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.”
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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 4 of 5.
“Go raibh maith agat, a Cheann Comhairle. Déanaim comhgairdeas leat ar do phost nua mar Cheann Comhairle ar an Tionól. I wish you every success in your new post, a Cheann Comhairle. It is a well-known fact that Derrymen, be they from the county or city, are even-minded and fair-handed, and it is on Derry, particularly the radiotherapy unit at Altnagelvin, that I want to make my remarks. It does my heart good, and that of many cancer sufferers and their families, to see the rapid progression on the unit and know that it will open in the autumn next year. We are very glad of that. Further to that, will the Minister qualify what exactly the proposals are for sharing, on an all-island basis, vital information from the National Cancer Institute cancer consortium?”
“Go raibh maith agat, a LeasCheann Comhairle. Gabhaim buíochas leis an LeasChéad-Aire as an ráiteas. Will the deputy First Minister give an update on the current position of the EU funding programmes?”
“People think that it has got to the point where it is going to be very difficult to recover, bypass or no. <BR /> <BR />I urge the Minister to work hard on this. I hope that he publishes the report at the earliest possible convenience. As I said, it has now been sitting with him for over two years. People are very interested in getting this pushed forward and in addressing the east-west divide in terms of the delivery of infrastructure. <BR /> <BR />I support the motion and, indeed, the amendment. Go raibh maith agat, a LeasCheann Comhairle.”
“People are asking whether the third option, which was introduced on the final day of the inquiry, has effectively knocked back the Dungiven bypass by a significant period of time. If that is the case, we need to be told. That is what people are saying to me. <BR /> <BR />I hope that the Dungannon bypass reference was a Freudian slip and that the Minister will, with his Executive colleagues, try to identify the money for the Dungiven bypass. People always talk about 40 years, but at the end of this month it will be 50 years since a Dungiven bypass was first mooted. People are at their wit's end not just because of their health but because of the fatalities on the road, life quality and even the economic infrastructure in the village. There is very little left in the town; there has been a lot of dereliction in recent years.”
“That was just before last Christmas. I know Moneynick as well as anybody else; I know every tree and almost every docken on it. John Dallat referred to listening to traffic reports in the morning. I really do not need the traffic report, because I am stuck in the middle of it. I could probably actually give traffic reports. <BR /> <BR />I am very pleased that we have unanimity. I think that that was the word that Gregory Campbell used; I might use it again myself. Unanimity is all right, but we need action. The frustration with Dungiven is that all the other projects seem to have been advanced. People are saying, "Well, listen, even if we had the money tomorrow, we cannot do the job." That is the issue.”
“Any bypass there, regardless of where it goes around the town, would be incredibly healthy. People referred to the new cancer centre and, of course, the University of Ulster in Derry. I know that others brought it up today, but people have asked about all the major infrastructure projects in the north-west, be they the A5, the A6 or the railway. I know that the Minister has not looked at the Magilligan to Greencastle ferry, but we recognise it as a vital piece of infrastructure for not just tourism but the social economy in the north-west. <BR /> <BR />I am not disparaging the Moneynick section by any means. I sit in the Moneynick section for an hour every day, whether I am coming this way or going the other way. I think that my record time through Moneynick, which is a four-and-a-half mile section, is something like 52 minutes.”
“<BR /> <BR />There has been fairly universal support for the bypass from all the councils in the north-west, despite some having their own priorities, such as Coleraine, which would like to see the A26 developed, and Strabane, which like to see the A5 developed. The chambers of commerce have been very supportive of it. I talked to Sinead McLaughlin, the president of the Derry chamber of commerce, and that chamber figured that 70% of the internal investment in Derry city comes up the A6. <BR /> <BR />I am glad to say that there has been cross-party support here today. There is a realisation of the centrality of regional development and economic growth in the north-west on the A6 and the Dungiven bypass in particular. Hopefully, the DARD headquarters will come to Ballykelly next year, and people will go down the M2 in the other direction.”
“The preferred route, which is the one that everybody looked at and which involves much of the work, including the archaeology work and plans and so forth, is to the south of the village. I know that there were other routes to the south, but there is also a route to the north. People are asking me whether that has been costed, what distance it is, whether extra engineering is required for bridges, whether archaeology is required, whether it can be developed, and how much longer it will take. They also ask why Dungiven was allowed to slip, especially as they see the other schemes named in the investment strategy for NI being progressed.”
“In fact, you actually go through Toome in order to bypass the bypass. That is the reality, and I see it every morning of life. I suppose that there was an expectation locally that the Dungiven bypass would soon follow, but that has proved to be a false dawn many times. <BR /> <BR />The public inquiry, which the Minister referred to, was to start in 2011, but it did not get going till 2012. Its report has been sitting either with the inspector or the Minister until now — two years-plus later. There are questions about that as well. <BR /> <BR />I know that the Minister will perhaps not have the opportunity to answer this, but the announcement that he made three weeks ago blindsided the thought process on the route of the Dungiven bypass.”
“Some of us — particularly people in Dungiven — feel that, since then, there has been a lot of painful inaction. <BR /> <BR />The Minister and others may not want to examine them, but a catalyst for this has been the health aspects, mainly because the air quality management area (AQMA) showed that levels of nitrous dioxide were dangerously high: 10 times more than the EU recommended level. There is anecdotal evidence of respiratory issues and indeed even — people would go as far as to say — of cancer clusters. However, the factual evidence in recent times is that I know of at least 10 or a dozen fatalities on the route of the Dungiven bypass in the past number of years. That is the reality on the short route. <BR /> <BR />People in Dungiven have of course seen bypasses at Toome and Limavady leapfrog their own.”
“The Minister knows that nearly every time he sees me, I have a question about it as well. <BR /> <BR />The proposal for the bypass originated in the 1960s proposed strategic roads network and was first mooted in 1965. In 1969, a very fresh-faced seven-year-old went to a public exhibition that showed the lay of the land on the bypass. Unfortunately, that same fresh-faced seven-year-old brought his seven-year-old to see a similar exhibition exactly 40 years later. That is where that was. The difference between the two visitations was that in 1969, the cost of a single-carriage bypass for Dungiven was about £1 million. The cost today of course, as the Minister well knows, is £60 million to £70 million. <BR /> <BR />Up until the point when the preferred route was announced on 6 May 2009, there were many years of inaction.”
“Go raibh maith agat, a LeasCheann Comhairle. Is mór an t-áthas atá orm an rún a phlé inniu sa Tionól, nó is é seach-bhóthar Dhún Geimhin an t-ábhar is tábhachtaí i mo cheantar féin. <BR /> <BR />First, I apologise for not being in the Chamber for the moving of the motion. The Dungiven bypass has been one of the most important subjects in my area for some time; it has been rumbling on for many years. Any time that I go into the street, a shop or whatever, I cannot avoid a discussion about it, because it is a running sore. There has been enough evidence and discussion of it through the years, both in the Chamber and in councils. Indeed, my predecessor spoke very eloquently about it in the 2008 Adjournment debate. The research pack will show the list of questions that have been fielded specifically on the bypass.”
“Go raibh maith agat, a LeasCheann Comhairle. I thank the Minister for his answer. The Minister will be aware that, on occasions, the time between an incident, the detection of its source and subsequent prosecution is very significant. Sometimes, that is down to the manner in which it was first reported. Will the Minister ensure that the Environment Agency looks at the procedures in those cases?”
“Go raibh maith agat, a Phríomh-LeasCheann Comhairle. Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire as ucht a ráitis. An dtig liom a fhiafraí den Aire faoin pholasaí teanga, mar an dara téama? Will the Minister give us more information on the second theme of the meeting, which was language policy and legislation? What consideration was given to embedding IML languages in other legislation?”
“Go raibh maith agat, a LeasCheann Comhairle. Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire as an fhreagra sin. Bhí mé ag smaoineamh an mbeidh ceann ar bith de na scéimeanna seo ag teacht go luath? Will any of the schemes be announced any time soon? When can we look forward to them? The Minister is obviously aware of my interest in a number of the schemes.”
“Go raibh maith agat. Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire as an fhreagra sin. I thank the Minister very much for her answer. I am sure that many libraries will be glad to hear her reply that there will be no permanent closures. In saying that, how will she, working with Libraries NI, ensure minimisation of the impact of shorter opening hours, particularly in rural areas?”
“Go raibh maith agat, a LeasCheann Comhairle. Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire as ucht an ráitis sin. I thank the Minister for his statement. Minister, given that some EU funding has been used in the provision of transport and tourism infrastructure, namely the Magilligan to Greencastle ferry, were there any discussions on extending that to make sure of a year-round service of that ferry?”
“I thank the Member for giving way. Will he recognise that the nature of the water and sewerage system in this part of the world is, for the most part in many, many places, a combined storm and sewerage system? To actually trace the original source is sometimes very difficult, and that is maybe something that we have to look at as well.”
“It is a regrettable incident, and I think that, in real terms, environmental crime like this should get the punishment it requires and not the paltry sums that companies and others are being fined. I have absolutely no bother in supporting the debate, and I hope that everyone else will.”
“<BR /> <BR />I understand the restrictions there might be on removing fish because we do not always know what source the fish will come from, but I think that a general assessment can be made that, once there is a fish kill, nobody will be bringing fish in from any other river until what has happened there and then has been assessed. <BR /> <BR />So, there is a piece of work that we must do in hoping to address this. It will be poor consolation to Ballynure anglers and other anglers. They have lost 1,000 fish from the stock. How many years will it take to rebuild that? It is the breeding stock. Fortunately, some of the up-river breeder streams have been saved, and, seemingly, the pollutant passed through relatively quickly.”
“That is the nature of it, and I think that it is something that we have to look at in the Assembly, particularly with anything to do with rivers and the wildlife there. As I said, the very detailed report from Ballynure is there. I think it is a very good idea that it was recorded. It is a blow-by-blow account. It is almost a minute-by-minute account of phone calls going into the Departments, the responses of the officials, and how they came out. <BR /> <BR />I was contacted by the DCAL inland fisheries people as recently as yesterday. They said that they have talked to the likes of Billy Robinson, the chair of Ballynure Angling Club, and they have said that they want to clarify how angling clubs can assist DCAL with any further fish kills. I welcome that, and I hope that that piece of work will be done sooner rather than later.”
“By 5.00 pm, I knew the chemical involved and the source of the chemical involved. I knew the timing of the incident, and I nearly knew how many fish were killed. It still took the NIEA until 2011 to identify the polluter, and it took until 2013 to actually bring it to court. The company was fined a derisory sum at that time. I do not think that that sends out the right message to anybody who is interested in our natural environment and in our native species. That is an example. I am giving fair warning not to expect an answer any time soon. It is up to us to push this matter. <BR /> <BR />It is regrettable that responsibility for this matter goes across four Departments: DARD, DRD, DOE and DCAL.”
“The last two categories are the breeding stock, so if you lose them at any stage, there goes your stock in the river. <BR /> <BR />Mr Girvan referred to a number of officials, and I think that part of the problem that we have in dealing with pollution incidents is that it is a multi-departmental issue. I have a very detailed report from Ballynure Angling Club from 29 and 30 October. The club had people on the ground, and there were departmental officials and officials from NI Water, NIEA and DCAL and what have you. I share Mr Girvan's frustration about the lack of information so far, which will continue in the days and weeks ahead. <BR /> <BR />I will refer to another incident on my own river in July 2005, which happened mid-afternoon.”
“They are a unique species and attract many foreign visitors who come for a specialist fishing experience. <BR /> <BR />The fish-kill details are quite horrifying when one considers the length and state of the water. I know that it is called the Sixmilewater, but I believe it is 26 miles long. There will be a gae lang yarn in telling how the name came about, and I am sure that Mr Girvan knows it. Regardless of that, it is quite horrifying that, over two days, 964 fish were confirmed to be recovered, but that is not to say that there were not hundreds, if not thousands, more. <BR /> <BR />I have the details here. On 29 October, there were 82 1 lb-plus fish, 294 2 lb-plus fish and 68 3 lb to 10 lb-plus fish. On 30 October, there were 201 1 lb-plus trout, 106 2 lb-plus trout and 66 3 lb-plus trout.”
“Wearing my DCAL hat — I also wear a DRD hat — I have worked with anglers, particularly those on the feeder streams of Lough Neagh. I was instrumental in putting together a funding package for Professor Paolo Prodöhl, a professor of genetics and DNA in Queen's University. He was working on a project on dollaghan in Lough Neagh and the individual species in the lough and its feeder rivers. I know that quite a number of the anglers helped with that by providing scale and fin samples. They were working towards producing a report, so the pollution incident was a major setback to that development work and to the unique species that is Lough Neagh dollaghan. We have dollaghan in other lakes across Ireland, whether it is ferox in Lough Corrib or gillaroo in Lough Melvin.”
“Go raibh maith agat, a Phríomh-LeasCheann Comhairle. Gabhaim buíochas as an seans an t-ábhar seo a phlé. <BR /> <BR />I thank Mr Girvan, a Member on the opposite Benches, for securing this topic for the Adjournment debate. I declare an interest as an angler and, indeed, as a Member who has been trying to put together an all-party group on angling for quite some time. There are quite a number of active anglers in the Assembly, and I think that it would be useful to put together such a group so that we can discuss these and other matters that affect angling, which is, of course, one of the biggest participant sports in the world. <BR /> <BR />It is very unfortunate that we are gathered here yet again to discuss another pollution incident, particularly on the river in question.”
“Notwithstanding the governance and selection issues, I see no reason why a bid cannot be made to host the youth games here, with a view to hosting other national and international competitions in this part of the world. <BR /> <BR />We have come a long way in our communal promotion of sport. We still have a bit to travel, but to forgo any opportunity for our young people would be remiss of us in our duties and responsibilities. I, with others here present, attended the charity event for deterMND at the Kingspan Stadium on Saturday night, and I applaud the courageous efforts of Anto Finnegan and others to bring people together in the name of sport and to challenge a deadly and disabling disease. I have, through the years, witnessed the healing power of sport and passionately believe that we should all work together for its promotion.”
“In all, 117 competitors took part in 14 sports during 11 days of competition. The entire team, including coaches and mentors, numbered 160. The continued and increasing success of athletes and competitors at this and indeed at any level is due to the careful encouragement and nurturing of our young people in sport. <BR /> <BR />Like many other competitions at whatever level, the Commonwealth Youth Games will provide many young people with the opportunity to compete in Samoa in 2015 and St Lucia in 2017. The fact that it caters for young people from 14 to 18 years of age will ensure that many of our young people, particularly in the younger age groups, can compete at the very highest level for their age.”
“I am very proud that a significant number of boxers from my local club, St Canice's Amateur Boxing Club in Dungiven, have received their plaudits at nearly all those levels. Indeed, Eamonn O'Kane captained the Commonwealth boxing team at the 2010 games, a team that returned with its then greatest haul of medals. They were, of course, outdone in the same disciplines in the 2014 Glasgow games, at which other successes included lawn bowls and judo.”
“<BR /> <BR />Likewise, the success of local golfers has made the North the world's oyster in attracting the major competitions — the Irish and British Opens. Hopefully, in the not-too-distant future, we might see confirmation of the Rugby World Cup coming to these shores and to this city. <BR /> <BR />Those of us of a certain age remember the dark and dismal days when to suggest any provision of world-class sporting events would have raised more than a single eyebrow. Our boxing success down through the years has benefited from well-worn routes through county, Ulster, all-Ireland, British, European, Commonwealth and world titles to justify alone the promotion of any of those methods of advancement of in-the-ring prowess.”
“<BR /> <BR />Likewise, the huge success of the Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann has provided the opportunity to bid for its return in 2016 and also to bid for the Irish City of Culture in the same year and, hopefully subsequently, the European City of Culture. <BR /> <BR />Last week, I met the Loughs Agency and other interested bodies in the north-west that are developing a very exciting infrastructure project, on the back of the World Police and Fire Games, with huge potential. Should that come off, and I see no reason why it should not, the whole Lough Foyle basin could be hoaching with a series of small and medium-sized projects that, when combined, would provide a facility and attraction second to none. All that from a very modest sea-angling competition at Longfield.”
“Go raibh mile maith agat, a LeasCheann Comhairle. Tá mé sásta labhairt i bhfabhar an rúin. I am happy enough to speak on this subject. We have all seen the impact that a number of major sporting and cultural events have had on this part of the world in recent years. Last year, the City of Culture in Derry left a huge and lasting legacy for the city and further afield. Investment in the legacy of that event will mean lasting sporting provision for the Derry City Council and Strabane areas, as well as adjoining council areas. That has addressed and will address a long-standing deficit and is most welcome.”
“Go raibh maith agat, a Phríomh-LeasCheann Comhairle. Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire. Can the Minister confirm that he will also be in contact with the likes of the community and voluntary sector, women's groups, disability groups and the LGBT community?”
“Go raibh maith agat, a Phríomh-LeasCheann Comhairle. Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire as ucht an fhreagra sin. Has the Minister considered any new progressive levies that might broaden the revenue base?”
“Go raibh maith agat, a LeasCheann Comhairle. Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire as an fhreagra sin. I thank the Minister for her answer. Does the Minister agree that an important economic interest may have been missed in that this has not been developed as a single route that would have stretched from Youghal in County Cork all the way round, perhaps, to Ballycastle?”
“Go raibh maith agat, a LeasCheann Comhairle. Gabhaim buíochas leis an LeasChéad-Aire as an fhreagra sin. I thank the deputy First Minister for his answer. Does he agree that we should lead by example in cultural and linguistic tolerance and diversity?”
“Go raibh maith agat, a Phríomh-LeasCheann Comhairle. Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire as an ráiteas sin. Tá a fhios ag an Aire go bhfuil suim mhór agam san ábhar seo agus nach bhfuil sé ábalta rud ar bith a rá faoin fhorbairt áitiúil. <BR /> <BR />I thank the Minister for his statement. I know that he cannot comment on individual development proposals, but he will know of my interest in Irish language development and Irish language education in rural County Derry and that there have been quite advanced development proposals in that field. Can he give any indication of when those development proposals might come forward and be delivered on?”
“Go raibh maith agat, a LeasCheann Comhairle. Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire. The Minister's memory of the Derry to Coleraine section being mothballed is slightly different from mine. I will reflect the comments of others. There will be anger and disappointment in the East Derry constituency and in the wider north-west. The Minister said that there was a possibility of suppliers not being interested. Could that further delay the project going ahead and, if so, for how long? The Minister will be cognisant that many other infrastructure projects in the north-west have been delayed.”
“Go raibh maith agat, a Phríomh-LeasCheann Comhairle. Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire as a freagra. How much money has been invested in the Ulster Orchestra by the Department in recent years?”
“Go raibh maith agat, a LeasCheann Comhairle. Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire as an fhreagra sin. I thank the Minister for his answer. I am aware that the accommodation requirement has gone to the Department, but will the Minister acknowledge that Rossmar School and other schools in the area for which construction projects have been announced wait with anticipation, as does the construction industry locally?”
“Does the Member also recognise that, particularly in rural areas, either one cut or no cuts were made this year? That caused concern, particularly at traffic junctions.”
“The identification of those cuts, as per the July statement and since, however, outlines making savings on items that are essential for safety on the roads infrastructure. That is not a prudent or wise move. As well as the human cost, many more millions will be spent on personal injuries compensation and damage to vehicles. Indeed, in answer to a recent question that I put, I was told that 15,000 claims had been made in the last five years, 55% of which were successful. I support the motion and ask this: what price safety?”
“Luckily, at that time, other contractors were able to take up the slack, and many subcontractors were relieved that their work could continue. No such slack exists at this time. <BR /> <BR />The motion rightly calls on the Minister:”
“<BR /> <BR />One thing that we are sure of is that maintenance of the road network is vital to the safety of commuters and travellers. Unfortunately, as of yesterday, we have seen a dramatic increase in deaths on the roads over the same period last year. Indeed, even on our best-maintained roads, we still see seemingly unexplainable and unimaginable accidents and carnage. I came on such a scene as I travelled on the M2 yesterday evening and was shocked at the extent of that accident. <BR /> <BR />A reduction in investment will have an economic impact, locally and regionally. Indeed, I recall the huge impact earlier this year that the demise of KPL had in my town, the wider County Derry area and further afield.”
“If the Member looks at the withdrawal of the block grant, he might find some answers there. <BR /> <BR />By July of this year, Minister Kennedy warned about the impact that a reduction in the budget would have on services such as street lighting repairs, road maintenance, grass cutting, gully cleaning and the maintenance of traffic signs and road markings. Since then, many of us have been lobbied by many in the industry, including the Quarry Products Association (QPA), contractors and others. I commend them for that lobbying. They work on short-term contracts, often delivered at times of the year when a quick turnaround on the spend is required, and not necessarily in the best weather for the job. The industry works on low profit margins and often requires a large and flexible workforce to carry out the maintenance.”
“However, by June 2012, it was still estimated that the budget for maintenance was some £50 million short of what was required to maintain the structural integrity of the road network in its current condition.”
“Go raibh maith agat, a Phríomh-LeasCheann Comhairle. Beidh mé ag labhairt i bhfabhar an rúin seo inniu. I welcome the opportunity to address the motion and to speak in its favour. Unlike others, I do not believe it to be meaningless, nor do those who work in the industry. <BR /> <BR />When Professor Martin Snaith, in October 2009, presented his independent report to the Committee for Regional Development, it was widely welcomed, including by the then Minister, Conor Murphy. He recognised the centrality of the road infrastructure and its upkeep to the North's economy. The professor recommended an increase of £108 million to bring expenditure up to a level comparable with the rest of Ireland to some £4,300 per carriageway kilometre, which is still somewhat short of what is spent in England and Wales.”
“Go raibh maith agat, a LeasCheann Comhairle. Gabhaim buíochas leis an LeasChéad Aire as a ráiteas. I thank the deputy First Minister for his statement. Will he give us some more detail on the development of the north-west gateway initiative?”
“I thank the Member for giving way. Does he realise that the Dungiven project was not only attracting moneys from a different source — namely DCAL, through the City of Culture legacy moneys — but had money set aside in Limavady Borough Council for the same projects? It was much further advanced than many of the other projects, including some of those that received approval.”
“On a point of order, Mr Deputy Speaker. At no point was the S-word used in my supposition.”