William Irwin
Newry and Armagh · Democratic Unionist Party · Northern Ireland
“Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. We have worked closely together, and I hold you in high esteem. <BR /> <BR />I thank the Minister for agreeing to look into the matter. I was at the funeral on Sunday, and the family are devastated by their loss. The lady was going to get her hair done and was killed on that main road.”
“I thank my party colleagues and Members from all sides of the House who have wished me well on the occasion of my retirement. It has been an absolute privilege to represent Newry and Armagh since 2007. I think that most people will recognise that I represented everyone irrespective of their class or creed.”
“The Minister may be aware that the Bramley apple industry in County Armagh is worth in the region of £20 million to the local economy. For growers, cold stores are vital to the protection and keeping of the apples. Most of those cold stores are now 30, 40 or 50 years old. Growers need help to replace and renew those stores.”
“I thank the deputy First Minister for her response and for her efforts on the matter. The deputy First Minister will be aware that a large number of vaccines are used by the intensive farming sectors. Does she agree that it would be a serious issue if those medicines were not available?”
“I thank the Minister for his responses so far. We are aware of the reports that thousands of tons of raw sewage has been pumped into Belfast lough. Does the Minister agree that that is totally unacceptable and that something needs to be done as soon as possible?”
“That having been said, securing PGI status for the Armagh Bramley in 2012 was hard worked for and very welcome. That has been a valued and unique selling point, not only for the Bramley variety in the Armagh area but for apples generally in all their varieties, as well as apple-based products.”
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“That is with particular, but not exclusive, reference to the new basic payment under common agricultural policy reform. The Committee indicated that at least a continuation of the level of service regarding payments to farmers was its first and main priority. The Committee received assurances from DARD officials that the basic payment system is also the number one priority for the Minister and the Department. In exploring this further, the Committee questioned officials on the proposals for staff reductions and received assurances that the reductions in staff numbers would not affect the payment timetable.”
“I will speak as Chairman of the Committee for Agriculture and Rural Development and will represent the views of that Committee. The Committee received a copy of the DARD consultation document on the Budget on Friday 21 November 2014 and took evidence from DARD officials on the Budget on Tuesday 25 November 2014. The Committee was pleased to note that DARD was one of the first Departments to produce its budget plan. The Committee noted that officials had stated that the Budget reduction faced by the Department was as a result of a reduction in the block grant from the UK Government. <BR /> <BR />In carrying out its scrutiny of the plan, the Committee noted the following issues and concerns. First, and most important, the Committee is adamant that front-line services to farmers and wider rural communities should not be affected.”
“Is the Minister confident that the time frame of June can be met for the opening of new applications?”
“I was one of the Members highlighted in the programme; it was stated that I bought an office desk at £1,725. Of course, a picture of that desk was put in the programme. I totally refute the allegation made in the 'Spotlight' programme. Indeed, this was a complete built-in unit with an office counter, cupboards and an office desk all in one. I am quite happy for the Assembly Commission to look at my desk. I am quite happy for the BBC 'Spotlight' programme to take a picture and put it in a programme to clear the air on that one. <BR /> <BR />What can be done to protect Members who are falsely accused?”
“I thank the Minister for her reply. Will she give a commitment that she will continue to work with local processors to try to find new markets for their products?”
“It is well beyond time that Sinn Féin and the republican movement revealed the truth and accepted the hurt and pain that their inextricable link has produced. I support the motion.”
“It is only by someone coming forward with the vital information that police on either side of the border can have any hope of bringing a successful prosecution. There may well be people on the Benches opposite who could have a snippet of information that may be useful to the police. I urge them to contact the PSNI or the gardaí without delay. That goes also for those in the community in the area who may have a snippet of information that would provide a vital link in the investigation in this case. I say again that that information must be given to the authorities. <BR /> <BR />This issue amongst other issues, such as the abuse of Maíria Cahill, the plight of the families of the disappeared and the campaigns under way by the innocent victims of the IRA's terrorist campaign, will remain an issue of great importance in the wider community.”
“There is an immense burden of responsibility on those who know what happened on that day and know who was involved in the crime to come forward and make the information known to the police. <BR /> <BR />The history of the republican movement, especially in the Newry and Armagh constituency, which I represent, is a sickening catalogue of pain and suffering visited on Northern Ireland. The late Paul Quinn is another name added to the list of callous murders carried out, as confirmed by the Independent Monitoring Commission, by current and former members of the Provisional IRA. The issue of republicans who know who carried out the murder coming forward with information is a key point in the debate.”
“<BR /> <BR />There is no difference in my mind between some fanatical jihadist who will beat a woman to death or chop off a man's arm for stealing a sweet and the ruthless group who lured this young man to the farmyard to exact some twisted form of retribution. There can be no justification in any sense of the word for what happened to Paul Quinn on that fateful day. Furthermore, the attempts by Sinn Féin to in some way blacken the name of the victim by referring to him as a criminal only adds to the smokescreen that was created by republicans in the area to try to deflect attention from this barbaric act. <BR /> <BR />The wall of silence that has fallen on this case in the community around Cullyhanna is also of huge concern.”
“The brutality of his death in the way he was lured to the farmyard by his friends, who had been taken hostage by the murder gang, and the manner in which he was beaten with pickaxe handles and iron bars, draws horrific comparisons with what is happening now in Syria and Iraq. When we look at our TV screens daily, we see the horrific brutality carried out by Islamic State fighters. I often wonder and find it impossible to comprehend how men can be so inhumane to their fellow man. We feel a certain sense of relief that such regular brutality does not happen in the Western World. However, the shocking murder of Paul Quinn, when studied in the cold light of day, is exactly the same brutal activity as many terrorists in the Middle East engage in as a matter of routine.”
“We must not forget that there is a grieving family mourning the loss of Paul Quinn. Their pain has certainly not abated with the passage of time as they still firmly pursue justice for those who murdered him.”
“The murder of Paul Quinn ranks among the most brutal executions that were carried out by the IRA. Despite the passage of some seven years since the public learned of this cruel act of barbarity, revisiting some of the published facts of the case makes for horrific reading.”
“My constituency is in the greater Armagh area, which has the highest rural crime in Northern Ireland. Given the new rural development programme coming out next year, does the Minister intend to bring forward any grant aid to help make farms safer?”
“Given the current depressed markets for dairy produce across Europe, and given the importance of the dairy sector to the Northern Ireland economy, has the Minister met our three MEPs to look at a possible way forward?”
“<BR /> <BR />The issue shines a very bright light into the dark and murky world of the IRA. People were brought under great duress and had their grief and distress compounded in a way that is both distasteful and unjustifiable. Maíria Cahill has been courageous in coming forward with details of her trauma, and the House must do what it can to assist her and other victims of abuse in having their crimes fully investigated. I support the motion.”
“I thank the Member for his intervention. He made a very important point. <BR /> <BR />The fact that, since Maíria Cahill has gone public in telling her story, other people have come forward to her with similar stories of sexual abuse at the hands of the IRA is a further cause for concern. In an age in which sexual abuse is the subject of the greatest scrutiny, it is vital that an inquiry is undertaken, given that Ms McCann MLA, in her role as a junior Minister, has responsibilities in the area of historical institutional abuse and policies regarding the protection of children. The revelation by Maíria Cahill of a kangaroo court system within the IRA is a further affront to justice and the victims of sexual abuse. As Maíria herself has said, the trauma of facing her abuser was immense and plunged her deeper into distress.”
“<BR /> <BR />On a wider theme that should concern everyone, in the recent past, we have witnessed senior Sinn Féin members publicly object to the continuance of Cardinal Seán Brady in his role following the child abuse scandal within the Catholic Church. Yet those same Sinn Féin members now show great hypocrisy by refusing to engage fully in explaining their roles within the IRA and the cover-up of the abuse of Maíria Cahill.”
“I thank the Member for her intervention. She is absolutely correct; the PSNI should be investigating that. <BR /> <BR />It is against such a backdrop that the motion seeks to bring forward a proposal for an investigation into the actions of a Member of the House, namely Jennifer McCann in her role as a junior Minister in the Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister. There are certain questions that should be asked and answers that must be given about that very serious and important issue. That should be done within the correct framework of an inquiry that looks comprehensively at the concerns that have been raised by Maíria Cahill and the actions or inactions of Ms McCann as someone who was informed about the abuse.”
“That, of course, is not unique to Maíria's situation; we have also witnessed Anne Travers's withdrawal from social media this week as a result of the tirade of online abuse she has suffered from militant republicans, who have an agenda to further abuse and attempt to discredit anyone who dares to shine a light into the darkest corners of the IRA. <BR /> <BR />It was against such a backdrop that the motion seeks to bring forward —”
“We have witnessed, via the media, a shift in the stance of Sinn Féin elected politicians, who have gone from outright denial of her suffering to a guarded acknowledgment of the situation. However, they still refuse to come forward with the truth about the cover-up of that horrendous episode. <BR /> <BR />Maíria Cahill has been subject to further abuse and trauma since her story came to light. It is shocking to see the depths that people will stoop to on the Internet, with their horrific comments and such cold and callous disregard for the suffering she has endured.”
“I will say first that at the very foundation of this debate is the well-being of a young woman who has been subject to sexual abuse; that must be remembered at all times. The fact that this abuse occurred within an organisation that has rained terror on a whole community for decades makes the suffering of Maíria Cahill all the more concerning. Maíria Cahill has brought to light her harrowing experiences, and no one can fail to be moved by the trauma that she has suffered and the obvious emotional upheaval that she experienced in bringing the matter into the public arena. Her allegations are concerning for the House, given that senior members of Sinn Féin have been implicated.”
“I thank the Member for his intervention. I agree with him absolutely. Representing a border constituency, I have a desire to see this criminality and its effects on innocent victims significantly stamped out. We have the chance to greatly increase the PSNI's capacity for dealing with it. <BR /> <BR />I urge the House, on behalf of the victims of such crime, to reconsider the matter and move quickly towards its implementation.”
“There seems to be real reluctance from the Member and his party. Many people in Northern Ireland will be concerned that the Member and, indeed, his party want to let gangsters roam free and behave as they will. They are burying their heads in the sand if they believe that that is not happening. It clearly is, right across Northern Ireland. Police sources reckon that there are approximately 140 of these gangs. It is sad that we cannot get the terms to tackle those criminal gangsters.”
“The accountability measures are mainly based in the UK. Certainly, I have no fear of any accountability measures —”
“The nationalist parties have hollow concerns over the accountability of the NCA, yet the organisation is already subject to rigorous scrutiny from Committees in Parliament, such as the Home Affairs Committee, as well as the Office of Surveillance Commissioners and the Investigatory Powers Tribunal. The public have the right to approach these and many more bodies to question any outward operation of the NCA. Representing a border constituency, I have a desire to see criminality and its effects on innocent victims —”
“I also believe that the ability to seize assets is vital in the fight against these gangsters, who currently think that they are untouchable. <BR /> <BR />The reluctance of Sinn Féin and the SDLP to accept the necessity of allowing the NCA to operate and the PSNI to avail itself of its expertise in the fight against crime internationally means that Northern Ireland and its citizens are at a severe disadvantage. The two nationalist parties continually bleat about equality, but, once again, the calls for equality fall short of ensuring that our communities have the very best security and that the organisations tasked with protecting communities have the very best intelligence and powers at their disposal.”
“The protection of our children is hugely important and completely necessary and urgent, especially with regard to the Internet and how our children are protected from those who prey on young people online. <BR /> <BR />I certainly feel that the issue is directly affecting a very broad range of people, from the rural farmer who has valuable machinery stolen to order to those involved in the detection of online crime, such as the serious and sickening issue of child pornography. The National Crime Agency is a body that Northern Ireland simply cannot do without. It operates in other regions of the UK and, at a time when our policing budgets are under severe pressure, it makes complete sense to allow the PSNI to have the necessary assistance of the NCA to carry out its investigative duties.”
“Members will be aware that the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child has expressed its strong views on the protection of children online. The UN committee is rightly concerned, as we all should be, about the lack of NCA powers in Northern Ireland, which means that the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre is not fully operational here at this time. The entire House should be alarmed about that issue alone. Our children are at much greater risk due to the fact that the NCA is not operational here. I challenge the nationalist parties to explain to the public why they have adopted a negative stance on its implementation here given the UN report and its ramifications.”
“We have seen audacious attempts by such gangs to carry out all sorts of crimes, including the exploding of ATMs on the forecourts of garages, the laundering and selling of illegal fuel, the stealing to order of valuable machinery and the worrying trend in the theft of cattle and the illegal slaughter and sale of those animals in the Republic and certain areas such as south Armagh. Those incidents illustrate the need to have at our disposal the expertise and assistance of the National Crime Agency. As we all know, the criminals respect neither borders nor victims in their illegal pursuits. <BR /> <BR />The work that the NCA is involved in not only relates to the crimes that I have outlined but importantly has a significant role in the area of Internet-based crime.”
“The need for the National Crime Agency (NCA) to have full powers extended to cover Northern Ireland is recognised by many interested parties, most notably and obviously the British Government, the agencies responsible for administering justice and the courts and those involved in policing. Of course, we in the DUP strongly support that extension. As someone who represents a border constituency, I am well aware of the impact that criminal gangs have on our rural communities by creating victims of crime and the negative impact on the rural economy.”
“There is still a lot of confusion among farmers, especially young farmers, about what constitutes head of holding. Has the Department yet decided what constitutes head of holding?”
“Paragraph 13 refers to the joint marketing activities between the Loughs Agency and DCAL, based on boosting angling tourism, which I welcome. Will the Minister outline how much money the Loughs Agency contributes to that, what the outputs of that activity are expected to be and how her Department will evaluate whether that type of marketing activity has a real impact?”
“I welcome the review of the east link road. The Minister will be aware of the level of concern about the proposed link road going through a largely residential area of Armagh city. Does the Minister support DRD's current preferred route?”
“I thank the deputy First Minister for his response. As I am aware, the Phoenix Group is in need of gap funding from September to April 2015. A significant number of offices would close in the absence of that. Given the importance of the Phoenix Group's support to victims, will the deputy First Minister give an assurance that every effort will be made to find the gap funding that is needed so that it may continue to do its work?”