Cathal Ó hOisín
East Londonderry · Sinn Féin · Northern Ireland
“Go raibh maith agat, a Cheann Comhairle. Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire. I thank the Minister for the statement. It is very welcome among the deaf community, with whom I work closely, particularly the Hands That Talk folk in Dungiven. I congratulate you, Mr Speaker, on the provision of a signer here today.”
“Go raibh maith agat, a LeasCheann Comhairle. Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire as ucht an fhreagra sin. I thank the Minister for his answer. The Minister will be aware that when public works continue over a prolonged period in the likes of Limavady, or elsewhere, many businesses feel that it is unfair that they have to pay full rates during t…”
“Go raibh maith agat, a Cheann Comhairle. Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire as an fhreagra sin. The Minister may be aware of a single corner on the Ballyquin Road in particular that has been the scene of five fatalities of young men in recent years. That corner was inexplicably removed from a realignment scheme some years ago.”
“The Minister has given us some clarity on the historical process of that. It is not about blame apportionment at this point, but these are schemes that have been in the mix — in the case of the Dungiven bypass — for some 50 years.”
“Go raibh maith agat, a Phríomh-LeasCheann Comhairle. Beidh mise ag tacú leis an Bhille seo. I rise to support the Bill, which is very welcome, particularly in my constituency. I think that I am the only Member here who lives along the route of the A6.”
“Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire as mo ligean isteach. I thank the Member for giving way. Does she agree that, in the case of funding bodies such as the Arts Council, there is a geographical barrier to funding? I think of the Ulster fleadh a couple of years ago.”
The complete record
Every one of 236 lines we hold for Cathal Ó hOisín, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 3 of 5.
“Go raibh maith agat, a Phríomh-LeasCheann Comhairle. Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire as an fhreagra sin. Bhí an grúpa MAGUS bunaithe i Márta 2011. Cad é atá déanta ag an ghrúpa suas go dtí an pointe seo? The ministerial advisory group on the Ulster-Scots Academy was established in March 2011. What has been achieved by that group since then?”
“Go raibh maith agat, a LeasCheann Comhairle. Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire as an fhreagra sin. I thank the Minister for his answer. Can he tell us how, in the Regeneration Bill, he could best ring-fence funding for social need?”
“I accept that the Minister has confirmed the degree of permanence of a number of the positions, but the issue about continuity is referenced in the service provision itself, as well as by some of the individuals. As I said, I believe that the urology department is moving to Altnagelvin as of now. That is where the uncertainty comes from.”
“<BR /> <BR />I fully support fully the Causeway Hospital, the retention and expansion of its services, and the adequate and proper resourcing of those services.”
“The location of the Causeway Hospital is also critical, owing to its essential place in the delivery of health provision, both geographically and physically. For example, the glens of Antrim are a large and isolated area served by the Causeway. Furthermore, the entire Causeway Coast attracts hundreds and thousands of visitors during the summer months. That alone would justify the provision of adequate services at the hospital. <BR /> <BR />Historically, it might have been better to have had an acute hospital somewhere halfway between the two current hospitals at the Causeway and in Antrim, but we are where we are, so we must address the issue. I was recently informed that the urology department is to be moved, and that too is to be regretted.”
“He told me that, even in the maternity unit, staff are not able to take expectant mothers for the birth of their babies if they are, for example, diabetic or have an above-average body mass index, even though they would be well capable of delivering the babies in the unit in such cases. The mothers have to go elsewhere — to Antrim or Altnagelvin. Those are not isolated circumstances. A less-than-holistic delivery service is available at the Causeway, and that is very much to be regretted. <BR /> <BR />Those matters have led to a degree of frustration among staff there. There is more than a perception that it has led to difficulties in recruiting and attracting staff to the Causeway. I am not sure what can be done to address that inability directly, but we must look at the underlying issues.”
“<BR /> <BR />A wide range of services and departments is available, including an emergency department; a children's ward; a day procedure unit; dermatology services; a fracture and pain clinic; gynaecology services; a minor injury unit; three outpatient departments; an X-ray department; an ICU; a maternity unit; medical photography; two medical wards; two surgical wards; a rehabilitation ward; theatres; and the Ross Thompson psychiatry unit. That is a fairly extensive guide to the services provided at the Causeway, but if we drill down into the form and nature of the service provision, we will see a different story. One of the clinicians I was talking to last Friday was Mr Barry Marshall, who is one of the chief obstetricians there.”
“Indeed, for my part, coming from an area that is equidistant between Coleraine and Derry — that is, the Limavady and Dungiven area — I can say that Altnagelvin is better equipped and more easily accessed due to the better roads infrastructure. The Causeway Hospital remains the choice of many for access and treatment due to the positive experience of the patients there. Those people have voted with their feet, and that is why they are acknowledged by the clinicians and staff there.”
“Go raibh maith agat, a LeasCheann Comhairle. I thank the Member who secured today's Adjournment debate. It is a very important topic. <BR /> <BR />I visited the Causeway Hospital last Friday, where I met senior clinicians and staff about their concerns, as I have done many times before. Many of those concerns remain the same today as they were previously; namely, the apparent lack of security of tenure, morale issues, and the perception that the Causeway Hospital has not been developed and resourced in the manner in which it should. The Causeway Hospital is an excellent hospital with outstanding staff, but it could be better utilised, funded and equipped.”
“Go raibh maith agat, a Phríomh-LeasCheann Comhairle. Could the Minister confirm or otherwise reports of the practice of street lighting being turned off in some areas during the hours of darkness?”
“Go raibh maith agat, a Phríomh-LeasCheann Comhairle. Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire as an fhreagra sin. I thank the Minister for his answer. How confident is he that there will be a quick turnaround for applications in the next round of Peace funding and that there will be no further delays?”
“Tá mé buartha faoin sin, a LeasCheann Comhairle. Rinne mé dearmad den aistriúchán. I forgot about the translation. <BR /> <BR />I further ask the Minister, given that scéime pobail Gaeilge is one of the most important deliveries that Foras na Gaeilge administers, will she bring the matter up with it and ensure that that will continue to be the case? Go raibh míle math agat.”
“Go raibh maith agat, a LeasCheann Comhairle. Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire as ucht an fhreagra sin. I thank the Minister for her answers thus far. Will the Minister confirm who has the responsibility for nominating competitors from the North?”
“Go raibh maith agat, a LeasCheann Comhairle. Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire as ucht an fhreagra sin. I thank the Minister for his answer. Does the Minister agree that a substantial section of the report exposes a backward and retrograde movement at Magilligan? What steps will he put in place to ensure that there is no further slippage?”
“For too long, our intelligent young people have left these shores, many to, in the first instance, attend courses at universities across the water, down South and elsewhere, where they then stay after receiving job offers. Many never return. The commitment to the One Plan should, as the motion suggests, receive the affirmation of the Assembly and the Executive, and the creation of the north-west ministerial subgroup should be the catalyst to the delivery of the expansion of the Magee campus. I will quote from the One Plan:”
“Indeed, last Wednesday, many representatives from right across the north-west were there to witness the commencement of some of the demolition work on that site, and we very much look forward to the significant provision of over 800 well-paid Civil Service jobs. Acting as an anchor tenant, that will encourage the 60 to 70 other prospective tenants who have expressed an interest in the site. That cumulative act of job creation could potentially mean thousands of jobs for the entire region. It may also free up a number of positions in other Civil Service jobs in areas such as pensions and pensions credit, with many transferring to Ballykelly; therefore delivering a win-win situation for the whole region. <BR /> <BR />The single most significant action that we can take is to expand the graduate work base from Magee.”
“In the intervening years, the potential of Derry and the entire north-west region has been stymied by the lack of enhancement of the university status of Magee. Real opportunities for highly paid skilled and professional employment were also held up and denied. However, as Maeve McLaughlin said, there are new opportunities in the new dispensation. The opening of the new science park at the site of the former Fort George is significant in the fact that, from day one, it has had almost 100% tenancy and a very close link with Letterkenny regional college and the local student body. <BR /> <BR />As my colleague from West Tyrone pointed out, the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development has decentralised its headquarters to the former Shackleton base at Ballykelly.”
“Go raibh maith agat, a LeasCheann Comhairle. Beidh mé breá sásta labhairt sa díospóireacht inniu agus ar son an rúin. I am very happy to speak on this subject today and am very supportive of it. As someone from the wider north-west area who attended Magee during the 80s on a number of occasions, it has always had a special affinity for me personally. The hurt and offence caused by the Lockwood Commission report on its publication in 1965 was still very tenable even then. That said, as my colleague Maeve McLaughlin MLA for Foyle stated in an interview with the 'Derry Journal' a fortnight ago, the landscape is very different today. She went on to say:”
“Go raibh maith agat, a Phríomh-LeasCheann Comhairle. I also extend my sympathies to the family of the young girl killed on the A6, the latest of many scores of deaths on that road. Like Mr Campbell and others from Derry, I spent an hour on the Dungiven to Maghera section this morning and met one small snowplough, despite the fact that there was an orange snow warning yesterday evening. <BR /> <BR />The public inquiry finished in October 2012, and we are now sitting in February, almost March, of 2015. When, in real terms, can we expect the announcement on that inquiry and the results thereof?”
“I thank the Member for giving way. Central to the entire argument and to any amendment to the Bill is the definition of what constitutes a residential area and a built-up area, even the differentiation between urban and rural and the definition of through roads in some cases.”
“I thank the Member for giving way. He said that the provisions could not be enacted within a single year, but clause 7 specifies a period of two years. Is that an adequate period to bring in such measures?”
“Go raibh maith agat, a Phríomh-LeasCheann Comhairle. Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire as ucht an fhreagra sin. I thank the Minister for his answer. Can he assure me that, contrary to what he has intimated, should the Executive decide to reinstate the premia for St Mary's and Stranmillis, he will stand over and implement such a decision?”
“Go raibh maith agat, a LeasCheann Comhairle. Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire as a dara ráiteas inniu. I thank the Minister for her second statement today. What effect does she think the new councils will have, particularly on the language officers, who are currently funded by Foras na Gaeilge?”
“Go raibh maith again, a Cheann Comhairle. Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire as an ráiteas seo ar maidin. I thank the Minister for her statement. She mentioned that Waterways Ireland plans to consult on the navigation by-laws for Lough Erne. Can she give us some indication of the current situation and the impact of any proposed amendments?”
“I remind the Member of the commitment of the parents of some of the children as far back as the 1990s, when they transported four-year-olds across Glenshane to attend the bunscoil there. Even thereafter, some children from the bunscoil there actually attended Coláiste Feirste, a round trip of 100 miles.”
“I thank the Member for giving way. St Patrick's College in Maghera is a school of some 1,600 pupils, 36 of whom are in there on a very limited stream. It is not Irish-immersion education as we know it.”
“Does the Member recognise that the Gaelscoil in Dungiven is a controlled school?”
“I thank the Member for giving way. Will the Member agree that the provision of Irish-medium education has increased by 30% in the last number of years?”
“There are many other beneficial aspects outside the formal —”
“<BR /> <BR />Reference was made to St Patrick's College in Maghera. I know St Patrick's College very well; indeed, it is my alma mater. I spent seven relatively happy years there, and I know the standard of its education. However, at no point did St Patrick's College in Maghera bring forward a development proposal for Irish-medium education in County Derry. It does, admittedly, provide a stream, but it is a very limited stream. In fairness to all the parents who have been involved in Irish-medium education, they have voted with their feet and have not enrolled in the numbers that that stream would require to prosper. So I do not think that that is an option. <BR /> <BR />There is also the community aspect in Irish-medium education. People come together, and there is very much a community feel about Irish-medium education.”
“Where is the equality in that or the preferential treatment? The opportunity to deliver a secondary school in the middle of County Derry has to be taken at this moment and developed. There are six or seven feeder schools, and I take on board the numbers that Mr Kinahan talked about. The proposal is to work towards an annual intake of 65 children, with an eventual school population of 450 to 500. Is that possible? Take the other Irish-medium secondary school, which is, of course, Coláiste Feirste. When Coláiste Feirste started, it had 15 pupils and was in two rooms. There are now 650 children attending Coláiste Feirste, and it is oversubscribed. It was recently named as the best non-selective school in Belfast. That is a fair record. That shows the value for money in Irish-medium education.”
“I pay tribute to the board of governors sealadach — the interim board of governors — and the development body that brought the proposal together. They have worked for some time on this. Indeed, one could say that they have been working for about the last 25 years on the development of Irish-medium education in the wider County Derry area. With that in mind, we now have 450 children attending Irish-medium schools and many more coming through the naíscoileanna. Also, a couple of generations have missed out on the opportunity to attend an Irish-medium secondary school because of the lack of provision. <BR /> <BR />With that in mind, we will look at the figures across the North. Five thousand children are going through their education through the Irish medium, and there is one secondary school for those 5,000.”
“The NEELB made no response whatever to the proposal. Two schools in that area did, however, and the Western Education and Library Board did not oppose the proposal. There was only one comment about the possible impact on existing English-medium provision in the Dungiven area. You will be aware, of course, from the decision on Drumragh Integrated College that the development of education or Irish-medium education cannot be assessed on the basis of the impact on existing schools. It is also ironic that the motion does not refer to the governing body that advises the Minister — Comhairle na Gaelscolaíochta — which has approved the proposal.”
“Go raibh maith agat, a Cheann Comhairle. Ar dtús, ba mhaith liom fáilte a chur roimh an ghrúpa as Coláiste Dhoire atá anseo inniu suas ar an ardán. I welcome the development group from Coláiste Dhoire, who are in the Public Gallery. Níl mé cinnte an bhfuil mé sásta nó míshasta a bheith ag labhairt ar an rún seo, but we are where we are, mar a déarfá. I am not sure whether I am happy or dissatisfied to be speaking on the issue. <BR /> <BR />The proposer of the motion referred to the inaccuracies in it as differences of opinion. However, I do not think that there is a difference of opinion when you look at the wording:”
“Go raibh maith agat, a LeasCheann Comhairle. Is the Minister aware of the protocol involved for the notification of disruption of supply to customers? In the area I represent, customers have been reconnected. However, in the last hour, heavy snow is falling, bowsers have been removed and the water is unusable due to the chlorine content.”
“I thank the Member for giving way. I wonder whether he will enlighten me. Of the 60 or 70 soft appraisals at Ballykelly, how many have been engaged with by Invest NI?”
“— and will address the issue of unemployment.”
“I am glad to see that, in today's Budget, there is additional money committed to the relocation of the DARD headquarters. I, for one, look forward to it, and I think it will be a seismic moment for employment in the north-west —”
“The relocation would also, of course, bring huge spending power to the north-west and create a different dynamic. There are all those convincing arguments —”
“No, I am OK; I want to finish. <BR /> <BR />It would also address other issues. People from the north-west spend four hours a day in transit, coming to Belfast. Does that create a life/work balance? No, it does not. I know people who have spent their entire working life making that commute day in, day out. There are convincing arguments for the decentralisation of jobs, particularly to the north-west. We have the skills base there, and, in the case of Ballykelly, we have the property at Shackleton. There is also the possibility of that acting as an anchor tenant. Remember there are 60 to 70 active expressions of interest or soft appraisals for that huge site of 720-odd acres. Imagine the economic benefit that would have in the area.”
“No, in fairness, you have been in once. <BR /> <BR />There is also the issue of staff surveys. Some 4,026 individuals expressed an interest in moving to the four centres that were being touted; namely, fisheries, forestry, Rivers Agency and, indeed, the headquarters. That figure includes 1,600 who expressed an interest in moving to Ballykelly, and it flies in the face of what some were quoting. The effect of those 800 jobs going to Ballykelly would be huge. It would free up some of the other jobs that exist and would address some of the other decentralisation issues in the north-west, including in Coleraine —”
“Your party leader said last week that you were withdrawing support. Indeed, the deputy party leader, in a radio interview with me the following morning, said that the party never supported it. I do not know what the position is. I am sure that can be clarified some time. <BR /> <BR />Take the cost of decentralisation to Ballykelly. We are looking currently at £34 million to refurbish Dundonald House and somewhere in the region of just over £40 million to relocate to Ballykelly.”
“There is a differential in how councils are treated when it comes to investment. Look at some of the recent economic development projects in the Limavady area. Some £255,000 — that is all that was involved — was put into things like mentoring, social media and online marketing. There was not a single real job. That is exactly what we are up against in the entire north-west. <BR /> <BR />Decentralisation, particularly of the DARD headquarters, is a positive development and has been broadly accepted. I was rather shocked last week to learn that the Ulster Unionists, in particular, have withdrawn any support that they may have given in the past to the decentralisation —”
“Indeed, she has put together some legacy issues that go right across the north-west, stretching to Coleraine, Strabane and elsewhere, and that funding has been very welcome. <BR /> <BR />On Friday morning, along with some party colleagues, I met Invest NI and examined the issues that exist in the north-west. Invest NI's remit in the north-west is to cover six council areas, including Strabane and Derry and those in the Causeway Coast and Glens cluster. There are some startling figures included in that. To date, the assistance in the Limavady borough alone, which is one of the worst served by it, is that, of the 1,600 businesses, historically Invest NI has served only 85 of those, which is just over 5% of the figure.”
“It was welcome to see that DOE brought 30 jobs to Ebrington. Those all came on the back of the loss of jobs in the private sector. <BR /> <BR />Last week, I welcomed the launch of Enterprise Week. Unfortunately, I discovered later that it is an Invest NI-proposed event and that it is limited to Derry city. However, I welcomed Friday's announcement of the creation of the ministerial subgroup. I hope that it will create a broad consensus, and I hope that we have cross-party and cross-constituency agreement right across the north-west to bring together OFMDFM, DEL, DETI, DOE and probably DRD as well because I think that we all have to work together to bring about a balanced regional economy. <BR /> <BR />In the north-west itself, the Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure and the City of Culture was very much a unifying factor.”
“The Member well knows my passion for the A6 and particularly the Dungiven bypass. I live in it, and I am poisoned in it every single day. The Member will recognise that the Minister to whom he refers advanced the bypass as far as it was physically possible during his tenure in office. I will touch on the railway line as well. Of course, we now have the nonsense that phase two has doubled in price and an inquiry is ongoing into how that happened. <BR /> <BR />In terms of the decentralisation of jobs to the north-west, we have a number of Civil Service jobs in the north-west in pensions and pension credit and those are very welcome. Some of the other Civil Service jobs, of course, are tenuous in their existence, including those in DHSSPS and in tax. Last year, of course, we lost the DVA jobs in Coleraine.”
“<BR /> <BR />The issues that we are bringing up, and the issues that are brought up by the motion, are issues of the 60s — the university and the university expansion and infrastructure, such as the A5 and the A6, and the Dungiven bypass, which has been waiting for 50 years, since 1965. The issue of infrastructure is very important because, of the two roads that lead to the north-west — the A5 and the A6 — the A5 takes a third of all the trade that goes to the north-west and the A6 —”
“With that in mind, we brought our amendment, which, as the proposer of the motion said, recognised the lack of decentralisation of public-sector jobs to the north-west and a very discernable differential in Invest NI's treatment of parts of the north-west. Broadly speaking, I welcome the debate, and I do not wish to labour on the decades of neglect. I grew up through those decades and probably was very much adversely affected, like many of my generation. Many of my generation are in America, Western Australia and elsewhere throughout the world, so I know what that has meant, particularly in the north-west.”
“I visited a couple on Saturday evening, and the man is just home from Australia. They have five sons; he and four of the sons are in Australia, so those five people, who are out of the north-west, are not recognised in the unemployment figures for the north-west.”
“Go raibh maith agat, a LeasCheann Comhairle. Many of us who come from the north-west often wonder what is the specific definition of "north-west". For some, it is Derry city, and others would, of course, include Strabane. For the purposes of the motion, it includes the area covered by Limavady Borough Council. There is a wider question for the north-west because, as those who come from the hinterland know, Donegal, Coleraine and perhaps even Omagh can all, strictly speaking, be defined as being in the north-west. <BR /> <BR />I read the motion very carefully, and we have to look at the definition of "unemployment" across the entire area. In my area, I know that all the unemployment figures for the north-west are incredibly skewed because of the level of emigration from that area.”