Joe Byrne
West Tyrone · Social Democratic and Labour Party · Northern Ireland
“I thank the Minister for giving way. When we talk about priorities, will she accept that, given the importance that the two Governments put on the A5 western transport corridor at St Andrews, and given that the Irish Government have put €50 million on account for two years, that is, 2014-15 and 2015-16, evidence now has to be demonstrated…”
“I thank the Member for giving way. Will the Member accept that we are talking about the north-west of Ireland, which is Donegal, Derry and Tyrone, and that, given that the two Governments made this a priority in the St Andrews Agreement, the time has come for real delivery?”
“I thank the Minister for her answer. Does the Minister recognise that it is very important for the farming community in the counties of Derry, Tyrone and Fermanagh that we have post-mortems carried out on animals, be they cattle, sheep, pigs or hens?”
“I thank the Minister for tackling the issue. What can the UK Government or this regional Government do to protect the interests of consumers and those who have purchased such vehicles and are concerned about the environment and about the miles per gallon performance of the vehicles?”
“I welcome what the Minister has done in lobbying Brussels directly, but, given that the French have managed to provide extra co-opted funding along with their aid package from Brussels, can the Minister indicate whether her Department, through DEFRA, can give any extra assistance to farmers who have availed themselves of what is, so far,…”
“I rise to support Mr McElduff in bringing forward the Adjournment debate on Carrickmore. Carrickmore, of course, means "the big rock", and it is a place of strong community spirit and strong individuals who have overcome many an adversity in the past.”
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“Will the Minister state whether she is considering giving any grant aid to those racecourses? They provide a very important service to Northern Ireland, particularly to the horse breeders.”
“I thank the Minister for giving way. Will the Minister accept that saving lives is equally, and maybe even more, important than the environmental issues that pertained to the proposals for the A5?”
“I thank the Minister for giving way. When we talk about priorities, will she accept that, given the importance that the two Governments put on the A5 western transport corridor at St Andrews, and given that the Irish Government have put €50 million on account for two years, that is, 2014-15 and 2015-16, evidence now has to be demonstrated by the Executive that there will be forward movement to make sure that the rest of the money can be triggered so that the programme can proceed as envisaged?”
“I thank the Member for giving way. Will the Member accept that we are talking about the north-west of Ireland, which is Donegal, Derry and Tyrone, and that, given that the two Governments made this a priority in the St Andrews Agreement, the time has come for real delivery? We want to see evidence that this will happen to make sure that there is the economic development necessary in the north-west of the island, as, indeed, it will be complemented by the A6 going forward.”
“I thank the Minister for her answer. Does the Minister recognise that it is very important for the farming community in the counties of Derry, Tyrone and Fermanagh that we have post-mortems carried out on animals, be they cattle, sheep, pigs or hens? Does she recognise that it is important that enough investment is retained to make sure that we have a viable service going forward?”
“I thank the Minister for tackling the issue. What can the UK Government or this regional Government do to protect the interests of consumers and those who have purchased such vehicles and are concerned about the environment and about the miles per gallon performance of the vehicles?”
“I welcome what the Minister has done in lobbying Brussels directly, but, given that the French have managed to provide extra co-opted funding along with their aid package from Brussels, can the Minister indicate whether her Department, through DEFRA, can give any extra assistance to farmers who have availed themselves of what is, so far, a less than wholesome package?”
“It is fair to say, however, that young married couples deserve the opportunity to have a social house, a co-ownership house or the wherewithal to build their own home. It is an area where there has always been a strong self-help approach to building houses by families supporting one another with the building if they had a site. <BR /> <BR />I support the sentiments of what Mr McElduff is at, and I hope that the Department and the council, with its new role and functions, will deliver to make sure that this community continues to grow. I appeal to the Department of Education to recognise the circumstances and to support Mr Warnock, Mr McCann, and other teachers in that school who want to have a new build.”
“As of March 2014, 19 applications had been made for the Carrickmore area, which comprises Carrickmore, Loughmacrory and Mountfield; six of those were deemed to be in housing stress, but only two allocations were made. The only places outside Omagh where allocations were lower than housing stress applications were Carrickmore, Gortin and Drumquin. <BR /> <BR />There has been a strong desire for people to own their own house in the Carrickmore area. That is where the zoning of land is crucial. We have a "land lock" situation that will have to be addressed by the local authority when it draws up its local development plan. We could go into the history of it, but that would not be worthwhile here.”
“Obviously, housing will be crucial in that and, as Mr McElduff said, many farm families have wanted to build houses in the rural area. Over the past 20 years, there has been a very successful approval rate for houses in the countryside there, but I know that he is concerned about PPS 21 in relation to the compelling and personal circumstances. Perhaps that is something that the Department will revisit to make sure that the local authority will be able, through its planning division, to approve the type of one-off housing that is required. <BR /> <BR />I have requested from the Housing Executive details on the current situation in the town of Carrickmore.”
“<BR />The ETI has stated that it requires an extension or a new build. I think that the Department and the Council for Catholic Maintained Schools (CCMS) are neglecting the Carrickmore community. If the new build or extension does not happen soon, people in the area will become very disillusioned. <BR /> <BR />Spatial planning and housing is a fundamental issue for the local development plans. The Minister has outlined in his strategic planning policy statement (SPPS), which was published in September, the role of the new two-tier planning system. The local council has a fundamental and exciting role to play in trying to bring forward a local development plan that is cognisant of community planning criteria.”
“I rise to support Mr McElduff in bringing forward the Adjournment debate on Carrickmore. Carrickmore, of course, means "the big rock", and it is a place of strong community spirit and strong individuals who have overcome many an adversity in the past. It is a viable town where you have three filling stations and three very good supermarkets. As Mr McElduff said, we have the local Milestone enterprise company. The late Michael Harte, who owned the chemist's shop, Jim Maguire and John Hadden were the three men who drove that forward. They created a local enterprise centre of very successful proportions. <BR /> <BR />Mr McElduff mentioned the secondary school, and I have greatly supported that in the past. The school has a current enrolment of 509 pupils, its highest ever.”
“Does the Minister recognise that this is a serious issue for the farming community? Many farmers who have suffered the rustling of cattle cannot get compensation, and there is no such thing as an adequate insurance policy for them. In his discussions with the Minister for Justice in the Republic, can he accentuate a sense of urgency? There is a fear that this is being allowed to slip.”
“I thank the Minister for his answer. Does the Minister accept that there is some concern that there may be some foodstuffs being imported into Northern Ireland that have been genetically modified in their country of origin and that that may happen to animal feedstuffs? Secondly, can the Minister state whether he has had any discussions with his counterparts in the Republic, given that we have a relatively small island and GM is an issue for all in the farming community?”
“I thank the Minister for her comments on the matter so far. Does she agree that it is important that, in the current talks, a meaningful and real effort be made to address the fears and apprehensions of victims and survivors, particularly those who have suffered unduly and when we have examples of big atrocities like Loughinisland, Bloody Sunday, Enniskillen and Omagh among others? People feel that this place and the Governments need to address their concerns and fears seriously.”
“I thank the Minister for giving way, and I recognise what she has done. Would she accept, however, that we will have to have the establishment of a semi-state marketing board to make sure that the agriproduce that is produced here can be sold successfully, branded and marketed at a premium price and command confidence in the market?”
“This crisis has not been fixed. The question is this: what can be done about it? More representation has to be made in London with DEFRA to address —”
“Our Minister went to meet the Minister in DEFRA, but DEFRA was not convinced of the need to lobby the European Council of Ministers for a change in the intervention price. Was that a failure of DARD and our Minister or is it a failure of DEFRA to recognise the situation?”
“Resultantly, we have a classic market failure because current supply is outstripping demand in Europe and the market price for milk has fallen dramatically. In Ireland, North and South, 85% of all dairy produce has to be exported and sold in the European and world markets, hence the big disadvantage that the Northern Ireland dairy farmers find themselves in given the current world market situation. <BR /> <BR />The SDLP said a few weeks ago that the only way that this market crisis can be managed is to have the European Commission introduce intervention mechanisms, coupled with a more sensible baseline threshold price of at least 20 pence sterling per litre to put a bottom on the market.”
“We do not need to write off the moneys owed, but farmers need breathing space so that milk prices can be returned to more normal levels. <BR /> <BR />The EU Agriculture Commissioner has said that he is in support of the European Investment Bank's soft loan finance for farm business investment for Northern Ireland. The Republic of Ireland has introduced such a scheme, and it is proving beneficial to farmers. Unfortunately, DARD has not pursued a scheme for Northern Ireland so far, particularly within the rural development programme proposals. Why is that so? Farmers need an explanation of that failure. <BR /> <BR />Over the last six months, another major external factor has been the fall in the euro against sterling. Poland and other European exporters of agri-produce to Russia in particular are now flooding the market.”
“<BR /> <BR />The biggest setback came with the Russian import ban on European agriproduce at the end of 2014, coupled with a reduction in Chinese imports of skimmed milk powder in particular. There has also been an expansion in milk production in New Zealand and Australia over the last two years. The reality is that many dairy farmers here expanded their business in that time, and some borrowed heavily. I am aware of many farmers who invested large sums to expand their milk business when the price was over 30p a litre. They were, quite simply, plunged into a cash-flow crisis due to low prevailing farm-gate prices, as low as 18p per litre in some cases. That is why, now, it is the duty of the banks locally, as well as the Department, to be cognisant of that fact.”
“We are producing 85% more milk than we consume on the island of Ireland. We need to export. Indeed, that is why we attempted to amend the motion to reflect the need to re-evaluate EU private storage capacity. <BR /> <BR />The expansion of EU private storage capacity for skimmed milk powder (SMP), butter and cheese is important to help to temporarily adjust the short-term market for dairy products. I welcome movement on this issue that was recently announced by Commissioner Phil Hogan on 7 September, after the EU Council of Ministers meeting. Throughout the second half of 2013 and most of 2014, the world market price for milk was high, and farmers locally were getting over 30p per litre. At present, farmers are getting less than 20p per litre, a 40% drop in 10 months.”
“I welcome the opportunity to contribute to the debate, as agriculture spokesman for my party, the SDLP. It is an indictment on the Department that we are having a debate on a motion entitled "Agriculture Industry Crisis". This is not a pop-up crisis, nor is it one that is dictated by immediate and pressing factors that can be reversed. Instead, it has been festering for many months. Those in the Chamber, in the Department and farmers have been aware that we would eventually reach this point and, so far, little has been done to address the situation. <BR /> <BR />Let us look at the factors that have got us to this stage. There has been a growth in milk production in the past two years, because preset EU milk quotas were abolished in April 2015. Before the abolition of the quotas, less milk was produced than is currently the case.”
“Following on from the previous question, will the Minister indicate what timescale will be required before we know the number of young farmers who may qualify for the scheme? What is the average grant aid addition that they might get from such a scheme?”
“I thank the Minister for making the statement today. It is very timely and important, given the serious condition that the farming industry has been in for the last three or four months. First, what support can the Minister give to the farming community generally and the dairy sector in particular at present to help with the cash flow crisis that many farmers are experiencing? Secondly, will DARD be able to administer an upfront 70% payment of this year's single farm payment in October, as signalled by the EU Agriculture Commissioner's office, given that cash flow is the biggest crisis facing most farmers?”
“I thank the Minister for his answers so far. Will he state whether people in private rented accommodation are included in the assessment of social housing need? Many families in private rented accommodation have no security of tenure, which is a constant worry and problem for them. They often have to face increased rates without due consideration of their circumstances.”
“I thank the Member for giving way. What would happen to our agrifood sector, given that in Northern Ireland we have to export 85% of our total agricultural produce? Where would that produce be traded? How does he think our farming community would be able to adapt to what he is suggesting?”
“I welcome the Minister's commitment to increasing the level of broadband across Northern Ireland. In relation to West Tyrone, however, people are getting a bit fed up with surveys. They feel that BT has all the data and information. I urge the Minister that pressure be applied to BT and the mobile companies to provide the necessary broadband and mobile services. We have many small businesses that are badly handicapped at the moment. They are willing to invest but are greatly handicapped in how they conduct their business.”
“<BR /> <BR />It is fair to say that the Committee worked extremely well, and our cooperation with the Department and the Minister is a good example of how a piece of legislation can be brought to a conclusion when there is proper and professional dialogue and respect for genuine issues of concern. I pay tribute to Stella and her staff, Mr Porter and his staff, and the Department. It is fair to say that, at the start, we embarked upon this piece of legislation with some trepidation. The fact that we had 200 amendments tabled and adopted is testament to how the Committee worked. I fully endorse and support the full implementation and passage of the Bill.”
“As a result, the Committee was very clear from the outset that there should be an audit by the Rivers Agency and the Department to ascertain the state and condition of all the reservoirs, and hopefully we will hear about the capital requirements for the upgrading of those that may need some help. During the process, the Committee realised that there were particular reservoirs that had difficulties. In particular, for Camlough lake in south Armagh, there were some concerns last year that there could have been a breach of the reservoir there causing danger to the local community.”
“As the Chairman said earlier, this was a pretty protracted process, but it was a very worthwhile exercise. I congratulate the Minister and her officials, particularly Mr David Porter from the Rivers Agency, who engaged in excellent dialogue with the Committee. It is fair to say that the Committee was apprehensive at the start about the remit that was delivered to us, but there was recognition that the European directive on floods required that this piece of legislation be enacted. <BR /> <BR />There was concern about the owners' responsibility, particularly the private owners and social-economy owners, and the burden that might be put on them.”
“Infrastructure is crucial to the future of the regional economy, as we all know. Road transport is crucial for moving people and goods from production locations to the ports of Larne, Belfast, Warrenpoint and Derry. It is fair to say that there have been some good improvements in recent times, but there is a lot more to be done. <BR /> <BR />It is important that we all recognise that it is about priorities. The Minister has become a victim of maybe less than full disclosure by his officials when they appear in front of the Committee, and that has damaged the relationship between the Minister and the Committee somewhat.”
“<BR /> <BR />The Minister has lobbied strongly for extra moneys to protect the general condition of the road network, and I hope he will be successful. I welcome, as my colleague John Dallat did, the courageous decision by the Minister to go ahead with the ministerial order in recommending the Coleraine to Derry phase 2 rail project update. The Minister has demonstrated a commitment to making sure that the general infrastructure across Northern Ireland improves under his tenure. Obviously, as someone who lives in West Tyrone, the A5 project is my continual nightmare issue. I know that the Minister has given assurances about that, and I hope that the Executive generally, with the two Governments, deliver on that economic peace dividend project, because it is still so important.”
“I recognise what Mr Beggs has said; indeed, I have commented on that in the past. However, the custom and practice is such that, very often, money that is reallocated through in-year monitoring rounds has to be utilised immediately. The Roads Service has been very good at having shovel-ready proposals and projects available, and, because of that, the Department has fallen into a false sense of security and reliance on in-year monitoring moneys. I hope, however, that the Minister is successful in current monitoring round decisions, because that would help to relieve the immediate pressures that people will experience in road safety and grass cutting. I have to say that I was delighted yesterday evening, on the way home, to see that there has been quite a bit of cutting of grass verges in the last 24 hours.”
“Other Departments have proposed more severe cuts. We need to recognise that DARD, sorry, DRD — I am confused about what Committee I am talking about, Mr Speaker — has had a custom and practice of relying heavily on in-year monitoring rounds.”
“There have been concerns also about proposed cuts of £15 million in capital to the waste water treatment works and the water supply services. This is of particular concern in the western area where I live, which has a backlog of upgrading, as evidenced by the breakdown in water supply last January in Tyrone and Fermanagh. <BR /> <BR />We in this party are aware of the 2015-16 Budget problems generally in government here. We recognise that the austerity may get worse, if we are to believe all that we hear from across the Irish Sea. It would be easy to have a party political punch-up about the Assembly's more recent difficulties in agreeing a Budget against the background of austerity and welfare reform proposals. The Minister has to be congratulated for limiting the cuts in the current budget.”
“As a member of the Regional Development Committee, I endorse the motion from the Committee. It would, however, be a gross mistake to kick the Minister and blame him for all the prevailing ills and difficulties. The reality is that the budget proposed for DRD in 2015-16 is the primary reason for the debate. The Department will be expected to live with £60 million cuts to its resource budget, and that obviously has immediate knock-on effects in cuts to community transport, Disability Action and roads, including routine maintenance — filling potholes, grass cutting, repairing street lights and emptying gullies. These are the up-front issues that concern the public at large and, indeed, members of the Committee.”
“The 11 community partnerships provide a local, flexible and reliable service in many areas for people across the North. I pay tribute to Mr Paddy McEldowney, the manager of Easilink, which covers the Derry, Strabane and Omagh districts. He and his committee have done excellent work for many years. The Assembly needs to demonstrate genuine concern for those who are disadvantaged and who need that vital service.”
“I think that departmental officials have been less than sensitive and less than caring, given the severity of the cuts to those particular interest groups, particularly the elderly and the disabled. <BR /> <BR />Ultimately, it is groups such as Community Transport Association (CTA) and Disability Action that seek to provide practical transport solutions to vulnerable people in Northern Ireland. They should be supported in such endeavours instead of being severely cut, as is the current proposal. I hope that, in the monitoring round, the Minister will get the support of colleagues to try to make sure that adequate funds are again put into the community transport sector and the disability sector, because of the sense of hurt and anxiety that there is among people involved in the CTA and Disability Action.”
“In the current year, the budget proposal is to cut the community transport funding by around 33%. That is hard to explain or accept.”
“<BR /> <BR />As other Members said, Disability Action is facing funding reductions of over £880,000 this year. Its group service and mobility service centres are facing 100% reductions in their budgets, and the Disability Action transport scheme is receiving a cut of 21%, which is £631,000. Those reductions will seriously impact the lives of disabled people in Northern Ireland in personal mobility and independent living. <BR /> <BR />In West Tyrone, we have a community transport company called Easilink, which provides the door-to-door service for Disability Action. That community transport company uses many volunteer drivers and some paid drivers, who get reasonable rates of pay. People are therefore saying, "Why is there such a disproportionate cut in community transport and Disability Action? It seems unfair and discriminatory".”
“I also support the motion brought forward by the Committee. I think it is fair to say that Members have been very heavily lobbied by people in the community transport sector and Disability Action about the severity of the cuts. <BR /> <BR />In West Tyrone, as Members know, we have a significant rural constituency, meaning that many people there have historically faced social isolation and a dearth of public services. For the elderly and disabled people who live in rural areas such as Beragh or Trillick, a simple run to the shops or the bank is no easy task, and it is groups such as community transport and Disability Action that have been vital in granting people a better standard of living by providing them with a flexible transport service, often to attend a GP or hospital appointment.”
“I thank the Minister for his answer. Does he accept, however, that, in a situation where we have an amalgamation of two primary schools on different sites, it poses particular problems for the management and the principal of those schools? Should priority be given to those situations?”
“Given the cutbacks, will the voluntary exit scheme for AFBI be able to be self-financing or will extra moneys be available to it to warrant and pay for the scheme?”
“I thank the Minister for his answer so far and for his explanation of the situation. Can he state what bid he is making in the monitoring round? How hopeful is he about getting something, particularly to improve roads maintenance in the two counties of Tyrone and Fermanagh, which greatly rely on upgrading and roads maintenance?”
“The problem is that young people will often take things that are not fit for human consumption if it gives them this high experience. However, the high experience is so high that it causes mental damage. Many Members have referred to the fact that we have major mental health problems as a result of the use of these illegal substances. It is causing massive pain. <BR /> <BR />The time has come for action. There has been obfuscation by the Minister of Justice and others, hiding behind the fact that primary legislation is required. The reality is that action could have been taken earlier. Let us have the action now.”
“We had a situation where students would be queueing up in the evening to buy some of these legal highs in their uniforms, and they were also able to resell them to their classmates and friends. Again, the authorities were slow to recognise the plight and the difficulty that that was posing for parents and teachers. <BR /> <BR />These drugs do, to some degree, also fall under the remit of the Medicines Act 1968, which makes it illegal to sell, supply or advertise them for human consumption. Manufacturers and sellers have been able to manipulate the market to the detriment of our young people. All they need to do is label the package with the disclaimer, "Not fit for human consumption". The Minister referred to the fact that these drugs are not fit for human consumption.”
“That is the tragedy of what is happening. <BR /> <BR />Although the control of drugs is a reserved issue, the challenges that emerge from these new substances should be of more concern to the Assembly. Great work has been undertaken by Belfast City Council and, indeed, some other councils, but, as Mr Buchanan said, he raised the issue here months ago because of the plight and concern of some parents and families. <BR /> <BR />In our amendment, we have asked for cooperation with the Government in the Republic. We need that sort of cooperation. In Omagh, we had the situation of a head shop that was owned by someone who also had a shop in Letterkenny. When the Letterkenny shop closed as a result of the legislation in the South, all the sales were coming through the Omagh shop.”
“Mr McCrea referred to that. The article continues:”
“We saw 20 people die from taking one substance in 2013 alone, and, as others have mentioned, there was another death just last month in Newtownards. <BR /> <BR />We have had a number of important cases in Omagh to do with the problem as well. Recently, in the local newspaper, the 'Tyrone Herald', an example was given of a tradesman who is responsible for training young joiners:”