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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“The Member is right; it was a bit of a Freudian slip from the European Commission, and we saw its true face. It was protecting its bloc and not looking to what was right for the citizens of the United Kingdom. It was very badly judged and was wrong in so many ways. Using a mechanism that, we were told, would be used only in extremis to stop vaccines coming into the United Kingdom through Northern Ireland was baffling beyond bafflement. It is up to the European Commission to make its own judgement, but, before Friday week ago, we were told that article 16 could be used only in extremis. It is clear that that is not the case when it comes to the European Commission.”
“The Member may call them spurious, but, as I understand it, there were enough concerns for people to act to make sure that the staff were safe. Of course, it should always be the priority that our staff are protected. After carrying out its own investigations and communicating with the Police Service of Northern Ireland, Mid and East Antrim Borough Council has released its staff back to the port of Larne. I understand that the Minister of Agriculture will come to the Executive with his plans tomorrow, as it is right that Executive colleagues have the chance to consider what he has to say first.”
“As the Member knows, that is the responsibility of the DAERA Minister. As I understand it, he has received a risk assessment from the Police Service of Northern Ireland and is working through it. He will come to the Executive with a report on the issue tomorrow morning.”
“As I said, the Minister of Education is looking into the matter and will bring a paper to the Executive. In my last answer, I talked about giving voice to people, and it is important that I give voice to a gentleman whom I spoke to on Friday afternoon, John Radley, one of Paul Kavanagh's victims. He is, frankly, struggling to come to terms with the fact that a mainstream political party would appoint someone with five life sentences to an education authority to look after the well-being of our young people. He told me plainly that his life had been ruined and that he had to live with that every day. That was a very powerful conversation. It is incumbent on us not only to listen to that voice but to act as well.”
“No. Restrictions on special advisers — particularly if the Member is talking about convictions that they hold — should apply to all public appointments. I understand that my colleague, the Minister of Education, is looking into that at present.”
“As the Member knows, that work has been completed. The report came to us on my birthday, so the date sticks in my mind, and I know exactly when it came to the Executive Office. The junior Ministers are taking forward a piece of work on the report and will meet the authors and bring it forward. It is not that we have not signed off on the report; it is not for us to sign it off. It has been brought to us as a piece of work, and the junior Ministers are now taking that forward.”
“It is important that everybody in the Chamber exhibits leadership on peace and reconciliation. Of course, given that we have five parties in the Executive, we will have differences of opinion on a range of issues, not least on constitutional issues. It is important that we continue to have this place so that we can have those conversations and that constitutional politics has primacy in everything. When people have concerns, it is important that they are not skimmed over or ignored but are brought to the place where they should be heard. It would be worse if things were ignored and not given a voice and those who had those concerns felt completely alienated from the democratic process. It is important that everyone has a voice in Northern Ireland, and the place to have that voice heard is here in the Assembly.”
“I thank the Member for her supplementary question. Of course, I have heard some of the commentary on the issue over the weekend. Gregory will speak for himself later, and I understand that he will do that this afternoon. As someone who enjoys 'Songs of Praise' every Sunday and the diversity that is exhibited therein, that is not a sentiment that I identify with. <BR /> <BR />Speaking not as the First Minister but as the DUP leader, let me be very clear about this: as a party, we are totally and absolutely committed to racial equality. As I indicated, the next meeting of the racial equality subgroup will take place on Wednesday. I very much look forward to engaging with the members of that subgroup.”
“I thank the Member for her question, and I absolutely concur with her. There is no place at all for any of the issues that she mentioned. I said in response to Mr Nesbitt's question that we are trying to build a society where everyone feels comfortable in Northern Ireland. Whatever your ethic background, sexual orientation, religion or politics, you should be able to feel comfortable living and working here in Northern Ireland.”
“As he knows, there is a whole range of commitments in 'New Decade, New Approach', and some of them will not be able to be facilitated during this mandate. As the five parties in the Executive, we have to have a discussion about those that need to be prioritised. I have to say that I agree with him that funding for that addiction centre needs to be a priority.”
“I thank the Member for raising the issue. I was struck by a piece on, I think, Radio Ulster last week on the need for addiction services. My colleague Gary Middleton has raised the issue with me on a number of occasions. As the Member rightly says, it is a New Decade, New Approach commitment. Therefore, we need to include it in our discussion about prioritisation in New Decade, New Approach.”
“I very much welcome the Member's question. I spoke to the Secretary of State this morning about the fact that it had been indicated that there was not the funding for the extra police officers. He and I will continue to have conversations about that. It is critical that, instead of a reduction in police numbers, we see an increase in the number of police officers on the ground. That is critical to confidence in policing and to making sure that everyone in society is protected and feels safe, so, absolutely, we will continue to raise that issue with our Government, and I am sure that the Justice Minister will raise it with the Finance Minister.”
“Two meetings of the Joint Board took place in 2020. The meetings took an overview of NDNA implementation in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic as well as focusing specifically on health and social care transformation, low-emission public transport and the potential for a meeting of the United Kingdom's Board of Trade in Northern Ireland to promote economic recovery. The next meeting of the Joint Board will take place later this month.”
“We hope that the Irish Government will put those arrangements in place, and we will engage with them at an official level to make sure that we have a line of sight in relation to all that.”
“Regulations will be subject to confirmation of whether it is to be an immigration-based solution, which seems to be the way we are going, and whether amendments to health regulations need to be made. <BR /> <BR />We need to have key communications and engagements with the carriers. At the moment, we do not have any carriers bringing people in from that list of red countries, as the Member understands, but we need to be ready in case that happens. We also need to have a plan for how, if that comes to fruition, we enforce. <BR /> <BR />At present, if people come in through London or Dublin, the quarantining will be in London and Dublin, and people will then move on into Northern Ireland.”
“I thank the Member for her question. We have set up a task-and-finish group in the Executive Office to deal with that very issue. The Department of Health, the Department for the Economy, the Department for Infrastructure and the Department of Justice also attend, along with the Central Procurement Directorate. We continue to engage with colleagues in the Cabinet Office as a four-nation discussion and, of course, with officials from the Republic of Ireland's Government. <BR /> <BR />Work is ongoing on a number of issues, including procurement and commercials, hotel rooms and services, transport, security and welfare services. All need to be identified, as does where we can put them in place.”
“Yes, I am happy to confirm that that will be the case. We felt that it was important for that to be part of the task force now, because our high streets are fundamental to our recovery, particularly for our smaller towns and villages. That is why we felt that it should come into that structure, but I absolutely take the point that this is a more fundamental issue that will go on for longer than the recovery from COVID. There are digital challenges arising from use of the internet, and all the things that we have talked about on occasions will have to be worked through. I very much look forward to working with all the representative groups and trying to find sustainable and long-term answers for our high streets.”
“I thank the Member for her question. The four work streams are protection, recovery, adherence and strategic comms. On recovery — not just the short-term recovery but the longer-term recovery — I think that the Executive Office is on record as saying that we want to build back better so that we can take into account all the experience from the past year and that we want to work together to have a fair economy moving forward, one that is regionally balanced and takes account of some of our outstanding industries. I have already mentioned some of them: fintech, cybersecurity, advanced manufacturing and all the industries in which there is great potential. Our recovery strategy will very much focus on those sorts of industries.”
“Our officials lead a number of initiatives in support, including a weekly meeting of all Departments, local government and the PSNI to look at the common challenges and solutions. Our officials contribute to a number of the work areas under each work stream. For example, we have officials supporting adherence to self-isolation and how it can be improved, face coverings and the preparation of an overall pathway out of the current restrictions. The Executive information service also plays a key role in the strategic communications for the task force. Most recently, our officials have been leading on the overall response to the risks posed by international travel.”
“The Executive's COVID-19 task force (ECT) has been established as a necessary step change in the Executive's response to the evolving nature of the pandemic. The ECT is led by the interim head of the Civil Service (HOCS), who has convened a strategic oversight board that meets regularly. The task force will report monthly to the Executive. The Department provides a project management function for the task force, including practical coordination, support and alignment of the overall response to the pandemic across key operational Departments. Local government, the PSNI and other public-sector agencies are also involved in key work streams and projects. <BR /> <BR />The ECT brings together four main work streams led by senior officials in the relevant Departments.”
“Yes, that is absolutely critical. We must have a caring society. I sometimes despair at some of the things I see on social media. People talk about being kind to each other, but that is sometimes not what I see on social media or, indeed, in society, and I regret that. We want to create a caring society that supports people throughout their life. For my part, we are totally committed to the racial equality piece, if the Member is speaking about that. Our next meeting of the subgroup is this Wednesday. I very much look forward to engaging with that group of representatives and to listening to the members and hearing their concerns.”
“We look forward to working with all the representative bodies to help to get Northern Ireland back to where it should be. We were on the cusp of being globally competitive. We were doing so well in some of our new sectors, such as cybersecurity and financial technology, and we really need to get back there. Therefore, it should be central to our new Programme for Government.”
“On behalf of Mr Middleton, I thank the Member for that comment. I have made an absolutely brilliant appointment. <BR /> <BR />As I said, one of our key statements of societal well-being is that our economy is globally competitive, regionally balanced — that is incredibly important — and carbon-neutral. What the Member spoke about is important. When we talk about our economy, we are talking about a macro thing, not about individuals. However, our economy is made up of small and medium-sized enterprises, all of which have been under incredible pressure during the COVID-19 pandemic. Some of them may not survive the COVID pandemic, despite the fact that we have tried to help them with our schemes. When we look at the economy, we are looking at survival as well as recovery. That is something that we are keenly aware of.”
“We want to ensure that our economy is globally competitive, regionally balanced and carbon-neutral; that everyone feels safe; that we all respect the law and each other; and that we have a caring society that supports people throughout their life. Those are the key elements of the Programme for Government that is out for consultation.”
“As the Member knows, we have set out an action plan that we had consulted on. We are looking at our children and young people to make sure that they have the best start in life. Our young people, in particular, have been under incredible pressure since the COVID pandemic came to Northern Ireland, so we want to put an emphasis on children and young people. We also want to work and live sustainably, looking to build back better from the pandemic and protect the environment. We want to have an equal and inclusive society where everyone is valued and treated with respect. We want to ensure that we all enjoy a long, healthy and active life and that everyone can reach their potential, which is an important point, given what we have come through.”
“As I said, we hope to have the Programme for Government consulted on and coming forward by the end of April. That is the target date, and we very much hope to meet that. We accept that, given the COVID restrictions, that is somewhat difficult, but that is the target at present. <BR /> <BR />The commitment to establish an Assembly Programme for Government monitoring Committee is set out in 'New Decade, New Approach' (NDNA), but it is a matter for the Assembly to create such a Committee. We in TEO will, of course, provide any support that may be needed from the Executive or our officials who lead on the Programme for Government development process, but it is entirely a matter for the Assembly.”
“Our new Programme for Government puts collaboration and inclusivity to the fore, building on the commitment and unity of purpose that we have in the Executive to work in partnership with wider society to improve the well-being of all. <BR /> <BR />We launched the public consultation for the programme on 25 January, and it will run for eight weeks. We hope to be in a position to have a final version of the framework agreed by the Executive by around the end of April, with a view to bringing forward a complete programme incorporating key actions and strategies before the summer.”
“The Executive are fully committed to the development of an outcomes-based Programme for Government as the basis for tackling entrenched and complex social problems and improving quality of life conditions for all. The COVID pandemic has demonstrated very clearly the interconnectedness of economic and social policy and has sent a powerful reminder to us all of the need for a whole-of-government approach to public service planning and delivery.”
“As I have already said, the shared island fund was, somewhat ironically, set up without any consultation with the Northern Ireland Executive. It is the shared island fund of the Republic of Ireland Government. That is the first thing to say. The Member will also be familiar with Sir Peter Hendy's ongoing Union connectivity review. Sir Peter is consulting on how the United Kingdom can be made more connected. He is looking at issues such as the A75 and the A77 in Scotland and the difficulties in that road infrastructure, which I am sure that the Member is familiar with from when he takes the boat to Cairnryan. A lot of work is being done on connectivity, which I welcome. It is important that we are connected right across the British Isles, and I will continue to work on that.”
“The remaining section of the canal restoration will connect Castle Saunderson to Clonfad and thereby link the town of Clones to Lough Erne. <BR /> <BR />This is obviously a long and complicated piece of work. I recognise the interest in it right across Northern Ireland. We are happy to keep the House updated on how this moves along. It has the potential to be a nice piece of tourism infrastructure in an area that, frankly, does not have much tourism infrastructure, so it will be welcome.”
“The Member may be disappointed to know that phase 1 is actually from Upper Lough Erne in my constituency to Castle Saunderson. However, I recognise that, if it were to roll on to completion, it would go right across into his constituency. <BR /> <BR />Phase 1 of the restoration comprises 2·45 kilometres of new navigation from Upper Lough Erne near Quivvy lough, along the River Finn, to a new boating destination at Castle Saunderson. He may know that Castle Saunderson is run by Scouting Ireland and is a very good initiative. That was opened in late 2019. As a result, we are now moving on to phase 2 of the restoration, which includes approximately 800 metres of canal and associated towpath, and construction of a canal basin and amenity area in Clones, which is very close to my constituency.”
“We were disappointed that, when the shared island fund was announced, there was no communication with the Executive about how it would be brought forward. It was announced without consultation with the Executive. However, we will continue to speak to the Republic of Ireland Government, through the North/South Ministerial Council, to see whether we can have our Programme for Government outcomes align with the objectives that they have set out in their shared island agenda.”
“These include infrastructure initiatives, such as the A5, the Ulster canal, the Narrow Water bridge and cross-border greenways, including the Sligo to Enniskillen greenway; achieving greater connectivity, including, for instance, examining the feasibility of high-speed rail connections; new investment and development opportunities in the north-west and border communities; supporting cooperation between both jurisdictions in research and innovation; and exploring a joined-up approach to environmental issues to tackle climate breakdown and the biodiversity crisis.”
“We also discussed the fund at the North/South Ministerial Council institutional meeting in December, and our officials are working with their ROI Government counterparts to explore how the fund might operate and where it would contribute to our Programme for Government priorities. <BR /> <BR />We have discussed with the ROI Government some of their priorities for such investment.”
“The shared island fund is an Republic of Ireland (ROI) Government initiative, with €500m to be made available through to 2025. The fund provides capital funding for investment on a strategic basis in collaborative Northern Ireland/Republic of Ireland projects that will support agreed cross-border cooperation. The Executive are working with the ROI Government, including through the North/South Ministerial Council (NSMC), to consider where the shared island fund may contribute to our emerging Programme for Government outcomes and where it may deliver mutual benefit in both jurisdictions.”
“Testing will form part of a strategy, as will the vaccine, which continues to be rolled out in Northern Ireland in a very professional way. I pay tribute to the work of the vaccination team for everything that it is doing in Northern Ireland.”
“The Member will remember that we began with localised restrictions. Unfortunately, that did not work because we are quite a small jurisdiction, so any movement of people spreads coronavirus. Therefore, we found ourselves having to take a nationwide approach to restrictions. I think that testing will be a useful tool. I note that in England, all employers with more than 50 employees can now apply for rapid-testing kits and can follow that up with polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests. Therefore, it is something that we need to consider, particularly for employers engaged in food preparation and for places where COVID spreads rapidly, often in an asymptomatic way with people not realising that they have it.”
“We are doing all that we can to support people through COVID, but we recognise that more funding will need to be made available after the COVID pandemic has passed.”
“It is something that we are very conscious of, particularly for our young people with the closure of schools and the fact that they are not having the interaction with their peers that they are used to having. We are also concerned about the isolation of older people and the fact that they are not having the contact that they would usually have. <BR /> <BR />As the Member will know, we set up a cross-departmental mental health group, under the chairmanship of the Minister of Health, in February or March of last year, shortly after we came back into Government but before COVID hit us as a nation, and it is important that we continue to work through that. I know that the Minister of Health is aware of the mental health crisis that, unfortunately, awaits us after we have dealt with COVID issues.”
“The Minister of Health has been looking for this information for almost 11 months. It is about time that it was sorted out.”
“I would be absolutely delighted if we could have cooperation on data sharing from the Republic of Ireland's Government. We have been very disappointed about the way in which that has been approached. We were told that there was a problem from the Attorney General of the Republic of Ireland, and then we were told that there was a problem with the Information Commissioner. I think that if we want to try to make sure that we deal with COVID in a proper way, we should be sharing the information. We will raise the issue again with the Republic of Ireland's Government, but I have to say that, in our last meeting, I was very disappointed that Simon Coveney, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, again hid behind some reason or other why it could not be done. It is a straightforward matter.”
“I thank the Member for his questions. We have not been taking advice from quacks, as I think that he is indicating. We have been taking advice from the Chief Medical Officer and the Chief Scientific Adviser and, indeed, from the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) in the United Kingdom. As I indicated in my substantive answer, a zero-COVID approach would work only on a five-nations basis. I am pleased to see that we are working in that regard with the quarantine, and, hopefully, that will help with the problems with international travel.”
“That can clearly be seen in the falling R number and the reduction in the number of positive cases. However, the pressure on our hospitals will remain for some time, and, as such, we cannot be complacent.”
“We have continued to keep the restrictions under review and took the decision on 21 January to extend the restrictions until 5 March, and we will review them again on 18 February. The single most important action that we can all take is to stay at home. <BR /> <BR />The Executive place a particular emphasis on people and families, as we know how important they are to everyone. Any future Executive decisions will, therefore, be informed by the impact that they may have on us as individuals, families and the wider communities within which we all live, and they will be necessary and proportionate. Since the current regulations were put in place on 26 December, we have been encouraged that the majority of people are adhering to them and are doing their utmost to help to limit the spread of COVID-19.”
“<BR /> <BR />In making decisions, the Executive consider three key criteria: the most up-to-date medical and scientific evidence; the ability of the health service to cope; and the wider impacts on our health, society and economy. Every proposal to change restrictions that comes before the Executive has been reviewed by the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) and the Chief Scientific Adviser (CSA). They attend Executive meetings and give their advice directly to us. <BR /> <BR />Following the increase in coronavirus cases, the Executive agreed the current restrictions on 17 December. We moved quickly to put in place measures to reduce the spread of the virus and to help manage the pressures on our health and social care system.”
“Over the past year, we have worked continuously to put measures in place to curb the spread of the virus in Northern Ireland. A zero-COVID-19 strategy would require a five-nations approach to collectively close our borders with other countries. Our response as an Executive and our recovery from COVID-19 will continue to be focused on the health and well-being of our citizens, our economic well-being, revitalising the economy and our societal and community well-being. The restrictions implemented are there to help reduce the spread of coronavirus and to help manage the pressures on our health and social care system.”
“— are in anguish. That may not matter to the Members on the opposite Benches, but it should matter. It should matter that everyone in Northern Ireland is being denied supply of trade. If they really care about all the people of Northern Ireland, they will act.”
“Article 16 allows unilateral action by any party to the protocol in order to protect against serious harm caused by the provisions, which means that the United Kingdom can take action, without agreement, to protect disruption on our supply lines and to protect the people of Northern Ireland. <BR /> <BR />The protocol was imposed on the people of Northern Ireland. I have always opposed it, and, despite significant protestation and logical argument against its provision, it is still here. Too many people have been fooled by what it seemed to be on paper, but reality has bitten. Unionists across the length and breadth of Northern Ireland —”
“The statement from the European Union makes clear that it holds in reserve invoking article 16 and that it intends to do that if it feels that it needs to. That does not give any assurance or guarantee, and that is completely unacceptable. <BR /> <BR />The first triggering of article 16 was not only deployed by the EU but was deployed not to protect the people of Northern Ireland but in an attempt to stop people across all communities here getting life-saving vaccinations. Shame. <BR /> <BR />We must also put this into context. The EU triggered article 16, before it rightfully backtracked under significant pressure, in order to protect an anticipated problem with its supply lines.”
“The export controls extended only to Great Britain due to the existence of the protocol, and, therefore, the EU had to take deliberate and particular action to trigger article 16 in order to ensure that we, the people of Northern Ireland, would not be able to obtain any vaccines through that route. I think that that is very striking and very horrific in equal measure. It is also important to highlight the nature of the action of the European Union. This was no accident or some inadvertent mistake, as some have tried to allege. The EU had been working on this all last week. It was done with purpose, and it was done with intention. It was only due to the public furore that it changed its mind. However, I think that Members need to realise that even that U-turn comes with heavy caveats.”