Chris Hazzard
South Down · Sinn Féin · Northern Ireland
“The order I am bringing forward extends the power for my Department to pay a grant to NI Water in lieu of domestic water charges. The current powers to pay a grant will expire on 31 March 2017, and the Water and Sewerage Services Act 2016, which was passed by the Assembly in January last year, provided the power to extend that date by an…”
“I thank those Members who have commented on the motion this evening. Some general issues and several specific points have been raised. <BR /> <BR />I will turn first to Mr Farry's question: why, for the period of time?”
“I am delighted that the Alliance argument around water charges does not chime with more of the electorate and that the particular reason does not hold sway, because this Executive certainly are not for turning on this issue. There will be no water charges for domestic customers, and we have ensured that.”
“<BR /> <BR />The second point that Mr Farry raised was around governance issues and the way forward. They are all issues that I have given thought to and that, I have no doubt, would have featured in the mandate in the time ahead, but we are not at that point today. The Assembly is about to be dissolved.”
“However, the imminent dissolution of the Assembly means I have decided to bring the draft order here today. <BR /> <BR />The grant provides NI Water with the funding to enable it to maintain drinking water supplies and deliver sewerage services.”
“I believe that this order will reinforce the Executive's commitment not to bring in water charging for households, and I thank the Members for their support.”
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“It is important to stress that, as with any large infrastructure project, there are always issues that may cause problems or delays. With the A5 and the A6, as well as any other large infrastructure project that we look to take forward, something is likely to happen. My office received notification this week of the possibility of legal action with regard to the A6, and it is something that officials and I are working through.”
“With the A6, it is important to say that the vesting orders went out a number of weeks ago. We were at the stage where we were launching the A6 and people in the north-west were delighted that we had got there. We are talking, of course, of the stretch from Randalstown to the Castledawson roundabout. I am delighted to announce also that, in the years ahead, work will continue to advance on the Dungiven bypass towards the city. The period for vesting orders will close next week, and construction will begin in October.”
“I repeat: if the option is sitting in front of me, of course I will look at it, but the option is not sitting in front of me.”
“I thank the Member for his question, and to be very blunt, no, it is not something that I have thought of or am likely to give much consideration to in the near future.”
“I thank the Member for his supplementary question. You have touched on the very important issue of the confidence and ability of local people to go out on their bicycles to commute and to take to our roads in a manner in which they feel safe, and are safe. It is an issue that I have been aware of since coming into post. I will be publishing my greenways strategy shortly and a bicycle network plan for Belfast. My wish and that of my Department is to have as many segregated cycling pathways as possible. Of course, it comes down to finances at the end of the day. Often, roads with cycling, pedestrian and vehicular traffic are more than safe. However, the message has to go out to all road users to be aware of those beside them — pedestrians, cyclists or those in cars — and to have a little more respect for everybody who uses the road.”
“I thank the Member for his very topical question. He will understand that I would need to see some images of what he is talking about to get a good grasp of the situation. I am more than happy to sit down with the Member and have a look at it.”
“As a result of these discussions, NI Water agreed to reopen a single lane to allow access to the area. <BR /> <BR />I am happy to report that the work is now substantially complete and there are no further full road closures proposed. The remaining work, to connect the existing customers to the new water main and sewer pipe, can generally be carried out on the road verge and footway. The scheme is expected to be complete by the end of October, well within the original programme. <BR /> <BR />I would like to thank local businesses and the wider community for their patience and cooperation while this essential work was carried out.”
“The replacement of the water main at North Road commenced at the beginning of July and was scheduled to take 14 weeks. From January 2016, NI Water has been in continuous contact with all key stakeholders including elected representatives, schools, private households and businesses to minimise the impact locally. Impacts such as traffic management and providing sufficient local access were key priorities in the works programme. <BR /> <BR />The initial phase saw a single lane closure at the Prince Andrew Way junction, followed by a full road closure in both directions from Prince Andrew Way junction to Middle Road. However, this resulted in problems for a number of businesses at the top of the North Road, in Oakland Park, and their concerns were raised during a meeting between a number of local representatives, NI Water and Transport NI.”
“I thank the Member for his question and for raising the issue. As someone who comes from that part of the world, I would be more than delighted to be able to fund the construction of this very important project in the morning. As you have alluded to, it is something that local populations, including the population of Strangford and south Down, have been looking for. Local campaigners have been campaigning for this for the best part of half a century. I expect the report to be with me very shortly. Regarding the financial situation, while this project is not a flagship programme for the Department, it is something that is very important and I want to see delivered.”
“Subject to a satisfactory outcome, my Department will publish the environmental statement notice of intention to proceed and make the direction order for the proposed scheme. I expect that the making of the vesting order for the scheme will be delayed to align with the construction programme for the bypass.”
“Significant work has been completed on the A24 Ballynahinch bypass to progress the scheme through the preliminary options, preferred option and proposed option scheme assessments. This work enabled the publication of the environmental statement, draft direction and draft vesting orders in March 2015. The former Department for Regional Development received a number of objections during the statutory consultation period for the draft orders, and it was determined appropriate to convene a public inquiry to examine the cases for and against the proposed scheme. The Inquiry was held on 26 and 27 January 2016. The inspector’s report of the inquiry was subsequently received in March 2016, and my Department’s project development team has considered the report and recommendations and is finalising a report for my consideration.”
“I am sure that the Member will be well aware that, due to the operational complexities of the project, the need for wider consumer and customer educational experience and the staff training required, technology enhancements will be phased in with a longer run-in. That will give us a far greater adoption of the new era in Translink ticketing. This is not about leaving people behind. There has to be a message that you will still be able to use cash. Some people out there think that we are going entirely cashless, but that will not be the case at all, so an education process is involved in this. The advance of the Belfast rapid transit system will be very important as we start to roll these out.”
“Concessionary fares are very important to us, and the Executive have protected them year-on-year. We spend some £40 million a year on concessionary fares. Having student fares is very valuable to our young people, who feel financial pressures from a large number of corners. If we can alleviate some of that pressure by doing all that we can in public transport, I will be more than happy to work on that in the future.”
“At this stage in the development, we have not looked specifically at that, but the Member has raised an issue that I think warrants further discussion and further scoping. We want to have a shift from the car to rail. We want to expand our rail services, and I certainly want to be able to meet that need. Part of that, of course, is children travelling to school and the opportunities that exist for them to do so by rail. I will look at that in the months ahead.”
“I thank the Member for his supplementary. No doubt he will be aware that joint services are currently on offer across the island, but we currently do not have the ability to have joint ticketing arrangements. This facility, while not directly creating the opportunity for integrated ticketing straight away, certainly has the scope to do so. I will pick it up with Southern counterparts as we go forward, and I certainly want to engage in a positive way on the way forward.”
“<BR /> <BR />Expected key benefits include improved bus boarding times; reduced use of cash; improved data and communication channels; integrated travel; rewards for regular passengers; and simplified and more accessible ticketing for customers. <BR /> <BR />I recently announced that Parkeon, a global leader in this industry, was awarded the contract to design and deliver the ticketing system in partnership with Translink. Improvements will be seen from 2018.”
“This important project has a number of aims: to transform public transport and deliver customer growth in line with a key Programme for Government indicator; to deliver an innovative ticketing system with a focus on integration, flexibility and convenience; and to develop and deliver replacement ticketing equipment and associated systems nearing the end of their useful life, while modernising with additional operational, technical and customer-led enhancements. <BR /> <BR />Ticketing requirements for the new Belfast rapid transit system will also be delivered through this project. Customers using concessionary fares will continue to avail themselves of them in the new system. The new, modern ticketing system will be equipped with wider-ranging functionality and capabilities and be scalable to allow for integration with other operators.”
“I thank the Member for her supplementary question and welcome the Ulster Unionist Party's all-Ireland approach to the issue. I am more than happy to take this up with counterparts in Dublin. As you say, the issue has maybe suffered from the unintended consequences of other initiatives. <BR /> <BR />Two hundred applications a day, for no matter what size of a team, is a huge amount of work to get through, but, as I outlined to Members on the other side, there is light at the end of the tunnel. As we progress through this, the backlog will be eaten through considerably.”
“That is a new idea to me, and, if the Member wants to correspond with me, I am more than happy to consider it.”
“I thank the Member for his question. I have not seen a constituency-by-constituency breakdown, but I am more than happy to chase that up. We are dealing with approximately 200 applicants a day. Anecdotally, in 1999, you were looking at 12,500 blue badges, and the estimated figure that I outlined is now 125,000. There are many reasons for that huge surge in blue badge applications, but I want to get through the problem and get to the other side.”
“I thank the Member for his question and the interest that the Committee has shown in the issue. I agree with your sentiments: it is something we need to get through. As I outlined, I think that there is light at the end of the tunnel — April 2017 but the message must go out — I think that it has — that, if applications have expired, people will not be punished. I am more than happy to look at cases that have fallen foul of that.”
“Applicants who hold an expired badge and have sent in a renewal application are being advised that traffic attendants on streets and in council car parks will not issue parking tickets to any badge displayed that has expired after 1 May 2016. That information is also available to the public on the NI Direct website. <BR /> <BR />Organisations with responsibilities for disseminating information to hospitals and businesses, including private car park operators, have also been informed about the situation and will be re-notified in mid September.”
“<BR /> <BR />The Department had expected to link to the blue badge service in Britain in April 2016, but no provision was made to allow us locally to access that contract. The situation has now been resolved, and it is hoped we will be allowed to access the service in April 2017. That situation meant that the Department had to locally procure new blank badges to enable it to continue processing. The new blank badges arrived on 7 July 2016, and the process of issuing those held up in the backlog began immediately. <BR /> <BR />Five agency staff are currently employed to process blue badge applications, with another due to start next week. There are approximately 9,900 applications to be processed. Preference is being given to first-time applications, whilst other cases are dealt with in date order.”
“Historically, the blue badge unit carried a number of agency staff to assist with application processing. However, in December 2014, due to a ministerial directive, all temporary staff contracts were terminated as a cost-saving measure. That created a backlog that was not addressed until July 2015, when agency staff were recruited. The unit lost staff under the voluntary exit scheme (VES) in December 2015 and in January and March 2016. Those staff have not been replaced. <BR /> <BR />The estimated number of blue badges in circulation in 2016 will be over 125,000. Application numbers have increased dramatically since the introduction of the personal independence payment (PIP) earlier this year.”
“I thank the Member for his question. Again, although I do not have great detail in front of me about specific junctions, I know a review has taken place over the length of it. I have no doubt that officials have been looking at this. If this is something the Member wants to correspond with me about, I would be more than happy to do so.”
“I thank the Member for his comments. If he reviews Hansard, he will see that I laid out a number of programmes and schemes that will take place to address some of the concerns. I very much want to see a successful conclusion to this, one that makes these roads safer for road users.”
“I thank the Member. He should rest assured: we want to get to the same place as quickly as possible. I have to put it on record that, if the objections are not withdrawn, it is likely the proposals will be subject to a public inquiry, so you will very much have that public sphere. The only outcome of that, of course, is that you will delay the implementation of the scheme by at least a year.”
“Thanks very much for the question. I am not actually aware of the road the Member refers to. I do not have that information in front of me, but I am certainly more than happy to correspond with him on it.”
“I thank the Member for his answer, and I take on board his comments. When we go out to consultation, we want to ensure — I am adamant about this — that road safety is a priority for us. We want to take on board everything that is said during the consultation project. We need to bear it in mind that, where there are objections, we have to look at them. We have a legislative duty to do so. I am more than happy to meet or correspond with the Member in that regard in the future.”
“New warning and direction signage has also been designed and procured and is expected to be installed before the winter season. The remaining works to renew advance direction signs, warning signs, cat's eyes and lines and to cut back vegetation growth are planned to begin shortly and continue over the following months.”
“Road safety is one of my Department's key priorities. In the light of the recent fatalities along that stretch of road, Transport NI carried out a review of safety in consultation with the PSNI, looking at the collision history and the causation factors identified. The review made a number of recommendations, which are now being followed through. <BR /> <BR />My Department is currently consulting on proposals to prohibit right turns out of Woodgreen Road, Maine Road and Cromkill Road on to the A26 Lisnevenagh Road. I understand that there are some objections to the proposals that will have to be addressed. That will delay progress for a number of months and will potentially prevent the prohibitions being implemented. Some work has already been completed to renew white lines at junctions and provide new direction arrows.”
“Where an emergency response to significant flooding is necessary, council-led subregional emergency preparedness group meetings or conference calls can set up a team to provide interagency coordination for those involved in the response. Those forums provide wider situational awareness, inform mutual decision-making, facilitate the easy exchange of information and coordinate the multi-agency response across the affected areas.”
“I thank the Member very much for her question and her kind regards. I am travelling to Fermanagh this week to have a look at some of the remedial work that has taken place to future-proof some of the transport corridor roads and infrastructure in Fermanagh that was badly hit, as you made reference to. I do not have the specific financial information in front of me, but I am more than happy to correspond with the Member.”
“The Member will be very aware that, when we deal with major flooding incidents, it is a matter not of "if" but of "when". With climate change and the very nature of weather, it is not something that we can stop, but we have to manage it. The Member will also be aware of the Alan Strong review: he is a highly acclaimed civil engineer who has compiled an extensive and detailed report that I am due to see shortly. I have no doubt that it will plot out not only the pitfalls and strengths of the 2015-16 winter floods but the best road map for going forward. I look forward to receiving the report shortly. No doubt the Member will have an interest in it, too.”
“Rivers Agency, NI Water and Transport NI all have specific arrangements to deal with flood emergencies, and these include liaison with the Met Office, placing staff on standby, managing their drainage assets during a flood event and carrying out preventative maintenance to grilles. The flooding incident line is also available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to facilitate public requests for assistance. By working together across government and with communities, we can be better prepared for flood events in the future.”
“My Department has a major emergency response plan that provides the overarching framework for the strategic management and coordination of a major emergency such as significant flooding. There are close working relationships across government in the area of flood management, and I am keen to see them enhanced going forward. They should be further strengthened now that the three organisations involved in flood management — Rivers Agency, NI Water and Transport NI — are all within my Department. My Department is the lead Department for the coordination of the emergency response to flooding and makes other organisations aware of the risks, allowing them to be prepared to react to a flood event.”
“I thank the Member for his comments. I am certainly determined to do my best to ensure that our taxi industry meets the needs of the industry and consumers alike. That is very achievable in partnership with my officials and the new taxi stakeholder group.”
“I am very aware of concerns about how class-C licences are being adopted for what might be termed "normal taxis". The class-C licence was designed for use by special or novelty vehicles such as limousines and wedding cars. It was not intended for use by normal taxis. As a result, I have instructed officials to examine the issue with a view to keeping the scope of the class-C licence as intended in the Taxis Act 2008, and I expect action to be taken in the very near future to achieve this.”
“I agree entirely. It is one of the issues that I discussed with industry stakeholders. I believe that there is an employment opportunity here, if it is got right. Some small changes can be taken on board, and my officials are looking at it.”
“I do not intend to take action in relation to any particular industry, such as Uber. Like every taxi operator in the North, Uber must adhere to the law. I understand that, along with some others, it has adopted class-C licences for at least some of its taxis. As I intend to take action to ensure that the scope of the class-C licence reflects the original policy intentions, all those using class-C licences will have to comply with the requirements of class C.”
“I thank the Member for his supplementary question. I agree entirely. I was very clear in the summer when I met the operators and went to the public to lay out my concerns about the legacy issues that we took on. I was also very clear today, and I think that people will understand that the date is still in place and that there will be no further periods of grace. I will meet officials in the morning to discuss enforcement issues and the best way forward for those who, through no fault of their own, given the huge scale of those applying, have not been able to put a meter in place. Let the message be very clear: meters and printers will be part of our taxi industry going forward.”
“My officials have also commenced work to set up a taxi forum, which will include statutory bodies, stakeholders from across the taxi industry and consumer groups. That group will help to inform the content of the review and how it will be progressed. <BR /> <BR />I trust that Members, those in the taxi industry and other key stakeholders are now left in no doubt that I intend to ensure that, at the end of the review process, we will put in place a taxi industry that fully meets the needs of local people and those who visit this part of Ireland.”
“Following my meeting on 3 August with a new taxi group established in the North, I made clear my intention to deal as quickly as possible with this legacy issue. It is vital that there is clarity for consumers and those in the taxi industry on the way forward, and my decision to instruct my officials to commence work immediately on a review demonstrates my commitment to finally putting in place a taxi industry that fully meets the needs of consumers here. <BR /> <BR />I have also been aware that rumours are being spread among taxi operators and drivers that the requirement to have an approved meter and printer is being scrapped. Let me reiterate that that is not the case and that the legislative requirement to have an approved meter and printer installed in all class-A and class-B taxis remains in place.”
“That does not preclude new halts where passenger demand justifies it and additional finance is attainable. <BR /> <BR />I have asked my officials to take note of the Hansard report of the debate. If I have not addressed any of the points raised by Members, I will correspond with them by way of response. In conclusion, I welcome the motion. I fully support the objective to enhance access to the International Airport. However, my immediate priority will be to continue to invest in and support high-quality, frequent and affordable bus connections that meet passenger needs. The provision of a rail link must be a longer-term objective and one that we will explore as annual passenger numbers at the airport approach 10 million. Go raibh míle maith agat.”
“<BR /> <BR />Some Members raised the issue of the cost of maintaining the Knockmore to Antrim section of track. Since 2010, Translink has spent around £1·5 million on keeping that section in its current condition. The benefit of that is that it enables Translink to use the track for staff training, as well as reducing the cost of any future reinstatement of services should the circumstances permit. The existing rail infrastructure passes close to George Best Belfast City Airport and the City of Derry Airport. Linking those airports directly by rail may not necessarily be the best way in which to serve the gateways through public transport. Translink provides frequent and popular bus services to both airports. My Department's priorities are to maintain and improve passenger capacity and to remove bottlenecks on the existing rail network.”
“As passenger numbers at the International Airport approach 10 million, I will wish to explore the opportunities to establish a rail link, but to do so well in advance is unlikely to offer real benefits to passengers or, indeed, the airport. <BR /> <BR />I will turn now to some of the specific points raised by Members. The possibility of establishing a rail freight hub at the International Airport was mentioned. It is thought that that would encourage the use of rail freight. No freight has been carried on local railways since 2003. Although there are benefits to moving freight off-road and on to rail, those can be realised only where they provide a cost-effective alternative to road. As a relatively small land mass with easy access to ports, road is generally more competitive for speed and flexibility.”
“In enhancing public transport access to the International Airport, my immediate priority will be to continue to invest in and support high-quality, frequent and affordable bus connections that meet passenger needs. I can assure Members that I remain committed to investment in our rail network. Indeed, the Executive have set aside funding for significant investment to complete phase 2 on the Derry to Coleraine line. They are also planning to develop new transport hubs in Belfast city centre and Derry at a cost of over £200 million. I will continue to make the case for investment in our rail network. My immediate priority for railway investment, however, is to maintain and improve passenger capacity on the existing network. That approach has delivered significant increases in passenger numbers on rail services in the recent past.”
“Extending a rail link to the International Airport would most likely involve the reopening of the Antrim to Knockmore line and the construction of a spur and rail halt close to the airport terminal. The cost of that has previously been estimated at anywhere between £50 million and £100 million. Even were passenger numbers at the airport to reach 10 million per year, the real benefits to passengers of introducing a rail link are likely to be limited. It is highly unlikely that rail could provide a more regular or more cost-effective link than that already provided by bus. Therefore, while I fully support the objective to enhance access to the International Airport, the provision of a rail link must be a longer-term objective.”
“I thank the Member for his intervention. It has been discussed at length during the debate that it is not simply a rail link to the airport. However, when we are looking at the rail link, the figures are very much part of any feasibility analysis of how we go forward. <BR /> <BR />Last year, 4·4 million passengers used Belfast International Airport, which is an increase of almost 10% on the previous year. Passenger numbers are projected to continue to grow in the forthcoming years and are projected to exceed 10 million by approximately 2030. It is really only at that stage that we could realistically look at the potential to introduce a rail link to the airport.”
“However, it is estimated that annual passenger numbers to the International Airport would have to be around 10 million to make the service economically viable.”