Megan Fearon
Newry and Armagh · Sinn Féin · Northern Ireland
“I thank the Member for his question and for recognising the good work that is being done for Syrian refugees relocating here. Just last week, junior Minister Ross and I met the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, and, just today, we received a letter expressing his gratitude and commending us on the work that is being done.”
“Our Department will soon commence a review of the current Race Relations Order and other relevant legislation. We remain committed to achieving racial equality here and want our legislation to be a model for other jurisdictions. Our 10-year strategy sets out an ambitious but achievable programme to take this forward.”
“I thank the Member for her question. One of the key actions identified under the racial equality strategy is a review of current race relations legislation. Legislation has to be a priority, and reviewing that legislation is a massive piece of work, but it is important that we get it right. For me, that will be time well spent.”
“It is there for people who are in a crisis situation, providing immediate and very precise help to get them out of a hole by giving them food, clothing, heating, electricity or short-term accommodation.”
“Absolutely. The rights and entitlements that our ethnic minority communities have here are hugely important to us. I have already said that the UN has commended our approach to refugees, so I see no reason why we would not participate fully in upcoming committees.”
“I thank the Member for his question. There is an onus on all of us to show support to our minority ethnic communities and our migrant workers.”
The complete record
Every one of 141 lines we hold for Megan Fearon, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 3 of 3.
“<BR /> <BR />Danny Kennedy has been one of the most vociferous on this issue, and it is my understanding that he was at the council meeting when the original naming took place. Why was it not a problem in 2002? It was not an issue for Danny Kennedy, any UUP councillor, or any DUP councillor for that matter, for six or seven years until the Orange Order made it one. This is nothing more than a cheap stunt. This electioneering and exploitation on the back of victims and their families is nothing short of a disgrace and should be condemned from all corners. Every single morning that I walk into this Building, I am faced with a 7-foot statue of James Craig, the man who brought the gun into Irish politics by establishing a paramilitary force to defy the democratic will of the people;—”
“My generation of young republicans is separated from him only by time. Had Raymond been born when I was, I have no doubt that he would be standing in this Chamber. <BR /> <BR />Where does the SDLP draw the line between the good old IRA and the so-called bad IRA? The SDLP's position seems to be that nobody who was involved in the conflict should have anything named after them. Beside McCreesh Park is Michael Mallin Park; next to it is James Connolly Park; and across the way is John Martin Gardens. Does the SDLP suggest that we now start to rename those? Does the SDLP now distance itself from the 1916 leaders? Will SDLP members attend centenary events for the men and women who took up arms against the same oppressive regime? I can tell you this: south Armagh was a lot more peaceful in 1916 than it was in the 1970s.”
“Cardinal O'Fiaich was alluding to the fact that Raymond McCreesh had the misfortune to be born into one of the most heavily militarised areas anywhere in the world, to be born into the Orange state, one-party rule and institutional discrimination. He was, effectively, born into the belly of the beast where the worst excesses of partition were visible daily. Faced with the watchtowers, faced with the British Army patrols and faced with British brutality, Raymond, like generations of Irish republicans before him, decided to face down those conditions. <BR /> <BR />Raymond was my age when he gave his life on hunger strike. He was just an ordinary young man. It is because of the sacrifice of people like Raymond McCreesh that I was fortunate to be born into an entirely different political dispensation.”
“Indeed, Nelson Mandela and his fellow political prisoners on Robben Island drew strength from Raymond and his comrades in their fight for justice. The late Cardinal Tomás Ó Fiaich said:”
“Go raibh maith agat, a Cheann Comhairle. At the outset, I want to send my solidarity to the McCreesh family, who are in our thoughts at this time, and who continue to be held in huge reverence in our area. I also want to sympathise with all victims of the conflict and express solidarity with them. <BR /> <BR />In 2011, more than 30,000 people gathered in south Armagh to honour the memory of Raymond McCreesh and his nine comrades who died on hunger strike in 1981. It is not just in Newry and Armagh that they are recognised but around the world. When Raymond's comrade Bobby Sands died on hunger strike, national Parliaments across the world stood in silence. Streets were named in their honour, as a genuinely historic chapter in world politics was written.”
“Go raibh maith agat, a Cheann Comhairle. I thank the deputy First Minister for his statement. What level of expenditure delivery has InterTradeIreland demonstrated in its work to promote trade and business on an all-island basis?”
“Go raibh maith agat, a Cheann Comhairle. I thank the Minister for her answer. Would she be supportive of future legislation to allow for the inclusion of under-16s in respect of age discrimination in GFS?”
“Go raibh maith agat a LeasCheann Comhairle. I thank the Minister for her answer. Will the Minister outline how young people in rural communities can benefit from creative learning centres (CLCs)?”
“Go raibh maith agat, a Cheann Comhairle. Will the Minister distance himself from the highly offensive comments made by his party colleague Mr Trevor Clarke, when he referred to "ordinary" people?”
“The Bill requires restructuring and amendments, which I am sure we will come to at a later stage. It is important to recognise that there is already good practice and that good work being done in this area. My take on the general intent of the Bill is that it is to make good existing practice systemic. We can support that because, ultimately, the protection of children is paramount.”
“We have difficulty with giving control to an arm's-length body of the Health Department, which has already been criticised for being top-heavy, and also because Ministers should retain their ability to develop plans according to their own priorities. We agree absolutely with the principle of ensuring cooperation and want to support a Bill that puts requirements on people to do that. However, that support stops short of supporting giving authority to an arm's-length body to make determinations or to modify plans, which, in my opinion, takes away from, rather than strengthens, democratic accountability. <BR /> <BR />In conclusion, there is some ambiguity around the Bill. Sometimes, it can be difficult to make out its policy intent in a clear way.”
“There are reservations that I pointed out and would welcome feedback on. There does not appear to be any specific requirements to deliver improvements on the current situation or sanctions for not delivering. Essentially, Departments are being enabled, but not compelled, to pool resources. <BR /> <BR />Clause 4 is probably the most contentious, and we have difficulties with the principles behind it. We see it as the transferring of the control of the planning, development, procuring and commissioning of services for children and young people to the Health and Social Care Board at the expense of elected representatives and, with that, the usurping of ministerial autonomy to set policy direction.”
“Obviously, the effectiveness of increased cooperation has to be tracked to ensure that outcomes are being met and that we are working as efficiently as possible. <BR /> <BR />On the sharing and pooling of resources, again, we are happy with the principle behind it, but we have some reservations that it might not go far enough. Delivering Social Change was mentioned earlier, and we see that as an important delivery model. We would like to see more definitive work done on the pooling of resources; on how it is done, what it means in practice and whether a real budget line could be attached to it.”
“The Member might want to put his name down to speak. <BR /> <BR />It is all about cooperation. Some agencies do not talk to each other and do not have the information. Steven mentioned the 0-6 early years strategy starting at age three or four. So, cooperation will always be a good thing. I have my own questions about the more specified outcomes, which I will go into. OFMDFM has the policy responsibility for children and young people (CYP), including the taking forward of the CYP strategy, and works already with Departments on the coordination of actions to take that forward. <BR /> <BR />Concerns have been raised by some that the need to report could just lead to increased bureaucracy, which, arguably, goes against what the Bill is trying to do, but we are happy enough with some of the clarification that we have received on those points.”
“There are a few examples of that which we could go into. This is probably not the time or place to do so, but that is an important point to note. <BR /> <BR />We have no difficulty with the main thrust of the Bill, and we are not averse to there being a statutory duty to cooperate. In relation to what has been mentioned around OFMDFM reporting to the Assembly —”
“Go raibh maith agat, a LeasCheann Comhairle. Like others, I welcome the opportunity to speak to this Bill and broadly outline Sinn Féin's stance. <BR /> <BR />We are keen to support the broad principles behind the Bill. A duty on Departments to cooperate in the delivery of services will surely only lead to better outcomes for the most important people in all of this; our children and young people. We want to see maximum cooperation across Departments to achieve agreed and specified outcomes for children and young people, which, as mentioned by other Members, include being healthy, safety and economic well-being. One of the most important outcomes is for children and young people to live in a society that protects their rights. Too often, children are ignored as right-bearers in their own right.”
“Go raibh maith agat, a Cheann Comhairle. I welcome the Minister's statement, and I hope that we can build on the success that we have seen over the past number of years. I particularly welcome the increased collaboration of all concerned organisations. The decision to collocate is a good one. Has the Minister given any thought to that location being Newry? It is a strong border city right in between the two main airports, and it is in the middle of the North/South economic corridor. It would be a good location.”
“Just to make clear, I actually do understand. I was asking for your Department's understanding. Are you and the Chief Constable saying that it is not a question of whether the police will arrive on time or too late to a crime scene but whether they will arrive at all?”
“On a point of order, Mr Deputy Speaker. I apologise for being absent during questions to OFMDFM yesterday.”
“I thank the Minister for his answer. Obviously, it is hugely important that we focus on developing the border region, given that there are higher levels of job losses, higher migration and more barriers to trade. Would the Minister be willing to engage, at some point, with representatives of the steering group behind the border development zone to explore ways in which his Department can support that concept?”
“Cooperation is not a threat to any identity.”
“Health provides a good example of how a better service can be developed by using an all-island approach. The new joint cancer centre in Derry will provide services for patients from throughout the north-west. Patients from Donegal and Derry will no longer have to go to Belfast or Dublin for treatments. There are opportunities in a new integrated island-wide structure to reconfigure how we deliver health services across the island. The total spend per person in the current regressive health system in the South of Ireland is less than it is in the North or in Britain. <BR /> <BR />The same island-wide approach must be adopted for our economy. Addressing inefficiencies and the high costs of cross-border post is only one aspect of that. Greater cooperation and integration make sense and would benefit all our people.”
“The success of our private sector and our economy are dependent on having an efficient, affordable and reliable island-wide postal service. Many companies and organisations depend on it as an essential element of business. Growing the success of island-wide trade is essential to consolidating and building our economy. At present, we in the North receive the largest return from the island economy, and that would only increase with greater harmonisation and reduced transaction costs, of which postal charges are only a small example. <BR /> <BR />We need to work together to ensure that we provide the best climate for business development and the best services for our citizens at the same time as addressing the costs of duplication on the island.”
“Satisfaction rates are high, but it is hard not to argue that there are certain inefficiencies that could be addressed. <BR /> <BR />The postal service is a basic infrastructure that underpins trade and commerce. While it is good that most businesses are satisfied with the quality and reliability of the service, it is worrying that as many businesses are concerned about the cost differential in posting between the North and the South and to Britain. Any steps that can be taken, however marginal, to improve the speed, reliability and cost-effectiveness of the cross-border service could make a significant contribution to the ease with which business is carried out across the island. We need to focus on our economy and creating jobs.”
“So, the motion calls for the introduction of a single pricing structure for mail anywhere on the island of Ireland, which is a perfectly reasonable suggestion. We need a common-sense approach to issues pertaining to the border. It is ridiculous that Royal Mail expects people to pay almost 90p to post a letter from Newry to Dundalk, when the same thing can be sent anywhere in England, Scotland or Wales for less than half that. <BR /> <BR />Differential postal rates are also used in other areas of the EU — the Czech Republic and Slovakia are an example — so we should seek to adopt the same kind of approach here. Alongside the cost are the unnecessary delays in having items delivered. However, the good thing is that no issues were raised about reliability.”
“In 2010, Consumer Focus Post called on the main postal service providers, Royal Mail and An Post, and their respective regulators, Postcomm and ComReg, to work together to provide a faster, more consumer-driven service that reflects the demands of consumers and the importance of a more effective postal service in developing the island economy through cross-border trade. Four years on, however, we have not seen any improvement; if we have, it is very little. <BR /> <BR />The same report also showed that 68% of businesses in the North send post to the South, while 85% stated that it was fairly important, and almost half said that it was absolutely essential to their business. The Ofcom report also showed that 47% of people are unsatisfied with the cost of posting a standard letter, and that does not include larger documents or parcels.”
“Increased connectivity along the border would eventually reduce reliance on the postal service. <BR /> <BR />It also has to be welcomed that the Ofcom report mentioned in the motion shows high levels of satisfaction with our postal services in the North. However, there are problems and issues with cross-border services. Despite the geographical proximity of Ireland, North and South, consumers face an average delivery time of two to three days when posting or receiving mail from the South of Ireland. To address that, we require an integrated approach to postal services across the island.”
“I am sure that she does not need to be here, but there is a precedent for the issues raised to be discussed. <BR /> <BR />The motion refers to the barriers to cross-border economic development, and I know only too well the barriers that local people who live along the border and businesses face. I have lived there my whole life and worked on both sides of the border. Citizens are not well served by the border in the provision of health, education, environmental protections, jobs, banking charges, business costs, mobile phone charges and the cost of postal services. The border area is largely rural, and, while this is probably a discussion for another day, there are still huge black spots in the provision of rural broadband, which can create huge difficulties for local businesses.”
“Go raibh maith agat, a LeasCheann Comhairle. I am delighted to see such massive interest in the Chamber for our motion on cross-border postal services. At the outset, I express my disappointment that the Minister has not seen fit to be with us to respond and comment on the issues raised throughout the debate. I do not think that we have been given a reason why or been notified that she was not going to be here. So, that is disappointing. <BR /> <BR />The motion refers to the —”
“Go raibh maith agat, a LeasCheann Comhairle. I thank the Minister for his answer. How does he intend to encourage new graduates into the specific fields that we require most for our health service?”
“We need to embed a culture of European participation in all our Departments.”
“<BR />In the report, the Committee also recommends that, as much as possible, we should try to capture any data from arm's-length bodies and third parties to get a fuller picture of whatever European money is in the North and to look at the effectiveness of the fund that we mentioned. <BR /> <BR />I think that there is consensus that, when it comes to Europe, we need to be more proactive and there is serious room for improvement. The Assembly should look to allocate more substantial resources to improve our participation.”
“Some steps have been taken to assist drawdown. Alex Maskey referred to how so many of our community projects rely on a cocktail of funding, so European funding is hugely important. That is why one of the priorities is around the need for a European capacity-building fund that would enable a range of people to draw down funds without having to rely on Departments and go through the bureaucracy that Sammy Wilson mentioned. The appointment of contact officers in AFBI, Queen's and the University of Ulster to coordinate the approach of different partners to draw down funding is also helpful.”
“Hundreds and hundreds of funding streams have completely remained untapped as far as the North is concerned, and there are huge opportunities for us in competitive funding over the next while with Horizon 2020 and others. <BR /> <BR />The Programme for Government commitment to increase the drawdown of European funding by 20% has been mentioned. It has been successful to date, and targets have been met and exceeded. Given our past drawdown, I think we can perhaps concede that our FP7 performance was slightly disappointing. I would have been one who said that 20% was not a high enough target, but I think it is important to note that it is developmental. It is just a start, not an end; it is something that we can build upon and learn from for the future.”
“I think the fact that we have a new team in the Executive office is a welcome move, as is the fact that they are now designated as liaison officers rather than desk officers, because a key part of being successful in Europe is being active and networking. <BR /> <BR />Another recommendation coming out of the inquiry and the report is on the area of EU funding. I heard it mentioned that we need a benchmarking exercise to be completed, because, other than that, we cannot tell how successful we have been in comparison with other places that are in similar situations to us. I think there is a perception that we have been a bit overreliant on Peace and INTERREG funds.”
“That means that we would have a chance to try to shape them from the earliest possible time, and it would allow for more success, particularly if it were to do with European funding at drawdown stage. I think that Jimmy Spratt said that you cannot measure how important networking and engagement are in Europe, but you cannot put a value on how important those are. <BR /> <BR />Lessons need to be learned from the European operation in the South. I think it is one of the most successful member states when it comes to requesting and securing European funding. Its Brussels-based staff are in from the very beginning, lobbying and influencing when possible new streams are just an idea. That allows them to have a significant impact before the White Paper is even produced.”
“Although I was not in the Chamber when he said it, I think I heard Mr Nesbitt, the Chair of the Committee, refer to the Executive's EU priorities and how they needed to be published sooner — at the very least, in the first quarter of the year. I do not think really that that is a lot to ask. It would allow Departments to be more proactive in their approach to horizon scanning, which, I think we can all agree, is an area that we need to improve on. <BR /> <BR />We need to be looking at the earliest possible date at what policies and legislation are coming from Europe. That means keeping an eye on issues that might emerge as discussion papers but that gradually develop into legislative proposals.”
“<BR /> <BR />One of the recommendations from the inquiry was on the lessons that we learned. I think it is important to know how important it is for Departments to continue to work together going into the future, and it is essential that we continue to have a collaborative approach to Europe. It is hugely important that the lessons we learn from Barroso are not lost but are, in fact, built upon and enhanced even further. I think that we need to continue the momentum of positive engagement of the Assembly in European affairs. <BR /> <BR />Another recommendation coming out of the inquiry was on European priorities.”
“Go raibh maith agat, a LeasCheann Comhairle. I too welcome the motion. Like other Members, I commend the good work that civil servants and President Barroso have taken on under the task force. <BR /> <BR />As Bronwyn McGahan mentioned, the task force was about strengthening our engagement in the EU. It was initially established as a mechanism to improve and to help us with our economic competitiveness. Under President Barroso, we were offered some excellent opportunities, which, unfortunately, some of the Departments might have been too slow to grasp, but I suppose it is a learning exercise. The main focus of the inquiry was on the outcomes and looking at our post-Barroso future. In that respect, we must thank all those who made submissions and made the effort to try to inform our approach to what was a largely important piece of work.”
“Go raibh maith agat, a LeasCheann Comhairle. The Minister made up his own question and answered a completely different question from the one I asked. In light of a recent report issued by Queen's University that says that over a quarter of adults in the North live in multiple deprivation and in light of the fact that the UN is investigating Britain for human rights abuses against disabled people, will the Minister join us in defending the most vulnerable against Tory cuts, which will only worsen the already bad levels of deprivation in the North?”
“I thank the Minister for his answer. Keeping in mind the legal issues, can the Minister at least concede that such poaching could lead to long-term damage in the fishing reserves in the dam?”