Cathal Boylan
Newry and Armagh · Sinn Féin · Northern Ireland
“I also welcome Julie, wish her well in her role as a Foyle MLA, and extend my best wishes to Gary. <BR /> <BR />I take this opportunity to highlight Autism Awareness Month. This year, Autism NI is using this month to celebrate the spectrum and colour and to highlight unique differences.”
“I agree with the reviewer, and what needs to be recognised across all Departments is that the changes needed to better support people with autism do not always cost a huge amount of money. However, the changes require a willingness to adapt.”
“However, it has been disappointing that, in my opinion, the Department of Health was not prepared for the establishment of the reviewer's office, even though it should have been aware of what was in the legislation. Had the Department been in a better state of readiness, the reviewer could have got down to work before now.”
“The delivery plan must see measurable targets that can be monitored and delivered to ensure that people with autism see impact on the services that they access. <BR /> <BR />I look forward to reading the reviewer's first annual report in the near future.”
“I thank the Minister for the statement. As the Minister is aware, one of the reasons why such schemes are so important is that nuisance parking can prevent emergency services or health and social care workers from accessing patients' properties.”
“I welcome the Minister's statement. <BR /> <BR />Minister, recent figures show that, in the last quarter of 2025, new house starts were at their highest level since 2018 and that the construction sector has hit a 15-year high, outperforming Britain.”
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“Is the transport network meeting the general demand of the public? I ask that in the context of rural areas, because there could be a reduction in services in those areas.”
“The Minister is well aware that thousands of people had to shield, and they are now concerned about the rising number of positive cases. What reassurance can he give to people who have had to shield and may have to shield again? If they do, what support will he put in place for them?”
“I thank the Minister for her answer. I believe that there is an area in Newry and Armagh which is known as the Carrigatuke viewpoint, which is at Fews Forest. There have been a number of dumpings over the last number of years, but more so over the COVID period, and commercial waste has been involved. I ask the Minister to engage with her Southern counterpart and the Agriculture Minister to try to prevent that kind of illegal dumping at Fews Forest.”
“I thank the Minister for her answers so far. Minister, the 2019 audit report stated that the trunk road network is in a better condition than was first estimated. Would the Minister consider prioritising rural roads in any of her budgets? Clearly, there have been a number of complaints about rural roads in general.”
“I thank the Minister for coming to the House to give a response. The Minister is well aware that this is a major infrastructure project. Numerous members of the community have relayed major concerns about house values and health issues; there have been thousands of objections. How will the Minister reconcile those concerns with her decision? What interventions or options will she provide to address those major concerns? A number of groups in Newry and Armagh are very concerned about the introduction of a 400 kV electricity wire on pylons, as such voltage has never been used in this part of the country before.”
“Will the Minister give us any further update on the Executive subcommittee?”
“Planning policy and local area plans have a big part to play in revitalising our town centres, and the Minister mentioned some of the stuff that Belfast had done to try to revitalise its city centre. Is that me finished?”
“The Minister has already responded to the debate, and I will not repeat all that she said. <BR /> <BR />It is interesting to listen to the Member talk about footfall being down 79% — that was certainly the case in April — and all the other points that he mentioned. Nobody would argue that our high streets are not in decline — there is no doubt about it — but it is about how we go about revitalising them. The Member talked about online shopping. However, online shopping has hit all the towns; there is no doubt about that. That was some of his commentary. There are other ways and means, and other agencies have to play their part, including councils. <BR /> <BR />Mr Beggs talked about planning, and he has mentioned planning in a number of Committees.”
“I thank the Member for the intervention. I took notes when the Member moved the motion. We are talking about levels of £25,000 and up to £50,000 of interventions in some cases, and that is in the report. That is a lot of money. It is a about public spend; it is about looking after people and about proper spend in our town centres. That is what this is about, to be honest. <BR /> <BR />I want to turn to Members' contributions. It is interesting. The Member, in moving the motion, talked about the Minister considering introducing the scheme. Still and all, he said that he wanted direct action across the Executive. He is saying one thing. Why, then, did the Member not consider putting something to that effect in the motion? There are other ways and means.”
“If people had been listening to that or had seen it, they certainly would not be coming along today in relation to —.”
“It is interesting. Mr Beggs is not in the Chamber either. He mentioned that the 2016 report had sat on a shelf for four years. If you read some of the comments, you will see that, in June 2016 — the proposer of the motion would know this, because, if he had read it at the time, he certainly would not have included it in the original motion — a selection of property agents across all 11 council areas were consulted to obtain their views on a revitalised Living over the Shop scheme.”
“From the comments of some Members, especially Mr Blair, in an intervention with Mr Durkan from Derry, it was clearly seen that they had not really read the motion or the amendment.”
“I welcome the opportunity to take part in this interesting debate. We all know that many Members certainly support our towns and want to try to revitalise them; there is no doubt about that. I have listened to my colleagues, and I bow to Mr Fra McCann, who is not in the Chamber at the minute, because he has been an expert in this field for long many a day. He was on the old Social Development Committee, along with my former colleague Mickey Brady, so he is well versed on the issue. <BR /> <BR />I want to pick up on a few points, and then I will pick up on some Members' comments. It is quite interesting that some Members obviously did not read either the motion or the amendment. The original motion asks the Minister "to consider" a grant scheme.”
“I also welcome you back, Mr Speaker. The Minister is well aware of the stress, concern and worry of the residents. In leading up to the storm there were reports to the Department of debris and trees along the river. Will the Minister clarify when exactly it responded and what she and her Department did in relation to that?”
“Besides the vires issue, which I agree with the Member on, is he saying that the Minister has not the capacity to bring forward proposals or any suggestions to address the issue?”
“I could not agree more, Minister. Sorry, I should speak through you, Mr Principal Deputy Speaker. All that we say is that the Minister should bring proposals and use the data on the database. It may be the case that working with data across Departments is needed — I cannot say that it is not a cross-cutting measure — and I do not disagree with that. The Minister should bring proposals. We in the Committee will support her, and it will be an Executive decision. That is what the motion is about. Mrs Kelly to say that past motions from Committees have been unanimously agreed, but the majority of people agreed this motion. Unfortunately, Mrs Kelly was not there for the discussions on it. I will support the motion and go against the amendment.”
“Mrs Kelly said that only certain sectors of the taxi industry got it hard, but I know people in my constituency got and are getting it very hard and applied for some scheme but did not get anything. The real discussion point in all this is that we are in a pandemic, and all that we are saying is that, if people are really going to step up, let them step up. I want to bring one thing to the Minister's attention, because Mrs Kelly was praising her glories. The Minister found the time for the airports — I need to find it in my notes — and to work on them. In her own words:”
“I apologise, Mr Principal Deputy Speaker. I agree that some sectors of the industry were facilitated in some of the schemes, but I asked the Finance Minister about this, and he said that proposals were not brought forward and that, if they were, the Executive would discuss them and make a decision. I asked the Infrastructure Minister to work with the Economy Minister to bring forward proposals, but they were ding-donging between them about whose responsibility it was. I have received two letters from the Economy Minister saying that the remit lies in DFI. That is not what the motion is about. The motion says that the majority on the Committee would support proposals being brought to the Executive, and that is still our position on it. <BR /> <BR />I had a whole speech prepared, but Members have already brought up a number of the issues.”
“All the Committee was saying to the Minister was this: "Bring forward a proposal. We will support you in working with other Ministers on a package". <BR /> <BR />I agree with Mrs Kelly that there are some people who have been —.”
“<BR /> <BR />The whole point of it was this: we were saying to the Minister, "Bring forward proposals, and we, as a Committee, will support you". We are not the ones who were ding-donging across Ministers. The Minister sits there with a database of taxi licences and all the licences across the board, but all that we were saying at the time was, "Put that on a bit of paper. Bring it to the Executive, and then we shall discuss it". The industry out there looks to the Infrastructure Minister; they do not look to the Economy or Finance Ministers or to the Executive. I appreciate what Mr Allister says about a certain package of money, but, if you talk to taxi drivers or bus operators, you will find that they look towards the Minister for Infrastructure as their Minister.”
“The Member said that people should step up in a pandemic, and that is exactly what this is about. A lot of other Ministers across the board did not have the vires to do things but stepped up and came up with plans and ideas. The Member is engaging in a rearguard action to protect her Minister. This was discussed in Committee. A lot of Members who, funnily enough, will maybe support your amendment were content in the Committee system to speak out and were happy with some of the responses that we got. Still and all, today, when they get up to speak, they go against what they said in Committee. Mr Beggs supported Mr Murphy in Committee when he talked on this Floor about bringing forward proposals to the Executive — he mentioned the Committee — and other Members said other things, and they were content for that to happen.”
“This is like everything else: the Member will take an intervention from Members from other parties but will not take one from mine.”
“Ba mhaith liom labhairt ar son an rúin seo. I am in favour of and welcome the motion.”
“I agree with the Department's assessment that it is prudent to ensure that the option of issuing one-year licence renewals to key workers should be available. Thus, I welcome the measure on the basis that that was a significant issue for the transport and freight sector during the pandemic and that the Bill gives the Department the statutory provision in the meantime. <BR /> <BR />Any decision to go ahead and grant the extension in the North will ultimately come down to the Department for Infrastructure. On that, I would like to ask the Minister whether an extension has been requested from the European Commission and whether we can have an update on that front. Furthermore, can the Minister assure Members that road safety will not be compromised by the measure? I support the motion.”
“However, as an extension is not guaranteed, the Business and Planning Bill will allow a discretionary provision that will enable the Department to issue one-year licences, provided certain conditions are satisfied.”
“Lorry drivers have been making sure that supply chains have remained open during this period of uncertainty, while bus drivers have continued to provide key services and facilitate essential connectivity, such as allowing other key workers to get to work and letting people fulfil essential journeys. <BR /> <BR />The Department for Infrastructure has extended licences by using the EU emergency transport regulation that became law on 4 June. That has allowed driving licences that expire, or are due to expire, between February and August to be extended for seven months. That is a temporary provision, although there is scope to make a request to the European Commission for an extension.”
“I certainly welcome the motion and thank the Minister for her work on it. One of the effects of COVID-19 is that drivers who need a medical assessment for their driver licences are having difficulty in accessing medical professionals to fulfil that requirement. That is affecting lorry and bus drivers particularly. They are classified as key workers and have been playing a key role during the pandemic. It has been talked about in Committee, but I put on record, now, my acknowledgement of the work that they have done and the role that they have played over the period.”
“Our ambulance workers play a critical role daily by transporting those who are unwell. A lot of the time, they do so in emergency situations. The last thing that our ambulance personnel need to be worrying about when performing their essential duties is that they are at risk of prosecution, when they should be concentrating on their patients' immediate care. The change will provide clarity for the Ambulance Service and remove the potential threat of prosecution. The amendment to existing regulations is to be welcomed. <BR /> <BR />I had sought further clarity on the consultation from departmental officials and the Minister to ensure that there were no road safety issues for ambulance personnel and patients themselves, and I am content that I got that clarity. I am therefore content to support the regulations.”
“<BR /> <BR />In consideration of the vast challenges ahead, I commend the actions taken by the Finance Minister during this difficult period. They include the £50 million of additional funding for Translink in recent months, as well as £60 million remaining in the centre for transport issues. On top of that, the Department has received the biggest capital allocation in its history. The importance of public services and the need to protect them has been one of the overarching themes of COVID-19, a crisis that has highlighted the abhorrent nature of a policy like Tory austerity, which disregards the importance of core public services. It is crucial that we learn the lesson and that it is not forgotten in the future.”
“Some of the projects that, I am sure, other Members and their constituents are keen to see progressed, as I am, include the Narrow Water bridge project, the Belfast to Dublin railway improvements and the A5 and A6 projects, which I mentioned. The A1 junction safety improvements is another project of importance. That project means so much to so many people, especially those who have lost a loved one on that treacherous road. It is absolutely essential that the scheme is delivered as soon as possible. The £700 million funding announced by the Finance Minister in relation to city deals is a huge plus for the North during this difficult period and should assist in progressing vital infrastructure schemes such as the Newry relief road and the second phase of the Glider, to name but a few.”
“Yes, absolutely. The Minister said that, as long as proposals are brought to the Executive, the Executive will make a decision on them. <BR /> <BR />The challenge ahead will, no doubt, be significant, and we need to identify how best to facilitate an economic recovery. Capital projects will have a part to play in that goal. That adds a new dimension to the importance of some of the capital projects that need to be progressed as soon as possible, such as Casement Park and the A5. The Department for Infrastructure is currently assessing its delivery capacity on capital projects this year as a result of COVID-19, and it is vital that the outcome is revealed to members of the Committee as soon as possible.”
“<BR /> <BR />While all the issues that I have mentioned, such as austerity, COVID-19 and Brexit, are ongoing, it is important to remember that addressing the climate change emergency also has to remain a priority. Any economic strategy to recover from the crisis caused by COVID-19 must be based on a just transition towards a net zero carbon economy, which includes tackling congestion and pollution levels and committing to decarbonising the transport network and travel behaviour.”
“That commitment also included assisting in investing in essential sewerage infrastructure, which is a crucial issue across the North as around 100 areas have some capacity issues with regard to sewerage infrastructure. "No drains, no cranes", is the saying in NI Water and that needs to be addressed fairly across the North to allow balanced regional growth and to tackle inequalities. <BR /> <BR />Brexit continues to overshadow everything that we do and presents other economic problems down the line. For sectors such as haulage and logistics, which are currently facing massive pressures because of COVID, this is a very worrying time indeed and it is only worsened by the British Government not heeding the calls from so many for an extension to the current Brexit deadline.”
“All Departments are facing significant pressures right now, but it is important to realise that instead of allocating it on a departmental basis, the funding to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic has been agreed by the Executive as a whole on a needs basis. <BR /> <BR />The pressures that we currently face as a result of COVID and austerity have been compounded by the failure of the British Government to honour their commitments in New Decade, New Approach. It is noteworthy that one of those commitments was to turbocharge infrastructure and mentioned vital projects such as improving the Belfast to Dublin railway, the A5 and A6 and the Narrow Water bridge.”
“It is most important that the Infrastructure Minister fully engages with community transport moving forward, as it provides an invaluable service to communities and continues to do so during COVID-19 by helping with essential journeys and deliveries. <BR /> <BR />The lack of proper funding through the years because of austerity has left Departments in a vulnerable position to respond to events such as COVID-19. These are not normal circumstances for a Budget, and the reality is that the response to the COVID-19 pandemic cannot be held within the confines of conventional departmental budgets. We need to have a comprehensive perspective when looking at our response to the pandemic.”
“The legacy of that initiative is that in the last two years, the Department has allocated some £25 million to the RRF that mostly goes towards our rural roads. It is important that that scheme continues and will, hopefully, inspire the Department to further invest in similar schemes. <BR /> <BR />Meanwhile, our coveted rural community transport partnerships have faced stark cuts in their budgets in recent years. Last year's Budget allocation represented a reduction of almost 20% in the overall baseline since 2015-16. Community transport groups, which are currently facing some pressure as a result of COVID-19, are concerned that they have received a letter of offer for three months only. On top of that, they have lost a significant amount of revenue from group hire work throughout the pandemic.”
“First, I will state some of the pressures that the Department for Infrastructure has been facing for a number of years, as it is important to demonstrate the structural failings of austerity. Every Member, in their constituency, most likely gets countless issues regarding our roads, the service for which has been operating on a skeleton basis in recent history as a result of departmental cuts to budgets. That includes not just fixing potholes but street light repairs and gritting. That service, before budget cuts, used to get around £35 million a year but now receives half of that. <BR /> <BR />I commend the scheme that was introduced by my colleague, Chris Hazzard, during his tenure as Infrastructure Minister, to target the repair of rural roads by way of the roads recovery fund (RRF).”
“Can the Minister comment on those figures? <BR /> <BR />With that, I support the Vote on Account. I will comment later on the Second Stage.”
“I have asked, on a number of occasions, three or four Ministers on the Floor of the House about funding and support for the taxi industry. What I am saying is that Ministers in the Executive have been communicating through letters. If Ministers want to engage properly in the Executive, they should be in there having conversations. It is up to us as MLAs. We can write to any Minister to request a meeting with any Minister. That is the point that I am making. <BR /> <BR />Believe it or not, I agree with Mr Allister that the freight industry has been left out of all this. I know that there were conversations with the Treasury in support of the freight industry, but they seem to have fallen through. I know that the sum of £90 million or £95 million was mentioned, although £59 million or £60 million is still being held centrally.”
“Earlier, Mr Allister mentioned the sum of £59 million or £60 million being held centrally for transport issues. I would like to ask the Minister whether concrete proposals have been brought forward to the Executive or whether there have been any enquiries as to how that money will be spent, in the light of conversations that have taken place. It seems to me that the Minister has been getting letters by pigeon, messages in bottles and electronic messages. Recently, instead of Ministers sitting round the ministerial table and having proper discussions with other Ministers, every MLA can write to every Minister. That is the role of MLAs. However, it seems to me that some Ministers take it upon themselves to write letters rather than engage with other Ministers round the ministerial table.”
“That reflects the flagship status of a number of DFI's capital projects and the priority afforded to infrastructure by the Executive. It is vital that we see progress on those fundamental schemes. I see that Mr Muir has left the Chamber, but he will have a chance, as a member of the Committee for Infrastructure, to scrutinise the Minister and the capital spend. The Deputy Speaker, who is in the Chamber in a different role today, will have a similar opportunity. <BR /> <BR />As regards COVID-19 funding, I welcome the Finance Minister's announcement of £30 million for public transport. That is on top of the £20 million that was allocated a few weeks ago. That announcement will be welcomed by Translink, as it demonstrates the Minister's recognition of the importance of public transport.”
“The Member has been here a long time, he is a member of a scrutiny Committee, and he was also a Minister and had to prioritise his own moneys, so he should know better. If the Member is on a Committee, he has an opportunity to scrutinise a Minister properly. The Member keeps saying austerity, austerity, austerity and dismissing it as if it had not happened. We have been cut down for long many a day. The last day that the Member spoke on the Budget, he said exactly the same thing. However, I gave the Member the opportunity to come in. <BR /> <BR />In the light of the constrained financial position and the austerity measures that I mentioned, I commend the move by the Minister of Finance to allocate an £8·6 million increase in resource funding, as well as a capital allocation of £558 million to DFI.”
“<BR /> <BR />I will use the example of Translink, which I know from my role as a member of the Committee for Infrastructure. Before COVID, the Committee had a briefing from Translink, and I also had a private briefing with one of my policy advisers. Translink said that, for the past four years, it has had to dip into its reserves to try to keep it going. If it did not have to dip into its reserves, we would not have had to look at the £30 million package for Translink that the Minister announced last week. I welcome that package, but the fact that that was necessary is part and parcel of some of the denial of some Members.”
“I welcome the opportunity to speak in support of this motion. We are facing an unprecedented health crisis that has affected and will continue to affect all parts of our society. The crisis brings with it massive ramifications that we will be dealing with for the foreseeable future. Of course, before this pandemic, we were already facing considerable financial challenges. Our block grant is £360 million in real terms below pre-austerity levels, and many's the Member across the Floor is denying that there was an austerity period, that there continues to be an austerity period and that we are and have been short of finances. We have had money taken out of this for long and many's the day, and that is why we are in the position that we are in.”
“I thank the Minister for her statement. I welcome the measures. However, she did indicate that the taxi industry may lose out on driving licensing in some cases. Will the Minister commit to looking at other ways of licensing, such as discounting the cost of renewals, which is over £100, given the heavy burden that taxi drivers are under at the minute?”
“Thanks for letting me in again. I appreciate what the Minister has put out today in his statement. I know that a lot of the schemes cover a lot of groups, but I am still being lobbied from the infrastructure side in relation to the taxis industry, which feels that it has been left short. What discussions have there been at Executive level and which Ministers have made an approach for support for the taxis industry?”
“Thank you, Minister, for the statement. I commend you on it. <BR /> <BR />I welcome the £30 million announcement for Translink, which is on top of the £20 million that was allocated to it in the recent Budget. As that money rolls out, I look forward to working with you, Mr Deputy Speaker, and the rest of the Committee for Infrastructure on scrutinising it. <BR /> <BR />My question relates to furloughed workers. Can the Minister update us on how public bodies have utilised the furlough scheme, and has it been done in consultation with the unions?”
“Perhaps the introduction of physical infrastructure, such as bollards, would give people more confidence to use bikes and to be on the road, especially in cities. I ask the Minister to prioritise the uptake of walking and cycling, and their sustainability. <BR /> <BR />We have talked about congestion and air pollution. Perhaps the Minister will expand on some of the things that she would like to introduce as part of the legislation to tackle those issues. <BR /> <BR />I look forward to working with the Department and the Minister in the future. Whilst we welcome the legislation, which is COVID-related in the sense that it is a consequence of what is happening socially and what we are trying to do, will the Minister talk about her departmental legislative framework or what she has in mind? Will she expand on where that is?”
“This an opportunity to step up our commitment to sustainable transport. Other countries are setting up pop-up cycle lanes. Dublin, for instance, is extending pavements and cycle lanes. I would like to see us follow suit. <BR /> <BR />I also welcome the introduction of the walking and cycling champion that the Minister mentioned last week. Will the Minister expand on how we are going to deliver on that? Who can engage in that process? I welcome local council involvement, but I think that there is a broader programme: there is a large cycling fraternity out there, and I would like it to be given the opportunity. <BR /> <BR />One of the key deterrents to active travel and using bikes is safety. Will the Minister consider best practice in other countries?”
“As the Member who has just spoken said about her constituency, I have seen people in Armagh dusting off their bikes, dust flying out the door and cobwebs flying down the roads. I welcome seeing people out. If we are serious about a shift and change, and tackling congestion, air pollution and everything else, this is the start of the process. I welcome that. Making e-bikes more accessible will reach out to a wider audience. E-bikes are better than conventional bikes for travelling longer distances. People may not consider that, but that is something that we need to encourage. I would like to see the Minister talk a wee bit more about that and encourage that.”