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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“It is the responsibility of staff and their line managers to ensure that that requirement is met. By way of example, the policy records:”
“I thank the Member for her question. The management of the requirements arising from the Working Time Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2016 for Assembly staff is addressed in the Assembly Commission's staff hours at work policy. The purpose of the policy:”
“Minister, many people in my constituency have 130 points and more, such is the housing shortage and crisis for many families, even without intimidation points. I am sure that you are well aware of that in your constituency. I welcome the particular regard that you paid to victims of domestic violence in your answer. Will you put in place a process or framework to ensure that domestic violence victims are not disadvantaged in any way by any review?”
“I thank the Minister for her statement. She will be aware that, in my constituency, there has been a campaign for many years to extend the Ulster canal to Portadown. I look forward to hearing about that in a future statement. The canal is a commitment in New Decade, New Approach, so can the Minister provide an update on the Ulster canal greenway?”
“I welcome the Minister's positive engagement with her counterpart in the South, in particular on sexual and domestic violence. However, it is very important, given the week and the day that are in it, that we examine a wee bit more closely the operational engagement of forensic and data exchange in the absence of the agreements that will be lost to us when Britain leaves the EU. I know that there is unprecedented cooperation in the exchange of data on forensics, fingerprints, DNA and the European arrest warrant between the PSNI and an Garda Síochána and the two Ministers. What are the gaps and how will they be filled in the immediate aftermath of the UK exit?”
“I want to correct the record. The Member said that we were being "kicked out" of the EU: "dragged out" would be more correct.”
“Will the Member acknowledge the fact that the Finance Minister gave a rates holiday of over £1 million to the airport in question, and that, from my understanding, it has been in discussions with the Finance and Economy Ministers, who have responsibility with regard to the funding for the airports? At least acknowledge where the responsibility lies.”
“On behalf of the SDLP, I support the Bill. I thank the Chair of the Committee for setting out clearly the Committee's consideration of the Bill and the rationale behind our decisions to support it and its accelerated passage. <BR /> <BR />On Mr Allister's earlier comments, I declare an interest as a member of the Business Committee. It has requested the Executive's legislative timetable for several weeks, and I want to assure him, although I see that he has left the Chamber, that there has been no slackness on our behalf. <BR /> <BR />I look forward to the development of the ports. Hopefully, the additional resource will give some surety to them in what, as others have said, are very uncertain times.”
“I welcome the Minister's presentation of the legislation today, even though it is by accelerated passage. The Minister made it very clear that that is not, and never will be, her favoured route, but necessity has enforced this action. I think that the majority of parties in the House have held that departmental portfolio and have therefore had responsibility for the ports. This is fairly straightforward legislation that will enable the ports to meet the challenges of not only COVID but Brexit. I therefore support the Minister's legislation before the House.”
“I thank the Minister for his statement. Minister, you will be aware that international contractors win some of the biggest contracts and then subcontract and subcontract until most of the money is sliced off for management rather than for the product. How can you legislate to prevent such occurrences?”
“I am always in awe of their determination and of how their lives have been put on hold in their search for truth and justice. It does not end with the partner or the child of the family affected; it is trans-generational. If we are to build reconciliation in this society, we must deal properly with legacy. Yesterday, the British Government failed miserably. They failed not only the Finucane family but all families who are searching for truth and justice as they deal with the legacy of our troubled past. The clear message was that we are not to get truth and justice or the legacy institutions that families deserve and need.”
“The SDLP has always stood four-square with all those victims. I pay tribute to Geraldine Finucane and her family and all families who have had to carry that burden from the day and hour that their loved ones were murdered.”
“The family have called for the inquiry, and I find it disingenuous for people to say that they were offered a public inquiry. Members know that the 2005 Act was brought into effect quickly to give the Secretary of State undue influence and the ability to interfere in any public inquiry and the matters and facts that might be brought before an independent inquiry tribunal. Stop messing about. <BR /> <BR />Today and last night, we saw how the British Government treat the widows and children of murdered victims in the North. They treat them with disdain. They cancelled a meeting for which the family had waited almost two years with 10 minutes' notice. That was pretty damning. <BR /> <BR />All victims deserve truth and justice. All families deserve to know what happened to their loved ones.”
“I welcome the opportunity to speak on the Matter of the Day. As a child growing up, I was always taught that two wrongs do not make a right. It is very unseemly that we are turning the murder of one person into a green and orange issue. All of us in the House should be concerned about finding truth and justice for all victims, regardless of the perpetrators. <BR /> <BR />It is astonishing that some Members would hold the British Government and their agents to the same standards as terrorist organisations. Surely we should all expect the Government to have a higher standard than any other and to protect all their citizens. <BR /> <BR />It is a fact that the murder of Pat Finucane was supported by elements in the British establishment.”
“On a point of order, Mr Deputy Speaker. I apologise to you and Mr Principal Deputy Speaker for not being in my place during topical questions.”
“I thank the Minister for his statement. I welcome the public inquiry and declare an interest in that my grand-niece's late mother was one of Dr Watt's patients. Her mum is now part of the campaign to seek answers, and they will very much welcome the public inquiry. <BR /> <BR />In relation to Dr O'Brien, I must say that I have spoken to generations of nursing and medical staff and, indeed, patients of Dr O'Brien, who are shocked at this. He was held and continues to be held by many in the highest regard. Members have talked about the relationship between the trust and consultants. Is the Minister aware of and will the terms of reference look at events preceding the inquiry by the Southern Trust? Will the terms of reference include Mr O'Brien's grievance and legal action that, I believe, may be under way against the trust?”
“<BR /> <BR />I know, Minister, that you like to get out on the ground, but I appeal to you to give people at the coalface an opportunity to talk to you or to someone on your team in a real way without fear of retribution —”
“I know that many people who use mental health services are not getting their face-to-face contact. I wonder about the management and supervision of some of those services. I know that staff have had to call with clients and that some clients, because they have, for example, a psychotic illness, have had to go to a clinic to get an injection. If, however, a client does not appear, just how dedicated are some of the staff in going after them? Concerns have been expressed to me about the use of agencies. Agency workers do a great job, but there is a lack of continuity, and, therefore, a lack of accountability in following through on the service. From a service-user perspective, there are questions to be answered. Some older people are being asked to make contact via Zoom.”
“Earlier today, Minister, you talked about there being 300 additional nursing posts. That will not look at it. Have you given any thought to or considered discussing with the universities and the royal college whether there is a way in which the time taken to train nurses can be compressed into a shorter time than is currently the case? There is a need to look at how universities manage courses and provide training. As I have said before, there are higher education courses in the South of Ireland that enable people who perhaps do not have the academic qualifications that they need to get one of the highly sought after places at university to get there by another route. There is other work that can and should be done on that. <BR /> <BR />I will touch on mental health.”
“We know how much money has been spent on agency nurses over many years. We know that, in the surge plans, we are reliant on agency nurses to help fill the gaps on wards when health service staff are moved across to the respiratory and COVID wards. That tells me that, if there is a proper salary and recompense in place, people are prepared to put in the extra hours. Nurses ask me, "Why can't they give some of that money to the people who are on the front line permanently, rather than it going repeatedly to agencies, which take their cut out of that?". <BR /> <BR />This is not the first time that I have raised the issue of workforce planning in the Department of Health. Of course, that cuts across to the Department for the Economy, which has responsibility for higher education.”
“<BR /> <BR />It is a huge issue. Let us not underestimate the loss of public confidence in the messaging on dealing with the pandemic. Minister, you have my sincere sympathy and empathy as you seek to turn that around. There are not many on the Executive whom you can rely on to comply on an ongoing basis, and you are often let down by some of your ministerial colleagues and others. <BR /> <BR />The pandemic has put the spotlight on where the shortages in the health service have been for many years. There has been repeated underfunding and a failure by previous Executives to take tough decisions on the delivery of health and social care. In the past few days, the Royal College of Nursing has launched another campaign for fair pay for nurses and other healthcare workers. I, for one, very much support that campaign.”
“I listened carefully to the Committee Chair's appeal as he set out the agenda for the debate. He talked about being collaborative and about people working together, particularly on contact, trace and isolate. It seems to me from listening to other Members and, indeed, the news today that the biggest problem around contact is contacting the Sinn Féin leadership to answer the police investigation of why it did not follow the restrictions and the regulations that the Executive introduced to suppress the virus. Why it chose to disregard that message remains a question that only that party can answer. We on this side of the House lost two colleagues, yet we complied with the restrictions and regulations because we had a public responsibility to do so. I hope that my colleagues gave leadership to the wider public in that regard.”
“I thank the Minister for her answer and the commitment to apprenticeships and skills training, which target resources at our young people in particular. Will the Minister confirm whether her Department has looked at where job vacancies in the next six to 12 months are forecast for so that young people will be better informed through the careers advice that might be available to them on what options to take?”
“I thank the Minister for his statement. I do not envy him his task. In his statement, he said that it is important to give people hope. What hope can the Minister and Executive give to the person who has recently received a devastating cancer diagnosis and been told by their cancer nurse, who had tears in her eyes, that no date could be given for any of their treatment to commence?”
“Minister, is there any way of monitoring and evaluating the amount of fly-tipping? Reports come to me from my council colleagues about the number of tyres that are dumped along roadsides. We all know that there is a premium to be paid when you buy a new tyre so that the other one is safely disposed of. What is the cost, and are reports fed into your Department that will help to inform policy and legislation by local authorities?”
“Given the Minister's response, he seems to be fairly confident that the posts will be filled. I do not know whether contingency plans are in place should they not be. Has the Minister had any discussions with his colleague in the Department for the Economy about higher education providing places for veterinary students here in Northern Ireland?”
“I thank the Minister. Will you confirm that it is November 2021 by which you hope to publish the final strategy? In what way will the working poor be taken account of? I think that more and more people fall into that bracket given the lower-wage economy that we have and zero-hours contracts.”
“I thank the Minister for her statement. I know that the Minister is passionate about social housing, which is going to be an enormous ask given the opportunities around publicly owned land. <BR /> <BR />How does the strategy intend to address the issue of empty homes, of which there are many, and what plans do the Minister and her Department have for working alongside local authorities, which also are huge land owners, and for showing greater aggressiveness in vesting land for social housing?”
“Will the deputy First Minister update us on the recruitment of the Victims' Commissioner, given that we are concerned about how many people in society are hurting both from institutional abuse and from the conflict?”
“I thank the Minister for her statement. I am sure that COVID-19 also played a part in the discussions. What agreements on collaborative North/South working has she been able to come to with her counterpart in the South to help to protect our communities and to defeat COVID-19?”
“I thank the Minister for her continued commitment to the long-awaited A1 upgrade project. How does she hope and plan to communicate the next stage of the project to the public, as that is very important?”
“Minister, are you aware that over 100 people were waiting in the emergency departments of Craigavon Area Hospital and, I understand, Daisy Hill Hospital last night? Have you done any evaluation of that? People are finding it hard to contact their GP and are again choosing to use emergency departments instead of outpatient services or their GP. That is happening because of the breakdown across the system or the difficulties that each area is experiencing.”
“I thank the First Minister for her answers. There are still concerns around schools, First Minister. In the event that pupils have to be educated at home, will the two-week timeframe be used constructively by the Education Minister and others to ensure support for children and young people from more deprived communities who do not have access to technology and to printing of papers etc? Will additional support measures be given to those families, in a very targeted way?”
“I am sorry to rain on the parade of Communities in Transition, but my experience is somewhat different. We see a duplication of effort. In going to phase 2, how do we ensure that there is no duplication of effort and that there is some point in time when Communities in Transition has to end, 20 years post the ceasefires and the Good Friday Agreement?”
“If, at that point, the Assembly supports the outcome of the review, the Assembly Commission will be in a formal position to determine and provide the funding and resources required to implement its recommendations. That is likely to include bringing forward a revised financial assistance to political parties scheme to the Assembly. <BR /> <BR />I hope that that provides an explanation to Members of what is proposed today. I commend the motion to the House.”
“<BR /> <BR />I understand that the AERC met on 24 June 2020 to consider that approach from the Assembly Commission and agreed that a formal referral from the Assembly under Standing Order 59(3)(b) would be appropriate on the matter. Consequently, the Assembly Commission agreed to bring today's motion to the House. Therefore, today's debate is purely intended to ensure that the AERC can take forward that NDNA commitment. Once the AERC reports to the Assembly with the conclusions of the independent review, the Assembly will have a fuller debate about the arrangements and provisions that should be in place for any official Opposition.”
“<BR /> <BR />On 19 February 2020, the Assembly Commission agreed that the review of funding to be made available to parties that form the Opposition is a matter for consideration by the Assembly Commission but that the review of the statement of entitlements for an official Opposition was a matter for consideration by the Assembly and Executive Review Committee (AERC). The Assembly Commission agreed that officials should engage with the AERC to jointly develop terms of reference for an independent review of funding to be made available to parties and the statement of entitlements for an official Opposition, as set out in the Fresh Start Agreement.”
“The motion that the Assembly Commission brings before the House today is for a very specific and technical purpose. I propose to briefly outline the background for Members. Section 3.7 of the New Decade, New Approach deal contained a number of commitments related to funding for an official Opposition in the Assembly, including that additional funding should be made available to parties that form the Opposition and that the Assembly Commission should seek additional resources if further funding was deemed to be appropriate. However, that was in the context of a review being carried out by an independent person into the adequacy and effectiveness of the statement of entitlements for an official Opposition, which was set out in the Fresh Start Agreement.”
“I thank the Member for giving way. Does he acknowledge that the police service ought to reflect the community that it seeks to serve and that, therefore, we need to see representatives from all sections of the community in the police on a proportional basis that reflects the geographic and demographic make-up of Northern Ireland?”
“— downward trend, whereby, in four years' time, we could be at serious risk of running to 19% of Catholic officers in the Police Service.”
“<BR /> <BR />The Justice Minister well knows that there is a real necessity to increase the number of officers, especially from under-represented sections of the community, including BAME, and for improving the gender profile, both in the senior team and at recruit level. There are issues as to how we move forward with policing. We want to see people who reflect the society and background that we come from. We want to see, through the rank and file, equality of opportunity right across the Police Service. Work needs to be done at recruitment level, but measures have to be put in place that are going to stop the —”
“We all know that much more needs to be done. The legitimacy of the Police Service relies upon it being much more diverse. By enabling a greater number of recruits, we enable that diversity to be better represented by how we seek to bring forward recruits and by offering a greater number of opportunities for them. <BR /> <BR />Members are quite right to thank the police who, as front-line workers during the pandemic, put themselves at risk and were at the forefront of imposing some of the restrictions on our lives in a way which was sympathetic to the needs of the health service. They adopted the approach of, "engage, explain and enforce if you need to", as the best way of gaining community cooperation.”
“It is unfortunate that the British Government decided to do away with the 50:50 recruitment, because that would have seen a Police Service that was representative of the community that it seeks to serve. In only the last few months, Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary published a report in relation to police representativeness. It states:”
“The police have tried to adopt online recruitment and to commission some of the test online, rather than candidates having to attend a particular venue. More needs to be done in that regard and more needs to be done right across the piece to attract a greater number of recruits from west of the Bann, from Protestant working-class communities and, particularly, from Catholics.”
“However, we should, at least, have moved on substantially. <BR /> <BR />The British Prime Minister has recognised that there is a need to invest in additional support for policing across England and Wales, and it had been hoped that there would be additional recognition for policing here in Northern Ireland. <BR /> <BR />Like others, the SDLP is supportive of the neighbourhood policing teams. We already see those teams making a difference across our districts. The Chief Constable and the senior team are to be commended for the reintroduction of those teams. <BR /> <BR />There is a huge need for greater representation and a challenge in relation to the recruitment programme. Mr Clarke is right to point out that there are difficulties in capacity within the police college.”
“I support the amendment. It is unfortunate that we are not singing from the one hymn sheet, because it would be a good signal from the Chamber if we could unite around additional financial support for policing. I know, from a Policing Board perspective — I declare that I am a member of the Policing Board — that there is a business case, if not already with the Justice Minister then en route to her, for additional financial support for the recruitment of officers to bring the numbers up to 7,500. Of course, as Mr Clarke said, that was a Patten recommendation and set in a context in which there would no longer be paramilitary violence, as we had hoped that we would have moved on, almost 19 years later, to a more normal society, however one would define "normal" in Northern Ireland. It might require some better minds than mine.”
“Thanks for the answer. Minister, in relation to your discussions with the banks, I implore you to put some pressure on them in relation to mortgages and lending. They are seeking to lock the door after the horse has bolted, particularly in relation to dealing with first-time buyers. Have your discussions entered into the realm of the need for a more flexible approach to first-time buyers?”
“Minister, will you provide an update on your Department's work to tackle climate change and tell us how you hope to green our infrastructure, including public transport?”
“Minister, you are quite right to try to enable as many people as possible to say their goodbyes, but we also have a duty to the staff to ensure that they are not suffering verbal abuse as a consequence of giving bad news, in more than one sense. In the decision-making process, what measures are being put in place to protect staff?”
“I thank the Member for giving way. I neglected to mention this: would you be surprised to learn that, for a number of years, St Anthony's Primary School has been operating a temporary heating system that is now required elsewhere? Perhaps I could also put that on the Minister's radar.”