit so that we can address the issue for the rural community.”
“That is where I believe the challenge lies, and it is out there for all the other Departments to make rural proofing a reality, for the benefit of the rural community and the people in those areas.”
“That work now needs to be developed further and built on. Figures show that MARA has visited some 14,000 households and helped deliver on the warm homes scheme, welfare benefits and boiler replacements to a total of £3·2 million. Its strength and success is its ability to tap into local knowledge and expertise and to do so quickly and effectively. <BR /> <BR />As we move forward in addressing the issue in rural areas, it is important to note what other stakeholders said when they came before the Committee. The Ulster Farmers' Union said:”
“Isolation, loneliness and economic pressures have had a substantial impact on farming families and the entire rural community. The Northern Ireland continuous household survey highlighted the fact that not only is there a growing number of people living alone but the number of people between the ages of 16 and 59 who live alone has doubled in the past 30 years. There is no doubt that that, along with the ageing population, is a contributing factor to rural isolation and loneliness. The challenge to all Departments is to work in tandem with each another to deliver for those who find themselves in such circumstances. <BR /> <BR />It is only right and proper that we acknowledge and recognise the good work that has been done through the Rural Community Network and the MARA project, as so many in the Chamber have done this evening.”
“Year on year, they have been squeezed so far as getting a reasonable price for their product is concerned and that, added to the difficulties posed by banks, has left many farming families struggling. Indeed, it has driven some to the point of despair.”
“We have seen that happen with the TRPSI programme. <BR /> <BR />Unfortunately, poverty and isolation exist throughout all arts and parts of Northern Ireland, and there is no one-size-fits-all solution to that problem. In urban areas, for example, a clear trend of poverty and isolation exists in certain geographical boundaries, where there are areas of affluence and poverty. While those areas can be fairly easily defined and initiatives can be put in place to target the problem, it is not the same in rural areas as no such boundaries exist, which leaves it much more difficult to tackle the problems that rural dwellers face. <BR /> <BR />No one in the House will be under any illusion as to the pressure that the farming community has been under over the past few years.”
“As a Member of the Agriculture Committee, I welcome the opportunity to speak on the motion. At the outset, I would like to thank the Committee staff for all their work, the researchers and all the stakeholders who made inputs to the inquiry. <BR /> <BR />For many who live in insolated rural areas, the tackling rural poverty and social isolation framework has been a welcome initiative that has provided much practical help and support for those who are in real need. Minimising poverty, inequality, social exclusion and disadvantage, especially among vulnerable groups in isolated rural communities, is a policy priority in the rural White Paper action plan, and there is no doubt that, through the TRPSI framework, there is clear evidence that policy documents can become a reality and provide tangible benefits for those in greatest need.”
“I thank the Minister for his answer. Does he agree that it is an essential qualification that post-primary schools should be taking up?”
“Minister, progress has been slow and very frustrating. You said that it would be open by 2020: is that subject to funding, or will it take place on the ground in 2020?”
“One of the difficulties in some isolated rural areas is still access to broadband. How do you see this addressing that issue in areas where there is still a black spot as far as broadband is concerned?”
“— the change that is required for the economy and for the young people in that area.”
“Ulster University has a reputation for work-based access, and I believe that that is the route to the future for our children, who will come out of university equipped with all the necessary tools to gain meaningful employment in the area. If we want to address all the difficulties in the north-west, we must work together to bring about —”
“The traditional roles of separate, autonomous institutions will have to merge ideas and strategies to change the educational landscape. In a rapidly changing world, collaboration is key to success in the educational spectrum. <BR /> <BR />Forging links with industry and business is fundamental to the Ulster University. Its portfolios of courses are vocationally applied to match industrial needs. For the duration of courses, employability is always in mind. All the university programmes are continuously re-evaluated, and professional practice is a core part of university degrees, with designated hours of work-based learning as component modules. Businesses are encouraged to work alongside the university to develop their work-based learning programmes, which, in turn, meet the needs of local employers through their input into the courses.”
“<BR /> <BR />The One Plan seeks to address the underlying issues that have contributed to the vicious circle of negativity. Core problem elements are emphasised and clearly identified aims are outlined in the plan. It is now the responsibility of the Minister for Employment and Learning to examine all the options for supporting the One Plan target that are at his disposal. Despite the aims and objectives clearly outlined in the One Plan, the reality is that, without funding and investment, none of it can be implemented. Most of the funding for that ambitious plan will come from the public purse. With that in mind, a more flexible format of higher education in the north-west is necessary, and its design and delivery must move towards a more community-focused partnership.”
“I do not disagree with the Member at all. <BR /> <BR />It is my belief that, if we, as an Assembly, are truly serious about redressing the imbalance in our country, we have to have the foresight and vision to strategically address the spectrum of issues in the long term. Right across Northern Ireland, there appears to be an apathetic acceptance that the north-west is an area of deprivation and will continue to be so. It is up to us, as political representatives, to change our outlook and begin to believe that we do not have to accept the status quo and that, step by step, that must and will change. Sometimes the negativity is brought about by public representatives who present a poor image of the area rather than coming forward and spelling out the good work that has been done.”
“It is known as an economic black spot and recognised for having the highest level of economic inactivity and poor infrastructure. We could go on and on. It is my belief that, if we, as an Assembly, are truly serious —”
“<BR /> <BR />It seems to me that this is where we must start to tackle the long-standing problems that previous generations have encountered. It is not too late to start to motivate, teach and enable children to understand that everything that they need to get out of the vicious cycle of social deprivation and neglect comes through change. They must change to bring about the long-term sustainability that is required. Within the ambitious aspirations and answers to the critical questions that the One Plan seeks to address, we need to examine the sources of funding for the project. Public finances will be the main driver behind implementing those changes. <BR /> <BR />The north-west of Northern Ireland has always been known for negative reasons.”
“<BR /> <BR />For long-term sustainability and to act as a catalyst for economic growth across the north-west, I call on the Assembly to look further than simply addressing the immediate issue. The expansion of Magee college will not be the answer to all the problems in the region; no one in the House is naive enough to believe that. To effect change in the long term, it is necessary to adopt a longer-term focus. The One Plan project is extremely ambitious. While I agree that it raises clear underlying issues, the amendment not only addresses the commitment of the One Plan ultimately to expand the Magee campus by 2020 but calls on the Minister for Employment and Learning to examine all the options available to him to ensure that the core elements of the plan are addressed within the remit of his Department.”
“Short-term measures needed to upskill this section of our society are addressed in the One Plan for Londonderry in the core area of education to the higher education sector. The skills agenda is core to the One Plan, which will help people, especially disadvantaged and unemployed people, to get into work and remain in the workplace. Higher education, however, is only one strand of an interconnected band of issues that can contribute to driving economic growth in the north-west. The One Plan highlights key areas that are necessary for renewal in the north-west and incorporates economic, social and physical elements within its boundaries. The key focus is on building a stronger and more vibrant economy. We can all aspire to that for this area.”
“Increasingly, Ulster University has reflected current economic and employment needs in its portfolio of courses. It has worked with local employers to reflect the changing needs in the local economic area. This is one of the recommendations of the One Plan that is in process in the university. Collaboration potential between academia and business is a core element of the plan. For the future landscape of HE, traditional academic and cultural boundaries need to be transcended to improve access for people from across the community. In conjunction with that, links with FE and schools must always be strengthened. <BR /> <BR />On closer examination of the figures, we see that unemployment is constantly higher in the west of Northern Ireland. It is imperative that we tackle this unacceptably high level of unemployment.”
“It is good to see clearly identified aims and objectives that seek to redress the imbalance that has been out of sync with the rest of Northern Ireland for far too long. Ulster University at Magee has an increasing and commendable track record of placing graduates in employment. In line with the DEL HE strategy, all undergraduates need work experience as part of their course. Ulster University is in the process of implementing compulsory work placements and work-based learning in all its courses. These proactive measures, which are advantageous in improving a student's chance of employment in the future, are welcome. Any student will tell us that they will choose a programme of study that reflects a good return on the investment of time, energy and financial aspects during their study at university.”
“The north-west of Northern Ireland has suffered decades of neglect right across the board in infrastructure and skills. On behalf of my constituency of West Tyrone, I join the call for the Executive to support the collaborative efforts of balanced regional growth across the Province, looking objectively at the underlying core issues that mean that the north-west area of Northern Ireland consistently sits at the bottom of league tables for economic fundamentals. I suggest that these are engrained, long-standing issues that cannot be resolved overnight. <BR /> <BR />The One Plan is an ambitious project that seeks to address these problems. I agree with the core areas behind the One Plan commitment.”
“It is with that economic backdrop in mind that I believe that the best way to drive and expand economic growth in the north-west region of Northern Ireland is to incorporate a multi-agency approach whereby the Minister for Employment and Learning examines all the options for supporting the One Plan target.”
“I welcome the opportunity to speak in the debate and move the amendment to the motion. The reason for the amendment is simply that the original motion is full of aspiration that can only be delivered through significant investment from the public purse. Under the economic conditions that we find ourselves in, all Departments are restricted by their available resources.”
“Does the Minister not accept that it is a barrier, and that the barrier is discrimination against teachers from the Unionist community?”
“I thank the Minister for his response. Will he confirm that the boards of governors have supremacy in this matter? As Minister, does he recognise their independence?”
“How can we have any confidence in the system currently being used in the battle against TB when there is so much discrepancy in the figures for only one year?”
“First, I apologise for missing question 4. I was meeting the Minister for Employment and Learning and was not able to be here.”
“I want to thank all the Members and the Minister for their contributions. I support the motion.”
“<BR /> <BR />I am sure everyone here will agree that it has been a useful and very positive debate on this important issue.”
“As I said during my winding-up speech, in order to drive the economy forward and sustain the future of our colleges and universities, there must be greater employer engagement. I want to put that on record and hammer out that message from the House today. Not only do the Government need to be involved, not only do OFMDFM, the Executive and other Departments need to be involved, but we also need the colleges and universities themselves to make a greater effort to engage with employers to ensure that the right courses and training are being delivered to students, so that, when the training is done and they come out with a degree, there is employment for them to go to. That is what will motivate our young people to go into study. They will be motivated if they know that, at the end of it, they have a place of employment to go to.”
“Mr Anderson talked about the extra money that was found by the Finance Minister for the FE and HE sectors and urged the Employment and Learning Minister to use that money wisely. I have no doubt that the Minister got that message today from around the House: any extra money he gets must be used wisely by his Department. <BR /> <BR />Mr Nesbitt refocused the debate on helping Northern Ireland to grow the economy. He reminded the House of the high youth unemployment rates, which can be tackled only with an adequate FE and HE budget. Again, we are back to focusing on the budget. <BR /> <BR />Mr Allister showed support for the motion and spoke of the excellent input that the further and higher education colleges have to our economy.”
“<BR /> <BR />Ms McCorley made the point that colleges improve the life chances of young people across Northern Ireland and that the removal of any campuses due to cuts would be detrimental to the local community. <BR /> <BR />My colleague Mr Sydney Anderson, in endorsing the motion, emphasised that our universities and colleges are needed to rebalance Northern Ireland, both to make up for the underinvestment during the Troubles and to help move Northern Ireland away from a public-sector-dominated economy to one that is led and grown by a vibrant private sector. Key to all this is greater private-sector involvement; getting away from dependence on the public sector towards a more private-sector-driven economy. Again, the rebalancing of the economy is in the Programme for Government, and we should strive towards that end.”
“<BR /> <BR />My colleague Mr David Hilditch talked about how the work of colleges and universities can only benefit the work of the Executive in meeting their Programme for Government priorities, not only to develop our economy but also to help and support those in the most deprived areas. Indeed, Mr Hilditch very helpfully drew the attention of the debate to the good work that colleges and universities do in local communities. He noted the difficulties faced by the Minister in working with a reduced budget. That is something that we all have to bear in mind: the Minister is working with a reduced budget, and difficulties are going to have to be faced and overcome.”
“Yes, of course the colleges are extremely important, but I think that they have a bit of work to do themselves to look for employer engagement. The more employer engagement that they can get, the stronger they will be in the future. There are funding difficulties, and there will be funding difficulties. It is not going to be plain sailing. I believe that the colleges, as well as government, have a responsibility to look at how they can get more employer engagement for their future sustainability and the future benefit of our students, to get them out into the workplace to re-establish and build the economy.”
“He said that this could detrimentally affect young people, who could end up in the NEET category, and that goes completely against the Minister's NEETs strategy. <BR /> <BR />In supporting the motion, Anna Lo noted that Northern Ireland needs a highly skilled workforce and our colleges and universities are key to that. Ms Lo also made the point that failure to support the FE and HE sectors will increase the brain drain from Northern Ireland. Again, no one can argue with that.”
“<BR /> <BR />Mr Ramsey also referred to the recent briefing to the Committee for Employment and Learning by the Confucius Institute in the Ulster University. He rightly pointed to it as an example of how proactive China has been in supporting education, even outside its own borders, because it sees the benefits of that investment. Again, that is very true. He also made the argument that our colleges fill a vacuum for individuals, failed by our schools, who can gain some qualifications from their local college. He said that increased cuts could leave such young people stranded and have a detrimental effect on their future employment and the future of the economy, which is a real concern.”
“It is important that we have a stronger Department with an outward vision that can help to strengthen the sector and get it moving forward. <BR /> <BR />I also note Mr Ramsey's view that the Executive should do as much as they can to prevent students from leaving Northern Ireland to receive their education and pursue careers elsewhere. The challenge that this Department and Executive have is to do more to ensure that our students are kept in Northern Ireland, that they study here and that there is work for them when their studying is done. I think that one way to do that is through greater employer engagement. Pursuing that greater employer engagement may also need to be taken on board by further and higher education colleges, because that is one of the ways in which we can help to retain our young people here.”
“<BR /> <BR />I note Ms McGahan's support for lifelong learning and for the FE and HE sectors in supporting this and in developing people's self-confidence and employability, at whatever their level or age and across all barriers. If we want to increase the number of young people getting into employment, it is of course extremely important that support is given to build self-confidence in people across all barriers. <BR /> <BR />My colleague Mr Irwin focused on the importance of the Southern Regional College to his constituents and of the work of the FE and HE sectors, which have allowed Minister Foster to argue strongly for inward investment in Northern Ireland. Mr Irwin also made the point that the joining of DEL and DETI as one Department would help to strengthen this argument for the future.”