Declan McAleer
West Tyrone · Sinn Féin · Northern Ireland
“The regulations are designed to strengthen and complement the existing framework governing the welfare of animals at the time of killing. They build upon EU regulation 1099/2009 and the Welfare of Animals at the Time of Killing Regulations 2014, ensuring that the North maintains high standards of animal welfare.”
“Inspectors are granted clear powers to enforce the regulations, including the ability to enter premises, carry out inspections and, where necessary, seize evidence to ensure compliance. Enforcement notices may also be issued where breaches are identified, with appropriate mechanisms in place for appeal.”
“<BR /> <BR />From a resource point of view, which is another key debate, and looking at the practicalities of the Bill, we must not create a situation in which councils will be expected to take on significant new responsibilities, incur substantial costs and manage increased workloads without the necessary resources.”
“I will follow on from the key points made by my colleague Aoife Finnegan MLA. First, I record our appreciation of the Committee staff, including Janice and Glenda, for the work that they did. I also thank the Bill Office for its assistance during our scrutiny of the Bill.”
“We support the ambition of the Bill — we made that clear at First Stage and at Committee Stage, and we have made it clear today — to give councils stronger powers to intervene. However, the stronger powers must be accompanied by a framework that is properly resourced, legally robust and workable.”
“There are three council areas in our West Tyrone constituency, for instance. <BR /> <BR />We heard a lot from NILGA and received correspondence from SOLACE about the costs and the fear that costs could not be recovered. If legal challenges were brought to councils about notices that were made, it would be costly to the ratepayer.”
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“Under EU rules, there are deductions from farmers' payments of around 1·4% from amounts above €2,000. That deduction goes into an EU crisis reserve. The Bill has the power to remove that provision from retained EU law because it is no longer relevant. That will be done using a statutory instrument to be made available at Westminster, likely on 31 January 2020. The officials who came to the Committee pointed out that we will need to get to the end of the month with all the legislation tied down. Only then can the Minister give a clear picture to farmers of what they might expect for 2020, but I hope that that little extra will be available to farmers. <BR /> <BR />The second minor change that none of the Committee members expressed concern about is the payment timetable.”
“I will outline them, and the Assembly will see why no Committee member expressed or raised any major concerns about them. <BR /> <BR />To set the context, let me give you some information on the budget for the 2020 claim year. DAERA officials informed the Committee that the budget will be €329 million in 2020, as the Minister stated. An exchange rate of 2019, which was 0·89, has been used, which converts into a £293 million fund available to farmers. We were given assurances by the officials that the money coming from the Exchequer would be ring-fenced. That means that it cannot be used for anything other than direct payments to farmers. <BR /> <BR />On the minor differences that we spoke about, the Assembly should note the lack of what are called "financial discipline deductions".”
“At the AERA Committee meeting on Tuesday 21 January, many members focused on ensuring that, for 2020 at least, the payments, the application process, the cross-compliance conditions, the inspection regime etc would remain as they are. The Committee was content to learn that that would be the case. As one member described it, "2020 would be a cut and paste of 2019", and we were assured that there will be continuity. This is vital for our farmers as they try to plan how to run their businesses with so much uncertainty about the future. <BR /> <BR />Another focus for the Committee was the level of payments and the payment timetable, and we learnt that there would be some minor differences from what happened in 2019. Those minor differences should work in favour of the farmer.”
“Thank you for your comments. Yes, obviously, the mental health of our farming community is a major issue. Members from rural backgrounds will be aware that farming is a very solitary activity, and that is compounded by things like poor farm gate prices, inclement weather and all other sorts of pressures. I had my first meeting with the Minister last week, and he shared with me that this is a common priority. You, as Chair of the Health Committee, will appreciate that mental health is a priority for me; indeed, the Minister highlighted it as well. <BR /> <BR />To qualify for direct payments, farmers must submit an application form and meet certain standards in environmental management, animal welfare and traceability. That is known as "cross-compliance".”
“For most farmers, CAP direct payments make up the majority of their income; in fact, last year, as much as 80% of farmers' income was the direct payments that they received in the subsidies.”
“That session was extremely informative and very helpful, and I want to place on record our thanks to the officials for making themselves available at such short notice. I should also say at this point that the Minister, the Deputy Chairperson and I met on Monday 20 January, when the Minister outlined the special circumstances for the legislative consent motion (LCM). <BR /> <BR />The Bill provides the legal basis to allow DAERA to continue to make direct payments to farmers by ensuring that the scheme continues for the claim year 2020. To that end, it has a sunset clause built in. The Bill also gives a power to allow DAERA to continue moving towards a uniform rate of payment entitlements, and I will cover that in my later comments. <BR /> <BR />The importance of the direct payments to farmers must not be underestimated.”
“I would like to take the opportunity to reflect the views of the Committee. <BR /> <BR />Minister Poots outlined the background to the issue, including the concerns about the continuation of payments to farmers. The matter needs urgent attention from the Assembly. For that reason, the normal procedures used for legislative consent, as set out in the Assembly's Standing Orders, have not been followed. <BR /> <BR />The Assembly's Committees were formed only last Monday. Nevertheless, the Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (AERA) Committee deemed this matter to be of such urgency that it met for the first time one day after it was established, on Tuesday last week, to consider the matter. We were able, at very short notice, to have departmental officials before the Committee to answer our questions.”
“Our party position is that access to water is a basic right. We welcome the continuation of the policy against water charges. As I said previously, it will be particularly welcomed by hard-pressed families struggling to make ends meet. <BR /> <BR />In commending the motion, I state that we as a party are fully committed to opposing and resisting water charges. By bringing the legislation to the House this evening, along with his decision prior to Christmas to cease the practice of installing meters in new homes, the Minister has demonstrated his commitment and, indeed, our commitment to the implementation of the policy against domestic water charges.”
“I take this opportunity to commend the motion to the House this evening. This is a good news story, and it is certainly in line with our party's position of opposing domestic charges in the North and, indeed, across the island. <BR /> <BR />It is particular good news for the thousands of householders who would otherwise be faced with an average bill of £400 for water, which they already pay for in their rates. Indeed, as a result of the grant to NI Water, they also pay for it in their taxes.”
“I thank the Minister for his answer. Will he advise us as to what additional, specific measures he intends to take to create jobs in the retail sector, particularly in the aftermath of the closure of Austins in Derry, BHS and a number of other high-profile businesses?”
“Will the Minister give an assurance that any future funding allocations will, as well as addressing pressures such as those at York Street, target the long-standing infrastructure deficits in the west?”
“I thank the Minister for his answer. Has he spoken to the British Treasury or sought any assurances for replacement funding for projects that may lose out as result of the vote on exit from the EU?”
“I thank the Minister for his statement. Will he outline how these proposals will benefit councils?”
“Can the Minister give his reassurance that the social investment fund is being delivered as intended?”
“Can the Minister tell us which stakeholders in the further and higher education sector he has met?”
“No, Minister, I am not lining you up for a sucker punch, I assure you. I was just looking for an update on the level of interest and the number of applications, for example. My supplementary question is specifically on the issue of partnerships. One focus of the grant programme is partnership, and I am curious to know how that will be assessed. For example, should joint applications be made? By what means will that partnership be assessed? Will groups need to collaborate to apply?”
“I thank the Minister for his answer. I think that the group that the Minister is referring to is Beoga. Can the Minister give his assurance that his Department and its ALBs will give the work of the Comhaltas the same value as the other federations that are involved with music and bands?”
“I thank the Minister for his answer. Does he envisage that there will be further contact with the Chinese regarding investment?”
“Has the Minister given any consideration to working towards having a zero-waste policy?”
“As my party's infrastructure spokesperson, I very much welcome the announcement of the £15 million additional money for road structural maintenance. Coming on the back of the £10 million rural roads initiative, it is very welcome news. <BR /> <BR />Yesterday, Minister, you joined your Scottish and Welsh counterparts in calling for a shift from austerity to stimulus. How confident are you that that message will be heard? What can the Executive here do to inject much-needed economic stimulus?”
“I note and welcome the very good joint work that the Minister is doing with her colleague the Minister of Health in dealing with the mental healthcare needs of people who are in prison. Has that looked at support for young people who have ADHD and autism who are imprisoned?”
“I thank the Minister for his comprehensive answer. I can say with certainty that the overwhelming majority of people are looking forward to the scheme progressing. Can the Minister tell me whether a contractor has been appointed for the A5 dual carriageway project?”
“Does the Member accept the point I made that never in the history of the EU has a non-EU state had an agricultural trade agreement with an EU state? In those circumstances, as Professor Phinnemore said, the tariffs will be very high, irrespective of whether we are in a customs union.”
“— that will be detrimental in the long term. <BR /> <BR />In conclusion, whilst we support today's motion, I add the caveat that we see that the best long-term future for this part of Ireland and, indeed, the island of Ireland is to remain.”
“There will always be controls, quotas and, in his words, "exceptionally high" tariffs, even if we remain part of the single market and the customs union. Brexit will have an absolutely devastating impact on agri-trade and on our rural communities. We hear talk that farmers are finding it OK now because they get a good conversion rate for the single farm payment. That is a short-term bounce —”
“I note predictions from our Finance Minister at the recent meeting in Leinster House that the percentage of the British block for the CAP, which is 9%, could drop to 3% in a post-Brexit scenario. The effect of that in rural areas in our part of the world would be devastating. Farming would not be sustainable any more, rural community groups would fold, and it would be very difficult to survive. We would end up almost like England is at the minute, where you have quaint little villages with very little in between them. That is something that we really want to resist. <BR /> <BR />I also note that, in the debate around Brexit, Professor Phinnemore spoke to the Executive Committee recently, and he said:”
“One of the things that I noted during the referendum and since it was a promise by the British Government of cheaper food after Brexit. Here in the North, farmers are battling the supermarkets, which are selling produce more cheaply than farmers can produce it. The fear, post Brexit, is that farmers will lose their subsidy, which accounts for 87% of their income. You will have trade deals opened with the likes of Argentina and the Americas, where beef is 60% cheaper, and the place will be flooded, literally, with cheap beef, and farmers will be pushed against the wall. <BR /> <BR />There is no certainty for farmers. I heard it said earlier that, up to 2020, the Chancellor has guaranteed this and guaranteed that. The reality is that, after 2020, nobody knows.”
“The proposition being put in front of us is that we are to have an international border between the EU and a non-EU state right on our doorstep. That has caused a lot of fear and anxiety. <BR /> <BR />The EU has many faults. Being from a rural area and dealing with the farming community and rural groups, I know that there is lots of bureaucracy and things that really frustrate them. Even in relation to the A5, the EU habitats directive is one of the reasons why the project has been held up. There are many areas where the EU has faults, but, in the wider scheme of things, it is beneficial and the majority of people here prefer it. That is why they voted for it. <BR /> <BR />During the election campaign, we heard many promises on health and investment and what would be freed up to go into health.”
“That will leave us on the very edge of Europe and more peripheralised than ever. <BR /> <BR />Along with others in the Chamber, I represent the border constituency of West Tyrone. Strabane and Castlederg are amongst the top economic black spots in the North — indeed, on these islands. Through the last 40 years, the border has softened by dint of the fact that we are jointly in the EU, but a hard border preceded that from 1922. With the softening of the border, we have seen better cross-border flow in public transport, radiotherapy, cooperation between district councils on INTERREG, second- and third-level education programmes across the board and other things that have been beneficial for people. The border has softened, but that has been by virtue of the fact that both are in the EU.”
“I am grateful for the opportunity to speak on the motion. Looking through the research papers and reading some commentary relating to the so-called Brexit and dealing with many of the stakeholders in society, it is becoming clear to me, and, indeed, to our party that we are on an enforced journey into economic and political chaos. It will have the biggest impact on vulnerable communities, such as hill farmers, small businesses, ethnic minorities and, indeed, the wider community sector. <BR /> <BR />The idea of the North being outside the EU trading block will leave us more peripheralised because we will end up being sandwiched between the South of Ireland, which is a fully fledged EU state, and Scotland, which has actually strengthened its ties with the EU and has triggered the Bill heading towards full independence.”
“Would the Minister like to comment on what similar levels of support might be available for smaller regional towns?”
“The Minister referred to his rural roads initiative, which has been very welcome, nowhere more so than in the western division. Is he in a position to give us an update on how that is progressing?”
“It is our responsibility as a legislative Assembly to give a voice to the people who feel let down and cut off; to cash businesses in rural areas that now feel vulnerable having to go some distance to a bank in the nearest town to deposit cash; to sporting clubs, GAA clubs and others that need to deposit cash at their local bank; and, of course, to older and vulnerable people who maybe cannot get to town or who are in a broadband not-spot, of which there are many throughout the North. It is our duty to speak up to prevent the closure of these banks, to make banks see that they have a social responsibility and to do whatever we can to prevent the overall decline and decimation of services in rural areas.”
“They need to rural-proof their decisions, look at the impact that they have in local areas and reciprocate the loyalty that they have been getting for decades from people here. <BR /> <BR />In conclusion, as I said at the outset, banking and access to financial services cannot be seen in isolation from other services and areas such as access to GPs, transport, youth services and caring services.”
“Banks need to look at their social responsibility as well as just the economic case for whether a branch stays open. <BR /> <BR />Just a few months ago, we marked the conclusion of the Rural Needs Bill. This is the first region in Europe to have rural needs and rural proofing enshrined in legislation. Hopefully, the South of Ireland will come into line within the next year as well. The now Rural Needs Act 2016 puts a statutory duty on public authorities to pay due regard to the needs of rural dwellers and to consider the impact of the decisions that they make. It is beyond the legislative competence of such an Act to include banks, but that is the challenge for our banks.”
“Yes. That was a very timely intervention, Kellie. Certainly with the Bank of Ireland, we are looking at another swathe of closures. There are in the region of eight bank branches in the pipeline for closure across the North, one of which is in Castlederg in the West Tyrone constituency. My colleague Pat Doherty, the MP for the area, met Des Crowley in Westminster to discuss that. The sense that he got was the same sense that we got when we met bank chiefs before, which is that these are business and economic decisions. You get the sense that these things are foregone conclusions. The message that comes out of that is that these are people, customers and communities who have been loyal for decades, yet they do not feel as though their loyalty is being reciprocated by the banks.”
“<BR /> <BR />Bank closures are a big issue in West Tyrone, as in many other areas. Indeed, I was personally involved in the campaign to save the Ulster Bank in Gortin and engaged with businesses, the GAA club and the local community. The sense that I got through dealing with people was that they felt let down after giving decades of valuable custom to their local branch.”
“The stripping back of important financial services makes for a disappointing contrast with that good news story of investment and development in our rural areas. <BR /> <BR />My party raised the issue of broadband in the amendment. Throughout the North of Ireland there are many not-spots, particularly in rural areas. Part of the area that I represent, along with others in the Chamber, is the Sperrins, and it has many not-spots or areas where broadband is not available. That was a subject of debate in the Chamber in June, just after the election. Indeed, last week, Barry McElduff MLA, Pat Doherty MP and I followed up that debate by meeting Ofcom to discuss access to broadband for people in the area. It is a massive issue, and I am glad that it has been included in the amendment.”
“I am very grateful for the opportunity to speak in the debate, and I commend the proposer of the motion. Banking and access to financial services are vital for local people. That is especially true in areas where there are already very few basic services. Take Owenkillew, which I represent. It is the number-one deprived area in the North of Ireland as measured by access to basic services. It is very important that we look at banking and financial services in the context of wider services to meet the needs of people in the area. Recently, we marked the successful conclusion of the rural development programme, which created over 1,000 jobs, lasted five years and invested £100 million. We are now looking forward to the new one.”
“I thank the Minister for his answer. Can he give his estimation of the number of projects being funded by Sport NI in local areas?”
“Is the Minister saying that she is minded to look at the training for prison staff to deal with the complex needs of many prisoners?”
“I thank the Minister for her extensive answer. Does she believe that domestic violence courts will encourage and empower more victims to take action? If the pilot is rolled out, will her Department be minded to engage in a public awareness campaign on this option being available?”
“Where do they want to take the money from to maintain our existing road network? There is no magic money tree. There are cuts coming down the line from Westminster, and Brexit will give us additional challenges, so, rather than presenting wish lists of what they would like to see — what we would all like to see — it is important to come up with answers. Where in the Department should money be shuffled from to fund structural maintenance? <BR /> <BR />In conclusion, I welcome the motion, which shines a light on a very important subject, and we will be happy to support it.”
“That raises the point that the SDLP has made previously that we are wholly reliant on in-year monitoring; however, that is not the case. We have a starting point this year that is substantially better than last year, and there will be opportunities in future monitoring rounds to bid for additional funding. <BR /> <BR />It is important to draw on comments made by the Alliance Party and the SDLP. Yes, there is a desire to reach for the £137 million per annum for our existing network, but it is also important to recognise where the money will come from. I note that reference was made to the funding that is allocated to strategic projects, so what is it? Which strategic projects do the SDLP and the Alliance Party want to halt? Do they want to halt the Ballynahinch bypass, the A5 or the A6?”
“<BR /> <BR />Last week, Fra and I and, I am sure, other parties had a meeting with Gordon Best, the chief of the Quarry Products Association (QPA). They recognise the fact that we had a starting point of £22 million for structural maintenance in last year's budget; this year, that was substantially increased to £46 million. In response to concerns from MLAs and the wider constituency, the Minister introduced an additional £10 million funding for the rural roads initiative, and parts of my constituency and other rural areas have greatly benefited from that and are seeing delivery on the ground of that important initiative taken by the Minister.”
“<BR /> <BR />Regarding funding, we had a motion in the House yesterday from the Ulster Unionist Party where we looked at our future beyond the EU. During that debate, I made the point that the North had secured £100 million of investment in infrastructure and transport in the last 10 years. Obviously, the prospect of leaving the EU will have a serious impact on the funding that might be available for departmental projects. We also learned recently that we are looking at cuts from Westminster in the region of £3·5 billion, and that, no doubt, will be by 2019 or 2020. There is also no doubt that those cuts will be passed on here as well and will put extra pressures on the Department and all Departments in the North.”
“I welcome the motion before the House today. This is a very serious motion, and it deserves in-depth consideration. We have had similar motions relating to the structural maintenance of our road network before. As one of the MLAs who represent a very rural constituency, I appreciate the importance of the issue. In rural parts of mid and west Tyrone, we can see the state of the roads. It is important that we recognise that we are dealing with a history of underinvestment in the west. The state of our road network at local level and at strategic level is indicative of the historical imbalance that we have west of the Bann. It is good that we have a motion today that shines a light on that and looks at this important issue.”
“I thank the Minister for his statement. As a member of the Infrastructure Committee, I am also, along with others, looking forward to visiting Waterways Ireland in the near future. Is it possible for the Minister to outline some of the capital works that have been undertaken in recent years in the North and those that are planned?”
“The Minister is clearly aware that the misuse of the class-C licence is causing a great deal of grievance among many taxi operators. What steps is he taking to address the issue of class-C licences?”
“We have heard from other Members that there is no such thing as an easy Brexit. The best chance that we have for the future prosperity of the North and this island is for everyone to weigh in behind the "Remain" campaign.”