Carál Ní Chuilín
North Belfast · Sinn Féin · Northern Ireland
“To continue the theme of undermining public confidence and public effectiveness, I ask you this, Minister: why do you and your DUP colleagues continue to block the 'good jobs' Bill, particularly the measures for parents whose babies require neonatal care and, indeed, other measures that will support workers who are struggling with the cos…”
“At the end of the day, guns were used to kill Catholics — Davy Payne; surface-to-air missiles in South Africa and Paris and then some. I will give the deputy First Minister another opportunity not to deflect but to condemn her party's involvement in Ulster Resistance and with the red berets that they wore.”
“I thank the Minister for that response. I have a close family relative who is in need of a SPiMS unit in an Irish-medium school but cannot access one in North Belfast at all. Apart from access in P4 and P5, they will have to go to an English-speaking school, even though Irish is their first language.”
“You mentioned some of the issues that are important: trade union representation, the banning of zero-hours contracts and employees being able to have their tips and service charges. Anyone who cannot get behind these proposals needs to be clear — concerns for some, and hiding behind the industry for others.”
“First Minister, I know that, recently, you were in Ardoyne for the sod cutting of the new £3·4 million purpose-built youth facility for Ardoyne Youth Enterprise. Further to your response to Brian Kingston, can you give us an update on that project and, indeed, any others?”
“I agree 100%, Linda. That is something that we all agree on. We met many people. The Bill was published and was based on the report of the truth recovery process.”
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“This is not about those clubs who have the smartest people putting in applications and getting the money. It is about it going to where there is need, and, more often than not, it is usually for groups that do not have the capability to put in applications in the first place.”
“I agree with the Member's sentiments. I have visited most of the boxing clubs. In fact, I have visited some of the clubs in his constituency. They are all doing great work, but their focus is on looking after children and young people. They are not there to look at due diligence and governance, although all of them are perfectly willing to do so. However, it is not their primary function. That is why we asked that money go towards boxing and a support worker for boxing. <BR /> <BR />If the Member writes to me, I will give him details of the people whom he needs to talk to. I can also put him in contact with Sport NI. If he gives the information to Sport NI, a representative can give it back to the clubs, because it is important that they have access to the money.”
“It has committed £2·5 million in capital investment, which will provide improved facilities for 40 boxing clubs across the North, and has provided funding for a club development manager, who has been appointed by the IABA to work closely with clubs to improve governance arrangements and build capacity in clubs.”
“I thank the Member for his question. Sport NI recently opened the third round of the Active Awards for Sport funding programme. The programme is a lottery-funded small grants programme that is primarily aimed at organisations that are delivering grass-roots, community-based sport. Eligible groups, including boxing clubs, can apply for grants ranging from £1,000 to £10,000. The closing date for applications is 13 April of this year. <BR /> <BR />In addition, DCAL, through Sport NI, is currently investing £3·27 million in boxing through the boxing investment programme. So far, that investment has provided boxing equipment to the value of almost £170,000, which has been distributed through the Irish Amateur Boxing Association (IABA) to 94 boxing clubs.”
“With respect to the Member, he needs to look at his figures because that is not true. That has been peddled and is not true. <BR /> <BR />I also want to take the opportunity to congratulate the makers of 'Boogaloo and Graham', even though they did not receive an Oscar. Being nominated and cheering everybody up late on Sunday evening was quite good. <BR /> <BR />I will continue to argue for money for the arts. That includes film, television and radio production. It also includes trying to have a career path for young people or even not-so-young people to make the creative industries their career choice. It is important that we maintain or even increase that funding.”
“I totally agree with the Member. That is important. A number of films that were supported by NI Screen ended up at the BAFTAs, the Oscars or other award ceremonies, and there is a sense of civic pride in all of them, particularly when some are nominated. It also helps others who are thinking about going into the creative industries, so it is important that they continue to receive our support.”
“Absolutely. That is key to sustaining and maintaining the relationships that were developed with, for want of a better term, the older councils, when you are bringing those relationships into new councils. It is also important to work with elected representatives from all over and across council areas because they, by and large, are at the coalface and the interface with community and residents' groups. <BR /> <BR />I will continue to work well with local government. We have delivered, particularly in partnership with local government. That is the direction of travel we should go, not as the only option but as an option. I am happy to meet anyone from the new super-councils, be it officers, existing elected representatives or newly elected representatives to the shadow councils, to see how we can take forward their plans.”
“I have not made any funding available to local government for arts venues thus far, but I have received a number of requests, including from the new chief executive officers of the new super-councils. They are coming to meet me about a range of issues, including the arts, theatres, creativity, sport and the creative industries, so I imagine they will come with a long shopping list.”
“All politics is local. The Member will be aware that, in Strabane, Limavady and mid-Ulster, some of the investment that was put in has helped not only council offices but arts venues and venues such as theatres where people can participate. That is important.”
“I appreciate the work that the marching bands do, particularly around music acquisition and passing on those skills. It is important. We need to ensure that, in promoting equality and tackling isolation and exclusion, we use every opportunity that is available. To that end, money has remained and continues to be invested in this programme. It is certainly not a programme that yields as many figures as I would like it to. It is certainly not a programme that is as inclusive as it should be. I aim to change that. With those changes, I will aim to try to upgrade it to ensure that all bands can have access to the fund.”
“I take exception to the Member talking about substantial cuts. All facilities that the Arts Council and even the Ulster-Scots Agency have have been based on budget availability. That primarily applies to the Arts Council as the Ulster-Scots Agency receives greater protection. The Member's assertion that there have been significant cuts is not the case.”
“I know that the inventory of what is stored away and by whom was done quite some time ago. The issue has been raised before, but I will certainly raise it again and look at where we could hold exhibitions. We could bring artwork out to school assembly halls, council buildings and community facilities, and bring school groups, community groups and residents to the exhibitions. The exhibitions could almost travel around. <BR /> <BR />I will happily raise the Member's concerns with museums and the Arts Council. Primarily, however, this is about museums. I will see what is in the latest catalogue and whether art can be displayed by local government. I will then write to the Member with the details.”
“I thank the Member for raising that query, because a concern that I have had since I came into the Department is that, year on year, a lot of public money is being spent on preserving works of art that are in storage. My questions are these: why have they been in storage for so long and why have they remained in storage? I am working with museums, libraries and the Arts Council on bringing exhibitions out to communities and am looking at the practical implications of doing that. If I am picking up the Member correctly, I agree with him that it is a shame that we have collections that are stored away where no one can see them.”
“I would be absolutely delighted to. I was delighted to meet the all-party group on disability action. I also met the Commissioner for Public Appointments to look at gaps in female representation, gender imbalance, disability imbalance, political imbalance where people are coming forward from the Catholic or Protestant community, and ethnic minority imbalance. It is important that we get the best possible balance. I will happily have a meeting with the Member on that.”
“I will happily take the Member's concern back to my Department so that I can check with all the arm's-length bodies. His colleague Patsy McGlone asked similar questions about the disability action plan and about disability access and participation. I will raise that query and write to the Member.”
“I thank the Member for his supplementary , and I agree with his last point. Over decades, boxing has delivered an awful lot to our community. It has given us a great spectacle of sport and produces more medals than any other sport the length and breadth of this island, yet its facilities are not fit for purpose. It is important that we get investment into the boxing clubs and that it is spread throughout communities as much as possible. As I said, I will try to find out about the clubs in his constituency that he mentioned and write to him with any details.”
“I thank the Member for his question. The boxing investment programme, which came from Sport NI through Lottery funds, has been very successful. The Member will be aware, because I was in the constituency with him and other representatives, that there is not enough money at the moment to meet the demand. However, Sport NI did an exercise with the governing bodies and some of the clubs to get a facilities plan to look at the state of boxing clubs. They will prioritise those with the worst facilities and look at when funding can go to them. That process is under way. I am not sure whether some of the clubs in the Member's constituency will get funding, but I will happily write to him about that.”
“I am sympathetic to what the Member says. I recently met cricket representatives who were concerned about grass facilities. I also met representatives of some smaller soccer clubs who have concerns. They had met their local councils, which are under a lot of financial pressure because they have to provide multi-sport facilities, and that is where the 3G and 4G pitches come in. We are still working with the governing bodies through the Sport Matters implementation group. This issue was raised previously, but we will look at it again. It is up to the governing bodies to identify grounds on which they want their sport to be performed. We will try to work in partnership with them, Sport NI and local government, but I hear what the Member is saying.”
“I am aware that every club, regardless of whether it is soccer, rugby, Gaelic or hockey, wants to look at better facilities, and 3G and 4G pitches are on the long list of things that groups need. I am certainly not aware of the IFA per se replacing 3G and 4G pitches at the minute. The Member will be aware of the subregional funding, but that is not about the replacement of pitches but is looking at subregional facilities.”
“I appreciate that the Member may have had her question worked out before I gave the answer to Mr Devenney, but the consultation opened in February and will close in April. I will wait for the Libraries NI response to the outcome of that consultation. It has proposed reductions in hours for each of the libraries based on different bands, but, as part of a robust consultation, that may change, depending on the feedback that the libraries get. The libraries have certainly gone about it in the right way; they have shown that the bands are delivered on the basis mainly of usage but also of hours and membership. They worked it out on that basis, which is a fair and transparent way to do it. The consultation is open, and I encourage the Member and others to feed into it.”
“The Member may be aware that there is a consultation at the minute about the reduction in opening hours. That started on, I think, 18 February, and will end on 17 or 18 April. I encourage the Member and others to feed into that consultation, because consultation responses have been crucial in shaping the future delivery of libraries. <BR /> <BR />Libraries are very good; they work out their usage in terms of hours, staff and resources. The last consultation was on the draft budget, but previous consultations on library services ensured that they were protected. If a library service goes, particularly in a rural community, it is really difficult, if not impossible, to get it back.”
“Public libraries play an essential role in our communities, especially in socially deprived areas, so they need to be protected as far as possible. The responses that DCAL received following the publication of the consultation on the draft budget last autumn indicated that there was strong public support for our library services.”
“I thank the Member for his question. In line with 'Delivering Tomorrow's Libraries', I am determined to provide a library service that, within available resources, is centred on people and relevant to their current needs; is responsive to local communities, particularly those experiencing poverty and social exclusion; is sufficiently flexible in its core activities to reflect new demands; and provides space, stock and expertise to enable people to develop themselves, their families and their communities. <BR /> <BR />Library services are under considerable pressure due to the annual decreases in the block grant. However, I am working with the libraries board and the chief executive to ensure that no branch libraries will be required to close permanently.”
“I take this opportunity to commend the work of the Arts and Disability Forum, which is also funded by the Arts Council. It has been an absolute catalyst for empowering people with disabilities who have an interest in the arts. The Arts and Disability Forum is crucial to ensuring that the Arts Council provides opportunities for people with disabilities and that the funding is at the level that it should be at. It is through the work of the Arts and Disability Forum and its lobbying of DCAL and other Departments that it received additional funding. It is very much the advocates, the spokespeople and the representatives of those who want to engage in all sectors of society but particularly the arts and creativity. It is there to make sure that people like me put the funding where it is needed.”
“I thank the Member for her supplementary. As I said to Ms Lo, it is important that the affordability of disability access, any more than a decreasing budget, is not used to limit access for people with disabilities. The work of the arts and disability equality charter, which was brought to the Arts Council through the disability forum, along with Adapt NI and Open Arts, has been crucial not only in raising awareness but in raising awareness of some of the venues, thus ensuring that there are as many opportunities as possible for participation.”
“I am not suggesting that the Member is saying otherwise, but consideration of equality — disability has equality implications — has to be put first and foremost. You cannot skimp on a project because you cannot afford to have disability access and participation; that is not where we are coming from. The Arts Council will have to ensure, within the budget it received, that all outcomes for section 75 groups are adhered to. In addition to what I have provided to the Arts Council for arts and creativity for people with disabilities, my Department has funded disability programmes for accessing the arts. It is crucial that we ensure that everyone has an opportunity to avail themselves of the programmes and participate where possible.”
“I do not have that information to hand, but I am happy to ask for that information and to write to the Member. If the Member has any particular concerns, he can knock on the door of the private office and give me a shout.”
“All arm's-length bodies have a statutory duty to publish disability action plans and to increase access and participation for people with disabilities. The Arts Council, as a designated public authority, has a statutory duty to publish a disability action plan setting out its commitment to promote positive attitudes towards people with disabilities and encourage participation in all aspects of the arts. As Minister, although I have no official role in approving the plan, I am confident in and welcome the efforts of the Arts Council to increase access and participation opportunities in the arts for people with disabilities.”
“I have not been informed of any application by Sport NI. I have heard a lot of speculation in the media. Any attempt to break up a sport on the basis of geography, politicking and point scoring is unfortunate for athletes. Boxing has set a very good example for decades, when those from other backgrounds and communities felt it difficult to participate in other sports. Boxing has led the way and led by example, and I think that it is regrettable if boxing goes down this route.”
“No, I do not agree with the Member at all.”
“I am certainly happy with the way in which the governing body, Sport NI and the British and Irish councils are working to support the athletes.”
“I thank the Member for his question. As I said in my primary answer to Mrs Dobson, he will know that the Good Friday Agreement ensures that citizens here can have one or both passports regardless of how they perceive themselves. The governing bodies have acknowledged that. The good thing about it is that the British and Irish sports councils have also accepted that, and the sports councils and governing bodies are working alongside that principle, too. <BR /> <BR />As a result not just of recent competitions but of the recommendations in the report on boxing, Sport NI is looking at routes and ways to look at representations at Olympic, Paralympic and Commonwealth Games to see if there are any barriers and, if those are identified, to have them removed.”
“I thank the Member for her question. As she said, part of my answer has covered some of her concerns. That has been the case. In fairness, the governing bodies and the sports councils here and in Britain all recognise the Good Friday Agreement and are happily working together to try to ensure that they support the athletes as well as possible. The important thing is to make sure that athletes are supported as well as possible. They do not need politics or concerns around citizenship, their identity, their background or their culture to get in the way of their performance.”
“On that basis, I am happy to meet or make representation to any sports governing body that may be operating contrary to the spirit of the agreement and to encourage them to support its principles and review their eligibility criteria.”
“I thank the Member for her question. Sport NI is talking to sports councils in Britain and Ireland about providing guidance for sports governing bodies on their responsibility under the Good Friday Agreement and, in particular, the rights of citizens from the North to choose to hold either an Irish or British passport or both. I am committed to the principle in the Good Friday Agreement to:”
“It is still running at a disadvantage of a couple of hundred thousand pounds in its budget, and it will, I am sure, make bids in future monitoring rounds, as will the Arts Council, libraries and museums. It is really important that, when the NI Screen programmes were under threat of closure — not limiting resource but closure — we acted decisively. I make no apologies for that.”
“First of all, NI Screen had a deficit of almost £1 million going into the 2011 mandate. The impact of the 11·2% cut on some of the programmes, particularly for NI Screen in working in hard-to-reach communities, would have been at the level of a 50% cut rather than 11·2%. On the basis that it was always working at a disadvantage in comparison with the other arm's-length bodies, we felt that it was fair to try to bring it up to a level through the bid in January. I made the argument to try to get additional funding and will do so again. <BR /> <BR />The Arts Council, which received money for the Ulster Orchestra and works very closely with NI Screen, will have an awareness, if not a strong appreciation, of that deficit and what it means to have it slightly closed.”
“Not in comparing urban with rural; it is primarily around programmes. In those programmes, it has to be on the basis of need, so it is not a percentage split between urban and rural. The Member may be aware that concerns were raised previously around the fact that rural communities and constituencies were not benefiting from the support of the creative industries innovation fund. As a result of that, I questioned the assertion that that was the case. It was down to the councils in those areas that had to put forward the application. <BR /> <BR />So, in response to Mrs McKevitt's question, we are looking at spending plans around the Budget. We want to make sure that the budgets that we have are spent by being directed at need, and those needs are in rural as well as urban communities.”
“The Member previously asked me about equality impact assessments. The delivery savings plans are quite detailed because we asked for an overarching equality impact assessment rather than a high-level impact assessment. DCAL has 11 ALBs, and we wanted to make sure that rural communities were not disadvantaged, so when we get the outcome of those, we will be able to compare and contrast. I will happily share those with the Member and with other members of the Committee for Culture, Arts and Leisure. We were keen to ensure that people living in rural communities were not disproportionately disadvantaged or even experienced further disadvantage as a result of Budget cuts to the block grant.”
“That was achieved by the creative learning centres actively pursuing areas of social exclusion and deprivation. So, the creative learning centres deliver programmes for schoolchildren and young people, specialising in the use of new and creative digital technologies.”
“As I said in my primary response, NI Screen has worked in partnership with three creative learning centres. One, in the Nerve Centre in Derry city, works throughout the north-west, including in rural areas. The second is the Southern Education and Library Board's AmmA centre in Armagh. The CLCs' activity gives priority to young people, particularly those living in poverty in disadvantaged and marginalised areas. <BR /> <BR />At the heart of the creative learning centres is work on alternative education programmes, which target areas of disadvantage in each community. The creative learning centres received additional funding to extend programme activities, particularly in hard-to-reach rural areas that were previously not covered.”
“<BR /> <BR />Sport NI works closely with district councils through the Chief Leisure Officers Association and sports governing bodies to deliver sports and leisure opportunities for all communities, including those based in rural areas. As the Member will be aware, libraries have a statutory duty to provide a comprehensive and efficient library service, including to communities in rural constituencies. Libraries NI and DARD have entered into a memorandum of understanding to encourage cooperation and to work and support each other's customers and clients in rural areas through the provision of high-speed broadband in the 28 rural libraries and information on well-being and support programmes.”
“I thank the Member for her question. The Arts Council's five-year plan aims to increase the proportion of arts activities in rural areas by creating greater opportunities for marginalised rural communities to engage in the arts. That includes the development of a draft community arts strategy, which includes a commitment to working with rural stakeholders to promote greater access to, and take-up of, funding programmes. The activities of NI Screen, creative learning centres, after-school clubs, digital film archives and the work of the exhibition sector have given priority to disadvantaged and marginalised groups, particularly in rural areas.”
“I thank the Member for his question. I may need to write back to him with specific details. In the last completed tax year, the total amount of money spent on Ulster-Scots initiatives has been probably around £4,357,350. I need to break it down into the money spent on the Ulster-Scots Agency and on the ministerial advisory group for the Ulster-Scots Academy (MAGUS), and I know that there have been other initiatives. Over £2 million has been spent on the agency, and over £1 million has been spent on the MAGUS. I know that the Arts Council, libraries and NI Screen, through the Ulster-Scots Broadcast Fund, have also spent money. I will happily write to the Member with specific details of all spending on Ulster Scots, but, as the Member can see, it is certainly significant.”
“The launch happened this day fortnight ago, and it probably cost £100 or £200 or whatever the cost of transport and of hiring out here, which is minimal, to be fair. <BR /> <BR />On the early stages of the response, I can tell the Member that I intend to talk with as many people as possible, and I look forward to talking to him and other Members about their views on the consultation on the Irish language Act. Needless to say, I have been encouraged, albeit that it is 14 days later, that many people from civic society are coming forward with their own views, and even though they do not necessarily understand the need for an Irish language Act, they have expressed that in a very respectful way. I am pleased that that has set the tone, and, hopefully, it will set the tone for the remainder of the consultation.”
“— to score political points, and there certainly is no —”
“I find it a constant source of frustration that the Member and other Members on the Benches opposite make allegations that are particularly about my responsibility for creating inequalities. The Member has yet to write a letter and has yet to knock my door to ask for meetings with me or my officials. If this issue is of such concern to him, let me say that he has done very little between one Question Time and another. If I felt that there was inequality towards my community, I would take action to ensure that that was addressed, so I suggest that the Member is just using Question Time —”
“I have made it clear on several occasions in the past that I will consider and give my full support to any initiatives that the Ulster-Scots community brings forward that will help community infrastructures. That remains my position.”
“I thank the Member for his question. The ratio of funding for Irish and Ulster Scots from my Department has been, on average, 3:1 respectively. That is reflected in funding that my Department and its arm's-length bodies have provided to programmes and projects dedicated to Irish and Ulster Scots. The Executive remain wholly committed to affording equal respect and recognition to Irish and Ulster Scots, and the funding provided to each reflects their different stages of development and ranges of programmes, projects and supported organisations. Such funding is determined on the basis of approved actions in their respective business plans.”
“<BR /> <BR />This one for Windsor Park was included in its planning application, and, with the add-on of the Olympia Leisure Centre in south Belfast, signage will also need to be upgraded and updated.”