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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“I welcome the opportunity to wind up on today's important debate. I rise in support of the SDLP amendment and welcome the support across the House for it. <BR /> <BR />As Members have said, the issue of legal highs or new psychoactive substances is complex and difficult, but there is no doubt that action can be taken so that we can go some way in attempting to tackle the issue. The public are looking for the Assembly to take some action. It is understandable that most of us are increasingly concerned about the growing availability of substances that are sold as legal highs. We need to discourage the use of that term because, unfortunately, it leads people to assume that they must be safe when they are not. As many Members have rightly said, a number of deaths in Northern Ireland have been linked to taking such products.”
“I thank the Minister for his answer. Does the Minister still have full confidence in NIACRO and its work in trying to rehabilitate offenders? What implications does it have for the Probation Board, given that it also plays a vital role with young offenders?”
“Will the Minister state what discussions have taken place with the mainstream oil companies who import oil to this island? What advice does he have for those who want to run a legal filling station but who cannot compete with the contraband sellers?”
“I welcome the Minister's statement. Are any joint projects being proposed to apply to Europe for possible funding under TEN-T? Further, can the Minister state whether the Southern Government have continued to commit to their money for the A5 and when we can see a start to the project?”
“I welcome the statement by the Minister. Will he outline what priorities he is hoping for in the North/South ministerial sector on transport going forward? I bring the Minister's attention to a problem that we have in West Tyrone. We have many students and workers who travel to Dublin to work or college and want to travel on Boyce buses or McGinley buses, but there is a major problem because the bus driver does not have a place to pull the bus in to pick up passengers or leave them off. It is an ongoing problem: what can be done about it?”
“I welcome the Minister's statement and congratulate him on his efforts to get higher-level apprenticeships working. Can the Minister assure the House and industry in Northern Ireland that the need for fabrication engineers in technician-based engineering will be met through these apprenticeships eventually, given that many employers are having to rely on skilled technical people from Poland, Latvia and other eastern European states?”
“I thank the Minister for her update on the situation on broadband in west Tyrone. Will she assure the people of west Tyrone that we will have a reliable broadband service within the next 18 months? What can she say about the other deficit that we have, which is the lack of reliable mobile services along the A5 from outside Omagh to six miles on the Belfast side of Dungannon?”
“I thank the Minister for her comments and answers so far. Does she accept that not all dog breeding establishments live up to the standards and requirements of the Welfare of Animals Act? What can be done to further reinforce compliance with the legislation and with the remit of district councils?”
“I thank the Member for giving way. I appreciate the point that he is making. However, would he accept that sometimes it is better to try to determine whether there is a likely possibility of dam failure on foot of an examination by an engineer and his report, rather than wait until the calamity happens and then resort to the legal process?”
“The Committee demonstrated strong leadership on a number of critical points, and the Department and the Rivers Agency eventually saw fit to accept the need for change to reflect our concerns. There were times when the Committee pulled the handbrake. We were right to do so, because we got the necessary amendments to make the Bill more sensible and realistic. The whole exercise has been a learning experience for us all, and the time has now come to pass the Bill into law.”
“<BR /> <BR />In conclusion, I want to pay tribute to my fellow colleagues on the Committee and, in particular, the Clerk of the Committee, Stella McArdle, and her staff. There were times when we felt that it was Stella's Bill. I would also like to praise the Rivers Agency staff — the chief executive, David Porter, and senior official Kieran Brazier. They were always constructive and committed. Aoibhinn Treanor was also very good with her advice and guidance in relation to the Assembly procedure for the Bill. <BR /> <BR />The Committee worked extremely cooperatively and gave sincere scrutiny to the Bill as it went through it clause by clause. It has been a thorough exercise.”
“Given that the change of volume designation from 10,000 cubic metres to 25,000 cubic metres would only pertain to two or three high-risk, privately owned reservoirs, it would seem wiser to stick with the proposed 10,000 cubic metres limit to determine a controlled reservoir of impounded water. Given that the majority of controlled reservoirs are in public ownership, it seems appropriate to stick with the consensus of the Committee on that volume limit. <BR /> <BR />I want to put my support behind the amendments that have been tabled by the Minister. Those amendments will make the Reservoirs Bill fit for purpose and ensure that owners and managers of reservoirs will be rewarded for making any changes that they are required to make so that reservoirs are of the correct standard.”
“I thank Mr Clarke for his comments and views. I would contend, however, that, over the last 20 years, housing developments have been passed by the Planning Service that should not have been passed, given the risk of flooding. I can give one example at Beragh, and the Minister is very aware of that. About 20 houses have been built there in the last 10 years that should not have been built, because of the flood risk. It was thought that flooding would not be experienced within the 100-year limit. Unfortunately, it happened within five years of the houses being built. <BR /> <BR />It is better to be sure than sorry.”
“The reservoir manager, or the owner where the reservoir is privately owned, is legally responsible for compliance and operating within the requirements. <BR /> <BR />Amendment Nos 1 and 2, proposed by Mr Clarke and Mr Girvan, raise issues related to the damage consequent on a dam failure. Obviously, the higher volume of water that would flow from a damaged reservoir is crucial. I contend that the two critical factors to be considered are, first, the public interest principle and, secondly, the precautionary principle. As a legislative body, we have to concern ourselves primarily with the public interest rather than the individual interest of a particular reservoir owner.”
“One of the main concerns centred on the cost of hiring engineers and the frequency of engineering reports relevant to the reservoir category, be it high, medium or low risk. <BR /> <BR />The Committee was content, eventually, that a risk designation of reservoir category should be determined by reference to the risk and consequence of failure, as measured by possible damage to the number of households and businesses downstream. The estimated flood damage of a reservoir failure is the critical factor in determining reservoir classification. The three categories of a controlled reservoir are high, medium and low. The compliance requirements for each category vary in relation to the periodic inspection by the appropriate engineer and the consequences of acting on the report, if necessary, by the reservoir manager.”
“The change of the word "risk" to "consequence" accounts for 66 amendments in group 1, and a further 22 amendments change the phrase "risk designation" to "reservoir designation". I am happy to support these amendments, which have been brought forward by the Department to make risk designation more suitable for reservoir owners and managers. I am glad that these amendments take away some unnecessary burden on owners and managers of reservoirs. <BR /> <BR />One of the main concerns surrounding the Bill is the responsibility placed on the reservoir manager or owner to ensure legal compliance with a series of operating requirements. These requirements, the operating regime, are largely based on directions of and are overseen by various types of reservoir engineers, as appropriate to the task.”
“<BR /> <BR />We decided that the use of "risk" in the Bill was misleading. We had concerns about the word "risk" as a designation when there is absolutely no chance of a reservoir owner or manager being able to change or reduce that. I feel that the term "risk and consequence" would be better, because, at the end of the day, there would be high consequences downstream if there were a breach. I am glad that the Department listened to these concerns and proposes changing "risk" to "consequence". <BR /> <BR />We were looking for more fairness in the system to encourage an owner or manager to invest in a structure and gain from that investment. They would have the opportunity to change the consequence of the reservoir.”
“In the debate at Second Stage, I said that it was important that the Bill protect users of reservoirs without putting unnecessary burdens on private owners. The risk designation process in the legislation does exactly that. The designation of high, medium or low risk, which would be decided by the Department, would mean different operational requirements, enforcement procedures, and offences and penalties for non-compliance. During the Committee Stage, I was concerned that the method of classification proposed was based only on impact and did not take into account the likelihood of renovations or improvements that owners or reservoir managers completed to comply with the engineer's report. This would mean that, no matter how safe the reservoir was made, it would maintain the same designation.”
“<BR /> <BR />Initially, Rivers Agency proposed to designate reservoirs on a risk assessment, based on a probability-of-failure estimate, but that proved to be difficult and unrealistic, and the Committee was unhappy with that proposal. The large majority of the amendments in group 1 speak to the idea of designation of risk.”
“After the Bill was presented by DARD, there was intensive and ongoing debate in the Committee Stage of the Bill's scrutiny. From the outset, the Committee was concerned about the Bill on a number of fronts. We heard a range of those concerns earlier. They primarily centred on reservoir categories and risk designation; the role and function of regular engineering reports; and cost factors, including the cost of capital or remedial works and improvements for non-publicly owned reservoirs. At the outset, the Committee would have liked DARD and Rivers Agency to compile an audit report on the state of all the designated reservoirs, so that a proper analysis and assessment could be carried out on the physical and structural state of the reservoirs, many of which are over 100 years old.”
“<BR /> <BR />The Reservoirs Bill has arisen as a result of a requirement from the European Union floods directive. In Northern Ireland, we have a range of impounded water structures, be these local lakes or dammed-up reservoirs, like those in the Mournes or the Sperrins. For example, the Spelga dam or Silent Valley. The Reservoirs Bill is intended to categorise these water impoundments or reservoirs so that ongoing periodic structural examinations are carried out in order that risk to public safety, in relation to possible reservoir dam failure and consequent flooding, is minimised. <BR /> <BR />The Committee has been considering the Bill for nearly two years, through many meetings and considerable debate within the Committee, as well as between the Committee and Rivers Agency senior staff.”
“I am glad to speak on the Consideration Stage of the Reservoirs Bill. A massive 214 amendments have been tabled to the Bill, mainly by the Minister for Agriculture and Rural Development and, obviously, by the Rivers Agency. I will be speaking on risk designation and the amendments that have been tabled by Mr Clarke and Mr Girvan. I thank the Minister for taking into account the concerns of the Committee during the previous stage of the Bill and commend her for bringing forward many amendments at the behest of the Committee. I would also like to thank and commend my colleagues on the Committee for Agriculture and Rural Development for the massive undertaking of work that was completed. It was due to the scrutiny of the Committee that we have managed to make the Bill, hopefully, fit for purpose.”
“I support the motion being amended to recognise that current infrastructure issues in Northern Ireland Water require a concentrated effort to solve some of the outstanding capital investment issues. I recognise that decisions on water funding cut across all Departments. Ultimately, it is for the Assembly and the Executive to recommit themselves to rejecting the imposition of domestic water charges and push for new approaches to solve our ongoing problems. <BR /> <BR />The people of Northern Ireland like their Government to be like their water: fully transparent and crystal clear. I urge the Assembly to commit itself to rejecting water charges, which would be a new version of a stealth tax.”
“Mr Speaker, it is beyond my political comprehension to make reference to a third political party.”
“<BR /> <BR />The people of Northern Ireland deserve access to consistent, safe and reliable water. That is a basic human right. The people of Northern Ireland pay for their water through our domestic rates and taxation system. The people should not be asked to pay again for it. I support the re-itemisation of our water charges so that the people of Northern Ireland can see what they are paying for through their rates and will not be duped in the future into paying additional charges.”
“That was eight years ago, and the situation does not seem to have greatly improved. The debacle last January demonstrated the difficulties with our water supply in the west. The same report recognised that there should be no standing or volumetric charges. <BR /> <BR />I find it surprising that, once again, the west is being brutalised with infrastructure imbalance. Much like the traditional economic imbalance, the struggle with deteriorating water infrastructure stems directly from the consistent failure of Assembly Ministers before and after the economic crash to invest properly in infrastructure in the western parts of the North. I worry that the people of Northern Ireland and specifically those in the west have been neglected and treated without regard and could soon be unfairly asked to pay more for their shabby treatment.”
“I recognise, of course, that Northern Ireland's water infrastructure is not perfect. I can see why people may be tempted by the lure of privatisation or new charges to solve our problems. I reject that reasoning, however, as homes in Northern Ireland already pay at least £160 on average through the rates system for their water supply. The true problem of Northern Ireland Water stems from the systematic failure to invest properly in our infrastructure over the last 30 to 40 years, although I recognise that there has been capital investment in recent times. <BR /> <BR />In 2007, the independent review panel found that infrastructural problems were concentrated west of the Bann and that the west suffered from out-of-date and deteriorating infrastructure that was in desperate need of modernisation.”
“The Minister has confirmed that, as yet, those meters only record the consumption of water and have not been set up to ease the imposition of potential charges. I welcome the Minister for Regional Development's response on the issue, and I hope that he remembers that the people of Northern Ireland will not tolerate the creation of a charge infrastructure that seeks to impose water charges for domestic users by the back door.”
“No one in Northern Ireland wants to see a water-charging system that could lead the way to a privatised water company being formed in the future, and that is the worry. <BR /> <BR />I recognise that, for the past several years, water meters have been introduced in towns throughout Northern Ireland. Last January, I asked the Minister how many water meters had been installed in my constituency of West Tyrone. Although the Minister was unable to tell me the exact figure, he was able to tell me that over 32,000 domestic meters had been installed in Northern Ireland since 2007. The supposed reasoning for that was that new homes being connected to the water supply are required, through article 81 of the Water and Sewerage Services Order 2006, to have water meters.”
“I welcome the opportunity to speak on the motion. Water rates is a very contentious issue in Ireland. Many members of the public believe that they pay for domestic water through the current rating system. Obviously, commercial water rates are charged for through metering, and it is generally accepted that the political consensus in Northern Ireland is that there should be no direct charge to private consumers for water. <BR /> <BR />On Saturday past, we once again bore witness to the fury of the population in the Republic, as 10,000 people took to the streets to protest against the Government's current plan to implement water charges. I can only imagine similar outrage in Northern Ireland, unless the Assembly and the Executive reaffirm their commitment today to reject water rates.”
“How happy is the Minister with the various schemes that DETI and DARD have tried to promote over the last number of years? There are still queries about reliability and speeds. When can we have 100% coverage of fixed-wire fibre-optic cabling throughout Northern Ireland?”
“I thank the Minister for her statement. What lessons can be learnt from the Republic about CAP pillar 1 so that our basic payments system can be less bureaucratic and more farmer-friendly in administrative terms? Will she also outline why the Republic seems to be more successful in tackling bovine TB? It has a much lower incidence level compared with our past experience.”
“Can the Minister state whether any formal meetings have taken place with Departments such as DOE and the Department of Education, and, indeed, with the PSNI, on how to tackle the problem in a coordinated way?”
“— in over 100 countries by electronic retail. I support the motion.”
“It is a sentiment that I support. <BR /> <BR />As my fellow Committee members no doubt know, Chain Reaction in Antrim is the world's largest cycling product retailer, selling over 600 brands and 60,000 products to more than 1·5 million customers —”
“<BR /> <BR />I support the Committee's recommendation that the Department must establish a baseline for the current value of cycling to the economy so that we may regularly assess all progress going forward. I want to mention the comments of the managing director of the Antrim bicycle retailer Chain Reaction, who said:”
“Hopefully, Belfast will have an equally good bicycle scheme in the future. <BR /> <BR />As the Committee rightly notes, there is an almost universal acceptance that cycling and an improved cycling infrastructure can mean a significant boost to the economy. I note how the Department for Transport report, 'Value for Money Assessment for Cycling Grants', has found that cycling schemes can have a benefit:cost ratio of up to 35:1. <BR /> <BR />The Committee was unable to come up with any exact figure for the value of cycling to the Northern Ireland economy, but Sustrans estimates a contribution of about £87 million, and the Cyclists' Touring Club mentioned that £300 million to £400 million is an estimate of the economic impact that cycling can have to Northern Ireland.”
“<BR /> <BR />I have spoken about the Omagh Wheelers and the Omagh cycling initiative not simply in admiration of their efforts to promote the sport of cycling but to demonstrate that the cycling phenomenon is real and that its rise is plain to see. The expansion of cycling means the galvanisation of an economic resource. For every charity or race event that draws hundreds of people, we see a boost to our local economy. I believe that this sector needs the support of the Assembly. <BR /> <BR />A draft strategy for developing a plan for the future of cycling in Northern Ireland is now timely, and it is good to hear that the Department will, hopefully, bring forward a strategy soon. The Dublinbikes park-and-hire scheme has been very successful. It was started some years ago by the then Lord Mayor of Dublin, Andrew Montague.”
“This June, the club will help to host the all-Ireland cycling championships, one of the most prestigious racing events in the Irish cycling calendar. The event will bring world-class cyclists and para-cyclists to Omagh to compete not only for first place but for the honour of wearing the Irish national champion's jersey in this year's Tour de France. I suspect that the event will bring in an even greater number of spectators, who will spend significant amounts of money and bolster the local economy. With that in mind, I support the efforts of the Wheelers and the Omagh cycling initiative in promoting greater participation in cycling, better transport planning and in-town development to facilitate cyclists.”
“The Omagh Wheelers club is a vibrant collection of cycling enthusiasts who seek to promote cycling as an alternative mode of transport and the best form of exercise. The club was formed in 1999 with only a handful of members, but it has grown to over 140 members. <BR /> <BR />Local clubs regularly organise leisure, competitive and charity events that continually bring crowds and revenue to the local area. In 2013, for example, the Wheelers promoted around 40 events, including the prestigious all-Ireland vets/junior time trial championships and the junior/A3 road race championship. <BR /> <BR />The club's signature event, the McCann Cup, sees an entry of around 300 cyclists across five races and attracts people from all over the island.”
“I welcome the opportunity to speak on the motion and to support the Committee's recommendations. As many of us will recognise, cycling has seen a resurgence in recent years, with people seeking to use bicycles as their primary mode of transport as well as their primary mode of exercise. Needless to say, a growing cycling culture in Northern Ireland will have new impacts and raise new issues in areas such as health, public safety, tourism, transport and our regional and local infrastructure. <BR /> <BR />The expansion of cycling in Northern Ireland presents an exciting opportunity to develop a market that promotes healthier lifestyles, reduces our carbon footprint and, as my colleague said, opens new areas for Northern Ireland tourism. In my constituency in the Omagh area, I have already seen the positive effects of this developing sector.”
“The Minister has talked about trying to extend to markets beyond the EU. When can the Minister hope to get an export licence via London to make sure that pork and other products can be exported from Northern Ireland? Will she be raising this issue with Commissioner Phil Hogan when he visits Northern Ireland at the end of March? He is due to meet the Agriculture and Rural Development Committee that day for a meeting and lunch, and we hope to press him on a number of issues.”
“I welcome the Minister's comments and his views on the situation. Does he accept that, in some areas, housing stress is created because people who were homeowners have had to vacate their homes because they could not meet the mortgage? Many of them are now looking for affordable or adequate social housing. Is he able to use his good influence to make sure that housing associations will be able to meet those social housing needs in certain parts of Northern Ireland?”
“I welcome the statement by the Minister. Paragraph 4 states that early diagnosis, timely surgery and radiotherapy are of paramount importance to client outcomes. What advice will the Minister give to a family that has a member who has been diagnosed with cancer and needs surgery but cannot get it under the NHS for at least six months? They could get it next week if they pay £2,000 to a surgeon who works in the NHS but who also does private work.”
“I appreciate the Minister giving way. Does he accept, however, that there has to be a calibrated and managed approach to make sure that we do not end up with a net deficit of 20,000 jobs? As we reduce the public sector, we have to create jobs in the private sector. An economic development plan is crucial to making that happen.”
“I appreciate the Minister giving way. Does the Minister believe that the regional economy can be made economically viable or sustainable in the medium to long term, given the subvention of £9 billion plus or minus £1 billion? Given that we will get corporation tax, which may be a net cost in the short term, will we be able to proceed and hold the economy together without a strategic economic plan? If corporation tax leads to a recovery in the private sector, the Treasury will be the net beneficiary through increased income tax receipts, increased VAT receipts and a reduction in the welfare payments to the region.”
“<BR /> <BR />Does the Budget provide a focus and a road map to a more successful local economy, or is it primarily about implementing austerity cuts? That is the outstanding question, and I remain to be convinced.”
“<BR /> <BR />Mr Deputy Speaker, where is the evidence of an economic plan for the North in this Budget? The reality is that there is none. That is the biggest gap in the entire Programme for Government, and it is still lacking in the current Budget proposals. It is now more important than ever to have one, if we are going to realise 20,000 job cuts in the public sector. <BR /> <BR />Northern Ireland has never had a focused, targeted economic plan or policy for the entire region. Regional imbalance has been the order of the day, because of the custom and practice pursued by the public bodies charged with shaping economic development. That is the historical legacy. The infrastructure deficit in the west and border areas highlights the regional imbalance in FDI trends and economic development in general across the North.”
“Again, how will the professional and technical needs be maintained to a sufficient level to provide the quality of service that people expect? It is therefore crucial to have a planned approach to implementation of the VES. That is the challenge for each Department and, in particular, for the Minister who will oversee the process. <BR /> <BR />The phrase "invest to save", or "borrow to save", is the theme of these public-sector employment cuts. How can this major restructuring project be managed successfully so that rising unemployment is not the headline outcome? It could be an economic disaster for the local economy, leading to a downward spiral in business confidence if there is no consequent improvement in the private sector as we cut the public sector.”
“Arising out of the Stormont House proposals, there is a strong emphasis on a voluntary exit scheme (VES) proposal, as has been outlined by many other speakers. The voluntary exit scheme is hailed by some parties as a means of tackling over-reliance on the public sector, but how can it be delivered? There needs to be a skills needs analysis for each Department to sustain viable public services at the delivery end. Otherwise there will be a lot of disappointed people. We are told that the target in the public services should be 20,000 posts — around 10% of the whole sector. Managing that through a voluntary process is a tall order. <BR /> <BR />In terms of DARD, 300 posts are to be targeted — around 10% of the Department.”