Anna Lo
South Belfast · Alliance Party · Northern Ireland
“In 2007, when I decided to run for election, it was an exciting time filled with a promise of change to a better, more inclusive and progressive society. I have seen change, though, borrowing a line from Yeats, "peace comes dropping slow". More still needs to be done.”
“As one of the few pro-choice MLAs, I was naturally disappointed that the two amendments to the Justice Bill, one tabled by colleagues and one by me, to allow abortion in very limited circumstances did not pass. We cannot afford to ignore the issue; women need our help. <BR /> <BR />I want to thank my constituents.”
“I also pay tribute to the environment sector whose expertise and commitment have been invaluable to us. <BR /> <BR />As the only ever MLA from an ethnic minority background, I was glad to be in a position to set up the all-party group on ethnic minorities and human trafficking, as well as to lobby extensively with the voluntary sector for…”
“I thank the Minister for his kind words. I want to thank him too for his always very valuable contribution to the Environment Committee. We definitely had a very good working relationship. <BR /> <BR />When the voluntary sector is being cut, I think that the role of volunteers is more important than ever before.”
“I thank the Minister for her statement. The higher and further education sectors have suffered severe cuts to their budgets, so much so that the University of Ulster had to axe the whole of its languages department. How can the Minister justify the economic case for the creation of the two academies?”
“The Committee was advised that the Minister intended to discuss the matter at the Executive with a view to gaining colleagues' agreement to develop a community planning engagement protocol that clearly establishes the nature of the relationship between Departments and local government.”
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“Students know one another from school, so, if bullying takes place between classmates but is in a public place, in their neighbourhood or over the Internet, which I imagine is becoming increasingly common, the school should be involved. The proposed legislation should take into account outside situations in order to safeguard victims. <BR /> <BR />There is also a link between racist bullying and educational under-attainment that must be acknowledged. A NICEM report from 2011 looked at the impact of racist bullying on black and minority ethnic (BME) children, particularly Roma and Traveller children. It clearly showed that bullying played a role in low attendance rates and high levels of illiteracy. The Equality Commission's report, 'Every Child an Equal Child', states that 92% of Traveller children leave school without any qualifications.”
“<BR /> <BR />I recently met Patrick Yu of the Northern Ireland Council for Ethnic Minorities (NICEM), who outlined to me the council's concerns with the Bill. I will highlight some key points. He said that the definition of "bullying" in the Bill may not be compatible with EU equality directives, which have a common definition of "harassment". NICEM recommends amending the definition of "bullying" to include acts or omissions against another pupil, with the purpose and effect of causing harm or adversely affecting the rights or needs of the child and that create an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment. NICEM has also raised the concern that the Bill is too limited, in that it does not extend to situations outside of school.”
“Last year's annual human rights and racial equality benchmarking report revealed some very shocking results. The report stated that 75% of children from ethnic minority groups experienced derogatory, racist name-calling. It also said that 42% of minority ethnic 16-year-old students had been the victims of racist bullying or harassment in their school. That is unacceptable. I say that not only as an MLA for an extremely diverse constituency but as a mother of two half-Chinese sons who were subjected to racist bullying in their early schooling. Although, funnily enough, when I asked them over the weekend whether they recalled those incidents, they had no recollection, but I certainly remember the heartache and anger that they caused us as parents at the time.”
“I declare an interest: I am a school governor of Cranmore Integrated Primary School in south Belfast. <BR /> <BR />When I first read the Bill, I wondered why the Department's guidelines on schools' current policies are not sufficient, so much so that we need to introduce legal obligations. The fact that we need legislation to address bullying is perhaps an indication that schools have not done enough. I note the comments from the Committee Chair and, to some extent, Mr McIlveen, that the legislation will not be a magic wand and that it probably will not eradicate bullying. As legislators, however, we need to do our best to protect our children from the harm of bullying. <BR /> <BR />I am particularly concerned by the high levels of racist bullying in our schools.”
“I thank the Minister for her statement. I just want to go back to the question on participation by the two agencies in the United Youth programme. Is the Minister aware that DEL is piloting the programme but that there is money allowed only for this year and none designated for next year? I wonder whether the Minister can comment on that.”
“What does "legacy scale linkages" mean? Can the Minister elaborate on that, please?”
“I have complained before about the brevity of the Minister's statements on previous meetings of the North/South Ministerial Council. I think that this is the worst that I have ever seen. The statement was very, very brief. It would be more helpful if we got more details so that we could ask you more questions. I do not understand why there is a reluctance to provide more details in statements. I want to ask questions. On EU funding opportunities, you could have told us something more about what opportunities and what work have been generated through maximising funding. Then —”
“A lower rate of corporation tax in 2018 will see a rise in demand for higher qualifications, and we must ready our workforce for that. Higher education drives our skills economy and enables social mobility. Our people are our greatest asset, and I have every confidence in the Minister's commitment to ensuring that they are able to achieve their full potential.”
“Of course, not everyone is able to benefit from such schemes, which is why I welcome the Minister's intention to increase participation in part-time higher education, whether through traditional routes or more high-level apprenticeships. As a legislature, we must do all that we can to enable fair access to higher education. <BR /> <BR />The Department acknowledges that finance can be a barrier to higher education, and that is why Minister Farry launched a consultation in June of this year on part-time and postgraduate student finance arrangements. DEL strategies Success through Skills and Graduating to Success emphasise the need to upskill and reskill our workforce. To achieve that, it is clear that part-time education will play an increasingly greater role.”
“When I was head of the Chinese Welfare Association, I encouraged a number of my staff to obtain qualifications through day-release courses, be they in social work, community work or finance, and that resulted in a better qualified team and a more professionalised organisation. Employers recognise that that system of learning improves productivity and efficiency. In my constituency of South Belfast, Kainos, an IT company, has seen success with its earn-as-you-learn scheme, which enables young people to study and work over four years. Such opportunities offer chances of gaining well-paid and sustainable employment. By studying part-time, students apply what they have learnt directly to the workplace.”
“Part-time students make institutions more diverse, with mature students, those in work and people from different backgrounds bringing their life experiences and viewpoints to the academic setting.”
“I support the motion. I studied part-time for my undergraduate and master's degrees. Even as a bit of a late developer, it has changed my life and opened many doors. Mind you, it was hard work, juggling studies, a job and looking after two small children, but, if nothing else, it improved my time management. For many like me, who missed the chance to go to university at the age of 18, it is not only a second chance but indicates a real commitment and desire to better ourselves. <BR /> <BR />Part-time study allows people to learn at their own pace and, very often, to embark on a career through gaining further relevant qualifications. Those with caring responsibilities or without the financial means are able to fit their studies around their different personal circumstances. <BR /> <BR />It is not just the individual who benefits.”
“It might have been more straightforward to legislate that a young driver could carry only one unrelated young person aged 14 to 20, in addition to family members, day and night throughout the first six months of obtaining their licence. <BR /> <BR />There was a lot of cynicism when the Department first suggested that the GDL would reduce insurance premiums for young people. The cynics have now been proven right, as insurance companies are saying that they cannot give a guarantee that that would happen. It is very disappointing. <BR /> <BR />We accept the rationale for the further amendment from the Department, and we support the amendments.”
“That concludes my remarks as Chairperson of the Environment Committee. <BR /> <BR />If I may, I would like to make some comments as an Alliance Member. The Alliance Party understands the rationale for the proposed restrictions on new drivers. We appreciate that young people who have recently passed their driving test are more likely to have accidents when they have a number of young people in the car. However, I still believe that the restrictions are too complicated, convoluted, indiscriminate and extremely difficult for the PSNI to enforce. The condition of a supervising passenger aged 21 or over who has held a driving licence for three years is, in my opinion, an ineffectual compromise. There are no conditions attached to the supervisor as to what state they must be in when they are in the car.”
“I know. <BR /> <BR />What the companies said was that as claims go down premiums go down. The Committee is aware that officials intend to challenge insurance companies on this matter once the full suite of restrictions is settled. The Committee will monitor developments in that area. <BR /> <BR />The Committee is aware that amendment No 2 is a technical amendment to amend the long title, removing a purpose of the Bill that amends the law relating to the age at which a provisional licence may be obtained. The amendment is necessary as the Assembly voted at Consideration Stage to remove a clause in the Bill that made provision to reduce the minimum age for obtaining a licence from 17, which is the current age, to 16 and a half. Retaining the age of 17 was a recommendation in the Committee's report on the Bill.”
“I accept the Member's comments, but departmental officials told us that.”
“The Committee was disappointed and concerned to hear that insurance companies had not provided a guarantee that they would respond positively in respect of insurance premiums as a result of the graduated approach.”
“Officials advised that the PSNI recognises the complexities of the restrictions, but supports the proposal and advises that it can be enforced if the powers are there. <BR /> <BR />Members also discussed the need to educate young drivers and raise awareness of the restrictions. Members reiterated the importance of working with young people to explain the reasons for graduated driving licences (GDL) and restrictions and to use organisations such as the UFU and sports clubs to help get the message out. <BR /> <BR />The Committee queried the position of insurance companies in reducing premiums as a result of the graduated approach to learning.”
“<BR /> <BR />Given that the initial intention of the Bill was to have restrictions in place for 24 hours, some Members queried why the Minister is now tabling an amendment to reduce the restriction period by a further hour. Officials explained that the hour between 9.00 pm and 10.00 pm is considered to be the most high-risk hour for young drivers carrying passengers, and it therefore proposes to extend the time to 11.00 pm to avoid young drivers rushing to be home for 10.00 pm, which is during the most high-risk hour as mentioned by the Minister earlier. Officials also advised that there was no support among stakeholders to move the restriction to 9.00 pm. <BR /> <BR />The Committee sought reassurances from officials that they had liaised with the PSNI on whether the proposal is enforceable.”
“<BR /> <BR />It was the Minister’s initial intention for restrictions to apply on a 24-hour basis; however, following the passing of an amendment at Consideration Stage, the restriction will now apply between the hours of 10.00 pm and 6.00 am. Amendment No 1 seeks to reduce the restriction further to apply only between the hours of 11.00 pm and 6.00 am. <BR /> <BR />Officials advised the Committee that it undertook stakeholder engagement with individual MLAs, the Ulster Farmers' Union (UFU) and the Young Farmers' Clubs of Ulster to get a better understanding of the views and implications of the restrictions, particularly for young drivers in rural communities. The Department believes that its amendment will strike a balance between the road safety benefits that can be achieved and the impact on mobility for young drivers.”
“On behalf of the Environment Committee, I welcome the opportunity to speak on the Further Consideration Stage of the Road Traffic (Amendment) Bill. The Committee received a briefing from officials on 26 November on the Minister’s proposed amendments. <BR /> <BR />Clause 19 applies restrictions if the driver is under 24 years of age and there is more than one passenger in the vehicle. The driver is restricted from carrying any other passengers aged between 14 and 20 unless they have a "relevant accompanying person" with them in the front seat of the vehicle. A "relevant accompanying person" must be aged 21 or over, hold a full licence and have held such a licence for not less than three years. The "new driver period" for that restriction is six months.”
“I really want to thank the Minister for his very comprehensive answers to the question. I feel the passion and enthusiasm from him about climate change legislation in Northern Ireland, and I want to thank him for that. As he said, it will not happen in this mandate while he is Minister. How does he feel about the new structure with the two Departments, DARD and DOE, working together? Will that enhance the possibility of getting that legislation or will it be a hindrance?”
“I welcome the Minister's initiative, but I point out to the House that thousands of ethnic minority people in Northern Ireland face exactly the same communication barrier in education, employment and access to public services. Would it not be more strategic to widen the scope of the framework to include ethnic minorities or minority languages?”
“We must not allow our greed to stop us from keeping the planet healthy so that future generations may enjoy what we have taken for granted. We must act now.”
“Western industrial countries are the biggest polluters, yet it is the poorest countries that will face the greatest harm. It is not just humans who are at risk; this is upsetting the entire ecosystem of the planet. We see the effects in the form of extreme weather and the loss of biodiversity as species lose their habitats. I was at the very well-attended climate change rally in Belfast yesterday, where we heard many people expressing their concerns. Among them, a farmer spoke of soil erosion; because of climate change, he is gradually losing his land. <BR /> <BR />I want to see a Climate Change Act in line with the rest of the UK, with legally binding targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. I welcome the Minister's intention to bring forward a discussion paper on the introduction of a Northern Ireland climate change Bill.”
“In the past year, the Met Office has seen a 1°C increase in global temperature. Given that a 2°C increase is the maximum that we can tolerate without disastrous consequences, that is worrying.”
“The Committee looks forward to receiving an update from the Minister's officials on the outcome of the conference and to hearing more from the Minister regarding his discussion paper on proposals for Northern Ireland climate change legislation later in the debate. <BR /> <BR />Due to the timing of the decision to select amendments, the Committee did not have an opportunity to discuss Mr Agnew's amendment; however, I am sure that Members will reflect on it in their contributions. That concludes my remarks as Chairperson of the Committee for the Environment. I would like to say a few words in my remaining time on behalf of the Alliance Party. <BR /> <BR />Climate change is here; there is no denying it. Overwhelming scientific evidence shows that global warming is man-made.”
“Those are examples of approaches that could be considered further to reduce waste that ends at landfill and, consequently, to reduce emissions. <BR /> <BR />Reducing emissions and adapting to the impacts of climate change provide the opportunity to drive innovation, support growth, develop effective and resilient infrastructure, and minimise the disruption caused by flooding, water scarcity and other climate-change risks. The Minister's attendance at the conference is a positive and important step, as it will ensure that the views of Northern Ireland on climate change are expressed at the conference. I hope that the views put forward in this evening's debate will help to inform the Minister's input to the conference.”
“That is why the Committee is calling on the Minister, along with his Executive colleagues, to increase existing efforts and to consider innovative approaches to help to reduce emissions and move to a low-carbon economy. <BR /> <BR />As previously mentioned, the residential sector has been identified as one of the largest sources of emissions. Throughout the mandate, the Committee has explored alternative approaches to managing waste, which, it recognises, contributes to greenhouse-gas emissions. The Committee has been briefed on the environmental and economic benefits of a circular economy. Last year, the Committee also visited the VITO research facility in Belgium and the Metabolon project in Germany, where Members saw at first hand how waste was refined and reused rather than simply recycled.”
“That Committee was set up to advise the UK Government and the devolved Administrations on emissions targets. The main areas discussed were the measures being implemented by industry to combat change, the scientific evidence supporting climate change, and the work of the Committee on Climate Change. <BR /> <BR />The Committee also received updates on the work of the cross-departmental working group on climate change. The updates reflect on the work that has been achieved to date, including residential energy efficiency and fuel poverty schemes; ambitious household waste recycling targets; and the increasing use of low-carbon fuels, such as renewables and gas. However, more work is required.”
“It is evident, therefore, that a joined-up government approach is required to further our efforts to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions and to move to a low-carbon society. <BR /> <BR />Throughout the mandate, the Committee has been briefed on the impact of climate change. In 2012, it was briefed by the Met Office. We were presented with its observations of changes to the atmosphere and oceans since 1856, and its views on what has contributed to those changes. The Met Office also outlined its projections for changes to Northern Ireland's climate over the twenty-first century, predicting hotter, drier summers and warmer, wetter winters. <BR /> <BR />Lord Deben, Chairman of the Committee on Climate Change, briefed the Committee in December 2013.”
“Statistics show that the largest sources of emissions in Northern Ireland are agriculture, transport, energy supply and residential sectors.”
“The next projection, based on the 2013 greenhouse gas inventory, will be available in December. It will be interesting to see the revised figures when they are published. <BR /> <BR />The Committee recognises the efforts that are being made to respond to the impacts of climate change here. The 'Northern Ireland Climate Change Adaptation Programme' is an important document in tackling climate change. It is required by the UK Climate Change Act 2008 and contains strategic objectives, proposals and policies by which each Department will meet those objectives up to 2019. It identifies flooding, water, the natural environment, agriculture and forestry as primary areas for action. However, another important aspect in the battle against climate change is mitigation — taking action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.”
“At the very heart of the response to climate change lies the need to reduce emissions. Governments agree that emissions need to be reduced so that global temperature increases are limited to below 2°C. <BR /> <BR />In Northern Ireland, the Programme for Government set a target of reducing gas emissions by 35%, based on 1990 levels. Some progress has been made, and, currently, Northern Ireland has reduced its greenhouse gas emissions by 16%. The last published projections estimate that, by 2025, Northern Ireland will fall short of its target and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by only 33·3%. While that is not a huge shortfall, in itself, we still have a long way to go until 2025. Policies, which might impact on a reduction of emissions, can change.”
“On behalf of the Committee of the Environment, I am delighted to move the motion. I welcome the opportunity to open the debate on this important issue. <BR /> <BR />Today marks the start of the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Paris, which will run until 11 December. The aim of the conference is to agree an ambitious global plan to tackle the threat of climate change. Over the next weeks, around 190 nations, represented by world leaders, environment Ministers and government officials, will be in attendance. Our Minister of the Environment plans to attend as part of the UK delegation. <BR /> <BR />Climate change is a complex problem. Many people are very passionate about tackling climate change. That was evident in the many rallies held around the world yesterday, including in Belfast.”
“The Minister mentioned the Executive's decision to lower corporation tax in 2018. Given that decision, what scale of investment is required now for our young people in anticipation of more inward investment coming online?”
“I thank the Minister for her response and welcome the reinstatement of money to the arts sector. Féile has been given £550,000 from DCAL through a cultural programme funding stream over the last two years, but it seems that there was not a lot of transparency on how the money was distributed. What was the application process? Was there an application panel? Was there any evaluation of the output and a proper postcode breakdown of the beneficiaries to establish that, as she claimed, the money is definitely reaching those in disadvantaged areas?”
“I have no doubt that the Department for Employment and Learning has learnt from mistakes that were made during this process and will continue to work in partnership with the community and voluntary sector to deliver effective ESF funding. I support the motion.”
“It has received no match funding because of the delay in the vouching, as its ESF managing authority needs to advise the match funders to pay their proportion, so it is actually 32·5% of the vouch. <BR /> <BR />Cash-flow problems continue to be a challenge for a number of organisations. That said, the Minister has acknowledged that there are frustrations with the speed at which this is happening and that, in many cases, the wait has been too long. I also understand that the 10 additional staff who were added to the ESF managing authority had previous vouching experience. Minister Farry acted quickly to address administrative problems and ensure a cash flow to organisations.”
“The ESF is a competitive process and, in many ways, it was inevitable that some applicants would be disappointed, as there were, at one point, eight times more applicants than there was money available. I welcome the Minister's commitment to overfund and secure match funding for organisations at a time when budgets were being squeezed extremely hard. I am aware of the challenges faced by the community and voluntary sectors in the administration of ESF, and I acknowledge that this process has seen a number of problems. <BR /> <BR />GEMS NI is the lead in one project and a partner in two others. It currently has circa £200,000 in moneys owed but not vouched. It has received an interim payment from the ESF managing authority of 50% of the vouch, which did not include the public match element.”
“It is also important to point out the pressures that the Department faced while dealing with the closure of the old ESF programme and opening the new one at the same time.”
“I rise as the Alliance Party member on the Committee for Employment and Learning. To begin with, I declare an interest as a board member of GEMS NI, which is in receipt of funding from the European social fund. The ESF delivers essential support and services to some of the most disadvantaged people in Northern Ireland. There are numerous success stories of vulnerable and hard-to-reach people being able to access learning and training opportunities. This increases their employability, addresses poverty and promotes social inclusion. <BR /> <BR />I know that DEL officials have worked hard to ensure that the ESF was ready for the start of the new financial year and to avoid gaps in ESF programmes.”
“I thank the Minister for her statement and welcome the consultation. As the Minister is aware, Northern Ireland has the lowest rate of public funding for the arts in the whole of the UK and the Republic of Ireland. What safeguards will there be in the new strategy to ensure that the arts and culture sector is adequately resourced, not just to survive but to grow and thrive?”
“I thank the Minister for a comprehensive answer. I am pleased to hear that the clinics are having such a positive impact on the outcomes for our young people. In view of the evaluation, has he other initiatives in mind to build on that success?”
“I understand that there will be guidance from DOE and DFP that will enable councils to adopt these changes if they wish. <BR /> <BR />I am content to support the Bill. If it proceeds to Committee Stage, I look forward to scrutinising it in more detail.”
“My main reservations are about the confusion that could arise from numbering properties based on townlands rather than using a linear basis according to streets. Just putting the townland name above the name of the road would be straightforward. However, changing the whole system of numbers and postcodes seems rather complicated. A young friend of mine from County Fermanagh was buying a house in my constituency of South Belfast. All bills and statements used his townland address, an address that his mortgage provider did not recognise. That caused him a great deal of trouble when trying to prove that he had lived in a fixed abode for a number of years. <BR /> <BR />I welcome the Bill's intent to deal with practical issues but I wonder if the proposed change might just cause further confusion.”
“Options of possible funding streams were discussed. That concludes my comments as Chair of the Committee. <BR /> <BR />Mr Principal Deputy Speaker, with your indulgence, I would like to speak as an individual Member representing the Alliance Party. As my party colleague Mr McCarthy and Mr Flanagan mentioned, the Alliance Party previously instigated two motions in support of the inclusion of townlands, so my party broadly supports the principle of the Bill. <BR /> <BR />I am sympathetic to the wish to preserve the use of townland names for heritage reasons. The Bill aims to amend current legislation to allow local councils, if they wish, to number properties based on the townland system, with street or road names being included after the townland name.”
“The Committee also queried the process of numbering individual properties in townlands. The Bill, however, makes provision for DFP to issue guidance that the council has to have regard to. Each council will decide how best to number properties in a townlands system. <BR /> <BR />The Committee questioned the practicalities of how LPS would operate a system for councils that adopt different approaches, namely road names or townlands. The Committee heard that the system already exists with LPS, that there is a list of data fields and that the townland name would be moved above the road name. Mr Flanagan advised that the biggest challenge for LPS is deciding what parameters to include in the guidance to councils. <BR /> <BR />Other members expressed their support for the legislative route, given the threat of losing the use of townland names.”
“The Committee is aware that the Bill does not place a mandatory obligation on councils to adopt the system but rather provides a legislative base should any council wish to do so. Therefore, only councils that opt to move to a townlands system would bear the costs, and it would be a matter for that council to resource it. <BR /> <BR />The Committee also queried the implications for emergency services and how they would find addresses, as Mr Flanagan referred to earlier. The Committee heard that that is an area of concern, not only for a council that introduces a townlands system but for councils that have roads that are 13, 15 or 20 miles long, and that a legislative change would provide each address with a unique property reference number, addressing issues with GPS compatibility.”
“The Committee discussed the responses to Mr Flanagan's 2012 consultation and noted that, of the then 26 councils, only three stated that they would consider adopting the system if it was introduced. Belfast City Council expressed concerns that, due to continuous development in the city, the use of townlands had more or less stopped and that it would not work in Belfast. <BR /> <BR />The Committee also heard that the financial implications of the Bill, if enacted, are twofold. First, there are financial implications for a council that wants to change its existing system, and, secondly, minor changes to the Pointer system will be required by Land and Property Services (LPS) and the Department of Finance and Personnel.”