Ian McCrea
Mid Ulster · Democratic Unionist Party · Northern Ireland
“I am not surprised by the Minister's answer, but, surely, given that he has announced that he will not take on the job of Justice Minister after the election — that is dependent on the electorate, of course, but nonetheless — surely he will have to accept that there have been questions that may not have come under his direct responsibilit…”
“Given that the Secretary of State has said that Northern Ireland farmers would no doubt benefit from being outside the European Union, I am not so sure that it is necessarily a bad thing.”
“I commend the First Minister for all the work she has done on corporation tax. When she goes to the United States, will she take the opportunity to invite businesses and people there to come to Northern Ireland so that they can see exactly the product we have here and, indeed, our people?”
“We have heard the deputy First Minister's words of condemnation — rightly, I believe — but will the deputy First Minister condemn outright those who took part in this disgraceful, murderous attack on people in my constituency?”
“With respect to the Committee and the work that it did, as I have said at other times, the Chair has gone through the detail of the how the Committee scrutinised this. Once again, I want to put on record the good work that was done and the good working relationship that the Committee and the Department had.”
“I thank the junior Minister for her intervention and the clarity around that. That is why I make no apology for supporting the investment fund and supporting the delivery of this large amount of money into areas across Northern Ireland. When that is delivered, it will provide a big difference for our communities.”
The complete record
Every one of 225 lines we hold for Ian McCrea, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 2 of 5.
“<BR /> <BR />I believe that this Budget and the flagship projects show that the Executive have given a commitment to delivering projects across Northern Ireland. In my constituency, it is welcome news that the Minister for Regional Development recently announced the dualling of the A6 from Randalstown to Castledawson. I believe that that is a good-news project. The fact that it is not just an amount of money for one year but is a year-on-year commitment up to 2021 is good news; it is something that will be committed to and delivered. <BR /> <BR />The community safety college in Desertcreat is another flagship project, and the Budget provides evidence that the Executive have committed to that project. I am not going to try to pretend that a mess has not been made of this up to now.”
“I think that it is a good Budget in that there is not an overcommitment. The Minister said that this is the first time in years that there has not been an overcommitment in the Budget. It is unfortunate that there are Members who do not recognise that. <BR /> <BR />It is no surprise that Claire Hanna, who is not in her place, was against the Budget. Whilst she spoke well around how she thought that the Budget delivers nothing, she made no attempt whatsoever to speak positively around any aspect of it. There was not one word on how to do it any better or on which Department to take money from to pay for what she wants. Maybe the SDLP will stick with its policy of selling off the City of Derry Airport again to pay for its additional requests.”
“Whilst, as the Minister said, he could go around every single Member in this Chamber and ask them for their wish list of things to spend the Budget on, we have to be realistic and realise that we have a certain amount of money to spend, and we can only spread it around as far as it goes. I think that this is a good Budget, and I commend the Minister, who has only been in place for a week, for bringing it forward. <BR /> <BR />I think that it has been lost on some Members that this is a one-year Budget. It is not dealing with all of the strategic priorities for Departments over the next five years. It is a one-year Budget to get us through to the election to allow the new Departments to set their strategic priorities and deal with the Programme for Government and things around that.”
“Hopefully, it will see our town centres and shopping centres being revitalised, especially vacant shops. <BR /> <BR />This is a good piece of legislation. Accelerated passage is not something that we wanted to do. It is disappointing that we could not resolve this in the previous private Member's Bill, but, nonetheless, we are where we are. I certainly support the passage of the Bill.”
“For me, we need language that ordinary people can understand. I know that there are technical terms in the legislation, but, for someone like me, it is important that we put it in terms that people will understand. From my understanding of it and if I put it in terms that I understand, if there is an empty premises that is receiving reduced rates and a shop nearby wants to advertise in it, it is deemed as occupied and is therefore charged 100% rates. Should the Bill be passed today, it will hopefully give that a 50% reduction and bring it in line with the empty shops. I think that is certainly a good thing. I believe the business community brought it forward to the Minister's predecessor. She listened and acted, and I think it is a good thing that the Minister is bringing it forward here today.”
“In respect of town centres and shopping centres, the Bill will allow:”
“I have no power over the Member and cannot stop him tabling amendments, but I hope that he takes that into consideration and brings any amendments to the Committee so that we at least get a bit of an idea of where he is going. <BR /> <BR />For me, clause 2 is equally, if not slightly more, important. Whilst the rating of sports clubs is already at 80%, it will move those that do not have the bar up to 100%.”
“I think that the situation is unfair, and, even if we learnt nothing else from those in the hospitality sector who compete against larger clubs that host events, as well as against hoteliers and whatnot in the locality, we learned that we need to be mindful of that. We hoped that the Department and the Minister would work alongside those in the hospitality sector to see whether there was some way of dealing with the anomaly, as they see it, of charging according to income rather than the building. <BR />I have no doubt that the Member is very passionate about this, but I believe that keeping the position that clubs with a licensed bar get only 80% relief is the right way to go.”
“I will start from where the Member has just ended. I am a wee bit concerned by the news that he intends to table amendments. We talk about not getting an opportunity to scrutinise legislation, never mind getting an opportunity to see the amendments. I hope that he will share those amendments with the Committee to, if nothing else, at least give us an opportunity to consider them. I appreciate that he has carried out a piece of work on community and amateur sports clubs and should know the issue inside out by now. I know, however, from speaking to clubs, especially those that do not have a bar, that they are crying out for this. <BR /> <BR />As the Member said, there is an issue with clubs that have a bar, but I believe that this is the right way to go.”
“Whilst there was an element of scrutiny in the previous private Member's Bill, certainly with respect to amateur sports clubs, there was a slight concern that we were not getting enough time to deal with the other part. But I think it is proof that Committees are willing, where necessary, to grant accelerated passage, and in this case I think it is one of those pieces of legislation that is necessary, certainly in respect of the timing. I will have more to say in respect of the later debate, but we will certainly be supporting accelerated passage and hoping that it passes without any difficulties.”
“Like the Chair, I will be short. At this point, I suppose that there is very little to say other than that the Committee agreed to support accelerated passage being granted. It was not necessarily something that everyone in the Committee was happy about, and I do not think that anyone in the House is happy about agreeing to accelerated passage because of the work that Committees do in scrutinising legislation.”
“Can he also give his view on whether or not — this is an important issue — there should be a fee charged to complainants, for example, which is returned when a complaint is successful, and whether he believes that should be considered at a later date? <BR /> <BR />In respect of amendment No 10, I believe that the Minister has outlined why he is opposed to the Committee's amendment. I think that it is reasonable to expect that the Bill will deal with it, to allow the new system to bed down and to allow the Minister to decide when a review is required. We will be opposing the amendment, and I encourage colleagues to do the same. The Chair referred to the good work done by the Committee, and we agree on all the amendments, bar amendment No 10. So, I support all the amendments, except for amendment No 10.”
“Nonetheless, I think that it is important that we speak to our constituents, know exactly what some of their complaints are and how they will deal with them in the process. It is good to be able to say that there is a complaints process to go through, and I believe, through this process, that the Bill will bring the necessary clarification and transparency to dealing with complaints. <BR /> <BR />It is important that the scheme is cost-effective. When the Minister is summing up, can he give an assurance that this will be cost-effective and that the LSOC will not be able to decide to increase costs at any time?”
“It is hoped that the Bill will make the process clearer and better for the complainant as well as the profession. That is the most important aspect of the Bill: that there is clarity and transparency for the complainant and, indeed, the profession. <BR /> <BR />I thank Michael Foster for coming along to the Committee to answer questions and to respond to queries raised during the evidence sessions. I also thank the Committee staff for their hard work in pulling together our work. <BR /> <BR />I have spoken to constituents and, to some extent, some members of the legal profession in my constituency about complaints. When a constituent comes through the door about a complaint, I am always quick to say that that is outside my remit. It is one of those things that I am nearly glad to say is outside the remit of an MLA's daily work.”
“<BR /> <BR />In dealing with the Legal Complaints and Regulation Bill, we could all go into a lot of detail about what work went on in the Committee, but the Chair went through, in some detail, the work carried out by the Committee and the detail that went into that, and I am sure that Members will be content for me not to go through everything or, indeed, much of what the Committee Chair said. I do, however, want to join him in thanking everyone who responded to the Committee's call for evidence, either in writing or orally before the Committee. It certainly was a good opportunity to hear from those in the profession about their concerns or, indeed, their issues with the Bill. <BR /> <BR />As I said, I only want to say a few words, and I will mention amendment No 10, which was brought forward by the Committee, in a minute or two.”
“In the first instance, I congratulate the Minister on his appointment as Finance Minister. I hope that the good work of his predecessors will be continued, and I have no doubt that it will. I know that it is a baptism of fire in the sense that he has hardly been allowed to get his feet under the table before having to deal with the next couple of days in this place. Today is not too bad, but tomorrow, I think, will be a whole lot worse. However, I know that he is up to the job, and he certainly knows that he will have the support of his colleagues on this side of the House.”
“Will the Minister give an assurance that she is certainly doing nothing to put barriers in place and that, if there are barriers within the Department, she will ensure that they are removed and that young farmers can become the head of holding?”
“There has been and probably still is a concern in young farmers' organisations that obstacles are put in place by the Department.”
“I thank the Minister for her announcement of the, I believe, £130 million project. Although I will leave it to my colleague to refer to the Randalstown section, I certainly welcome the announcement on the Castledawson to Toome section. As a driver, I have to say that it is long overdue. The Minister mentioned a start date, but will she tell us how long she believes the project will take to reach completion? I agree with her that it is something that will benefit not only my constituency but that of my colleague Trevor Clarke, as well as other road users in Northern Ireland.”
“What scope does the Minister see for efficiency savings in his Department? What level of savings has he been able to achieve up to this point?”
“One part that I find quite appalling is when he refers to the letter of 11 November, which I presume came from the Department, as erroneous, as it impacts upon accrued pension entitlements in NILGOSC and the LGPS. I ask the Minister to respond to those comments, because I think that putting a letter out saying that the Finance Department's letter is "erroneous" certainly needs to be addressed. <BR /> <BR />Given that our members voted in favour of the cap at the Committee, I believe that this is a good thing and that the House should vote in favour of it. It is not something that anyone is trying to do anything to in order to undermine public-sector workers. I think that it is certainly a good approach. I welcome it being before the House today and urge Members to vote in support of it.”
“I know that the Chair raised this issue briefly. During the Committee's discussion, I raised the concern about the firemen, and women, I suppose, to be politically correct, who are unable to maintain the operational fitness aspect beyond the age of 55. The Minister's willingness to deal with them in the Bill is certainly welcome for those in the Fire Brigades Union and those who are affected. That is certainly welcome news. <BR /> <BR />Like most other Members, I received a letter from the assistant general secretary of NIPSA, Bumper Graham, who outlined his objection to this legislative consent motion. A few of his comments intrigued me. He said that NIPSA considers it to be an abuse of process, as it was added to the Bill late in the day, and that it has frustrated the Assembly's consultation process and left many questions unanswered.”
“I, for one, believe that it should be on our public services. While public servants ensure that the public service exists and many do an excellent job in their day-to-day employment, I believe that the cap that the Minister is bringing forward, which is, of course, bringing us into line with the rest of the United Kingdom, is worthwhile, and I commend her for that.”
“My comments will be short, given that the Chair has outlined in depth the Committee's position following its evidence sessions. <BR /> <BR />I thank the Minister for bringing the LCM to the House today and for giving us the opportunity to decide where our priorities lie. Do the Assembly's priorities lie in spending large amounts of money on severance payments etc for public servants, or does it believe that we should spend our finances on public services?”
“Neither of those is in my constituency. Nonetheless, the bit that intrigues me is the angling app on Google Play. Can the Minister provide some detail on how she feels that that is beneficial to the work of the Loughs Agency in promoting those areas?”
“Paragraph 20 of the Minister's statement refers to:”
“I thank the First Minister for his statement. The First Minister, more than most, will be aware that the 'Fresh Start' document announced the reduction of our corporation tax to 12·5%. Were there discussions, during the part relating to the economy, on the reduction of our rate of corporation tax and its potential benefits for our economy?”
“I am sure that the Member is, like others, aware that an event was held last week by Fold Housing Association in respect of the 58 homes that it is developing in Cookstown. Will the Member join me in welcoming that, given his point in respect of that type of accommodation? Will he join me in welcoming those much-needed homes? Hopefully, we will be able to accommodate some of our elderly population in them. Will he join me in welcoming that?”
“<BR /> <BR />I look forward to hearing what other contributors have to say, but I hope that the Minister can put some more meat on the bones, certainly for what it means for Mid Ulster and for Westlands.”
“I was just about to come to that. The Minister and previous Ministers will know that I do not always agree with every decision that is taken. I welcome this decision and believe that it gives us an opportunity. On the back of the unfortunate circumstances for the private care home, the Minister has now announced that he is reviewing the decision that he might have taken. I do not know where he is on that point, but he now has an opportunity to look at admissions, whether full admissions or from a respite perspective. I have no difficulty joining the Member in encouraging, if not asking, the Minister to look again at that policy, specifically for the Westlands home.”
“I believe that the Minister is genuine when he says that no current resident of Westlands will be asked to leave. That was a very positive announcement in the past and is a very positive decision that the Minister has now taken. Different things always come down the road at us, but in respect of the decision by —”
“I believe that that sends out a positive message to the residents and staff in Westlands and, I hope, cements that for — I cannot say how long — the short to medium term if not into the long term.”
“The Minister has, once again, stepped in and given further assurance to those care homes that have been under threat that he is stopping that, reviewing it and ensuring that no one is put in any difficult circumstances. <BR /> <BR />Having spoken to the Minister about previous decisions and since he made this one today, I know that it is not the case, as others would try to say, that this is just putting off a decision. There is a genuine desire to ensure that no one is put out of their home. As Mrs Overend rightly said, for Westlands, many of those who are left feel that it is their home. I commend the Minister for that recent decision. When he responds, maybe he will put some meat on the bones regarding his decision. I welcome the steps that DUP Ministers have taken.”
“It is disappointing that the debate has got to the point where we are lambasting a DUP Health Minister for decisions and policies with no reference whatsoever to the fact that it was a DUP Minister, Edwin Poots, who stopped the decision to close the Westlands home as well as the other homes across Northern Ireland, and it was a DUP Minister, Simon Hamilton, who ensured that that decision did not continue. <BR /> <BR />I apologise for using my mobile phone, Mr Deputy Speaker, but it is just for the sake of today's BBC news. It is not often that I give the BBC a plug. I welcome today's announcement by the Health Minister that a number of statutory care homes that may have been facing closure have been given a reprieve due to the problems faced by a private care home firm.”
“<BR /> <BR />When we look at the wider care of elderly people in the Mid Ulster constituency, it is important to put on record that excellent work is done by many staff who work in residential care or nursing homes across the constituency and across Northern Ireland in caring for our older people. Having spoken to many families who have loved ones and having worked alongside them to ensure that they got into the right care home, I know that they greatly appreciate the work and help that their loved ones received. <BR /> <BR />I suppose that a lot of this debate will be around the Westlands residential home. I join Mrs Overend in speaking positively about the excellent job that those staff do in looking after the residents.”
“First, I welcome the opportunity to speak in this debate. I thank Mrs Overend for returning to the debate after the sudden passing of her grandmother. At the wake, I expressed my deepest sympathy to you and your family circle, and I do so again. I know that it was a shock. You spoke of the care that your grandmother got at home. Many older people and their families feel the benefit of getting that care and being able to spend those last moments at home with their loved ones. Many people would prefer that, rather than being in a home. I know that that was appreciated and, having spoken to some of your family members, I know the importance that they felt of having your grandmother at home.”
“The Minister has stated that she believes that we are better off in Europe than out of it. Given the fact that approximately £8·2 billion is paid into Europe by the British Government, what is she doing — if the will of the people is to pull out of Europe — to ensure that the agriculture industry in Northern Ireland gets the maximum benefit for farmers out of that £8·2 billion?”
“I thank the Minister for her statement today. Instead of Mike Nesbitt apologising for the singing of our national anthem, maybe he will apologise for getting his financial predictions wrong for this Budget. <BR /> <BR />Will the Minister outline why she has cancelled January monitoring? Will that mean no further allocations in this financial year?”
“Given the reforms that the Minister has put forward, many of which will no doubt bring financial benefits to the health service, can he outline how he sees the speed of this process and how we can get and feel some real change as quickly as possible?”
“The Minister will be aware that the Finance Committee is carrying out an inquiry into the claims around NAMA. Has she any concerns that, if the inquiry gets too close to the wire in certain enquiries or information that it receives, there may be the potential to cause difficulties for the NCA's investigations?”
“<BR /> <BR />Like others, I look forward to scrutinising the Bill when it comes to Committee. No doubt, as he always has been, the Minister will be willing to work with us and at least consider our wiser counsel on some of these matters.”
“<BR /> <BR />The Minister said that, since he had become Minister, he had set out to have better regulations and that it was something that he had a passion for. Until we see the detail, we will not be able to see whether that is the case. As Mr Maginness said, there is no doubt that there is over-regulation. For the sake of our economy and our businesses, it is important that we get the right level of regulation. I do not think that anyone expects there to be no regulation, but, whatever the outcome when the Committee gets its teeth into the detail, I have no doubt that, as other Members have said, we will have something that is better for our businesses, which, in turn, will be better for our economy. But it must have the sole focus of ensuring that the consumer does not pay.”
“I may be being cynical, but the costs tend to find their way down to the consumer and they have to pay. It is important that we do anything and everything that we can to ensure that that is not the case. <BR /> <BR />Those of us who have been in local government will be more than aware of the regulations that environmental health officers have to endure. They have to go out into the community, especially to businesses, and deal with them. I suppose that it comes down to the aspect of enforcement. Many have had concerns about the lack of enforcement, and I know that the Chair referred to that in a personal capacity as a Member. It is important that the Minister addresses that matter and tells the House how he plans to tackle enforcement.”
“There are. He has the length and is a bit strangly. Nonetheless, as things progress, we will see what kind of sheriff he turns out to be. <BR /> <BR />I join my colleague in agreeing with the Chair of the Committee that the Bill is just the bare bones of a Bill — I think that the Minister would also accept that — and does not have the required detail. It is a regulatory Bill, so I can, in a sense, understand that. More of the detail will come as it goes through Committee. It is important that we get down to the nitty-gritty, the detail and what it means. There are many concerns across our business community that there is too much red tape, and I do not think that anyone can deny that. No matter what we do — my colleague referred to this — we need to ensure that the consumer does not pay. That is an important aspect.”
“Thank you, Mr Principal Deputy Speaker. I am not sure whether I was getting promoted or the Minister is now demoted. Mr Maginness referred to the Minister as the "sheriff": the only sheriff that came to my mind was Sheriff Woody from 'Toy Story'.”
“The Minister will have to accept that he was 17 at one time. If he did what many others did, he will know that they saved their hard-earned money, bought themselves a car and, if their parents helped them with the insurance, they got out and drove their cars. I think it is being disingenuous to those young people. Yes, they depend on their parents to do it, but he, like many young 17-year-olds wanted to get out in their cars and be independent. So, I see the point he is trying to make, but I think he is being a bit disingenuous to young people.”
“Therefore, the Member is saying that the driver has to vet all the people who get into his car. He has to check, before they get in, their full name, address, date of birth and all their credentials before he is deemed to have been responsible. Is that an appropriate thing for a driver to have to do? Does he think that that will actually happen?”
“It is not about which party gets over the line first. It is important that we get something that everyone can agree to, and, hopefully, as we move to the next stage, we can do just that.”
“Colleagues can take the matter further, but, for me — maybe it is just me because of my family — there is an issue. Under this aspect of the Bill, it is OK for a 17- to 24-year-old to take family members in their car. I do not see how an accident that resulted in the fatality of a family member would be any different from or less important than an accident that killed a member of someone else's family. We have to be careful about these things. <BR /> <BR />I understand the reason for and support many aspects of the Bill. In fact, I support most of it, but we have to be mindful of an element of our young people. I do not know whether the age limit of 24 is too high. If the Minister were willing to have those conversations, we could certainly look at that. As I said, I encourage Mrs Overend not to move her amendment.”
“It does not just come from the people who are in the car with you; it can come from other cars that are trying to get to the same destination. Another car with two people in it could be as bad as four passengers in your car. We have to be mindful of that. <BR /> <BR />I welcome the Minister's confirmation that a boyfriend can take his girlfriend in a car. I was concerned that there would have to be a gooseberry clause, but I am thankful that the Minister has confirmed that that will not be the case. <BR /> <BR />I am somewhat concerned when I look at the "relevant" people who can travel in young people's cars. Mr Maginness referred to some of those who can be in the car and the number and percentage of road deaths at specific times.”