Jennifer McCann
West Belfast · Sinn Féin · Northern Ireland
“I have listened to the answers that you have given. What steps will you and your Department take to address the issue? As you mentioned, quite a percentage of schools are failing to meet the entitlement framework requirements. What actual steps will your Department take?”
“I begin by echoing what my two colleagues said: we will oppose the motion and support the DUP amendment. <BR /> <BR />I welcome the general direction of travel of the draft area plan. It puts the needs of children and young people at the heart of the planning process.”
“I want to say again — we have had this in debates — about the excellent results in my constituency of West Belfast in educational outcomes. It clearly shows that, when the right intervention is made in those areas, the children shine and their potential comes through.”
“It is not just about their academic achievements but about giving them the skills to deal with life's problems and difficulties. <BR /> <BR />The plan also seeks to close the attainment gap. That issue should be of great concern to all of us and the wider community.”
“I hope that in the final area planning it will be. I have seen it at first hand with programmes like New Start in west Belfast. We all want children to go to mainstream education, but, for whatever reason, mainstream education just does not suit some children's needs and does not do it for them.”
“It is not just about school buildings, but school buildings sometimes can be crucial, particularly in an area where, for instance, they do not have sporting facilities in a school. The Minister will be aware of the campaign in the Colin area of west Belfast for a new school.”
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“The Commissioner for Older People's main aim is to safeguard and promote the interests of older people. The commissioner is provided with a budget of £822,000 for 2015-16, and it is for her to allocate, including to decide whether or not to initiate legal action on behalf of older people. The commissioner applies criteria for acceptance of requests for individual assistance and applies a further set of criteria should the request include or necessitate legal funding or action. Neither set of criteria takes into account the cost of a case or the available resources in a legal funding budget. The commissioner has confirmed that she has not declined to offer assistance or take legal action in part or full on the basis of cost.”
“That, too, is in keeping with article 12 of the convention, which states that government shall respect young persons' right to say what they think and to have their views taken seriously.”
“The summer camps have been designed with due regard being paid to the UNCRC. First, the camps are open to all young people, regardless of their religion, gender, ability or ethnic background. That is in keeping with articles 1 and 2, which state that everyone has those rights and that government must protect young people from all forms of discrimination. As part of the co-design process, a small youth co-design team was established to run in parallel with a full summer camps design team. The youth team met OFMDFM officials on four occasions, and its views fed directly into the larger co-design team meetings to ensure that young people's views were taken into consideration at all stages of development of the programme.”
“I do not have the exact figures, but I will certainly get them to the Member in written form. There were quite a number of applications, and, as I said, the programme only closed on Friday. Applications are being looked at now.”
“<BR /> <BR />The programme is about building positive relationships among young people aged 11 to 19 from diverse backgrounds across all parts of our community. Camps should be fun and offer a range of age-appropriate activities according to young people's interests, but good-relations-based learning must be at their heart. Camps must be run on a cross-community basis and at a local or regional level. They will offer young people an opportunity to get to know one another and all the ones from different parts of their community and to have fun, try new experiences and help build longer-term relationships.”
“The summer camp pilot programme 2015 has been widely promoted. It was advertised in the three main daily newspapers — the 'Belfast Telegraph', 'The Irish News' and the 'News Letter' — on 15 April. It was also advertised on the Department's website, tweeted from our Twitter account and placed on our Facebook page. Over 2,500 stakeholders were also advised when the programme opened, and other key partners, including the Community Relations Council, the Department of Education, the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure, the Rural Community Network, the Education Authority and local councils, were asked to circulate the information to their stakeholders. The programme closed for applications on Friday, and the assessment and selection process has not yet been completed, but we are on track to meet our target of delivering 100 camps in 2015.”
“I start by congratulating the Member on his success in the election. Given that the transgender issue came up in the review, we need to ensure that the gender equality strategy looks at people from all backgrounds. We want to see all people treated with equality and respect, whatever their gender, religion, political persuasion or sexual orientation.”
“As I said, development of the strategy is under way, and the pre-consultation period has commenced. The strategy will require full public consultation and Executive approval. We will also keep in contact with the gender advisory panel. One criticism of the panel was that it did not include people who represented the grass-roots level. We looked at that, and that will be addressed in the forthcoming months.”
“It was decided that the actions had to be more measurable. We are now moving towards an outcomes-based model when doing evaluation and monitoring. That model is being used across the piece, for instance for the SIF projects and the signature projects in Delivering Social Change. As you pointed out, there were concerns, but we are looking at them.”
“A number of concerns were revealed during the review. One of them was probably the overarching one about the aims and objectives and how those directly linked into the action plans in the strategy. Another one was transgender issues, where it was felt that there was a gap and that there was not enough focus on those issues.”
“The current strategy will remain in place until the new one is developed and operational.”
“The current gender equality strategy, which is due to end in 2016, sets out an overarching framework to promote gender equality. A review of the strategy was undertaken during 2013, and, in January 2014, we approved the development of a new gender equality strategy. Work on the new strategy is under way and a pre-consultation period has commenced. Meetings have taken place with a range of key stakeholders and the gender advisory panel to update them on progress and to involve them in the development of the new strategy. A discussion document was circulated to the gender advisory panel to enable it to put forward suggestions and recommendations. The discussion document has now been revised and will be circulated to the panel ahead of the next meeting. The next gender advisory panel meeting is scheduled for June 2015.”
“We are aware of this and hope to continue to meet and communicate with the community and voluntary sector, particularly the likes of the women's sector and other groups that are responsible for suicide prevention and intervention and that. That is the way that we hope to take this forward.”
“We are currently considering how best to take that role forward, and our discussions with NICVA will help to inform that thinking. As I said, there have been a number of meetings, and I know that individual Ministers have also met NICVA. We want to work closely with all the sectors across the voluntary and community sector and ensure that good lines of communication are formed so that Departments are aware of the consequences and the impact. <BR /> <BR />As I said, the community and voluntary sector is sometimes particularly affected in that it depends on a cocktail of funding from different Departments. That can sometimes be their lifeline.”
“We are trying to work as closely as possible because, as I said, we are aware of the vital role that the women's sector plays in education and in all sorts of areas of work. We are keen to see that those impacts are headed off as well as possible.”
“As I said in my first answer, we have undertaken in the Executive to liaise with NICVA on the voluntary and community sector in general. The women's sector, as you say, is very much impacted by funding because it, in particular, has been impacted by the funding that has been cut in DSD, for instance, from the women's centres childcare funding; in DEL, from the European social fund; and, in Education, from early years. We are very conscious that that sector is really impacted. <BR /> <BR />I have met members of the women's sector on several occasions in recent months. Junior Minister Bell and I were to have a meeting with the women's sector today, but it has been postponed until next week at the representatives' request so that they could better prepare a presentation. I know that other MLAs will be asked to come to that.”
“We plan to raise these issues with the Minister for Social Development, who has lead responsibility on behalf of the Executive for the voluntary and community sector and whose Department has historically provided funding to women's groups in particular. In addition, our officials will work closely with colleagues in the relevant Departments and with stakeholders to establish and assess the actual likely impacts of the budget cuts. We would not wish to support the expansion of childcare services in some areas while watching childcare services decrease in others.”
“The First Minister and deputy First Minister recognise the vital role that the women's sector has in the community. Junior Minister Bell and I have been remitted by the Executive to undertake a liaison role with the Departments and NICVA to consider the unintended consequences of reductions in funding by Departments that impact on the voluntary and community groups and on Executive priorities. <BR /> <BR />We plan to meet the women's sector to get a clear understanding of the impact of the reduction in funding on its organisations. We accept that there are challenges ahead in these times of severe austerity. One impact appears to be the reduction in childcare funding. We recognise that affordable childcare is a major concern for women's groups and is essential in securing gender equality in employment and training.”
“The aim of the child rights indicator framework is to develop a set of indicators that can be used at a strategic level to measure and monitor the Executive's progress on effectiveness and achievement against the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. The UNESCO report represents a major step forward, and we are reviewing the child rights indicators identified in its final report. As it stands, the report and the outcome indicators that it contains do not represent a full or comprehensive child rights indicator framework. However, we acknowledge that it is an important first step and advocates an approach to the development of the comprehensive framework.”
“As I said in my previous answers to the other Members, the co-design process will take place first. People will decide what they want from that, and we will then have to look at the resource implications of its delivery — that includes the Strategic Investment Board — and what capital build is required. As I said, each urban village will be unique in its own right, but the thread that will run through all of them is that they will come from the community and will be about its needs and getting to those needs.”
“As I said, there are three different levels of governance. There is the strategic board and then a board working under that, which is made up of the Departments. The reason for having the strategic board that junior Minister Bell and I chair is so that we can ensure that there is buy-in from all Departments and that they are working together on this. You then have the other level, where you have the person responsible — particularly in DSD, because it is the lead Department — taking the project forward and the community sector involved. There are three different governance levels, and they are all working together, particularly on the co-design.”
“However, the process for both the resource and capital build is ongoing.”
“As I said in my previous answer, each area is at a different level at the moment. The indicative costs for each urban village will be different, and, as we are in the co-design process — each of the urban villages will have its own unique design — it is impossible to give a sense of the cost. However, once we have a sense of what is needed, we will put a cost to it. It has been confirmed that £2·46 million will be taken out of the Together: Building a United Community overall budget to take forward the urban village programme. Once we see the co-design and work with people on the ground, first to design the boundaries and then to see what the people in each local community want — because this is about what the people in the local community want for their urban village — we can put a cost to it and hopefully see something happening.”
“They are all at different levels. At the minute, people are consulting community stakeholders to see first what the boundaries in the urban villages are going to be and then what the priorities are. The difference between urban villages and other things that have happened is that urban villages are going to be community-led. There will be three different governance structures: one at the strategic level; another at a board level; and one with stakeholders from the community sector, who will be engaging. The project that the Member mentions is in the co-design process.”
“Those will be supported by the urban villages strategic board, which is chaired by junior Minister Bell and me.”
“Junior Minister Bell and I announced three further urban village locations recently: the Markets, Donegall Pass and Sandy Row and the Bogside and the Fountain on 21 January; and Ardoyne and Ballysillan on 16 February. That brings the number of urban village projects to five, which is one more than was originally committed to in the strategy. <BR /> <BR />The next step is to establish a project team for each new urban village to engage and work with the community to determine the boundaries of the urban villages, assess what is needed and develop the priorities for each area. The Department for Social Development has convened a programme board to coordinate and oversee the planning, design and delivery of all aspects of the urban villages. Project boards will be set up for each of the urban villages.”
“Mr Speaker, with your permission, I will answer questions 6 and 8 together. <BR /> <BR />On 20 March 2014, the First Minister and deputy First Minister announced the first two urban village locations as Colin town centre and lower Newtownards Road. Work is progressing, and stakeholder engagement is ongoing regarding the development of both locations. Plans are progressing to develop a coherent town centre for the Colin area, with inputs from a range of Departments. Community engagement commenced on the lower Newtownards Road in October 2014. Options on developing concepts to deliver a sustainable urban village are being considered in conjunction with stakeholders.”
“As I said before, when this was introduced to the Assembly, I would rather be here today saying that the legislation covers all ages. It is very clear that, when you do any sort of anti-discrimination legislation, discrimination against one section is wrong. However, all Members will be aware of the issue. This was the only way we could get political consensus to take it forward. At the minute, we do not have any age equality legislation on goods, facilities and services. This is a starting point, and I hope that we can continue to make improvements to include all ages.”
“People have a right to vote. You discriminate against people when you say that certain people cannot vote. I am very clear and we are very clear on this side of the Chamber that no one should be discriminated against, whether because of their sexuality, their age or for any other reason. No one should be afraid of legislation that brings equality for everyone.”
“There is certainly no question on the commitment of our party to delivering equality legislation. The Member was part of some of the meetings that we had, inside and outside the Committee, and he will be aware that there were difficulties in getting political consensus on this particular agreement and on the scope of the legislation. That is where the delay was in this instance.”
“The public consultation on the draft policy proposals for the proposed legislation will be conducted in compliance with the Department's statutory equality requirements. The equality impact assessment will be completed in line with section 75 and schedule 9 obligations, as well as Equality Commission guidelines. The assessment will consider the impacts on each of the nine groups in the various categories in section 75. On age, consideration will also be given to those who are going to be impacted and are not covered by the proposed legislation. Officials will be meeting key stakeholders over the next few weeks to discuss the development of the equality impact assessment.”
“Obviously, the consultation will have to be agreed at the Executive first, and a consultation paper will be put out. Until we see the results of the consultation, and the people's views, we will not know what we have to do next. We are hopeful that it will be within the current mandate, but will not know until the consultation is out. We are very clear that we want people to voice their views, and for their views to be listened to.”
“<BR /> <BR />It is important to say that there are a lot of very challenging issues for people from the ages of 16 to 18, and we recognise this as a step forward. We also recognise that the decision on the scope of the proposed legislation has come as a great disappointment to some, and we will continue to work with a wide range of people in the children and young persons' sector to seek to redress issues affecting children under the age of 16. <BR /> <BR />In answer to the question on the budget, the cost of developing this legislation will be met using in-house resources.”
“Mr Speaker, with your permission, I will answer questions 1 and 3 together. <BR /> <BR />The written statement made by the First Minister and deputy First Minister on 19 February gave a commitment to extend legislation to give legal protection from unfair age discrimination by those providing goods, facilities and services to those aged 16 and over. It also announced the intention to bring forward a consultation document, setting out proposals for legislation. Our proposed consultation is the first step towards ensuring that anti-discrimination legislation is brought forward as soon as possible to protect people over the age of 16 from harmful and unjustifiable age discrimination.”
“Different areas must have different ways of working the steering groups. Some of the steering groups that I know in west Belfast and, indeed, in the south-eastern zone, are made up of members of the local community and members of voluntary and statutory organisations. Once they were clear on what projects they wanted brought forward, they brought in members from the statutory groups or the business community to whichever projects they wanted to deliver. They work closely together, not only by way of the steering group working together, but through work with other policies and programmes like neighbourhood renewal, for instance, or with people in the council who are involved in community planning. Local people are designing the projects for their areas. The make-up of steering groups should, obviously, be from local areas.”
“If you want the whole plan of it and to know how it has been rolled out, I will certainly give that to the Member in written form.”
“First of all, I want to say to the Member that she is actually wrong because two projects have actually started. They are the Coleraine rural and urban network in the northern zone and the Bryson Street Surgery in east Belfast. There are a number of projects. I can give the Member a list of many that will be taking work forward soon. I say again that while this money has not been in OFMDFM's baseline, it has been allocated. Almost £50 million has been offered through letters of offer and everything else. So, I think that it is disingenuous of the Member to say —”
“Obviously, as I said, it is good news that the majority of projects are now progressing, but we are aware that a small number of projects still have not reached full approval stage. Officials are refocusing efforts to secure the business case approval on all remaining projects in the allocations for each zone. Steering groups are aware of this. While we have to be sure that all projects are fit for purpose and demonstrate value for money, we remain committed to ensuring that all projects in affordability levels are approved, letters of offer issued and projects commenced as soon as possible in order to get the benefits from the social investment programme. Again, I just want to say that we are working with people and the local steering groups to try to ensure that these projects are brought forward as quickly as possible.”
“They should also encompass, if you like, members of the community, the voluntary sector and other statutory organisations so that those individuals form a clear, wide membership of those steering groups.”
“The Member would know that in her area, quite a bit of progress has been made. Her area covers three zones; Derry, the western zone and the northern zone. Around £50 million has already been committed in letters of offer and projects that have already started. While the money is not in the baseline of the OFMDFM budget because it is, in fact, an Executive budget, there is a clear indication that when the money needs to be drawn down, it will be drawn down. <BR /> <BR />It is really the responsibility of local steering groups to, if you like, inform the areas and projects that were unsuccessful. Those local steering groups were set up for the purpose, first of all, of deciding which particular projects they wanted to bring forward.”
“In keeping with the community-based ethos of the social investment fund, zonal steering groups made the final decisions on projects that were selected for their area plans. Individuals or groups that were involved with concepts which did not make it into the area plans were advised at the time. The area plans were submitted in February 2013. When the zonal allocations were subsequently announced, the steering groups were asked to prioritise their area plan projects again in their assigned zonal budgets. This process was completed by November 2013. The steering groups should have informed those involved of the decisions. If anyone is still in doubt, they should contact their zone's steering group directly. Contact details for these steering groups can be found on the NI Direct website.”
“I am not sure what the Member means about voluntary redundancy. Voluntary redundancy is obviously just that: you take it because you want it. In the Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister, we have responsibility for equality legislation and the policy on equality issues. Certainly, if the Member wants to come and discuss the issue with me, the other junior Minister or indeed the First Minister or deputy First Minister, he would be most welcome.”
“I reiterate my previous answer to the Member. He will know that I have spoken to members of the Committee inside and outside of the Committee. I wish that I was standing here saying that the legislation would cover all ages. I certainly believe that that would have been better legislation, particularly as it is anti-discrimination law. I will endeavour to work towards that. We will be protecting people who are over 16. We do not have anything on that at all at the moment, so this is a step in the right direction. I hope that we will be able to see progress at some stage and that I will be able to say that it will cover all ages.”
“The Member will be aware that we could not get political consensus on that issue. I would have preferred to have been able to say that the age discrimination legislation would cover all ages, but we have to remember that we are where we are. The main gap in the anti-discrimination law here is that, at the moment, there is no protection from age discrimination for any age in the provision of goods facilities and services, so this is a move in the right direction and a move forward. As I said in my previous answer, I hope that we can work towards getting that legislation for everyone. That would put us in a better place.”
“The Member will know that it is a Programme for Government commitment. We have been working with officials. We recently agreed the scope of the legislation and are looking at how we can take it forward. There will obviously be the consultation period, but we are looking at all the possibilities to try to bring the legislation forward in this mandate.”
“I am most definitely supportive of more inclusive legislation to stop age discrimination in the provision of goods, facilities and services, and we will continue to work with the children and young people's sector to progress the full extension of age discrimination legislation. The current agreement on the scope of the legislation means that, where previously no one had protection against age discrimination, we now have the most advanced legislation on these islands for people aged 16 and over.”
“Following consultation, we will consider all the options that are available to us for bringing the legislation before the Assembly.”
“Subject to Executive agreement, we intend to bring forward a consultation document in the near future setting out our proposals on the matter.”
“With your permission, Mr Speaker, I will answer questions 3 and 8 together. <BR /> <BR />On 19 February, the First Minister and deputy First Minister made a written statement to the Assembly about the Programme for Government commitment to extend legislation to give legal protection from unfair age discrimination by those providing goods, facilities and services (GFS). The proposed new legislation will apply to people aged 16 and over. The aim of the new legislation is to protect all people aged 16 and over from discrimination because of their age when accessing goods, facilities and services. That will put age discrimination outside work on a similar footing to discrimination law in employment. It sends out a clear message that ageist attitudes and practices are as unacceptable in service provision as they are in the workplace.”
“Again, I assure Members that we will do all in our power to ensure that there is a service available and that there is no undue delay in the inquiry's recommendations coming forward. We are acting on the good guidance of Judge Hart, who asked for this year. All the other issues that I have listened to today I will look at. I will take them back to discuss them with colleagues in OFMDFM, and we will see how we can progress this. Thank you for your debate.”