Seán Rogers
South Down · Social Democratic and Labour Party · Northern Ireland
“I welcome the opportunity to speak at Final Stage. Coming from South Down, which has ports such as Kilkeel, Ardglass and the neighbouring port of Portavogie, I think that we should not underestimate the importance of the fishing industry, not alone for those areas but for the wider agrifood industry and our economy in general.”
“It quickly became apparent that the Committee did not have the full authority to interrogate the Bill and, due to that, there would be no time to scrutinise the Bill in its entirety.”
“<BR /> <BR />The issues that the Bill initially tried to tackle that could not be tackled due to time constraints and relevant Committee remits still affect our current practices.”
“<BR /> <BR />Finally, regardless of what the Fisheries Bill initially intended, or what it finally became, it will still deliver a better outcome for Northern Ireland at the end of this mandate. In the end, it may not be the catch of the day, but it is a good supper.”
“Maybe that is a model for us today. <BR /> <BR />Reference has been made to the work of the AERC, its various visits and work on women in politics. The key message for me, whether it is the Assembly or local government, is that we need to be a lot more family friendly, not just for the women but for the men as well.”
“They have made a major contribution to building bridges in this land. <BR /> <BR />On a day like this — the Member opposite spoke about this as well — we have to think of women who are suffering today. We think of the women in Nigeria who were kidnapped by Boko Haram, or in refugee camps in Syria, Calais or wherever.”
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“That has happened on a number of occasions, and she has received first-class care. However, if she takes ill during the day, she is taken to Downpatrick. Recently, her family were contacted and told that she had been taken to Downpatrick, only to discover that she was lying on a trolley there for three or four hours, waiting for a bed to be made available in Downe. That woman will be 84 in a few months' time. How would you like your mother or grandmother to be treated like that? Where is the patient care? Where is Transforming Your Care? Such inhuman treatment is happening in our health service, and it is disgraceful. <BR /> <BR />The SDLP recognises that, while financial responsibility is a major constraint in determining future strategy, it cannot be the sole focus.”
“At a recent meeting, the acting chief executive of the trust outlined the difficulties in attracting middle-grade doctors and consultants to accident and emergency. As the trusts have reduced services at the Downe and Armagh minor injuries, that has put even more pressure on Daisy Hill, which, in turn, puts more pressure on Craigavon and, in turn, the Belfast hospitals. <BR /> <BR />In a recent consultation, Improving through Care, the SDLP voiced its concern. We recognised that it is critical for local people to have confidence in the health service and that healthcare is best delivered at a local level, where the facilities exist. I will give one example of a constituent, an elderly lady who is in a nursing home in Newcastle. If she takes ill during the night, she is moved to Daisy Hill.”
“<BR /> <BR />The towns and rural communities of South Down are being marginalised and let down by the gradual erosion of services, first at the Downe and now at Daisy Hill. I have yet to hear a valid reason why stroke services in the form of a specialised stroke unit at Daisy Hill cannot be maintained. I understand that ongoing consultation with the Dublin Government could result in patients from Louth and Monaghan accessing services at Daisy Hill. Daisy Hill has a fine reputation as a stroke centre. Let us build on it to serve all the people. <BR /> <BR />During the summer, speculation was rife that accident and emergency provision at Daisy Hill was facing a reduction in services due to staff shortages.”
“South Down constituents are now possibly the most disadvantaged citizens in the North. <BR /> <BR />What is the clinical basis for the removal of the stroke unit from Daisy Hill? We all know the reasons why it needs to be retained — to provide quicker access for people living in the hospital catchment area to life-saving treatment. Yes, it is life-saving because, if you have a stroke and live in Mourne, in places such as Attical or Ballyvea, you will do very well to get an ambulance and get to Daisy Hill in 90 minutes, never mind the golden hour. I do not want to detract in any way from the level of service at Craigavon, but, without an air ambulance, the journey there from the Mournes is too long. Frequently in the winter, we have only a coastal road to get to hospital.”
“I will talk more from a South Down perspective. Mourne has lost its hospital and its minor injuries unit, the out-of-hours service operates occasionally and attempts are being made to close the Slieve Roe residential home. We in Mourne depend more than ever on Daisy Hill. The reduction in many critical services, such as A&E at the Downe Hospital and the planned removal of stroke services from Daisy Hill, serve as indicators of the direction of travel that the health service is taking. <BR /> <BR />Patients who are unable to secure appointments via GP surgeries are presenting at already overstretched accident and emergency departments. Cost savings in one department are leading to chaos in others. Patients who rely on services at Daisy Hill and Downe are being denied access to vital care.”
“At the outset, I would like to thank all Members and staff who supported today's Macmillan coffee morning in honour of our good friend Stephen McKiernan. <BR /> <BR />I welcome the opportunity to speak on the motion and want to start by paying tribute to the front-line healthcare professionals who do a fantastic job working under extreme pressure. It is a common occurrence for a nurse who finishes a shift at 8.00 pm still to be caring for his or her patients an hour later. Like the Member who spoke previously, I acknowledge the efforts of the trust to maintain the A&E at Daisy Hill as a 24-hour service. <BR /> <BR />The most worrying aspect today is that we do not have a Health Minister in charge. Who is running the health service? We hear grand references to equality in access to services in rural areas, but all we see is centralisation.”
“Will the Minister outline his assessment of how the Sellafield nuclear power plant impacts on the North's coastal environment communities? Over the years, Eddie McGrady campaigned against Sellafield. Given the major health concerns in south Down and the higher-than normal incidences of cancer in the area, what is his assessment?”
“If we are to avail ourselves of the new €500 million relief package and deal with this effectively, we need a flexible and confident joint approach that seeks the best outcomes for our farmers.”
“We encouraged our sheep farmers to improve their product. Many farmers did that by improving their breeding and introducing better nutrition, increasing their productivity from 1·5 lambs to 1·9 or two lambs per ewe. The figures, however, do not match up. The farmer today is getting £20 less per lamb, so it just does not work. <BR /> <BR />We have the product and the quality, so all we need is confidence and a Department that will ensure that farmers are given the space to deliver a quality product.”
“Historically, Northern Ireland farming has been complex and versatile, and it has always required a level of cooperation from the South, from Britain and from Europe. <BR /> <BR />I return to the issue of sheep. A great strategy document, 'Going for Growth', was published a year ago, and one of its recommendations for beef and sheep was:”
“An increase in private storage capacity, for example, is essential for dealing with the overproduction of milk that has occurred since the abolition of milk quotas earlier this year. As my colleague Joe Byrne noted, we are simply producing more milk than we need on the island of Ireland at a time when we are without proper access to large markets such as Russia or China. Private storage presents the best solution by ensuring that our dairy produce can be kept and distributed effectively to maximise the benefit for our farmers. <BR /> <BR />The need for cooperation cannot be stressed enough. Northern Ireland needs to take advantage of every opportunity possible to restore farmer confidence and rehabilitate the dairy industry.”
“As I said at the beginning, forget about playing politics: we need all political parties to lobby DEFRA to ensure that Northern Ireland gets a fair price. <BR /> <BR />I regret that the SDLP amendment was not accepted. It had a simple distinct purpose and would have resulted in a positive outcome for farmers. Our amendment called for the upfront delivery of 70% of the basic payment. Think of what that would do for cash flow. <BR /> <BR />There could be a raise in the intervention dairy milk price and an increase in private storage capacity, in line with Commissioner Phil Hogan's extension of private storage capacity schemes for skimmed milk powder, butter and cheese. Any one of those measures would greatly alleviate the crisis.”
“<BR /> <BR />As for the relief package, it would be madness to have the same level of aid across GB and Northern Ireland. Farmers in England are getting up to 22% more for their milk. Is it fair that farmers who have a supermarket contract worth 30p a litre get the same aid as Northern Ireland farmers? <BR /> <BR />In the crisis that we are facing, it is critical that the Minister engages with her counterparts at all levels and that they work together to ensure a solution that contains further damage.”
“The SDLP has consistently voiced concern that DARD has failed to reform its administrative system to match the needs of farmers and has instead created only more bureaucracy. The failure in the delivery of the single farm payment best represents the ongoing flawed system. <BR /> <BR />I welcome the Minister's statement last week, her commitment to championing the agri-sector in Northern Ireland and her support for a raised intervention price, although I am slightly concerned about how discussions with DEFRA and the Commission have been going. Last week, I asked the Minister how the discussions were going. Her response was promising, and I hope that further negotiations will be more fruitful. I urge the Minister to negotiate hard because of the unique position our Northern Ireland farmers are in.”
“Last week, I held a farming focus event. The message must get through that farmers are very concerned about loss of income and the uncertainty of the future. There is also a clear message from farmers: stop playing politics. <BR /> <BR />The crisis has been caused by multiple factors, and, to be fair to the Minister, it would be unreasonable for any Member to claim that the current situation is solely due to a failure by DARD. We cannot blame the Minister for a Russian import ban and a surprising downturn in the Chinese market. That said, DARD's actions and decisions over the last five years, particularly last year, have not aided the situation. In fact, the failure of DARD to evolve has not only allowed international fluctuations to hit but allowed them to hit much harder.”
“I welcome the opportunity to speak on the motion. I declare an interest as a sheep farmer. It was interesting to listen to the Chair of the Agriculture Committee make so many political points given that, last week, he was not in the Chamber to respond to the Minister on a very, very important statement. <BR /> <BR />As the motion notes, there has been a growing crisis across all sectors of agriculture in Northern Ireland, particularly the dairy and beef sectors. It is a crisis that has left farmers' confidence shaken and has significantly undermined the Department of Agriculture in the eyes of farmers across the North. Let there be no doubt of the crisis that we find ourselves in. Certainly, we cannot claim that the current problems are trivial or short term, when we see farmers being forced into protests across the North.”
“Thanks to the Minister for her statement. Minister, what discussions have you had with the Department responsible for trade and industry about developing the full tourist potential of all our canals?”
“The one thing that struck me recently was when I heard a young mother who pays over £30,000 a year in childcare. The introduction of 30 hours of subsidised childcare would provide an appropriate platform on which to build the Executive's childcare strategy and move towards universal childcare in Northern Ireland as a more permanent step to supporting working families here.”
“John McCallister said that this must be the backdrop to many other decisions that the Assembly needs to take. There needs to be a dose of realism, certainly around the Assembly. It does not seem to have got home, because we do not have a great turnout here today. The emphasis is again on early intervention and lack of cohesion. We want cohesion all the way here. <BR /> <BR />As for my party colleague, I congratulate Patsy for organising his conference.”
“That came across from a lot of people today — the cohesion or cooperation between Departments. Those of us in the Education Committee know about the lack of cohesion, particularly between health and education and that early intervention. <BR /> <BR />My colleague Claire gave her maiden speech, and I congratulate her for it. It was a passionate performance by a young mother of two. All I could think of was that Carmel Hanna had a good strategy for rearing her children. The product is here today. Claire talked about the link between childcare and work. The reform of work is central to that. She mentioned — and it is very important — the balance between home and work. More must be done to allow mums to work part time. <BR /> <BR />We have another parent to my left with a young family.”
“If we could get the Assembly working together — and other people have referred to the lack of representation from the Bench opposite in developing this very important area of childcare for our children, for this generation and for future generations. <BR /> <BR />Mrs Overend spoke passionately as a mother of three on how you balance work and childcare. She reminded us of the Programme for Government and affordable childcare for all. I suppose you could sum up OFMDFM as "Could do much better". Chris Lyttle talked about 51% of parents reducing their work because of lack of childcare. He also mentioned OFMDFM. It needs to do a lot better. <BR /> <BR />I mentioned Maeve McLaughlin earlier. She talked about the whole area of developing needs and that we also need to get that long-term approach.”
“You are speaking from the heart here, Mr McCallister, as a parent of young children and so on, but this is fundamental to the development of our children and our economy, so I will not take that any further. <BR /> <BR />We talk about contributions from people today. Mr Sheehan felt that our motion did not go far enough, but he did not want to nitpick. Perhaps if an amendment had been tabled, we would have looked quite favourably at it in how it could be developed even further to make it a more substantial debate. He talked about how it should not be a service for a labour market. It is about improvements for all. It is not a babysitting service. Mr Sheehan also talked about the lack of cohesion. That is quite a familiar word at the minute, with the lack of cohesion of the Assembly.”
“We propose that, given legislative changes by the Conservative Government as outlined above, we ask that we are treated equally on this so that inequality does not arise with access to childcare and work for families in England. It is much the same as what we want here.”
“There are a couple of things on that. As I think I said earlier, childcare and provision for our young people are fundamental to the building of our economy. It is something that can be looked into under the Barnett consequentials anyhow.”
“For this reason, pre-existing inadequacies in childcare here will be further highlighted by a changing UK context whilst the Northern Ireland Executive continue to consult on a childcare strategy. The Secretary of State, Theresa Villiers, said in another context recently that you will not get anything better here than you have in England. We just want the same with childcare provision.”
“Thanks for that intervention. If we can give our children the right start, they can reach their potential and make a positive contribution to society. Not alone can we deliver social change but economic change through better childcare provision. <BR /> <BR />Other Members talked about the Northern Ireland/England divide and explained the differences between the Northern Ireland and the English systems. The Conservative Government in England have committed to passing legislation to increase entitlement to preschool childcare for three- and four-year-olds to 30 hours a week. This change is planned for England only and will not replace the current preschool education expansion programme here in Northern Ireland.”
“A number of studies, some of which included control groups, indicated that childcare provision, especially when targeted towards groups that might otherwise be characterised by various social problems, has the potential to produce favourable social and educational outcomes, especially over the long term.”
“In 2012, an analysis on maternal employment rates and their correlation with child poverty and found out that those OECD countries with the highest maternal employment rates tend to have the lowest rates of child poverty. A greater investment in childcare in Northern Ireland should not be viewed as a primary benefit to parents in monetary costs only. High maternal employment rates and affordable, high-quality childcare not only helps families financially but helps with the development of the child. Maeve McLaughlin focused very much on the development of the child. <BR /> <BR />As other Members said, not every parent will choose childcare. One or other parent may decide to stay at home and rear their children, but for many that is not an option. It is of necessity that many have to go out to work.”
“<BR /> <BR />OFMDFM research from 2014 found that more than half of parents saw cost as the main barrier to using childcare services. Many parents stated that the cost of childcare prevents them either from using registered childcare services at all or from using them as much and as often as they would prefer. The SDLP realises the impact that the rising costs of childcare are having on families here, and not just on mothers. We have stay-at-home fathers as well. It is having an impact on mothers and fathers who wish to return to the workplace. They need to be supported so that, if they wish, they can return to work without fear of crippling childcare costs. <BR /> <BR />There has been quite a bit of talk today about the advantages to the child of early intervention.”
“I thank all those who contributed to the debate. The bottom line is that childcare costs £600 per child per month. Others mentioned the 2014 childcare costs survey, in which over half of the respondents stated that childcare costs took up over half of their partner's take-home pay. That is difficult to manage. If you bring the economy in along with that, you see that, in UK terms, our economy is underperforming. PwC reported that economic growth would remain the lowest of the 12 UK regions in 2015. In that context, overall employment levels in Northern Ireland have decreased. Part-time working, the majority of which is carried out by female workers, has increased, and female employment rates and economic activity levels are significantly lower than in England.”
“I thank the Minister for her answer and for her efforts. When we visit our supermarkets, we find Fairtrade coffee, bananas and so on, and, although this area is not a developing country, it is certainly at the mercy of ruthless traders. What efforts will you make to have fair trade for our agricultural produce?”
“Thanks for your statement, Minister. Following on from your last answer, when do you expect that payments from the €500 million European package will come? What fraction do you expect to get, bearing in mind our unique position, particularly, as you mentioned, with milk prices here being 22% below what they are in Britain?”
“It is just as well that I have that extra minute. Mr Lunn must have been counting the times that I used the word "shared". Did you notice that I talked about Shimna College, a really good integrated school in my constituency? Its improving languages project really brought schools together from different communities and, to me, embedding it in the curriculum is the way that we take this forward. It is not shared for shared sake, but something that is really embedded in the curriculum. The development of those strong curricular links is key, along with keeping a strong focus on school improvement, as other Members have mentioned.”
“Such an innovative programme would be a win-win for STEM, for primary and post-primary links, for teachers' continuing professional development and, above all, for embedding shared education. That is just one example. We could do the same with literacy and numeracy and so on. <BR /> <BR />Rather than becoming an additional bureaucratic burden, shared education should be seen as a natural extension of relationships between schools. It is not a threat to an individual school or school sector but an opportunity to complement it. Many of the recommendations allude to the fact that shared education can become embedded in schools only through the development of strong curricular links and a strong focus —”
“<BR /> <BR />I welcome the direction of the Shared Education Bill, but the Bill will not suffice on its own. Shared education has to be embedded in our curriculum. Schools must be encouraged and supported to adopt shared education. Two schools coming together for an annual hockey match or a football match is not really shared education. Shared education needs embedment. The language project that I mentioned is just one example. Shared education can itself be viewed as part of a solution to other challenges faced by schools. Take, for example, the shortage of STEM provision in primary schools. That could be addressed by a post-primary science department and three or four primary schools from both sides of the community coming together to plan and deliver the primary science programme.”
“I suppose that I am asking this question: why do schools that are part of the Delivering Social Change shared education programme have their letter of offer rescinded because there are issues with the Key Stage 2/Key Stage 3 assessment in their school? <BR /> <BR />Shared and integrated education should not be limited to Catholics and Protestants; it should include children of non-Christian religions and no religion and children of different socio-economic backgrounds and of different races. Giving children the opportunity to interact with children beyond their immediate community benefits them and promotes harmonious relationships between communities. Children who are exposed to a diverse range of backgrounds, traditions and cultures will see difference for what it is: natural and something to be celebrated.”
“Like other Members, I have experienced many examples where it works really well. One that comes to mind was a sharing languages project organised by Shimna Integrated College in Newcastle, where the Spanish teacher delivered a weekly language programme in the primary schools to children from different backgrounds. The project even got the backing of the First Minister when he attended prize-giving. Unfortunately, like many other excellent schemes, the project ended once the initial funding ran out. <BR /> <BR />On a similar note, perhaps the Minister, in his reply, will address the apparent linking of shared education funding to Key Stage 2/Key Stage 3 statutory assessment.”
“<BR /> <BR />We have a rich and varied educational landscape. The focus of shared education should encompass early childhood services through primary and post-primary education, further education and special education. Education is the key way in which we can promote reconciliation in our society, and it is vital that shared education is done right.”
“I am glad to see the report coming to the House after a year's work. I thank the Committee staff for their work in bringing the report together. I am sure that it will provide a useful insight into the state of shared and integrated education in the North and will also be useful for the Shared Education Bill. <BR /> <BR />Education provides the building blocks of individuals' lives and the society that they live in. Parents should have a wide choice of schools, but one thing that all schools should have is a commitment to high-quality education. Most recently, the Scottish First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, said that improving educational attainment was a priority in her Programme for Government. We have similar ambitions here, but they have to be linked to a strong emphasis on shared education.”
“I welcome that from the Minister. I know that everybody has to live within their budget. Concerns have been expressed by many, including the president of the Law Society, that a reduction in legal aid funds is an attack on access to justice for the most vulnerable. How does the Minister hope to further address that?”
“I am concerned at the level of assaults. Has the redefinition of recording assaults been a factor in the fading number of recorded assaults, Minister?”
“<BR /> <BR />We trust that the Westminster and Dublin Governments will follow the lead, albeit a bit late, of Germany and Austria and welcome migrants to this island. It is not so long since our ancestors left this island on coffin ships to seek a better future. Now is the time to show that we really care about our fellow man. Words are just a start; we need action.”
“Even more importantly, it is imperative to effectively address the causes that force people to flee their homes and to offer durable solutions for those whose lives continue to be uprooted. These solutions include effective international protection and concrete support for persecuted minorities who wish to remain in their home countries; the restoration of political stability and security to allow for voluntary and safe return; socio-economic development and the rule of law, including anti-corruption measures to ensure that people can enjoy the fruits of their own lands; long-term planning and training standards and the bilateral organisation of legal migration flows to effectively match the needs of the receiving countries with the labour talents of the sending countries; and effective and peaceful integration into host countries, offering communities between them of diverse peoples based on values of love, justice, equality and freedom.”
“It is shameful that it has taken the death of one little boy to shock the western world into action. One of the major focuses of our deliberations has been on global migration, including the growing refugee crisis resulting from the persecution of Christians and other minorities in the Middle East and north Africa. The particular plight of Syrian refugees is such that one in every four refugees is Syrian. <BR /> <BR />As legislators, we are united in our opposition to the politics of fear and in honouring rights and the common good so that migration can be legal and of choice rather than of necessity. In the light of there being over 60 million currently displaced persons worldwide, we believe it imperative that we provide humanitarian refuge.”
“I thank the Minister for his answers thus far. Minister, can you give the same commitment to permanent residents in Slieve Roe nursing home in Kilkeel? On a more general point, can you tell us a wee bit more about the specific role of statutory residential care within the old people's model?”
“Minister, with respect to your discussions with your Welsh counterpart, are there any particular lessons around the Barnett formula that you would like to bring back to the House?”
“Thanks to the Minister for his answers thus far. Will he detail the reasons why the Departments are not being named as statutory community development partners?”
“— a problem at third level, but the source of the problem is back in our primary schools. Today, lots of our children are having an enriched STEM experience in the University of Ulster through Sentinus, but all children —”
“We must ensure that our curriculum is future-proofed. Computer programming and coding is already part of the curriculum in other areas, including two of our nearest neighbours, England and the Republic. We welcome workers from other areas, but will our students be at a disadvantage when applying for jobs in the digital economy? Digital opportunities are huge, both economically and socially, because technology is such a great leveller. <BR /> <BR />We will be supporting the motion. We do not need a sticking-plaster approach. We need a strategic approach that tackles the STEM deficit. Yes, there is —”
“Students want better grades as their passport, while schools want to climb the league tables, but, by removing the contribution of practical work to grades, you inevitably remove the value of practical work. <BR /> <BR />We must ensure that we have a sufficient number of talented teachers in all Key Stage areas if we are to have a highly skilled workforce that is necessary for our future economy. We need subject specialists who can inspire students with their passion. Many teachers are crying out for that extra support and the opportunity to develop their teaching skills and subject knowledge.”