Alex Easton
North Down · Independent · Northern Ireland
“I, too, want to raise the issue of Bright Sparks Preschool, which is a feeder preschool for Crawfordsburn Primary School. Last Wednesday, the Education Minister visited Bright Sparks to hear about its excellent work and see all the pupils in the preschool.”
“<BR /> <BR />My annoyance is that I have met the Education Authority with Bright Sparks many times over the past several years, and there has been a lack of effort by the Education Authority to find a solution for a building that it owns.”
“The map shown in the consultation included the entire Newry, Mourne and Down District Council area, which has nothing to do with the South Eastern Trust area. <BR /> <BR />We therefore know that the consultation and the equality impact assessment were a farce and a foregone conclusion.”
“<BR /> <BR />The South Eastern Trust proceeded to say what its plans were. Closure, with the announcement of a new minor injury unit at the Ulster Hospital site, was the only option.”
“How accurate my prediction was: the Bangor minor injury unit never reopened its doors. It was stripped of its equipment even before the consultation was finished.”
“I quote two Alliance councillors, who said that the units had not been "of any use". If they were of no use, why did 22,000 people use the two minor injury units at their height? <BR /> <BR />Over 20,000 people signed a public petition opposed to the closure of the units.”
The complete record
Every one of 630 lines we hold for Alex Easton, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 2 of 13.
“I thank the Minister for his answer. I know that the permanent secretary has not given him back any paperwork yet. Will he be launching the consultation on the independent living fund over the next week or two, before he leaves office, and looking at possibly reopening it to new applicants in the future?”
“I thank the Minister for his answer. I am particularly pleased to hear that a minor injuries unit will be considered for the community care centre. The current Bangor minor injuries unit has been closed for two years and, unless you, the Health Minister, tell the South Eastern Trust to reopen it, I fear that it may not reopen until a community care centre is built. I ask the Minister to speak to the South Eastern Trust to reopen the Bangor minor injuries unit.”
“Christopher was a wonderful character and an eccentric. He was somebody who, if you were walking past his room, would have called you in, sat you down and chatted away to you. He was a wonderful man, and we will all really miss him. For me, the most important thing to remember about Christopher is that he had his Christian faith. That is why I know, with some comfort, that one day I will meet him again.”
“One day when we were out canvassing for Peter for the 2003 Assembly election, it was pouring with rain, and Christopher and I had been left to cover an area on our own. Christopher turned round to me and said, "Stuff this. Let's go and get a pint of Guinness", so we went and got a pint of Guinness and put the world to rights. Unfortunately, Peter, that happened a few times, so I apologise to you.”
“I wish to pass on my deepest condolences to Laura and the four children and to the Democratic Unionist Party. Christopher was born to be a politician. All of us knew how passionate he was about South Belfast and the people whom he represented. He was a wonderful individual. He had a mischievous side to him as well, which I will touch on in a wee second. He was articulate, intelligent, humorous and loyal to the DUP, his friends, the Orange Order and Ulster. He was a loyal Ulsterman. He also had his faith, which was very important to him. <BR /> <BR />I knew Christopher for over 20 years. When Peter Weir joined the DUP, I came to know Christopher, because he worked for Peter in the office. One side to Christopher that you maybe did not see was his mischievous side.”
“I thank the Minister for her answers so far. Minister, at a time when the police are undermanned, under-resourced and morale is at an all-time low, is it not up to you to find the money to fund police recruitment so that we can tackle issues of law and order across Northern Ireland?”
“Although I will continue to campaign for stronger sentences for those who are cruel to animals, the Bill is a step in the right direction, and I am delighted to be able to support it today.”
“They include the USPCA, Assisi Animal Sanctuary, the Dogs Trust, the Kennel Club, K9 Search and Rescue NI, IFAW, Battersea Dogs and Cats Home, the Mid Antrim Animal Sanctuary and many other small charities, organisations and rescue centres throughout Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK. I also thank the over 44,000 members of the public who signed the petition calling for the law to be enacted in Northern Ireland. <BR /> <BR />Finally, I thank the Minister, who has kept his word to me that he would bring the Bill to the Assembly. The use of accelerated passage is welcome. I am eternally grateful to him on the issue, and I really mean that. I am so pleased that the campaign has been successful.”
“An animal cruelty register is another idea that has been raised in the course of the debates, and I believe that that should be explored in more detail. <BR /> <BR />Before I conclude my remarks, I will thank some people who got us to where we are today and who have had real influence in bringing Finn's law to Northern Ireland. We would not be here today without Bernadette Kelly from Northern Ireland Finn's law, who has worked tirelessly and often on her own to make this happen. I also thank those who responded to the public consultation and gave their views on the issues, notably the PSNI, the Prison Service and the National Search and Rescue Dog Association. Further to that, many other organisations gave their backing to Finn's law.”
“Sentences given to offenders for cruelty to animals are, in my view, generally too lenient. For example, the individual who attacked Finn and his handler was given only an eight-month sentence. That is just wrong. I thank the Minister, who explained the sentencing, and we might be able to pursue that down the line, hopefully. I would like more detailed consideration by the Department of Justice of toughening the sentences. I believe that a public consultation would demonstrate the strength of feeling about this issue. Ideally, I would like a sentence of up to five years in prison for those who are cruel to our animals. This is now called Finn's law part two, and I will personally continue to campaign for that.”
“Search and rescue dogs perform a vital function and deserve to be protected. That is especially true in Northern Ireland. I believe that they are at a greater risk here than in other parts of the United Kingdom, given the people whom they may be searching for. I therefore had initial concerns regarding the omission of search and rescue dogs that are used by private companies and volunteer organisations. However, I am reassured that search and rescue dogs that are engaged for police purposes will benefit from the added protections in the Bill and that that is in line with the laws in the rest of the UK. <BR /> <BR />One issue that I take with the Bill is that it does not make provision for increased penalties for those found guilty of the offence. I want that to be pursued.”
“The Bill removes the ability to use that argument. It amends the Welfare of Animals Act (Northern Ireland) 2011 to remove that defence if the animal that suffered was under the control of an officer at the time that the cruelty occurred, the animal was performing reasonable duties in line with its role as a service dog, and the defendant accused of the harm is not the officer in charge of the animal. I am also pleased that the Bill does not apply only to dogs but to any service animal. While I believe that dogs are the only animal to be used for that purpose in Northern Ireland at present, it is good that that is left open to other types of animals, if there were ever to be a change in the future. <BR /> <BR />I had concerns about what types of service animals would be protected in the Bill.”
“It is fair to say that the law is somewhat overdue. It is also the right thing to do. At times, these animals put their life on the line to keep us safe. They are loyal, dedicated and brave. So much time, effort and love is put into their training. It is only right that we repay them with the Bill. <BR /> <BR />My main hope for the Bill is that it will lead to an increased number of convictions for this offence in our courts. I believe that that will happen, as the Bill creates a specific offence that can be used to charge people. Crucially, it removes the fear and self-defence argument that is so often used to get away with cruelty to animals. That defence was used in Finn's case to argue that the person had not caused unnecessary suffering to an animal and that it was for the purpose of protecting themselves.”
“Due to the lack of a specific offence of causing harm to service dogs, the individual who attacked Finn was charged with the offence of criminal damage. Everyone here will know that the life of their beloved pet means far more than a broken window. Finn and other service animals like him are brave animals, not merely property. That is why I am extremely pleased to stand here today to discuss Finn's law and the Bill. <BR /> <BR />The legislation will bring us in line with the rest of the United Kingdom. In 2019, Finn's law received Royal Assent in England and Wales. Scotland has also introduced its own laws on the issue. As a nation of animal lovers, it is only right that we join countries such as Austria, Germany, Australia, the Netherlands and Switzerland in protecting our brave service animals.”
“He received a People's Dispensary for Sick Animals (PDSA) gold medal and was named as the International Fund for Animal Welfare's (IFAW) animal of the year in 2017 in the House of Lords, and he got an award at the annual Crufts dog show.”
“I am extremely delighted to speak on the Bill today. It is not long since I tabled a motion that asked for this very legislation to be introduced. Therefore, I will begin my speech by briefly recapping on how we got here. <BR /> <BR />Finn, a police Alsatian dog, was stabbed in October 2016 during an arrest. In the incident, he protected his handler and ensured that the individual who harmed him did not get away. Finn was lucky to be alive afterwards, and he required four and a half hours of life-saving surgery and 11 weeks of recovery. Finn is clearly an incredibly brave service dog. He has since retired and has rightly been recognised in a variety of ways.”
“Does it not make sense to reopen the Bangor minor injuries unit and take the pressure off the Ulster Hospital accident and emergency department?”
“I thank the Minister for his answer. I asked that question and have raised the matter on numerous occasions with him because of my deep concern at the number of patients attending the accident and emergency department in the Ulster Hospital. It is continually overflowing. We have the situation in which GPs send people to A&Es because of the COVID crisis, when, in the past, they may have seen them —”
“I welcome the detail in the Minister's statement. Having spoken to the Dorrian family this morning, I know that they feel the same as I do about your statement, so thank you. <BR /> <BR />Minister, you mentioned legislation similar to Helen's law. Can you outline the differences between your proposals and Helen's law across the water?”
“<BR /> <BR />I want to bring to the attention of the House today that I have contacted the Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, the council and the Northern Ireland Environment Agency because there needs to be serious investigation into why healthy trees are being cut down when this Assembly is meant to be taking climate change seriously. We are meant to be planting more trees, yet we find that, on a government agency site, healthy, mature trees are being cut down, affecting protected wildlife. It is a very serious incident indeed.”
“I want to inform the House of a serious incident that happened at Grey Point Fort in Helen's Bay, which is a Northern Ireland Environment Agency site. Anyone who knows the history of that site will know that is to do with the First and Second World Wars and will know the importance of the forest and wildlife around that fort. Therefore, they will be alarmed to hear that dozens of mature trees, species such as oak, sycamore, birch and elm, with no disease have been cut down. That has had a serious impact on the protected wildlife that lives in that forest.”
“<BR /> <BR />I am pleased that water quality in north Down appears to be improving, but there is still some way to go. It can be done in small ways such as through better sewerage infrastructure and better enforcement of existing laws on issues like littering. However, we also need to be ambitious and think of conducting a survey of Belfast lough or introducing marine protected areas. Such things are not unrealistic, and we must strive for them.”
“That would give us a better idea of wildlife population numbers as well as information regarding pollution and water quality. It would also potentially enable us to reintroduce in large numbers animals and fish such as the thornback ray, which it would be possible to breed at the Exploris Aquarium in Portaferry. <BR /> <BR />It is our duty to ensure the sustainability of Belfast lough and maintain the overall water quality for our marine life, for those who use the lough, such as anglers, and for the members of the public who enjoy it. There is no reason why Belfast lough cannot be a hub for wildlife. It is our job to attempt to correct the damage that has been done so that we leave the generations following us a safe and thriving coastline to enjoy. I am passionate about the issue, and I hope to continue to push the Department on it.”
“Better enforcement or harsher penalties for littering incidents along our shores could go some way to preventing scenes like that. I was glad to see that that seal was picked up in Scotland and had the tin can removed. That vigilance in Scotland is something to be thankful for. <BR /> <BR />Commercial fishing is a huge problem on Belfast lough and negatively impacts on our marine ecosystem. I have called for a marine protected area in the north Down area, and I reiterate that call. For instance, the thornback ray was once abundant in Belfast lough. From discussions with local anglers, it is clear that the population has been decimated; in fact, it is probably extinct in Belfast lough now. A thorough survey of marine life in Belfast lough is needed.”
“The investigations triggered by such reports can close bathing areas in the interest of public safety until the quality of water that has been found to be unsafe improves. <BR /> <BR />Water quality is not simply about the quality of the water itself but about the greater environmental repercussions of changes to our marine ecosystems. I would, therefore, like to discuss the impact of water quality on marine life and its implications for people. Pollution is clearly an issue for marine life. Only a few weeks ago, we saw distressing images of a seal in Belfast lough with a tin can stuck in its lower jaw. The seal was in danger of serious injury or death. It was a horrible incident that none of us here would like to see repeated.”
“I appreciate that signs have been put up by the council warning people of the fines that they may receive for such actions, but I question how often they are imposed. Visible neighbourhood policing is a wider problem, but the lack of policing and oversight at our coastal areas means that there are no deterrents for such actions. It is all well and good to have signs, but no one will adhere to them if there is seen to be a lack of enforcement. <BR /> <BR />An aspect of the issue that requires more promotion is how the public can go about reporting incidents of pollution at the coast. That is not common knowledge, and reporting is not something that people instinctively think to do. Of course, it would be of great help.”
“<BR /> <BR />However, there are other forms of pollution affecting not just Ballyholme but all areas of the North Down coastline that are far easier to take control of. For instance, dog fouling, littering and fly-tipping in North Down are issues that are raised constantly with me. They are often, but not always, related to our coastal areas as they are more general problems. Dogs run free on the beaches, and owners do not always pick up after them. Litter is, unfortunately, all too common. Fly-tipping near rivers and our beaches is not an uncommon sight.”
“However, it remains vulnerable to pollution from agricultural run-off and overflows from the waste water treatment network. <BR /> <BR />I am aware of five recent pollution incidents: one in Holywood, one in Crawfordsburn, two in the river that flows through Ward Park and then out into the sea, and, as my colleague mentioned, quite a serious incident in Millisle. An incident in Helen's Bay was reported in the 'County Down Spectator' newspaper only last week. I know that that is something that the Department has been investigating, and I am pleased that there is ongoing work to the sewerage systems in Bangor that may contribute to improving the quality of water at Ballyholme beach in particular.”
“I thank the Member for securing this Adjournment topic; well done. I also thank the Economy Minister for attending. <BR /> <BR />I am pleased that, this year, water quality in North Down never fell below satisfactory. That is maybe not good enough, but, as Members have said, it is still an improvement. In most places, for the vast majority of the bathing season, water quality was rated as excellent by the Department. That is an improvement on last year, when, for example, Ballyholme in my constituency achieved only an overall rating of sufficient. I note that the water quality in Ballyholme has improved significantly over the past five years. In 2016 and 2017, it was rated as poor and failed to reach compliance with the 2006 water bathing directive.”
“<BR /> <BR />I highlight that to the Education Minister so that she will take action to ensure that two new Portakabins are brought to the school as soon as possible. I also ask the Minister to visit St Columbanus' College to try to resolve all the issues.”
“St Columbanus' College is a secondary school in my constituency. It is 62 years old, it has a population of 810 pupils, and it is growing every year. <BR /> <BR />Well before the summer break, two portable classrooms in the school were declared to be in a bad state and taken out of commission by the Education Authority. Since then, there has been no attempt by the Education Authority to put two new mobile classrooms in place. As a result, the school has to use the assembly hall for technology and science classes, which is affecting hundreds of pupils, and has to hold music classes in the assembly hall because of social distancing. That has the knock-on effect that PE can no longer take place there. If that is not bad enough, the library has had to shut so that sixth-form classes can take place.”
“I call on the Executive to block any attempt to cull our badger population.”
“There is also better testing that can be done with our cattle, and there is better protection in the movement of cattle. Adding that to the vaccination programme will help to reduce the incidence of TB. I am the farmers' friend, and farmers should still be compensated while we look into the vaccination programme as the way to go. <BR /> <BR />Eighty-five per cent of farmers who took part in a survey on badger vaccination said that they were willing to allow the vaccination programme to happen on their land. Therefore, even farmers are not totally in favour of a badger cull. <BR /> <BR />In conclusion, I want to send a message that the Assembly needs to have a mature debate about this.”
“That is not acceptable. Other animals carry TB. Foxes and deer carry TB. In fact, even cattle carry TB and can pass it on to other cattle. So, it is very unfair that badgers are being taken in isolation for a proposed cull by DAERA. <BR /> <BR />Culls in England, Wales and the Republic of Ireland have proven to be totally unsuccessful. In England, they have culled 140,000 badgers, and it has made very little difference to TB in the cattle population. Why are we not learning these lessons? There is a vaccination programme, and England, Scotland, Wales and the Republic of Ireland are now turning to that programme, realising that they have made a big mistake with the culling of badgers and that the vaccination programme is the way to go.”
“Thank you, Mr Speaker, for allowing me to present a petition of 3,606 people, mostly from my constituency of North Down, who are opposed to DAERA's consultation on culling badgers to tackle TB. <BR /> <BR />The Assembly has to tackle TB, and we need to help farmers, but, when there is an alternative to the culling of badgers through a vaccination programme, we have to look seriously at it. That is the positive way to go. I am passionate about this issue, and I cannot support a badger cull. <BR /> <BR />There are only 43,000 badgers in the Northern Ireland countryside. That is not a huge population. If the cull goes ahead across Northern Ireland, it will put the badger population at serious risk. Some 80% of badgers do not carry TB, yet that 80% will be at risk, because they will be culled whether or not they have TB.”
“Not only is that an illogical defence in the context of this specific Bill, but it is, frankly, insulting, especially to the victims and their families who have been impacted by those appointments. <BR /> <BR />To conclude, MLAs must decide whether they value victim-makers above victims. Like Ann's Law, it is about protecting victims from the hurt of seeing victim-makers elevated as role models who are fit to oversee education and policing. I entirely support the Bill and its aims. I am pleased to see it come before the Assembly for Second Stage. I wish the Bill and the Member in charge of it well. Let us, therefore, send out the message that right still has a place in our society.”
“Their anger and upset over those appointments should be at the forefront of our minds when we think about this legislation. In speaking out against those appointments, those individuals articulated what most people in our society think. For example, how can we morally justify taxpayers funding people with serious criminal convictions serving on public bodies? We currently have a system by which attempted murderers can be funded in public roles by those they tried to kill and their families. That is just not right. <BR /> <BR />Before I conclude my remarks, I will say that I find the position of the likes of the SDLP and Sinn Féin disappointing, but I am not surprised by it. I note that they have attempted to justify their stance by claiming to be against discrimination of any kind.”
“As I said earlier, checks are already undertaken for ministerial appointments to those bodies. It is therefore clear that those checks are deemed to be proportionate for the size and purpose of those public bodies. In that context, it is hard to argue against the logic of screening all members of the Policing Board or Education Authority rather than just some of their members, as is the case at present. It is fundamentally unfair to have different standards for prospective appointees to public bodies. <BR /> <BR />Another inclusion that I am pleased to see in the Bill is the recognition of the views of victims and their families. I am sure that everyone here is aware of recent cases in which victims have spoken out against certain appointments to the public bodies mentioned in the Bill.”
“Yes. I thank the Member for his comments. Indeed, there are an awful lot of double standards and hypocrisy right across these issues, and this is an attempt by the Member to start to rectify some of that. <BR /> <BR />I find that requirement to be entirely in keeping with the code of practice that non-political appointments must adhere to. Willingness to show remorse and assist in investigations are surely a basic test of somebody's moral rigor and honesty. <BR /> <BR />Another section of the code that I found to be of interest was "Proportionality", which states:”
“Given that the Member in charge of the Bill has included a requirement for the remorse displayed by the offender and the efforts in assisting with the investigation of this case to be examined when an appointment is reviewed, —.”
“That, in itself, is problematic as there are people sitting on the same public body who were appointed as a result of meeting different criteria. I deem that to be unfair. <BR /> <BR />I am sure that Members are aware of the seven key principles of the code, but I feel that some parts of it warrant repeating. Under the principle of "Integrity", the code states:”
“I also wish to highlight the minimal financial cost associated with the Bill. To me, this is simply a case of doing the right thing. There are no excuses for Members of the Assembly who fail to do so. I often wonder whether the Assembly is capable of doing the right thing. <BR /> <BR />In preparing for this debate, I received the code of practice for ministerial public appointments in Northern Ireland. The code applies only to ministerial appointments and not to political appointments.”
“If they are unhappy with the final decision, they also have grounds to appeal to the High Court. The way in which the Bill is designed means that current and prospective members of those public bodies will have grounds to challenge decisions that go negatively against them.”
“<BR /> <BR />I fully agree with the overarching principles and the close detail of the Bill — in particular, the definition of "serious criminal conviction", given that it is severe enough to warrant removal from those public offices. I am pleased that the Bill also covers convictions received outside Northern Ireland. Furthermore, I support the inclusion of immediate terminations of office for those who hold serious criminal convictions from the date that the Act would come into force. However, it is my belief that the Bill strikes an appropriate balance. Anyone who is impacted by the Bill can appeal and have a decision referred to an independent panel. The areas explored by the independent panel, such as remorse and assistance in investigations, can be affected by the individual involved.”
“Do we want to send out the message that you can commit extremely serious crimes and live the rest of your life as if nothing has happened? That is not normal, in my opinion. <BR /> <BR />It is often said that the public in Northern Ireland are further ahead than the political class in moving on from what has happened in the past. It is hard to argue with that, when society is outraged that such appointments can still be possible and with the message that that sends out to our younger generations, while some in the Chamber are opposed to the Bill. I also wonder what signal it broadcasts to the rest of the world that some think that it is acceptable that we have such people in prominent positions in public life.”
“I support the Bill and commend its sponsor, Mr Allister. The Bill is long overdue and is something that I have enquired about on numerous occasions. It follows the success of the Member's previous Bill regarding the appointment of special advisers and is similar in nature. For me, this issue is fundamental; in fact, I would go as far as to say that it is common sense. <BR /> <BR />If one had a serious criminal conviction, one would find it incredibly difficult to find a job as a teacher, a police officer or even as a carer in the community, and rightly so. However, here we have a situation in which people with such convictions can be members of the Education Authority or the Policing Board. We must ask ourselves whether that is the society that we want to see. Are those the role models that we want for our children?”
“Several weeks later, the same staff got a letter saying that Northfield House was to be closed temporarily. <BR /> <BR />What concerns me is that we hear about our hospitals overfilling and about the serious state of our ICUs with their COVID patient numbers, yet here we are closing a facility that was up to 81% occupied before COVID. I warn Members to watch out in case trusts in their areas use COVID as a reason to try to close units. I also send a message to the Health Minister that the people of Donaghadee do not accept the temporary closure of Northfield House. We need every bed that we can get, right across our health service. I hope that Members will support me in the ongoing battle to reopen the facility.”
“Thank you, Mr Principal Deputy Speaker. I appreciate that. <BR /> <BR />I am raising the issue of the temporary closure of Northfield House rehabilitation centre in Donaghadee, which is run by the South Eastern Trust. It is a rather worrying development, because there have been previous attempts by the trust to close the centre permanently. It is disturbing that COVID was used as the reason for the temporary closure of the facility. Nineteen staff were written to and told that Northfield House was to close, as it was to be used for the recovery of COVID patients. All the patients in the facility were removed and sent home, some without care packages, which, I have to say, is an absolute disgrace. The staff waited for several weeks for COVID patients to come for rehabilitation, but not one COVID patient was sent to the facility.”
“I also note in the explanatory memorandum the suggestion of potential grants or funding to assist landlords to achieve greater energy efficiency. That will assist us in achieving our climate change targets and is therefore of interest. However, it will need to be examined in detail before implementation. I am also encouraged to see that a full regulatory impact assessment will be conducted before energy efficiency regulations are introduced. <BR /> <BR />It is right that changes are made in this area. As this is a growing sector, it is only sensible that we review how private rented accommodation is regulated. These issues are impacting a growing number of people. Responses to the consultation survey showed that over 90% of tenants were supportive of the majority of the proposals. I look forward to examining the Bill in more detail.”
“However, it is good to see that landlords are also protected in cases where damage is caused intentionally or through negligence by the tenant and that they cannot be found guilty of an offence in situations where a tenant fails to inform them of any issues with the appliances. <BR /> <BR />The Bill contains a number of clauses that give the Department the power to make regulations specifically regarding energy efficiency and electrical safety standards for private rented properties. That means that I cannot comment on those issues in detail at this time, but it is right that those areas are being explored. I am pleased to see that schedule 2 and schedule 3 require thorough consultation to take place before the regulations are laid in the Assembly.”