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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“A compromise is the best way to look at this, but it is disappointing that there is no longer a voice for the community on the authority. Some parties need to ask themselves how they can argue in the Education Committee and bemoan the lack of community voice when it comes to education decisions — they often point out that the interests of sectors often trump that — and yet come in today and back an amendment that removes the community voice because the sector that they are closest to now gets a seat on the authority. I do not want to labour the point, but I think that it is a double standard.”
“Go raibh maith agat, a LeasCheann Comhairle. On the back of what the Chair has outlined, I will concentrate on amendment Nos 9, 10 and 11. We are happy to support the technical amendments as outlined by the Minister. <BR /> <BR />Going back to a point raised by Mr Lunn about Sinn Féin tabling an amendment and everything else, Sinn Féin, with other parties, talked about a compromise position, which I am disappointed was not accepted. I think that it was inclusive to give membership for the integrated, Irish-medium and voluntary grammars on the board, but it would still protect the four community places, which, I think, are so important to the authority. Unfortunately, that has not been accepted. However, in the very spirit of compromise around the Bill, we are happy to see amendment No 11 go through.”
“I thank the Member for giving way. Could he provide some clarity? He bemoans what he refers to as the public interest being overruled by sectoral interest, yet his name is to a DUP amendment that promotes sectoral interest while getting rid of community representation on the board. Can he square the circle, please?”
“I thank the Member for the intervention. I am trying to make it clear that these amendments exclude the Irish-medium sector. If passed, they would be open to legal challenge. If we had an authority here that excluded one sector in particular while promoting another, it would be open to legal challenge. That is why we will not support the amendments. <BR /> <BR />Frankly, John McCallister's amendments are probably unnecessary. I will wait to see how the Member describes what they will do or the real need to have them. I do not see the real need for them, but that is not to suggest that I am opposed to them in any particular way. As I said, I will wait to hear what the Member says, so I will leave it there.”
“We should be under no illusions: those duties will still apply to the body. No matter what we discuss or decide today, that will be the case.”
“Likewise, on the community use of schools, I do not think that anybody in here would deny the fact that we need to see the greater use of schools. However, to my mind, what was proposed last time did not sit comfortably with the legislation. I am glad that, hopefully, it will be tidied up today. The amendments in that regard will undoubtedly make the relevant provisions more practical and sustainable. <BR /> <BR />Finally, I will touch on the Alliance amendments, Nos 2 and 3. As we outlined rigorously the previous day, the duty already exists on the Department and all associated bodies to encourage and facilitate integrated education under article 64 of the 1989 Education Reform Order, as with article 89 of the 1998 Order for Irish-medium education, and so it will be with the Education Authority.”
“Sorry. I want to get through this. <BR /> <BR />We referred to statements from the Minister that outlined his intention to bring forward a policy paper and a stand-alone Bill. That brings a certain amount of clarity to the situation again today. As the Minister has already outlined, I welcome the fact that the Assembly and the Committee will have the time to consider a definition of shared education and what it means going forward in light of the authority and will work with the authority. <BR /> <BR />It is important to support the amendments around allowing the legislative reorganisation of the duty to encourage, facilitate and promote shared education in light of this. It is something that the community wants to see.”
“Go raibh maith agat, a Phríomh-LeasCheann Comhairle. Like Members who spoke previously, I welcome the opportunity to speak on the Further Consideration Stage of what is very important legislation. <BR /> <BR />I will outline where we are coming from in regard to some of the amendments. We will not support amendment Nos 2 and 3 — the Alliance ones — which I will touch on. We are happy enough to go along with the rest in group 1. My colleagues and I raised legitimate concerns around the notion of trying to define shared education before it was done by the Department. We referred to statements from the Minister —”
“Go raibh maith agat, a LeasCheann Comhairle. Will the Minister outline whether there is scope for improvement in the support available for victims and survivors?”
“Go raibh maith agat, a Phríomh-LeasCheann Comhairle. I want to follow up on comments that have been made, and I offer my congratulations to those who have worked on this very comprehensive report. Will the Minister confirm whether the report now paves the way for stand-alone Irish-medium post-primary schools? Indeed, is there now the potential to bring together various Celtic nations for the promotion of education in their native language?”
“I thank the Member for giving way. The Member's colleague stated that she would support the right of the integrated sector and the voluntary grammars to have membership. Does the Ulster Unionist Party also accept the right of the Irish-medium sector to be on the board?”
“<BR /> <BR />I welcome the opportunity today to discuss in general terms the principles of the Bill. In the days ahead, Sinn Féin will continue to engage with interested parties as we prepare for the consideration of the Bill in finer detail.”
“Vested interests and reactionary objections must not hide the real and present need for reform. Dogma must not stand in the way of necessary change. In driving forward with the desire for educational excellence, standing still is simply not an option. The delivery of education in the North has developed over the decades into a system designed around the needs of our schools and institutions, often at the expense of the needs of our young people. Certainly we deliver education through schools, and the needs of those schools are important, but we cannot continue to shape our education service around the needs of buildings. In the light of that, I hope that the new Education Authority can be a strategic body that drives change in the decades ahead.”
“<BR /> <BR />Embedded firmly in the context of previous Bills brought forward, the 2014 Education Bill reveals a few areas of fresh thinking and demonstrates a mature flexibility in looking at solutions to issues that were previously of concern to stakeholders. In the light of that, I welcome the Minister's commitment today, and previously in Committee, around the controlled sector. I know that that brings comfort to all sides of the House. Members will no doubt talk today about the membership arrangements of the board. Again, that is an area in which we all need to be prepared to listen to the arguments put forward over the next days and weeks as we move into Consideration Stage. Sinn Féin is certainly more than willing to do so. <BR /> <BR />We must continue to push forward with determination and commitment to educational excellence.”
“Secondly, the Bill will signal change in respect of teaching employment committees. The new membership provisions and the issues of scale that are now presented by our regional organisation mean that those arrangements can no longer continue. The Bill outlines that the authority will now develop an appointments scheme that will require departmental approval. However, that transformation, thankfully, does not represent a wild stab in the dark for our system. The authority will build on the vast work and experience of the various boards and education bodies as it drives forward to raise standards in the North.”
“Despite the fact that the Bill retains the weighting effect of provisions that had previously applied to the balance of transferor and trustee members since 1986, arrangements now resemble the provisions that were agreed for the ESA and reflect an agreed up-to-date model for the governance of regional-level administration.”
“Undoubtedly, at this point in the evolution of administrative reform, the Bill provides the most efficient and effective way of providing such administrative arrangements that are compatible with the new local government structures that will take effect from 1 April 2015. As outlined by the Minister, the Bill is clearly the minimum legislation that is required to create a single board in place of the five that are currently in operation; an exercise in expediency, perhaps, but a vital change if we are to provide effective and efficient education administration in the years ahead. <BR /> <BR />As the Minister outlined today, the Bill will provide for two significant changes to administration oversight. The first relates to provisions on membership and the chair of the authority.”
“Our system is characterised by uneven performance with outstanding academic excellence coupled with still too many children leaving school without five good GCSEs. Tasked with modernising the administration of education here in the North, the Bill will see the replacement of an outdated administration system with one that better meets the needs of the 21st century. <BR /> <BR />At the core of that reform and indeed the Bill is the foundation of the Education Authority, which will be tasked with overseeing the establishment of a modern, fit-for-purpose administration system. The Bill provides for the establishment of a single Education Authority at the expense of the existing five library boards and their Staff Commission.”
“Indeed, in a recent debate on pupil absenteeism, the UUP spokesperson, Danny Kinahan, called for urgent action. He said he had had enough of policies and strategies, yet when a much-needed development in education reform comes along, the UUP seeks again to stall and score points against a political rival. <BR /> <BR />I challenge the UUP to outline today what it believes in and, if it is so opposed to the process of change, to bring alternative ideas to the table, because all its efforts to outflank the DUP will ultimately fail. More depressingly, it will continue to fail the young people who rely on a fit-for-purpose education system. <BR /> <BR />The case for change in education is obvious.”
“In light of this, I welcome the clarification from the Minister on arguments that were put forward by some Members, especially around the fact that he will now give the Committee sight of business cases as soon as possible, and also the clarification that, despite protest in the Chamber this morning, the UUP did not, in fact, object to accelerated passage at the Executive. As the Member who spoke last outlined, some serious questions need to be put to the UUP. <BR /> <BR />Once again, we know what the UUP is opposed to, but we remain totally clueless as to what it is actually in favour of. We used to hear that it was in favour of a single education system, yet it opposes a streamlined single authority that would oversee such a system.”
“This dedication has not only delivered many key services but has developed many new approaches and facilitated much improvement during a long and often arduous journey for our education system. <BR /> <BR />The Education Bill is undoubtedly a milestone on this journey. I know that some Members spoke this morning about parties surprisingly acquiescing to the demands of the Executive, but, for me, this is not the case. We have all been listening to the messages coming from the front line, our schools and the boards. The message is very clear: we need agreement and we need it now.”
“Go raibh maith agat, a LeasCheann Comhairle. Like the last Member to speak, I, too, welcome the opportunity to discuss the Education Bill in a bit more detail this afternoon following the discussion earlier regarding accelerated passage. <BR /> <BR />As I outlined this morning, the ongoing delay in establishing ESA has placed huge strain on those who work for the boards and commission. I have no doubt that today's developments will come as welcome news to those who have endeavoured for years to plug the gaps. It is only proper though that, in the debate concerning the need to build a modern, fit-for-purpose system, we recognise and acknowledge the dedication of those who have shown great commitment to improving the educational experience of learners for the best part of the last half century.”
“<BR /> <BR />The Minister summed it up well at Committee and again here today when he described the consequence of accelerated passage not being granted as a "scenario of many significant risks". Those risks significantly outweigh the potential for accelerated passage to have any negative consequences given the transparent straightforwardness of a Bill that contains six clauses. I also welcome the commitment from the Minister that this instance does not establish or intend any precedent in bringing forward future legislation. It is a measure for the unique demand of the present situation and the time frame imposed by RPA. In light of such, we are content to support the Minister's request for accelerated passage.”
“<BR /> <BR />The Minister has outlined today the severe implications if accelerated passage were not to be granted and that the 1 April 2015 deadline would, in all probability, be breached. Not only would the system once again bemoan the lack of cohesion and vision from its political representatives in Stormont, but the failure to align our administration structures to that of the review of public administration would place our boards on a precarious legal footing. It is a nightmare scenario that must be avoided. The boards have endeavoured for some years now to shoulder much of the effects of a lack of agreement on ESA. We must not walk away from the table again without agreeing a way forward.”
“However, despite the Minister agreeing to a number of significant compromises, we were still unable to secure political agreement to take the Education Bill forward. There can be no doubt that the delay in reaching agreement on this critical issue is having a detrimental impact on education structures. It must not be allowed to continue. <BR /> <BR />Given the huge financial constraints being imposed on the Assembly, and specifically on education budgets, the fact that the reform has the potential to save £180 million over the next 10 years should not be cast aside so easily. Not only will the reform deliver much of the savings and efficiencies of the original ESA plans, but it will ensure the effective use of public funds and that the money already invested in preparing for ESA has not been wasted.”
“I think that it is fair to suggest that the Committee took on board the rationale presented by the Minister, and I hope that such consensus will be reached again here today. Too often in recent years, political consensus on educational reform has been difficult to achieve. To the detriment of our system and the welfare of our teachers and pupils, the protection of narrow political interests has scuppered much-needed educational reform. To the eyes of many, certain political parties have too often trapped themselves in the straitjacket of zero-sum politics when discussing administrative reform in our education system. They prioritise the narrow needs of a particular interest over the strategic interests of our system as a whole. Indeed, in 2011, the Assembly agreed to the establishment of ESA.”
“Go raibh maith agat, a LeasCheann Comhairle. I, too, welcome the Minister bringing forward the relevant legislation to bring our education administration system into line in time for the implementation of RPA on 1 April 2015. Effective and efficient reform of our system has long been sought, so it is fair to say that each and every part of our education system looks forward to this long overdue process of change. <BR /> <BR />Given the quite considerable time constraints that the Minister and Department face in implementing the proposed changes, Sinn Féin is content that the Bill proceeds with accelerated passage. At the end of September, the Minister briefed the Committee on various aspects of the Bill and took the opportunity to outline the need for accelerated passage.”
“I thank the Member for giving way. Would she agree that more also needs to be done to include the GAA in tourism events organisations and advertisements? The Member no doubt was at the Down county final at the weekend. We have thousands of people attending these popular events, far more than a weekly attendance at a local soccer match, yet they never appear in any tourism advertisements.”
“They play an important part, but we need to ensure that we have a very fertile ground for private entrepreneurism in the area.”
“There is absolutely no reason that we cannot have a greenway from Carlingford to Kilkeel. <BR /> <BR />This ties into the wider issue of the need for economic levers. The VAT issue for local hoteliers and the hospitality sector in South Down is very important, as is that of licensing hours. Every year, popular holiday destinations such as Newcastle are forced to shut down over the Easter weekend and turn away people who want to spend money on having a glass of wine with their lunch or dinner, and everything else. We seriously need to address that. <BR /> <BR />I welcome the chance to have been able to talk about this here today. I agree that public services and the decentralisation of public jobs are important, but we need to be careful not to rely on those as the stimulus for our local economy. They will not be.”
“That needs to be seriously addressed, although I do pay tribute to the roll-out of the broadband provision over the next 12 months. We are going to see quite a big difference being made to the ability of local businesses to be able to connect to the World Wide Web. <BR /> <BR />We also need to harness the potential for all-Ireland infrastructure in South Down. Too often, we used to stare across Carlingford lough at each other and wonder what the other side was doing. With the memorandum of understanding now in place between Louth County Council and Newry and Mourne District Council, we need to build on that. There is no reason that the Cooleys, Slieve Gullion and the Mournes cannot become a premier destination. My colleague talked about the importance of the greenway.”
“That helps to keep people in education and gives them an understanding that success can be achieved through not just the traditional arts or the traditional professional and public routes into university but through starting an indigenous business locally in South Down. <BR /> <BR />We also need to see great improvement in infrastructure, especially in transport connectivity. We have gridlock on the streets of Downpatrick. We have what can only be described as a not-fit-for-purpose road from Newry to Downpatrick, which are the two major towns in the constituency. Of course, the Belfast to Downpatrick road is gridlocked in Ballynahinch and Saintfield. Those issues need to be overcome, as does the issue of communication networks. We have already heard about the broadband and mobile coverage.”
“It is starting to work through a lot of the issues that exist in the industry. <BR /> <BR />For us to harness the potential of those issues, we need to ensure that the infrastructure at the base is right. We certainly need to look at the area of education, in which there has been great success. We need a greater focus on STEM and on the globalised market for subjects that our kids are doing nowadays . We need to build a sense of entrepreneurism among our pupils in school. To that end, I pay tribute to the former Education Minister for the ideas of the revised curriculum and the entitlement framework.”
“Another aspect is the potential for film and TV investment. We already see the great success of shows such as 'Game of Thrones'. We need to be looking to build on that. <BR /> <BR />Another sector is agriculture. There is huge potential in our agrifood industry. I welcome the impetus that Michelle O'Neill has given to the protection of small farmers and small farming industries. In South Down, and for our hill farms especially, that is very important. What she is doing is great. I also pay tribute to her for the establishment of the Fishing Industry Task Force. That industry, and the North's fishing capacity, is more or less wholly situated in South Down. We engaged with the Minister last year over some of the difficulties with fishing. I am delighted that she established the task force.”
“For the first time, the Mournes, for example are in one district council area that will be controlled by one tourism department, which is very important. I probably remain to be convinced, though, of the validity of having a cable car up Slieve Donard. I will await the report, but we need imaginative ideas such as that from local sources. <BR /> <BR />We have very strong arts and crafts and artisan food and drink industries that need support. As has been outlined by Members, we have perhaps the most scenic natural environment of anywhere in the North — indeed, across the island. The link has been made twice already between the kingdom of Mourne and the kingdom of Kerry. There is absolutely no reason that the kingdom of Mourne and the wider south Down area should not be hitting the same tourism figures as the likes of Kerry in the South.”
“Public services no doubt play an important role in Down, and I too welcome Michelle O'Neill's decision to decentralise public sector jobs. I have been in touch with the Justice Minister to ensure that the future of Downpatrick Courthouse is protected; it plays a central role in the town. However, we do not need to put all our eggs in the basket of decentralisation of public jobs. Although that is important, we need to look at rebalancing our economy in a way that suits the attributes and skills of people in South Down. <BR /> <BR />What do I think is the potential in South Down? There is no doubt that tourism is one of the main drivers that we need to harness, especially now, with the new councils coming together.”
“Go raibh maith agat, a LeasCheann Comhairle. I, too, welcome the opportunity to speak in this important Adjournment debate, and I pay tribute to Seán for securing it. In fact, jobs, economy and health in South Down have been debated in recent months, which is good to see. <BR /> <BR />PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) recently published quite a patchy economic forecast for the North's performance as a whole. It is probably relevant to describe the economic performance of the Down district and south Down area as a whole as patchy as well. It is, perhaps, best summed up by the differentials in the ability of Newry Council to attract foreign direct investment compared to Downpatrick. <BR /> <BR />A lot of work has to be done. It does not all rest at the feet of the Minister, who is here to talk to it. A lot of it requires local solutions.”
“Just to clarify exactly what I said in case the Member was not listening —”
“Victims and the groups that work tirelessly beside them need clarity. They deserve to know the pitfalls that are lurking around the corner, because, to put it quite simply, hundreds if not thousands of lives depend on it. That is why I believe that we need to ensure that contracts to funded groups should continue into the next financial term. In doing so, we can safeguard a continuity of vital support services. Perhaps most importantly, however, we can create the time and space to address weaknesses in the overall strategy for victims. We should be under no illusion that current uncertainty is having an adverse impact on their mental health and well-being. I support the motion.”
“<BR /> <BR />We believe that the British Treasury needs to take responsibility for addressing the mental health effects of the conflict, including supporting the direct needs of victims and survivors who are facing great difficulties. In the words of the Justice Minister, David Ford, last week, "It happened under their watch". Moreover, given that Theresa Villiers indicated that the British Government would be minded to resource the outworkings of the Haass/O'Sullivan talks, surely the House can agree that it is nonsense to fund the addressing of legacy issues through the block grant. <BR /> <BR />We are content to support the motion. There can be little doubt that there is not enough money in local budgets, including moneys utilised by victims, but, as I said, we should not become transfixed on moneys alone.”
“I say that in the context of a series of payments made directly from the British Treasury concerning legacy issues within the wider peace process at various times, including, to list some payments, £0·5 billion in severance payments as part of the Patten reforms to policing; a similar payment of £70 million more recently to the Prison Service; £250 million in pensions and other related payments to the RIR; and a £20 million gratuity payment to the RUC Reserve. We believe that, when it comes to the legacy of the past, that approach is the right way forward. I welcome the fact that the Justice Minister, when he appeared before the Justice Committee last week, stated that the Treasury should carry the cost of dealing with the past.”
“<BR /> <BR />The House should be under no illusion that such inadequacies have inflicted additional trauma on families from every section of our community. Sinn Féin has consistently argued that there needs to be a single mechanism that can deliver to all families, irrelevant of who they are or how harm was inflicted on them. We believe, therefore, that the Haass/O'Sullivan proposals represent the best way forward not merely in addressing the legacy of the past and the harms caused but equally in recognising that inadequate processes, whether by design or through deliberate lack of resources, are also contributing significantly to additional trauma to the bereaved and injured of the conflict. <BR /> <BR />We also believe that the cost of addressing the legacy of the past should be the responsibility of the British Treasury.”
“No, I want to get through this, thanks. <BR /> <BR />There can be little doubt that current investigative mechanisms addressing the legacy of the past have, for various reasons, impacted negatively on victims and survivors. The HET process, for example, has been deemed to be in breach of the law in how it approached killings by the British Army, and far too many inquests are experiencing difficulties, resulting in serious issues with the length of time it is taking those hearings to be conducted in an article 2-compliant manner. Indeed, the senior coroner, John Leckey, spoke lately about his frustrations. Of course, we have also endured the debacle with the previous Police Ombudsman, Al Hutchinson. Although those issues have been resolved with the new ombudsman, we now face the cuts that were announced by the DOJ last week.”
“If it is wrong for vulnerable victims and survivors to suffer the effects of austerity, it is equally wrong when it comes to welfare cuts and the extent of cuts to the overall block grant in every section or sector. But we should not become transfixed today on moneys alone. If OFMDFM needs to work to see adequate funds secured, the two unionist parties need to face up to their responsibilities to engage positively on issues relating to the past in the upcoming talks process, for it is they who turned their backs on victims during the Haass proposals.”
“Go raibh maith agat, a LeasCheann Comhairle. I, too, welcome the opportunity to discuss this important issue. As the proposer outlined, these financial restrictions have a disproportionate impact on vulnerable citizens; in this instance, victims and survivors from all sections of society. <BR /> <BR />A couple of issues are conveniently overlooked by both unionist parties. The first is that their MEP colleagues, Jim Nicholson and Diane Dodds, voted for a cut to the EU budget last year; a budget that gives a huge amount of financial support to local victims and survivors groups. <BR /> <BR />Secondly, I do not think that you can pick and choose opposition to the effects of austerity.”
“Go raibh maith agat, a LeasCheann Comhairle. Will the Minister outline the benefits that increasing the number of male teachers would bring to the system? With that in mind, what is DE doing to achieve that?”
“Let us give people the potential to harness this very important energy.”
“Yes. <BR /> <BR />Mr Agnew went on to say that geothermal energy has the potential to comprise one third of our renewable heat targets by 2020. That is not an insignificant amount. Most importantly, he outlined some of the differences between hydraulic fracturing and geothermal energy. It is very important to bear those in mind. <BR /> <BR />We are looking forward to moving from noting and acknowledging the potential of geothermal energy to putting it on to a proper legislative footing. Even the Minister recognised that a lack of legislative opportunity acts as a barrier to utilising all the potential. It is important that we have that recognition by the Minister that a lack of legislation is a destabilising factor in the process. <BR /> <BR />Let us move beyond noting and acknowledging the potential to seizing the opportunity.”
“No, I have given way for the last time. Thanks very much.”
“I thank the Member for his intervention. These interventions do not get to the point. What is the cost of not doing it? What will be the cost to our environment and our future if we do not look at renewable energy? We have to look at that.”