Gordon Dunne
North Down · Democratic Unionist Party · Northern Ireland
“<BR /> <BR />As has been acknowledged, stalking is a unique crime, and perpetrators often have obsessive behaviours that can develop over time and be difficult to deal with properly. They are often evolving behaviour traits that start at an early stage and can turn out to be very sinister over time.”
“I, too, welcome the opportunity to speak on the Second Stage of the Protection from Stalking Bill. The moving of this Bill to the Second Stage in its legislative journey is timely and complements the recently completed passage of the domestic abuse Bill.”
“That will support the PSNI and increase the tools available to it and will enable early police intervention, pre-conviction, to address stalking behaviours to protect victims from more serious harm. That intervention will equally be able to be made post-conviction to prevent further stalking.”
“I know from engaging with the PSNI in my North Down constituency that they very much share the view that additional measures and resources are needed to tackle the problem across our local communities. It is widely recognised that our laws in this area need to be strengthened.”
“Part 1 of the Bill rightly prioritises that to improve the operation of the justice system and, ultimately, to better support victims. It is important to ensure that stalking conduct does not fall between the cracks because of poorly drafted legislation or a lack of awareness by those responsible for its implementation.”
“I thank the Minister for his statement. I welcome your commitment on rates for businesses, which will continue into the new financial year. Will you take some responsibility for the build-up of underspend? Several bids from the Department for the Economy were undercut and not fully funded.”
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“I, too, welcome the opportunity to further the debate, and I commend my colleague Peter Weir for bringing the topic forward tonight. <BR /> <BR />There is no doubt that Saturday 28 February 2005 was one of the darkest days in the lives of the Dorrian family and one that will never be forgotten. It was the night that Lisa never returned from a night out in Ballyhalbert. Sadly, Lisa has not been seen since that fateful night, and we all share in the family's pain today. However, our pain pales into insignificance compared with that of the Dorrian family, who have had to live with that empty chair for over 10 years since Lisa's disappearance. <BR /> <BR />It is important that we continue to raise awareness of the campaign. As the family recently stated, someone out there knows something about Lisa's disappearance.”
“As a DUP Minister for Social Development, does the Minister continue to stand determined to work to find a solution to resolve the matters and to move Northern Ireland forward?”
“I thank the Minister for his answers today. Does he recognise that Arc21 has waste responsibility for 300,000-odd householders, which equates to approximately 54% of the Northern Ireland population? At present, it has a commingled waste system for garden and food waste. Does the Minister recognise the proposed impact of his changes on ratepayers in the new council areas? It is important that we get assurance that consultation on these issues will continue.”
“I thank the Minister for her answers today. I think that we all recognise the enormous role that sport plays in promoting a positive image of Northern Ireland, whether it is through our cricket players, our leading golfers like Holywood's Rory McIlroy or, indeed, our latest boxing star, Carl Frampton. What is Tourism Ireland doing to market one of our other sporting gems, our world famous Circuit of Ireland rally, which is now part of the European rally championship?”
“I thank the First Minister for his statement. Can he clarify if it is necessary to wait until after 2016 to make changes to OFMDFM functions?”
“What is the Minister doing to address the inequalities that exist between the promotion of the Irish language and Ulster Scots?”
“I thank the Minister for her answer. Does she recognise her failure to comply with her own policies in her equality scheme, which states that DCAL:”
“When Bangor courthouse closed in 2013, business was transferred to Newtownards. The legal representatives in the area warned that it was not fit for purpose. Now, Newtownards is closing. What additional resources is the Minister putting in place to serve the people of North Down and Ards? For 150,000 people, is it just a matter of rough justice?”
“I think that it is right that we welcome the Minister back from her travels, where she was selling Northern Ireland to Dubai. I think that we all recognise the excellent work that she does and the energy and commitment that she puts into it. As there is no doubt that the rate of corporation tax will be an added incentive to attract new companies into Northern Ireland, does the Minister believe that companies will be attracted in advance of the rate being reduced?”
“I thank the Minister for his answer. Can he give an assurance to the boards of governors of schools, including the board of Holywood Primary, which meets later this week, that, following the budget allocation that you just mentioned, there will be no reductions as such and it will be business as usual for our schools?”
“I thank the Minister for her answers. Can she give us an update on progress on the new entranceway at Boucher Road to improve access to Windsor Park? How will that reduce the impact of increased traffic on the Lisburn Road and Tates Avenue entrances?”
“I thank the Minister for her statement. I want to ask about the agreed budget for the Ulster-Scots Agency. I understand that the agency has to pay for the development of educational materials in schools, while your Sinn Féin ministerial colleague is putting large investment into Irish-medium materials in schools. <BR /> <BR />Will the Minister encourage the Education Minister to fund such educational materials for the Ulster-Scots culture in order to promote cultural and financial equality?”
“I thank the Minister for her statement. Can the Minister explain why the indicative budget for the 2013 draft business plan was agreed? Does it show the system to be dysfunctional?”
“In relation to road safety generally, does the Minister see the recent television adverts as an effective means of reducing the number of accidents? Does he agree that more needs to be done to reduce accidents and the risk of accidents, especially in rural areas?”
“<BR /> <BR />Basil McCrea summed it up by saying that coal is not good for your health and is not a fuel for the future. <BR /> <BR />I think that that is most of it. Anna Lo expressed her concerns about health issues. She said that the ban in Dublin came in in 1990 and that she believed it was effective. She said that she was very much aware of the Clean Air Order 1981 and that the councils in Northern Ireland are responsible for enforcing the clean air zones. She said that that, in itself, had saved many lives. <BR /> <BR />The debate has been worthwhile. I trust that the Minister will, in all seriousness, listen to the genuine concerns of Members. It is important that we keep the cost of heating to a minimum and ensure that we keep the home fires burning.”
“He made a good point, even as an Ulster Unionist, about there being no real alternatives in place. That is significant. He also said that he thinks that there is a major move to stop the importing of coal to Northern Ireland. <BR /> <BR />My other colleague from North Down, Mr Agnew, who, I know, has major issues with the motion, made various points. He said that he felt that the motion was a knee-jerk reaction. There is no way that that could have been a knee-jerk reaction from Sammy. He was also concerned about the lack of evidence about the issue and felt that there is a health issue. Despite being a great champion for those in fuel poverty, he seems to have forgotten all about that. He also accused the DUP of going down the route of supporting the boiler replacement scheme.”
“She said that she was concerned about the major impact that a ban on smoky coal would have on people on a low income and the significant increase that there would be in fuel poverty. <BR /> <BR />Pam Cameron also made the point about peat and wood being excluded from the study. She spoke about the effect that a ban will have on low-income families, especially those in rural areas. <BR /> <BR />Alban Maginness said all sorts of negative things about the DUP and our former Minister. He mentioned the green new deal. There are too many green new deals, and we need to move on. He also accused the DUP of not moving forward on the green new deal but going for the alternative warm homes scheme. That seems to me to be a positive thing. <BR /> <BR />Tom Elliot was supportive of the motion in principle.”
“<BR /> <BR />Cathal Boylan made the point that he is waiting for the report and thought that we were premature in tabling the motion. He is very opposed to the big stick approach — that is new from Sinn Féin. He welcomed the debate but said that he could not support the motion at this time. <BR /> <BR />Colum Eastwood was not sure how Sammy was able to make a decision at this time. He said that he is convinced that his colleague the Minister is not in any position to make up his mind at this time. He also said that he has many concerns about air quality and pollution. <BR /> <BR />Sandra Overend, I think, supported the principle of the motion. She is obviously concerned about fuel poverty and is aware of the ban in many council areas, which is enforced by the councils.”
“Sammy Wilson vigorously opened the debate and registered his concerns about what he sees as a flawed report. The terms of reference do not include wood and peat, which are exempt. That, I think, is a major flaw. Sammy also made the point about air quality in Northern Ireland, which in many ways is influenced by transport. However, transport is not included in the report. <BR /> <BR />Sammy is convinced that the Minister responsible in the Republic has plans to ban smoky coal in every town and village. He believes that the debate is not premature and that it is only a matter of time until the Minister enforces that ban in Northern Ireland. Sammy also made the point about the cost differential, which is significant. He believes that it costs between 20% and 50% extra to move away from bituminous coal to smokeless fuel.”
“With the ever-increasing cost of energy, it is vital that we encourage competition, especially in the domestic sector, and ensure that consumers are not thrown into fuel poverty. A household is said to be in fuel poverty if it needs to spend more than 10% of its income on fuel to maintain an adequate level of warmth. It is widely agreed that the rate of fuel poverty in Northern Ireland is among the worst in northern Europe. The most recent official estimates put the rate of fuel poverty here at 44% of households, and it is widely accepted that fuel poverty can disproportionately affect those on a low income, the ill, families with children, other young families and older people. <BR /> <BR />I will now focus on Members' comments, many of which were wide-ranging and entertaining.”
“That trend in coal usage is largely due to the availability of cheap North Sea oil since the 1990s and, in the early 2000s, the introduction of natural gas, which, although somewhat limited in Northern Ireland, continues to be an attractive option for many householders. That will continue to be the case with gas, particularly with the extension of the network to the west of the Province. <BR /> <BR />There is no doubt that, with the very significant decrease in the use of coal, there has been a great improvement in air quality in Northern Ireland. Northern Ireland has come a long way since the 1950s and 1960s, when smog was the norm across the city of Belfast in particular, until the introduction of smoke-control legislation. However, there remain thousands of households that rely on this relatively cheap form of coal to heat their home.”
“I welcome the opportunity to speak on what has been a good and thorough debate, although a lot of Members are somewhat reluctant to give their real opinions and thoughts. I am happy to support my good colleague Sammy Wilson, a former Minister, who calls on the Minister to ensure that any change to the legislation has no adverse impact on levels of fuel poverty. <BR /> <BR />Since the early 1990s, coal sales have reduced dramatically. In fact, domestic coal sales through the members of the Coal Advisory Service have reduced from over 1·2 million tons to 100,000 tons, which is a reduction in excess of 90%.”
“I, too, support the legislative consent motion that the Minister has brought before us. It aims to bring greater trust and transparency to the small business sector in Northern Ireland. I believe that it is the most appropriate means of legislating in this area, as it will help to avoid any disparity between NI and GB companies and will ensure that Northern Ireland is not lagging behind the rest of the UK in company legislation. <BR /> <BR />The main things in the LCM relate to ownership and control of companies, company filing requirements, insolvency measures, company directors, and financial access. Those are all designed to boost productivity and business growth in our SME sector. That is so vital, as we want to see our economy here in Northern Ireland grow. I welcome the motion, and I am content to commend it to the House.”
“I, too, welcome the statement today, and I thank the Minister for it. I think that we all recognise the important work of the Northern Ireland Tourist Board. We should rightly recognise the outgoing chair, Howard Hastings, who is about to finish his term. We put on record our thanks and appreciation for what he has done to bring tourists to Northern Ireland. <BR /> <BR />Will the Minister give us some information as to how she sees the new Tourism Northern Ireland body working with the 11 new super-councils in what will be a very important role? Does she see measures being put in place to avoid duplication and to ensure the best use of resources to bring more tourists to Northern Ireland?”
“That was a rather brief answer. I wonder whether you will treat the constituents of West Belfast in the same manner. Does the Minister agree that the GAA was just too demanding in trying to cram such a high-volume stadium into a high-density residential area?”
“I thank the Minister for his answer and, of course, congratulate him on his decision to keep the MIU in Bangor open. I am glad that some Ministers listen and take appropriate action. <BR /> <BR />Can he give us an assurance that, while the Bangor GP beds are still under review, the Ulster Hospital will have the resources to meet any rise in demand for such facilities? It is our main hospital, as he appreciates.”
“I thank the junior Minister for her answer. Does she agree that the Equality Commission should withdraw its legal action pending against Ashers Bakery at this time?”
“Another positive factor is the fact that the funding for the domestic RHI scheme will not impact on consumers' energy bills. <BR /> <BR />It is important that we have stability and certainty in this sector for domestic and non-domestic users, and this is a step in that direction. I welcome the rule and am happy to commend it to the House.”
“I, too, support the statutory rule and recognise its importance. Following the renewable heat incentive scheme in November 2012, it is important that a similar scheme is introduced for the domestic sector, as often the domestic is secondary to the commercial and industrial sectors. <BR /> <BR />Given that 98% of our heating fuels are imported fossil fuels, it is imperative that we support any initiative to encourage the greater uptake of renewables. That will also help to meet the 10% renewable heat target in the Programme for Government. The scheme, which has a number of key features, includes tariffs that have been specifically designed to bridge the financial gap between heating systems and will bring real benefits to those seeking to develop a renewable heat system.”
“I thank the Minister for her answers and her ongoing support for North Down. Indeed, we need it, and we look forward to her next visit to the constituency. Having said that, will the Minister give us some indication as to how many jobs have been promoted and created in North Down since the jobs fund was set up in 2011?”
“— and reducing costs for developers. It should be seriously considered as a way forward.”
“Given the high costs and delays associated with grid connections, contestability for grid connections would certainly bring benefit to those who are seeking to develop a renewable project . That would help to ensure value for money and that NIE works to an improved standard. There is no doubt that the grid is weak and needs considerable investment to allow for improved capacity and capability, particularly in the west of Northern Ireland. Smart grid technology can also play a significant role in supporting increased grid capacity —”
“There seems to be a real problem with communication between developers and NIE. Some developers spoke of delays, some of which ran on for a number of years after being given conditional offers from NIE. In many of the cases, the offers were found to be misleading and unachievable. After work with the Utility Regulator, I understand that such offers have been withdrawn and that only offers that are achievable within a specific time are made. <BR /> <BR />Many who were involved in our evidence sessions believe that NIE is not delivering as efficiently and effectively as possible. Many would welcome performance standards being introduced for NIE by the Utility Regulator, with penalties or customer compensation where NIE fails to perform.”
“I understand that the Republic runs such a twin-track approach, but many of those whom we spoke to, although sympathetic, said that that approach can result in a blockage on the availability of sites and that many projects could be committed to but not processed, because they had yet to receive full planning permission. We need more flexibility from NIE to work with developers and to do initial work on projects as planning permission is being progressed. The issue of planning permission extension was also brought to our attention. That should be considered for long-term projects, as the delays with connections can often put at risk the overall project. <BR /> <BR />We also received clear evidence of developers experiencing delays with connections by NIE, which has the monopoly on the provision of lines here.”
“I thank the Member for the intervention. That is a real challenge of renewables, and one that everyone has to face. We have targets to meet. The directive comes from Europe, and it presents a real challenge. At the end of the day, it is a challenge that the customer has to face. A number of witnesses also commented on how they would like to have more access to the NIE GIS system when trying to identify possible sites. <BR /> <BR />Planning permission, of course, also remains a challenge for renewable projects. Delays are often a result of NIE being reluctant to get involved in processing the grid connection prior to the planning approvals. Projects here tend to be slow, and that can often lead to frustration with the whole process. We definitely heard clear evidence of that from a number of contributors to the Committee.”
“Yes, I thank the Member for the point she has made. It is important that NIE improve its systems and processes and that it work strictly to them and become more efficient and effective in delivering connection to the customer.”
“There is a need for improved assistance for developers who are trying to identify sites where there may be capacity to connect. Therefore, NIE needs to review and revise the heat map facility urgently to help applicants identify circuits that have capacity for connection to the grid.”
“One major challenge relates to getting connection to the Northern Ireland grid. As we aim to reach the 40% renewables target by 2020, improvements need to be made to assist those who are willing and capable of helping us to reach those ambitious but significant targets.”
“I too welcome the motion and the opportunity to speak on it. It is an important issue that the Committee has looked at extensively. The Committee gathered evidence from a wide range of stakeholders within the renewables sector — from renewable energy providers and generators, NIE, DETI officials and a number of other interest groups. <BR /> <BR />There have been significant advancements within the renewables sector across Northern Ireland over the last five to 10 years. More and more small-scale wind generators are located across many of our constituencies, and they bring real benefits to users and the environment. <BR /> <BR />Despite those advances, a number of key issues have been identified relating to the challenges that are faced by those who are developing diverse sources of electricity generation.”
“I thank the Minister for her answer. I welcome her recognition of the Ulster Orchestra's significance in Northern Ireland's cultural life. Will she give us an assurance that she will continue to drum up support for the Ulster Orchestra, subject to the production of a new operating model?”
“Is the Minister satisfied that the cuts will not hit his plan dramatically?”
“I thank the Minister for his answers. Can he give us an assurance that all equipment at the Royal Victoria Hospital, including personal protective equipment, is fit for purpose and compatible with that in use in the rest of the UK?”
“I thank the Minister for her answer. We all welcomed the news last week of a new agreement between the System Operator for Northern Ireland (SONI) and AES, which is a generator, on extra generation capacity for Northern Ireland. Can the Minister elaborate on the significance of that in relation to security of supply for Northern Ireland?”
“Perhaps the Minister will also clarify whether the requirement for manual final sign-off of documents will still be needed or whether an electronic signature will be acceptable. <BR /> <BR />I believe that those measures will help to streamline a difficult and technical process. <BR /> <BR />All in all, I welcome the progress and the work undertaken to date in this field. I thank the Minister for introducing the Bill and trust that it will continue to progress.”
“<BR /> <BR />The other developments, which authorise the use of websites to communicate reports electronically and the use of video conferencing and other types of remote meetings, are further steps in the right direction. The introduction of those measures should allow for more efficient communication and help to reduce delays in the completion of transactions involving insolvency cases. However, I feel that it is important that those without access to electronic IT equipment are not put at any disadvantage by this process. Obviously, IT is the way forward, and the vast majority of people now use it, but we cannot forget those who do not have such access to it, and they need to be reassured.”
“I, too, welcome the opportunity to speak on the Second Stage of the Insolvency (Amendment) Bill. <BR /> <BR />Insolvency is a very complex and technical issue, and I commend the Minister for introducing the Bill and the Department for its work on the matter to date. Unfortunately, insolvency has affected quite a number of businesses. Therefore, it is important that measures are put in place to make the process as simple and effective as possible and ensure that we have a modern, fit-for-purpose system in Northern Ireland. <BR /> <BR />One of the main purposes of the Bill is to allow for the electronic transfer of documents, which is a welcome step forward. The development that electronic documents will now have the same standing as hard copy documents is a positive step that will, hopefully, help to improve the insolvency processes.”
“It is important that we lobby for the provision of such a school. I am proud to support the proposal this evening.”
“As a former mayor, I am very much aware of the many excellent speech days that I attended in the school. <BR /> <BR />We need to see further investment in our schools in north Down. It is right that we acknowledge the significant investment that there has been in the Bangor area in the last 20 years. However, there is still need for improvement and investment in other school estates, such as St Columbanus' College. It is not fit for purpose, and it is long overdue a new build. <BR /> <BR />It would be remiss of me not to mention the ongoing campaign for the Holywood schools. The Minister has certainly shown interest in that, and we acknowledge that. We look forward to his commitment to starting work in Holywood in the not-too-distant future. <BR /> <BR />I certainly endorse all that has been said in relation to St Columbanus'.”
“I, too, welcome this debate, which was brought forward by my colleague Alex Easton. We also extend our thanks to the Minister for his attendance today. We look forward to his announcement later. <BR /> <BR />The school, which has over 600 pupils, no doubt covers a range of backgrounds in the Bangor area and beyond. I know that a number of young people travel from Holywood and beyond to the school. It has progressed extensively in recent years. Indeed, it has outgrown its existing buildings. There is no doubt that a replacement is needed. I am aware of the very positive relationships between the school and other local schools, and of the work it does with those schools in the neighbouring area. There is a sharing of facilities and skills in the Bangor area. We also recognise the high attainment levels.”
“I thank the Minister for his comments. He has partially answered this, but does he recognise the real need for capital investment in the town of Holywood? We have three schools, all of which are over 50 years of age and are in poor condition. We urgently need capital investment.”