Arlene Foster
Fermanagh and South Tyrone · Ulster Unionist Party · Northern Ireland
“Yet, like too many projects, it has been tied up in legal wrangles. Too many infrastructure projects are being swallowed up in the courts. We need to improve the expertise in infrastructure delivery. We need better infrastructure for the next generation, but key projects being delayed by 10-plus years is unsustainable.”
“Any agreement involves compromises but NDNA had two central pillars that, I believe, remain important: ambition for devolution and a new cultural deal. The breadth and depth of issues that NDNA set us all to deliver on would have been enough to fill an entire term or perhaps more, let alone two years of government.”
“That confidence-and-supply agreement will leave a legacy but also highlights our challenges. Some £150 million has been rolled out via Project Stratum to bring broadband to rural areas and leave Northern Ireland as the best-connected region in Europe. When it is completed, the project will be transformational to our economy.”
“However, such short-term advantage comes at the cost of long-term harm to relationships. It is not a real partnership. Imbalance and instability are built in that will fester and deteriorate. If Brussels continues to think that the protocol is enough, it is in denial.”
“Colleagues inside and outside the House know very well that all periods of leadership must come to an end. That is why, when we are privileged and, indeed, honoured to hold such a position, we must not waste a moment in frivolous brinkmanship but forge ahead on behalf of those whom we represent.”
“The recommendations of the Commission on Flags, Identity, Culture and Tradition (FICT) are to be taken forward as well. I encourage all of you to do all of it, to take it forward in its totality and to speak of and implement it as one complete, independent package: a new cultural deal for Northern Ireland's new century.”
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“As I have already indicated, the whole idea behind these programmes was that we would have an intervention and evaluate whether that had made a positive impact and then, hopefully, other Departments would come alongside and take them up. It was never intended that OFMDFM would continue to fund literacy and numeracy or, indeed, nurture units, because there is a recognition, of course, that those belong in another Department. Once the evaluation has been completed overall on Delivering Social Change, it will then be a matter for the Minister of Education as to whether he wants to take the issue forward.”
“The way in which we are working with Atlantic Philanthropies is to have a co-design, so that it comes in and works with us and then we design a programme that is good for society. We have talked a lot recently about the fact that government cannot do everything, but we need to identify what we can do along with partners, perhaps in the private sector or the third sector, that can make a real difference, and this is a good example of that. Atlantic Philanthropies is an absolutely marvellous organisation that does a lot of good in our society. The fact that it is working with us, through OFMDFM, will make a real difference, and I welcome the approach.”
“I hope that that is what is going to happen in this case.”
“As I have indicated, we are hoping that the evaluation is looking at the outcomes. I have mentioned a couple of figures relating to the number of children we have been able to interact with, either through the nurture groups or through literacy and numeracy. We are looking at the impact that those schemes have had on the children and whether the children have improved since they were involved in those schemes. The early evidence indicates that they have benefited from the interventions. You have to understand and remember that the framework approach under Delivering Social Change was a completely new way of bringing these projects to fruition. The idea was to make an intervention and, if the intervention was a positive one, that it would be mainstreamed, perhaps through other Departments.”
“I know that the Department of Education is looking at funding to allow that to happen, because it recognises that this early intervention has made a big impact on getting kids ready for schooling. Before this, there was a real difficulty with that and, in fact, many children were being presented for school who were not ready for it at all. These nurture units have made a real difference to those children.”
“This is another fundamental part of what we were trying to achieve. In the short time that I have been in this post, I have had the opportunity to visit a couple of these nurture units, which are placed in primary schools. They have made a big impact for the children who have been able to avail themselves of them. Over 400 children have attended a Delivering Social Change nurture group. There are other children as well, in the 20 schools, who can benefit from the short-term support available in the nurture room. Indeed, when I was going around the various nurture units, I was lobbied very hard to make sure that these nurture groups continue.”
“The literacy and numeracy programme is a critical part of the Delivering Social Change framework and was completed in June of 2015. It is hoped that we will have the full evaluation very soon, but already we know that some 18,653 — a very specific figure, I know, Mr Speaker — primary and post-primary children have received additional maths and English support as a result of this programme. I think it has made a phenomenal impact in terms of additional help and support. On average, 85% of those pupils have achieved or, indeed, exceeded their individual target level in literacy and numeracy. So we have made a big impact with the literacy and numeracy programme. I also very much welcome the fact that we were able to employ over 300 recently graduated teachers to assist with that programme.”
“Mr Speaker, with your permission, I will answer Questions 4 and 5 together. <BR /> <BR />Lead Departments are undertaking an outcomes-based approach to the individual success of the initial six programmes announced in October 2012. More detailed reports on particular projects are anticipated from lead Departments in due course. <BR /> <BR />Three further signature programmes, jointly funded with Atlantic Philanthropies, are progressing well. These are in the areas of early intervention transformation, dementia services and shared education. In line with the Programme for Government commitment, OFMDFM is currently evaluating the success of the Delivering Social Change framework. It is hoped that the evaluation findings will be available in the near future.”
“Of course I will continue to make sure that the union between Northern Ireland and the rest of the United Kingdom is to the fore of all that I do. As the UK is the fifth largest economy in the world, the union is critical to our future, and we must make the most of it. Indeed, when we go across the world, part of our selling point is that we are part of the United Kingdom and benefit from the regulatory system that the United Kingdom gives to us. That includes the currency issues as well. Absolutely, I agree with the Member that, going forward, this is a critical relationship and will remain so.”
“I think it is important that we have a very clear referendum. The Member may prefer different types of models, and it is up to him whether he prefers a Swedish model as opposed to a Turkish model, and I cannot comment in relation to those issues. What I can comment on is the fact that we need a very clear debate on the implications of remaining and the implications of leaving. Unfortunately, we have not been able to have that debate yet. Of course, we have to wait for the conclusion of the negotiations, but it looks very likely that the negotiations will be completed this weekend, and then things will become very clear.”
“<BR /> <BR />I hear what the Member says about the substance — we probably have differing views on that — but I think that we can all agree that we need a very clear debate about the referendum. Unfortunately, I do not think that that will happen.”
“Therefore, it will get national attention and will be on our screens a lot of the time at the same time as we are fighting an Assembly election, when we no doubt want to set out our visions of where we would like to see the Assembly and Northern Ireland going in the next four years. It is a problem and is something that we will have an opportunity to discuss with the Foreign Secretary. It may be too late at that stage, because, of course, we are very aware that the Prime Minister hopes to close off the negotiations this coming weekend. I regret that: if the Government are to give respect to the devolved Administrations, they should be listening carefully to what we have to say.”
“I thank the Member for his question. Our concern with the date of the referendum being so close to the Assembly election is that all the issues relating to the European referendum would come on top of the Assembly election issues and there would be a lack of clarity on those issues. I accept that people have said to me, "Do you not think that we can make up our mind about the Assembly elections and the European referendum?". That is absolutely right. However, I have to take cognisance of the fact that the European Union referendum campaign will be a national campaign.”
“The renegotiation of the United Kingdom's membership of the European Union is being taken forward by the Prime Minister and a select group of Ministers in Whitehall. The deputy First Minister and I will meet the Foreign Secretary on 1 March 2016 and will raise matters with him face-to-face. The issue directly affects everyone in Northern Ireland, so we have specifically requested engagement from the UK Government. Unfortunately, the request has not secured a meaningful response on the detail. We have been kept informed of developments but have not been involved.”
“With your permission, Mr Speaker, I will ask junior Minister Pengelly to answer the question.”
“Absolutely. As the Member is probably aware, in my previous work in the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment, we made a number of interventions in relation to mobile phone and broadband coverage. I very much welcome the fact that my colleague the Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment recently announced another broadband intervention. Two pilot areas have been identified, one of which is County Fermanagh. I encourage everyone to look at the broadband pilot and to take advantage of what is available to them.”
“I thank the Member for his question and, indeed, for his acknowledgement that the next Executive meeting will be in Enniskillen in the town hall on 25 February. The fact that we are bringing the whole Executive to County Fermanagh is even better than bringing the regional opportunities subgroup of the Executive to Fermanagh. We will have the whole Executive there. I hope that they take the opportunity to get out and about in County Fermanagh to make some visits. Who knows? We may even have some announcements made when they are there as well. I hope that the initiative of bringing the Executive closer to the people who elect us will make it more relevant to people on the ground and will allow some of my colleagues from the east of the Province to visit the most beautiful county in Northern Ireland.”
“The focus of the ministerial subgroup on regional opportunities has, to date, been on the north-west, but it has always been our intention that, as its work progresses, it should consider the measures required to promote economic opportunity across other areas of Northern Ireland. That will include, in due course, infrastructural and economic needs and opportunities in the south-west, including County Fermanagh.”
“I thank the Member for giving way. Through you, Mr Speaker, is it not the case that, if the amendment passes and the Attorney General decides to refer it to the Supreme Court, the entirety of the Bill will go to the Supreme Court and not just the single provision? Therefore, the whole Bill would have to go to the Supreme Court, thereby delaying it from being implemented.”
“I thank the Member for giving way. Perhaps he could explain to the House how, if there is no petition of concern, this will not be a majority/minority outcome tonight. Perhaps he could explain that to us all, because I am a little bit confused as to how that is not going to happen tonight.”
“I know that there have been some teething problems in the roll-out of the social investment fund. The fundamental issue about the social investment fund is that it is making a real and tangible difference, not just to communities but to individuals right across Northern Ireland. I am looking forward to visiting the Resurgam Trust because, not only does it fit in with the delivering social change agenda from OFMDFM, it points to the Fresh Start Agreement as well. We want to help those groups to transition into the mainstream of society in Northern Ireland, and I very much look forward to being a part of that visit so that I can see what is actually happening on the ground and the tangible difference that we are making in Lisburn.”
“I know that my good friend and colleague the junior Minister has taken educational attainment under her wing and has recently written to all schools across Northern Ireland to take their views on issues to do with educational underachievement. This is an issue that we intend to keep looking at, because we really do believe in our young people and we want them to succeed.”
“I thank the Member for his question and for hosting me at Pond Park Primary School last week. I have already put the card up; it makes me look very thin, and it is very good that I am perceived that way by the young people at Pond Park. It was a lovely event and a lovely occasion. I talked a lot last week about hoping to inspire and motivate young people in Northern Ireland, but when I went to Pond Park the reverse happened; they inspired me. They were absolutely tremendous; we listened to them singing and to what they were doing in class, and it was really a fabulous visit. <BR /> <BR />All I want is for every child to have the same opportunities as those children in Pond Park have.”
“We have talked a lot about anti-poverty strategies and child poverty strategies, but we need to see action for young people who live in Northern Ireland so that they are very proud of this place, just as I am proud of this place.”
“He will be pleased to know that I agree with him. I do hope that we take the opportunity. There are very many young people in Northern Ireland today who, frankly, have no cognisance of what we are talking about. They are more interested in what is going on in 2016 than in what happened in 1916. If we are to look backwards, that is all very good and we should do that. I will do that, and I have already taken up an invitation to attend a Church of Ireland event in Christ Church in Dublin in February on what was going on in 1916, and I look forward to that very much. <BR /> <BR />I think our focus, as I said standing here last week when I accepted the nomination to be First Minister, should definitely be on the future for this place.”
“I am more than content to attend — in fact, I am looking forward to attending — lectures, symposiums and discussions in and around the year that was in it in relation to 1916, within the whole context of what was going on at that particular time. So whilst I will not be attending the official commemorations or indeed any other commemorations in relation to what happened in Dublin at Easter 1916, I will of course be reflecting on everything else that took place in that year.”
“First of all, I thank the Member for his very kind comments in relation to my appointment to this office. I suppose what starts as a new era for me ends an era for him. He has served the constituents of North Belfast for a long time, and I wish him well in his retirement. <BR /> <BR />In terms of the issues surrounding Easter 1916, I was asked a very specific question by one of my local journalists as to whether I would attend the commemorations in Dublin for that event. I indicated that I would not, and that is still my position. I have since indicated that I am very aware that the events that happened in Dublin at Easter 1916 were part of a wider context of what was going on, not only on this island but in these islands and further afield at that particular time.”
“Therefore this is a policy that I take a particular interest in, so he can be assured that this is one that I want to see agreed before the end of this mandate.”
“The women's centre childcare fund — correct me if I am wrong — is a matter for the Department of Social Development. I know that it is something that the Minister is looking at, because I had cause to speak to him about it with regards to a women's centre in my own constituency. As for the childcare strategy, it is certainly our hope that it will be agreed before the end of this mandate. I think it would be right and proper to do that, particularly since childcare will transfer to the Department of Education under the new arrangements for leaner government. <BR /> <BR />As a working mum, I have a particular interest in childcare costs and in making sure that childcare is available to all those who wish to be in work.”
“As the Member will be only too aware, we have just finished the consultation in relation to the childcare strategy for OFMDFM. That finished, I think, around the end of November, and we will continue to work our way through the responses to that consultation, including any that make reference to the Westminster Government's proposals in relation to free childcare. As he is also aware, childcare is due to transfer to the Department of Education after the next election.”
“Given my previous role, I would, of course, say yes. The monitoring and the Budget for next year have been agreed by the Northern Ireland Executive, which means that we will meet our Budget this year and, indeed, next year. With welfare reform and all the other pressures that I stood here and talked about in June having been dealt with, we are on a good route map with the Budget. I look forward to the introduction of the Budget — I think that it is tomorrow — by my friend the Minister of Finance and Personnel.”
“I thank the Member for his question. We have made very good progress on the implementation of the Fresh Start Agreement. In the interests of open government, the progress has been published on the OFMDFM website. We met our Government to discuss strand one issues last week. We met the Republic of Ireland Government to discuss strand two issues and have shared the progress that has been made. I am pleased about the progress that has been made. We will continue to push ahead and make sure that the Fresh Start Agreement is implemented.”
“I am. It is a very good example of collaborative working. NICVA and the wider community sector identified a problem. Instead of standing outside and complaining about it, they came to government and looked for a solution, and we worked with them to try to provide a solution through the action plan. <BR /> <BR />I understand that a wide range of Ministers came back with comments on the action plan. I am hopeful that it will be a useful piece of work and an example of how we should work with different sectors. If a very specific issue is raised, sectors should come forward, and we will try to work with them to find a solution. That has worked on this occasion.”
“As the Member rightly identified, the Executive tasked the junior Ministers to do that. That happened after NICVA and the wider voluntary and community sector alerted us to a difficultly and that a problem was developing, whereby all our Departments were making savings or cuts to the wider voluntary sector, and it was sustaining hits from across the piece. <BR /> <BR />The junior Ministers took forward that work, and an action plan has been developed in conjunction with NICVA and the wider voluntary sector. The Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister has approved the action plan. It has been sent around our Executive colleagues, and there have been some responses.”
“As the Member will know, the Stormont House Agreement envisaged a new civic engagement model that is based on the establishment of a compact civic advisory panel. The steps for the establishment of the panel were set out in 'A Fresh Start: The Stormont Agreement and Implementation Plan'. It anticipates a panel of six people being established by the Executive, with members, including the chair, being identified and appointed by the Department. It is expected that the panel will seek the views of a wide range of representatives and stakeholders. Whilst there will be only six people on the panel, they will go out across civic society. We are considering and identifying panel members for those posts.”
“As I said, the plan to work with the organisation called Open Government comes at a very good time. In my previous Department — DFP — just a few days before I left, I looked at how we were going to use this platform to continue the work that we had started on restructuring government here. It is a great opportunity to talk about the things that have been a success in Northern Ireland, including the digitalisation of a lot of our services across government. People can now access government services from their home by digital means. There is more that we can do on open government, and I look forward very much to working with my colleague in DFP to make sure that we drive this reform agenda through the open government partnership.”
“The Department of Finance and Personnel is working with the Open Government Network to develop a contribution to the UK open government action plan. OFMDFM officials are involved in that development process. Open government principles have the potential to support the aims of the current reform agenda, in particular by supporting greater Executive accountability for the delivery of outcomes and by fostering greater collaboration across government and across sectors. Those developments are, therefore, timely, as we look forward to the restructuring of the Executive Departments and the transition to a more outcome-focused Programme for Government.”
“With your permission, Mr Speaker, I will ask junior Minister Emma Pengelly to answer the question.”
“With your permission, Mr Speaker, I will ask junior Minister Emma Pengelly to answer this question.”
“I thank the Member for his welcome. Indeed, I share his concern that there are some who are engaged in trying to write a particular narrative about what happened here and, indeed, across the island over this past 30 to 40 years. Some are trying to rewrite what happened in 1916, for goodness sake; so, we should not be surprised about all of that. However, I assure him that I will resist any attempt to rewrite what happened in the past.”
“I have been asked whether I think this will be sorted before our next election, and I have to be honest with victims and say that I think it is not going to happen before the next election because there is an election coming in the Republic of Ireland and we have an election in May. I just do not think that we are going to be able to deal with those issues in the short timescale that we have.”
“I thank the Member for his question. I think that many of us — indeed, probably all of us — were disappointed that we were not able to get agreement on the legacy issues. I have to say that great work has been carried out. We were very close to having a comprehensive agreement on dealing with the past. That is why I think that it is important to continue to engage with our own Government, with that of the Republic of Ireland and, most importantly, with the victim sector to try to move the issue forward. In doing so, we have to be honest and open about the chances of doing that at a particular time.”
“That is an ongoing issue that we need to discuss with our own Government in relation to funding because, as he knows, the £150 million that was set aside for dealing with the past has not been drawn down because that issue remains in abeyance. I think that we really do have to get real. If the police are being ordered to look at particular issues, they should have the funding that comes with that.”
“Let me thank the Member for his good wishes on my appointment. As far as I am concerned, as regards the Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister, the issue of victims is one that will continue to be to the fore. <BR /> <BR />On the very specific issue that he has spoken about, as I understand it, directions have now been given on that matter. I think that it underlines the issue of funding to deal with legacy cases, particularly for the Police Service of Northern Ireland. When it is directed to become involved in a historical case, it is only right from my perspective that it should have the funding to deal with that case; otherwise it will have to take funding from other areas of its budget. Of course, I do not think that anybody wants to see that happening.”
“I thank the Member for his question and, indeed, for his good wishes. Funding for 2015-16, the current budgetary year that we are in, has been increased, with over £14 million being provided to support the victims' sector. That is the highest ever opening budget that we have had for victims across Northern Ireland. I have consistently fought to protect victims' issues and victims' budgets, and I will continue to do that in this Department. I believe that we will be proactive in that area in the coming year and in the years to come. From my perspective, funding for victims and survivors will continue to be a priority for the new Executive Office if I am returned as First Minister.”
“Under the agreed departmental restructuring plan, policy and funding for victims and survivors, including sponsorship and oversight of the Victims and Survivors Service and the Commission for Victims and Survivors, which is currently with our Department, shall not be transferred but is to remain within the remit of the new Executive Office. As such, we do not anticipate that there will be any negative impact on services for victims and survivors. Indeed, we believe that there will be a continued focus on the collaborative design programme, which will bring further improvements to services for victims and survivors.”
“I thank the Member for her comments in relation to my appointment. We have commissioned research and, indeed, engaged with a wide range of stakeholders in relation to the new child poverty strategy 2014-17 based on an outcomes-based approach. That is something that we are trying to embed across government, and it is something that we are looking at for the new Programme for Government so that we are looking at the outcomes that we can achieve as opposed to how we get there. Once we work out what we want to see happening, we will all work together to deliver on those outcomes. I think that there is no better place to start than with child poverty because we want to try to eradicate child poverty in a way that, up until now, we have not been able to do.”
“<BR /> <BR />So a lot has been happening over the past four to five years in trying to deal with real difficulties in society. Sometimes we look for strategies and to make sure that we have a strategy in place, but, on this occasion, a lot of actions have been there to show that work has been ongoing.”
“As I indicated in my first answer, a lot of good work has been taking place, and that was acknowledged by the judge in what he said about the strategy. The social investment fund is committed to projects with associated costs of around £58 million profiled over a number of years, so that is really beginning to ramp up now in making a difference. We have a £26 million package in six new Delivering Social Change signature projects, including an additional teachers programme, which was identified in relation to literacy and numeracy. That made a huge difference in society. It was running for only two years but perhaps it is something that we need to look at again. We rolled out nurture units to help to support the social, emotional and behavioural development of our young children. We had an extended schools programme.”
“I can indeed. We decided not to appeal the judgement of the court. Therefore, we intend to bring together a strategy. It was a technical judgement insofar as the court accepted that many actions had been undertaken to deal with poverty and exclusion across Northern Ireland but, as she said, there just was not "a strategy", as such, that brought everything together. Work is going on to make sure that the strategy will be in place, and we hope to have it in place in the near future.”