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.”
The complete record
Every one of 3,345 lines we hold for Arlene Foster, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 40 of 67.
“They are for community halls, and that includes Orange halls and Hibernian halls. Secondly, they are conditional on them being able to use it for the wider community. Thirdly, and most importantly, they do not have a liquor licence and are not being occupied by a registered club. Any club with a liquor licence will have a regular stream of income and can afford to pay some rates, and they also have membership fees. I am amenable to looking at a model like that for CASCs, but only after the necessary due diligence, which is absolutely lacking from the work that Mr McKay claims to have carried out. <BR /> <BR />Then we come to the state aid issue, which apparently is a red herring. Apparently, state aid is now a red herring. Clearly, the Member has not given any thought to the issue at all, by the fact that he calls it a red herring.”
“You only have to listen to my questions during Question Time to hear, "What are we doing about rates relief for x, y or z?" It may be worth remembering that rates are a devolved tax and that central and local government need a stable tax base in order to plan and to be able to pay money out for our public services. <BR /> <BR />I heard that there has been some commentary — not in the House tonight, I have to say — in relation to whether this was an orange and green issue earlier, which was absolute rubbish, of course, but some particular broadcasters and newspapers love it when you mention orange and green. Let us put the matter straight, and I want to put it on the record. What the Member is proposing is a completely different beast to what people are calling "Orange hall exemptions". First, the exemptions are not just for Orange halls.”
“Mr McKay's party wants extra money for welfare reform, and, at the same time, he comes knocking on the door of the rating system to increase already generous support for sports clubs. Listening to some of the Members today, you would think that sports clubs do not get any assistance or any help at all. Of course, that is not the case. They get 80% relief in relation to their rating bill. <BR /> <BR />Does the Member realise that people are practically queued up every week at the Department of Finance and Personnel for rate relief on one issue or another?”
“This is not the first time that you have heard me talking about acting responsibly, but, obviously, people think that they can give everyone rates relief and we will not notice it in our public finances.”
“He then went on to tell us that his colleague wanted homing pigeons and their associations involved in rates relief as well. You can see that we are entering into this realm without a proper assessment of need and affordability. <BR /> <BR />The ratings system is an intrinsic part of the public expenditure system. It is not something that should deliver support under the counter and outside the priorities of the Executive, which, of course, set the Programme for Government. If we do not exercise caution, we will soon be playing "spot the ratepayer" in Northern Ireland. We give so many reliefs right across the piece, and we have to act responsibly.”
“Those questions about impact are really incisive and to the point. It is a side issue, Mr Deputy Speaker, but can you imagine the reception that my Department would get in presenting such shallow proposals for change to the Finance Committee, of which Mr McKay is Chairman? Some analysis of cost would have been helpful, I have to say. There may be only about 200 registered community and amateur sports clubs in Northern Ireland, but if they are all to get 100% relief through the Bill we can expect a surge in additional registrations. <BR /> <BR />If we are not careful, every well-meaning group will seek a willing MLA to promote a Bill giving more rates relief. We have already heard from Mr Somerville, who, unintentionally amusing as usual, talked about empty Benches. He was sitting on one.”
“That question was asked of amateur sports clubs. It is followed by:”
“I am going to talk about the consultation document, because I think that people need to understand what it consisted of. Just so that Members are aware, the consultation document, which was described by Mr McElduff as "a very good process", has the following specific content: less than one page on the existing framework; less than one page on the proposal; and then three pages of questions. I want to read out some of the incisive questions put to those who wanted to respond. The first is:”
“I cannot say that I was incredibly surprised that they wanted to see a reduction in their rates. I did not hear whether any of the hospitality associations, the Federation of Small Businesses, the Northern Ireland Independent Retail Trade Association (NIRTA) or the Hotels Federation had a view on the Bill. To my mind, asking a number of sports associations if they would like to pay lower rates does not really fall within the definition of meaningful consultation. I will give way, even though I said that I would not.”
“Before I forget, I also want to apologise to those Members who may have noticed that I had to pop out of the Chamber for a little while, but there is a very important function in the Long Gallery on mid-Ulster's economic development plan. They were very upset that I had to leave when Mr McElduff was speaking, but I assured them that I had someone here to take copious notes of his speech and that I would address it when I returned. <BR /> <BR />The Bill presents a number of issues, and I am afraid that I will not be supporting it. I have two main issues and a number of ancillary issues. One is to do with due process. It is important to highlight first of all that in presenting the Bill to the Assembly there has been a distinct lack of meaningful consultation. We had a long, long list of amateur sports clubs.”
“The Minister is addressing issues that have been raised, and I thought that I was going to answer them, because, Mr Deputy Speaker, I was asked direct questions about the petition of concern, and therefore I am answering them.”
“So, "Physician, heal thyself" is what I say about the petition of concern on these matters. People need to think of that —”
“There is a wide range of issues that I need to cover, so I hope that Members will bear with me just as I have borne with them. I have listened to some points that are factually not correct, but I stopped myself from intervening because I knew that I was going to be able to address them in my speech. <BR /> <BR />I am certainly not going to take lectures from Sinn Féin on the misuse of the petition of concern. We had a petition of concern to stop the House from sanctioning Gerry Kelly when he was on top of a Land Rover — a police Land Rover at that. We have had Sinn Féin using a petition of concern to exclude us when we wanted to change the definition of a victim. And, indeed, Sinn Féin joined with the SDLP in a petition of concern on welfare reform.”
“I think that the benefit of having a reduction in corporation tax still stands. The fact that the Chancellor has acknowledged the impact of having a lower rate of corporation tax strengthens our hand when going out and selling Northern Ireland as a place to do business. It actually reduces the cost to our block grant, so that is a good thing. It still gives us that marketing edge, I believe, when we go to companies that heretofore we have not been able to go to because they wanted to talk about tax and we did not have the advantage that, I think, we would have if we had a lower rate of corporation tax. So, I absolutely think that it is still the right thing to do.”
“He has exposed himself again as having a wreckers' charter. He should wait to hear what the panel has to say before making up his mind.”
“Would that not have suited Mr Allister that the people of Northern Ireland did not have a devolved Government?”
“I prefer to wait for the panel to report before I make up my mind. Jim does not have to do that, of course, because Jim has made up his mind already, and that is the reality. The fact of the matter is this: Mr Allister has always engaged in wanting to wreck the Assembly. Even in his supplementary question, he made the point that he would have much preferred it if the First Minister had resigned and walked away, and what would that have meant? It would have meant the end of devolution.”
“There are so many ironies in that statement that it is incredible. The Member and others did not support us when we tried to make sure that we did not have business as usual in the House. When we do not have business as usual, we are criticised, and when we do have business as usual, we are criticised. People need to make up their mind as to what they actually want.”
“Is it not good that we are talking about that dysfunctionality and trying to find a solution rather than walking away from dealing with the issues in front of us?”
“Things are still happening in Northern Ireland, and I was delighted to be in the north-west, for example, on Friday, when the deputy First Minister and I opened part of the Ebrington site to a cluster of new digital companies that are making a real difference in that area, creating jobs and using the digital infrastructure that we put in place. The devolved Administration put the digital infrastructure in place, and now, because of the development at that Ebrington site, we are seeing real jobs being created. <BR /> <BR />I suppose that it depends on whether you see the glass as being half-empty or half-full. I prefer to talk about the positive impact that we are having on lives while not taking away from the dysfunctionality that we have run into at the moment.”
“The next mandate should be about delivery, and that is one of the reasons why the Programme for Government will now be looked at as an outcomes-based process. Instead of just setting targets, we will look at what impact a particular action will have on the people of Northern Ireland. I think that that is right; I think that our focus on outcomes is where we need to go. <BR /> <BR />I do think that he is being rather downbeat in saying that there is zero decision-making. Some decision-making is still happening, and I think that he knows that.”
“I think that we have made a number of very important developments on strategy and, more importantly, on delivery. Over the Programme for Government period, we have delivered 37,000 new jobs to Northern Ireland against a target of 25,000. We have passed our targets on investment from outside Northern Ireland. We have passed our targets in relation to the amount of money that has been put into research and development, and we have passed our targets on the number of tourists who are coming to Northern Ireland. While some in the House may want to talk down the achievements of devolution, I think that we have made an impact on the lives of people living here in Northern Ireland, and I hope that we can continue to do so.”
“We have seen that through the way in which we were able to use financial transactions capital at Ulster University and, indeed, through many housing schemes.”
“If there is a way that we can use even a part of that £50 million for the extension of the cancer centre in Belfast, which is, of course, a regional hub for the whole of Northern Ireland, I would be more than happy and more than sympathetic to hearing that argument. As I said, we will be talking to the rest of the Departments to see whether they have any requirement for financial transactions capital. <BR /> <BR />I have to say to the Member that we have been disappointed with the way that Departments have looked at this. I accept that it is a new way of funding capital projects in Northern Ireland, but I am hoping that, in the future, we will see more take-up from a public-private partnership in trying to use that money, which is money that can make a real difference.”
“The Member is correct; £50 million was set aside in financial transactions capital for the Arc21 incinerator. It has now been communicated to me in my role as Finance Minister that the Department is no longer in need of that financial transactions capital, so, despite the fact that it is late in the day, we will have to determine, first, by looking across Departments and, secondly, by looking at the Northern Ireland investment fund whether we can use that money. We certainly do not want to hand it back; we want to be able to use it in Northern Ireland.”
“That will certainly be the focus for me and my party.”
“I am not going to confirm a negative, if that is what the Member wants me to do. If paramilitary structures are in place, of course that will have to be dealt with. That is an issue not just for the republican community but for the loyalist community. We have to deal with paramilitarism across the piece in Northern Ireland. Unfortunately, there are still many communities in Northern Ireland in which it appears as if those structures are still in existence. Despite the fact that we have had a long period under which those structures should have disappeared, it appears that they have not disappeared, so we have to deal with the issue. We will wait to see what the panel brings forward tomorrow, but if it says that those structures are still in place, we will need to look at how we can make sure that they come to an end.”
“I am here to answer as First Minister on behalf of the First Minister, so I will answer in that capacity. Of course we look forward to the panel's report; my party pushed for that. The issue will, I believe, inform the talks that we are all so heavily engaged in. Unless the Member has had prior sight of what is in the report — I certainly have not, and I look forward to it. I hope that it will come forward this week so that we can move forward in a positive way. I am sure that he wants to move forward in a positive way as well.”
“The sale was not a matter for DFP; it was a matter entirely for NAMA as to how it proceeded. As the Member knows, that was a matter for it and it alone. At the risk of sounding repetitive, the First Minister and the deputy First Minister have given evidence to the Member's Committee. I am quite sure that he had an opportunity to question the First Minister and the deputy First Minister on those issues, and I am quite sure that, if the Finance Minister at that time comes before the Committee, the Member can ask him a similar question.”
“No, I do not believe that such an appraisal occurred.”
“As I indicated in my previous answer on the matter, the First Minister and the deputy First Minister have given evidence — quite full evidence, by the First Minister in particular. All those issues were covered at those times. I am sure that, if the Member wishes to, he will be able to read the First Minister's evidence.”
“I have had no briefings from the National Crime Agency. In the Department of Finance and Personnel, my permanent secretary has had direct engagement on the issues that the Member mentions, but I have not received such a briefing from the National Crime Agency.”
“I do not have much specific detail on that issue in front of me. I apologise for that. Certainly, the shared neighbourhood aspect is one that is key to the development of T:BUC. It is one that we will want to pursue and see working in reality on the ground. We had a question earlier on the peace walls. What we want to see are fewer peace walls and more shared communities. That is why we are determined to move ahead with that part of the T:BUC strategy.”
“I thank the Member for his question. Indeed, the Department has been looking at the recommendation to have a T:BUC forum chaired by a representative from the sector. <BR /> <BR />We have been working with the Community Relations Council to try to make better use of fora that it already has in place. One of the proposals being examined is to reconstitute the interface community partners' forum as a group that will help further enhance engagement with stakeholders across the four key priorities of T:BUC. We are continuing to work in that respect. In other words, to answer the question succinctly, we do not want to reinvent the wheel. We believe that there are already representative bodies that we can make use of. We do not want to overburden people by setting up yet another forum if we can make use of the fora that are already there.”
“It is important to seek to improve communications and engagement with stakeholders continually. The Department is in the process of looking at the establishment of a quarterly engagement forum for stakeholders to receive updates on Together: Building a United Community. They will provide feedback to the Department on the strategy, including feedback on progress, issues, identification of best practice and areas for improvement.”
“That engagement was instrumental in shaping the way forward for both and involved a wide range of stakeholders, particularly the young people whom the actions are aimed at. The establishment of the thematic subgroups, under the auspices of the ministerial panel, is key to engaging with stakeholders in the sector. Through that, we will ensure that their input informs how action and commitments are being delivered.”
“I do not have that paper — yes, I do. We welcome the Committee's report. Since the launch of the Together: Building a United Community (T:BUC) strategy, we have engaged with a range of stakeholders as part of the detailed design of the many actions being delivered. We greatly value the input of all the stakeholders who engage with us in the design of good relations work. Our stakeholders have a wealth of knowledge and expertise that we will continue to draw on in shaping and implementing our policies, actions and commitments. <BR /> <BR />Co-design has provided an opportunity to engage with our stakeholders, including the people directly impacted by the headline actions. There has been extensive co-design for headline actions, including the summer camps and the United Youth programme.”
“Hopefully, it will be a very good news story for not just Ballykelly but the whole of the north-west.”
“Certainly, it has been a rigorous process. As I said, the environmental benefits to the area will form part of the criteria in deciding from whom the successful proposal has come. This is the first time that I can remember such a weighting being put in, and it is, probably, in recognition of the sensitivity of the environmental value of the site, as well, of course, as its potential in relation to the creation of jobs and the economic benefit for the area. <BR /> <BR />I know that many in the north-west have been waiting for a long time for this to happen. I can understand why they might wish it to happen more quickly than, perhaps, has been the case in the past, but we hope that the process will be completed by early 2016 and that we will then be able to move on to the development.”
“Absolutely, and I thank the Member for her question. The preferred proposal, when it comes out the other side of the process, will have gone through very rigorous testing against the set criteria. Of the criteria set — job creation, the financial offer, community benefit and environmental benefits — job creation is given the highest weighting. It has 45% of the weighting, and 35% goes to the financial offer, 10% to community benefit and 10% to environmental benefits. She can see from that weighting that job creation and the difference that it will make to the area are key to deciding who the successful bidder will be and who will be able to develop the rest of the Shackleton site.”
“I am pleased to confirm that we have received seven proposals for the Shackleton site as part of the open, competitive sale process. The size of the site for sale is approximately 621·5 acres, so anyone who submitted a proposal to purchase and develop a site of that size has demonstrated a genuine commitment to making a significant economic impact in the north-west. We are undertaking a detailed assessment of those proposals against the set criteria and look forward to the process being completed in early 2016. With Northern Ireland Water developing approximately 85 acres of the site and DARD's relocation plans well under way, it is a very exciting time for Ballykelly and the north-west.”
“As I understand it, there are no points of difference. I know that some parties always like to look for points of difference between the First Minister and deputy First Minister. I have been in this role for less than six weeks, and I realise that that is the case but, as I understand it, there are no points of difference between the two gentlemen.”
“I thank the Member for his question, and I entirely agree with him. It is for that reason that we established the operational group, which is being led by the Department for Social Development in recognition of its role in connection with housing. That is because housing will be a huge issue for these refugees. They will be incredibly vulnerable. Because we have decided to take the most vulnerable from the camps in Syria, they will need the most care and attention. Therefore, housing will be a key element in the situation when they arrive here in Northern Ireland. So, DSD is leading on that operational group, but, as I understand it, all the other Departments are feeding into it as well.”
“<BR /> <BR />An operational group led by the Department for Social Development will consider and address the practical steps that will be needed to meet the immediate and longer-term needs of those who may arrive under the vulnerable persons relocation scheme. The details of how the scheme will work here have not yet been finalised. The operational group is working to put in place arrangements to manage the arrival of refugees through the scheme. That will include the provision of appropriate services and support to facilitate their integration.”
“The only formal programme under which we would receive refugees is the vulnerable persons relocation scheme. That programme aims to relocate those who are most vulnerable and to resettle them in suitable locations where their needs can be addressed. Officials are making preparations to ensure that we are able to respond effectively to the needs of what will likely be a vulnerable group of refugees. Two groups of senior officials have been established to take forward arrangements. A strategic planning group led by OFMDFM has been established to advise Ministers on the response of Departments and agencies and to consider the strategic issues and local implications.”
“So, the administrative work has begun in the different Departments, the Bill has been drafted and the transfer of functions order is at an advanced stage.”
“The Member is absolutely right that a Departments Bill will need to be brought to the House to establish the future nine-Department framework and that a transfer of functions order will make the detailed provision for the statutory responsibilities that are to be moved between the Departments in consequence of the earlier Executive decision. The Departments Bill has been drafted. Prior to its introduction in the Assembly, detailed work on the transfer of functions order is also at an advanced stage. Extensive administrative preparations for reorganisation are being taken forward under the sight of the cross-departmental programme board. For example, I know that in my own Department, DFP, we are planning budgetary provision not for 12 Departments but for nine.”
“However, those cannot be fully progressed until such times as matters relating to welfare reform are resolved. All aspects of the Stormont House Agreement are being considered as part of the talks process.”
“The implementation of the Stormont House Agreement is a fundamental part of the current talks process. As this round of talks is ongoing, it would not be appropriate for me to discuss matters that are part of the negotiations. <BR /> <BR />The Member will be aware that, prior to the talks, the parties had been meeting on a weekly basis since January 2015, and, during that time, good progress was made on a range of commitments, including those for which OFMDFM has responsibility.”
“The Member will know that I have been heavily involved with shared education in Fermanagh over a time, and I was particularly pleased to see that a high percentage — I do not have the figure in front of me, but I think that it was around the 80% mark — had been involved in shared education, whether through games or classes. The communities are working together in a more cohesive way than when he or I were at primary school. I very much welcome that and think that it will lead to the longer-term trends going in the right direction. <BR /> <BR />The integrated sector will be a matter for the Executive as a whole. I am sure that we will take that forward when we look at the indicators as an Executive, I hope, in the near future.”