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.”
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“<BR /> <BR />As I stand here, I consider the number of times that I have received presentations — I and others — about rural poverty, rural isolation, rural health, rural transport, when a plethora of issues comes forward. Many of those reports — I certainly hope that this will not be one of them — are sitting on shelves, having not been acted on. Hence the importance of the Committee's second recommendation, which is that the Department, in conjunction with other Departments, fully utilises the data captured and the evaluation that MARA has produced and uses it to inform and shape the TRPSI successor programme. <BR /> <BR />It is important, however, that rural matters are not thought of as the exclusive preserve of DARD.”
“The groups and organisations involved with the delivery of the TRPSI framework are undoubtedly one of its strengths, and, in no small part, they are a vital component of its success. In view of that fact, the Committee has recommended that the Departments build on the successes of the current programme, including the vast knowledge already available from grass-roots organisations in rural communities, to help to inform and to shape a new TRPSI programme; I will say a bit more about that after a while. Given the importance of joined-up thinking in this area, it is surprising and, as the Committee noted, disappointing that there appeared to be no plan for a coordinated approach to make effective use of the data from the more successful projects such as MARA to inform other projects or a future TRPSI programme.”
“<BR /> <BR />The Committee has rightly acknowledged the high level of praise and support for all who help to deliver various TRPSI framework programmes at local levels. As the Rural Development Council stated:”
“Go raibh maith agat, a LeasCheann Comhairle. Gabhaim buíochas leis an Choiste as an obair atá déanta acu. I thank the Committee and its staff for the work that they have done in bringing the report to the Assembly for debate. As an elected representative from a rural constituency, and having represented parts of it from 1993 onwards, I am very aware of the impact that the tackling rural poverty and social isolation framework has had in tackling poverty and social isolation in farming and rural communities. Other representatives from similar constituencies will undoubtedly agree. That said, there is room for improvement, and that is what the recommendations from the Committee's review of the Department's anti-poverty and social inclusion programme seek to achieve.”
“— a full range of subjects. They should continue to be encouraged to —”
“— as an option for young people at GCSE level and that where schools are too small, they should offer effectively —”
“As part of the proposed systemic review of the education system, it recommended more action on implementing the Government's Success through STEM strategy. It also recommended that computing be taught as a core subject for children in Northern Ireland, that all schools should be required to offer separate sciences —”
“The CBI's 'Step Change' report argued that education is about:”
“Schools need to seek access to the knowledge required in teaching coding, and the demand for the subject needs to be fostered, especially in primary school and at pre-GCSE level. It argues strongly for the introduction of teaching coding to children from primary school age at Key Stage 2. It is essential to deliver coding to the widest cross-section of pupils at the earliest opportunity. Momentum used the example of Estonia, where, with a similar-sized population, the Government have pledged to introduce coding early in primary schools. I support that call. Children in the North should have access to coding from the age of eight. As Momentum stated, that would:”
“Key to the changes it proposes is the identification of education as being at the heart of the drive for sustainable success. Momentum recognises the serious issues faced in the upskilling of teachers so that they are able to teach coding or "computer programming", as it is more widely known, with confidence. It also acknowledges that the way in which the education system works allows, in theory, for flexibility in the provision of teaching of coding. <BR /> <BR />The revised curriculum includes ICT as a cross-curricular skill, and the flexibility already in place in the revised curriculum allows schools to teach computer science in any Key Stage. However, Momentum points out that that rarely happens, other than in an ad hoc way, for a number of reasons.”
“<BR /> <BR />A report from the Momentum digital summit rightly applauds what has been done so far but emphasises the need to build on those achievements. Among the proposals to emerge from the summit is the need for:”
“Those recommendations are to encourage and support the full implementation of the science and technology strand of WAU in the primary school to bring about high-quality learning for all children; to investigate how primary schools can be supported in the delivery of WAU through a variety of means, including expertise from the post-primary sector and from a range of external stakeholders, such as the Curriculum Advisory and Support Service (CASS); and to re-emphasise the importance of WAU, particularly the significance of science and technology in policy and planning for initial teacher education. It should not be difficult or incur any significant cost for the Minister to endorse those recommendations to improve the provision of STEM subjects in our primary schools.”
“<BR /> <BR />Significantly, only 37% of the 107 schools that responded to the web survey reported that they had staff who had completed STEM training with recognised providers. The inspectorate made recommendations in its report, three of which were specifically for the Department of Education.”
“In addition, it held discussions with stakeholders, and a web survey was completed by school principals in consultation with their staff. The inspectorate found that, although primary schools are at different points in their implementation of World Around Us, two thirds of schools have prioritised its development in the past three years. However, overall, schools remain more confident about the quality of their provision in history and geography and in thinking skills and personal capabilities. Almost half believe that they do not include the progression of the relevant practical, experiential skills in science and technology in their planning. Those schools cite various reasons for that, including competing priorities such as literacy, numeracy and assessment and a lack of access to training.”
“Mo bhuíochas leat, a LeasCheann Comhairle. Agus mo bhuíochas leis an Choiste as ucht an t-ábhar seo a thabhairt os ár gcomhair inniu. I welcome the motion, and I thank the Education Committee in particular for bringing it to the Assembly for debate. All of us will, I hope, agree that science, technology, engineering and mathematics — STEM — play a key role in driving the economy, and we can agree on the importance of STEM subjects in our schools. <BR /> <BR />There are consistent themes in the reports referred to in the motion. I will begin with the Education and Training Inspectorate's evaluation of the implementation of the World Around Us in primary schools. From December 2013 to June 2014, the inspectorate visited primary schools across all education and library boards and management types and sizes.”
“I thank the Minister for giving way. I seek assurances from him that people from minority ethnic communities in the North, who may have linguistic difficulties and the like, will be provided for in any advice that the Minister may recommend as a consequence.”
“I really do not subscribe to this dependency culture thing, as if people have won the lotto when they claim JSA. They have not. I have them in my office, as I am sure other Members do. They are trying to get by week to week. That notion reflects mentality out there of the 'The Sun' and the Tories. We have to inject some degree of reality into the debate.”
“Thanks very much, Mr McCallister, for giving way. I have heard the idea perpetuated ad nauseam about benefits dependency, as if people had won the lotto when they went on benefits, be it ESA or whatever. It is important to read into the record that the young people whom we need to get into meaningful, paid jobs, where there is a skills deficit et al, are not on the sick. They are claiming JSA. Just so that people know, up to the age of 24 or 25, you get £57·35 a week. If you are over 25, you get £72·40 a week. If anybody tells me that that is an incentive to stay at home, I must be living in cloud cuckoo land. It is an incentive to get a job, so the challenge is to create jobs, attract jobs here and make sure that young people are skilled up to move into those jobs.”
“Go raibh maith agat as an fhreagra sin, a Aire. Thanks very much indeed, Minister, for that response. Of those appointed to the board of the Arts Council, how many are registered disabled?”
“Go raibh maith agat, a LeasCheann Comhairle. Mo bhuíochas leis an Aire as a freagraí go dtí seo. I thank the Minister for her answers so far. The Minister referred briefly to putting rural proofing on a statutory footing. Could I ask the Minister what she has in mind by that and how would she suggest mainstreaming that across all the other Departments that have a meaningful and significant impact on rural dwellers?”
“Go raibh maith agat, a Phríomh-LeasCheann Comhairle. Thanks very much, Mr Principal Deputy Speaker. Agus mo bhuíochas leis an Aire chomh maith. I thank the Minister too. I heard the Minister refer to the fact that some support with payments may be introduced for people who are on benefits. Will the Minister accept that there is an intervening gap between somebody going on benefits to their getting their actual mortgage interest pay? Will he also accept that there are consequentials in the payment of mortgages for the lace-curtain poor, which is those people who are not on benefits but who are on very low income and therefore fall into the debt trap?”
“Go raibh maith agat, a Phríomh-LeasCheann Comhairle. Leading on from that point, what analysis will the Department or the Minister do on the effects that the recent fare increases announced by Translink will have on keeping people in their cars rather than encouraging them to use the public transport system?”
“I thank the Member for giving way. Will the Member accept the difference, which is that there are people who will never be able to enter the workforce because of their disabilities? That is why the SDLP is proposing amendments and why the SDLP and others, including Mr Agnew, are advocating and championing their cause. The link between corporation tax and those who are disabled, some of whom are so severely disabled as never to be able to enter the workforce, is an erroneous one.”
“Go raibh math agat, a LeasCheann Comhairle. Mo bhuíochas leis an Aire chomh maith as a fhreagraí go dtí seo. Can the Minister give us any indication as to the time frame for the Minister's review and the production of the SPPS? Can he also tell us if measures are going to be built into it around renewables and the context of how policy may apply in protected areas or areas of outstanding natural beauty?”
“Mo bhuíochas leis an Aire chomh maith. My thanks to the Minister as well. Given that the Minister had introduced the notion of the reduction to 10%, what costing was made around that as to what the further reduction might cost in monetary terms and its potential impact on the block grant as a consequence?”
“Any cut of that magnitude, which appears to be almost 50%, will have a significant import upon the activities carried out. It is an issue that I will undertake to raise tomorrow with the Minister and establish from her that if that funding is being cut back to that level, what substitute funding, streams of funding or other supports may be put in place to help with the events associated with and supported by the Events Company. <BR /> <BR />In conclusion, a LeasCheann Comhairle, thank you for your time, and I trust that those matters will be taken on board by the Minister. Go raibh maith agat.”
“There is an issue around the reinstatement of the events fund. It is one of the areas that the Committee will wish to cover and, indeed, raise with the Minister tomorrow when she attends.”
“Therefore, it is important that I emphasise both the role of InterTradeIreland and its budget in providing services and the need to make sure that it does not suffer disproportionately from separate reductions, North and South. InterTradeIreland has been instrumental in supporting and helping a lot of businesses, and its role in supporting and helping those businesses in their drawdown of EU funds has been emphasised to us. A small cutback there could result in not insubstantial amounts of funding being drawn down. <BR /> <BR />It is important that we, as an economy that is looking forward and that will hopefully be investing in its research, innovation and development, see the bigger picture and invest moneys where they are most required to draw down that funding and to help build a new 21st century economy in the North.”
“<BR /> <BR />A key question for the Committee and, undoubtedly, for the Committee for Agriculture and Rural Development is this: what will the additional £200,000 allocation be used for? Will it be used to ensure that at least some, if not all, farm safety campaign activity can continue? That is very important. <BR /> <BR />There has been heavy emphasis in the Committee on R&D and innovation projects, which again ties in with economic development in the North. A key element of that has been the drawdown of EU funding, especially Horizon 2020 funding, which the rest of the island has been very successful in drawing down.”
“Whilst that might seem an insubstantial amount, the Committee had considerable concerns after officials informed it that, under draft Budget proposals, the Health and Safety Executive would have to suspend all farm safety campaigns. That is being announced at a time when farmers are getting back into the fields to spread slurry and are exposed to the dangers associated with slurry mixing. The media profile within the last week or so has encouraged farmers to be exceptionally careful around their farms. We are all very well aware of the serious and sad instances of people losing their life on farms as a result of those issues. I think that it is important that that matter is emphasised now so that it can be established whether the farm safety campaigning budgets at the HSENI can be secured.”
“Following a query from the Committee, the Department stated that the Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment is firmly of the view that that commitment remains in place. It is important that we get clarity and maybe have that commitment repeated today by the Minister of Finance. I especially ask that the Minister provides firm assurances that the Budget allocation is sufficient to ensure that, first, Invest NI will not have to scale back its targets and that, secondly, the industrial development guarantee remains in place. <BR /> <BR />Another issue that manifested itself, particularly in public last week in some parts of the media, is farm safety. The Health and Safety Executive's budget has increased by £200,000 from the draft Budget position to £5·9 million.”
“That was considered a key concern for Invest NI and DETI, as around 93% of Invest NI's draft budget was already committed. That would have left little additional funding for attracting new investment. Again, if that pattern continued, it would be at the wrong time, in the wrong place and certainly out of sync with both those items that I mentioned — the voluntary exit scheme and the bids to lower corporation tax. <BR /> <BR />The Committee has been led to believe that there is a guarantee from the Executive — the industrial development guarantee — that no worthwhile proposal for eligible support for economic development or investment would be lost due to a lack of funding.”
“That includes £7·1 million from the change fund for a joint bid with DEL towards support for increases in the relevance and use of skills across all economic sectors. I will refer to that again, but where the voluntary exit scheme in particular and potential changes to corporation tax are concerned, that is especially relevant, as we will require the introduction of new, well-skilled people of whatever age. They may be people of experience, of little experience or of no experience, but they may be exiting the public sector to be reskilled for the new job creation that may arise as a consequence of a reduction in corporation tax rates. <BR /> <BR />During an oral briefing, DETI officials informed the Committee that the draft Budget's proposed Invest NI allocation would mean that the organisation would have to scale back its targets.”
“Go raibh maith agat, a LeasCheann Comhairle. There are a number of issues that I would like to raise on behalf of the Enterprise, Trade and Investment Committee. Since the draft Budget position, Invest NI's allocation has increased from £98 million to £132·5 million.”
“Go raibh maith agat as an fhreagra sin, a Aire. You said that you have three fluent Irish speakers. Are they employed in the section that will deal with the consultation process?”
“Go raibh maith agat, a LeasCheann Comhairle. Ba mhaith liom ceist a chur ar an Aire maidir leis an chomhairliúchán ar Bhille na teangan. An féidir leis an Aire inse dúinn cá mhéad duine atá fostaithe ag an Roinn a bhfuil cumas Gaeilge acu le déileáil leis an teanga?”
“Go raibh maith agat, a LeasCheann Comhairle. Mo bhuíochas leis an Aire as na freagraí go dtí seo. I thank the Minister for her responses up to now. I am sure that she will confirm that many of those sporting organisations, including the GAA, are not just that: they contribute to health, education, culture and language in their community. Will the Minister confirm that those organisations have gone through an evaluation process and conform with the criteria that are set down, irrespective of their background?”
“Go raibh maith agat, a Cheann Comhairle. Mo bhuíochas leis an LeasChéad Aire as a fhreagraí go dtí seo. Ba mhaith liom ceist a chur: an féidir leis an Aire a chruthú dúinn a bhfuil moltaí dá réir aige i dtaobh comhoibrú Thuaidh/Theas? In regard to the recent Stormont House talks, what further issues or new issues around North/South cooperation does the Minister have in mind for the next agenda of the North/South Ministerial Council?”
“Go raibh maith agat, a Cheann Comhairle. Mo bhuíochas leis an Aire chomh maith. Will the Minister provide us with any detail he might have of the costs to the local public purse associated with the transfer, repatriation and imprisonment of Michaella McCollum?”
“I thank the Member for giving way, but it is actually debates such as this that politicise the Irish language. We could really have done without this debate and, rather, we could get on with the promotion of the Irish language — cur chun cinn na teanga. Go raibh maith agat.”
“Go raibh maith agat don Aire as an fhreagra sin. Thanks very much to the Minister for that response. Particularly in regard to the recent concerns around the provision of meals to people's homes in the South Eastern Trust area but also more widely, does the strategy apply to the care setting of the individual's home and the nutritional values that should apply there?”
“Go raibh maith agat, a LeasCheann Comhairle. Mo bhuíochas leis an Aire chomh maith. With regard to the introduction of lowered corporation tax, can the Minister advise what measures will be or can be taken to ensure that existing regional economic imbalances will not be exacerbated?”
“The Minister subsequently wrote to the Committee on 12 December to confirm her intention to proceed with the amendment. The Committee is in agreement with that proposal. <BR /> <BR />Having carefully considered the proposals, the Committee is of the view that this legislative consent motion (LCM) is the most appropriate means of legislating in this area and that it will ensure that relevant law is updated in the North simultaneously with that in Britain, avoiding potential disparity between companies in Northern Ireland and Britain. It will also ensure that potential loopholes and inequalities will be avoided to prevent Northern Ireland from lagging behind in company legislation. <BR /> <BR />The Committee, therefore, supports the Department in seeking the Assembly’s endorsement of the LCM.”
“This is because the scope of that Bill is limited to amending only the Insolvency (Northern Ireland) Order 1989. <BR /> <BR />Secondly, as the matter was raised during the Second Stage of the Insolvency (Amendment) Bill, members questioned officials on the reasons why the legislative consent memorandum does not contain provisions to legislate for the statutory regulation of insolvency practitioners in Northern Ireland. The Department informed the Committee that, as the Bill has already entered the House of Lords, it considered it too late to make a major amendment at this stage. Departmental officials, however, stated that they were actively looking at the possibility of including the provisions required in the Insolvency (Amendment) Bill by way of an amendment to that Bill at Consideration Stage.”
“<BR /> <BR />The Bill provides for opportunities for small businesses to innovate and grow by introducing tougher rules to tackle misconduct by company directors and ensures a strong regulatory regime for those who administer insolvencies. The Committee sought and received clarification from the Department on two matters relating to the Bill during an oral briefing from officials on 2 December 2014. I thank those officials for their helpfulness to the Committee on this and related matters. <BR /> <BR />First, in response to a query regarding whether it would be more appropriate to include these proposed measures in the Insolvency (Amendment) Bill, which is currently at Committee Stage in the Assembly, officials confirmed that the Department could not have used the Insolvency (Amendment) Bill to make these types of amendments.”
“Go raibh maith agat, a Cheann Comhairle. Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire chomh maith. I thank the Minister as well. <BR /> <BR />The purpose of the Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Bill is to introduce a wide range of measures designed to help fulfil the Westminster Government's commitments on transparency and trust made at the G8 Summit in 2013. The Minister has already covered quite a bit of this in her speech. In addressing these commitments, the Bill contains a number of provisions relating to company filing requirements, shareholding, transparency of ownership, company directors' conduct and insolvency.”
“Go raibh maith agat a LeasCheann Comhairle. Mo bhuíochas leis an Aire. Can the Minister clarify for me that I am correct in saying that a memorandum of understanding exists with the Department of Finance and Personnel on pay and pensions? Has any flexibility been shown by that Department or has there been communication from it to facilitate the resolution of the problem and the difficulties that we face now?”
“Go raibh maith agat, a LeasCheann Comhairle. Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire as a freagra. I thank the Minister for her answer. Will she give the House some indication of the assessment that she has made of the cost to the block grant of the reduction of corporation tax to 10%, as she has advocated?”
“Go raibh maith agat, a Cheann Comhairle. Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire as a ráiteas. I thank the Minister for her statement. Obviously, we will drill down into more of the detail at the Committee. <BR /> <BR />The focus of the review looked for greater opportunities for alignment with Invest NI, and there is reference in the statement to the fact that practical steps will be taken to better align the two organisations. Will the Minister expand on what, in her mind, those practical measures might be and on any direction or ideas that she might have? Obviously, that has to follow through with the outworkings of both organisations, but it would be helpful if she could give us some indication of the Department's thinking on the practical measures that could be taken.”
“Go raibh maith agat, a LeasCheann Comhairle. Mo bhuíochas leis an Aire chomh maith. Thanks very much to the Minister as well. There is no doubt about the beneficial effects of those services, but how many people are finding full- or part-time employment as a result of the interventions of the advisers and their staff?”