Nelson McCausland
North Belfast · Democratic Unionist Party · Northern Ireland
“Such an attack on a garage forecourt, where people are milling around — young people, elderly folk, people out and about their business, as well as the intended target — means that anyone could have been cut down and killed on the spot last night. It is reminiscent of the 1970s and 1980s in Belfast.”
“The event that took place on the Crumlin Road in north Belfast last night was an appalling attempt to murder a police officer or police officers. It is a chilling and terrible reminder of those dark days — some of the darkest days — when such attacks were a regular occurrence in Belfast.”
“I thank the Minister for his answer and also for his answer to the earlier question regarding uncertainties with youth funding issues. I thank him for his clarification. What is his assessment of the value and benefits that flow from the work of those whom we are speaking about?”
“Fortunately, on the previous occasion of an attack on the Crumlin Road not so long ago, the intended victims were not killed. It is a stark reminder of the responsibility of all of us to make sure that those who are responsible for such attacks are brought before the courts.”
“On a point of order, Madam Principal Deputy Speaker. May I ask that the Speaker review Question Time today in Hansard? Some Members were permitted to preface and contextualise their question with a couple of sentences without interruption, some Members managed it with interruption and some of us were interrupted in the first sentence.”
“Some might argue that the Gaels were Planters as well. Would the Minister undertake to work with the relevant folk in the Department for Communities and the Minister there, who have responsibility for the Ulster-Scots Agency, to see if additional resources could be afforded to enable it to work up additional work in that context because o…”
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“I thank the Minister for his answer and also for his answer to the earlier question regarding uncertainties with youth funding issues. I thank him for his clarification. What is his assessment of the value and benefits that flow from the work of those whom we are speaking about?”
“Every support should be given to the police in dealing with those who carry out such murderous attacks.”
“Fortunately, on the previous occasion of an attack on the Crumlin Road not so long ago, the intended victims were not killed. It is a stark reminder of the responsibility of all of us to make sure that those who are responsible for such attacks are brought before the courts.”
“Such an attack on a garage forecourt, where people are milling around — young people, elderly folk, people out and about their business, as well as the intended target — means that anyone could have been cut down and killed on the spot last night. It is reminiscent of the 1970s and 1980s in Belfast. Sadly, there are those around today who want to drag us back to a violent past. In recent months, we have seen an upsurge in violent activity by extreme republican elements. We have seen bomb devices being used and shootings, particularly in west Belfast and other parts of Northern Ireland. It is clear that there has been an increased level of activity on top of the ongoing attacks against police officers and prison officers. Fortunately, on this occasion, the intended target was not killed.”
“The event that took place on the Crumlin Road in north Belfast last night was an appalling attempt to murder a police officer or police officers. It is a chilling and terrible reminder of those dark days — some of the darkest days — when such attacks were a regular occurrence in Belfast. It is a reminder of the method that was used and the murderous intent of those who carried out the attack. It is wrong to murder police officers; it is wrong to murder anyone. It was wrong when it was the old IRA doing it years ago, it was wrong when it was the Provisional IRA doing it more recently, and it is wrong today, whatever version of the IRA may be doing it. <BR /> <BR />Our hope and prayer today should be for the recovery of the wounded officer, and our thoughts are with him and his family.”
“Has the First Minister been able to ascertain or establish who was responsible for the assumption that cost controls were not necessary as they thought that the market price of wood pellets was higher than the tariff?”
“I thank the First Minister for her statement and the answers to the questions. They bring a great deal of clarity and dispel a lot of the confusion that folk have generated from other quarters on the matter.”
“On a point of order, Madam Principal Deputy Speaker. May I ask that the Speaker review Question Time today in Hansard? Some Members were permitted to preface and contextualise their question with a couple of sentences without interruption, some Members managed it with interruption and some of us were interrupted in the first sentence. I therefore ask that the Speaker review Hansard with a view to us having more consistency in how these matters are dealt with. It is important to be able to contextualise questions, and that is why Members right across the Chamber do so.”
“Some might argue that the Gaels were Planters as well. Would the Minister undertake to work with the relevant folk in the Department for Communities and the Minister there, who have responsibility for the Ulster-Scots Agency, to see if additional resources could be afforded to enable it to work up additional work in that context because of the fact that the budget of the Ulster-Scots Agency is so much lower than the budget for Foras na Gaeilge?”
“I think that does, in fact, constitute a question.”
“I will as soon as I get an opportunity, Madam Deputy Speaker. The Finance Minister is very aware of the strong cultural links between Northern Ireland and America and also the potential for culture as a source of soft power.”
“No, I am simply trying to get asking my question.”
“Yes. I think a little bit of opportunity for me just to preface it with one or two sentences —”
“Yes, I had to preface it with just a line or two. I am sure if you bear with me for a moment —”
“That is a question. I am getting to the question.”
“Thank you, Deputy Speaker. The Finance Minister is a person who has considerable interest in links between Northern Ireland and the United States of America. He is also very conscious of —”
“I thank the Minister for his answer. Are there any plans to make the facility at HMS Caroline even more attractive for visitors? There is potential to improve the product and connectivity, which he mentioned, with the wider maritime history of the area.”
“The reason that I raised the question is that, whilst it seems logical to have some form of collocation or near location of a pharmacy and GP surgery, on occasion there are objections from other pharmacies. I encourage the Minister to look at outcomes in view of the fact that sometimes the decisions can be disadvantageous to local communities where a change of location may have been beneficial. I ask her to look at past decisions and, in that light, consider whether there is merit in reviewing the regulations.”
“You can have accommodations and work through many things, but, ultimately, we need to get to the bottom of rooting out and addressing that sort of raw sectarian hatred, because it finds its expression not just in opposition to parades but in attacks on Orange halls and in the demonisation of the Orange Order, which has been going on for many years. Let us take the opportunity now to address those issues and tackle the hatred that drives a lot of that. Hopefully, we can then move forward to a shared and better future in which roads such as the Crumlin Road are truly shared.”
“<BR /> <BR />The events on Saturday were, indeed, peaceful, and that is to be welcomed. I am glad that the brethren were able to return home. I join others in saying that the behaviour of the GARC people on Saturday — some of them, in particular — was, quite frankly, appalling. You saw their hatred — raw, naked hatred — and it is very hard to comprehend. We saw that hatred directed towards, obviously, those in the parade: the brethren from the three lodges and the bands. We also saw hatred that was not sectarian hatred but the outworking of sectarian hatred, in that they turned on the local priest, Father Gary Donegan. The scenes were really quite shocking. That says something, I think, about the hatred that needs to be addressed in our society.”
“Like others, I welcome the fact that the Orange brethren and the bands were able to return home to Ligoniel on Saturday and complete their parade. The Crumlin Road is one of the main arterial routes from the Ligoniel/Ballysillan area down into the city centre. It is a tragedy that the community around there and, indeed, in the much wider area around north Belfast has had to endure, over a number of years, the results of what was originally a bizarre, ludicrous, unwarranted decision by the Parades Commission to prevent the brethren from returning on a Twelfth evening. It is a road that has been used by Orange brethren, bands and lodges over many years — in fact, there are records going back well over 100 years — because it is the main road down into the city centre.”
“Her party has a message that it often puts up as a slogan — "An Ireland of Equals" — but, when it came to the broadcasting funds, some were more equal than others. Certainly, it was her cultural tradition that she was fighting for rather than any other. I emphasise the need for the BBC budget and the two broadcast funds to ensure that there is an opportunity for fairness, equity and equality, and that cultural rights are delivered to us all.”
“I have not seen those viewing figures. <BR /> <BR />I suggest to Members that the viewing figures, which are exceptional, for Daniel O'Donnell and his country music show are probably more a reflection of his fan base than a measure of support and interest in the Irish language, but I leave that to others to work on. <BR /> <BR />In Northern Ireland, the approach by the BBC has been inequitable and unfair, with preferential treatment and provision for Irish culture. The BBC's core budget has funded an in-house Irish language unit, which was never replicated, and there has been a huge disparity between the two broadcast funds, as was mentioned. Sadly, the previous Culture Minister did not fight the corner for equity and parity.”
“Look at the viewing figures for programmes supported by the Irish Language Broadcast Fund; then look at the viewing figures for programmes supported by the Ulster-Scots Broadcast Fund. In most cases, figures for the programmes supported by the Ulster-Scots Broadcast Fund are higher. The one exception, I have to confess, is the programme in which Daniel O'Donnell's country music show goes to Newry. That will gain strong support from Mr Kennedy and folks in that area. I suspect —”
“<BR /> <BR />Karen Bradley MP, Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, in a letter that was circulated, referred particularly to minority languages — in our case, Irish and Ulster Scots — culture and cultural broadcasting. That is not simply a BBC issue; it is an equality issue for Northern Ireland. It is also a human rights issue. <BR /> <BR />I notice that the former CAL Minister has now left us. Her view was that there was not a strong case for parity between the two broadcasting funds. If you look at the evidence, you see that that simply does not stack up. When I pressed her once on how you would measure need and justify spend, she mentioned viewing figures.”
“I am glad that I have the endorsement of one of the other Members for North Belfast. <BR /> <BR />Several Members touched on the need to reflect cultural traditions and diversity in Northern Ireland. That has to be a commitment because education and broadcasting — the school system and the broadcasting system — are hugely important in affirming, sustaining and supporting local cultural traditions. That is why the Irish language lobby has put such emphasis on Irish-medium schools and ensuring that there is substantial provision for the Irish language in BBC broadcasting. There is an important role for broadcasting in affirming, sustaining and supporting cultural traditions, but it is important that it is done in a way that is fair and equitable.”
“There are also the important issues of the provision of employment in Northern Ireland and supporting the cultural sector, whether that be in-house productions or the work of independent producers. Going forward, we want a greater focus on Northern Ireland, especially through equitable capital investment. Other regions of the United Kingdom got major capital investment, but Northern Ireland was overlooked. There are some excellent locations in the heart of Belfast, close to the University of Ulster and on the north side of the city centre.”
“The BBC, as the principal public service broadcaster for the United Kingdom, has a special place in the life of the nation. It has a role in representing Northern Ireland to the wider United Kingdom audience through its programming and, in the other direction, in representing the diversity and unity of the United Kingdom to Northern Ireland viewers. It is, of course, the British Broadcasting Corporation. It is important also that it has a role as regards preventing the marginalisation of Northern Ireland and, indeed, the other nations and regions and avoiding what has, in some cases, been identified as a rather London-centric approach, particularly in regard to commissioning, where Northern Ireland has not been adequately represented in commissioning at a United Kingdom level.”
“I thank the Member for his answer. It is encouraging to see that there has been a reduction in the wage bill. It will give us more money to go out to front-line services, although, obviously, some Civil Service work is front-line service. Can the Minister give some indication of what the likely spend will be over the next couple of years? Will it remain static, or are we likely to see a significant increase?”
“Will the First Minister undertake to explore as fully as possible what opportunities there are to make Northern Ireland and, indeed, the United Kingdom as a whole much more economically competitive and, in that context, to consider what can be done to rebuild our fishing industry in Northern Ireland?”
“Finally, I have heard references of her promoting the idea of a James Connolly interpretive centre. Can she assure us that it is in no way connected to the Irish language academy, or with Forbairt Feirste, which will probably be doing the Irish language project?”
“Secondly, is there not an inequality in the case of the Irish language academy, which will be based in the Gaeltacht Quarter and will, therefore, probably be a social economy-type initiative, whereby the money is recycled back into the sector because they will own the building, whereas because the Ulster-Scots Institute is relocating to the hub, that means that money will be paid out of the system to the developer who owns the building.”
“I thank the Minister for her statement. A lot of issues will probably require further exploration, but will she tell us how much in revenue and capital funds have been allocated for each of the two initiatives over the next three years?”
“The members of the Culture, Arts and Leisure Committee, across all the parties, were very supportive of the initiative. There is a recognition that more work needs to be done in the area to meet the needs of people in the deaf community, so people are very supportive of that. <BR /> <BR />The Minister pointed out that you cannot really put a cost on these things, but, if we are to look at things that might be done going forward, does she have some sense of the costs? Is she happy to make sure that the resources will be made available?”
“Does the Minister agree that, whilst parents and others in rural areas may look at distances and think that, if something is happening in Belfast, it is easy to get from one part of the city to another quickly, if you happen to live in north Belfast, it is probably as quick to get to Ballymena as it would be to get from north Belfast to a school in south Belfast? Has the issue of traffic density, particularly at the rush hour in the morning, when children are going to school and so on, been taken into account?”
“Can the Minister confirm, as has been reported in social media, that the advertising hoarding along the front of Casement Park was erected without planning permission? If that is the case, will she call on the GAA to ensure that the illegal advertisement is removed within the 14 days specified?”
“Some interesting issues are raised by the focus on equality of opportunity, because alongside equality is the human rights issue and the rights of the child, as embedded in the UN convention and in other documents such as the framework convention. I hope that those things will be explored as we move forward with what is a very interesting opportunity.”
“In winding up, I will simply make the point that, as we progress with shared education, it is particularly important — even more important than it is already — that, within all sectors, there is an equity of focus on the cultural tradition of the children and that the culture that is currently expressed clearly in Irish-medium schools and maintained schools, as Jude Collins was saying, is also to be found in controlled schools and other schools in the same way and that, for example, children in the integrated education sector, whatever their background, have equal exposure to and education about their cultural tradition.”
“He was, therefore, supporting the best outcome — the best support — for the maintained sector. <BR /> <BR />When we speak about promoting equality of opportunity, it is important that, as schools from different sectors come together through shared education, the children bring with them equality in their understanding of, appreciation of and education about the cultural tradition, the community and the home from which they come. That, of course, is set out in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. One might also think of the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities and the importance therein of children not being assimilated into a cultural tradition other than the one to which they are naturally affiliated.”
“For example, Irish-medium education is very clearly focused on, embedded in and based on Gaelic, Irish-language culture. <BR /> <BR />I was thinking also of the maintained sector. I came across again a little quote from some years ago. It comes from an article by Jude Collins, who was at that time a lecturer in education at the University of Ulster as well as a columnist in the now defunct 'Daily Ireland'. I think that it belonged to someone who is now a Member — Mr Ó Muilleoir. At least he was a major shareholder. To go back to what Jude Collins said at that time about the maintained sector. He said that it was particularly important that CCMS be protected because that sector:”
“Identity is multifaceted and multilayered. For some people, there will be particular focus on a religious identity; for others, on a political or cultural identity. We all have so many identities, and that is the point that I am making when I speak about identity being multifaceted or multilayered. Therefore, the wording is such that it encapsulates and accommodates the fact that we are unique and have our own combination of identities that make up our individual identity. <BR /> <BR />Education and schools have a particular role to play in that. Think about the principal sectors — the controlled sector, the maintained sector and, then, the integrated and Irish-medium sectors. In some of those sectors there is a particular focus on a cultural tradition. There is a cultural aspect to the education of the children.”
“Those are what, for many years, the Community Relations Council called for when it talked about equity, diversity and interdependence and also the need for community cohesion. If we are to build a better future in Northern Ireland, it should be a shared future, and that is stated very clearly through identity, diversity, interdependence and community cohesion. <BR /> <BR />I find it interesting that the purpose is:”
“Then, when you come to the issue of sharing and what that means, the proposed clause refers clearly to the key elements of "equality", "good relations" and:”
“In supporting the Bill, I will refer particularly to some of the elements in amendment No 1, which would insert a new clause on the purpose of the Act. The other amendments have already been covered by my colleague, the Chair of the Committee, Mr Peter Weir. <BR /> <BR />I welcome the proposed clause on the purpose of the Act. It brings out some key points. It is clear that there should be educational benefits for the children and that shared education should promote:”
“I thank the Minister for his answer. As he rightly says, during my time with the Department for Social Development, we did not merely get it up the agenda; we actually got it onto the agenda. For 10 years, the Housing Executive had denied that there was an issue of defective guttering. I am concerned that, in the last number of days, it has emerged that 15 houses had their guttering replaced some years ago, which would seem to suggest that, all those years ago, there was an acknowledgement and an understanding in the executive of the nature of the problem; yet, publicly, it persisted in saying that it was a matter of condensation in the houses. Will he ask the Housing Executive to investigate how that happened so that we have a clear understanding of why there was such a long period of denial?”
“Will the Member give way? No, the Member does not want to give way.”
“First, the document seems somewhat vague and vacuous. A more substantial document could have gone out to consultation. Secondly, as a party, we believe that it is important that cultural rights and equality are embedded in the strategy, and there is not sufficient evidence that they have been taken into account. <BR /> <BR />I commend the report to the House and look forward to the debate.”
“I have spoken as Chair of the Committee, but I want to make some personal observations as a DUP representative. As a party, we were disappointed by the cancellation of funding for musical instruments for bands. We believe that it is one of the most important sectors in many working-class communities, in that 20,000 to 25,000 people are learning and practising music week by week in bands. Yet, the Minister abandoned the opportunity to support the sector through funding for instruments. That was a wrong decision and a retrograde step that was totally unjustified. There was always a very good take-up and a good geographical spread for the allocation, including rural areas. <BR /> <BR />I will make two observations on the Minister's strategy for culture and arts, which is out for consultation.”
“<BR /> <BR />In essence, the Committee believes that the arts must be democratised to maximise inclusion. As I have already outlined, the strategy that we encourage the Executive to bring forward should seek to creatively bring publicly owned art to public buildings and spaces, to allow all communities to enjoy and be inspired by art. Particular focus should be given to schools, libraries and other cultural and community hubs. There are a number of very detailed and specific recommendations in the report: we encourage the Minister to consider them in detail and to incorporate them into her strategy. As the executive summary states, there are no simple answers.”
“We recognise the difficulties that we will face in that, but we think it is an important opportunity. <BR /> <BR />Partnership is necessary to ensure that access to and participation in the arts and culture is widened as much as possible through partnerships between the Departments and so on. All those partnerships must be based on clearly understood aims, objectives and outcomes. Exposure to the arts and cultural activity from an early age is key, and the Committee is clear that children and young people must have regular and planned access to the arts and to cultural experiences. Access at an early age is more likely to allow an interest to develop and more likely to provide mitigation of family or community antipathy or apathy towards the arts.”