Patsy McGlone
Mid Ulster · Social Democratic and Labour Party · Northern Ireland
“Limiting the power to dismiss charges involving the death of or serious physical harm to a vulnerable person will enhance the fairness and integrity of those criminal proceedings.”
“The SDLP welcomes the provisions for the long-overdue establishment of a statutory Commissioner for Victims and Witnesses of Crime. That is a significant step forward in the development of our justice system.”
“Putting the office on a statutory footing will ensure that the commissioner's role is legally recognised and accountable to the public and the justice system. The Minister outlined a number of the measures in the process of accountability.”
“OK. I thank my colleague — indeed, the Minister — for responding. It is, as the Minister said and my colleague highlighted, a sensitive area. People who are approached to give a reference should think long and hard about the implications of the references that they give: where they might wind up; the circumstances in which they give them;…”
“The SDLP welcomes the Victims and Witnesses of Crime Bill and the opportunity to debate it, alongside the Chairperson — or should I say, "Mr Amendment" — at its Second Stage.”
“I accept that the Minister's Department, as she has stated repeatedly, does not have the capacity or resources to develop those legislative provisions during this mandate.”
The complete record
Every one of 1,995 lines we hold for Patsy McGlone, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 12 of 40.
“I welcome the opportunity to highlight the need to support and safeguard the future viability of sheep farming in the North. Sheep farming is an integral and important part of our agricultural economy, and it contributes around 4% of total agricultural output. In 2023, the sheep industry contributed £109 million to the Northern Irish economy. It provides a wide range of goods and services while playing a hugely important part in sustaining many of our rural communities. <BR /> <BR />Upland sheep farming in particular plays a vital role in less-favoured areas. It is often the only viable type of farming available on land that is not suitable for growing crops or raising cattle. It provides essential income and employment in those rural communities. As with other agriculture sectors, sheep farming faces the problems of an ageing workforce.”
“The Executive also have the power to uplift the level of that funding in line with inflation on an annual basis. They could guarantee that funding over a number of years and restore the certainty that farmers need. That is the message that I hope the motion's sponsors and all those who have spoken in the debate will take to their party colleagues in the Executive.”
“The UK Government may have removed the ring-fencing of direct payments for farmers, but there is nothing to prevent the Executive from putting that ring-fencing back in place. As the Minister recently told the Assembly:”
“Indeed, as a result of Brexit, funding for agriculture has suffered real-terms cuts. The annual funding for agriculture by the UK Government has been capped at approximately £330 million since 2020, £300 million of which is for direct payments to farmers. To maintain its real value, the overall funding should have increased to £389 million by the end of 2024, so there has been a cut of around £60 million this year alone. <BR /> <BR />From next year, agriculture funding will be included in the block grant. Funding that had been ring-fenced and guaranteed will now be part of the annual negotiations between the Executive parties. Funding to support farmers will now be competing with Health, Infrastructure and Education, which, almost inevitably, will lead to cuts in the support that farmers and farming families receive.”
“Financial support for farming has been the subject of a number of recent debates, and we have heard it mentioned today. Had our amendment been selected, we would, once again, have highlighted how the actions of successive British Governments, in capping the level of agricultural support in 2020 and, now, removing the ring-fencing of that support, are a direct result of Brexit, which the DUP campaigned for. That is a reality.”
“According to DAERA statistics, the average age of farmers in the North is 59; 36% of managers of family farms in the North are over the age of 65; and only 8% of such managers are under the age of 40. Succession planning will clearly play an important role in sustaining family farms. That is crucial to what we have been hearing about today.”
“Absolutely. I take your point entirely. I would think that some of the new Labour MPs who have been elected to serve rural constituencies will be getting that message. <BR /> <BR />Back to my original point: this is certainly not the time to make this change. A time of uncertainty is not the time for the UK Government to create further uncertainty in the rural economy and food production. They need to seriously reflect on that issue. <BR /> <BR />I welcome the timely launch of the Farming for the Generations pilot scheme, which is targeting up to 60 farm families. The scheme has the potential to support farm families through planning for succession and to help ensure the long-term sustainability of farms.”
“With world instability — God forbid it goes a stage further to even greater chaos on the world stage — one of the first things that is affected is food. We have some of the highest-quality food produce, which feeds 10 million people. Why do anything that is going to undermine that, jeopardise it and leave it insecure at a time when there is enough insecurity on the world stage? That is a major political issue for the UK Government when they consider this factor.”
“<BR /> <BR />The Minister has stated that it is likely that around one third of all Northern Irish farmers will be brought within the scope of inheritance tax as a result of those changes. In the dairy sector, that number could be as high as 75%. We have some of the highest-value agricultural land on these islands, which will amplify the impact. I know that the Minister has challenged the UK Government on the changes, but, unless that challenge is successful, there is a genuine risk to succession planning on farms. <BR /> <BR />I want to make this point, and I made it last night. Governments are entitled to do what they do, but the UK Government have to look at the bigger picture: the food security issue at a time when there is world instability.”
“I thank the proposer of the motion and welcome the opportunity to highlight the failure of the British Government to prioritise farming families and the rural economy in the autumn Budget. The introduction of new thresholds for inheritance tax and the change to agricultural property relief will have a significant impact on farmers here. We heard that last night — any of us who were there heard it loud and clear — but we also heard the emotion, given the attachment of generations to the farmland and what the change could do and the instability that it could create. The raw emotion, and the fear for the future of many people who have had that land handed down to them through the generations, was palpable in the room last night.”
“<BR /> <BR />There is another issue that we need to look at, which I mentioned in the Committee: the proliferation of deer. Deer are also carriers, and they are increasingly spreading the noxious disease. The Department, the Minister and all others will need to look at that too. I am sure that the Minister will be suitably cautious in his approach, but that caution needs to be balanced with pragmatic measures to reduce this awful disease, which is a plague on our rural communities, farms and farm families. It is awful. Equally, I expect the Minister to design a strategy for which he can provide sound, scientific backing.”
“I doubt that Members of the Executive parties will give a commitment to providing that necessary funding. <BR /> <BR />We have to wait until the Minister's new approach is published before we can assess whether it focuses on specific science-based strategies that have been proven to reduce bovine TB. Successive Ministers and Executives have attempted a variety of approaches to tackling bovine TB, all of which, they would have argued, were backed by scientific evidence, including the test and vaccinate or remove policy for badgers introduced by our now First Minister and an indiscriminate cull of up to 4,000 badgers a year proposed by the now Speaker. The latter approach was, of course, quashed in the High Court because the Department failed to comply with the requirements of a fair and lawful consultation.”
“According to the Minister, it is intended that that review will ensure that the steps to address bovine TB are, as you would expect them to be, evidence-based and sustainable. The review has to consider best practice and issues in neighbouring jurisdictions. The Minister has said that he anticipates that it will be completed by the autumn. <BR /> <BR />On 10 October, the Strategic Investment Board published an independent review of the TB Eradication Partnership on behalf of the Department. That review is expected to inform consideration of any future partnership body in the context of the Chief Veterinary Officer's wider review. I expect that the Minister will update us on all of that today, but, unless the Executive parties commit to providing increased funding, it is likely that he will have to make compromises in his chosen strategy.”
“OK, thank you. <BR /> <BR />It is vital that the Minister brings forward an updated, comprehensive and holistic strategy to tackle the infection as quickly as possible and to help address the many issues that colleagues have referred to. <BR /> <BR />Bovine TB is a serious threat to farming and impacts on our agriculture sector and our food production, which are key to our economy. We heard that last night near Lisburn. That said, the motion might be slightly premature. I say that because, in July, the Minister told the AERA Committee that he had tasked the Chief Veterinary Officer with reviewing all matters related to the bovine TB programme and policy, including TB eradication; indeed, he is, I think, due to present on that to the Committee soon.”
“That is the highest rate across these islands and one of the highest across the EU. <BR /> <BR />The financial cost of the current bovine TB control programme is more than £50 million annually, with £36·5 million paid out in compensation last year. That cost is expected to be over £60 million in 2024-25. It is becoming financially unmanageable. There is excessive expenditure on trying to control the issue by, basically, wiping out cattle herds. That is the cost to the public purse. There is also the emotional cost to many people and families who have had the same blood flow in their cattle herds for many years. They have looked after their cattle carefully and precisely and tended to them to the utmost standards of animal welfare. The loss of a herd leaves some people in absolute tears.”
“I welcome the motion and the opportunity to highlight the issue of bovine TB and discuss how the Minister, with the support of his Executive colleagues, intends to address it. I am not sure what the amendment adds — I will support it, by the way — other than a specific mention of wildlife intervention. I presume that that intervention is science-based and would be covered by the text of the motion. <BR /> <BR />Those of us who represent rural constituencies are more than aware of the potentially devastating impact of a bovine TB infection on cattle herds, particularly on our smaller farms. There are over 1·6 million cattle in the North on over 20,000 farms. As has already been said this afternoon, at any point, more than 10% of those herds are infected with bovine TB.”
“Is that a mistake, or is it a commitment to a "will", a "shall", a "but" or a "maybe"?”
“This issue, particularly environmental improvement protection and an agency to provide that, has been talked to death in the Assembly. The Minister's party and my party have committed to it. I am a bit puzzled by paragraph 30, which states that the panel's recommendations:”
“Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire as a ráiteas.”
“If you choose to absent yourself from those key responsibilities and duties, you are neglecting your duties to the entire community. Sin a bhfuil le rá agam.”
“My colleague Daniel McCrossan also referred to it and to the DUP's digging itself deeper into a hole. The North/South Ministerial Council was there, and is there, to deal with relevant issues, whether those are about North/South, all-island economic cooperation, environmental regulations and support or health issues, which many Members have referred to here. Nobody — nobody — can tell me that boycotting those institutions delivered anything positive for the community in Northern Ireland. Nothing. The boycott delivered nothing positive in dealing with key, instrumental and positive elements that people should be getting on with.”
“Harry Harvey referred to the non-attendance. Of course, it could have been avoided, Harry. The boycott did not achieve a lot. On the issue of the protocol, as I have said, the protocol was the spawn of Brexit, for which, in fact, many in your party voted. The protocol was the child of Brexit. Having voted for that, people cannot absolve themselves of responsibility and say, "Ah, well. Sorry: it was not my fault". It gave the red light — I say "red light" rather than "green light" because it stopped us and took us backwards — to a process that wound up with the protocol and subsequently with the Windsor framework. As for "bad guys", Harry, I would never refer to you as a bad guy, but your own party helped to deliver Brexit and the protocol. <BR /> <BR />Eóin Tennyson referred to the boycott and disregard for the Good Friday Agreement.”
“Indeed, the SDLP was one of the first parties in the Chamber to realise that further reform was required. In fact, the motion refers to "other reforms" that are needed to contribute:”
“I am sorry: I do not have any time. <BR /> <BR />That is the reality of it. He referred to 300 areas of EU law that have been imposed on Northern Ireland. Another issue has to be explored here: are we suggesting that we discard those 300 elements of EU law? That is not the place where we want to be. Let us face facts: many elements of EU law are good law that has been brought to us here. Indeed, in many instances, it was brought forward through the mechanisms of the EU while Britain was still a member. <BR /> <BR />Doug Beattie pointed out the issues that need to be achieved around the Pledge of Office and that the Commissioner for Standards does not, in fact, have any remit or role to look at that. Paula Bradshaw, in supporting the motion, referred to other reforms.”
“I would venture to say that the very man whom his own party supported, Boris Johnson, was the person who trampled upon them, danced upon them, laughed at them, sneered at them and did the dirt on them. Meanwhile, the DUP not only supported him and his Government but cheered for him at their party conference. Let us face facts, folks: you were taken for a bit of a run.”
“He said that the three strands depend mutually on one another. Clearly, from the letter that you have just referred to, Madam Principal Deputy Speaker, his party has a task to seek to persuade Members from the DUP that, indeed, that applies to the Assembly, too, and to accountability within the Assembly. He referred to the Assembly and Executive Review Committee. As my colleague aptly pointed out, it has met only once. Its outcome seems to have been quite marginal. <BR /> <BR />Brian Kingston referred to unionists being trampled upon. I do not think that any of us would ever come with the mentality of trampling upon anyone, least of all our unionist colleagues or, indeed, neighbours and friends. Certainly, that is not why I am here.”
“I take the logic that the boycott now applies to the Assembly itself. That is not where people should want to place themselves. This is about real accountability and reform. <BR /> <BR />Declan Kearney said that the Good Friday Agreement cannot be subordinated. Chuala mé an méid a bhí le rá aige.”
“which, clearly, is not the case. The centrality of the North/South Ministerial Council to the functioning of those bodies of the Good Friday Agreement, which many of us went out and voted for and which helped to bring us peace, is integral to the way forward for this community and, indeed, for this island.”
“That really takes us to the heart of the matter, does it not? This is supposed to be a Government by the people, for the people and for all the people, and, quite clearly, that is not spilling out of the letter that you referred to. <BR /> <BR />My colleague pointed out that five DUP Ministers had failed to attend North/South Ministerial Council meetings. We went into the details of the finding of the Commissioner for Standards that the DUP had chosen to act unlawfully. Indeed, she stated that they felt:”
“Go raibh míle maith agat, a Phríomh-LeasCheann Comhairle.”
“That, too, is a vital service, which provides, if you like, the workforce to those excellent companies that already exist in the communities. <BR /> <BR />On the economy, I say that we should keep doing it, keep supporting it and allow some sort of diversification of funding to make sure that those companies that are not exporting have that support. On that point, thank you very much for the opportunity to speak.”
“They have had to be "dispersed" — I think that that is the word that is used — among other practices in the area, increasing pressures on those practices. We will not even get into how that was done, because it is whole other world stuff, which was, in many instances, very poorly handled by the Department. <BR /> <BR />I will go back to the investment that we now see for the Mid South West growth deal and say that I am looking forward to it. It will create the infrastructure that we so need for our manufacturing sectors and our base, and it will give hope, prospects and a future to our young people, many of whom are self-starters. Education is not just academic education; education is the skill set that people obtain from the training that they get in our FE colleges.”
“People are not being paid enough to do that vital work at all hours, in all weathers, in all seasons, up hill and down dale and particularly at night and to be there to provide care to people who, in many instances, live alone. The workers cannot be got. That is one thing that happens in the health service, and it happens in circumstances in which we are supposed to have legislation that governs the absence of services to our rural areas and that allows us to have some sort of control over them to make sure that our rural areas are properly treated and looked after. <BR /> <BR />Just recently, the GP practice at Fairhill Health Centre in Magherafelt was forced to close because no one could be recruited to take responsibility for the 2,330 patients that it served.”
“Health and Social Care in rural areas has been gradually stripped of services through a lack of funding for staff. On that point, there is an increasing, persistent factor every year, and that is the need for properly paid domiciliary care workers. I emphasise the words "properly paid", because we get a number of cases, usually around autumn and wintertime — invariably, it starts earlier in the year — where domiciliary care packages are not available to support people to return home after a spell in hospital or other care settings. Therefore, you have the usual stuff of bed-blocking and the need for people to move into a nursing home at increased cost. That is a false economy.”
“I want to make this point: although Invest NI is very supportive — I have to pay tribute to its local team, which recently helped a local business get support and funding to create a number of jobs — we have to look at the indigenous market, meaning those indigenous firms that we have, which do not export, and at how they are supported and how those firms, particularly in rural areas, can get extra support. That often does not mean huge amounts of money, but it is money that will help them to train and support staff and help them with the growth of their business. In many instances, they require professional help. <BR /> <BR />That deals with the economic aspects of the issue, if you like. However, despite legislation that has been designed to protect rural services, there have been repeated cuts to services in rural areas.”
“That will almost inevitably lead to cuts in the direct payments that farmers and farming families receive, and that is not good news. That is happening at a time when the total income from farming recorded by the Department across the North fell by 44% from £609 million in 2022 to £341 million in 2023. That is 14% lower than the average total farm income for the past 20 years, when inflation is taken into account. <BR /> <BR />As a result of Brexit, we have also lost access to pillar 2 of the rural development fund, losing approximately £100 million of rural development funding since leaving the EU. That funding was available to support rural communities in Mid Ulster and elsewhere. The British Government have not replaced that lost funding. <BR /> <BR />That rural development funding is very important.”
“The annual funding allocation to replace the EU's common agricultural policy payments has been capped at approximately £330 million since 2020. Within that, there is around £300 million of direct payments for farmers. The Ulster Farmers' Union has calculated that, to maintain the real value of that funding, it should have increased to £389 million by the end of 2024. That means that there has been a cut in real terms of £60 million this year. From next year, the funding for agriculture will be included in the baseline figure for the block grant. Funding that had been ring-fenced and guaranteed over many years will now be part of the annual negotiations between the parties in the Executive. In future, Executive funding to support farmers will compete with Health, Infrastructure and Education.”
“Today, we are talking about getting support and making sure that people are fully endorsed and seen through their work, because new generations and people who want to start businesses are coming up every year. I will come to that in a wee while. <BR /> <BR />I welcome the inclusion of the constituency in the recent Mid South West growth deal. That proposal has the potential to deliver much-needed investment in infrastructure, skills, innovation and tourism. Those are all necessary investments. <BR /> <BR />As a mostly rural constituency, the local economy is heavily dependent on agriculture. As a result of Brexit, which the DUP campaigned for and the SDLP and others opposed, funding for agriculture has suffered real-term cuts.”
“I thank Mr Buchanan for securing the Adjournment debate. Financial support for rural communities in Mid Ulster is clearly an issue. Sometimes, we feel a bit forgotten. However, the good industries that are there, be they Dale Farm or the manufacturing industries that have got themselves to the top of the pile, have excelled by themselves, albeit, with support, surely. They have shown such initiative and clear vision, and seen and established such clear needs and markets, that many of them are world leaders. We do not lose sight of that. They started small, many of them from their backyards and farmyards, and expanded from that. That innovation, creativity and initiative in many of our rural areas has to be recognised.”
“Can the Minister provide the House with some detail of what the public consultation on the Just Transition Commission is seeking input on? Will it include a just transition fund for agriculture?”
“Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire as a ráiteas.”
“Minister, drugs education is an important part of the preventative curriculum, yet, despite that, the North has seen a trebling of drug deaths in the past decade. Will the Minister outline whether there is any revision or review taking place in his Department of drugs awareness and education in our schools?”
“How many times has the working group that you referred to actually met? What is its timetable for a product?”
“Thank you for that, Minister. I was thinking more specifically about getting professional advice from the likes of accountancy practices so that you are best armed to make your case when you go to meet the likes of the Secretary of State or, indeed, the Chancellor. Will you consider doing that, please? The issue is creating a lot of emotional turmoil among some farming families.”
“Thank you very much, Minister. Given that the announcement of the scoping exercise coincided with an SDLP motion calling for the establishment of an independent environmental protection agency (EPA), which the Assembly supported, has the Minister scoped the support of his Executive colleagues for such an independent agency?”
“Will the Minister confirm whether there will be timed and measurable targets in the final PFG against which her Department's progress can be monitored?”
“To be effective, a register should be established on an all-island basis. The cross-border nature of criminal activity such as dog-fighting, badger-baiting and illegal puppy farming demands it. The Minister should consider proposals on that basis, and work with the Irish Government to that end. <BR /> <BR />Let us do everything that we can to help those who are trying to prevent animal cruelty, and let us make animal welfare issues one of our key priorities. More proactive enforcement, tougher action against those found guilty of animal welfare offences — some of which are incredibly crass and cruel — and the establishment of an all-island register of banned offenders would be a step in that right direction.”
“That is, perhaps, an indication that prosecutions are seen as a reluctant last resort, and that should certainly not be the case. If we are to take seriously the issue of cruelty and abuse of animals — or, indeed, abuse of our environment — that culture of enforcement needs to change. I hope that the Minister will take that point on board, and I do not doubt his sincerity or the will to do so. <BR /> <BR />The Minister has suggested that there is a lack of evidence that registers of this kind are effective elsewhere. I would argue that the sample size is too small and the situations too varied to reach a conclusion based on that. A register of banned offenders would be an important additional tool in the battle against those who would abuse animals. That is how it should be assessed, and we are in a unique position here.”
“I would be interested to hear from the proposer of the motion whether they now disagree with their party colleague, because the current Minister responsible has taken the same line, presumably based on the same advice from that same Department. We believe that any potential issues can and should be overcome. <BR /> <BR />We believe that there is a need for a register that is established on an all-island basis. What is currently missing is the political will to make that happen. That will require a change in mindset in the Minister's Department but also in the Republic. What is noticeable is the low number of prosecutions brought to completion by the various enforcement bodies compared with the number of complaints and other actions taken.”
“<BR /> <BR />The SDLP, with others, continued to lobby the relevant Minister on the issue. In 2021, we presented a public petition to the Assembly, signed by thousands of individuals and supported by the USPCA, calling on the AERA Minister to work alongside the Minister of Justice to establish such a register. Both Ministers at that time expressed support for the register. However, the then AREA Minister concluded in March 2022 that creating a register of animal cruelty offenders was not feasible. In his explanation for that decision, the DUP Minister responsible referenced apparent low reoffending rates, no evidential need for a register, the cost of establishing and maintaining a register, and the data protection implications. We did not agree with his reasoning then, and we do not now.”