Brenda Hale
Lagan Valley · Democratic Unionist Party · Northern Ireland
“There has been a further £170 million allocated to support covenant commitments since 2011, and, to date, as Doug has said, Northern Ireland has received £450,000 for combat stress and £60,000 for the Somme Nursing Home.”
“Mark Lancaster went on to say clearly that they needed to do better and that this will be his focus in the coming year. I look forward to that end result and his active support. I visit my constituents in prison. I visit them in hospital when they have attempted suicide.”
“I welcome the opportunity to speak on the motion. However, before I begin, I must declare my many interests. First, I am an army widow and receive an HM Forces pension. I am an ambassador for the ABF — the soldiers' charity — and a member of the community that we are debating today.”
“We know that there is an open invitation for the Northern Ireland Executive to join that reference group, and, in fact, in October this year, when I spoke on 'Talkback' about this particular issue, my party leader, Arlene Foster, stated her support for me to be appointed to the group.”
“It was at my invitation that Lord Ashcroft's transition review team came to Northern Ireland. It met Ministers, senior personnel at 38 Brigade and representatives of the military charity sector. In his second follow-up report, published in November 2016, reference is made to Northern Ireland and the failings of the Armed Forces Covenant.”
“We must not lose sight of the fact that the armed forces community is tri-service and multi-cap badged, and it comes from every section of our communities.”
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“I thank the Minister for her answer. Given that you are saying that the farmers have been informed, what are you doing to support the four areas so that the scenario of last year does not happen again, considering that you have recognised the increasing pressure that farmers are under?”
“Will the Minister tell the House whether the redeployment has taken into consideration the surplus staffing positions in the Department and the impending voluntary exit schemes?”
“I thank the Minister for his detailed answer. Will he explain why he is capping pupil numbers in areas that are showing a large population growth? Is that not exacerbating the problem for newly qualified teachers who are trying to find employment opportunities?”
“I thank the Minister for his very informative answer. Can he estimate how many UK health professionals are overseas caring for Ebola patients?”
“I congratulate the Minister on his well-deserved elevation.”
“Broadly, I am happy with the outcomes of the inquiry, but it is clear that we must not become complacent and that we must ensure that we carry through on the recommendations that have been requested in detail in the report.”
“Better communication, clarity of roles, responsibility and structure came up as part of the report. It is clear that more needs to be done to ensure that all stakeholders know the roles and mechanisms involved in EU engagement across the various Departments to avoid confusion or duplication of effort. It is concerning that certain Departments were not sure of roles and responsibilities and how that could have a detrimental impact on NI's overall goal of strengthening our economy. <BR /> <BR />I welcome that the report acknowledges the addition of the Peace IV programme, worth £150 million. That was supported by the task force, and it is something that I am sure everyone in Northern Ireland will be happy to see. <BR /> <BR />Mr Deputy Speaker, I know that other Members will have different areas of the report to discuss.”
“More focus could then be put on giving additional support and information in the areas where groups are failing. I must acknowledge all the work that my colleague Diane Dodds has done on that, particularly in my area of Lagan Valley. <BR /> <BR />Another area worth highlighting is EU research and innovation. I have concerns that we still have a shortage of successful research and innovation projects as a percentage of total projects and a shortage of SMEs participating in framework programme 7 (FP7). Currently, NI has more work to do to make our rate equal to the SME participation rate in the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland and other EU member states. That is something for which we may need some extra support and guidance to help businesses to develop their key projects and to seek funding.”
“Recommendations 5 and 6 are that OFMDFM ensure that, as far as possible, data on funding applications, including third parties, is captured — as my colleague Jimmy Spratt mentioned — and that cohesive monitoring systems in supporting and enhancing future skills and performance are developed. <BR /> <BR />I feel, however, that it is equally important to monitor the fullness of all funding applications, but especially those that are unsuccessful. I am approached, as I am sure that many of us are, by groups that have applied for funding and been turned down due to an array of issues. It is vital that, if we are to ensure transparency in funding, we must equally monitor the groups that have not been successful in receiving funding and, if possible, why they have not been awarded the requested funds.”
“I welcome the opportunity to speak on the motion and to welcome the publication of the inquiry into the Barroso task force and its delivery to date. It is clear that the task force working group has proved to be a catalyst for an increased focus from all Departments on EU matters, particularly the Programme for Government target to increase Northern Ireland's drawdown of competitive funds by 20% over the period, something that has been hugely beneficial to many parts of the Executive and the region. <BR /> <BR />As with most task forces, there are many good news stories and successful outcomes but also a number of recommendations that need to be developed to sustain a cohesive and coherent approach to EU engagement across the Executive. In focusing on recommendations from the inquiry, there are some that I would like to note specifically.”
“I thank the Minister for her answer. From my experience in Lisburn, the reality is that we may lose a multimillion pound investment because investors cannot wait for Rivers Agency to respond to Planning Service applications that would bring much-needed investment to Lagan valley. Delays from Rivers Agency have had a detrimental effect. What can you do, Minister, to ensure that Rivers Agency will prioritise such applications?”