Mark Durkan
Foyle · Social Democratic and Labour Party · Northern Ireland
“That review involved an extensive engagement exercise with charities, regulators and funders, aimed at creating a more modern and proportionate regulatory system.”
“When the review was commenced in 2021, many organisations were still in the midst of responding to the pandemic. Since then, they have faced a succession of new and evolving challenges. The ending of European funding programmes, on which so many in our communities relied for decades, has left a significant gap.”
“<BR /> <BR />The broad principles behind the Bill are sensible. The changes will modernise charity regulation, strengthen the Charity Commission's ability to intervene where misconduct or mismanagement occurs, improve information sharing and, importantly, reduce unnecessary red tape, particularly for smaller charities with limited adminis…”
“I welcome the opportunity to speak today. Before turning to the detail of the legislation — there will not even be that much detail in the debate today at Second Stage — I pay tribute to our charity sector. Across every constituency, charities provide support that changes and saves lives every single day.”
“<BR /> <BR />Whilst the SDLP supports legislation that removes unnecessary bureaucracy, we should not kid ourselves that administrative reform alone will secure the future of charities and organisations in the voluntary and community sector.”
“I thank the Minister for giving way. Like other Members, I welcome the fact that we have reached this point. There seems to be consensus among Committee members and, I am sure, all Members that the introduction of these measures will save lives, which begs the question of whether the 10-year delay in introducing the measures had an opposi…”
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“One Minister cannot do it all on their own; rather, as our motion proposes, while the Minister has primary responsibility around the details, the buck stops not with him but with the Executive as a whole. I will say again that transformation requires difficult decisions and buy-in from all Executive Ministers, and it should compel all Ministers to consider the way in which they operate. Our health service, rather like our Executive and, indeed, the Assembly, is highly interdependent. What impacts one part will directly or indirectly impact all others. It is in that spirit that we have genuinely and sincerely tabled the motion for today. <BR /> <BR />The SDLP policy paper 'Help Can’t Wait' makes a number of recommendations, which are not easy. We are well aware that the recommendations that we have made will not sit easily with everyone.”
“What we propose today is something that the SDLP is passionate about. Something that we all agree on is that our health service is in a precarious position. We are passionate about that too. Throughout a patient's pathway, we hear stories of a service that is falling apart at the seams. Whether it is the emergency departments (EDs), the extensive waiting lists or the struggle to allocate care packages, we can all agree that, if we are to improve patient outcomes and deliver a fit-for-purpose healthcare system for the future, we must act now. Quite simply, we must transform our healthcare system if it is to survive. <BR /> <BR />The SDLP does not believe that it is right to lay all of that at the feet of the Health Minister.”
“The whole system needs fixed. We support transformation, but we cannot continue to wait for everything to be fixed before we fix anything. Our focus today is on improving the Ambulance Service and ensuring that people can access emergency care when they need it. While transformation will require tough decisions, as we keep saying and keep hearing, there will be concerns in some areas at the prospect of losing services from the local community. However, the one thing that fills all of us with dread, wherever we are, is the fear that, in the event of an emergency, be it one of our elderly parents falling down the stairs or a young child badly injuring themselves jumping down them, it will take hours for an ambulance to show up, while someone we love lies suffering or maybe even dying before our eyes.”
“I note and welcome the amendments that have been tabled. We do not disagree with the sentiments expressed in either of the amendments, as they recognise the interlinked issues that have aligned to leave our health service in such disarray, but the wide-ranging calls in both amendments, worthy as they are, threaten to deflect attention from and prevent action on the focus of our motion.”
“Gabh mo leithscéal: tá mé as cleachtadh, agus tá meirg ar mo chuid Gaeilge. An síleann an Comhalta go gcuireann Seachtain na Gaeilge go mór le haitheantas a thabhairt don Ghaeilge?”
“Instead, there appears to be a revolving door in our courthouses that leaves communities feeling powerless. <BR /> <BR />Danny Donnelly mentioned the war on drugs. That is a war that, sadly, we cannot win until we fight and win a war against the reasons that lead to drug dependency: adverse childhood experiences, trauma and poverty. We need to invest in better education and mental health and addiction services. If we tackle the root causes of substance misuse, we can stop the tragic and entirely preventable deaths.”
“The slow-motion collapse of a life often played out online; the excessive party lifestyle; the vulnerable people crying out for help but turning to support systems that simply are not there or take months or even years to access — all of those things are unacceptable. <BR /> <BR />I join others in commending parents such as Sandra Larmour or, more recently, Pauline Duddy from my constituency for their determination and unwavering commitment to campaigning for change and for channelling their grief into action, trying to spare other families the same suffering. <BR /> <BR />Reclassification is one part of the jigsaw. We need to see tougher penalties for supply not just being available but being used. For example, has ketamine's reclassification from class C to class B seen a reduction in its use? No.”
“Addiction was not mentioned once, and drug-related deaths do not even make it on to the list of priorities. How can Executive parties stand here today with the audacity to tell grieving families that addressing the drugs crisis is a priority for them? <BR /> <BR />This epidemic has left hundreds of parents mourning the unnatural loss of a child; young people grieving the loss of their peers; and children left to navigate the life-altering reality of life without a parent. Sadly, I am sure that we have all witnessed too many times how loved ones of the deceased begin to follow the same perilous path, sinking more deeply into their own grief, darkness and addiction. In many cases, it is a chain reaction that sets off one tragedy after another.”
“That misuse contributes directly to the increasing number of drug-related deaths in the North, which, in 2022, stood at 154. I have questioned that statistic and the accuracy of current reporting mechanisms, as I believe the real number to be even higher. Certainly now, in 2025, in my constituency, it feels as though not a week goes by without us mourning the loss of at least one more young life. <BR /> <BR />That worrying trend is often highlighted more deftly and harrowingly on social media by devastated family members and friends. Recent data shows that Northern Ireland's rate of drug-related deaths is alarmingly high — more than five times the EU average. What are the Executive doing about it? Not much, going by the Programme for Government.”
“Ketamine can no longer be dismissed as just a party drug: it is a serious public health risk. We have already heard about its severe health impacts and its role in spiking incidents. Access to the drug, along with others such as pregabalin, is often just a click or a direct message (DM) away. Both are frequently and wrongly seen as low-risk substances, possibly or probably due to their current classification. We would like to see the reclassification not only of ketamine but of pregabalin and gabapentin. <BR /> <BR />Let me be clear: there is no such thing as a low-risk drug. Taking those tablets is playing Russian roulette. Those substances are often combined with other drugs, such as cocaine and alcohol, creating a lethal cocktail.”
“I go back to the original question on rates debt. That is on top of £65 million of rates arrears that have been written off in the past year. Yesterday, Executive parties voted for an above-inflation increase in rates. Are we robbing Peter because Paul, for whatever reason, has not been able to pay?”
“We learned from the statement that the Council welcomed the publication of the all-island strategic rail review, which was published almost nine months ago. Was there no further discussion about the funding for and implementation of the review's recommendations? While the hourly Enterprise has been a roaring success in terms of passenger numbers, will the Minister comment on yesterday's embarrassing media reports that the state-of-the-art and expensive ticket machines do not facilitate the purchase of tickets for cross-border travel?”
“Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire as ucht a ráitis.”
“I admire the Minister's ambition to ensure that all learners remain in education, apprenticeship or training until the age of 18. Does he have any plans to review the education maintenance allowance (EMA) eligibility criteria or the rate paid, which has not changed for 20 years, to ensure that education remains affordable for all?”
“I thank the Minister for coming to the Chamber and stepping in for his colleague. <BR /> <BR />Minister Givan has been quick to point the finger of blame squarely at Sinn Féin for its collapse of the Assembly and this delay. Does he accept the role that his party's subsequent two-year collapse of the institutions has played in the lamentable lack of an anti-poverty strategy and that there is collective fault for that collective failure?”
“Minister, you mentioned the autism reviewer. Her appointment is also progress, and she seems to have hit the ground running. Will you give us some detail on the support, resourcing and engagement provided to the reviewer by the Department of Health, and state whether it is adequate?”
“We need dual tracking on the Derry to Belfast line to improve frequency, reliability and safety and the reopening of the Derry to Portadown line to restore vital cross-border links. The leader of the Opposition, my colleague Matthew O'Toole, was speaking —.”
“There have been no efforts in the last few years to improve that frequency. When I asked the Minister to commit to improvements, she simply recognised that it would be beneficial. In real terms, Derry — the second city — receives 2,600 fewer rail services every year than the stations east of the Bann. Without being disrespectful to any other Member's constituency, I say that those are places with a much smaller population base than the North's second city. <BR /> <BR />Derry remains the only city of its size on the island — someone made the point in the previous debate — with a single-track railway. That is a clear symbol of transport inequality. If the Executive are serious about improving connectivity, they must take the all-island rail review off the shelf and put it on the ground.”
“The gap in the map is an indelible mark on the cultural psyche that suggests that the north-west — Derry, largely, and Donegal as well as Fermanagh — is a place that is shut off, isolated and unsuitable for prospective investors. <BR /> <BR />That said, we have seen some modest, incremental improvements in rail timetabling. Since the hourly Belfast to Derry service was introduced several years ago, we have witnessed, year-on-year, record-breaking passenger numbers for Derry rail. 2023 marked a 54% increase in usage, which has seen the Derry rail station climb from the seventeenth-busiest station in the North to the seventh. That is the living embodiment of, "If you build it, they will come". Yet, inexplicably, Derry has only six rail services on a Sunday, whereas every station east of the Bann has 13 on the Belfast to Coleraine line.”
“Last year, in the mouth of the general election, the then Infrastructure Minister celebrated the delivery of £97·7 million for that project, but a wee bit of digging revealed that just 5% of that proposed investment would be delivered in this financial year. The upgrade, which was supposed to be completed in 2027 — that in itself was a revised date — now will not begin until May of that year. Raising hopes of such a transformational and long-overdue project is completely unacceptable. The perpetually postponed upgrade will go a long way in righting some of those long-term injustices and must be a priority. It will help to tackle regional imbalance and steer the city on a course towards a brighter future. <BR /> <BR />A quick glance at the map shows the blatant disparity in rail provision between east and west.”
“<BR /> <BR />The state of our transport links is not just an inconvenience but a barrier to the success of our second city — my first city. The lack of adequate rail links and road infrastructure is a major factor in the regional inequalities that persist across the North. It is time for the Executive to deliver real, tangible improvements, not just lip service and never-ending but never-arriving announcements. <BR /> <BR />We have seen that lip service paid time and time again when it comes to improving rail services, particularly in regard to the critical phase 3 of the Derry to Coleraine upgrade.”
“The motion addresses an issue that continues to choke the north-west and strangle opportunities there: the chronic and historic underinvestment in transport infrastructure. The people of Derry, Strabane, Limavady and the Causeway coast deserve a modern, efficient and well-connected transport system that meets the needs of businesses, commuters, tourists and families alike. Year after year, however, we find ourselves fighting for even the most basic improvements and the righting of historic wrongs. Yes, we have seen improvements. We welcome the Executive's eventual acceptance of shouldering the financial burden of the City of Derry Airport, the benefits of which should be felt not only by ratepayers in the Derry City and Strabane District Council area but by many across the North and in Donegal and beyond.”
“<BR /> <BR />Today, the Assembly has an opportunity to take a stand and say clearly that we will no longer turn a blind eye to the crisis, that we will no longer allow vulnerable people to be abandoned in a broken system and that we will prioritise treatment over punishment, compassion over condemnation and action over empty promises. This is a matter of life and death. Let us not be complicit in further loss. Let us deliver the addiction treatment and recovery centre that the north-west so desperately needs.”
“We need better education, more community outreach and a greater investment in mental health services to address the root causes of substance misuse before it spirals into addiction. <BR /> <BR />Like others, I thank some of the wonderful organisations — many of them have been named — such as ARC Fitness, Northlands, HURT, Foyle Haven Day Centre and the White Oaks Centre, which is a stone's throw away in Donegal. They all provide proof that recovery is possible and that lives can be rebuilt with the right support, but they cannot do it alone. They need sustained investment and a commitment from the Government that they will back their work with real investment.”
“Recovery is not just about detox and rehabilitation; it is about long-term stability and ensuring that individuals who leave treatment have access to safe housing, meaningful employment and a strong support network to help them stay on the path to recovery. <BR /> <BR />We must also take stronger action against those who profit from the misery of addiction. Drug dealers — the death dealers — who peddle destruction in our communities must face tougher sentences. The police must be given the resources and have the appetite to target the organised crime groups that flood our streets with lethal substances. Enforcement alone is not enough, however. Prevention and early intervention are key.”
“That is not just about providing another facility; it is about creating a centre of excellence that can offer a dual-diagnosis approach and recognise the intrinsic link between addiction and mental health. It is about ensuring that those who are seeking help do not have to navigate a labyrinth of disconnected services but can access the holistic wrap-around support that they need to recover and rebuild their life. <BR /> <BR />Crucially, it must not be done in isolation. The Minister must work with Executive colleagues and counterparts in the Irish Government to integrate addiction treatment into a wider regional strategy for mental health, housing and employment support.”
“It leads to increased rates of homelessness, crime and unemployment, but, more than that, it destroys lives. We have been passing the problem from pillar to post for too long, at times treating addiction as a criminal justice issue instead of the public health crisis that it truly is. <BR /> <BR />We need a new approach that is rooted in compassion, collaboration and evidence-based treatment. That is why we are calling on the Minister of Health and the Executive to:”
“We are experiencing some of the highest rates of alcohol and drug dependency in Northern Ireland, yet we continue to lack the vital infrastructure that is needed to combat the epidemic effectively. The statistics are shocking. There have been 212 drug-related deaths in the past year alone, and that number is rising. Each number represents a life cut short, a family grieving and a future stolen. <BR /> <BR />It is not a coincidence; it is the direct result of decades of underinvestment, austerity-driven cuts and the political failure to deliver the resources that our communities so desperately need. The cost of inaction is staggering. Untreated addiction places an enormous burden on our healthcare system, our emergency services, our police service and our economy.”
“Addiction is a plague on our society. It is the great equaliser that spares no one based on age, gender, social status or background. It is a disease that shatters lives, devastates families and cripples communities. Many in the Chamber know all too well the consequences of addiction. We have seen the heartbreak in the eyes of bereaved parents and have spoken to those who are in the grips of substance dependency who feel that they have nowhere left to turn. Some of us have fought or are fighting addiction ourselves. <BR /> <BR />We have witnessed the growing number of people who suffer in silence and have fallen through the cracks of an under-resourced and fragmented support system. The crisis is painfully evident in the north-west.”
“I thank the Minister for her answer. This is a long-running issue, and I have started to feel like Andy Dufresne writing to ask for more books for Shawshank library. <BR /> <BR />Minister, I am unaware that it was ever the case that the upgrade of the roundabout was the entire responsibility of the developer. Yes, there was a responsibility on the developer to make a financial contribution. It is my understanding now that the developer is prepared to and has made an offer to pay for the works in their entirety and that that is awaiting sign-off from the Minister. Can the Minister assure us that she will deal with the issue in an urgent fashion?”
“The Minister said that she is not ruling anything in or anything out, but has she, in effect, ruled out the expert-led review of the funding and governance of Northern Ireland Water, which was recommended by the Audit Office? She said that she does not believe that there is anything wrong with the funding model, and I share her concerns about some of the solutions that are being mooted by others. However, if there is nothing wrong with the funding model, is the Minister confident that the governance of Northern Ireland Water is everything that it should be?”
“Sorry, Mr Speaker. I learnt through an FOI request that she had not only been invited to the official opening but that she and the deputy First Minister had subsequently been invited to a pre-opening tour. Will the junior Minister explain why those invitations were not accepted or even recalled?”
“Does the junior Minister agree that there should be full transparency of what is being funded by Urban Villages, why and the exact role of TEO in that? I ask because I recently asked the First Minister whether she had received an invite to the official opening of the Peacemakers Museum, a project that she had previously told me had nothing to do with the Executive Office. She said that she had not, or at least that she did not recall receiving an invite to that. I have subsequently acquired —.”
“I thank the Member for giving way. I am unaware of anyone actually calling for an end to letters as reminders for health appointments. However, given the prolonged and well-publicised issues with post in many constituencies, specifically mine, it is important that health trusts recognise the situation and seek alternative and additional means of reminding people — of all ages — of appointments.”
“I also take the opportunity to wish the Minister well in her new role. She said that, as someone from outside Belfast, it was a novelty to be able to get the Glider. For many people in more rural areas across the North, it would be a novelty to be able to get a bus. What measures will the Minister take to ensure that the investment required for these improvements in Belfast does not come at the expense of public transport infrastructure and services elsewhere across the North?”
“Many of those individuals cannot work due to their conditions or ill health, which means that they have no ability to increase their household income. Now they face rent arrears, eviction and the terrifying prospect of homelessness. <BR /> <BR />Targeted support to address the reality of housing costs would reduce pressure on social housing waiting lists and help individuals and families sustain tenancies for longer, creating a strengthened private sector that works for everyone in it. We need to act now. The number of families who are struggling to keep a roof over their heads will only grow. It is time for real, meaningful action to protect renters and prevent the crisis from spiralling even further.”
“I thank the Member for the intervention. My primary concern is and our primary concern should be the cost of the current situation for those caught in that trap, but I fully welcome the Member's suggestion and support any cross-party or Executive intervention that can be made with DWP to argue the case. As an Opposition, we will be fully supportive of and behind that. <BR /> <BR />The local housing allowance was increased for 2024-25, but costs were based on September 2023 rates. It was already outdated, and now, with a freeze for 2025-26, the support fails to reflect the reality of the precarious rental market. To make matters worse, the removal of discretionary housing payments from many long-term disability benefit recipients has pushed some of the most vulnerable into crisis.”
“Prevention is better than cure, and at least part of that cure is in extending the threatened with homelessness window, along with the introduction of meaningful financial support to help renters meet the growing gap between housing benefit and soaring market rents.”
“We support the motion but seek support for our amendment. We recognise the need to protect private tenants against unfair rent increases and to empower them to call out poor practices and demand quality homes without fear of retaliatory eviction. Rent controls are a welcome intervention, but it is important that any such provision is implemented quickly and properly to reduce the prospect or fallout of unintended consequences. The motion does not go far enough, and I am hopeful that my amendment supplements and complements it. We propose an amendment that will ensure that people get help before reaching crisis point.”
“Members right across the Chamber recognised that the then Private Tenancies Bill in the previous mandate fell far short of what was required, but we were assured that subsequent legislation would strengthen security of tenure and deal with a ban on no-fault evictions. The Bill made provision for longer notice to quit periods, which worked effectively during the pandemic. Although that was a welcome move, it was simply to be a starting point. In principle, the intermediate rent scheme is a very positive step, but, to date, the Minister has not been able to give assurances that schemes will be prioritised in areas of greatest housing need or to provide detail on how individual applicants for such schemes will be prioritised.”
“I have even heard from some people who are trying to find ways in which to mitigate the burden on their tenants, but that is not to deny that there is an issue with unscrupulous landlords or to let them off the hook. Regardless of that, however, renters have been left exposed and vulnerable. <BR /> <BR />Meanwhile, the long-awaited and much-vaunted housing supply strategy is notable for its lack of detail on reforms for the sector. If my memory serves me correctly — it does not always — the issue is afforded just one line in the strategy. Promises that the previous Minister made during the previous mandate about welfare mitigations and private tenancy safeguards have seemingly evaporated in recent times.”
“I have witnessed a 122% increase in rental market costs in the past five years for a basic two-up two-down home in the Derry area, where the issue has been made even worse by the quest to provide more-profitable student accommodation. How can anyone be expected to keep their head above water in such impossible circumstances? <BR /> <BR />Although I concur with most of what the Member who spoke previously said when proposing his amendment, I point out that many landlords are responsible, reasonable people. I am sure that some of Mr Carroll's comrades or supporters own property and provide accommodation. Many are almost accidental landlords, who have been caught with rising mortgage rates, insurance costs and rates, and that is then reflected in rising rents.”
“Since 2020, the writing has been on the wall for private renters at risk of poverty, eviction and homelessness. That has resulted in a 48,000 household-long social housing waiting list, driven by the unaffordability and instability of the private rented sector, with the loss of private rental accommodation being responsible for an estimated 33% of all homelessness presentations. <BR /> <BR />Between 2022 and 2023, there was a 17% increase in the number of households made homeless owing to the loss of their private rental home. I have spoken with countless renters who, after spending a decade or more living in, and caring for, a property, were evicted for daring to make a reasonable request for repairs or that persistent problems with damp be addressed.”
“Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. For many people, renting is no longer a stepping stone but their only option, and one that is becoming more untenable by the day. That stepping stone now provides slippery and unstable footing, with skyrocketing rents, stagnant housing benefits and a lack of meaningful support pushing more and more people into arrears and towards a greater risk of homelessness. <BR /> <BR />As we have heard, the private rented sector in Northern Ireland is the fastest growing across these islands, with twice as many families living in private rented housing here than in the social sector. The repeated failure of successive Executives to meet social housing supply targets has led to more low-income households floundering in a largely unregulated sector.”
“With regard to bowel cancer screening, we still lag behind the other regions of the UK on the age range for screening. How and when will we see that disparity addressed?”
“In the Minister's previous role, he often and correctly championed public transport and spoke of the need to incentivise its use by reducing fares etc. Given that a key component of his predecessor's Budget sustainability plan includes increasing Translink fares, has the Minister had a chance to reconsider that?”
“I thank the deputy First Minister for her answer. Given the lamentable track record of the Executive in the delivery of major projects — they take far too much time and cost far too much money, which is not just a recent phenomenon — does the deputy First Minister agree that doing nothing is not an option and that, if we do not change how we do things, we will not change how things are done?”
“— but the words of the former deputy leader of the DUP. Minister, the statement is titled 'Tackling Fraud and Error', yet there is no mention whatsoever of error in the statement. Will the Minister tell us the cost of error to the public purse and what he is doing to eradicate it?”
“Those are not my words, Mr Deputy Speaker —”
“I thank the Minister for his statement. I agree that fraud in all forms should be tackled, and abuse of the welfare system impacts on all of us. I would, however, love to see the same appetite for tackling the massive multibillion-pound tax evasion and avoidance that also squeeze public services. We oppose the Minister's decision to reintroduce the naming and shaming of those who are found guilty of fraud. It can happen to anyone. It can be single parents or families who are in crisis. They do not deserve to be prosecuted twice.”