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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“The SDLP, on the other hand, has engaged with the environmental sector NGOs to draft and develop strong ecological and biodiversity targets and is considering a private Member's Bill to strengthen nature preservation and recovery. <BR /> <BR />A decade ago, as Environment Minister, I consulted on and attempted to progress proposals for an independent EPA but was unable to garner the required political support to get it through the Executive. At that time, I worked closely with the environmental NGOs, and I vividly and fondly remember the contribution of Jennifer Fulton, CEO of Ulster Wildlife. Sadly, as we heard, Jennifer passed away just last week. Our thoughts are with Norman and Jennifer's family and friends.”
“I thank the Minister and Members for their contributions. I also congratulate Mr McMurray on making his maiden speech. Now that he is here, he can judge for himself whether much happens in here, but he will see that there is still a fair bit of sledging. <BR /> <BR />We have heard of the frightening, frankly apocalyptic, warning calls from our natural environment. The calls have been repeated and have gone unheeded for far too long. The formation of an independent, adequately resourced environmental protection agency has been a long-established policy position of the SDLP, and it is deeply rooted in our values and environmental ethos. As stated, it was a commitment in NDNA, and, like many of those commitments, it has been neither delivered nor advanced.”
“Go raibh maith agat, a Phríomh-Leas-Cheann Comhairle.”
“Is the Minister aware of any examples of the Northern Ireland Environment Agency declining or being unable to respond to environmental complaints from constituents owing to a lack of resources?”
“With £19 million having been awarded through Communities in Transition, it is important that the public is guaranteed value for money. How exactly are projects measured for effectiveness? Can the deputy First Minister point to an example of best practice?”
“— assessment of a person's long-term needs and on-hand support services to improve provision.”
“It also leaves communities in fear and at risk of harm, given the volatile nature and, sometimes, violent past of some of the individuals availing themselves of emergency housing. <BR /> <BR />Of course, the answer is to build more homes, but, in the short term, we need a focus on local connection —”
“Spend in Derry has increased sixfold in the same period. <BR /> <BR />Homelessness is a health issue. It is a multifaceted and complex predicament that requires an urgent cross-departmental response. We are witnessing extremely vulnerable people with complex needs being discharged from healthcare facilities or released from prison and placed in emergency housing, away from their home town and support network. Individuals are left in a vacuum — untethered and grasping for support, which either is not there or is woefully under-resourced. Often those people are suffering from trauma, addiction, serious mental health issues and poverty, and are pushed even further to the margins of society by a system that clearly is not working. Their exclusion and marked isolation leaves them at risk of abuse, neglect and exploitation.”
“The growing reliance on non-standard accommodation, such as hotels and bed and breakfasts, should be a concern for each and every one of us. The rapid escalation in emergency accommodation expenditure has seen costs soar to an eye-watering £7·6 million in 2022-23. That is a particularly bitter pill to swallow when we consider that the Department for Communities seems to be, or is, unable to fund homelessness prevention initiatives, currently operating at a deficit of £7·4 million. <BR /> <BR />There is much more to tackling homelessness than putting a roof over someone's head. A huge concern to me and my constituents is that, while they are, at times, told that there is no accommodation in Derry and are sent further afield, they are passed on the motorway by people being sent from Belfast to Derry for emergency housing.”
“Members may have seen or heard in the news today the heartbreaking but depressingly familiar story of a family being passed from pillar to post, living out of suitcases, on an emergency housing merry-go-round that is anything but merry. Not a day passes that I am not contacted about emergency accommodation, be it by a family made homeless; an individual in crisis, staying far from family; a constituent living near a hostel, worried about an increase in antisocial behaviour; or a service provider, desperately seeking GP access for clients who cannot afford to wait through red tape and bureaucracy. The situation is not just desperate; it is dangerous. <BR /> <BR />Accommodation that was once deemed a last resort has become the norm.”
“Can the Minister tell us how many rate-paying businesses have had to close their doors permanently since the restoration of devolution?”
“Go raibh maith agat, a Phríomh-Leas-Cheann Comhairle.”
“I would like the Minister in his response to outline why there is no focus in the autism strategy on autism-specific supports for children and adults. Be kind to different minds.”
“We need to stop autistic adults and children being pushed from service to service, as that causes avoidable stress, mistrust and anxiety not just for them but their entire family circle. <BR /> <BR />Autistic people need to feel seen, not to feel as though they are too complex to receive individualised appropriate care. The autism strategy mentions an i-THRIVE programme for children, but that is a general programme that is not designed for autistic children, and no research has been completed on how effective it is in supporting autistic children's emotional and mental health. There is no mention either in the strategy of the plans to support autistic adults with their mental health. The Autism (Amendment) Act 2022 inserted section 3(4D) into the 2011 Act. It states:”
“In my opinion, that is less than optimal, and, in the opinion of experts, it is downright dangerous. <BR /> <BR />Our current mental health service and mental health screening tools have also been developed for neurotypicals, which is a barrier to autistic people and their families in accessing the appropriate level of support and therapy in the first place. Many of the therapies that are used, such as CBT, are also not appropriate for autistic people. Therefore, with that in mind, it is shocking when you read through the autism strategy to see that there is little to no mention of how we will tackle issues in this area. Autistic people and their families deserve a consistent level of service or, I should say, a consistently good level of service.”
“<BR /> <BR />Here we are today with a huge mountain to climb on a number of pertinent health issues. The new Autism (Amendment) Act 2022 and autism strategy give us a chance to get it right this time. One of the areas that I am concerned about in the new strategy and that I will focus on this evening is the lack of outcomes and importance set against the emotional and mental well-being of our autism community. Only last September, the all-party group on autism sponsored an event in the Long Gallery on the need for an autism mental health service for Northern Ireland. As we know from the devastating statistics, autistic adults are nine times more likely to die by suicide and autistic children are 20 times more likely to self-harm, yet we still have mental health professionals who are not trained in autism working with autistic people.”
“As many of you were aware and as Mr Donnelly kindly reminded us, my party colleague, former MLA Dominic Bradley, successfully brought through the Assembly's first piece of single disability legislation: the Autism Act 2011. That was landmark legislation and the first of its kind. It was aimed at addressing the huge gaps that existed in provision in autism services across the North. However, as we all know, there have been many failings since that legislation was passed way back in 2011, and many challenges have been presented to us, including a massive increase in diagnosis levels; funding difficulties, which Mr Boylan referred to; and the fact that we were without an Assembly, thanks to two parties, for five of the years that have lapsed since then.”
“I thank the Minister for his statement. I am delighted that the green light has been given to Ardnashee to proceed with planning for phase 2. On Saturday, I was speaking to teachers and pupils. They cannot wait to get into phase 1. <BR /> <BR />Has the Minister given any consideration to the possible inclusion of social clauses in contracts for works on such schools in the future in order to give opportunities, potentially, to young people with special educational needs?”
“Me, too, Mr Deputy Speaker, so I was glad for an extra minute to do so. Normally, we know what the Minister is going to say because we see it on the news that morning. <BR /> <BR />I welcome the statement and this action from the Minister. He has responded to calls from the Assembly to do something different and dramatic. This will certainly bring relief to the situation in the short term. Like Mrs Erskine, however, I am concerned that it is just a short-term measure. I urge the Minister to proceed with the consultation on biennial testing without undue delay. It seems to me that it has been kicked down the road a wee bit with the introduction of further barriers that the Minister had not mentioned in the Assembly debate in March. Can he outline where in primary legislation he is prevented from moving to biennial testing now?”
“First Minister, we welcome the commitment of Shared Island funding to the university campus in Derry. Was the NSMC updated on the appointment of the new task force focused on expansion of the university there, and are there plans for future engagement between the two?”
“Those callous proposals must be opposed at all costs.”
“Instead, the Budget has copper-fastened decisions such as those on DHPs, which have been a key contributory factor in rising homelessness. <BR /> <BR />It is deeply concerning that, on witnessing an increase in the number of claimants with a mental health condition, the first reaction of a Tory Government is not, "How can we improve the life of those who are suffering?" but, "How do we tackle benefit scroungers?". It is really troubling to see such blatant disregard for people laid bare. The British Government do not care about tackling the underlying issues with poor mental health; they care only about cutting costs, even if the cuts cost lives. <BR /> <BR />The measures are not reforms; they are regressive measures that threaten the well-being of society's most vulnerable. They are dystopian and destructive by design.”
“We also have some of the worst outcomes for people with disabilities. A series of unprecedented budget cuts in recent years, including the loss of access to the European social fund, has disproportionately impacted disabled people. Overnight, services like Action Mental Health in my constituency disappeared, stripping many disabled people of loving, supportive community networks. Vital organisations were gone in an instant, and the most vulnerable were left high and dry. Cuts to discretionary housing payments (DHPs) were devastating for people who rely on disability benefits, making them unable to meet the shortfall that is caused by ever-increasing rental costs. Executive parties promised to overturn those cuts and many others that were made in their absence.”
“The personal independence payment (PIP) is a lifeline that provides support for basic needs such as housing, transport, food and heating. As complex and flawed as the PIP process can be and often is, disability benefits in general offer a safety net: assurance from the welfare state that society's most vulnerable will be protected. <BR /> <BR />Recent proposals from Rishi Sunak fly in the face of that objective. The Tories' proposed reform of the system, including stopping regular cash payments, is an immoral attack on those with disabilities. If, in turn, the reforms are foisted on the North by the Executive parties — as happened with welfare reform — the outcome will be ruinous. As we heard this morning, the legacy of the conflict is that we have a much higher prevalence of long-term illness and disability here than in Britain.”
“We must alleviate fears that still exist in communities here about the imminent threat from the unwanted onshore oil and gas industry, and we must even potentially seek to undo some of the damage that has been done in the past. <BR /> <BR />I ask Members to support our amendment, which demands delivery and which will, we believe, focus minds. People deserve assurance that hard-won environmental protections will not be undone and that future decisions will be geared towards creating a greener society that supports the economy. We want what is best for the planet and best for people's pockets. As Mr Honeyford said, we need a cross-departmental approach to support a transition to renewables. In our view, the best way to get community buy-in is to ensure that the community derives benefit from renewable projects that are on its doorstep.”
“That is what we are calling for. <BR /> <BR />In 2022, the Department brought a paper to the Executive recommending a moratorium on fracking and gas and oil exploration in the North, and, in February, Minister Murphy confirmed to me at Question Time that he was considering a legislative ban on fracking and hoped to bring forward proposals in the not-too-distant future. That was an already established direction of travel, and I therefore imagine that a body of work has been done by the Department. On that basis, I thought that it would be a reasonable enough request to bring forward the legislation at least by the end of this year. Let us at least get that legislative process started. We must keep step with across the water and the South.”
“<BR /> <BR />There has been plenty of talk in the Chamber over the past few months about what Ministers and the Executive should or would do, but promises have not been actioned. Ms McLaughlin lamented the fact that, rather than being legislators, we are becoming professional debaters, and I am sure that many members of the public view us as nothing much more than a bunch of master debaters as well. <BR /> <BR />Our amendment is not just a case of "do things more quickly". We want concrete commitments and targets for delivery. How many things have been getting done for an eternity but never getting done at all? That is across all Departments, and the Programme for Government springs to mind. Therefore, I am glad that we are hearing of movement on petroleum licensing and fracking, but let us see that movement soon.”
“<BR /> <BR />SDLP Infrastructure Minister Nichola Mallon took up the mantle and removed permitted development rights for onshore oil and gas exploration, so there should be no doubt where the SDLP stands, and has always stood, on this issue, despite the fact that we have had to remind a few of our councillors along the way. Thanks to Mr Blair for reminding me of that. Those were crucial steps in the shift towards renewable energy and a reduction in carbon emissions and were reflective of more environmentally conscious legislation. The SDLP has been steadfast in its stance against fracking, and while I welcome the fact that the parties across the Chamber now agree with that position, today is not, or should not be, a back-patting exercise; it is more of an embarrassing admission of dither and delay on such a pressing and important issue.”
“<BR /> <BR />In 2015, as Environment Minister, I rejected proposals for exploratory drilling in Fermanagh and pledged to review outdated planning policy. I enshrined in policy a presumption against fracking, and I did that pretty quickly. I did so in the face of legal challenge and, indeed, political opposition from across the Chamber, although the opposers were sitting on this side of the Chamber then. I am glad that the DUP has now seen the light. Mr Nesbitt helpfully explained his party's position and journey on the subject of fracking, but I have not received an explanation for the DUP's Damascene conversion.”
“A legislative ban on petroleum licensing and fracking represents a step change that we need to see to safeguard our environment and protect the health and well-being of communities. For a decade, parties across the Assembly have recognised the need to phase out fossil fuels, though some of us recognised that long before others. We have also known that fracking poses a serious risk, from contaminating groundwater to triggering seismic events. The risks associated with fracking are too great to ignore, and Philip McGuigan outlined many of those risks, including environmental and economic risks. As my party colleague Sinéad McLaughlin mentioned, the body of evidence around the health impacts alone should have served as a clarion call.”
“Go raibh maith agat, a Phríomh-Leas-Cheann Comhairle.”
“Last week, the Sooty Olive restaurant in my constituency closed its doors for the final time. When asked what the Government could have done to help, the owner said, "Anything". The Minister rightly pointed out the difficulty that the Budget presents and how that would make it difficult to do anything around rates, but will he accept that the rates that are generated by a business that has closed down amount to much less than the discounted rates that could be offered to hospitality businesses?”
“Given the capacity issues faced by Northern Ireland Water and the impact that they have on the delivery of housing, particularly social housing, can the Minister outline any collaboration, or even conversations, that he has had with his counterpart in DFI, the Minister for Infrastructure, about addressing this issue?”
“More broken promises are the last thing that people need.”
“<BR /> <BR />Collaborative work involving Departments, the police, the public and local organisations is the only way to achieve tangible results for people who are suffering. I place on record my gratitude for the invaluable work of organisations across the North but particularly in my constituency, including ARC Fitness, Northlands and Hurt, which are shining examples of the approach that we need to tackle the crisis head-on. First and foremost, it is about treating people with compassion. While we welcome plans for a new, regionally significant rehabilitation unit, it is imperative that the Executive and the British Government deliver on their commitments to provide adequate addiction funding and facilities for the north-west in order to prevent further loss of life and more lost lives.”
“Once on it, many individuals are pushed even further to the margins of society by a system that is stacked against them. The increased risk of homelessness and the situation around temporary accommodation that I mentioned really need to be addressed. At present, very vulnerable people are placed outside their home towns, away from family, friends and access to their GP. That marked isolation leaves people at risk of abuse, neglect and further exploitation by drug dealers — death dealers — who peddle misery with no care about consequences and little fear of punishment. We need tougher sentences for those dealers. I commend my constituent Pauline Duddy, who has channelled her grief at the loss of her lovely daughter Jasmin into a courageous campaign for tougher sentencing.”
“<BR /> <BR />Those who are brave enough to seek support often find themselves forced to be led from pillar to post in their efforts to find meaningful and appropriate services and support. From housing to health services, it seems to have become, at times, a case of "pass the problem". That is about failing to see the son, the daughter, the parent, the brother or the sister struggling to stay afloat in a world that has become so unbearable. That is not to criticise staff of any of the organisations. They, too, are working in a challenging environment, unequipped to deal with the complexities and volume of people who present. <BR /> <BR />I am acutely aware that addiction is a complex issue. A range of factors leads people down that cruel path.”
“<BR /> <BR />It is no coincidence that drug-related deaths have trebled in a decade. It is a direct result of Tory austerity and failed leadership. The failures of government exact the highest cost: the loss of life. Our post-pandemic landscape and the cost-of-living crisis have rubbed salt into the wounds, compounding pressures on broken lives. The motion neglects to mention — other Members, including the proposer of the motion, have mentioned it — the co-occurrence of addiction and mental health conditions and the need for a dual diagnosis approach. Both conditions remain a harrowing feature in the lives of so many here. That cycle can prove difficult to escape, especially for those who suffer socio-economic disadvantage.”
“I thank the Member for his intervention. I concur entirely that compassion is key to healing and helping those who are fighting addiction. <BR /> <BR />Many of us see and feel the impacts of addiction much closer to home, and the escalation in numbers of affected people and severity of illness has been heartbreaking to bear witness to — there but for the grace of God go I. At the moment, far too many vulnerable people fall through the gaps between addiction support services. We are witnessing a frightening trajectory in the number of drug-related deaths, with 212 people having lost their life in the past year. Behind every statistic, as others have said, is a life cut short, dreams shattered and a family devastated. Each death is a stark reminder of the urgent need for action.”
“Addiction is a plague in our society. It is the great equaliser. It does not discriminate based on age, gender, race or social status. The story of addiction is a human story; it is one of pain and struggle and one that I am sure all of us can relate to in some way or another. Sadly, like many here, I see the impact of addiction on an almost daily basis. For example, the bereaved parents whose lives have been shattered, the individuals in the throes of addiction who were maybe placed in emergency housing far from their family and support network and the young people who are at rock bottom, feeling that they have nowhere else to turn.”
“When people are bailed to an address outside their own area, what consideration is given to the impact of moving them away from their support network and their ability to access required medication? I mean the impact on the individuals themselves, of course, but also on the community in which they are placed.”
“We support calls for those who are responsible for it to face the full rigours of the law, but we need the cooperation of the community to maximise the chances of perpetrators being prosecuted. We still have a long way to go on that, particularly in areas where cooperation with the police was so actively discouraged for so many years.”
“Some of those who are opposed to the police, such as dissident republican groups, want to drag us all back to the dark days of the past. They want to play on — prey on — people's memories of the RUC as a protagonist in the conflict and to portray the PSNI as imperial crown forces against whom they defend their community. Some of those republicans are up to their neck in criminality. <BR /> <BR />The best outcomes are achieved through policing with, rather than of, the community. For the motion to describe the demilitarisation of policing in south Armagh as politically motivated is itself politically motivated. For that reason, we support the amendment. The ramming of police vehicles is reprehensible. It risks the lives of not just officers but all road users.”
“The impact of those pressures is felt by not just the police but the public. Police numbers fall way short of where they should be, recruitment has been an issue for some time, and retention is becoming more of an issue. Policing is extremely challenging at the best of times, but fighting crime and protecting people become a lot more difficult when resources are stretched so thin. An impact on performance is inevitable, and that is manna from heaven for those who do not want an effective police service: criminals and paramilitaries who seek to strengthen their stranglehold on communities. <BR /> <BR />Crime, sadly, exists everywhere, and everyone should be able to depend on a police service — not a police force — to protect them.”
“Over the same time, health funding has increased by 89% and education funding by 23%. The first nine points on the pay scale for new PSNI officers, in a comparison with new police entrants across these islands, are between £2,000 and £10,000 per annum. The in-year PSNI deficit is £130 million, which could rise to £300 million with data leak and holiday pay claims. We then look at an issue that Mike Nesbitt previously raised: the impact of the mental health crisis on the PSNI and how stretched it has become in responding to help vulnerable people — protect people — rather than to fight crime.”
“Other Ministers, not just the Justice Minister, need to understand the importance of an adequately resourced Police Service to our society and to measure up to the declared words of the motion, and, indeed, to go beyond its words. The motion and the motion as amended, as it will be, are limited in ambition, focusing on the next financial year, without reference to the deeper structural funding deficits facing the PSNI. <BR /> <BR />We tabled an amendment seeking, as a matter of further priority, to begin to address the structural underfunding of the PSNI that has arisen over time and has also been detailed by the Chief Constable on more than one occasion. What does that underfunding look like? The Office for National Statistics (ONS) says that, since 2010, PSNI funding has increased in real terms by 3%.”
“I welcome the motion. It gives us the opportunity to discuss the massively important issue of the policing budget and the need to ensure that it is fair and ambitious. The motion also gives us an opportunity to condemn attacks on police and to put on record our support for, and solidarity with, those officers who have been injured and their colleagues, who risk attack, assault, injury and even worse every single day and night. I declare an interest as a member of the Policing Board. My position on that board has given me a greater insight into the many and massive challenges facing the PSNI, financially and operationally. <BR /> <BR />I absolutely support the motion's call for the Minister of Justice to prioritise a visible and effective Police Service but feel that the ask should be of the Executive.”
“It remained, and remains, in draft form, however, because of the lack of a functioning Assembly. Any update on that strategy remains outstanding. I ask Members to support the motion.”
“It is important that we see that provision brought into operation — we hope that we will see it — but, as it is not yet in force, the DUP amendment is kind of rendered obsolete. <BR /> <BR />Promises were also made about taking a whole-system approach under the housing supply strategy to build 100,000 homes in 15 years. That was planned to be completed in spring 2022.”
“That family, already struggling to make ends meet, fell even further into debt, and that is before we consider the emotional distress, the sleepless nights and the detrimental impact on the children's school lives. <BR /> <BR />Promises that DFC and its Minister made during the previous mandate on welfare mitigations and, now, private tenancy safeguards have seemingly evaporated. The Private Tenancies Act (Northern Ireland) 2022 fell short of what is required, but we were assured that we would see subsequent legislation that would strengthen security of tenure and deal with grounds for eviction. The 2022 Act makes provision for longer notice to quit periods, which worked effectively during the pandemic.”