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 thank the junior Minister for his answer. Does he accept, however, that we need to maximise the opportunities that are coming out of Brussels? Does he further agree with me that Mr Gerry Mulligan has done a wonderful job? Can he confirm that he has been replaced by a new civil servant from Northern Ireland?”
“Thanks for giving way. Does the Member accept that the whole reform of local government and the functions to be delegated are potentially severely impaired, given the cutbacks in the budgetary position?”
“I thank the Minister for his answers. Does he agree that the cutbacks in courses in some further education colleges could have a damaging effect on the local economy, particularly the cuts in enterprise training, STEM subjects and practical vocational courses? What advice is the Department giving to governors of colleges to ensure that there is no shortfall in the provision that will affect employment?”
“Given that people involved in pig production have two major bottlenecks, the price of pig meal feeds and the pressure from the banks, can the Minister give any reassurance or encouragement to the pig men in relation to talking to the feed suppliers and, indeed, the banks to give them some space?”
“I welcome the Minister's statement. Recommendation 3 talks about reducing the need for hospital beds and suggests a solution in terms of pharmacists and paramedics. Minister, surely primary care should be advocated and enhanced through the GP system? Why is there no mention of enhancing the role of GPs in reducing the need for hospital beds and improving the general healthcare for the population?”
“I thank the Minister for his answers. Can he give an assurance to people in the public service that the voluntary exit scheme will be a voluntary scheme, administered in a fair and equitable way within the functional needs of the public service in general?”
“I thank the Minister for coming to the House and giving an explanation of the current situation that affects so many households and businesses across the counties of Fermanagh, Tyrone and Derry. Given what he has said, will he give an assurance that the Labour Relations Agency will carry on with intensive and exhaustive discussions and negotiations so that an ultimate outcome can be arrived at? The people who are suffering are in a crisis. Will the Minister accept that that crisis is unacceptable to them?”
“I welcome the Minister's statement. However, I recognise that some parts of it are good, while some are not so good. I welcome the 3% increase in the prawn quota. We are concerned with area VIIa, but will the Minister tell us what the net change was for the other regions, such as Scotland or England? In future, is it possible that a scientific assessment can benefit the recovery of the Irish Sea for fishing for our fleet?”
“— as well as supporting, genuinely, the SME sector.”
“They are good examples of what local development, led by LEDU, delivered. They went on to become bigger projects that now enjoy support from INI. The time has come to have a mixed approach to foreign direct investment —”
“It is belated, but the time has come for the political will of the Assembly to advise and instruct INI to carry out the necessary investment and to support the SMEs and the inward investment projects that show interest in the north-west. The reality is that some of the potential investors from the foreign investment community are not brought to the west. Another reality is that the SMEs are not given the support, initial start-ups and grant aid that are so crucial. In the past, we had LEDU, and it started places like Norbrook, the Quinn Group in Derrylin, McColgan's, O'Neill's, Frylite and Arolco.”
“Absolutely. I welcome exactly what Mr Dallat said. The reality is that we cannot keep saying that governments prior to devolution caused all this trouble. The Good Friday Agreement was signed in 1998. The new beginning was supposed to have started and been delivered upon. That is the reason why young people in the north-west are getting very frustrated. There is deep anxiety and a sense of hopelessness for many of them. That is the reason why the Assembly and Executive must address this difficulty; otherwise, there will be problems ahead. <BR /> <BR />I welcome the interdepartmental task force that has been set up.”
“Fears over welfare reform are adding to local anxiety. Food banks are being used more frequently, reflecting increased poverty levels. That is the unfortunate situation that people find themselves in. Emigration and depression are high among our young people and many do not see the point of participating in skills and training, as there are no job opportunities following the training. <BR /> <BR />I welcome the presence of the Minister for Employment and Learning today. I commend and pay tribute to the Strabane campus of the North West Regional College, which is endeavouring to extend its range of full-time courses and training provision. That is a positive signal.”
“When we consider that Northern Ireland's average claimant count rate stands at 5·4%, we see that Derry and Strabane are, unfortunately, worse off.”
“Unfortunately, emigration is the only job option for hundreds of young people who have been reared and educated in the north-west. England, Australia, Canada and the US are their only work opportunity. That is the reality. The real unemployment figures are much higher than the stated ones because there is that escape valve of emigration. In 2013, those figures were much the same. Claimant counts in that year revealed that unemployment-related claims in Strabane stood at 7·7%, which was topped only by Derry at 8·6%, as other Members have said. We should note that some progress has been made, but we must recognise that such figures can be deceptive.”
“It is time for the Assembly to recognise not only the deprivation suffered by those in the Strabane district but the strength and resilience of the people living there. There are some very good employers, such as Allstate, which employs 500-plus workers, and O'Neill's Sportswear, which employs 350-plus workers and is building an extension at the moment to cater for another 90. McColgan's Quality Foods employs about 120; Frylite 120; and Arolco 35. Thankfully, today, there was an announcement of an extra four jobs there through INI support. <BR /> <BR />The latest figures, however, paint a bleak picture of the gap in employment and ongoing deprivation that those in the north-west continue to suffer. In November 2014, figures revealed that the highest claimant counts belong to Derry and Strabane at 7·9% and 7% respectively.”
“The people of the north-west feel aggrieved that the peace dividend project has been long-fingered for too long. Construction workers are deeply frustrated. <BR /> <BR />The border town of Strabane is a vibrant town waiting to have its full potential unlocked. North/South cooperation should be maximised in order to enable Strabane to grow economically. It is a town that has suffered some of the worst tragedies of the Troubles and one that is eager to move forward along a path to renewed economic prosperity. Unfortunately, Strabane was one of the most bombed towns in Northern Ireland over 30 years. The people of Strabane continue to call out for jobs and opportunities and are left only wanting.”
“I support the motion and welcome the opportunity to speak on it. I congratulate my colleague Mr Ramsey for the way in which he opened the debate and set the scene. <BR /> <BR />The Assembly must reflect on the deterioration of the areas where investment and skills have suffered for many decades. Ultimately, the Assembly must have the foresight, desire and integrity to ensure a more balanced regional development and growth policy by resourcing and delivering on commitments seeking to create prosperity. <BR /> <BR />The debacle over the A5 road project has been a gross disappointment. People are sceptical about the DRD's handling of environmental issues surrounding the project, not just under this Minister but the previous one as well.”
“I thank the First Minister for his answer. It is disappointing that a Victims' Commissioner has not yet been appointed. Can the First Minister confirm when, he hopes, an appointment will be made and what relationship there will be with the victims' forum, as agreed in the Stormont House proposals?”
“I thank the Minister for her statement. In relation to the management agreement, might opportunities arise to increase the potential for funding to make sure that we have further development in the Foyle and Carlingford catchment areas?”
“I thank the Minister for his statement. I want to ask him about the tri-jurisdictional collaboration with the US-Ireland R&D Partnership. What is expected to come out of that and what sort of resourcing implications are there likely to be for the centre-to-centre collaboration?”
“I thank the Minister for her comments on NIFAIS. Can she assure the House that a project team is in place and will bring in a cost-effective system within an agreed timescale that meets the needs of the farming community?”
“We believe that the Department should be restructured into more of a farm advisory service rather than a cumbersome bureaucracy for the farming community.”
“Again, the Committee has been very concerned about the totality of the costs that have been signalled without there having been any detailed analysis of how such a system can be effectively implemented. <BR /> <BR />The SDLP recognises that a farmer's time is better spent on the farm. To that end, I believe that, if DARD worked together with the DOE and the NIEA, cost savings relating to farm inspections could be made more effectively. That would help with the daily running of farms and ensure that our farmers had more time on the farm without the need to deal with extra bureaucracy. <BR /> <BR />The bureaucracy of DARD continues to frustrate and challenge our farming community. The SDLP would like to see ongoing internal DARD reform.”
“The draft Budget needs to present more information on how reductions in staff and the loss of skills and expertise will affect front-line services. <BR /> <BR />DARD is commissioning a new IT system. However, the history of government commissioning IT systems in Northern Ireland is not good. We believe that the current computer system proposals, which earmark £84 million for the new Northern Ireland food animal information system (NIFAIS) IT system, may be very costly. The result of total capital, which is £25·8 million, and the resource costs of £28·3 million spread over 10 years leads me to question whether the project is particularly necessary in our current economic climate and whether more cost-effective schemes should be looked at.”
“I also believe that a skills analysis is vital to see exactly how staff reductions would be carried out and how they would impact on the services provided by DARD. The front-line services to the farming community are crucial. <BR /> <BR />The SDLP has serious concerns about the impact on such services, as that reduction in staff is timetabled to happen in the middle of the budget year. The resulting reduction may cause the loss of valuable and irreplaceable skills. We are concerned that proposed staff reductions may cause the Department to lean and depend on higher-costing consultants, which would ultimately defeat the point of using staff reductions to save money. We accept that administration costs need to be reduced but not at the expense of vital job roles in the Department.”
“I thank the Member for that. I believe that the decentralisation of senior civil servant jobs is crucial. It is important in balancing regional development going forward. However, I note what Mr McCarthy said. <BR /> <BR />The proposal also lacks proper financial and human resource analysis; that is its biggest shortcoming. The SDLP and I require a more detailed costing and business case before any move is finalised and implemented. <BR /> <BR />The Budget proposes a voluntary exit programme, seeking a reduction of 300 staff in DARD, and aims to save an estimated £5·6 million in the ensuing year if implemented. It is critical that any redundancy scheme be completed on a voluntary basis and that the reduction of jobs be divided up between spending areas across the Department.”
“I welcome the proposal to move DARD headquarters out of Belfast but recognise that a cost analysis is crucial. That is still lacking. As it stands, there are only approximate costs for the proposal. The proposal also lacks proper financial and human resource analysis.”
“Any worthwhile budget prioritises economic development and job creation, but this Budget slashes jobs in the public sector. In fact, the Budget relies heavily on that job reduction, but there is no economic plan to create private-sector jobs. That is an extremely short-term solution that disregards the even greater long-term problems that high unemployment will cause for our economy and society. That is particularly pertinent in the north-west, where a high proportion of people are employed in the public sector. <BR /> <BR />I recognise that the Budget has not been as savage in my area of responsibility of agriculture as it has been in others, but it has still left the sector wanting. There are several areas in the Department that could make more savings, reduce wastage and perform in a more efficient manner overall.”
“Sinn Féin preaches anti-austerity in the South while endorsing deep cuts in the North. It branded it the best Budget possible before the consultation process had even got under way. It is only fair for me to commend the SDLP's Minister, Mark Durkan, for his outright opposition to the draft Budget. Minister Durkan and the SDLP recognise that the draft Budget is an anti-worker Budget, with the use of pay freezes and redundancies ensuring an adverse effect on jobs. The draft Budget neglects the working poor, the unemployed and young people. It does nothing to bridge the regional divide between east and west, failing to recognise that a thriving and prosperous economy is unsustainable while regional imbalance persists.”
“First of all, I congratulate you, Mr Speaker, on becoming Speaker of the House. <BR /> <BR />I welcome the opportunity to speak on the motion, which is long overdue. It asks that the Assembly take note of the draft Budget presented to us last November. It is a draft Budget that, in my opinion, was poorly conceived and fails to protect the interests of the people of Northern Ireland. Its creation was never open or transparent, and its existence serves only the implementation of savage Tory cuts by the haphazard alliance of the DUP and Sinn Féin. <BR /> <BR />It is not simply the parties outside the Sinn Féin/DUP axis whose criticisms of the Budget have been dismissed. An independent report by PricewaterhouseCoopers derided it as lacking "any worthwhile insight" and accused it of misunderstanding "the complexities of public expenditure".”
“I appreciate the Minister's giving way. I think all of us accept that the actual health-care services provided by the medical and nursing staff are superb. I also contend, on the basis of facts from the Western Trust's management, that on a per capita basis it is as efficient as, or more efficient than, the other trusts. The question that you pose to us, Minister, is what solutions we have got. You are the Minister.”
“I made a completely different speech from the one that I had intended. I hope that I posed a challenge to the Minister: let us take on the decision-makers, who are, very often, faceless people.”
“That sort of decision-making on capital decisions, which, very often, are then undermined when it comes to the actual delivery of services and revenue costs causes great anxiety.”
“I challenge the Minister, who I thought was a radical, to take on the status quo, whether civil servants, administrative managers, trusts or other sections of the service. <BR /> <BR />We are greatly concerned in our part of the world about a pending decision on the acute mental health unit. A strong case has been made for over a year, but the local enhanced hospital will not be sustainable if, before it is actually built and commissioned, services are withdrawn from Omagh. It will defeat the purpose. <BR /> <BR />The new hospital in Enniskillen in the south-west is a fine building with a lot of capital resources, but it lacks the resource on a day-to-day basis to provide the services that meet the needs of the people of the south-west.”
“Again, the sudden announcement of cuts at the Spruce Ward at the Tyrone and Fermanagh Hospital and indeed the final closure of the Gortmore House care home in Omagh adds to that stress and anxiety. I have many facts and figures. The £7 million of cuts that were announced for next year and the end-of-year cuts for this year are adding to that stress and anxiety. <BR /> <BR />We have had two public demonstrations; one on a Saturday and one on a Monday. Patricia McKeown, the well-known trade unionist with UNISON, has stated that, in her experience, administrative costs are never cut. That is the same for most Departments. The albatross of administration grows; it is services at the bedside that are cut.”
“I appeal to the Minister, who was on the Health Committee for many years and who is now in the supreme job, to exercise his authority. Let us take on the administrators and have a reconfiguration of the service. <BR /> <BR />In Omagh, there is a great deal of resentment about past decisions. Those of us who are in favour of the local enhanced hospital proposal greatly appreciate what Minister Poots did, and, hopefully, what Minister Wells will now do, in delivering that hospital. That can lead to a rebuilding of some confidence, but this sudden decision by the Western Trust saps the community's energy and confidence. Domiciliary care causes great anxiety to many families.”
“There was no consultation; it was quite simply a crisis management announcement.”
“Like other MLAs from West Tyrone, I find myself angry and annoyed at what has happened in our part of the world. I appreciate that the Minister is here, but it appears that, once again, health service cuts are a reality relating to crisis management. It appears that the trust makes precipitate announcements that cause great anxiety and concern and, very often, lead to undue stress for patients, staff and the wider community. <BR /> <BR />Recently, the decision taken to merge two wards in the Tyrone County Hospital — ward 5, the palliative care ward, and ward 12, the rehab ward — caused such anxiety that the trust had to bow to the pressure. As a result, it has now reconfigured the service, but, as Mr McElduff said earlier, the number of beds in the palliative care unit has been reduced from 10 to six.”
“I welcome the Minister's statement. In relation to youth employment and, particularly, youth unemployment, was there any discussion about common strategies to tackle this sector, particularly in regard to digital technology use?”
“I welcome the Minister's answer. However, it raises a further question. Given that Strabane has suffered so much unemployment in the past and we are trying to get some economic development in the area, does he agree that a business case for a new build would be an advisable opportunity to take for the future?”
“Can the Minister tell us when the outline business case will be completed and the cost-benefit analysis conducted?”
“I thank the Minister for his statement and welcome his mention of the A5 road. In relation to the A5 road, would the Minister support the call locally for the new bridge that would be required across the Finn between Lifford and Strabane to be started as a very positive signal showing a serious commitment to the building of this project?”
“The Minister will be aware that there is some concern that, sometimes, DRD people take bulbs from lights that are working to areas where they are not working. It is almost a case of robbing Peter to pay Paul. He will be further aware that a parish priest in Drumquin, Father Mullan, was very concerned that six lights were out for over two weeks. He felt that, given security and public safety issues, they should have been repaired quicker.”
“I thank the Minister for his answer. Does he accept that urgency is now needed to address it in a comprehensive way and that legislation needs to be initiated? Can he advise us if he has had any formal discussions with his counterpart in the Republic in relation to the matter?”
“Will the Minister state whether the Arc21 project is viable, given that there is a general move towards a zero-waste objective?”
“I thank the Minister for her answers and, in particular, her comments on the dairy processing industry. The Minister is aware that the Chinese market is potentially very lucrative, particularly for instant milk powder baby food products. Will she state what representations, if any, she has had from Northern Ireland companies that have not yet been able to go to China? The Republic had a big delegation there within the last two weeks, and very promising indications have been forthcoming about the potential for such products.”
“Will the Minister indicate whether she or DARD have had any discussions with the banks to make sure that there will be co-funded finance on the farm business improvement scheme when it comes forward?”
“I also wish the Minister good luck in his new job, and I know that he will have the interests of patients at heart, given his commitment to health over the years. <BR /> <BR />On a resourcing matter, I want to ask the Minister about the gap in the out-of-hours GP services based in Strabane for that district. Can they be examined and rectified? On children's specialist services, can the Minister make sure that the service level agreements (SLA) are clearly understood by all hospitals, especially the South West Hospital, so that parents who have an urgently sick child can be reassured about how they should proceed to get the specialist care needed?”
“I thank the Minister for her answer. Does she accept that it is very important that Invest Northern Ireland gives every encouragement to any would-be investor that may be attracted to Strabane or Derry? Does she also accept that the necessary support and the financial backup is vital for potential job creation projects?”