Jo-Anne Dobson
Upper Bann · Ulster Unionist Party · Northern Ireland
“I thank Nichola Mallon for tabling this important question today. I understand that, through correspondence with my colleague Andy Allen, and he articulated this earlier, limited resources and challenges are being cited as the reason. Those are not acceptable reasons for young children to be denied access to a drugs trial.”
“I take no pleasure in speaking on the motion today, but I do so as the Ulster Unionist Party health spokesperson. I wish to focus my comments on, as the motion says, the "grave consequences" for the health of our people of Northern Ireland.”
“The GP crisis, as we know, threatens cover across Northern Ireland. That became abundantly clear given the number of Members who wanted to take part this afternoon. With hundreds of GPs considering resigning, that rescue package can no longer become a reality.”
“<BR /> <BR />I want to turn my comments to the present GP crisis and pay tribute to the work of GP representatives. A rescue plan is needed, but, sadly, one is unlikely to come forward any time soon. Shameful.”
“Minister, this is a desperate situation that has caused real anger in Portadown and has the potential to impact on the health of all patients of the health centre, creating a domino effect across practices. Portadown must be prevented from becoming Humpty Dumpty. What is your response to the anger of the patients in Portadown?”
“Minister, I, like Mr Anderson, have met many of these homeowners, farmers and businesses in upper Bann that have been affected, and livelihoods have been put at risk. Many farmers have been there for generations, and they do fear that it is Groundhog Day.”
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“Those comments, coming on the same day as it was announced that the police are to hand back a £14 million underspend from last year, simply beggar belief. It does little for public confidence to hear that operational policing is set to totally move out of local stations. It does even less to hear that a shortage of front-line officers is looming while unspent money is being handed back. <BR /> <BR />The future of policing in Upper Bann is an extremely important issue for each and every family. I pay tribute to the officers of the neighbourhood policing teams in stations across the constituency and commend them for the work that they do to keep our community safe.”
“When it comes to radical decisions, such as the relocation of response teams, there should be local accountability. <BR /> <BR />I am also concerned at Deputy Chief Constable Drew Harris's comments yesterday, when he said:”
“<BR /> <BR />The fact that we are discussing the future of policing in Upper Bann and there is no ministerial response shows a total lack of accountability and responsibility for those who will be affected. I understand that the Minister deemed, as he does with questions for written answers, that the issue is an operational matter that is within the remit of the PSNI. In short, elected representatives at all levels are simply informed and PCSPs are briefed. I am in no way arguing for the direct involvement of the House in policing priorities in Northern Ireland; those systems are in place. However, I am concerned at the lack of local accountability that has been a direct result of the way in which policing and justice was devolved to the House.”
“That work is vital in establishing a network that can help to combat crime, and I am sure that I am not alone in being able to recount examples where those relationships have led directly to positive policing outcomes. <BR /> <BR />Like the health service or any other Department that comes under the remit of the House, the budget for policing in Northern Ireland was set in 2011 in a Budget that my party opposed. If we were discussing the closure or relocation of key staff from a health centre or fire station, we could hold the responsible Minister directly to account — local accountability for decisions that will affect local families and our local communities. In the case of the most radical shake-up of community policing for decades, in which communities are set to suffer, different rules apply.”
“I am deeply worried that decisions are being taken by PSNI management on a short-term basis rather than as part of a real, long-term strategic vision for the future of policing in the area. Residents across Upper Bann, including our rural areas, are set to suffer the consequences. The lack of consultation is shocking. Community groups across the constituency have built up and are building up good working relationships with the police through individual officers working on the ground. Where is their voice in all of this?”
“We also discussed how the PSNI works with the policing and community safety partnership (PCSP) to raise awareness of the harm caused by use of illegal drugs; the impact of rural crime, which is a very real concern locally, especially for vulnerable elderly people; the fear that hearing that teams will not be stationed locally could cause those elderly people; and the future of neighbourhood watch teams — in short, the key policing priorities across the constituency.”
“Indeed, in a recent lengthy meeting, we raised considerable concerns around response times, burglaries, reducing incidences of violent crime and responses to road traffic accidents, not least on the A1 dual carriageway and our country roads. The A1 dual carriageway is the main corridor between Belfast and Dublin and has been utilised by criminals seeking a speedy exit from the town.”
“They would see neighbourhood policing teams relocated from Portadown and Banbridge police stations to Armagh and Lurgan. That would affect policing in all towns and rural areas across Upper Bann. In recent years, in Banbridge, we have witnessed the loss of neighbourhood policing teams from Gilford, Rathfriland and Dromore, with responses now centred in Banbridge station. This is an issue that is worrying for local people but also concerns the members of the Banbridge chamber of commerce. It was the first issue raised with me when I met them recently. <BR /> <BR />While I very much welcome the ongoing and open dialogue with Superintendent David Moore, who will be the new district commander for the Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon policing area, I am concerned that this decision has been handed to him from above.”
“I welcome the opportunity to debate this issue in the House and thank the Business Committee for allowing it to go ahead today. <BR /> <BR />At the outset, I would like to say that every person in Northern Ireland deserves the right to live safely and securely in their home, free from the fear of crime. Fundamental to that right is that people can be safe in the knowledge that, when an emergency occurs and 999 is called, help is on its way as quickly as possible. Locally located response teams are central to speedy response times for all emergency services, which brings me to the point of this debate. <BR /> <BR />The plans for a radical shake-up of neighbourhood policing in E district, which encompasses Upper Bann, are frankly unworkable and unacceptable.”
“I also thank the Minister for his answers. I met management of the Southern Trust at the hospital recently, and I appreciate the very real pressures that staff are under. Can the Minister give his assessment of the potential repercussions of heaping more pressure on to an already stretched workforce? I share the very real concern, which was reiterated to me, about the nursing staff shortage. How does he plan to resolve —”
“I pay tribute to the Education Service, the teachers and pupils who come to Parliament Buildings, and also to the work of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association for profiling issues that females are raising in Parliaments across the Commonwealth. <BR /> <BR />I welcome many of the Committee's recommendations, but the point that I make is that we must inspire change and not force it.”
“She has a bright future ahead of her and I look forward to supporting her in that new role. I also pay tribute to the close runner-up, Adam Kinneen from Banbridge Academy, and all the entrants across Northern Ireland, candidates, teachers, teams and elected MYPs. They have done so much for their schools and have made Northern Ireland proud. What they have achieved is in the spirit of the Committee's report: increasing interest and representation amongst women. <BR /> <BR />In conclusion, young women will follow role models. I feel that it is for this House to lead by example. It is for Members to inspire and not to deflect young women, or indeed young men, from entering politics and to nurture their interest wherever we find it.”
“That leadership should come from the top. My party will continue to assist and empower the next generation of politicians. <BR /> <BR />I want to pay tribute to the councillors who will take up their new roles in the super-councils on 1 April; many of them will be first-time councillors and many are women. In making my contribution on the motion, I would like to pay particular tribute to Abigail Taylor MYP. Abigail, who is studying at Lurgan College, was elected just last week as a Member of the UK Youth Parliament for Upper Bann. She is an example of a young woman engaging in public life. As Members, we all need to be conscious of nurturing that interest to create the public representatives of the future. I had the privilege of having Abigail shadow me at work at Stormont recently and of watching her campaign successfully.”
“<BR /> <BR />I welcome the outcome and the recommendations of the review. If politics and political decision-making in Northern Ireland are to become more reflective of society, there is undoubtedly a greater requirement for female representation. It is only by making politics more attractive to young women that we will truly see that future becoming a reality for the next generation of our political leaders. <BR /> <BR />Another issue that Michael McGimpsey and I have raised on a number of occasions in the Chamber is the lack of female representation at the top of the Northern Ireland Civil Service. While I welcome the Committee's recommendation that Ministers commit to addressing inequality, this should be led from the top of the Civil Service; it is a job for the Finance Minister, and one that needs urgent action to address.”
“I am proud to serve as the council's chair for my constituency of Upper Bann. <BR /> <BR />Every year, schools across Northern Ireland send pupils to take part in the Edgar Graham public speaking competition, which is held in the Senate Chamber. That is just one of many events that help to encourage and inspire young people — girls and boys alike — to engage with politics and play a role in society. I would also like to pay tribute to the staff of the Assembly's Education Service for the invaluable work that they do, and I know that their role is appreciated by Members across the House. I cannot emphasise enough how important it is for pupils and their teachers to come to this Building, and I am pleased that the Committee's findings acknowledged the importance of the education sector in encouraging women to consider a career in politics.”
“I very much welcome the opportunity to speak on the motion. At the outset, I join with others in welcoming the Assembly and Executive Review Committee's (AERC) review of women in politics and the Assembly. I also welcome the timely nature of the debate, given that, as Members who spoke previously said, yesterday was International Women's Day. <BR /> <BR />The Ulster Unionist Party welcomed the opportunity to contribute to the AERC's consultation, and my party has historical roots in promoting women. Indeed, the Ulster Women's Unionist Council continues to make an important contribution to this day, and I pay tribute to its officers and members. The council was established back in 1911 to encourage women to develop and contribute politically and to ensure representation at the highest levels within the party.”
“As the Minister with responsibility for these vulnerable children here in Northern Ireland, can you outline precisely how your decision to remove a service from Belfast provides, again quoting your words, "a tremendous opportunity"? Why could it not be a more shared-out service?”
“I thank the Minister for his statement. Prior to this consultation, Minister, many parents said that it would be little more than a box-ticking exercise, and they have been proven correct. I pay tribute to those mummies and daddies who lobbied so hard and to Sarah Quinlan from the Children's Heartbeat Trust, who I see is in the Gallery today. <BR /> <BR />Minister, you referred to children's heart centres in Belfast and Dublin, describing them as providing:”
“To conclude, while there has been progress made, not least in the TRPSI framework, there is still much more that needs to be done.”
“<BR /> <BR />There is a range of other challenges facing our rural dwellers, some of which are addressed in this Committee review and others are not. I will cite just two. The ongoing absence of affordable childcare is often a major barrier to parents in rural areas taking up and sustaining employment. Another major problem right now, and an absolute contradiction to the supposed attempts to tackle rural isolation, is the reduction of care in the community, especially of essential services like home helps.”
“<BR /> <BR />Unfortunately, however, fuel poverty remains a major and uncompromising issue in rural areas. Some of this can, of course, be put down to the absence of natural gas and the subsequent reliance on oil, which, until recently, was becoming one of the largest household outgoings. However, I believe that even more could and should be done to target these homes. The old warm homes scheme worked well for those who benefited from it, but the number of those homes was too few and the cost of the scheme was too high. It is imperative that our rural roads and laneways are not overlooked by councils because other streets of houses are easier to reach. That may be the case, but deprivation and fuel poverty do not discriminate between those who live in urban and rural areas.”
“I share the Committee's concern that next year's budget for the so-called tackling rural poverty and social isolation framework was allocated according to convenience rather than need. <BR /> <BR />The Committee was especially impressed to hear the glowing reports about the MARA project. It is no surprise that it has been so busy. Our rural population is often older, and we need to bear in mind the condition of some of the housing stock in our rural areas. Many people have lived in their current homes all their lives, and many other homes have passed from one generation to another. It was inevitable that these farmhouses could have benefited from additional energy-saving measures, and I am pleased that many have had elements of that work done.”
“I feel that it was a sensible decision to concentrate efforts on regional livestock markets. It makes sense to try to grasp the attention of as many farmers as possible in one location. In fact, I reckon that the current mobile units are becoming so much of a permanent fixture that it would cause issues in the farming community if they were to be removed. I know that a number of charities, including those that focus on mental health challenges, are considering making bids for European funding as a result of seeing the excellent work of these mobile units. Can the Minister detail what impact, if any, the recent reductions to the Public Health Agency's budget will have on the health checks? In regard to her own budget, does she believe that this is the type of programme that should be protected?”
“Those can range from the problems connected to working long hours in a physically demanding job to isolation from health services that many other people have easy access to and do not think twice about attending. I include in that list of challenges the mental health anguish often associated with living and working in isolation and the impact of working hard for low or below farmgate prices. The health checks programme has been a potentially life-saving programme to farmers right across Northern Ireland. It flags up early warning signals, and farmers are often then signposted on. <BR /> <BR />I pay tribute to the teams of nurses who work from the portable units in all types of weather and from all sorts of locations. Their work is to be commended and their impact on farming and rural families cannot be underestimated.”
“I also pay tribute to Stella, Elaine and their team. It was a useful exercise for the Committee to review the Department's tackling rural poverty and social inclusion framework. It confirmed what many of us will have expected, which is that individual programmes are making important progress in the areas in which they are operating. <BR /> <BR />Throughout the review, the Committee took evidence from a range of stakeholders, which included specific organisations and schemes being singled out for praise. One that I would like to highlight — it has been mentioned before — is the very important farm families health checks programme. Agriculture is not only a job but a way of life for many of our farmers. Unfortunately, however, it is a lifestyle particularly susceptible to health challenges.”
“The Minister has partially answered my supplementary. I was going to ask whether the Minister agrees with me that, if the governing body of any sport were to require an Irish passport as a prerequisite for a team representing the island of Ireland, it would be contrary to the Belfast Agreement, which entitles citizens of Northern Ireland to define themselves as British, Irish or both.”
“I thank the Minister for her answer. Does she accept that there was much room for improvement in the last programme? How will she ensure that the new rural development programme will have increased access for the PUL community?”
“Fairness in pricing is absolutely essential to the agricultural industry, yet the Minister has done little but express platitudes in her four years in office. In the event of price-fixing, even if it is commercial, what powers or actions can the Minister take in addition to expressing concern?”
“Minister, I hope that you share my belief that cancer sufferers, including my constituent the late Mr Brian Coburn, should not be focusing on having to pay thousands for treatment in the final few months of life. Minister, you say in this statement that early diagnosis is paramount, and your ministerial target for treating people following an urgent referral for suspected cancer is 95% within 62 days. Last month, we heard that less than two thirds — just 64·5% — of patients were seen within this time. Is there a crisis in cancer waiting times? What are you doing to address that, considering that it affects all types of cancer?”
“<BR /> <BR />The men and women of the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service, just like our medical staff and security services, are front-line emergency services and should be viewed in that way by government. Failure to do so is not only disrespectful to dedicated men and women who put their lives on the line daily, it is dangerous because it has the potential to lengthen response times and put lives at risk. <BR /> <BR />I have nothing but admiration for the firefighters whom I met in Portadown and for firefighters across Northern Ireland. I urge the two Ministers to look again at this forgotten service before it is too late.”
“However, the proposed reduction in their budget of just under 10% forces decisions upon them, rather than allowing them to make changes and efficiencies that would not threaten the life-saving front-line service that they provide. I would be grateful if the Minister considered the current position of the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service relative to its sister services in England and Wales, which plan their budget for the next five years. In Northern Ireland, because of the lack of detail, Fire Service management are unable to plan their budget for even the next 12 months with any certainty. Minister, urgent clarification is required. At this stage, we do not care who gives it to them — you or Minister Wells.”
“Recently, I visited those who hold the front line of the Fire Service at Portadown fire station. I wanted to hear first-hand what was being proposed and how it would affect them and the service that they provide. I met an extremely dedicated bunch of individuals who care deeply for their community and feel that their voice is not being listened to when it comes to the Budget. They are the experts with the experience and knowledge, and their voices should be heard. <BR /> <BR />I know, having also spoken to Fire Service management, that they will continue to work to deliver greater efficiencies within the service.”
“However, it is a Budget that does not support the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service. I assure the Minister that it is, indeed, viewed as a front-line emergency service by the general public, and rightly so. It is often first on the scene of some of our most horrific and life-threatening incidents. Its responses are time critical, and its dedication and training should be supported to the hilt by government. Personnel put their life on the line for everyone and should not be in any way hampered from doing what they are fully trained to do best: save lives.”
“The Minister will be more than aware of the concerns amongst Fire Service management and staff that they are, for some reason, not viewed by government as a front-line emergency service. Maybe that is because the Health Department does not have a definition of a front-line service, so I will take the opportunity today to ask the Finance Minister. His press release of 19 January talked about a Budget for next year:”
“Whilst the Vote on Account is crucial to keep the service ticking along until the Main Estimates later in the year, if we are heading for another funding crisis in our health service, we should be preparing for it now, not in October. I hope that the new controls that the Executive and the Finance Minister have over the Department of Health spend, as unprecedented as they may be, will ensure that the scene last year on 21 August, when the former Minister set out his belated request for extra urgent funds on the radio, will not be repeated. <BR /> <BR />As we are in the process of granting permission for a large proportion of next year's spend, I want to turn to the specific issue of what has already been termed in the House as "the forgotten service": the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service.”
“This will inevitably start to become clear in the few months between now and the Estimates in June. Whilst the budget settlement for next year included an additional allocation of over £150 million, that is entirely offset by £220 million of pressures being carried forward from 2014-15. In fact, the Health Department is forecasting its pressure increasing to £317 million, up again from £304 million this year. In addition, I note that the Department believes that it has identified savings opportunities and cost reductions of £164 million. Of that, the vast majority — £113 million — will come in the form of cash-releasing efficiencies and productivity gains in trusts. <BR /> <BR />In the absence of any new approach to organise our health service, I simply do not believe that all those savings from the trusts will be attainable.”
“Whilst the Department eventually received significant in-year allocations, even still, they were either not enough or, more likely, came too late to mitigate all the damage that had been done. The decisions of each of the five health trusts are well known and do not need to be repeated here today. I stress, however, that decisions to scale back domiciliary care, to close minor injury units and to slash intermediate beds not only go against nearly every policy that the Department is meant to have but show an astonishing lack of financial insight. I have said this in the Chamber before: short-term gains for much, much longer-term pain. <BR /> <BR />As our health service prepares to turn from 2014-15 and looks ahead to 2015-16, the horizon, sadly, looks even worse.”
“<BR /> <BR />In my opinion, mistakes were made. It is unforgivable that the Minister and his officials waited so long to ring the alarm bells. They knew, by waiting well into the last year of a four-year budget, that it would be all but impossible to reallocate emergency funding without having a major and damaging impact on other areas. Had they spoken up earlier — the former Minister is responsible here — much of the pain could have been avoided. However, aside from a half-hearted attempt at TYC, nothing was done to avoid what happened this year. The Minister simply sat back and watched the local national health service walk into a major funding crisis.”
“I thank the Member for his intervention, but I will move on. <BR /> <BR />As we are all aware of the fact that the Department ended with a £13 million deficit in 2013-14, despite receiving a further £100 million in monitoring rounds that year, it was clear that all was not well within our local health service even before this year had started. That deficit, however, turned out to be a relatively small problem for the Department, as its financial prognosis kept going from bad to worse. Only in late August 2014 did the then Minister gather the political confidence to accept that he had made a mistake and that the numbers in the 2011-15 settlement, which he and others had praised for so long, did not add up. He need not have warned about refusing to implement cuts, because, not long after his statement, he was unceremoniously out of office.”
“In fact, I ask the Minister if there has ever been a year with such in-year shifts of departmental budgets. It is not about scoring points, Mr Speaker. I am simply saying that it is about time that we had a little bit of honesty around what happened between early summer and autumn last year. <BR /> <BR />As my party's health spokesperson, I will make a few specific points with regard to the Department of Health's year.”
“In reality, the majority was required to smooth over the deep and dangerous cracks that were appearing in the 2011-15 Budget. Some parties quite clearly decided to place political spin far ahead of being honest with the public. <BR /> <BR />Of course, the four-year Budget was always more of a calculated political agreement than any sort of genuine attempt to use public funds appropriately. The last Assembly was assured in late 2010 and early 2011 that the numbers worked and that those individuals or parties with even the slightest bit of doubt would be proven wrong. <BR /> <BR />This was the year that the Budget deal finally fragmented beyond all recognition of what was agreed almost four years ago. We need only look today at how different the final settlements were to those agreed.”
“There were a number of reasons for that, not least the ridiculous spectacle of the £87 million penalty that was paid to the Treasury. That, along with £13 million the year before, was money that the Executive could ill afford to lose, yet it did — all because one party walked itself into a corner for fearing what the voters of the Republic would think, only to, very publicly, roll over at the last minute, because after playing and losing their one and only card with the Prime Minister, they knew they had no other ideas or options left. Nevertheless, if some in the Chamber had had their way — I look to the Minister's party for this — they would have had all of us believe that all the in-year reductions were to pay for the fines.”
“I welcome the opportunity to speak on the Budget Bill. I will split my remarks into two sections to broadly reflect what the Bill is seeking us to approve. First, I will look back at the year that has been, and, secondly, I will look at the year that now looks likely. <BR /> <BR />There is no doubt that 2014-15 was an immensely challenging year. The institutions faced one crisis after the other; in fact, they came close to what looked like a likely collapse on more than one occasion. The lack of political control at the top of the Executive was, unfortunately, repeated in a lack of control on their financial management. Of course, I am talking about the 4·4% in-year reduction that 10 of the 12 Departments were hit with, simply to keep key public services operating.”
“I thank the junior Minister for his lengthy answer, despite his man flu. In what sense is it fair and equitable that two boys may have been abused by the same person on the same day but only one has access to the historical institutional abuse (HIA) inquiry? That is based not on the nature or scale of the abuse but merely where it happened.”
“I thank the Minister for her answer. Is the Minister aware that those competing in the disciplines of mountain biking and cyclo-cross do not receive funding? Will she take steps to ensure parity of esteem in the funding of each cycling discipline?”
“When will the Minister be in a position to give details of funding that may be available for Portadown and Glenavon football clubs?”
“Like the Member who tabled the question for urgent oral answer, for which I commend her, I think that it is concerning that Musgrave Park is turning into a holding centre for the overspill from the Royal. These are real people, Minister, and a cancelled operation very often represents another person left waiting longer in agony. Will the Minister confirm or deny that the waiting time at the Belfast Trust for spinal appointments is sitting at 44 weeks? If that is the case, what is he going to do about it?”
“Minister, people facing mortgage arrears in the rest of the UK have access to a wide range of interest-free loans and other initiatives not available to homeowners here. Even a £2 million fund could offer support of £5,000 and help 400 families here. That compares favourably to the £10 million co-ownership scheme in next year's Budget, which will allow up to 330 new homes to be purchased. Minister, why do you believe that a relief scheme is not important in Northern Ireland?”
“What additional support do you plan to provide to the industry to help it grasp those opportunities and therefore deliver a prosperous future for fishing in Northern Ireland?”
“Following on from Mr Byrne's question, in your press release you describe the 3% increase in the prawn quota as an:”