Rosaleen McCorley
West Belfast · Sinn Féin · Northern Ireland
“Go raibh maith agat, a LeasCheann Comhairle. Níl ach cúpla focal le rá agam faoi Chéim Dheiridh an Bhille. Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. I have a few comments to make on the Bill reaching its Final Stage. <BR />I welcome the fact that we have reached this stage, and I want to thank the people who helped us to this stage.”
“<BR /> <BR />A huge amount of work has gone into the Bill. It is a very large piece of legislation, and, as we know, it is the first of its kind, in bringing together legislation on mental health and mental capacity.”
“While the BPS is disappointed that it did not get that in the Bill, nevertheless it will be working on the development of the code of practice and the regulations. The hope is that they will reach a conclusion and definitions that they will all be satisfied with. <BR /> <BR />Sin a bhfuil le rá agam. That is all I have to say.”
“Go raibh maith agat, a LeasCheann Comhairle. Cuirim fáilte roimh an dá ráiteas seo ag an Aire inniu agus molaim iad. I welcome both statements from the Minister today and commend them. <BR /> <BR />An dtig liom a fhiafraí den Aire cad é mar a bheidh an Gaelacadamh ábalta caighdeán acadúil a ardú agus díriú isteach ar riachtanais áitiúla?”
“Go raibh maith agat, a LeasCheann Comhairle. Will the Minister please give a breakdown of the East Belfast housing stress figure in relation to council boundaries? That would accurately reflect where housing stress lies so that it can be more effectively dealt with.”
“Go raibh maith agat, a LeasCheann Comhairle. Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire as an fhreagra sin. I thank the Minister for his answer. It was a very comprehensive answer, and I thank him for that. The statistics are encouraging and show that things are moving in the right direction, but as we know, there is a recurring, growing problem here.”
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“I also want to mention the community resuscitation strategy, which is very important in taking forward this work. That strategy highlighted the need for early recognition by the public of what a cardiac arrest looks like, for early access to CPR and defibrillators and for training in their use. I would go further and say that there is a need for as many as possible to access training in the use of defibrillators, just as people generally feel that it is important to access CPR training. <BR /> <BR />I will point out a couple of wee examples. Apparently, Crossgar is a very safe place to have a heart attack, if you are going to have one, because there is a defibrillator in a local phone box. That shows you the importance of local initiatives and ingenuity in making our communities safer places.”
“I also want to mention that the sporting fraternity has been pivotal to the campaign, and that is because many people in that world have lost their life. That is tragic, and cases such as those of Cormac McAnallen highlight the need to have the equipment available.”
“It is also important that we should save life where we can, and we have an imperative to do that. We need to take responsibility for that. <BR /> <BR />I want to highlight the work of the Defibs4Kids campaign, which is an excellent initiative that was started by Martina McConville in St Colman's Primary School in Lambeg. There are other initiatives that I want to commend. The Minister of Education and the Minister of Health launched the interactive website in 2014, and that was about having defibrillators available in schools and making that knowledge known. At the time, there were 30 schools involved, and I believe that there are now 196. I visited one of my local schools recently, St Oliver Plunkett Primary School, where staff talked to me about their plans to have a defibrillator.”
“Go raibh maith agat, a Cheann Comhairle. Ba mhaith liom a rá go bhfuil mé lán-sásta an díospóireacht seo a thabhairt chun deiridh inniu agus ba mhaith liom a rá fosta go bhfuil muid sásta tacaíocht a thabhairt don leasú. I am happy to wind on the debate and to say that we support the amendment as well. We see it as a natural extension of the spirit of the motion, and we have no difficulty with that. <BR /> <BR />As all Members who have spoken said, this is a very important debate, and it highlights the reality of the role that defibrillators can play in saving lives. Many people talked about the statistics, so I do not need go back over them, but it is fair to say that fewer than 10% of people will survive coming out of hospital if they do not have access to CPR and a defibrillator. It is vital that we take all of that on board.”
“— and their impact on the community. I would like to mention Mothers Against Drugs, which is an organisation that was set up by a group of mothers who have been impacted by this. Their work in taking action on the issue has to be commended. I commend the motion.”
“Day and daily, it sees the damage that results and how young people become victims of the trade. Its work has very positive impacts, and it works to help young people to move away from the use of all kinds of drugs. <BR /> <BR />A while back, I attended a public event organised by the West Belfast district policing and community safety partnership (DPCSP) as part of the west Belfast féile. It focused on legal highs —”
“Other councils have followed suit, and more are expected to take the same action. My colleague Maeve McLaughlin talked about the legislation in the South of Ireland, which has had very positive outcomes in addressing the issue. At the same time, it is a very manipulative process. New substances come out week on week, and you can never take your eye off the ball. We all need to live up to that and deal with it. We can never be complacent; it is a problem that will always seek new ways to reinvent itself, and we need to be ahead of the game. <BR /> <BR />My constituency of West Belfast has a huge and growing problem. The impacts have been devastating. Many organisations have been mentioned today, but a local one, the Falls Community Council, has been at the forefront in tackling substance abuse and its effects on young people.”
“<BR /> <BR />This is a reserved matter and is governed under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971, but there are limitations on the powers of that Act. That is not enough for us, and we need to seek our solutions in the North so that we can tackle the problem head-on. <BR /> <BR />There have been positive advances. It was mentioned that Belfast City Council had responded innovatively by using existing regulations. That was a good step forward. It utilised the General Product Safety Regulations 2005, which resulted in the successful prosecution of a number of individuals who faced charges of supplying a dangerous product — new psychoactive substances — from a city centre shop. Under the terms of the court order, those people are prohibited from selling those substances anywhere in the North.”
“They use a convenient disclaimer that the products are not fit for human consumption, but it is a fact that they are sold only for human consumption. It is imperative that we deal with this. <BR /> <BR />The other aspect — it has been mentioned already — is that, because the substances are unregulated, they are not tested or approved. Their content is totally unknown, and young people do not really know what they are taking. The devastating result is that, the more that people use the substances, the more their physical and mental health is in danger. The side effects are numerous and range from increased anxiety to problems with breathing, loss of consciousness and hallucinations. We have also heard people speaking about the many deaths that have occurred as a result of taking the substances.”
“Go raibh maith agat, a LeasCheann Comhairle. Ba mhaith liom tacú leis an rún seo inniu agus leis an leasú fosta. I support the motion and the amendment. The issue has been debated in the Assembly before. We have talked about it, and the connection with suicide has been mentioned. We are all only too aware that the issue has to be dealt with. We cannot just go on allowing it to happen. Action needs to be taken. <BR /> <BR />One aspect of these psychoactive substances that I find absolutely insidious is the title "legal high". That is very misleading and misleads young people into thinking that they are not so serious. The names that are given to the substances also sound quite innocent. I find all that shameful and despicable, because it allows the sellers to get away with selling products that have such damaging effects on people.”
“Go raibh maith agat, a Phríomh-LeasCheann Comhairle. Thank you, Mr Principal Deputy Speaker, but it was my mistake. I asked my supplementary question in place of the substantive question. I am happy with the Minister's response.”
“Go raibh maith agat, a Phríomh-LeasCheann Comhairle. Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire as ucht a fhreagraí go dtí seo. I thank the Minister for his answers thus far. <BR /> <BR />An dtig liom iarraidh ar an Aire, ó thaobh sainmhíniú oideachais roinnte de, cad é an tábhacht a bhaineas le grúpaí socheacnamaíocha, chomh maith le grúpaí creidimh, a bheith san áireamh? What is the importance of including socio-economic groups as well as religious groups in any shared education definition?”
“Go raibh maith agat, a Phríomh-LeasCheann Comhairle. Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire as an fhreagra sin. I thank the Minister for his answer. How will he ensure that the same level of service is maintained with a reduced workforce through the voluntary exit scheme? Will he also give a firm commitment that there will be no compulsory redundancies?”
“Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire as an fhreagra sin. I thank the Minister for that answer. Does the Minister agree with me that, in ending zero-hours contracts, the focus should be on large multinational companies that do not face the same difficulties as smaller local enterprises?”
“Go raibh maith agat, a Phríomh-LeasCheann Comhairle. Mo bhuíochas leis an Aire as a freagraí go dtí seo. Thank you, Mr Principal Deputy Speaker. I thank the Minister for her answers thus far. An dtig leis an Aire a rá cén uair ar tugadh an cás gnó bunaithe chun tosaigh agus an raibh baint ag an ghrúpa teicniúil sábháilteachta leis an togra tosaithe sin do na trí staidiam? Can the Minister outline when the original business case (OBC) was brought forward and whether the safety technical group was involved in the initial proposal for the three stadiums?”
“Go raibh maith agat, a LeasCheann Comhairle. Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire as an fhreagra sin. I thank the Minister for that answer. Does the Minister agree that the nature of the community and voluntary sector is such that it relies on a cocktail of funding from various sources and that, because of that, there are very often adverse impacts on its services and programmes when one gets cut, because they depend on one another? In that context, does the Minister agree that there is a need for a clear strategic approach?”
“Go raibh maith agat. Does the Minister agree that there is a serious issue of public confidence here and that his party needs to restore that? Does he also accept that, given that one of his Ministers has had to resign, there are issues of human rights? Does the LGBT community not have the human right to be able to get married?”
“Go raibh maith agat, a Phríomh-LeasCheann Comhairle. Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire as an fhreagra sin. An dtig liom iarraidh ar an Aire an bhfuil amlíne aige nuair a bhéas seo ag tuitim amach? Does the Minister have a timeline for when that might happen?”
“Go raibh maith agat, a Phríomh-LeasCheann Comhairle. Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire as a fhreagra. I thank the Minister for his answer. Will the impact of the pilot scheme impel him to try this in other areas?”
“In terms of taxes, what I and my party would like to see is more powers devolved to the North so that we could make our own decisions here. Whatever about what happens in Westminster, we will call for more powers to be devolved to the North, where we can make decisions for ourselves and not be beholden to decisions made by a Tory Government. <BR /> <BR />The part of the motion that I agree with is where it calls on all the people elected to come together to make the case for the best outcomes for people in the North. That is what Sinn Féin does; it is what we do every day. Everything we do is for making best outcomes for people in the North, and we do that without taking seats in Westminster.”
“Sorry, I did not quite get the first bit of what you said.”
“I tell the Member that we are not frightened; we just do not see it as relevant. We are Irish republicans, so we want to have influence on the island of Ireland. That is where the sphere of influence lies, not in a British Parliament, and I will unashamedly stand by that, as will my colleagues in Sinn Féin. As for the oath of allegiance, I have no desire to take any oath of allegiance to a British Crown. That is my position and my party's position. It is up to other people to decide whether taking an oath of allegiance to a British Crown assists the people of Ireland.”
“All five of the main parties here, plus the two Governments, signed up to the Stormont House Agreement without a mention of Westminster. It was just not part of the equation. Therefore, it does not matter that, out of that, people then reneged on their agreements; the fact is that agreement was made. It is a major agreement, and it is one that we need to get back to.”
“If he has confidence in it, why is he not there using his vote to make the impact that, he feels, it would have? I would like to hear from Alasdair about why he is not here today to extol the virtues of taking his seat in Westminster. I thought that that might have been useful. However, we will go on and see whether he appears. <BR /> <BR />As for influence, Sinn Féin has participated in all the major negotiations and all the big political decisions that affect people in the North, and we have done that successfully without taking seats in Westminster. It has not been a requirement; actually, it has not even been relevant. We have had the Good Friday Agreement, the Hillsborough agreement, the St Andrews Agreement and the Stormont House Agreement.”
“Nobody wanted Gerry Adams to take his seat, and that is the case throughout the North. Nobody who votes for Sinn Féin wants Sinn Féin to take seats in Westminster, because they do not see it as having value. Paul Maskey is going in front of the electorate in a few weeks' time, and I am sure that he will receive the same ringing endorsement as Gerry Adams had before him. I am convinced of that. <BR /> <BR />The leader of the party that tabled the motion, Alasdair McDonnell, is not here today, and I am a bit disappointed, because I would like to have heard from him. I read in a paper that he is in the bottom 10 out of 645 MPs at Westminster in attendance for votes. That tells me that he does not have much confidence in the system either.”
“Go raibh maith agat, a Cheann Comhairle. Beidh mé ag caint in éadan an ruin seo inniu. I say at the outset that I oppose today's motion. I oppose it because, first, it is based on a false premise. It presupposes that there is a worth in taking seats at Westminster, that there is an impact and value to doing so and that it somehow reaps benefits for the people in the North. I have seen no benefits come to the North as a result of people taking their seats at Westminster, but it is up to them to do that. I represent West Belfast in the Assembly, and I can only say that I do not hear that from anybody there. Nobody has raised it with me — not once. Gerry Adams went before the people of West Belfast for many, many years, and he got a resounding endorsement on an abstentionist ticket.”
“Go raibh maith agat, a Príomh-LeasCheann Comhairle. Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire as ucht a fhreagraí go dtí seo. I thank the Minister for his answers. An dtig liom a fhiafraí den Aire cén plé a bhí aige lena mhacasamhail sa Deisceart maidir le cur chuige le déileáil le féinmharú agus le clár feasachta faoin fhéinmharú a chur chun tosaigh? What discussions, if any, has the Minister had with his counterpart in the South in relation to tackling suicide and the promotion of suicide-awareness programmes?”
“Go raibh maith agat, a LeasCheann Comhairle. Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire as a fhreagra. An dtig leis an Aire suas chun dáta a thabhairt dúinn ar bhunú an ESA? Will the Minister provide an update on the establishment of ESA?”
“Go raibh maith agat, a LeasCheann Comhairle. Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire as a freagraí go dtí seo. An dtig liom iarraidh ar an Aire cad é atá idir lámha aici le measúnú a dhéanamh ar an straitéis feasachta cultúrtha? What action is the Minister taking to evaluate the cultural awareness strategy?”
“An dtig liom a fhiafraí den Aire cén uair a mbeidh treoirlínte foilsithe ag a Roinn maidir le cúrsaí ginmhillte?”
“Go raibh maith agat, a Cheann Comhairle. Cuirim fáilte roimh ráiteas an Aire. I welcome the Minister's statement. I agree with other Members that this is a hugely important statement. It lays out the plans for the delivery of models of excellence in cardiac treatment for all the people of Ireland, and that is to be welcomed by everyone. <BR /> <BR />We acknowledge and accept that there will be an interim period before the services are fully operational and that, during that period, families will still be required to travel to England for their treatment. Would the Minister agree that such circumstances are traumatic and an added burden on families and, although necessary, travel should be kept to a minimum and only if absolutely required?”
“Go raibh maith agat, a LeasCheann Comhairle. Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire as a freagraí go dtí seo. Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker, and I thank the Minister for her answers thus far. An dtig liom fiafraí den Aire cad é an tacaíocht atá ar fáil do dhaoine faoi mhíchumas a bhfuil suim acu páirt a ghlacadh sna healaíona? What support is available for disabled people who are interested in participating in the arts?”
“Go raibh maith agat, a LeasCheann Comhairle. Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire as a freagraí. I thank the Minister for her answers. Is she content that the TB strategic group is on track to achieve its aims?”
“Go raibh maith agat, agus gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire as an fhreagra sin. I thank the Minister for his answer. Does he accept that perhaps not enough consideration has been given to the implications for the most vulnerable, particularly those involved in family courts?”
“Go raibh maith agat, a Phríomh-LeasCheann Comhairle. Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire as a fhreagra. I thank the Minister for his answer. Will he confirm that only £27·5 million has been shifted to care in the community, even though there was a target to shift £83 million?”
“Go raibh maith agat, a Cheann Comhairle. Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire as a ráiteas agus cuirim fáilte roimh an ráiteas s’aige inniu. I thank the Minister for the statement, which I welcome. The establishment of regional scrutiny committees is a welcome recommendation, because it is about addressing inequalities in the system where local variations may exist. In that context, can he give an assurance that a new regional scrutiny committee coming into being to consider applications for IFR will not incur any unnecessary delay for people requiring treatment?”
“Go raibh maith agat, a Cheann Comhairle. Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire as an fhreagra sin. I thank the Minister for that answer. A local newspaper has reported that, rather than this being a one-off or rare occurrence, since November, Musgrave has, at times, been used as a holding bay and seems, at times, to be hiding an overspill of patients from the RVH. How does the Minister respond to that report?”
“It is about being part of, providing for and being central to the community so that young people who attend those establishments benefit not just from the establishments but from the richness and vibrancy of the communities. In turn, those young people give back to those communities, so it is a two-way street and is not just about one aspect. There are many aspects to education and to the provision of third-level education, and I emphasise the role of local communities in third-level education.”
“I accept that our teacher training provision is for everybody across the North: it is not just for one community. The Irish-medium sector, which I have been talking about, provides for Irish-medium education across the North and beyond. <BR /> <BR />The university colleges are more than just establishments: they are part of the community and provide essential services. They are the heartbeats of their communities, particularly St Mary's, which plays a vital role in the social, economic, linguistic and cultural fabric of the community. Likewise, Stranmillis plays a similar role in the south Belfast community. <BR /> <BR />It is not just about what those two establishments provide in education. Education is important and is their primary reason for existing, but it is much more than that.”
“<BR /> <BR />I want to emphasise the fact that we have two establishments here: St Mary's in west Belfast provides for that community and is a vibrant part of the linguistic, cultural, social and economic role of that community; and, likewise, Stranmillis plays a vibrant and essential role in the south Belfast community. I call again on the Minister to rethink his decision to withdraw the premia.”
“It is unique in that regard, and it would not be wrong to say that the Irish-medium sector's strength today is because of the role that St Mary's has played in providing excellent teachers for that sector. St Mary's has provided lots of unique projects over the years to the Irish-medium sector and in pursuit of other educational outcomes that are not limited to the Irish medium. That is very important, and I would like to emphasise that and place great importance on the fact that St Mary's offers unique provision in that regard. It is also located in the Gaeltacht quarter, which is a vibrant part of west Belfast. Also, an tÁisionad, which is an establishment that provides resources and books for the Irish-medium sector and schoolchildren, is located in St Mary's.”
“That is very important, because these smaller university colleges are unique: they provide very specific education and training opportunities for people here across the North, not just Belfast. It is important for their local economies, which have a wider impact, that they remain as a vibrant part of those communities. It would be the death knell for those communities should the premia be removed and those circumstances bring about the ultimate downfall and closure of the colleges. That is the context in which I place my remarks. <BR /> <BR />I want to put a wee bit of emphasis on the particular role of St Mary's in the provision of Irish-medium education.”
“Go raibh maith agat, a LeasCheann Comhairle. Beidh mise ag tacú leis an rún agus leis an leasú. I support the motion and the amendment. It is very important in the lives of our young people that they have the opportunity to partake of third-level education and improve their life-learning opportunities here in the North. We want to ensure that those establishments remain and that we give them our full support so that young people and mature students have the opportunity to be educated locally and do not have to go away from home or go into low-grade employment without having had the advantage of third-level education. <BR /> <BR />I also wish to call for the reinstatement of the premia for St Mary's and Stranmillis.”
“Can the Minister provide clarity on how the Ulster-Scots Agency ensures that funding for bands is not awarded to those who participate in antisocial, sectarian behaviour?”
“Go raibh maith agat, a LeasCheann Comhairle. Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire as an dara ráiteas aici inniu. An dtig leis an Aire soiléiriú a thabhairt ar an dóigh a ndéanann Gníomhaireacht na hUltaise cinnte nach dtugtar maoiniú do bhuíonta ceoil a ghlacann páirt in iompar frithshóisialta seicteach?”
“Go raibh maith agat, a Cheann Comhairle. Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire, agus cuirim fáilte roimh ráiteas an Aire. I thank and welcome the Minister's statement. An dtig leis an Aire sonraí a thabhairt dúinn faoi na buntáistí a bhaineann leis na hócáidí urraithe seo sa Tuaisceart? Can the Minister give some detail on what benefits the sponsored events will have in the North?”
“<BR /> <BR />This higher education resource in west Belfast is irreplaceable because it encourages young people to aim high, demonstrating a functional, dynamic, positive sense of purpose to their educational endeavours and their linguistic and cultural development. <BR /> <BR />Agus mar fhocal scoir, glaoim ar an Aire smaoineamh arís agus déanamh cinnte go bhfanann doirse Naomh Muire oscailte. I call on the Minister to think again and ensure that St Mary's doors stay open. Go raibh maith agat.”
“<BR /> <BR />Furthermore, St Mary's carries out research into immersion teaching methods and produces teaching and assessment resources for the sector. Agus seo an áit fosta a bhfuil an tÁisaonad lonnaithe. It is also in that environment that the Áisaonad is located, where books and resources of the very highest standards are produced for Irish-medium schools and children. <BR /> <BR />The college's partnerships with Irish-medium schools is one of the vital signs of a higher educational institution that is connected with its community. Agus go háitiúil tá ról lárnach aici i gCeathrú na Gaeltachta. Locally, it plays a pivotal role in the emerging Gaeltacht Quarter.”
“<BR /> <BR />Principals of Irish-medium schools in the North continue to report a shortage of qualified teachers for the sector, and more teachers are required, particularly to provide temporary cover. The need for qualified specialist teachers for Irish-medium schools is being supplied by St Mary's currently, and that supply needs to continue. <BR /> <BR />St Mary's is the lead partner in a collaborative sharing relationship with Queen's University and the University of Ulster, delivering an Irish-medium specialist dimension to the PGCE for post-primary student teachers. Tá áiteanna Gaeloideachais á n-ofráil d’ochtar mac-léinn iar-bhunscoile dul ar na cúrsaí seo. Irish-medium places are offered to eight post-primary PGCE students on those courses.”
“<BR /> <BR />Seo na fíricí suntasacha. These are the salient facts. The majority of teachers in the primary Irish-medium sector are trained by St Mary's. That sector continually goes from strength to strength. Specialist teacher education for the Irish-medium sector was introduced by St Mary's, and it remains the lead institution in the country, delivering an undergraduate BEd programme, a PGCE and a master's-level programme, which all offer a strong specialist dimension for Irish-medium professionals. Twenty PGCE students complete their one-year specialist programmes in the college every year. Agus téann an formhór acu ar aghaidh i bhfostaíocht i mbunscoileanna i ndiaidh céime. The majority of those students go on to take up employment in Irish-medium primary schools after graduation.”