Paul Frew
North Antrim · Democratic Unionist Party · Northern Ireland
“I thank the Minister for that intervention. Nevertheless, there are concerns that I want to address. The Minister and the departmental officials will know that, even from the range of questions that I have asked. We need to make sure that we get the balance correct.”
“In the written and oral evidence received then, the Committee was advised of potential amendments that the Minister may table at Consideration Stage, including an amendment to remove the commissioner that is being considered in liaison with OLC.”
“That in itself causes some victims and witnesses bother, because they are in a system that they are not part of, which means that they do not get the support that they require. That can sometimes leave them feeling retraumatised, as though they have been put through the wringer again.”
“The Bill makes provision to offer those protections and provide clarity to victims that they do not have to face their perpetrator in court. <BR /> <BR />Members asked questions about a range of matters, including the independence of the office, the ability to review the performance of any future commissioner, the costs of establishing th…”
“I thank the Minister for her intervention. She was absolutely right to take that action, as it means that victims' voices are right at the heart of the matters under discussion. It is now obvious to us that that should have been done years ago, but it is good that it is being done now.”
“Officials explained that the Bill would legislate on the disclosure regime not to prevent an application for disclosure but to set out a process whereby the defence would have to show the relevance of the information that it was requesting. That is an important protection.”
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“The Department of Health has also lost the public's trust. The Department must do something to restore people's confidence. <BR /> <BR />That brings me to one of my points. One of the main definitions in the Bill is of an "adult at risk". "A" is an adult at risk if:”
“I am interested, simply because I have represented constituents who lived in Muckamore Abbey. I have also represented constituents who worked in Muckamore Abbey and were bullied into keeping quiet. There are major issues with how our organisations are set up that we really need to get to grips with. Does the Bill do that? Who knows? I suspect that it will take the test of scrutiny to see whether it takes a positive step forward in that, but we need something. We need to put in place something to restore the trust that our people — family members, patients, the vulnerable and society itself — have lost. That loss of trust is not just in the health and social care trusts and home-care providers — nursing homes or old people's homes, as we called them back in the day — but it impacts on the Department of Health.”
“Eddie Lynch used that quote in his report on his investigation into Dunmurry Manor care home.”
“As all my colleagues have, I support the Bill. We have been waiting a long time for it. Mahatma Gandhi said:”
“I thank the Member for giving way. Does the Member agree that a statutory duty of candour should be an individual duty of candour and not an organisational one?”
“I thank the Minister for his answer. I direct him to his Department's Building Successful Communities programme, which had six pilot areas, including one in the Doury Road area of my North Antrim constituency. The programme was able to bring together people from the Protestant, Catholic and Travelling communities. It was a major success in Doury Road and, indeed, in Ballymena. Will the Minister consider another pilot scheme of that ilk to assist and support communities that, like Ballymena, have many concerns.”
“The Minister has raised many times in the Chamber today the issue of climate change targets and his legal obligations under them. Will he urge his party and the Assembly to row back on unachievable climate change targets that are highly damaging to the people of Northern Ireland, as seen in the A5 project?”
“The Equality Commission is, for whatever reason, dodging that decision. The Supreme Court ruling states that, under the Equality Act 2010, sex is determined by biology. How can biology in Northern Ireland be different from that in GB? How can women and girls turn to the Equality Commission for help and support? How can the Equality Commission represent women and girls in discrimination cases? The Equality Commission's response puts it in a very bad space. It means that women and girls in Northern Ireland will not have the same protection as those in GB. That wrong needs to be righted as soon as possible.”
“Rather than encouraging public authorities to honour the Supreme Court's decision in good faith, the Equality Commission is now, in effect, inviting public authorities, including Departments, to raise concerns with the current judgement. That is disgraceful. It risks becoming yet another excuse for obstruction and inaction from certain Departments that have so far failed to prioritise the clear need to uphold the rights and welfare of women and girls. <BR /> <BR />Those who are responsible for providing essential single-sex spaces and services should not be distracted or deterred by the Equality Commission's messaging. The Supreme Court ruling provides clear legal authority, and it is incumbent on public authorities to move decisively to implement its outcome, not to prevaricate.”
“I do not need a court decision to know what a woman is and what is required to keep them safe. In many ways, to us, it is complete common sense. Unfortunately, however, women and girls in this country need that protection from the courts. The recent Supreme Court judgement was a common-sense ruling that reaffirmed the importance of sex-based protections. It was a victory for the rights of women and girls, providing clarity and reassurance, particularly around the provision of single-sex spaces. Therefore, it is deeply regrettable that the Equality Commission's response appears to cast doubt on the implementation of that landmark decision. Article 2 of the Windsor framework is about not diminishing rights, yet the Equality Commission does not seem able to set out in plain terms which right was in place and has now supposedly been lost.”
“I could read on, but that is the amendment that I want to support and that I can align myself with. Where is the Alliance Party? Where is the SDLP? They need to take a good look at themselves.”
“Thank you, Mr Speaker. <BR /> <BR />Of course, when the SDLP speaks, there is always a "but" with regard to the motions that it brings forward. <BR /> <BR />Let me speak to the UUP amendment. I will put "I" in front of this.”
“I have. Of course, there is a "but" with every —.”
“Not once do I see in the motion anything about the depravity of 7 October.”
“That is what Sinn Féin is. How did the Alliance Party and the SDLP fall into that trap, and how could they turn their nose up at an amendment that holds Israel to account? It holds Israel to account. It does not say anything pro-Netanyahu; in fact, I was in Israel, and I found it hard to find somebody who supported Netanyahu. The amendment is exactly what you are looking for and exactly what you need, yet you will align yourselves with Sinn Féin, which will produce propaganda for its terrorist bedfellows, and you will lump it, swallow it and walk into the Lobby with Sinn Féin. I just do not understand the position, in particular, of the Alliance Party. I understand that the SDLP may be playing to a base to try to out-green the green Sinn Féin, but be aware of your actions, because every action has a consequence.”
“Sinn Féin will associate itself with all ranks and measures of terrorism. It will align itself with and be an apologist for the IRA. It will align itself with and be an apologist for FARC terrorists in Colombia. It will align itself with and apologise for the atrocities of Hamas, Hezbollah and the Basque terrorists. It comes as second nature to Sinn Féin. It is what Sinn Féin is.”
“It is huge. <BR /> <BR />The Foreign Secretary announced the suspension of around 30 of approximately 350 arms export licences to Israel. If he were to ban all of them, it would do two things: Israelis would get their arms from somewhere else, and you would lose trade; and you could risk leaving a nation state not being able to defend itself. Of course, that is exactly what the motion alludes to. Sinn Féin will produce a motion such as this no bother — absolutely no bother — but I find it astounding that the SDLP and Alliance have attached themselves to it. It is astounding. It is absolutely astounding. <BR /> <BR />I must say that the UUP has acted honourably and admirably in its amendment, demonstrating lived experience of a war scenario and what it feels like to be in a war. I applaud the UUP for that and give it credit.”
“I am absolutely appalled that they have got themselves stuck in the debate supporting what I can only describe as propaganda. For the Alliance Party to base that support only on the divestment and arms trade is astounding. It is absolutely astounding.”
“I am absolutely astounded by the position of the SDLP and the Alliance Party. Why have I picked those two parties out from all the rest? It is because I do not believe for one moment that those two parties, the SDLP and Alliance, would produce a motion like this. If I were to see the motion and the amendment side by side, I would put money on Alliance and the SDLP going with the UUP amendment or producing something like that themselves.”
“My heart goes out to the bereaved families affected by the A5 and the landowners who have been left in limbo. What good is an Infrastructure Minister who cannot build infrastructure? The same person who is now Infrastructure Minister voted for unrealistic climate change targets that have blocked the building of any infrastructure by any Department.”
“I thank the Member for giving way. Does he agree that, through the child protection disclosure scheme, which I brought into law, there are tools to inform the public and, in particular, parents? The Department of Justice, the Minister of Justice and the PSNI refuse to promote and advertise that scheme, which would better arm parents with the information that they require to keep their children safe.”
“<BR /> <BR />It is critical that the Minister introduces legislation, but, in the absence of that, I will introduce my private Member's Bill. I believe that I have the support of the House to do so, but it does not have to be like that. The Minister of Health can bring forward his own legislation, which we would support, so that the people whom we serve will be best protected in healthcare settings. I believe that it is a right for our people and that the vast majority of people who work and practise in our healthcare settings deserve and want an individual statutory duty of candour. I will pursue that to the very end so that they get it.”
“I thank the Speaker for calling me to make a Member's statement about my public consultation on the Bill that I propose to introduce on an individual statutory duty of candour. It is very important to me, but I believe that it is also very important to the people of Northern Ireland. Over the past weeks and months, we have seen the number of stories that have broken about scandals in our health service. I think of the bullying and harassment of staff, the scandals around care and neglect, the mistakes and the attempted cover-ups. A time will have to come when that practice stops. I believe that an individual statutory duty of candour is incredibly important to give people the confidence that their health service works for and protects them when they need it most.”
“I thank the Minister for his answer on this important issue. Minister, you say that there is an increase of 6%, but surely that is just our rates bills increasing. Are there particular industries or areas where persistent non-payment seems to be a problem? What is the Minister doing to bring fairness to the system?”
“I hope that all those parties that tried to slap down the DUP will be productive when it comes to trying to progress issues of real concern in Ballymena and further afield.”
“<BR /> <BR />All throughout last week, be it on the street, in the Chamber or anywhere else, I made sure that I did not attack any other party, because it was not the time for gotcha politics or politicking. It was the time for representing and assisting people and assisting the police and community groups on the ground. Alas, there were parties that tried to take the opportunity to attack my party in North Antrim, the councillors in North Antrim, the wider party in North Antrim and the party in East Antrim. That is unforgivable. Parties trying to exploit the situation that we experienced last week is unforgivable. There has to be clear thought now as to how we move forward. When the cameras disappear, we need to see the future.”
“Some people out there think that it does, but what we know for sure is that it comes at an awful cost. There is an awful cost to reputation, but, worse than that, there is a cost through damage to property. Thankfully, this time, there was no loss of life, but it was so close. As I stand here, I am thankful that no one lost their life, but a lot of people lost their home, and a lot of families were disrupted. That must be condemned. Of course, in the coming days, a lot of people will lose their liberty, and that will have ramifications for their life. That is really unfortunate. In fact, it is a tragedy. I thank the deputy First Minister for coming to Ballymena to speak to those people who suffered.”
“I condemn the violence that was perpetrated in my home town of Ballymena all last week. I am thankful that it has settled down, but I am concerned that my home town is still a tinderbox, as are all the other areas that suffered violence. <BR /> <BR />I thank the deputy First Minister for coming to Ballymena on Wednesday. It was much appreciated. The deputy First Minister met community groups; leaders; voluntary workers; residents of Queen Street, who suffered some of the violence; and residents of Clonavon, who suffered most of the violence in the town last week. She heard harrowing stories of how people were left to defend their homes and property against those who went on the rampage. <BR /> <BR />All violence is wrong, and everybody in the House should be categorical with regard to violence. Violence does not pay.”
“<BR /> <BR />That should not dilute the message from the thousands of people who turned up last night in Ballymena to protest against violence against women and girls and to show solidarity and sympathy with and support to the families and victims affected by the heinous crimes that have taken place in the town over the past number of weeks. The answer is our justice system. Violence is not the answer to anything. Violence is wrong, no matter what quarter it comes from and no matter whom it targets. My sympathy goes out to everyone who has been affected by violence, sexual or otherwise, in my constituency over the past number of weeks and months. It has to end. People must feel safe in their home towns and in the streets that they have to walk when they go to work, when they socialise and when they meet friends.”
“I condemn the violence that took place in my home town of Ballymena last night. I feared that it was going to happen. I have been warning that there has been a lot of tension in Ballymena over the past number of weeks and months. Alas, those warnings have come true. It is with a heavy heart that I say that we know people in my home town and the surrounding villages who have been affected grievously over the past 24 hours. That is wrong. Violence is wrong. I have fought and campaigned my whole life against violence of every hue. We must condemn the violence of last night.”
“It is time for effective government action, with all government arms and agencies working together. It is time for justice. It is time for our women and girls to be able to walk our local streets in safety, and it is time for Departments to act in order to prevent such heinous crimes. That is what our people call for, and that is what our people require. It is about time that the Government protected our people.”
“Since then, there have been two serious sexual assaults on two teenage girls in broad daylight by what could be multiple perpetrators. Police investigations and legal proceedings are ongoing, so I refuse to comment further on those live cases, lest they be damaged or compromised. Those assaults have sent shock waves through Ballymena and further afield. Given the level of concern that there has been and the contact that I have received from all quarters of society, I really worry for my home town and the residents who live there. We need to see justice being done for those heinous, despicable crimes of sexual assault when they happen. We need to see women and girls — our children and grandchildren — protected from people who seek to do them harm and to hurt them.”
“I have continually warned Departments that more must be done to support and protect women and girls, yet we see government and enforcement agencies continue to fail our people. The police will not promote the child protection disclosure scheme, and they do not make our people aware of it. Councils, the Housing Executive and Departments have not got to grips with problem tenants and with HMOs, and the Westminster Government have failed us all with their abject failure to secure our borders and keep us safe. There is absolutely no sign of them reversing the situation and fixing the problems in immigration — indeed, illegal immigration. <BR /> <BR />Only a matter of weeks ago in the House, I warned that people who live in my North Antrim constituency, particularly in Ballymena, are living in fear.”
“For the majority of my time in the Assembly, since 2010, I have worked incredibly hard with Departments, outside bodies and charities to modernise legislation to protect women and girls. I sit on the all-party group (APG) on domestic and sexual violence — I have done so for a considerable time and was chair for a period — and I have changed and amended legislation, not least the domestic violence and stalking legislation that came before us in the previous term. I even brought in the child protection disclosure scheme that allows parents to apply for disclosure on anyone who is acting suspiciously around their children. We have made great advances, yet, every week, we are confronted with crimes that show that we have much more to do.”
“It will do harm, not good, to our people, as the Executive did during the pandemic and the zombie Assembly did when it allowed that to happen. <BR /> <BR />We need to make sure, as MLAs, that we scrutinise every move that is made, not just those by the Department of Finance or the Finance Minister. He has produced a Budget. Every Member here will decide whether it is good or bad. However, it really gets me down when Ministers say, "I do not have enough money to do what I need to do", yet they will do violence to other Departments and other aims and objectives in the Programme for Government through some of the aims and objectives that they pursue. That cannot stand.”
“It does violence to the "Cut Health Waiting Times" priority and to the "Ending Violence Against Women and Girls" priority, because we know that, during lockdown, such violence increased. It will also do violence to the priority on better support for children and young people. I could go through more in the Programme for Government that the public health Bill will damage. We are still waiting to see what the Minister of Health produces. <BR /> <BR />Those are just some examples of how Departments in their silos and Ministers in their aims and objectives can do massive damage to this place that we call Northern Ireland. They can do great damage to the Executive and to the Assembly that tries to help and support them.”
“<BR /> <BR />That is just one of the issues that I see that can become farcical because of this and the silo mentality of Departments. It is good that improvements have been made and that the Budget can sometimes align with the Programme for Government. However, what we have discovered is that Departments can also do violence to other priorities in the Programme for Government. <BR /> <BR />Again, with the Department of Health, the legislative programme suggests that the Minister will introduce a public health Bill. It has not gone away, you know: it is still there and being consulted on. That will cause massive damage to public health. It will give dictatorial powers to one Minister in this place to lock people down and to ban sports. What will that do?”
“The current plans pose a serious threat to our farming sector and food production, risking livelihoods, putting more people into poverty, cutting livestock numbers, affecting food production and threatening Northern Ireland's ability to produce the food that we need and that we need to export. That spells disaster, yet the Minister is going to preside over the disastrous policy, which does violence to other PFG priorities such as "Grow a Globally Competitive and Sustainable Economy". On the one hand, a Department is driving forward on one goal in the Programme for Government; on the other, it will do violence to the other priorities in it. That is not sustainable. That is not effective government. That is not an efficient Executive. The Assembly will have to have a say on it.”
“NAP is a disaster. I have read it, and it is an absolute disaster for the rural community, our farming industry, our exporters and the people who produce our food.”
“Thank you, Madam Principal Deputy Speaker. <BR /> <BR />Of course the environment is really important, but why is he throwing the baby out with the bathwater? Why has he not consulted the farming community? Why will he not work with the farming community? Why is he burying his head in the sand on NAP?”
“It is clear that all that the Alliance Minister cares about is net zero. It does not matter how much he will destroy in our farming industry and our rural communities to meet targets that are unachievable and have been since they were set. What does that do? It increases poverty. He will do violence, if he pushes through his nutrients action programme, which, by the way, our party opposes and which, as far as I know through public utterances, Sinn Féin opposes. A majority in the House are opposed to the direction that the AERA Minister will impose and that he will need to fund through his budget. It is a farcical situation, because the Executive are not joined up, if the AERA Minister can impose that against the wishes of the rest of the Executive and the Assembly.”
“It is not just about making efficiency savings but about looking at how we can do things better and better help our people. Sometimes when we hear laments, sad stories and sob stories here about not having enough money, it really gets me down, because that is not what we want to hear from politicians. We want to see and feel hope. <BR /> <BR />One of the issues that I will raise is in the DAERA Main Estimates. The introduction states:”
“I will start with housing. Housing is a massive issue. It is one of the issues in the Programme for Government that need to be funded through the Budget. What I got from the Communities Minister yesterday was hope — hope that he can manage what he has, hope that he can get more money through monitoring rounds and hope that he can meet his target, as he did last year. That is exactly what we need to hear from Ministers. We need Ministers to look at their budget, see the restraints and sense where they can make differences. That is why we have locally accountable Ministers. None of us ever has enough money. That goes for households, daily living and Departments. We need Ministers to knuckle down and drill down into efficiencies in their Departments.”
“Members lament — I know that I do — having to talk in a Budget debate again. It is just a constant cycle. I will address the issues that I have found in the Northern Ireland Main Estimates 2025-26. Whilst there have been improvements in linking the Main Estimates with the Programme for Government and the legislative programme, you can still see massive gaps. You can see where improvements have been made, but we are nowhere near there yet, and, because we are not there yet, it is causing violence to the Programme for Government and the Budget. I will not have time to go through everything that I have studied in what is a substantial document, so I will pick out some of the issues. <BR /> <BR />The leader of the Opposition was right to mention the Communities Minister's utterances yesterday about his budget allocation.”
“I hear what the Member has said right along, and I know that he is representing the Committee. Does the Committee realise, however, that no Ministers will be able to get the money that they need to meet their needs as they see them and that every Department should look for efficiencies? Is the Committee looking at that issue and putting pressure on DAERA to apply efficiencies throughout the Department?”
“I thank the Member for giving way. Does the Member agree that not only is the initial Budget important but the monitoring rounds throughout the year are vital in distributing funds? The Department of Health benefited from those greatly last year.”
“I thank the Minister for allocating funding for the canopy over the play park for the Ballee community and the young people there. He will be much thanked for that. <BR /> <BR />The Minister will know, because I have asked questions on this, that there are two anchor football clubs at Broughshane community centre and playing fields; Braid United and Raceview. The players from those clubs have had to change in temporary, makeshift changing rooms that have been there for over 20 years — temporary changing rooms that have been there for over 20 years — and are now in a state of disrepair. Will the Minister commit to meeting me on-site to discuss the facilities with the two football clubs concerned?”
“<BR /> <BR />It is important that our young people play sports, no matter what that sport is: you can learn so much about life on the field of play. Therefore, the dedicated volunteers who make the league happen should be encouraged, valued and honoured in good fashion for getting our young people out to train two nights a week and play a match on Saturday mornings. That takes dedication. <BR /> <BR />Credit goes to the Firmus Energy Ballymena Saturday morning league and to Braid United Football Club, which is just one of the clubs in the three divisions and has found success this year. The dedication, training and tactics of the managerial team have paid off, and the team has won promotion to the first division. I wish them all the best in the season ahead.”
“I wish to congratulate a local football team. Braid United Football Club is based in the village of Broughshane, but its catchment area goes right through the picturesque Braid valley and further afield. Braid United won the final against Larne's Ruby's Rovers Football Club, picking up the Tullyglass Residence Cup to win promotion to the first division of the Firmus Energy Ballymena Saturday morning league. The league takes in teams from Ballymena and every village and hamlet between Ballymoney, Larne and Antrim. It is a prestigious league that does sterling work. I pay tribute not only to Braid United Football Club for winning promotion to the first division but to the league itself and all the volunteers and others who make the three football leagues a success every Saturday morning. There are even midweek matches in the summer months.”
“— for why it has happened, but, at least, it is now on the agenda.”