Dolores Kelly
Upper Bann · Social Democratic and Labour Party · Northern Ireland
“The legislation is only as good as its enforcement. It will be enabled by the sentences that judges and others may hand down, by cultural shifts and by changes in behaviour because of the penalties in place as a consequence. <BR /> <BR />We need to do much more with cybercrime units. We need proper resources for them.”
“It also covers the background to the Good Friday Agreement and the creation of this Assembly, as well as subsequent political negotiations over the years. The major figures and events over the past 100 years have been reflected in a way that ensures that all political perspectives of the Assembly are reflected.”
“I thank the Member for his question. An update on the current COVID-19 health and safety measures was issued to all users of Parliament Buildings on 1 March 2022. The update set out the current arrangements for ensuring the continuing safety of everyone in the Building.”
“I thank the Member for his question. I am pleased to inform him that the review of the display of artefacts is at a very advanced stage. The Member may have seen the letter that the Speaker issued on behalf of the Assembly Commission earlier today.”
“<BR /> <BR />As a member of the Policing Board, I receive updates on a regular basis from the National Crime Agency (NCA), which has determined that between 16,000 and 23,000 children and young people are at risk from sexual offences and grooming online. Those are horrendous figures, and that must be a nightmare scenario for any family.”
“Thank you for your answer, Minister. You rightly outlined a lot of medical and therapeutic interventions, but many children are suffering post-traumatic stress-type symptoms or, indeed, social isolation as a consequence of COVID.”
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“Another query came in today from the family of someone whose mother has severe dementia with challenging behaviour and is an inpatient in Gillis ward in St Luke’s Hospital. Because of her challenging behaviour and deterioration, her family are very anxious. She has been given both vaccinations. Family members have received their first vaccination and want to know about the visiting policy for long-term patients in a hospital setting as opposed to a care home and when it might be relaxed.”
“That is my constituents' understanding from some in the Department of Agriculture. I want to confirm that.”
“From personal experience, having family members who have worked in those sectors, I know that it has taken a huge toll on their well-being. Minister, you might be able to encourage your Executive colleagues to work with you in meeting their specific needs as, hopefully, we look to a brighter future. <BR /> <BR />I have a couple of specific queries on behalf of constituents. You may know that equestrian centres and showjumping are popular in my constituency along the lough shore. I want some confirmation, as it is an all-Ireland sport, that, under the regulations, showjumping and elite sports can recommence on the same basis as in the Republic of Ireland, where eventing has resumed on an elite, non-spectator basis with all the mitigation factors being put in place.”
“I echo Ms Ní Chuilín's thanks and her recognition of the public, who have made those essential sacrifices. Last week, I took my father for his second vaccination, and we were absolutely delighted to have got him through the whole period, thankfully, without COVID. I also place on record my thanks to the staff in ward 2 south and in ICU at Craigavon Area Hospital, who saved the life of my brother. I make no bones about it. He was critically ill with COVID for weeks and, thank God, is making a good recovery, so I thank all those staff. <BR /> <BR />I also want the Minister to look at the mental health and emotional well-being of staff. I believe that some staff will suffer from what can best be described as "PTSD" when they hopefully relax a bit and come off duty.”
“Minister, you are right to point out the blinkered vision of some in the House who believe Boris Johnson's promises on the delivery of infrastructure, particularly bridges. I am sure, Minister, you agree that, if people were rational and objective and looked at what is really going on, they would see how Northern Ireland is being used and abused by the British Government in their appeal to Scottish Conservatives and Labour people in the context of the Scottish Parliament elections in May.”
“I thank the joint First Minister for her response and for her acknowledgement that housing is related to good well-being and good health. There is an ongoing issue with landbanking. Following the consultations, are there any plans to take action against those who continue to bank land, particularly in and around public housing, and to ensure that there is a sufficient budget allocation that will go some way to meeting need?”
“I thank the Member for giving way. He will not be surprised to learn that the SDLP has a steadfast view of this particular British Secretary of State: we do not trust him as far as we could throw him. However, does the Member also recall that, when the Northern Ireland (Executive Formation etc) Act 2019 was going through the Westminster Parliament, it was acknowledged by no less a person than Viscount Younger of Leckie that:”
“I hope that the message will go out from the Chamber that we have all recognised that we can and must do better to support people with disabilities and women who receive that devastating diagnosis about their unborn child. We should help them support and care for that child throughout its life journey. <BR /> <BR />Some have talked about the thin end of the wedge for rollback of the legislation. Others might see it as the thin end of the wedge for who can and cannot be aborted, where that might start and finish and what it means later in life for those with acquired illness and disability. People are right to say that they are big decisions. History will reflect very much on what we have said in the debate today. I hope that I have contributed in a sensitive and compassionate way, Mr Speaker, and I am happy to support the Bill.”
“Many Members recognised the fact that we, as a society and as public bodies, do not give enough support to people with disabilities, their families and their carers. My goodness, we have seen the generosity of people during the pandemic, but we have also seen how difficult and straining it has been for sole carers. That is no reason to abort an otherwise healthy child, however. We do not abort people because they will grow up in poor families in which there are disadvantages, so, equally, why would this apply? I come at it from the perspective that we should deal with such sensitive matters compassionately. We are talking about two lives, not just one life. It is about not just women but the whole family.”
“I would welcome the opportunity to debate on some occasion with her the human rights abuses that have resulted in shame falling over this land in the past number of years. However, on the Bill, many people referred to the excellent briefing document that we have been provided with by Don't Screen Us Out campaigners. Given more recent comments, it might, I hope, be worth repeating that the Supreme Court has given a non-binding judgement that there is no human right to have an abortion on the grounds of a non-fatal disability. Lord Mance said about children with non-fatal disabilities:”
“I welcome the opportunity to speak in favour of the Bill. Many of my party colleagues will support it today. I was getting a bit confused about what debate I was involved in. I thought that we were dealing directly with this Bill. I cannot speak for the Health Minister, but I am quite sure that he very seldom gets a leg up from the DUP. We will see how that pans out for him in the coming weeks and months. <BR /> <BR />I have to say that I want to keep this very compassionate. We all have family members who were born with disabilities and who lead very fulfilling lives and have enriched our family lives. However, I have to comment on Ms Sheerin, who said that, with human rights abuses, a shadow of shame hangs over our land.”
“Some of the steps will not cost much money, but there has to be collaboration right across government. That is what we should all be asking our Ministers to get their head around. They need to roll up their sleeves and say, "Enough is enough".”
“At the Policing Board's performance committee meeting last week, we heard from a senior police officer about the past year's crimes against women, including sexual assault and domestic abuse. Over 65% of those crimes were committed against women and girls. The remainder were against men and cases involving children abusing parents. It is nuanced, but the stark fact is that domestic violence is more likely to be against women and girls. That is why I support the call of Women's Aid, which launched a petition last week calling on the Executive and the Justice Minister to put forward a strategy. We have a sterling report by Judge Gillen that is sitting on a number of Ministers' bookshelves. Money is required to bring forward the recommendations that Judge Gillen listed.”
“I, too, want to be associated with the condolences to Sarah's family. I have five sisters and three daughters, two of whom are roughly the same age as Sarah. I cannot even begin to imagine the heartbreak of her mother today. <BR /> <BR />Miss Woods is right about the strategy. Women's Aid warned the previous Executive that the strategy was not good enough, that it was gender-neutral and that it did not recognise that women and girls were more likely to be the subject of violence and abuse from men.”
“I thank the First Minister for her response. I am sure that she will agree that it is appalling that victims have had to go for legal redress. What is the next step? Will we force victims back into court to get a political fix? I do not know whether the First Minister can give us an insight into how the figure of £800 million has been arrived at as a potential cost. Many people are surprised at that amount.”
“I will say a few words, having had the privilege of serving on the Policing Board with Jimmy Spratt. I can relate to the First Minister's comments about his mischievous sense of humour, because, many's the time, he would have tipped me a wink before he started to wind up some senior police officers at the board through his questioning and probing. I pass on my sincere condolences to his wife, Lynda, and his sons. Funerals are a very difficult time at the moment. When people are ill, family members and friends cannot go to give comfort in the way in which we would hope. My sincere condolences to his family, friends and colleagues in the DUP. I always found Jimmy to be a gentleman, and he was quite dapper in how he dressed. His sense of humour always appealed to me, and I know that he will missed by many.”
“Is the Member not astonished that Mr Carroll did not take the opportunity to affirm his support for his own constituency staff, who are highly skilled and work on complex issues and, yet, because of the previous determination, were left on below-standard wages and with no rights or entitlement to pay if they were taken ill?”
“Surely, the Finance Minister could ensure that Departments that are having to return large sums of money at the end of this financial year are challenged to better deliver on their commitments. Given that businesses and bidders need to be put in place in order to deliver on spend, that money, if available, needs to be in the earlier monitoring rounds. It is a matter of deep regret that the £11 million that was bid for by the Infrastructure Minister in June of last year was refused by the Finance Minister. It has made an already difficult situation much worse.”
“That should be a key priority in the allocation of funding by the Finance Minister. <BR /> <BR />We face unprecedented challenges around not only COVID and Brexit but climate change. Those matters should be given consideration, and all parties have signed up to commitments to deal with those challenges in a coherent fashion. Obviously, it is a global challenge, and we have our role to play, but that costs money. Many communities are seeing street lights, potholes and road safety in their areas not being funded, and they are on extremely long waiting lists. About two years ago, I met the divisional road manager in my constituency and asked about traffic-calming measures. We were told that they had over 600 applications but only enough funding for one per year.”
“That is an increase of £2·8 million, which is a 0·7% increase on the 2020-21 opening resource allocation of £417·9 million, proportionately less of an increase than all other Departments, and less than the average departmental increase of over 6%. <BR /> <BR />We all know of and have raised concerns about issues to do with roads maintenance, particularly of rural roads. Numerous audit reports have underscored the vast underspend in infrastructure that we have had, particularly in roads, for many years. However, it is not only our roads that are at risk but our waste water treatment. In an earlier contribution by Martina Anderson, during questions to the Minister on her ministerial statement, she highlighted the waste water treatment that needed to be invested in to allow our towns, cities and housing developments to grow and expand.”
“Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. I thank the Member for her intervention. That is a point that my Minister and party have made. Indeed, many parties have made that point while holding the Infrastructure portfolio. We have had to live a hand-to-mouth existence through monitoring rounds, rather than receiving proper investment in both capital and resource. I welcome the fact that we have had additional capital funding, but it is most regrettable that the draft resource budget is extremely challenging. If further funding is not secured, a really difficult year lies ahead. It will also be difficult to deliver a capital programme of that scale without a corresponding increase to the resource budget. The draft resource outcome for the Department from the 2021-22 Budget is £420·7 million.”
“They include bridges, tunnels and roundabouts — in a debate earlier today, somebody said that he wanted a roundabout under the Isle of Man. We all know his record of delivery: the garden bridge in London was abandoned after the expenditure of much public money. The vanity projects of this particular individual have caused losses to the public purse.”
“I understand that, when the First and deputy First Ministers, or joint First Ministers, met with the Secretary of State last week, no progress was made. We are close to a critical date. According to the court judgment, the time for payments runs out in only two weeks' time. I would like to know how the Minister of Finance will address that in the coming weeks and months. It is the responsibility of the Executive Office to observe that court judgment. <BR /> <BR />I turn my attention to infrastructure, on which I am the SDLP's spokesperson. On numerous occasions, we have heard the British Prime Minister talk about turbocharging the economy through infrastructure. However, some of the ideas that he has come up with are nonsensical.”
“The figure of 7,500 was set in a time of peace, when there were no dissident republicans, and loyalist paramilitaries were expected to have largely been stood down. Yet we have had recent reports from the Independent Reporting Commission (IRC) that loyalist paramilitaries are still actively recruiting in large numbers. We have seen the impact of that recently in our streets, particularly in east Belfast. I ask that urgent consideration be given in future monitoring rounds to the policing situation. Policing must be put on a proper and sustainable footing. <BR /> <BR />I agree that the British Government have reneged on victims' payments. The Minister of Finance has had a number of meetings with the Treasury on New Decade, New Approach commitments, and he might be able to update us on whether there has been any advance.”
“I welcome the opportunity to take part in the debate. I recognise that many Members who spoke previously have outlined its purpose. They expressed regret that we are not given sufficient time to explore many of the Budget lines, make the comments that we would otherwise seek to make and interrogate the figures a lot more. <BR /> <BR />I will follow on from the comments by Ms Dillon and Mr Storey on police numbers. Mr Storey is quite right. The figure of 7,500 was set by Patten. That is not a new or magical figure. It was confirmed in New Decade, New Approach, and all parties in the Executive agreed to it. It is most regrettable that 300 or 400 policing jobs might be lost or not replaced this year, particularly when neighbourhood policing is now across all our constituencies and is broadly welcomed by the community.”
“I appreciate the Member giving way, but does he recall that the colleagues of the Members opposite at Westminster voted against the extension of free school meals?”
“It is deeply troubling that the Minister wrote on such an important issue on 18 September, because, in my constituency and others, we have seen the erection of sinister posters of late, and people would question why they are allowed to remain on street furniture. Minister, do you share my concern that the Executive Office is not showing due diligence on and consideration of that report? Why has it not been shared with you yet, given that your Department would play a central role?”
“I thank the Minister for her statement. It is clear that she values the relationships across these islands, east-west and North/South, and the shared learning on Brexit, COVID and climate change. Minister, your statement particularly referenced spatial planning. Fear of crime is a particular anxiety amongst the older demographic. If we are to look at the needs of older people, what was discussed on designing out crime?”
“I thank the Minister for her statement. As Mr Boylan indicated, Brexit will have a far-reaching impact on communities. Minister, have you had an opportunity to make any assessment of the impact of Brexit on inland waterways?”
“I thank the deputy First Minister for her answer. The clock is, clearly, running down on this. There are two weeks left. Is the deputy First Minister telling me that there is a plan B, so to speak, to get everything in place? Will the Executive have any money to pay victims at the end of March or May? The campaign was led by those who were severely physically injured, and, subsequently, those who suffered psychological damage were added. If funding were to become available, would the Executive be in a position to get money out quickly to those who have suffered the most hurt physically?”
“My concerns are on the regional imbalance and rural transport in particular. I recently had to engage with Translink in order to have some bus services put on at more appropriate times. In light of the review, what assurances can the Minister and the Executive give in relation to rural transport provision in future?”
“I agree with Mr Boylan on trying to get the message across and would like to know how that communication will be carried out over coming weeks. <BR /> <BR />I thank the Chairperson of the Committee for outlining comprehensively the consideration that was given to this, because road safety is a priority for all members of the Committee for Infrastructure and, indeed, I am sure, all Members of the House.”
“On behalf of the SDLP, I welcome the Minister's proposal to improve road safety and, in particular, to give out the message about the use of mobile phones and how they are such a causal factor in road traffic accidents. Tragically, there have been fatalities in my own constituency. When I speak to police about the analysis after an accident, they tell me repeatedly that mobile phone use is a factor; more so, I think, in single vehicle accidents. I was even told about a young person who had texted to say that he was on his way home, but, tragically, never got home. Therefore, it is important that the message goes out strongly from the Chamber and the Minister on the impact that the order will have not only, on a personal level, to people who continue to use their mobile phones but to wider society.”
“Minister, we are agreed on the importance of valuing apprenticeships and vocational training. Whilst I accept that some young people and businesses may well be using the furlough scheme, nonetheless, only 32 from over 197 applicants have received any help. What is your Department doing to fix that? They would not apply to the scheme if they were on furlough, so, obviously, there is something wrong in the Department.”
“Thank you, Minister. That was a comprehensive answer, but can you also advise whether the PSNI is providing additional resources to clamp down on drink-driving and drug taking?”
“Minister, I know that your Department is undertaking a planning policy review. Will that review include looking at some of the developer contributions to the adoption of roads, and will it ensure that there is a significant financial penalty for not doing so?”
“I congratulate Mr Kinahan on his appointment and am sure that he will do a very fine job. First Minister, can you advise whether there will be any staff in his office, and do you have any concerns around their recruitment, given that there are still unfilled posts within the Historical Institutional Abuse Redress Board's office?”
“I will have to answer as a member of the Commission, but, as an SDLP Member, I fully support the principle behind Mr McCrossan's ask. The Commission has not considered that, but, again, it is meeting tomorrow, and, no doubt, that can also be tabled. However, I cannot make any promises, because, as we know, there has to be political consensus.”
“The Member makes a valid point. There are different views in the communities, and there will be some for whom the centenary of Northern Ireland is much more important than for others and is something to be marked. The Commission is meeting tomorrow, and I give an undertaking to have that point tabled and an answer to go back to the Member directly.”
“The Commission, many Members and political parties are very sensitive to what is called the decade of centenaries, and we have tried to take a mature and respectful approach to it. The Commission has agreed principles for centenary events that require them to be organised in an inclusive, politically sensitive and respectful way that takes account of different perspectives. The Commission is due to have further discussion at its next meeting about how the centenaries in 2021 will be marked. Those events will be consistent with the principles and are required to be agreed by consensus.”
“The plan contains a number of actions and anticipated outcomes that may relate to Ms Flynn's original question, such as the consideration of new art initiatives to allow opportunities to reflect the wider community in Parliament Buildings.”
“There was 14-week public consultation on equality and good relations in that context, and the Commission approved the 2016-21 good relations action plan on 15 November 2016. That five-year plan set out how the Commission proposes to fulfil its duty under section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998 to:”
“However, it is, at least, positive that the Commission has agreed to look at the area further.”
“I thank the Member for her supplementary question, which touches on a couple of areas, one being a perceived imbalance — some might say a very real imbalance — with regard to the symbolism of the Building. The Member will understand that there are different views within the Commission on that issue. The Building was influenced by the history of the time when it was built. Some might argue that it is less reflective of the current Assembly since 1998, although some of the additions of recent years, including the portraits of former office holders and those of Seamus Heaney and CS Lewis, are more representative of the current make-up of the community. It would be misleading if I told the Member that I expect it to be easy to take those issues forward in an agreed way.”
“The work was then paused as priority was given to re-establishing the Assembly in January 2020 and then to managing business in the context of COVID-19. <BR /> <BR />The Commission discussed the issue at its last meeting and agreed that it is an important piece of work. Officials are in discussions with Dr Eamon Phoenix in order to try to identify potential artefacts that might be more reflective of the entire Assembly, and be available for loan, which could be added to those owned by the Commission. Assuming that potential items can be identified, officials intend to develop a range of options for the Commission to consider.”
“I thank the Member for her question. I understand that the Commission has considered that issue on a number of occasions over the years. Progress has proven difficult for a range of reasons, including that it has not been possible to obtain suggestions of items that are available to meet those objectives or, indeed, to achieve political agreement. Most recently, the Commission considered a request for a permanent display of some of the artefacts that it owns, including some that are currently kept in storage. The Commission was unable to reach consensus on that request but agreed that officials should explore whether there were artefacts available for loan from other places that would add balance to ensure that any display reflected the entire community. Initial contacts by officials were unsuccessful in identifying potential objects.”
“I thank the Member for her supplementary. The Assembly Commission is absolutely committed to the full and effective implementation of all legislative requirements. Any member of staff who does not feel that he or she has received a break as set out in the working-time regulations should raise that matter, in the first instance, with their line manager. However, as the Member knows, during suspension, a lot of staff were redeployed across different Departments. The number of Assembly staff in the Building is below the required number. An extensive recruitment exercise is ongoing, so we hope to be in a position to fill all posts over the coming months.”
“The heads of business and line management are committed to working with their staff to ensure that, as far as possible, they have breaks in accordance with legislation and Assembly Commission policy. Given the shortness of this mandate and the legislative programme before us, I assure the Member that the Commission and the Business Committee are very alert to the working time directive.”
“I thank the Member for her supplementary. The Member can be assured that both the Assembly Commission and the Business Committee are very mindful, when setting the weekly business agenda, of trying to comply with a decent finishing time, although, of course, there are debates without time limits. The Speaker is bringing forward a paper to look at options that might be available to the Business Committee and the Commission in the orderly taking of business without constraining Members' scrutiny and ability to ask questions, and to outline their responsibilities in relation to legislation. There is no doubt that late plenary sittings can lead to operational difficulties for a number of business areas in the secretariat.”
“Staff record their hours worked, including breaks during the working day, in a personal electronic record, which must be reviewed by their line manager at least monthly. For Assembly staff who work in a shift pattern, the shift rota is developed to comply with the legislative requirements.”