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.”
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“In 2004, the blue plaque for Chaim Herzog, former president of Israel, who was born in Belfast, had to be removed from a house on Cliftonpark Avenue following such attacks. What is particularly worrying about the statistic cited in the motion is that, in 2008, the number of such incidents stood at just over 500. That means that such incidents of hate have tripled in the past decade. <BR /> <BR />Only two years ago, a Jewish director came to Northern Ireland as part of a tour of the British Isles that he was filming. Some Members may recall the video that he filmed at a bar in the Bogside in Londonderry in which many antisemitic comments were made. Those included, "The Israelis are scum", "Jews are the scourge of the earth" and, worst of all, "The only thing Hitler did wrong was that he didn't kill enough Jews". That is quite shocking.”
“According to the Community Security Trust, over 100 recorded incidents each month is now commonplace. <BR /> <BR />As the motion states, there were nearly 1,700 antisemitic incidents last year across the UK. Northern Ireland has its fair share of such incidents. It was only recently that Jewish gravestones were damaged in a cemetery on the Falls Road in Belfast. That abhorrent incident saw 10 graves damaged in a walled-off section of the cemetery. Some of the graves dated back to the 1870s. That was a sinister hate crime, which was rightly condemned across the political spectrum. The same cemetery was attacked a few years earlier, with 13 graves damaged. <BR /> <BR />Destruction is nothing new in antisemitic attacks in Northern Ireland.”
“Not too long ago, I ordered a DNA test from Ancestry.com. I was very surprised to find that 4% of my DNA is Jewish. Unfortunately, I have been unable to find out anything more other than it is from my father's side of the family. It was an interesting and worthwhile experience, and I would encourage Members to do it as what they find out might surprise them. <BR /> <BR />Hatred of the Jewish people is ancient. Ideas that Jews are untrustworthy, manipulative and selfish are long-standing. Conspiracy theories claiming that Jews have some sort of national or global control over political and financial events and institutions have always been around, and we know that they are complete nonsense. The Institute for Jewish Policy Research compiled a report that concluded that approximately 30% of people in the UK held antisemitic views.”
“The Minister knows what I will ask. Minister, can you explain why not one school in the North Down constituency has been included in the first tranche? Can you guarantee that Millisle Primary School and Crawfordsburn Primary School will be considered for the next tranche? It is unfair that North Down has missed out.”
“I thank the Minister for his answer. Does the Department have the necessary budget to continue this programme into the next academic year?”
“I thank the Minister for his answer. Will he outline the SEN pressures that have warranted the building being considered for use? Will he also give a guarantee that he can secure the site, as the place has been wrecked?”
“The situation is clearly extremely challenging. What recent discussions has the First Minister had with local businesses about the protocol? What differences does she envisage if the grace periods were to end?”
“<BR /> <BR />The apology of the deputy First Minister was not enough and is not good enough. She has failed to acknowledge any wrongdoing on her part. It remains my view that her position is untenable and that she should resign, but you just do not care. The deputy First Minister has no authority to lecture people on what they should and should not do, because the message on COVID regulations has been shattered. The Chief Constable must also consider his refusal to resign. He should reflect on the magnitude of the events and their effect on the confidence of policing in Northern Ireland. What happened last June and the decisions in recent days cannot and should not be ignored. There must be serious consequences as a result of the actions of Sinn Féin.”
“Some people in this country have not hugged their mother for a year. The policing of the event has made a total mockery of the regulations. The actions of the deputy First Minister and other Sinn Féin politicians last year undermined the public message, and I have no doubt that it reduced public compliance. Yet, throughout the most recent lockdown, the vast majority of people have continued to follow the restrictions. The decision by the PPS not to prosecute will, I fear, shatter compliance with restrictions. As a result of what happened, I have already heard about cases in which people are going to challenge in the courts the fines that they received. How can we tell members of the public with any authority that their businesses must close, they must not see their families and they must not leave their homes? The public will laugh at us.”
“Yes, there is no confusion whatever. <BR /> <BR />If it is mere perception, how does one explain the Storey funeral and the subsequent investigation compared with how the unionist community has been treated? The Chief Constable still seems not to grasp the political repercussions of how this has been handled. <BR /> <BR />On another matter, the deputy First Minister was only interviewed five months after the event took place. Meanwhile, the PSNI continued to issue on-the-spot fines to members of the public and could arrest loyalists within three days for alleged breaches of COVID regulations, normally with less evidence than we have for Sinn Féin Members attending that funeral. <BR /> <BR />There is a picture of the deputy First Minister at the funeral with a man's arm around her.”
“There has long been talk of two-tier policing in Northern Ireland, and those at the top in the police insist that that is not the case.”
“I have never heard a more ridiculous justification for a decision with such huge ramifications. <BR /> <BR />The position of my party is that the Chief Constable should resign. I have been led to that conclusion by a considerable list of failings. This is not an orange or green issue: people on all sides of the constitutional debate are rightly angry about what happened, and many have lost faith in the Chief Constable. However, it must be said that the unionist community in particular has lost confidence, especially in the Chief Constable, and policing here relies on cross-community consent. The Chief Constable appears to be oblivious to the damage that has been done to unionist confidence in policing, and this is the latest in a catalogue of mishaps.”
“Do I begin with the thousands of families across the country who have carefully abided by the restrictions when holding funerals; with the fact that the Sinn Féin Ministers in attendance at the funeral had helped to draft and approve the regulations in the Executive; or with the fact that those Members have repeatedly criticised those who have taken part in other large gatherings? Perhaps a good starting point is to actually believe the PPS. Let us all pretend for a moment that the Sinn Féin members who went to the funeral were genuinely confused about the rules. If that was the case, why did they not share their confusion with the PSNI when they met them to discuss the funeral arrangements? Perhaps there is a considerable difference between 30 and 2,000, but that cannot be used as an excuse.”
“I thank the Member for his comments. He is right: that should have sent a warning signal to the PSNI and Sinn Féin. <BR /> <BR />I hate to say it, but the fact is that Sinn Féin is treating my community and the Assembly like dirt. That needs to stop, and it needs to stop now. That is how Sinn Féin make me and my community feel. <BR /> <BR />The PPS's decision not to prosecute was, sadly, predictable, but that does not make it less abhorrent. The most unbelievable part of the entire episode is that the decision was justified on the basis that Members of the Assembly were confused by the rules. I do not recall that ever being mentioned last year. <BR /> <BR />Where do I begin with this?”
“It pains me to say it, but it is absolutely clear that there is a two-tier political policing system because of the fear that Sinn Féin will be upset and because of the underlying threat that there is a potential for violence.”
“On 30 June last year, over 2,000 people, including Members of the Assembly, attended the funeral of Bobby Storey. Every day before that and every day since, for the duration of this pandemic, families across the country have lost loved ones. Many have not been able to visit their dying loved ones in hospital, and some have had to say goodbye on the phone. Some of the stories that we have heard are, frankly, inhumane. <BR /> <BR />There is one rule for Sinn Féin and another for everybody else. If that had been me, a unionist politician, you can guarantee that I would have been arrested by the PSNI, recommended for prosecution by the PPS, taken to court and fined. My party probably would have asked me to resign. I would basically have been hung, drawn and quartered.”
“I thank the Minister for her answer. Does she agree that Bangor Alternatives does a fantastic job in cooperation with the PSNI? Will she take the opportunity, once the pandemic is over, to visit Bangor Alternatives to see the excellent work that they do with the PSNI?”
“These businesses are trying to help us, so the least that we should be able to give them is certainty. <BR /> <BR />In conclusion, our young people have already been deprived of a great many opportunities. They are struggling with mental health issues that are being exacerbated by economic- and employment-related anxieties. The cost of this scheme is very little compared with the other economic support packages that are being rolled out to assist people through the pandemic and its aftermath. Therefore, I call on the Minister to implement the Job Start scheme as quickly as possible to go some way to countering the difficulties that our young people have faced educationally and economically during the pandemic.”
“I thank the Member for her intervention. <BR /> <BR />If we do not get our recovery right and more opportunities are available on the mainland, we will exacerbate the brain drain problem. The scheme would be good for not only our young people but businesses. Hundreds of employers have expressed interest in the scheme. They now face uncertainty: whether they should wait for the roll-out of scheme and expect to hire a person at the end of it. I find this deeply unfair, given that their taking part in Job Start assists our economy as a whole. Many have already invested time and money in this process and laid the groundwork for participants to train as part of their business. They have no clarity on whether the scheme will go ahead as planned.”
“Therefore, our young people are at a competitive disadvantage at a time when it is already exceptionally difficult for them to find a job. If we do —.”
“She says that the current restrictions make it difficult to engage young people with businesses. If the Economy Minister can do it, why cannot she? <BR /> <BR />These programmes are to be welcomed. However, the lack of certainty about the Job Start scheme is extremely concerning. It is unfortunate that this uncertainty seems to have been caused by the Sinn Féin Finance Minister's failure to provide funding. <BR /> <BR />A point that I made in my last speech, which warrants repeating, is that the brain drain — people moving from here to other parts of the UK — is a serious problem. We should be doing everything that we can to prevent what has been a long-standing issue. I want our young people to live, work and raise their family in Northern Ireland. In the rest of the UK, over 120,000 young people have benefited from the Kickstart scheme.”
“<BR /> <BR />Despite the bad news, some developments are to be welcomed. I am supportive of the apprenticeship week recently launched by the Economy Minister. Importantly, it will include a range of programmes and opportunities. We all know that apprenticeships are often wrongly characterised as somehow less ideal than university or other academic options. However, I think that everyone here would agree that apprenticeships are a fantastic opportunity for our young people and that they are needed to encourage the young people for whom academia and university are not suitable. <BR /> <BR />I am also pleased to hear of more places becoming available on the Assured Skills academic training programme. However, these developments make me question how valid the excuse from the Minister for Communities is.”
“Ongoing restrictions mean that further business closures and job losses are inevitable. The number of young people who are not in education, employment or training now stands at 28,000, which is above the UK average as a proportion of the population. <BR /> <BR />Just last week, we debated the rise in the number of claimants for universal credit, which is predicted to grow even further before the pandemic ends. We know the pressures that this will put on our public services and the potential for an substantially increased waiting time, from five weeks to eight weeks, for first-time payments. A good uptake of the Job Start scheme could reduce the number of claimants and relieve some pressure on our welfare support services, if the number of claimants continues to rise.”
“We do not know how fast or slow our recovery will be, or how successful it will be. We know that a fifth of young people in Northern Ireland are concerned about their future employment; that, given the high demand for such services at present, 55% of young people are finding it difficult to receive employment help; and that almost two thirds of young people think that getting a new job will be impossible. We have a duty to our young people to do all that we can to lessen the problems that they are facing because of the current pandemic. <BR /> <BR />The sectors that have been hardest hit by the pandemic are hospitality, tourism and small retail, all of which employ large numbers of young people. Those in this age group are also twice as likely as those in older age groups to have lost their job.”
“Last week, I spoke on a motion on the future funding of welfare support. In that speech, I touched on the Job Start scheme and the serious consequences of the pandemic on the future prospects of our young people in Northern Ireland. I am pleased to have the opportunity to speak further on the issue today. <BR /> <BR />Young people have missed their classroom education and their opportunity to sit exams. They have missed opportunities to undertake placements and work experience and to engage with careers services and fairs. They have missed in-person learning at universities and apprenticeship opportunities. The past year has deprived young people of so many chances that were open to those who came before them for enhancing their personal and professional development.”
“Minister, why would any Infrastructure Minister oppose the creation of thousands of jobs and billions of pounds of investment that would improve connectivity between us and our biggest trading partners? Is it not simply the case that you are opposed to anything that physically connects and strengthens the Union?”
“I therefore call on the Minister to do all that she can to lobby for increased funding to ensure that ongoing support can be provided to the most vulnerable in our society. Not only that, but I press her to take forward the review of welfare mitigations as fast as possible, as the lack of progress is frankly unacceptable.”
“However, with that in mind, we must keep in mind the incredibly damaging impact of the ongoing restrictions on many in society. Through no fault of their own, many will be laid off and will need benefits. It is their right that our welfare system is there to support them in a timely manner and assist them to get back to work, which is widely recognised as the most significant factor in alleviating poverty. <BR /> <BR />The extension of the welfare mitigations has been widely recommended. It has been committed to and must be taken forward. The review is much needed, has been committed to and must be accelerated. It is clear that the Budget will not stretch as far as is required.”
“<BR /> <BR />I am also disappointed that there will be no increase in funding to the Supporting People programme that is run by the Housing Executive. That is the result of a Sinn Féin Finance Minister failing to provide the funding to the Department. That scheme helps almost 20,000 people across this country. It does extremely valuable work in helping them to live independent lives, and it deserves more funding than it will receive. The lack of attention paid to that programme in the Budget will be felt particularly by homelessness services, which have been vital in providing emergency accommodation during the pandemic. <BR /> <BR />In conclusion, the vaccine roll-out is giving people hope that the end of the pandemic is in sight.”
“I am thinking particularly of the Cliff Edge Coalition, for example. The review needs to take account of those who are most seriously impacted on by the economic changes, including those with disabilities, young people and women. The Minister has also not yet been able to tell the Committee what specific issues will be addressed in the review. That lack of clarity is only adding to the stress that families are facing at this time. <BR /> <BR />Before I finish, I will touch on a few of my concerns. I have spoken about terminal illness before in the Assembly. I am deeply disappointed that funding has not been found to end the unacceptable six-month criterion for individuals who are seeking access to welfare support.”
“We are now coming to the end of the financial year, and I appreciate that the Minister has committed to continuing payments beyond the end of March. However, more certainty for people is required, and the sooner that legislation and regulations to do that are brought to this place, the better. I am also aware that regulations are to be brought forward to close loopholes that result in families missing welfare mitigations. I press the Minister to bring those forward as soon as possible. <BR /> <BR />The review of welfare mitigations that was committed to in New Decade, New Approach will give those who have been impacted more certainty, and it is worrying to see how little that has progressed. That should be an absolute priority for the Minister, and she should engage with the families who have been affected and with relevant groups.”
“We know that youth unemployment is already at over 11% and will only rise without the benefit of the schemes that I mentioned. I also highlight that people with disabilities will be deeply impacted by the inability to provide that economic intervention, and they are likely to find themselves further from work than prior to the pandemic. <BR /> <BR />I turn to the impact on those who already receive welfare support. Those in receipt of, for example, the bedroom tax and two-child cap mitigations require certainty. The two-child cap has had a negative impact on almost 4,000 families here. Just under 40,000 households are, through no fault of their own, affected by the bedroom tax. It is due to the lack of available and appropriate social housing, and they should not be punished for that.”
“We already have a well-known brain drain problem, with many young people from Northern Ireland moving to other parts of the United Kingdom. I worry that this lack of funding will only exacerbate that problem when everything should be done to prevent it. <BR /> <BR />It was particularly alarming to hear the Department's assessment of the Budget. Even it acknowledged that it will struggle to maintain the same level of services as provided before, and this is at a time when demand is higher than ever before. Not only that, but the Department admitted that it will struggle to assist the economy in its recovery from COVID-19 and to fulfil its obligations under New Decade, New Approach. <BR /> <BR />The equality impact assessment of the Budget is very negative.”
“The cut is the result of Sinn Féin's Finance Minister failing to provide the funding for the Department. That is why we are minded to support Mr Carroll's amendment, subject to the Minister's response. <BR /> <BR />Following on from those points, I want to put on record my fear that the Department is not providing funding for the Job Start scheme and other back-to-work programmes. Without those programmes, fewer people will be helped back into the workplace, and the demand for benefits will therefore remain high. On the mainland, over 120,000 young people have benefited from the Kickstart scheme, and it is completely unfair that young people in Northern Ireland will not receive the same opportunities. That, again, is the result of a Sinn Féin Finance Minister failing to provide the funding.”
“I am deeply concerned that the Budget not only does not meet the needs of the present economic situation but will mean that there is less support available than we are accustomed to in normal times. <BR /> <BR />I find the expected cuts to Advice NI particularly troubling. I also note that the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee in Westminster recommended the continuation of that advice service. The £1·5 million of planned cuts will see some of the most vulnerable families hit the hardest. The independent support services that Advice NI provides are incredibly valuable in making social security accessible to everyone. Advice NI has been doing great work assisting with the COVID-19 community helpline over the past year. If it is to lose over 40 staff, as has been reported, a vital public service will be lost.”
“<BR /> <BR />I also want to touch on the number of people who are waiting on personal independence payment (PIP) appeals. That number amounts to the thousands, which is totally unacceptable. There will have to be a concentrated effort to resolve those backlogs, which staff levels are contributing to. The backlogs are also the result of a Sinn Féin Finance Minister failing to provide the funding for staff. <BR /> <BR />I am thinking in particular about those in the private rented sector, as the delays could push them into debt and further exacerbate the mental health problems brought on by lockdown. There is also an increasing number of families struggling to get by.”
“<BR /> <BR />The Department failed in its bid for more staff, and current numbers are below what is required under normal circumstances. The longer that the restrictions last, the more people who will be out of work and needing to access social security. I have seen estimates of around 60,000 new claimants. That is the result of a Sinn Féin Finance Minister failing to provide the funding for more staff. It is obvious that increased demand and lack of staffing will lead to longer processing times for claimants. Five weeks is already a long time to wait, especially given the current circumstances, so the prospect of individuals having to wait seven or eight weeks for a first payment is unacceptable, particularly for young people, who we know are more likely to face unemployment.”
“In the short time that I have, I will cover a range of points, including the number of new benefit claimants that we are witnessing, the continuation of welfare mitigation measures for the next financial year and where we are with the review. <BR /> <BR />We all know that the financial impact of the pandemic has been severe and that the ongoing restrictions are deeply damaging to our economy. Those points are well known and do not need to be repeated at length. However, there are several points that I wish to make about the depth of the economic crisis that we are now witnessing. I will state at the outset that I understand the constrained financial situation that the Department faces. Nevertheless, I am especially concerned about the number of staff that are involved in processing claims.”
“I thank the Minister for his answer. Minister, does your Department ever look at other types of funding, rather than just capital funding, for potential new school builds?”
“We do not know how many people have been impacted, but I would suggest that it is quite large, with 15 other families coming forward to report the same experience. <BR /> <BR />This is a serious matter, and it needs to be dealt with in a timely and sensitive manner. I would, therefore, ask that the Burial Grounds Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1992 are reviewed by the Minister and action taken to allow those who purchased plots before that change to be buried in those plots and for leeway to allow burials to go ahead.”
“Hopefully, this petition and the publicity surrounding the passing of my constituent will go some way to raise awareness. However, more is needed, and perhaps the Minister could look into that aspect of this problem and the merits of an awareness campaign. I also believe that an apology is owed to the impacted families for that oversight by the council. <BR /> <BR />Thankfully, I can report that urgent action was taken, and Mr Mulholland was able to be buried in the plot with his family. The council was able to change the soil to a lighter type, and a shallower coffin was used to facilitate the burial. However, those solutions will not work for every burial. Therefore, the Minister for Communities needs to take urgent action on this issue.”
“<BR /> <BR />The key problem here is that those who bought their burial plots prior to 1992 have not been informed by their councils of those changes. The council offers a depth-testing service for graves, charging £110 for the service. That charge is scandalous. It is disgraceful that bereaved families have to pay such an amount, when plots were purchased decades ago for a certain number of people. I find it deeply unfair that those affected should have to pay those costs. The service should be available to those families free of charge. This moneymaking scheme needs to end. <BR /> <BR />The council has not attempted to contact those who may be impacted by this problem. Indeed, there has not been even a general publicity campaign.”
“A constituent recently contacted me following the death of their uncle Mr Mulholland. Mr Mulholland had purchased a burial plot years ago, well before 1992, for three people in Clandeboye Cemetery. His wife and child were already buried in the plot, and, before he passed away, he had expressed his wish to be buried with them. However, the family was told only the day before the funeral that the grave could not be dug deeply enough and that their uncle would have to be buried somewhere else. <BR /> <BR />It is truly horrific for a grieving family to have to be put through that. On further investigation, it turns out that the Burial Grounds Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1992 changed the required depth of burial plots, meaning that some graves will no longer be able to legally hold the number of occupants for whom they were purchased.”
“Mr Speaker, thank you for the opportunity to present this petition to the Northern Ireland Assembly today. It follows an incident in my constituency that should never have occurred and which I would like to prevent happening again. The petition has over 5,750 signatures.”
“I thank the Minister for her answer. Can the Minister give me a guarantee that, when those people finally get their appeals — they could have been waiting for well over a year — the payments that are awarded to them will be backdated from the date that they applied or from the date that they had their PIP taken off them?”
“I thank the Minister for her answer. It is quite positive. I note that her Twitter feed the other day had something about the sixteenth anniversary of the murder of Lisa Dorrian. I believe that she is very genuine on that, just as I am. Can I take from her answer that she is committed to definitely doing something — 100% — about this?”
“I thank the Minister for her statement. She mentioned climate change, building new homes, the fact that 14% of greenhouse gas emissions come from our homes and trying to be carbon-neutral by 2050. As my colleague Kellie Armstrong said, the Housing Executive cannot even sort out social housing. What guarantees can the Minister give the Assembly that we can hold the Housing Executive to account for issues such as cavity wall insulation or roof insulation, for example, that it cannot even sort out now?”
“I welcome the Minister's answer there. Minister, I welcome the use of the 110 army medics that Mr Sheehan seems to have an issue with. What is even more astounding is that Mr Sheehan is pretending to be more caring about how we deal with COVID and the staff when he has already broken the COVID rules and regulations. <BR /> <BR />We are using the independent or private sector, but, at the beginning of the COVID pandemic, we also called on retired doctors and nurses to come out of retirement and help. That support does not seem to have been utilised fully. Where are we with trying to get more of those people to come out of retirement to help?”
“All the main roads that go through those villages have reduced speed limits, and I expect the Cotton Road to be the same. I do not want to have to come back to the Assembly after someone has been killed. There was a serious incident in which a young lady was knocked down and seriously hurt in October. I pass on the Assembly's best wishes to her for a full recovery. <BR /> <BR />In conclusion, Mr Speaker, thank you for allowing me to present the petition to the Assembly. It will now be passed on to the Infrastructure Minister. Hopefully, something will be done to reduce the speed limit on the A48 Cotton Road.”
“I pay tribute to Councillor Janice MacArthur and Alderman Bill Keery, who spoke to the residents and helped with the petition. <BR /> <BR />Work was meant to have been done on the Cotton Road coming out of Bailie Terrace — there is a hill there that blocks the sight lines and makes it extremely dangerous — but, unfortunately, Transport NI cancelled that work some time ago. There is also the old Cotton Primary School, and I received correspondence from the Education Minister recently to say that his Department would look to use that for special needs pupils. It is imperative that something is done on the A48 to protect those who may attend that school in the future. <BR /> <BR />We have many villages in North Down, such as Groomsport, Millisle, Conlig and Crawfordsburn.”