Stephen Farry
North Down · Alliance Party · Northern Ireland
“Speaking for a party that has a longer pedigree in advocating a public inquiry than both the DUP and Sinn Féin, I nonetheless welcome this announcement, despite the torturous path that we have had and, indeed, the missed opportunities.”
“The first was a reform of the petition of concern to take it back to the original intent when it was designed in 1998. It was clear at that stage that Arlene Foster banged the table and said, "No, never. We are not doing that. That is a way whereby we are going to have to fold on equal marriage: it's not happening".”
“<BR /> <BR />The main points that I make concern the substance of the order. There are probably three aspects that the Minister needs to address properly before the Assembly, and they really relate to what other options he has.”
“That raises the question of why they want to go as far as 2022, especially when I am not sure — I would welcome any clarification to the contrary on it — that there has been formal Executive approval of this.”
“<BR /> <BR />There are three major substantive issues that I do not believe have been properly aired on this: VAT; European Commission infraction proceedings; and, most important, the opportunity foregone to revisit the classification of Northern Ireland Water and the ability, through a separate water charge, to allow it to borrow commerc…”
“While my party was supportive of the Good Friday Agreement back in 1998, at that time, we expressed some reservations around the very detailed nature of the proposals and how those could, in due course, destabilise Northern Ireland and prevent us from realising our full potential. We have been very much vindicated in that analysis.”
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“<BR /> <BR />I should also reference the important contribution that my Department has made to Derry’s outstanding achievement as the first city in the UK to achieve WorldHost Destination status. This was supported through funding and brokering a range of practical training courses focused on the vital tourism and hospitality sector. Set against the backdrop of the City of Culture year, in particular, this has been a significant intervention that has made a real difference to visitors’ welcome and helped to make the city an increasingly popular tourist destination. It is important that we focus on tourism and hospitality as a huge opportunity for further economic development, and customer care will be a key aspect of that. <BR /> <BR />We should also make reference, however, to the strong companies that are already present.”
“The university is seeking a grant of £10 million towards this development and has already received planning approval. The business case in this process is now at a very advanced stage. Once formal approval is achieved through my Department and from me, which is expected to happen shortly, it will be forwarded to Department of Finance and Personnel for consideration. Once it is cleared through that process, we will be in a position to make a bid at the earliest opportunity. I give a commitment that I will bid for resources from any pots of capital money that become available. The earliest opportunity is likely to be the June monitoring round; that is the timescale around which we are primarily focused in this regard. Hopefully, with a fair wind, that process can proceed, and the project will become a reality in the very near future.”
“However, we have to be innovative in the way that we do that and see how we can tie it in better with our apprenticeship strategy, encourage more part-time study and attract more international students to Northern Ireland. There are opportunities out there for us, but we need to be very clear and seized of the financial pressures that are out there ahead of us. <BR /> <BR />Ulster University is in the process of gaining approval for the construction of a new teaching block at Magee. The cost of that development is £11·2 million. It will improve the teaching facilities at the campus and help cater for the 652 additional places that have so far been made available. It would also provide spare capacity to accommodate a further 350 full-time undergraduates.”
“It also means looking to ensure that we invest in the quality of places. The funding that we are allocating for university places in Northern Ireland is less than that in Great Britain. I am not prepared to advance the numbers of places through diminishing quality. That is not in the interests of young people, and it is certainly not in the interests of the north-west in terms of having a university as a key driver of investment. That has to be based on the quality of what is offered and not on simple headcounts of those going through the doors. However, if we can overcome those issues in the context of the 2016-2020 Budget period, we will be in a position to look to the expansion of the university. I recognise that we need to look to expand higher education in Northern Ireland.”
“Having said that, I think that it is important that people are very conscious of the hurdles that we have to overcome. I note with interest that people have asked me to identify and direct some of the £20 million granted in the Budget towards the expansion of Magee. Let me be very clear: all that that money does is reverse and reduce what was otherwise going to be an even steeper cut to my Department. As I have said in respect of further education, today we face the reality that we will struggle to preserve the places that we have. That will be a very difficult challenge, and I am not sure that we will achieve that, notwithstanding efforts that are being made to find other ways of balancing the Department's books. <BR /> <BR />If we are to have an expansion of the university, we have to make the current provision sustainable first of all.”
“Should the business case prove that expansion represents good value for money in the context — this is very important — of the restoration of sustainable funding of our existing higher education provision, I will make a bid to the Executive in the next comprehensive spending review with a view to finding the funds to implement it.”
“Although we have some areas in which we may be able to mitigate the impact of the reduced cuts to the Department, we still face a situation in which we will have a challenge to maintain current levels of provision. That is the sober reality of where we find ourselves. <BR /> <BR />On the university situation, I know the importance that is placed on the expansion of the Magee campus as a means to drive forward the economy and the regeneration of the north-west. However, it has to be about investment in skills and research for Northern Ireland as a whole as well as local benefits, such as increased spending power in the economy and a stronger investment offering. My Department received a full draft business case for the expansion of Magee from Derry City Council on 19 December 2014. That is being appraised by my officials.”
“In many respects, the college should be regarded as the first point of contact for dealing with the skills requirements and the research and innovation requirements of local employers. The college should also be a key player in the forthcoming community plan for the new councils in the north-west. <BR /> <BR />On the impact of cuts, I have made it clear that we welcome the additional funds that have been allocated in the Budget agreed by the Executive and announced today. Those funds may go some way to avoiding the level of cuts in places that were identified in the departmental savings plan. However, we still have to bottom out exactly what that means for places.”
“That investment in skills must be at all levels and must be matched more closely to the needs of employers. To that end, I take this opportunity to encourage employers to engage with our new system of apprenticeships and the forthcoming system of youth training. Those approaches will be good for employers, as they will know that they are getting the right skills — the skills that they require — and for young people, who will know that they have the skills relevant to employers and will consequently have better prospects of sustained employment. <BR /> <BR />North West Regional College will be a key partner in those initiatives and will be a delivery partner across a range of other programmes.”
“That was very musical. <BR /> <BR />A major development in the latter half of 2014 was the introduction of the Steps 2 Success programme as the Department’s main adult employment programme. Launched on 20 October 2014, it is delivered in the north-west by EOS NI, supported by a number of local organisations. Steps 2 Success differs from previous employment programmes in that it gives contractors greater flexibility to focus on the specific needs of individual participants to help them get a job by overcoming their barriers to employment. Notably, EOS NI has converted the former shirt factory in Patrick Street into an employment training centre, and I encourage everyone to pay it a visit. <BR /> <BR />The steps that are being taken around employability must be complemented by continued investment in skills.”
“<BR /> <BR />Other help for unemployed people in the north-west is available through job clubs, which provide very practical assistance on things such as job search, CV building and interview skills. Initiatives such as First Start and the youth employment scheme provide particular assistance to young people to help them engage with the world of work.”
“However, we should be clear that my Department already has many approaches in place to tackle unemployment in the north-west. The employment service has an employer engagement team in Derry, Limavady and Strabane that works with employers to influence positively attitudes towards providing opportunities for the unemployed. The Department is also funding an employment and skills liaison officer through Ilex to promote understanding among employers and the community of the wide range of skills development and employment opportunities and support available in the north-west. <BR /> <BR />The numbers claiming benefits in the north-west have fallen from just over 9,200 in November 2013 to just over 8,500 in November 2014, which represents a decrease of 8·1%. Obviously, there is still a long way to go.”
“The draft strategy is being considered by the Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment and me prior to being presented to the Executive for consideration and approval. Once Executive agreement is secured, subject to the necessary resources also being identified, the final strategy will be published at the earliest opportunity and implementation will commence immediately. Members may wish to note that there is some funding allocated in the Budget under the change fund to advance a control project on economic inactivity. That may well be focused on the north-west. <BR /> <BR />The new strategy will complement existing government interventions for tackling long-term unemployment and deprivation in the north-west and more widely across Northern Ireland.”
“The labour force survey demonstrates that the rate of economic inactivity for the period between 2008 and 2013 has been significantly above the Northern Ireland average. For the Derry and Strabane areas, the figures show that 38,000 individuals are economically inactive, which equates to 38·5% of the local population. That compares with the Northern Ireland average of 26·8%. The employment rate in Derry and Strabane is 54%, which is lower than the Northern Ireland average of 68·5%. <BR /> <BR />One of the key interventions under consideration is to identify, develop and test a range of new approaches to tackling economic inactivity based on the local profile of need. I trust that this approach will help to identify innovative and effective solutions to addressing inactivity in areas of particular need such as the north-west.”
“<BR /> <BR />Recognising this challenge, the Executive have committed, through the Programme for Government, to develop a cross-cutting government strategy to tackle economic inactivity, led by DETI and my Department. Building on substantial research work, a strategic framework to tackle economic inactivity was developed and subjected to extensive public consultation, including a well-attended event in Derry in March 2014. One of the ideas identified through this process was the need for an area-based approach to tackle inactivity in different geographical areas in line with local need and through tailored localised solutions. <BR /> <BR />The Executive are acutely aware of the high levels of economic inactivity and unemployment experienced for many years in the north-west, and the final strategy will seek to address those issues.”
“<BR /> <BR />The starting base, in many respects, is challenging. The north-west has some of the highest unemployment figures throughout the United Kingdom and some of the highest levels of economic inactivity as well, alongside one of the poorest skills profiles across these islands. For many decades, Northern Ireland has consistently experienced the highest rate of economic inactivity of the 12 UK regions. That feature of our economy reflects lower regional productivity and employment levels and higher levels of social security support and economic disengagement in the working-age population. Left unaddressed, this major economic problem has the potential to hinder not only economic growth in the north-west but in Northern Ireland as a whole.”
“<BR /> <BR />In that regard, it is important to stress that the Executive recognise the challenges regarding employment opportunities in the north-west and are actively seeking to address them alongside a host of other relevant issues. That is evidenced by the convening of the ministerial subgroup to examine the economic situation in the north-west and help to foster a strong, united response. The group met for the first time last Thursday, and I am pleased to report that a strong consensus to work together to help the subregion achieve its full potential was clear. There will now be a standing subgroup of the Executive to look at how best to ensure that opportunities and growth in Northern Ireland are available across the region, and there will, of course, be a very clear emphasis on the north-west.”
“At the outset, I want to acknowledge the scale of the challenges facing the north-west and not downplay them. However, I also want to emphasise the opportunities for transformation if all the levers available to government, combined with the efforts of the business community, the community and voluntary sector and ordinary people, are fully brought to bear. The key issues set out in the motion include investment in skills and employability measures, job creation and improvements to infrastructure. As Minister for Employment and Learning, I can primarily address the employment issues but will also seek to reference areas of responsibility that lie in other Departments.”
“I do not have the figures to hand that show exactly which colleges are up and which are down, but the Member will be aware that we have had a certain fallback in the number of enrolments in the FE sector. That can almost entirely be explained by changing demographics and the numbers of young people. There is also an issue with some of our schools hanging on to young people for longer than they should, as they have an interest in maintaining their enrolment for money. That is not always in the interests of the young person, who may be better suited to an FE college environment. So, there are some issues there that we need to bottom out.”
“The Member's question is, in some senses, timely. Tomorrow evening, I will host a dinner with the new chief executives of the 11 district councils and the principals of the six further education colleges. We will talk through some of the skill requirements that exist in different areas and how the FE colleges can be more fully part of local economic plans and the community planning infrastructure. As we look to design some of our programmes, particularly the new system of youth training, we are very mindful of variations across Northern Ireland. Again, the councils and the FE colleges will be key partners in trying to put in place a different focus in different parts of Northern Ireland. So, there are some opportunities in that regard to achieve what the Member has asked about.”
“<BR /> <BR />It is also worth noting that, unlike the previous round of applications for the European social fund, this time there is a stronger geographical aspect to ensure that there is proper coverage in the schemes that we want to see rolled out across Northern Ireland. That includes capturing people from rural areas. ESF programmes are often tailored towards addressing youth unemployment and those who fall into the NEET category.”
“It is worth referencing the fact that the Steps 2 Success programme is now operational. We have three contract areas across Northern Ireland with lead contractors and a supply chain. One of the key design aspects of the programme is that no person should be left behind, and providers will not be permitted to pick off those who are easier to help, whether on the basis of their skills, qualifications or geography. We have to ensure that we develop a tailored plan for everyone, and we will pick up people from that rural context to ensure that they can avail themselves of opportunities.”
“We particularly need to see a reconciliation so that, when it is unclear which Department has responsibility, someone steps up and takes responsibility for delivery.”
“The Committee for Employment and Learning is conducting an inquiry into these issues, and I am happy to assist it in that regard. I certainly recognise its initiative on this important issue. The timescales of that work lie outside my direct control, but work is happening in parallel with that, and I want to assure the Member that we are not sitting back and waiting for that report before any action is taken on these issues. We are pushing behind the scenes at the Executive with ministerial colleagues to see what more can be done on an action plan, and, indeed, a draft has already been commissioned. <BR /> <BR />The biggest challenge that we face is resources. For far too many Departments and agencies, this type of activity is seen as a soft touch, whereas it should be viewed as part of their core service delivery.”
“The issue about learning and disability transitions has been discussed at the Bamford ministerial subgroup of the Executive, and we are looking to do a proper gap analysis to see where Departments can be more proactive in providing services, particularly around the areas where people are falling between gaps that are not of their making but are more a reflection of the way government is structured.”
“The Member has raised that on a number of occasions, and he will be aware that we have conducted an audit of further education provision across the FE sector. That ties in with the previous question about how best the European social fund can be deployed to assist with level 1 FE in a general sense and assist those with disabilities. A partnership approach between the community and voluntary sector and further education is very important in that regard.”
“A lot of organisations now find themselves very confused about how they will get the match funding to access the ESF. We have a situation where DSD is hanging on to powers for an additional 12 months and councils that were planning to have powers from 1 April are now having to wait a further 12 months, and a lot of bodies now find themselves caught between those two stools and are unsure how to get additional funding. Neither the councils nor DSD are in a position to give a degree of certainty around match funding.”
“First, we are not shovelling money out of the community and voluntary sector and into my Department. Some schemes in my Department will have to close because of lack of resources. We cannot renew them as we had planned because of the budget cuts, and they were coming to the end of the first phase in March this year. It is also worth noting that the European social fund itself is a bigger pot of available resource than it was, so there is actually more money on the table from the ESF in this round than there was previously. That is also good news. <BR /> <BR />I have to be frank with the Member: the biggest threat to the delivery of the ESF programme now lies with match funding. One of the consequences of the delay in approval for DSD's Regeneration Bill has been to knock back the transfer of functions from DSD to local government.”
“We see a natural division of labour, where a greater focus is placed in the community and voluntary sector around the level 1 qualifications, and our further education sector and others focus around level 2 and beyond. That will not be an absolute distinction, and, in particular, we have made it clear that ESF bids in relation to disability will go beyond level 1. There may well be other situations where that applies, but we are trying to make the best use of the resources available to us financially and take into account the skills in the community and voluntary sector and where they can make the biggest impact.”
“First, from memory, I think that in the region of between 130 and 140 applications were received to the European social fund. The application process closed on 9 January, and we are working through those applications. My officials are doing that as we speak. It is important to bear it in mind that we are in difficult financial times, but we want to make full use of the community and voluntary sector, which is a key delivery partner of government. The European social fund is a useful tool in creating opportunities for them to bring their skills to bear in making a difference to people's lives. It is important that we also look at duplication in the provision of services.”
“<BR /> <BR />We are looking at and discussing with the colleges and universities what alternatives there are in terms of finding efficiency savings, doing things differently and addressing subsidies and different formats of spend regulation that may free up money that will allow us to preserve a greater share of places on the front line than was otherwise the case. Those discussions have still to be bottomed out fully, and it may be about two weeks before we have a full picture of what the Budget means for the coming year. However, we also have to bear it in mind that places are a long-term investment. What happens in this Budget will be of interest to what happens in the next four years as well. The two have to be seen in conjunction with one another.”
“It will be difficult to achieve that. We now face a slightly better situation than was set out in the draft Budget, but we were potentially talking about 16,000 places in further education and 1,000 places in universities. I have made it clear that, in my Department's service delivery, it is my intention to protect, as best I can, the economy and those areas that are most relevant to the economy, though virtually everything that my Department does is relevant to the economy, and those who are most vulnerable. I have indicated that I want to protect what we term narrow STEM subjects in our colleges and universities — maths, physics, computer science, engineering and life sciences — and that we want to protect apprenticeships and youth training. We have some protection from the change fund in that regard.”
“If anything, we have to invest further in skills to make the lowering of corporation tax a success. There is a lot to play for over the next number of months around ensuring that we do the right thing for our economy. That means investing in skills to ensure that we reach our full potential.”
“I thank the Member for his question. Skills are the main driver of the transformation of our economy. We need many more higher-level skills. We also need to bring more and more people into the labour market. If we are to truly compete with other regions, achieve our full potential and close the productivity gap with the rest of the UK and in the context of the European Union, investing in skills is the main way in which we will do that. <BR /> <BR />We also have the looming issue of the potential lowering of the rate of corporation tax, something that I very much welcome. However, there are major challenges ahead if the Executive are going to be in a position to resource that in a couple of years' time. The notion that we take money out of the skills budget to fund a lower level of corporation tax does not make a lot of sense.”
“However, in comments made to some of the Member's colleagues earlier in Question Time, I made it clear that there are choices to be made. Some of what the Member's party suggests I do would mean that money is taken away from the front line and would result in even steeper cuts in places. The Member may wish to reflect on that with his colleagues.”
“Ultimately, the best route to protecting student numbers lies with the allocation to my Department. Any discussions that we have with the universities and colleges is the fallback position as to how we best mitigate the effect of the allocations that have been made. Over the past weeks, I have had regular meetings with the vice chancellors, the principals, the chairs of the boards of the six FE colleges and Colleges NI. I will see the two vice chancellors tomorrow to discuss the implications of the Budget. I will also meet the colleges tomorrow evening to discuss the Budget as well as some other issues regarding the future of community planning at a local government level. <BR /> <BR />Over the coming weeks, we will see exactly how we can agree a Budget. Certainly, it is my intention to protect the front line as best as possible.”
“We will have to see over the coming weeks how we can best mitigate the effect of those to protect the front line as best as possible.”
“As the Member will be aware, the Finance Minister earlier announced a further allocation of £20 million to my budget or, depending on your perspective, the reallocation of money that was otherwise going to be cut from the budget and the receipt of another £13·5 million from bids made either on a single departmental basis or on a joint basis with other Departments to the change fund. Let me be very clear: I very much welcome the additional allocations that have been made by the Finance Minister and agreed by the Executive. That said, we still face a very challenging situation in terms of my budget. That will continue to pose real challenges and risks our being unable to provide and invest in the skills pipeline for the future of the Northern Ireland economy.”
“Although we have pressures on the FE budget and sadly there will be some loss of job roles and job places, the three campuses will require staff to ensure that we deliver the courses that they are designed to facilitate. In that context, I do not see the revenue budgets compromising the projects' go-ahead.”
“Probably the biggest challenge financially is the dip in the capital budget, which is causing a degree of concern. Members can take consolation from the fact that I have consistently stated that I regard the Southern Regional College and Northern Regional College areas as being priorities in the further education estate. They have not had the same investment as some other regions over the past number of years, so I am keen to progress the projects as best I can. We will look to see what opportunities are out there for capital funding. Often, doors open for capital owing to unforeseen circumstances elsewhere in budgets. <BR /> <BR />I remain optimistic that we will proceed with all three capital builds in the SRC jurisdiction. The resourcing will be there to ensure that all three campuses are viable.”
“Yes, I am happy to give the Member that assurance. Further education has evolved significantly over the past decade and is now very focused on the needs of the economy. It is there to provide a skills solution and a research and innovation solution for local business. The emphasis in the curriculum has also moved much more towards the needs of the local economy. I have already mentioned the importance of new strategies around apprenticeships and the forthcoming strategy on youth training and how further education will be a key delivery partner in that regard. Obviously, employers will be in the driving seat for those strategies. Of course, our capital design has to follow suit and ensure that we deliver what the curriculum requires, not the other way around.”
“However, the college has completed a site options analysis. On the basis of that analysis and following liaison with Craigavon Borough Council, a potentially suitable council-owned location has been identified. A pre-application discussion with Planning Service regarding the site is due to take place this month, and, depending on the outcome of that meeting, a decision on the next steps will be taken. <BR /> <BR />Subject to securing an appropriate site, design work is expected to be completed in approximately nine months from April 2015, with the aim of awarding the construction contract during 2016.”
“The Craigavon project will establish a new state-of-the art campus to replace the existing Lurgan and Portadown campuses. The work was originally planned to be delivered after the Armagh and Banbridge projects. However, I have been able to secure additional capital funding through Together: Building a United Community and hope to deliver the work on a similar timescale to that for the other projects. <BR /> <BR />Southern Regional College has begun the process of identifying a design team to take forward all three developments, and the initial part of the exercise will be completed in the next two weeks. The appointment of the design team will be completed by the end of March 2015. <BR /> <BR />Unlike the Armagh and Banbridge projects, which will be developed on existing sites, a site has yet to be secured for the Craigavon development.”
“The Southern Regional College is planning major capital investment projects at Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon.”
“I take on board any advice that we can get on the siting and design of buildings to make sure that they are as user-friendly as they can be. I think that it was DisabledGo that advised us on our existing footprint, conducting an audit of all our further education estate and identifying valuable lessons. In more recent capital investment, we take every step that we can to ensure that we are fully disability-compliant. Obviously, the Disability Discrimination Act is a backstop to ensure that we follow through with the rules. We also recognise that there is a proactive role and responsibility in ensuring that our buildings are fully disability-compliant so that we can facilitate all our potential customers. In further and higher education, we have a proud record of facilitating access for people with disabilities.”
“This is not simply about employers showing some sort of corporate responsibility and giving an opportunity to someone with a disability; this is about employers reaching their full potential by fully availing themselves of the talents that disabled people have. Just because someone has a disability that does not mean that they are not able to fully engage with the world of work and to be as productive, if not more so in some contexts, as other work colleagues. It is important that we do all we can to get the message out about what can be done and the supports that are available to make a real difference to people's lives and to the local economy.”
“I am happy to write to the Member and give him the precise figures, but we are talking in the considerable numbers of hundreds of people benefiting from the schemes that are available. The Member will also wish to note that we have been working over the past 12 months — indeed, longer — on the development of a new employment and skills strategy for people with disabilities. That is being finalised by my officials, and we hope to commence public consultation on it in the next number of weeks. That is intended to freshen our current offering, which is making a real difference, but there is also potential to do things better. Notably, given the title of the forthcoming strategy, there will be a much greater focus on skills. <BR /> <BR />It is important that we recognise that people with disabilities have a lot to offer in the workplace.”
“These specialist disability services are delivered in partnership with or on behalf of my Department by organisations from the local disability sector.”
“<BR /> <BR />The Department's team of dedicated and professional occupational psychologists provides an employment assessment service to individual disabled clients who are seeking work or to those who are having difficulties retaining work as a result of a disability. The psychologists also work with employers to provide assessments and recommendations for adjustments to support their disabled employees. As part of the disability team, nine advisers deliver the Access to Work programme, which supports 650 people with disabilities in employment. <BR /> <BR />In addition to the 60 staff, the Department provides specialist help and support to people with all types of disability who are in further or higher education, undertaking skills training or availing themselves of careers guidance.”
“My Department employs 60 members of staff who have been specially trained or are professionally qualified to support people with disabilities. This includes the employment service, which has 42 staff who are employed in this specialist role across the 35 public offices. In addition to the specialist disability training, those staff are supported by three regional disability employment managers and a team of six occupational psychologists. The disability employment managers have many years of experience working with disabled people and supporting employers who wish to recruit or retain employees who have a disability.”