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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“Schools will often offer only that five-day window, usually in the lower sixth year, but that is often too late to inform young people of the range of choices that is out there for them. Sometimes young people would maybe benefit from a wider range of experiences so that they can sample different areas of the world of work and decide what is most suitable for them. <BR /> <BR />Those are some of the ideas that lie behind that recommendation in the review. We now need to look to see how we can put that into practical action.”
“Exactly what that means in practice is one of the issues that we will work through as part of the implementation plan. Obviously, the Department of Education, which has responsibility for children and young people at that age, will have a major say in exactly how that is taken forward. I am sure that Members are mindful that we have a lot of work experience people in the Building this week and next week, as this is often the time that schools across Northern Ireland ask for such opportunities to be taken up. I am taking a number of students this week and next week. <BR /> <BR />We are conscious, however, that work experience is a very limited snapshot of the world of work.”
“Part of the development of careers will involve discussions with key stakeholders, including parents and employers. That is to ensure that the new system supports young people and adults to fulfil their potential to contribute positively to their community and the Northern Ireland economy and meets employers' needs.”
“My Department will shortly publish a joint strategic framework outlining the key actions and timelines for implementation. The new framework will also take account of the recommendations made in the Employment and Learning Committee’s report following its extensive inquiry into careers, as well as other recent publications from the CBI. Work has already started to improve support for careers using the Web, with a new home page and updated online self-help support launched at the end of last year. <BR /> <BR />In addition, through the Northern Ireland Centre for Economic Policy, work commissioned by my Department has begun to produce a skills barometer to provide reliable and easier to understand labour market information and to highlight labour market opportunities and trends.”
“Members will recall that, in March last year, I announced that the Minister of Education and I had commissioned a formal employer-led review of careers by an independent panel of experts building on the work of the Employment and Learning Committee and the CBI. The expert panel has now reported. Sound careers education and guidance, informed by the needs of the current and future labour market, is critical to fully maximise our potential and the opportunity for economic growth. It is now more important than ever that our young people are equipped with the skills and qualifications they need to take advantage of the opportunities that the new corporation tax environment, for example, could afford. <BR /> <BR />I welcomed the findings of the review, and there is broad agreement on the way forward.”
“That will be the first time, certainly in my experience, if not longer, that we have seen a reversal in the provision of further education, as previously it was always open to anyone in Northern Ireland to access courses. This will be the first time that, potentially, we will ration access to courses, and we need to take that very seriously.”
“There are real dangers that people will miss out on further education places and will have nowhere to go. Ultimately, that will become a cost burden on social security and welfare, so we need to be mindful of the consequences of that. That said, the figure of 16,000 was a projection based on a 10·8% cut to my Department that was passed on, on a pro rata basis, to the colleges. We are now in something of a different position today, with a lower reduction to my Department's budget. We have to bottom out exactly what that means for the FE sector over the coming days. <BR /> <BR />I am working on a number of options that, hopefully, will try to avoid there being too much of an impact on the front line in further education. At this stage, however, it will be difficult to avoid any cut in the number of places available.”
“Rather than divert resources into funding a plan B, the wiser course of action would be to do more in plan A.”
“We do not have a plan B for when there is a situation where there are cuts in further education places.”
“I will certainly continue to make that case and will do so over the coming months and years.”
“While we have some degree of mitigation of the budget for the current year, simply having a standstill situation around places is not good enough. We have to intensify our investment in places in our universities, colleges and apprenticeships if we are to truly maximise the benefits of corporation tax. A lower level of corporation tax has the potential for increased demand within our economy from local companies growing and more inward investment. However, unless we can keep pace with that demand through the supply chain by way of talented young people, we are not going to take full advantage of a lower level of corporation tax. I am confident that, as we move towards that lower level of corporation tax, the case for further investment in the skills budget will become even more clear-cut.”
“I am not sure who Mr McCallister means by "us"; I thought he was a lone voice these days as an independent. I am not sure whether he has formed another party in the past couple of minutes and we have missed that. Let me say this very clearly: I believe that I best understand the interests of my Department and the arm's-length bodies. I am best placed to make the case for additional resources and I am best placed to manage the resources that are available to get the greatest impact. That is my current intention. <BR /> <BR />The Member mentioned corporation tax. Let me be very clear: there is not a simple choice to be made between funding a lower level of corporation tax and taking money out of the skills budget. The two have to go hand in hand.”
“It is my intention to try to have that finalised in the budget for the next financial year, probably within about two weeks of now.”
“With respect to apprenticeships and the system of youth training, the Department was successful in a bid to the change fund to the tune of £7·5 million. I put on record my gratitude to the Finance Minister and the Executive for agreeing that allocation. That is a major and strategic investment in the future of this economy, as well as in the future of our young people. Obviously, our further education colleges will be key delivery partners in that regard, so there will be some assistance to them. On top of that, of course, some element of the £20 million of additional resources or reallocation of resources — depending on your perspective — will be used to offset the current proposed impact of the cuts on further education, but, in the coming weeks, we will have to bottom out precisely what that means in practice.”
“Such cuts in further education provision would be perverse at a critical time when Northern Ireland needs to expand, rather than reduce, the supply of skilled workers to employers in preparation for a possible introduction of a lower level of corporation tax. <BR /> <BR />Once the further education budgets are finalised, my officials will communicate that information to the colleges to enable them to plan for the 2015-16 academic year and beyond. Undoubtedly, difficult choices will have to be made in the weeks ahead.”
“Even with the allocations to my Department in the final Budget, DEL is facing an unprecedented level of cuts. They will have an impact across the areas of work of my Department, including further education. At this stage, I am unable to provide the definitive position on the impact of the revised Budget on the further education sector, but the impact of the cuts proposed in the draft Budget was set out in my Department's draft savings delivery plan. However, it is inevitable that front-line services will be detrimentally affected, by way of staff losses and a significant reduction in student places.”
“It is important to bear in mind that the 'Aspiring to Excellence' report is not something that is founded around the issue of resources or a means to find a more efficient way of delivering teacher training. That is something that is very clearly out there due to the financial situation that we find ourselves in. However, there are other drivers of change, and the primary one is driving up standards; taking on board international best practice in the institutional format of teacher education and recognising that most modern teacher education systems are very clearly linked to university-based research. That is perhaps a linkage that we are not fully developing in Northern Ireland. It will provide a much more rounded product in our future teachers, which, in turn, will benefit our future students going through schools.”
“However, due to the fact that we have the Grant Thornton and 'Aspiring to Excellence' reports, we now have a very clear basis to formulate an alternative, whereby we can mitigate the effect of the budget and provide a means by which we can address the interests of the education sectors in Northern Ireland and our requirements for the future training of teachers. We have that opportunity, and I urge all the institutions and, indeed, wider stakeholders to seize it.”
“People should not be talking about the death knell of any institution at this stage. That is not what this process is about. It is a process of trying to find an agreed way forward for the institutions. The issue about the premia being a subsidy has been very clear in the eyes of the Assembly and, indeed, others since the Grant Thornton report was published. We could have proceeded at any stage to withdraw the premia if we were intent on using it as a lever. The fact is that we have to make choices now in the context of the budget, and that is the basis on which we approach this issue.”
“So, when people make the case for the premia that go to those teacher education colleges, they also make the case that I withdraw money from the front line, which means that some of our students in Northern Ireland will not have the opportunity to attend a university or college and pursue a career here, which will damage our economy and undermine their life opportunities. So, it is a very stark choice that lies ahead of us, and people should be very mindful of it when they make the arguments that they are making today.”
“<BR /> <BR />Let me also be very clear in relation to the issue around the premia. It is not my intention to use this to force through some agenda. We want to have discussions with the providers on the way forward. The context for the discussions on the premia lie in the fact that we have a very challenging budget situation and we continue to have that, notwithstanding the additional allocations announced by the Finance Minister earlier today. On a fixed budget, I have a very stark choice to make. It is between the protection of front-line places, which means places in our universities and colleges across Northern Ireland, and preserving subsidies that I do not believe are warranted.”
“There were quite a few things in that series of questions. Let me start from the back. Yes, we are engaged in discussions and we are promoting discussions between the different providers on a way forward, but I am disappointed with the questions that have come forward on this in that we are taking this issue from the perspective of institutions rather than from that of the welfare and future interests of the teaching profession and students in Northern Ireland. While, of course, Stranmillis and St Mary's have been successful in their own right, we can aspire to do so much better. That is the main argument that is contained within the 'Aspiring to Excellence' report. I encourage Dr McDonnell and others to read that report and see where the capacity exists in Northern Ireland for a much-improved situation.”
“I stress that that type of point and perspective can be accommodated through a range of different institutional formats. <BR /> <BR />I think that there is the opportunity for discussions amongst all the providers to find consensus on a better way forward, not just for institutions but primarily for the future teachers of Northern Ireland and, as a consequence, the future students who will go through the school system.”
“I recognise that the impact would be significant for St Mary's and that this is a serious issue for the college, although I would not assume that it means the closure of St Mary's. This is happening in the context where we already know that the teacher infrastructure in Northern Ireland is very fragmented. It is much more costly than comparative systems elsewhere in the world. We are not actually reaching our full potential with regard to standards and linkages, particularly with research. <BR /> <BR />There is a real prize here from reform. I believe that, through a process of engagement that includes St Mary's, we can find agreement on a way forward that looks to issues such as the future provision of higher education in west Belfast and also takes into account the different needs of the education sector in Northern Ireland.”
“In my view, the options that best achieve these criteria would seem to be options B, a two-university approach, or D, a single institution. I have written to the initial teacher education providers, requesting that they develop proposals to structure teacher education along these lines. I plan to meet with each of the providers this month to discuss their views. <BR /> <BR />I also firmly reiterate that my main aim in this process continues to be how we can best structure a system that can deliver world-class standards of teacher education; one that is financially sustainable, promotes greater sharing and integration and is in the best interests of our young people.”
“<BR /> <BR />The issue of the financial sustainability of the current structure has become more pressing now that, as a result of the Budget, my Department faces budget cuts which will necessitate difficult decisions on a range of functions and services across the Department and its arm's-length bodies. It is in this context that I have advised St Mary's and Stranmillis that I plan to remove the small and specialist institution premium funding from the beginning of the 2015-16 academic year. <BR /> <BR />The 'Aspiring to Excellence' report provides alternatives to the current infrastructure; alternatives which could enable initial teacher education to be delivered in a more cost-effective way and to a world-class standard.”
“<BR /> <BR />As a first step towards engagement with the sector, during September, I met the four providers, Queen's University, Stranmillis University College, St Mary's University College and the Ulster University, to hear each institution's views and discuss how best to find a way forward. The meetings were constructive. Engagement will continue as we consider how best to align the views put forward by the institutions with those of the international panel. I would, however, remind Members that both reviews of initial teacher education confirm that the status quo is not an option for the future delivery of initial teacher education.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, with your permission, I wish to group questions 1 and 2, and I request an additional minute for the answer. <BR /> <BR />Members are aware from my statement of 1 July 2014 that the international panel completed its review and delivered its report 'Aspiring to Excellence' on initial teacher education infrastructure in Northern Ireland. <BR /> <BR />The report proposed four options for future structures which could move us towards a world-class standard of teacher education. They are: a collaborative partnership; a two-centre model with a Belfast institute of education and the second centre based in the north-west; a Northern Ireland teacher education federation; and a Northern Ireland institute of education.”
“There are major forces at work that are trying to tear societies apart, and it is incumbent upon us, whether in Northern Ireland or elsewhere, to see how we can bring people together around a common sense of purpose through which, at the same time, we respect and celebrate diversity.”
“At a time when Islam is being wrongly portrayed as narrow and bigoted, it is worth recalling that when Europe was going through the Dark Ages over 1,000 years ago, it was the Islamic societies around the world that kept alive knowledge and the whole values around learning and the creation of knowledge. As Western societies, we are very much indebted to them for their actions in that regard. <BR /> <BR />What has happened, not just in France but elsewhere around the world, points to the importance of how we address what is happening in terms of the fragmentation of our societies.”
“We have seen major acts of violence being motivated by that warped sense of religion, whether we are talking about the recent attacks in Sydney in Australia, what is happening with IS in Iraq and Syria, or what is happening in Afghanistan and Nigeria. Other Members have mentioned all of those. <BR /> <BR />It is also right that we say that what has happened in France, and the attempted justification that has come from some quarters, in no way, shape or form represents the true face of Islam. Islam is fundamentally about peace in its true sense, just as virtually every other major world religion is also fundamentally about peace.”
“<BR /> <BR />We also have to bear in mind that this is not about a clash of two different, conflicting rights, with the right of freedom of speech or freedom of thought on the one hand versus freedom of religion on the other. Those rights very much go hand in hand. Indeed, they are the two sides of the same coin. If you look back through history, you will see that it was very much freedom of religion that generated the notion of freedom of thought and freedom of speech. It is important that we bear that very much in mind as we look to the future. <BR /> <BR />We are seeing acts of violence, terror and repression being carried out around the world through what is very much a warped sense of what religion means. This is not just an issue that Islam has to confront. It is one that all the major world religions have to come to terms with.”
“The people of Northern Ireland very much stand in solidarity with the people of Paris and France. Northern Ireland itself is, of course, very familiar with terrorism. However, we have to bear in mind that terror can come in many different forms and formats and makes unique contributions to those who are affected by it and the societies in which they live. <BR /> <BR />Of course, the terror in France is, first and foremost, a situation in which people have lost their lives. Many families will be suffering as a consequence of what has happened. However, it is also an attack on a set of values. Indeed, going back to the French Revolution, France is very clearly a society that has been established around a sense of values and the spirit of liberty, equality and fraternity.”
“I warmly welcome all Members' contributions, particularly that of the Deputy Chair of the Committee. Again, I will put on record our thanks to the Executive, particularly the First Minister and deputy First Minister, for the manner in which they addressed the issue, and to the Committee, for the timely manner in which it expedited the matter. It is largely technical, and I believe that it is something that we have to do to ensure that we live within the requirements that the UK Supreme Court set out. I commend the motion to the House.”
“I hope that Members will agree with me and support the motion that I have laid before the Assembly.”
“<BR /> <BR />Having explained the reasons for bringing the motion to the House, I commend the Employment and Learning Committee for the timely manner in which it addressed the matter and for its report, which outlined that the Committee would support the motion. I thank the Committee for its support. <BR /> <BR />My Department has accepted that its fee-paid judicial office holders have comparable salaried counterparts and are therefore entitled to access an equivalent pension scheme. Agreement to the motion will enable the Lord Chancellor to extend coverage of a pension scheme for fee-paid judiciary to all eligible devolved office holders in Northern Ireland. It is a time-bound scheme that will apply to fee-paid office holders in respect of service from 7 April 2000 to 31 March 2015, in compliance with the Supreme Court judgement.”
“That is being achieved through the introduction of government amendments to the Pension Schemes Bill currently before Parliament. <BR /> <BR />The reason for presenting the legislative consent motion is to obtain Assembly approval to apply Ministry of Justice amendments to the relatively small number of fee-paid devolved judiciary who fall within the responsibility of a number of Northern Ireland Departments. Although separate primary legislation could indeed be introduced, given the small numbers of devolved office holders, it would, in my judgment, be disproportionate to pursue stand-alone, highly technical legislation for this purpose.”
“<BR /> <BR />As part of the programme of wider public-sector pension reform, from 2015 onwards a new judicial pension scheme is being established that will align with the overall framework of the public-sector reforms, including, for example, career-average pension benefits, with normal scheme pension age being linked to state pension age. However, action also needs to be taken to provide a retrospective remedy for eligible fee-paid judicial office holders who have already missed out on pension entitlements since 2000, when the part-time workers directive came into effect. With that in mind, the Ministry of Justice indicated in August 2014 its intention to amend the Judicial Pensions and Retirement Act 1993 to provide the required remedy scheme for its eligible fee-paid judicial office holders.”
“<BR /> <BR />It may be helpful to provide some context for Members. Current UK-wide pension provisions for salaried judges were established by the Judicial Pensions and Retirement Act 1993. When that legislation was enacted, it was not envisaged that fee-paid judicial office holders would have access to pension provisions. As a consequence, nothing in current statute permits fee-paid judicial office-holders to access those arrangements. Given the decision in the O’Brien case, there is now a need to address that situation.”
“Following its decision, the Supreme Court referred the matter to an employment tribunal to determine the details of the pension entitlement. Corresponding litigation is ongoing in Northern Ireland. While some matters remain the subject of litigation, the Ministry of Justice, on 17 June 2014, published a statement indicating that in 2015-16 it will put in place a pension scheme for eligible fee-paid judicial office holders for whom it is responsible. <BR /> <BR />Following careful consideration, my Department has accepted that the fee-paid judicial office holders for whom it has responsibility — chairmen of our industrial tribunals and the Fair Employment Tribunal — have salaried comparators. It is therefore necessary to establish pension arrangements for those individuals.”
“Today, I seek the Assembly's agreement to extend to Northern Ireland the provisions of the Westminster Pension Schemes Bill, dealing with the pension arrangements for fee-paid judicial office holders. The requirement to do so has arisen because of a Supreme Court decision in the case of O'Brien v Ministry of Justice. In that case, which dealt with the interpretation and application of the part-time workers directive, the UK Supreme Court held that Mr O'Brien, a fee-paid recorder, was entitled to a pension on terms equivalent to those enjoyed by his salaried counterparts. <BR /> <BR />The effect of the judgement is that all qualifying fee-paid judicial office holders who have a salaried comparator are now entitled to a pension.”
“It is primarily an enabling piece of legislation, but it is consistent with the overarching objectives of the Executive to support individuals, families and the economy overall. I commend it to the House.”
“He recognises that kinship care is outwith the scope of the Bill, but the point that he made is well made and received. No doubt it will continue to be subject to discussions, whether in the Employment and Learning Committee or elsewhere in the Assembly and other Committees. No doubt people will return to that in the future. <BR /> <BR />I also thank my colleague Anna Lo for her comments and her understanding of the Bill. I welcome her to the Committee. No doubt she will provide a unique perspective on a whole range of issues. She focused on the practical benefits that the Bill brings, the evolving shape of the modern family and the shifting balance of how we can best support parents. <BR /> <BR />In conclusion, let me reiterate that this is an important piece of legislation.”
“This should provide a means for key personnel to be retained, or, indeed, return to the workplace more rapidly than in the past, if, indeed, that is the wish of the parents concerned. That will have an impact on productivity levels and on the development of our economy as a whole. <BR /> <BR />Mr Ramsey is also right to put it in the context of what else is happening in the Executive. I concur with him on the importance of early years policy, which the Department of Education is taking forward, and what is happening with childcare, which OFMDFM is taking forward. All three interventions — and, indeed, there are others — are working towards a singular goal of developing our young people, supporting families and supporting our economy overall. We welcome the synergy and interface between all those interventions.”
“As other Members have stressed, it is a Bill that is good for the business community as well as for working families, parents in particular. <BR /> <BR />I concur with Mr Ramsey that this legislation is good for business. It is worth stressing the importance of why we are saying that. It may come across in very narrow terms as more complication and administrative work, but, as Anna Lo also mentioned, there is a real prize for business in the retention and progression of talent. We need to encourage people from a variety of different backgrounds. It is right to reflect on the fact that families now come in all sorts of sizes, shapes, forms and types of unit so that we fully reflect the needs of the modern family, particularly how parents interact with the world of work.”
“The Chair and the Committee have also made the point about a review of the shared parental pay and leave provisions. I am more than happy to give the assurance that we will revert to the Committee with details of our terms of reference for any review in due course, once everything is up and running. That process of continued review is a healthy one to adopt to ensure that what we put through in the high-level discussions actually works on the ground. We have a commitment to take on board fully the views of stakeholders in that regard as we see things develop. <BR /> <BR />I thank Mr Buchanan, the vice-Chair of the Committee, for his ongoing support and understanding of the importance of the Bill to a whole range of constituencies.”
“<BR /> <BR />The Committee will clearly have a major role in all that work. Indeed, it is something that our officials are committed to expediting, because we have our eyes on the prize of getting it in place for 1 April 2015 to coincide with the commencement in the rest of the UK. There are major advantages to ensuring that we act in a coordinated manner, given the crossover between what happens here and elsewhere, not least in terms of the administration to be conducted through HMRC and the fact that companies operate across jurisdictional boundaries in that respect.”
“I thank Members for their comments and, indeed, welcome the points that they raised. I very much concur with the general themes that they reflected. <BR /> <BR />I will respond first to the comments from the Chair of the Committee, Mr Swann. I put on record my thanks to him, the Committee staff and all members of the Committee for the manner in which they have taken the matter forward. As he very well knows and will no doubt concur with and welcome, the Committee's work in that regard is far from concluded. He is quite right to emphasise that this is enabling legislation and that a lot of work is still to be done on the scrutiny and consideration of subordinate legislation. Indeed, some of that will need to return to the Assembly, given the confirmatory nature of some of the subordinate legislation that we are talking about.”
“My officials are considering how best to take this forward in quantitative terms, including how to make best use of information collected by HM Revenue and Customs, which will administer the scheme. However, I assure the Assembly that my Department will continue its normal engagement with stakeholders, exploring any qualitative issues that arise as the new rights bed in. <BR /> <BR />I look forward to hearing Members' contributions on this important Bill, and I commend it to the Assembly.”
“The Committee's call for written submissions, and the opportunity afforded to stakeholders to give oral evidence, provided us all with additional insights into the concerns of stakeholders. The need for continued engagement with stakeholders, particularly in the preparation of guidance, which has been emphasised by the Committee, has resonated with me and my officials and will be a key action going forward. <BR /> <BR />We have already published for comment preliminary draft guidance for employers and are working on a range of other materials which will be issued in the near future. We will be working closely with key stakeholders to ensure that all of the guidance materials will be fit for purpose. It is critical that the uptake of the new rights is appropriately monitored.”