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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“<BR /> <BR />I have already held a brief discussion with the Justice Minister, who shares my concerns and determination to take some positive steps to address the matter. We discussed potential options and are keen to explore those further in the months ahead. One area that could be addressed immediately is education. Realistically, we cannot have a police officer on every corner. Enforcement is important, but the PSNI cannot do this alone.”
“I am happy to work with Members and communities to strengthen the legislation that we have at our disposal. It is also important to bear it in mind that the success of any legislative change would depend on our ability to use it to change behaviours. Traditionally, that is achieved at least partly through enforcement, and I note that the motion calls on responsible agencies to ensure that the current legislation governing these regimes is enforced in a robust way. Under current legislation, the PSNI has the power to seize and dispose of vehicles and to prosecute riders for a range of road safety offences. In certain circumstances, parents and guardians can also be reported for prosecution or issued with a fixed penalty notice.”
“All of those attempts have faltered, mainly, it seems, due to the failure to address the enforcement issue. The Association of Chief Police Officers does not believe that a registration scheme would be viable. That is because there is not an established, reputable dealer network to ensure registration at the point of sale and because identifying marks can be easily removed from the vehicles. The Motorcycle Action Group and the Motorcycle Industry Association also believe that a registration scheme would be unworkable and that the real issue is the lack of enforcement of the current law. <BR /> <BR />Against that background, I am unconvinced that the answer lies solely in legislative change. Nevertheless, I would not rule it out at this stage and will keep the legislation available to us under review.”
“<BR /> <BR />During my meeting with Ms McCann, we discussed the introduction of a registration scheme for these off-road vehicles; in effect, that would extend the current scheme for on-road motorcycles. The potential advantage of registration at the point of sale would be to make it clear, particularly to parents, that such vehicles are not toys. It would enable us to monitor the number of vehicles in circulation and easily identify owners. However, it is unlikely to resolve the practical problems around enforcement. The introduction of such a scheme would require powers that have not been devolved to the Assembly. I am aware that, in Britain, several attempts have been made to legislate to require all off-road motorcycles to be registered. As this is an excepted matter, the proposed schemes would have to be extended here.”
“<BR /> <BR />I recently met Ms McCann to discuss the issue, and I am aware that she has also met the Justice Minister to voice her concerns. It is clear that, whatever the legislation might say, we have a growing problem with the illegal and antisocial use of the vehicles. They are being imported in increasingly large numbers and can be bought cheaply. Many are being bought by parents for young children. The problem is not limited to the North of Ireland, and I have looked across these islands to see how other jurisdictions are dealing with it. The legislative framework is broadly similar in the South and in Britain, in that on-road use is regulated and off-road use is only with the permission of landowners. Media and newspaper reports make it clear that effective enforcement is an issue for all of us in all jurisdictions.”
“The law, as it stands, is relatively simple. If you wish to use a scrambler or quad on the public road, you must have an appropriate driving licence and insurance and the vehicle must be type-approved and meet the necessary safety standards. It must be registered and display a number plate, and you must have paid your vehicle excise duty. If you cannot fulfil those conditions, you may use the vehicle on private land if and only if you have the clear permission of the landowner. You may not ride the scrambler or quad in parks, on footpaths or on land belonging to any public body. I understand that the PSNI considers that current legislation provides sufficient powers to take action against those who illegally use scramblers or quads off-road but the difficulty lies with detecting and catching offenders.”
“However, as Minister for road safety, I welcome the opportunity to take a lead role in the debate and share the concerns of the MLAs who have brought the issue to the Floor of the Assembly. We need to do all in our power to tackle what appears to be a growing problem. I am prepared to play my part, and I believe that an overwhelming number of Members feel the same.”
“I thank Ms McCann and her colleagues for bringing this important motion to the Floor. The fact that we do not have a divided House, that voices from all corners of the Chamber spoke in unison and that there is an acknowledgement that there is no silver bullet on the issue and, from all sides and all corners and in all forums, we need to work together is a positive development. At the outset, I also wish to add my sincere condolences to the family of Valerie Armstrong, who sadly lost her life after being struck by a scrambler. Her needless death leaves three young children without their mother. All of us in the House must consider how best to take action to ensure that that type of tragedy never happens again. <BR /> <BR />Under current arrangements, my Department's remit extends to the regulation of on-road vehicles only.”
“I accept the Member's point, but, for transparency, would she like to name some of the projects that she thinks we should not move forward with?”
“Although, at this stage, I cannot provide assurances as to the amount of funding that will be available, I certainly support the provision of a substantial allocation from my Department’s baseline that could be ring-fenced to provide greater assurance of provision in the future.”
“I agree with Paul entirely about the reinstatement of roads and their priority and the need for joined-up government. I am delighted to announce that that is the case in our rural roads initiative; some of our rural roads projects have been held back until NI Water completes various projects. That is the case in my constituency of South Down, and that is what I want to see in all our roads projects going forward. <BR /> <BR />In conclusion, I trust that the House will be assured of my commitment to supporting the funding of roads structural maintenance and that it is certainly high on my priorities, both this year and looking forward to Budget 2016.”
“<BR /> <BR />Jenny Palmer also raised, as did Danny himself, how Danny Kennedy, as a former Minister, was starved of funds. One only has to look at Danny's budgets during the year to see that this simply is not the case. In 2013-14 alone, £130 million was spent on structural maintenance, £61 million of which came through in-year monitoring. You were either starved of funds in-year or you were not. Sixty-one million pounds is more than what we started off this year with, so it does not sound to me as if Danny was starved of funds. It is time to dispel that myth once and for all. Political choices were made. We heard today about the A8. Perhaps the A8 was a vanity project. I do not know, but maybe that money could have been better spent elsewhere. <BR /> <BR />The last Member's comment that I want to speak about is that of Paul Girvan.”
“Ninety-five per cent or more of all road deaths are due to human error, not roads maintenance. I do not think that it is helpful to blur the line in that regard. <BR /> <BR />Kellie Armstrong said that we should consider not building all our new roads. Perhaps you mean the Ballynahinch bypass in your constituency, Kellie, or any of the new roads that we are looking set to build in Strangford, or do you mean just those in the west of the region? We have to talk about this. Transparency was needed today, and we did not get it. <BR /> <BR />The SDLP also talked about revenue-raising issues and said that we need to look at revenue raising. Any ideas would be gratefully received, and I am happy to discuss them but, as usual, none came forward.”
“Moreover, our ability to ever tackle the £1 billion backlog in roads maintenance has been dealt a serious blow once again by Tories seeking to drag us out of Europe and cutting the cord to vital European infrastructure funding. <BR /> <BR />Jenny Palmer mentioned the figure of £50-odd million. In fact, Ms Palmer will no doubt be shocked to know that the figure from early scoping is anywhere between £300 million and £400 million of infrastructure funding alone. That is what we are set to lose. To discuss today's motion without any reference to this sort of environment is folly and short-sighted. I did not hear any answers on where we will go, and the proposers of the motion and, indeed, the amendment have to consider that. <BR /> <BR />Gerry Mullan attempted to draw a line between road deaths and road maintenance. That is unfortunate.”
“Looking forward to Budget 2016, I will, of course, be working with Executive colleagues to achieve the best outcome for my Department and putting forward the points raised today to support my case. <BR /> <BR />I will now turn to Members' comments. Apart from in speeches from Alex Easton and Fra McCann, there was absolutely no mention of the wider political and economic climate in which the Executive are now operating. I find it hugely surprising and disappointing that we are discussing the Department's ability to invest adequately in our roads infrastructure without a single reference to Tory austerity and to the tens of millions of pounds that have been stripped out of our block grant.”
“Although not ideal, such in-year additions are still of obvious benefit, and I will continue to press for such funding should it become available to me. <BR /> <BR />The future capital funding envelope for the region is currently unclear, particularly with the outcome of the EU referendum. As you all will be aware, the North has benefited greatly from EU funding, and the Executive will be working with the British Government to ensure that the impact of Brexit on our capital funding is not detrimental. I am also working with my Executive colleague the Finance Minister to explore new and innovative ways to cover any EU funding gaps and attract additional investment.”
“For example, the A6 and A5 schemes are vital to the economic development of the west and north-west and vital to our efforts to support the development of a more efficient supply chain across the North of Ireland. Unfortunately, there are not sufficient resources to fund all these activities together with other Executive priorities. Therefore, a balance must be struck in the allocation of capital between maintaining existing assets and investing in the new. <BR /> <BR />In recent years, as a consequence of how structural maintenance funding can be utilised at relatively short notice, the Executive have adopted a policy of using the in-year monitoring process to reallocate capital funding to ensure that it benefits the region and is not lost to the block.”
“My Department is a capital-intensive Department with a budget of some £387 million, which is the largest of all the Departments. Although there is a significant case for increased structural maintenance funding, in addition to roads, I have responsibility for a wide range of functions including water, waste water, public transport, flood alleviation and waterways, and I must prioritise finite funding across all the Department's functions, many of which require additional funding from what is available. <BR /> <BR />Our internal, regional and global connections are essential to the economic recovery of the North and to the spread of this recovery across the region as a whole.”
“The ring-fencing of this budget provides further assurance to the industry.”
“As the motion points out, the current maintenance backlog is some £1 billion. That is the sum of money required to bring the whole network up to the industry-accepted level. From discussions with the QPA and my own officials, I appreciate that greater funding certainty early in the financial year would be very beneficial in order to get best value from the resources allocated, in terms of planning and undertaking the work in the most favourable weather conditions.”
“The current levels of investment, some £66 million of capital and resource, have to be seen in the light of significant levels of funding in previous years. <BR /> <BR />Ideally, funding for structural maintenance should be planned and consistent. I recognise the difficulties when that is not the case, particularly for our partners in the construction industry, an industry that has invested in plant and equipment to build the capacity to deliver. I met representatives of the Quarry Products Association (QPA) on 25 July. They raised that very point with me and, in particular, the difficulties that they face with the lack of funding certainty in-year and from year to year. Of course, I also recognise that underinvestment leads to network deterioration and the build-up of backlogs.”
“This independently established funding plan recommends that investment of some £141 million is needed annually to maintain the road network in its current condition and to avoid deterioration and wasteful expenditure on reactive patching. <BR /> <BR />The opening position for investment in structural maintenance was some £56 million of capital and resource in 2016-17, some £38 million of which was made available directly to external contractors. However, additional capital was prioritised by the Executive as part of June monitoring. As a result, and in recognition of the particular deterioration in rural roads, in June, I announced a £10 million rural roads initiative to target maintenance measures at some 1,000 locations on our rural roads. I am pleased to say that work on those schemes is now well under way.”
“For example, capital funding is used to provide improved drainage and running surfaces, which have a positive effect on road safety by improving skid resistance. Resource funding is used to deliver the patching and repair of defect elements of structural maintenance. <BR /> <BR />As was pointed out by the proposer of the motion, a significant amount of funding is required annually to adequately maintain the integrity of our road network. In fact, in relation to the proposed amendment, I point out that my Department has prepared a structural maintenance funding plan that sets out a strategic view of the funding required to maintain the structural integrity of the network. The funding required is reviewed annually to reflect changes in the unit costs of materials and inflationary pressures.”
“I welcome the opportunity to debate the issues of roads structural maintenance with the Assembly and have listened with great interest to the issues and concerns that Members have raised. I recognise and share the concern expressed by Members about the gap between what we can spend on structural maintenance and what we need to spend. However, before addressing that issue, it is important to outline what exactly is meant by structural maintenance, as it is a phrase used to cover a variety of maintenance activities provided by my Department. <BR /> <BR />Structural maintenance is the collective term for activities that maintain the integrity of the road and footway structure. The main activities include resurfacing and reconstruction, surface dressing, patching and structural drainage, and they comprise both capital and resource funding.”
“I thank the Member for his question. Indeed, the Member is correct: some people will view our canal systems as sleeping relics from the past, but they are great assets if they are harnessed well. We can do an awful lot, not just for the tourists who come to our island and avail themselves of the growing active tourism market but for local people who are very interested in an active life and practices. We see this. Derry is a great example: I believe that we have more active greenway in Derry than in other cities such as Paris. Derry is very much leading the way, and I will shortly publicise a strategy for greenways going forward. That will very much be at the centre of my programme of work.”
“I thank the Member for his question. I do not have the information on how many of the groups are based in the North, but these local community groups will certainly be taking part in a wide range of activities based in and around the waterways. I am aware of one group that used funding to develop a brochure on the heritage assets in the local area. This is very important for developing tourism, both for those coming to the island and for local tourism. Developing a broad range of heritage activities and interests for the local population is central to a lot of the community grants.”
“Routine capital works carried out in 2015-16 included the installation of replacement lock gates and repairs to the lock chamber at Toome in County Antrim. Buoy mooring, which is a new product on Lough Erne, was developed and installed by the Erne operations team, and there were works to replace the moorings and enhance the slipway at Carrybridge. <BR /> <BR />I also made available £1 million to Waterways Ireland in June for spend in the North. That will be spent on the removal and replacement of public moorings; dredging at Kesh on Lough Erne and the removal and replacement of the moorings; and the lock chamber repair and lock gate replacement on the lower Bann.”
“I thank the Member for his question. Approximately £0·5 million was spent on capital works in the previous year, including £85,000 on urgent repairs as a result of the severe winter flooding.”
“I thank the Member for his question. We covered a number of properties. I do not have the list of properties with me here this morning, but I am more than happy to correspond with the Member on that.”
“I thank the Member for her question. This is a very relevant issue. The Chancellor has made it clear that INTERREG applications that are in before the autumn statement will be underwritten. Given the transnational nature of a lot of these applications, we await to see concrete confirmation. It is something that we are continuing to work on. If the news coming from the SEUPB on these applications is positive, we need to do all we can, and I pledge to do all I can, to ensure that money is protected for the Ulster canal, the Newry canal and the development of greenways in the Derry area.”
“I thank the Member for his question. Again, this is not an issue that has any relevance to the meeting and the statement. However, given my knowledge of the local area, I know that work is ongoing to scope out the potential to develop blueways in the lower Bann. In the North, it is quite difficult to develop blueway and greenway infrastructure on Lough Erne and on the lower Bann given the dynamics and nature of the two river courses. There is great potential to develop the Newry canal to link Carlingford lough to Lough Neagh, as you mentioned. My Department continues to look at that, and I am aware that one of the INTERREG applications is for that particular area.”
“<BR /> <BR />Waterways Ireland has set the following key priorities in its 2017 business plan: implement a prioritised management and maintenance programme for the waterways, focusing on the areas and times of greatest use; deliver a prioritised programme of infrastructural repairs focused on structures considered to be in critical condition; build and support partnerships on each of the waterways with local communities, waterways user groups and various tourism and recreational bodies; develop projects that will increase the recreational use of canals for walking and cycling in partnership with key stakeholders; and invest in key waterway locations that have rich recreational environment and heritage assets, prioritising future developments on achieving sustainable economic and social benefits in partnership with key stakeholders.”
“I will indeed be visiting Waterways Ireland on Friday. I am very much looking forward to spending some time in Fermanagh and looking at the potential of Waterways Ireland and at some of the great things it has been doing.”
“I am aware of a press release made by Minister Humphreys in the past few days regarding the application, and I hope to be in a similar position to confirm the successful outcome in the very near future.”
“I thank the Member for his question. It is in an issue that has been in the media over the past few weeks. I am glad to report that there seems to be a lot of progress being made on that. Restoration works on the section of the Ulster canal from Lough Erne to Castle Saunderson are making good progress and should be completed by next year. There are further sections from County Monaghan and County Cavan and into Armagh, and, of course, there is great potential for greenway expansion. <BR /> <BR />Waterways Ireland and the relevant stakeholders have submitted an application for €6 million under INTERREG Va. The application has gone through to stage 2, and a more detailed submission has been made.”
“I thank the Member for her question and her interest in what may be a very viable and important project to develop in the future. It is, of course, not related to the North/South Ministerial Council sectoral meeting that I took part in. If the Member wishes to correspond with me on the issue, however, I am more than happy to look at it.”
“<BR /> <BR />We were also updated on Waterways Ireland's work to maximise the benefit of EU funding opportunities, which included examining with our partners the potential for funding under INTERREG Va, the rural development LEADER cooperation measure, the INTERREG Atlantic area transnational programme and ERASMUS+. <BR /> <BR />We were also informed that the Waterways Ireland annual report and draft accounts 2015 have been submitted to the Comptrollers and Auditors General. Following certification, the annual report and accounts will be laid before the Assembly and both Houses of the Oireachtas. <BR /> <BR />Ministers considered and consented to a number of property disposals proposed by Waterways Ireland. We agreed that the next sectoral meeting for Inland Waterways would be in autumn 2016.”
“<BR /> <BR />Work with the relevant stakeholders has started on plans to develop a greenway along the route of the Ulster canal from Castle Saunderson in County Cavan to Charlemont in County Armagh. Support has been offered to 121 events under the 2016 sponsorship programme, 19 community groups have been awarded funding under the Waterways Ireland heritage in the community grants programme and three new businesses have been developed; namely, Erne Boat Hire, a new water taxi on the Erne and a new hire cruise provider on the Shannon.”
“As it was the first inland waterways sectoral meeting for Minister Givan and me, the chief executive of Waterways Ireland, Dawn Livingstone, provided an overview of the operation of the organisation and a forward view, focusing on high-level issues. <BR /> <BR />She then provided a progress report, which included the following highlights. Over 90% of the waterways were open for navigation from April to May. Recreational amenities on the waterways continue to be developed, including the development and marketing of blueways. The Shannon-Erne blueway, which runs from Leitrim village to Belturbet, was launched in May 2016 and comprises 70 kilometres of water trail and over 17 kilometres of walking and cycling routes.”
“With your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, and in compliance with section 52 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998, I want to make a statement about the North/South Ministerial Council (NSMC) inland waterways sectoral meeting, which was held in the North/South Ministerial Council's joint secretariat headquarters in Armagh on 24 June 2016. <BR /> <BR />The Irish Government were represented by Seán Kyne TD, Minister of State for Gaeltacht Affairs and Natural Resources. The Executive were represented by Paul Givan, Minister for Communities, and me as Minister for Infrastructure. After chairing the meeting, I agreed this statement with Minister Givan, and I am making it on behalf of us both. <BR /> <BR />At the meeting we dealt with inland waterways issues, mainly those that relate to Waterways Ireland.”
“I thank the Member for his question. As alluded to in answer to those on the Benches opposite earlier, there are a number of regional towns and locations throughout the North where congestion is bad news for the local economy and local traders who want to see the congestion alleviated and cars flowing in and out — not just for the air quality, but for the local economy. It is something the wider Magherafelt area will be interested in. <BR /> <BR />Coming into post I was very clear that I wanted to tackle an historical infrastructure deficit in the west, especially west of the Bann. Whereas the Magherafelt bypass has been in the system for years, I think it is an example of the sort of project we want to see rolled out. Going forward, there are other towns, such as Cookstown and Enniskillen, which need similar investment.”
“I am delighted to announce that the Magherafelt bypass will be open shortly, and, in the next couple of weeks, I will be in that part of the world to meet the divisional team and see the project with my own eyes.”
“If we are to priorities places like the north-west and are to continue the modal shift from car to rail, it is important that we do so from a position of business as usual.”
“I thank the Member for his question. When the news broke on 23 and 24 June, it was important that all Departments in the Executive and, of course, the Department for Infrastructure, continued to engage directly with Europe. I had been to a TEN-T transport conference in Rotterdam just before that and saw with my own eyes the opportunities that exist. I met the EU Commission in the weeks leading on from that, and, today, I met representatives from Flanders, and it is something that I will continue to do in the weeks ahead. However, as I outlined in my original answer to you, for me and my Department, it is a case of business as usual. We must not let this tidal wave of bad news, when it comes to my Department and Brexit, overcome us. We must stand. There are important infrastructure projects.”
“In that regard, we will continue to prepare and present applications for EU funding for major projects where we can. For my Department, it is business as usual.”
“My Department established a Brexit unit in July. The unit has engaged with a number of key stakeholders to identify the most critical issues of concern and to fully understand how those concerns can most effectively be addressed. Only last week, my Department met officials from the Brexit unit in the Department for Transport in London and colleagues from other devolved Administrations. That provided a useful platform upon which to raise awareness of our unique circumstances and challenges, and I have asked my officials to remain active in this respect. I remain determined to pursue all opportunities available to us as members of the European Union. As the overall framework for Brexit begins to take shape, we will continue to actively participate in the European arena.”
“As divisions roll out their works programmes, it is important that they do so in a timely way. For want of a better phrase, you get better bang for your buck when you do it when the weather is good. Carrying out such works in the winter is not productive for the Department or local communities, as you suggest.”
“I do not have an update on the specific roads that you talked about. Coming into position, it was clear to me that rural roads in particular needed attention. I was delighted to secure the funding to roll out a rural roads initiative where 1,000 rural roads will be involved in a scheme that will see resurfacing and some drainage works, which is very important. Local divisions have been carrying out that work to date and will continue to do so in the months ahead.”
“I agree. There are a number of locations throughout the North where local councils stand in a prime position to play a leading role, following the devolution of various powers to them in recent years, such as their capacity for financial borrowing, to give one example. Certainly, either on their own or in conjunction with the Department, and with local developers, there is the potential to look at this. There are a large number of towns where congestion is a problem, and my Department will do whatever it can to alleviate it when looking at the strategic road network, but there are places where the local council can play that role, and I have no doubt that I will work in partnership with them, going forward.”
“I thank the Member for his question. Certainly, it is an issue that is close to his heart, and we have chatted about it. As I have outlined before, while there is no specific work going on to look at the distributor road he referred to, it is something that I am more than happy to correspond with the Member on in the years ahead.”