John O'Dowd
Upper Bann · Sinn Féin · Northern Ireland
“As I set out in response to the previous question, we have in place the vacant property rate relief scheme and the small business rate relief scheme, which are very successful. I set aside £10 million in the draft Budget for small business rate relief to be invested.”
“I am particularly keen to hear from those impacted by vacant commercial units and especially about how any phased increase can be implemented in a sustainable way that is fair, proportionate and sustainable within the tax system.”
“I outlined my intent to take that approach in my statement on 18 November, alongside the fact that reform of rating policy should support growth, make better use of property and ensure that the system is fair, proportionate and aligned with wider economic objectives.”
“The accelerator will operate alongside our highly successful Back in Business scheme, which has helped to bring over 100 vacant high street properties back into use since May 2024. Those issues have been the subject of considerable interest and comment in the Assembly, and it is right that we grasp the nettle now.”
“There are no circumstances in which a hard border would be good for the people of Ireland; it would not be good for anyone. Those who suggest that are being naive at best and dangerous at worst, in the sense of not understanding this society. <BR /> <BR />Rural communities along the border are one and the same.”
“This announcement represents the next step in that. That said, I also put on record my intention to strengthen support for small businesses. In that vein, £10 million has been set aside in the draft Budget to broaden the impact of the small business rate relief scheme in order to increase the number of businesses that can benefit from it.…”
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“The estimate for the bypass that was compiled back in 2008 was in the range of £35 million to £40 million. That would need to be brought up to date, and would be subject to high levels of inflation and the cost increases that have been experienced by the construction sector in recent years. <BR /> <BR />My Department is developing a new transport strategy that will help to shape the vision and strategic priorities for transport through to 2035. Once published, that will help inform the transport plan for the regional strategic transport network, which includes the A2 at Ballykelly.”
“Our preferred route for a Ballykelly bypass was announced in 2010. However, in advance of any decision to prioritise the scheme, officials would need to undertake a reassessment of the route due to the passage of time.”
“First, I would like to add my thanks to those of the Member to my staff who worked over the weekend dealing with Storm Ashley. I commend them for their work, whether they were working in the background providing information to the public or on the ground clearing up during the storm and after it passed. <BR /> <BR />I do not know why the shell grip was removed. I will ask officials to respond to the Member directly.”
“Yes, and my thoughts go out to all those involved in that accident. Thankfully, there were not more serious injuries than those that did occur, and everyone will have a full recovery. I assure the Member that road safety is the priority for my Department. We will cooperate fully with the police investigation into that incident, and help them to understand how it came about.”
“The resurfacing scheme has provided a better road surface as well as refreshed road markings to aid driver visibility. The road surfacing is part of a wider 10-year plan for resurfacing along the A20 Portaferry Road. <BR /> <BR />My officials are reviewing a recently completed traffic assessment of the extension of the 40 mph speed limit from Newtownards to just beyond Teal Rocks. It is hoped that the review will be completed over the coming weeks. A 320-metre footway near Cunningburn Road is being considered to provide a continuous footway between Newtownards and Greyabbey. Following the release of the latest PSNI collision data, my officials will assess the Portaferry Road to identify any common causation patterns that could be addressed by engineering measures.”
“As the Minister responsible for promoting and improving road safety, I want, with partners, to actively reduce death and serious injuries on the roads. Following the Adjournment debate on 12 March 2024, I asked my officials to take forward a review of the A20 Portaferry Road from Newtownards to Teal Rocks to establish whether engineering measures could be undertaken to enhance road safety. <BR /> <BR />I am pleased to advise that nearly 1 kilometre of resurfacing from Newtownards to just beyond Teal Rocks was recently completed. The scheme includes a new bus lay-by, bus shelter and footway opposite Strangford filling station as well as a crossing point for pedestrians, which provides a safer facility for vulnerable road users to access public transport. A localised section of footway on the Newtownards side will be widened.”
“The investment that we are making in the Sydenham bypass will do that; the investment that we are making in Belfast Grand Central Station will do that; and other measures, including the eastern transport plan, which is an all-encompassing plan around Belfast, will do that.”
“I have asked my officials to engage with Belfast City Council directly to see what measures we can take jointly to inform citizens and promote Belfast. I have also asked them to respond to a request from Retail NI and Hospitality Ulster for a further extension to the moratorium on roadworks around Christmas. I have asked my officials to see whether we can do that. If it is an option, let us do it to support traders. <BR /> <BR />We are in danger of sending out a message that Belfast is closed for business. It is not. Belfast is extremely busy, which is great. My responsibility is to get commuters in and out of the city in an effective and efficient manner.”
“I remind Members that I provided them with a written ministerial statement as early as, I think, April or May, which outlined the challenges that Belfast would face as a result of the works that would have to be carried out as part of the public realm works for Belfast Grand Central Station. Members have been briefed on this since that time. <BR /> <BR />What am I doing? We are bringing forward measures to allow taxis into the bus lanes, which will free up some commuter travel in the area.”
“I accept that the status quo is far from ideal. We need to make a significant investment in the York Street area and move forward with a project that benefits not only commuters who travel through the area but those who live in and do business in the area. That was the reason for the placemaking report. I am studying how to move forward on a number of major road projects, and I keep coming back to the question of how to finance them. That is the part of the equation that is missing. The Budget statement from the Chancellor of the Exchequer might shed some light on options for the Executive, but, until new options are available to me, I am very restricted in what further projects I can deliver.”
“Any subsequent decision to proceed with the York Street interchange project can only be made when I am confident that there is budget certainty for the scheme and that its delivery is in line with my Department's emerging transport plans.”
“Major road schemes are an important part of the work that is delivered by my Department as it seeks to reduce journey times, increase reliability and improve road safety. In October 2022, I published a report on the placemaking and active travel review (PATR) of the scheme and asked my officials to carry out further work on three scenarios that were recommended in it. The work to prepare a placemaking and active travel development report has now been completed. Due to underinvestment in major road schemes and the constrained budget position, the scheme was considered as part of the prioritisation of major schemes, and further works were paused as part of the outworking of that review. <BR /> <BR />I met officials on 9 October 2024 to review the report, which allows me to consider the way forward for the scheme.”
“It is clear that we have to provide a good surface for all road users. I suppose that that is often categorised as being simply motorists, but it is right and proper that we provide a surface for all road users, whether they are motorists, motorcyclists, pedestrians or, as in this case, cyclists. I will endeavour to do that within the budget that is available to me.”
“I assure the Member that I am looking at every option that is available to me to get more works carried out on the ground and to secure more investment, particularly in our rural network where people often feel, quite rightly, that they have been left behind. I intend to correct that where I can and ensure that rural roads are appropriately maintained.”
“I thank the Member for the question. I have no doubt that, at some stage, we will move on to the roadworks that are going on around Belfast. Members will have noted that there has been increased activity on the ground, from DFI staff and contractors, to repair, renew and correct defects across the network. I welcome that continued effort and investment, but it is quite simply the case that, after over a decade of austerity, my Department and others cannot keep pace with the challenges, and therefore have to prioritise more rigidly than we would have previously when delivering schemes.”
“The Member raises a very good point about ensuring that my Department is using its budget to guarantee accessibility and inclusion for all citizens in our society. That is one of the key areas that I am bringing forward in the Department. I can assure the Member that I am acutely aware of the need to prioritise budgets in an inclusive way.”
“While there are many roads that would benefit from investment, our limited resources budget means that resurfacing work has been taken forward through the prioritisation of those that are deemed most in need of intervention. <BR /> <BR />Resurfacing schemes that were completed in the previous financial year and those that are programmed for the current financial year will be listed in my Department's 2024-25 annual report to councils in due course.”
“My Department has been operating in a difficult financial environment for a number of years due to underfunding and austerity by successive British Governments. As a consequence, new maintenance regimes have been adopted that are commensurate to the levels of funding that are available to my Department. That, ultimately, determines the frequency with which departmental maintenance activities will be undertaken. That also means that only the highest-priority defects are repaired, so that the budget can cover the entire year. <BR /> <BR />Resurfacing schemes are funded through my Department's structural maintenance programme. Regrettably, for some time, the available investment has not kept pace with what is required, and we have not been able to keep all roads in the reasonable condition that we would wish.”
“I have not engaged directly with the Communities Minister at this stage. As I said to one of your colleagues, however, we are at the start of this process rather than at the end of it. It will require legislative change, and consultation takes place, as part of any legislative journey, with fellow Ministers, other key stakeholders and the general public.”
“The Member will be aware that developers pay a bond towards roads and other public services maintenance in areas. Before any bond is used to complete a site, however, I believe that it is only right and proper that my officials explore to the nth degree why a developer cannot do that themselves. In itself, the bond is very rarely sufficient to complete the site. It is only right and proper that when we come across those challenges, my officials engage with the developer to challenge them to complete the site, rather than dipping into the public purse.”
“The current obstacle is the legislation that we have available to us, which does not allow us to take contributions from developers in order to pay directly towards waste water treatment works. It is common practice that developers will pay for the separation of storm water and sewage and foul waste but, at the moment, we cannot allow for contributions to be taken from developers for the purpose of waste water treatment works.”
“As I said in my answer, that will require legislative change, and part of that change will involve a consultation process where views can be aired and taken on board, whether from the point of view of the developer, the house purchaser or whoever it may be. The House will have to vote on the legislation. There are a number of steps to be taken — accountability measures will be built into those steps — before any final decisions are made.”
“I recognise the current waste water capacity challenges and am taking a three-pronged approach to the matter. First, I continue to work with my Executive colleagues to ensure appropriate investment for NI Water. Secondly, I am introducing new legislation on sustainable urban drainage, which will help to store storm water so that it releases more slowly into the waste water network. Thirdly, I have asked my officials to examine the legislative change required to introduce developer contributions. The impact of developer contributions will be fully assessed through the stakeholder engagement and consultation. In the meantime, I encourage developers to engage earlier with NI Water, through its pre-development enquiry process, to identify solutions, where they exist.”
“I am aware of it. As a constituency MLA, I am aware of the practice. It does not fall under the direct remit of my Department, but I am more than happy to go back and enquire of my departmental officials what role, if any, we can play. It is vital that drivers who use those schemes be treated fairly and equitably under the law.”
“I thank the Member for his question. As the Member rightly says, that long-awaited report will be published, and the Committee will have an opportunity to see it. It will set out the pathway for how we deliver future parking schemes, whether in Derry or elsewhere. <BR /> <BR />While I am keen to move forward with as many schemes as possible, there is always the challenge of resources: the availability of people in my Department to manage those schemes. There will also be challenges: residents may or may not wish to proceed on the basis that the scheme outlines. There are a number of steps to be taken in each facility, but I am happy to work through them and, where we can, deliver as many schemes as possible.”
“My Department is aware of the parking difficulties caused by commuter parking in the Bogside area in Derry. In 2011, work started on the development of a potential residents' parking scheme for that area. The scheme, known as the Rossville Street residents' parking scheme, was to cover an area of the city centre comprising around 650 dwellings. However, when the proposal was consulted on, there was a high level of opposition: of the 226 responses that we received, 212 were objections. Similar to the Rugby Road scheme, the consultation process involved a substantial staff resource. As a result, consideration is being given to developing a much smaller scheme in the area.”
“The report concludes that a more streamlined approach to delivery is required and that a strategic approach to parking, including residents' parking schemes, needs to be developed. That needs to be linked with the local parking strategies that are being developed in support of the proposed transport plans.”
“The review also highlights the resource-intensive nature of the scheme's implementation, which is particularly important given the significant constraints on my budget at this time.”
“The first residents' parking scheme, on Rugby Road and College Park Avenue in Belfast, came into operation in April 2018. My Department has completed a review of the scheme and our wider approach to residents' parking. I am content with the findings of the report and have asked officials to arrange for the report to be shared with the Infrastructure Committee and then published. <BR /> <BR />I can say that the review has found that the scheme introduced at Rugby Road, Belfast, has been generally well received among the residents of the area. However, the review also highlights that other such schemes have been difficult to implement and that Rugby Road is the first and only scheme that has been able to be implemented since the policy was introduced in 2007.”
“As I mentioned to Mr McNulty, a key piece of policy that has been passed by the Executive and will allow me to bring legislation to the House relates to sustainable urban drainage. That will be an exciting way forward in how we hold surface water and rainfall in certain areas and release it more slowly into the system, meaning that the waste water system will not be overpowered by storm water or rainwater.”
“All of those measures will assist us in ensuring that we continue to move forward with developments, whether they are in Newry or elsewhere.”
“I have not had direct engagement with developers regarding Newry town centre specifically. Recently, I had the opportunity to meet Newry Chamber of Commerce and Trade. That was a useful and informative discussion with a cross-sectoral group of businesses and interests in the Newry area, and they highlighted their concerns about waste water infrastructure in the Newry area. <BR /> <BR />I encourage everyone with planned developments to engage with NI Water at the earliest stage possible. I assure the Member that I am working on a three-pronged strategy: I am working with my Executive colleagues to secure further funding for NI Water; I have brought proposals to the Executive, which have been accepted, on a sustainable drainage programme; and I am looking at how we can introduce developer contributions.”
“NI Water had planned to commence the upgrade to the waste water system in the PC21 investment cycle from 2021 to 2027, and it is prioritising its capital investment programme in line with this year's capital budget allocation. As the Member will be aware, my Department has been operating in a very difficult financial environment for a number of years due to continued underfunding and austerity by successive British Governments. I will continue to work with Executive colleagues to ensure that appropriate investment for NI Water is achieved.”
“My Department has provided NI Water with nearly £500 million of public money this year to enable it to deliver essential water and sewerage services for all areas, including Newry. NI Water has developed a strategic outline case to access the options for upgrading the Newry waste water treatment works. That project will represent a significant investment in Newry and provide additional capacity to the sewer network to protect the environment and enable economic development. <BR /> <BR />NI Water estimates that over £100 million of capital investment is required to upgrade the Newry waste water treatment works to the required standard.”
“That goes back to the primacy of primary care in the health service. Rightly, today's focus is on acute services, as it often is, but being able to get access to a GP quickly after that worrying moment of discovery is vital as well. <BR /> <BR />We need breast services. The regional formula that the Minister will come forward with has to be based on equitable, accessible and effective delivery. For our health service to be truly effective, access to primary care is key in all these things.”
“Was the trust successful in making that appointment, and, if so, has it had any positive impact on challenging the waiting lists? I also note that non-recurrent funding for additional capacity from the independent sector was made available to the Southern Trust during the same period. Has that had a positive impact on the waiting lists? <BR /> <BR />As Mrs Dodds said, the issue primarily impacts on women. Men can have breast cancer as well, but, for anyone who has discovered a lump on their breast and is waiting for their first appointment, surgery or whatever it might be, it is a frightening experience. It is only right and proper that we, as political leaders, ensure that they have the right services. Even before someone gets to their first appointment, they have to get access to their GP.”
“As long as that review has at its centre an equitable, accessible and effective service, if those goals can be achieved, we have to be open to new ideas. We, as political leaders in our communities, have to give leadership on some of those matters. <BR /> <BR />When researching for today's discussion, I noted that, since the return of the institutions, a number of questions have been lodged by Members with the current and previous Health Ministers. A response to one of my colleagues stated that the Southern Health and Social Care Trust was given recurrent investment for a third consultant to be appointed to Craigavon Area Hospital's breast cancer services. The date for that was June 2024. Does the Minister have information about whether that appointment was made?”
“When you cannot deliver cancer services in a timely, effective and efficient manner, regardless of whatever else is going on in Departments, that is the measure against which we all must measure ourselves and say, "Well, if we cannot do that, there is an issue not only for the Minister of Health and the Department of Health but for the entire Executive and Assembly and our entire society". <BR /> <BR />There are challenges and opportunities ahead. The Minister's announcement of an urgent review of how regional breast cancer services are delivered is welcome news, but it also brings a challenge to local elected representatives: we should not have a knee-jerk reaction to the contents of the consultation, the engagement around the consultation or proposals that may flow from it.”
“Thank you, Deputy Speaker. For the record, I speak as an MLA for Upper Bann. <BR /> <BR />I thank Diane for bringing the topic to the House. It is an important subject. I have no doubt that the Minister shares the concerns of all Members about the waiting times and lists for breast cancer treatment, whether it is in the Southern Trust area or on a broader scale. <BR /> <BR />I am acutely aware of the financial pressures that all Departments face and of the impact that decades of underinvestment and austerity have had on our public services.”
“There have been two consultations in that regard, so the legislation has been well tested and, in the format in which it is set out, will be proven to be beneficial to local car dealers, local consumers and our climate. I commend the statutory instrument to the House.”
“It is scheduled for next week, and we will answer any further questions that it may have about the draft Order. The crucial point to make is that the targets are not simply targets set for this jurisdiction. They are targets set for England, Scotland, Wales and here, so that is the basis of the legislation. <BR /> <BR />Mr Gaston commented on the Windsor framework. This is stand-alone legislation and is not impacted on by the Windsor framework. <BR /> <BR />The consultation was carried out jurisdictionally by England, Scotland, Wales and us, and the Order was drafted based on the information garnered from that consultation.”
“Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. I thank all Members who contributed to the debate on the motion. As has been stated, the legislation will not address every element of the climate emergency actions. It will also need to be taken to other sectors. It is, however, a significant step in helping us move forward collectively to meet our ambitious climate targets. It will bring benefits each and every day to all of us through improving air quality and reducing pollution. <BR /> <BR />I will address some of the comments that Members made. The Chair outlined the NFDA's concerns, to which my officials adequately responded at the Committee. It is only right and proper that the Committee question and challenge us on those matters, which have now been clarified. I was asked when there will be a meeting with the NFDA.”
“Other critical pathways are also being explored by my Department and include the development of a suite of transport plans and continued investment in zero-emission vehicles for the public transport fleet, which will build on the legislative arrangements that I have brought to the House today. <BR /> <BR />I thank the House for its cooperation and assistance in making this major step towards achieving our climate change targets in the transport sector. I also thank the Infrastructure Committee for its scrutiny of the policy and useful feedback; the Departmental Solicitor's Office (DSO) for its scrutiny of the legislation; and the Department for Transport for the collaborative approach that has been taken in drafting the Order. I commend the motion to the Assembly and ask that it approve the statutory instrument.”
“<BR /> <BR />The draft Order was laid before the Assembly on 9 September 2024 and is subject to the draft affirmative resolution procedure. It will come into operation on 1 January 2025, if passed by the House. <BR /> <BR />The introduction of the VET scheme is part of the critical pathway for the House to meet its climate change targets. Climate change is a concern for all of us, and the introduction of the legislation will contribute to reducing emissions from the transport sector, cleaning up our air and making our home a greener place to live and work for our families.”
“Manufacturers with an excess of credits may trade that excess with other manufacturers that may be in deficit and need further credits to be compliant. They can borrow credits from future years, and that will be especially useful for manufacturers that expect to be fully zero-emission in two to three years but are not now. They can bank excess credits for use in future years. <BR /> <BR />I highlight again that zero-emission vehicle percentages will be targets across Britain and here. Neither single nations nor single dealers will be expected to meet the targets on their own. The vehicle emissions trading schemes are set up to encourage the industry and not to make the targets unachievable, and manufacturers understand that the incentives will allow them to meet their targets.”
“That supplies an annual fleet-wide target to eligible vehicle manufacturers for registering non-zero-emission vehicles across Britain and the North. Every year, manufacturers will need to be compliant in meeting their ZEV and CO2 targets. Compliance is set out by allowances or credits that manufacturers earn meeting targets for sales and CO2 emissions. <BR /> <BR />Targets can be met in several ways. Manufacturers may meet the target percentage by averaging their sales of zero-emission vehicles in different locations — for example, dealers' sales of zero-emission vehicles in London may be higher and can offset lower zero-emission sales in more rural locations — or by earning excess credits on their CO2 emissions or their ZEV sales and transferring them from one side to the other.”
“That gives manufacturers flexibility in sales across their dealerships and across regions. <BR /> <BR />The third of three consultations on the zero-emission vehicle mandate and CO2 emissions regulations for new cars and vans in the North and in Britain opened on 30 March 2023 and closed on 24 May 2023. That was a joint consultation led by the Department for Transport (DfT), with the Scottish Government, the Welsh Government and the Department for Infrastructure in the absence of an Executive. The consultation responses were used to finalise the design of the ZEV mandate and CO2 emissions regulations. <BR /> <BR />In response to the consultations, manufacturers overwhelmingly stated that their desire was for one scheme throughout the North and Britain. That would allow them to freely move their vehicles across these islands.”
“<BR /> <BR />The vehicle emissions trading scheme sets targets requiring an increasing percentage of manufacturers' new car or van sales to be zero-emission vehicles and requiring CO2 emissions from non-zero-emission vehicles to be below their 2021 threshold. Emissions are measured as fleet-wide averages calculated per individual manufacturer. <BR /> <BR />The aim of VETS is to encourage the sale of an increased number of zero-emission vehicles. It is aligned with the British Government's ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars from 2035. Its introduction here will continue the momentum that we have to accelerate the uptake of zero-emission vehicles as those quotas are achieved. However, the targets are not for the North alone but are taken from sales across Britain and here.”
“<BR /> <BR />We have seen evidence of momentum building, with the recent announcements from charge point operators securing further private investment for the expansion of the charging network on forecourts and the installation of charging points at schools and sports clubs in the heartland of our communities. I want to see that strong growth maintained in order to provide the services that EV owners will require to seamlessly move away from petrol and diesel. That will provide the commercial sector with the confidence that it requires to continue to invest in infrastructure in order to align with the targets set out in our climate change plan.”
“Due to the increase in battery capacity and in the number of public charge points that are within range, the anxiety of potential owners is being reduced and the availability of new models is attracting new buyers to the market. That is a very encouraging position. <BR /> <BR />With the introduction of the vehicle emissions trading schemes, we have the opportunity to continue to accelerate the uptake of ZEVs by setting sales quotas for vehicle manufacturers. The introduction of VETS will give confidence to the private sector-led charging infrastructure providers that the number of EVs here will continue to increase.”