Seán Lynch
Fermanagh and South Tyrone · Sinn Féin · Northern Ireland
“I thank the Minister for his answer and for giving an undertaking to meet officials on the matter. The Audit Office reported that the Department could claim back £14 million from BT in relation to previous broadband schemes.”
“I thank the joint First Minister for her answer. As the Minister said, NDNA is the basis on which we re-established these institutions. Does the Minister agree that the DUP's decision to vote against a motion to establish a simultaneous translation service in the Assembly was an act of gross bad faith?”
“Minister, I want to go back to the restoration of the Ulster canal. That is a project on my doorstep that will be a major boost to the economy in the east Fermanagh/Clones area.”
“Members will also know that the recognition of the Irish language by these institutions has become a particular issue of respect and equality for many people.”
“<BR /> <BR />We are also satisfied that, in the interests of equality, Members who wish to speak in Irish or Ulster Scots should not need to provide advance notice of their intention to do so in order for their contribution in plenary sittings to be translated.”
“It is significantly less resource-intensive than some other options and strikes an appropriate balance between language rights and costs. However, work must begin now, because any delays will leave insufficient time to have the necessary measures in place at the start of the next mandate.”
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“Regarding the PIs, the Member who moved the amendments made some very compelling points around the concept of "in the interests of justice". We all want a system that removes avoidable delays, however doing away with PIs completely may not be in the best interests of doing that. There was some debate around the possible exemptions if the amendment is passed, and that is something that the Committee can tease out in further consideration. <BR /> <BR />Regarding amendment No 20, put forward by the Minister, we support extending the range of matters that can be dealt with by way of video link. However, we must not undermine the effectiveness of the participation of the accused. Single jurisdiction is to allow better coordination of courts, judges and witnesses, thus speeding up the process.”
“Go raibh maith agat, a Cheann Comhairle. Much of what I had to say was touched on earlier in the debate.”
“Go raibh maith agat, a LeasCheann Comhairle. Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire as an fhreagra sin. Will the Minister confirm the joint commitments made to the service from previous and current Ministers?”
“Go raibh maith agat, a LeasCheann Comhairle. Is the Minister satisfied that all necessary steps are being taken to ensure that only legal diesel is being sold at filling stations?”
“Go raibh maith agat, a Cheann Comhairle. Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire as a ráiteas. I thank the Minister for his statement. Will he give more detail on the development of cross-border greenways?”
“Go raibh maith agat, a Phríomh-LeasCheann Comhairle. Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire as an fhreagra sin. The new Lisnakea library that opened on 8 May is a fantastic facility for the town. I look forward to you coming to open it officially. Does the Minister recognise the importance of Enniskillen library to the county and that there is an urgent need for its improvement?”
“Go raibh maith agat, a LeasCheann Comhairle. Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire as a fhreagra. I thank the Minister for his answer and welcome the units that he mentioned. However, Minister, there are over 600 on the waiting list in Enniskillen and another 400 throughout the rest of the county. How do you plan to alleviate that long list?”
“Go raibh maith agat, a Cheann Comhairle. Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire don fhreagra sin. I thank the Minister for his answer. I think that we all agree that political leadership is needed at the highest level to tackle the growing problem of racism. Does the Minister agree that his party's failure to distance itself from racist views and, indeed, previous comments by his party leader fuel intolerance, racism and disrespect towards other cultures and races?”
“All parties in the Assembly should be calling for the transfer of taxation powers, which would give us greater control over our taxes and how our taxes are spent, including on keeping water and sewerage services in public ownership.”
“Sinn Féin recognises that there are significant challenges across the island of Ireland to achieving a truly sustainable water and sewerage service — one that is affordable, meets environmental obligations and delivers a reliable, high-quality service. However, we have proven in government that that can be done without driving struggling households into further poverty. We recognise that water is a precious resource that is universally recognised as a basic human right, and its delivery should be paid for through general progressive tax and efficiencies in the system. Here in the North, we do not have general taxation powers. Therefore, water is subsidised by the Executive through domestic rates.”
“In Britain, the Tories took utilities that were paid for by the public, invested sums of public money to upgrade them, and later sold them to their friends and charged the public for continuing to use them. Is that what we should do here? We say no.”
“Conor Murphy once likened the situation he inherited from direct rule Ministers to trying to turn a tanker in a canal. He ruled out privatisation and made it clear that these public services will operate within full public ownership, now and in the future. Sinn Féin did so on the basis that households here were already hard pressed due to the difficult economic circumstances and should not be forced to endure an additional financial burden or stealth tax. As the first Member said, people are dealing with higher rates bills as we speak. <BR /> <BR />Since 2007, we have invested over £1 billion in water and sewerage services on overhauling an unfit sewerage system that had been neglected over decades by successive British Governments.”
“Go raibh maith agat, a Cheann Comhairle. I rise to support the motion. It gives me an opportunity to outline my party's position regarding water rates. <BR /> <BR />Sinn Féin is on record throughout the island of Ireland opposing the imposition of water charges for domestic households. In its 2007 manifesto, Sinn Féin promised to block the introduction of water charges, and that is exactly what we did. Just prior to the setting up of the Assembly and the Executive in 2007, direct rule Ministers established NIW, with a view to privatisation and the bringing in of household charges. Conor Murphy, the first Minister after 2007, blocked the introduction of water charges, and I acknowledge the current Minister for continuing that policy.”
“Go raibh maith agat, a Phríomh-LeasCheann Comhairle. Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire as an fhreagra sin. I thank the Minister for his answers so far. Will he outline the protections that are in place to maintain front-line services in the context of the voluntary exit scheme?”
“We all must be resolute in our condemnation of this activity. All efforts should be employed to eradicate fuel laundering.”
“Immediate investment in policing and customs is one solution to the problem. That would be financially beneficial to the economies of the North and the South. Another way is to introduce a new dye. In 2013, the South of Ireland introduced a system whereby green diesel is tracked from supplier to customer. In just over 12 months, the sale of green diesel fell by approximately 10% and the sale of road diesel increased, which brought in €150 million more to public funds. That system needs to be replicated here to increase public funds and reduce laundering and dumping. <BR /> <BR />Fuel laundering is not a victimless crime. It damages the environment, impacts on revenue and wrecks people's cars. I cannot state more strongly and loudly that what is happening is criminality. Those involved are not republicans.”
“Every effort should be made to ensure that support is given to policing authorities on both sides of the border to stamp out fuel laundering, given the damage that it does to communities. As someone who comes from a border community, I can say for certain that there is no support for this activity. It is imperative that there is a close working relationship between the PSNI and an Garda Síochána in investigating fuel laundering. The fact that there have been no, or very few, prosecutions is disappointing. If that continues, confidence in policing will be more difficult to achieve in those areas.”
“They have not got anywhere, and I will address your issue later in my speech. <BR /> <BR />The cost of the recovery and disposal of toxic sludge is high. My colleague Megan Fearon recently called for increased funding for the NIEA so that it can continue to clear diesel waste. The Environment Agency has claimed that it has run out of money to clear the waste. Money needs to be found if we are to safeguard the environment. <BR /> <BR />The republican movement was mentioned in some earlier comments, but the reality is that some of the most senior republicans and Sinn Féin elected representatives, including Conor Murphy and Mickey Brady, have been standing up to organised crime regardless of its form.”
“Go raibh maith agat, a LeasCheann Comhairle. From the outset, I condemn the illegal activity of diesel laundering. It is a scourge and a blight on local communities and the environment in which the toxic sludge is dumped. I agree with much of what was said by the first Member who spoke. Our representatives have been standing up to the organised crime that is termed fuel laundering. The people operating the fuel plants are criminals. They have no respect for the environment, as they discard their poisonous waste throughout the countryside. The victims of their actions are their own communities and relatives —”
“An article in a modern law review recently explored the neglected area of miscarriages of justice and suggested that they may be much more extensive than previously realised and that the level of appeals for wrongful convictions is low. However, it said that that is not a reliable indicator of justice served. The article quotes a figure of over 300 such cases that could be reviewed. <BR /> <BR />To conclude, a Cheann Comhairle, as my colleague Raymond McCartney said, if the motion had been framed in another form that sought the review of all miscarriages of justice as a result of the criminal justice system, which included dubious interrogation methods and the role of the Diplock courts, we would have supported it.”
“It must be remembered that one person was convicted of Adrian Carroll's murder. Miscarriages of justice arise from the criminal justice system of that time — a system that my community had little confidence in. Human rights organisations accused courts of turning a blind eye to dubious police interrogation practices, which routinely led to a conviction, in the shape of a confession, not to mention the dark periods of the paid perjurer era. <BR /> <BR />More recently, the blight of the miscarriages of justice has raised serious concerns about the judicial system, with the quashing of many convictions from that period.”
“I question the methods of obtaining statements from Mr Worton. The methods that the police employed in Castlereagh and other holding centres were highly questionable during this period. Human rights organisations often criticised the police for obtaining statements under duress. I know many people who experienced degrading and threatening behaviour whilst in custody. Rather than focusing on one case, it would be better if the sponsors of the motion had called for legislation to deal with all cases of this nature. <BR /> <BR />The motion states:”
“Go raibh maith agat, a LeasCheann Comhairle. I oppose the motion. Like other Members said, our thoughts should be with the Carroll family, some of whom I know personally. <BR /> <BR />There are two aspects to this motion: miscarriages of justice and Mr Worton's case for compensation for the period he spent in prison. Whilst we have sympathy with Mr Worton as he was acquitted of the charges on the basis that the only evidence against him was a statement he made in Castlereagh holding centre, might I add that, in that respect, Mr Worton's case is similar to hundreds of other cases. I do not accept Mr Poots's statement that this should not be opened up to all cases. I believe that it should.”
“<BR /> <BR />The Minister stated that the strategy was not a war on motorists, and they will be glad to hear that. Those were not criticisms for the sake of it, they were perceptions expressed by one or more members during the inquiry. He said that hopefully there will be a successful cultural change over the next 25 years. I hope we all live to see it, Minister. Go raibh míle maith agat.”
“<BR /> <BR />Steven Agnew welcomed the focus that the Committee has brought to cycling. He spoke about cycling creating a modal shift and said that it should be one of our choices of transport. He also spoke about the hurdles and barriers to using public transport and cycling. <BR /> <BR />The Minister welcomed the report, said that the inquiry was timely and opportune and commended the work of the Committee. He welcomed the fact that he is sympathetic to many of our recommendations. He also indicated his continued support for the Active School Travel programme, which is welcome. We look forward to working on the primary legislation on physical activity in due course. We agree that the strategy needs to drive forward, and we look forward to helping it do that. We again welcome his comments on the cycle-to-work scheme.”
“<BR /> <BR />Joe Byrne spoke about the cycling phenomenon, particularly in his home town of Omagh, and the positive impact it had on the local economy. He highlighted the need to establish appropriate baselines. <BR /> <BR />Sammy Douglas said he took up cycling three years ago for health reasons and that his only regret was that it was too late. Sammy, I do not think it is ever too late. Like you, I took up cycling and I totally agree with you that the health benefits are significant. He rightly encouraged more people to cycle and heralded the benefits, personally and for the wider population, including family outings. Sandra Overend mentioned family cycling as well. Sammy welcomed the cycling revolution, and both he and the Chair commended the Department on its cycling conference.”
“Chris Lyttle is another member of the all-party group who came in front of us and made a valuable contribution. He referred to the three barriers to cycling, including ownership. <BR /> <BR />The Committee, as the Chair indicated during the interjections, has called for an extension to the bike-to-work scheme, including making it a compulsory programme in the public sector. He also, quite rightly, highlighted the absence of integrated transport solutions. We have called for Translink to identify better means of integrating cycling with public transport. <BR /> <BR />Alex Easton and Stephen Moutray highlighted the health benefits of cycling. We have called for roads to be health proofed, similar to the assessments being carried out on the Connswater greenway, through the World Health Organization's health economic assessment tool.”
“Go raibh maith agat. I thank the Member, and I take her point.”
“Again, the Committee is supportive of that concept, but it did not want to see any further pilot projects as there were sufficiently successful greenways operating. <BR /> <BR />Sandra Overend, as a member of the all-party group that came before us, welcomed the report as positive, although critical of the Department's strategy. Other contributions today supported that criticism. She suggested that recommendations 27 and 40 of the report were contradictory. The Committee does not necessarily agree with that, and cites examples of innovative projects in recommendation 40. I find it somewhat rich that the Committee is criticised for not identifying alternative funding streams when the Minister and his officials have not identified any sources of funding in their strategy.”
“The Committee supported the Department in calling for a larger budget for cycling within the INTERREG programme, and saw at first-hand the desire for cross-border cycling projects. He highlighted the potential for opening greenways across the island of Ireland, citing the Great Western Greenway project at Mulranny. I think we would all agree that that is an example for success across the island. <BR /> <BR />John Dallat, in welcoming the report, highlighted the relevant fact that the North lags behind the rest of Europe. Whilst I am sure that he was referring to a particular rail line, I think we received clarity that he would be supportive of disused rail lines being developed as greenways.”
“<BR /> <BR />As I said, this was an important debate. The range of contributions show how important cycling is to the economy. If I may, a Phríomh-LeasCheann Comhairle, I will refer briefly to some of the points made. <BR /> <BR />My colleague Declan McAleer noted that the strategy had not been rural proofed, which is a valid point and one that the Committee laboured over during the inquiry. I welcome the Minister's commitment in his speech to rural proof the strategy. Declan referred to the need for equal treatment between rural and urban areas. That supports the Committee's position that the cycling strategy and cycling initiatives are urban-focused. <BR /> <BR />Declan and others referred to INTERREG funding.”
“Go raibh maith agat, a Phríomh-LeasCheann Comhairle. <BR /> <BR />I welcome the opportunity to make a winding-up speech on what was an important debate. As Deputy Chair, I want to put on record my thanks to the many contributors who made this report a success and made it possible. I thank the members of the Committee; the all-party group on cycling, a number of whom spoke in the debate; and all the witnesses and officials from the Department for Regional Development. I thank the Departments of Health; Culture, Arts and Leisure; and Environment. In particular, I thank those who we met when we visited County Mayo. I thank our support team, Hansard, and our Assembly researcher for all the excellent support. I thank the Minister for coming here today, and the Members for their contributions.”
“The CEO of Tourism Ireland, who is responsible for the initiative, said that turning this Building green for the occasion would help the global greening initiative. Will the Minister agree to support that initiative?”
“Go raibh maith agat. Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire as ucht a freagra. I thank the Minister for her answer. I know that the cricket team is not doing so well today against South Africa. <BR /> <BR />The Minister will be aware that half the world turns green at this time of year for St Patrick's Day, including some landmark buildings around the world, like the leaning tower of Pisa and the Pyramids in Egypt. In response to some of my colleagues at last week's Enterprise Committee meeting —”
“Go raibh maith agat, a Phríomh-LeasCheann Comhairle. Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire as an fhreagra sin. I thank the Minister for that answer. I share his concerns about the unfitness of housing in rural areas. I am also aware that he is not long in the Department. Will he explain what his Department will be doing to rectify the issue?”
“Go raibh maith agat, a Phríomh-LeasCheann Comhairle. Does the Minister envisage additional remuneration to attract a qualified and suitable person for the post?”
“I thank the Member for giving way. I live in one of those housing estates that has been given 20 mph zones and traffic calming measures. I can say from experience that the traffic has reduced considerably. Would the Member agree?”
“Go raibh maith agat, a LeasCheann Comhairle. I think that we have done the rounds, but another one of the courthouses is in Enniskillen. It may be old, but it is not inefficient. They are proposing that they go to Dungannon, which is almost an hour's drive away. That will hit the most vulnerable people, and it is the only courthouse in the county. Do you agree with me that it will impact on the most vulnerable people?”
“Go raibh maith agat. Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire as an fhreagra sin. I thank the Minister for his answer. Can he clarify the position around recommendation 1, and can he confirm the cost of the review and whether it represents value for money?”
“Sorry, I did not know that I was down for this, a Cheann Comhairle. Absolutely nobody warned me.”
“Go raibh maith agat, a Cheann Comhairle. I want to say that I am sorry; I have just arrived in. Things are moving on. This is in relation to the Road Traffic Bill. On behalf of Sinn Féin, I rise —”
“Go raibh maith agat, a LeasCheann Comhairle. Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire as an fhreagra sin. I thank the Minister for her answer. Will she advise what collaborative work has taken place with the Department in the South?”
“<BR /> <BR />The difficulty for councils sorting out such issues was a lack of information requested from the Department. There were no title maps to do any proper analysis. Other problems associated with this car park, which my colleague Declan McAleer will go into in greater detail, include poor markings, subsidence, poor surfacing and it being prone to flooding. <BR /> <BR />Councils have good arguments for upgrading car parks. It was obvious from the slides that we were shown that little had been spent on many of these car parks in many years. The estimated cost to upgrade this car park — I know that car parks have been upgraded in recent times — was approximately £70,000. <BR /> <BR />I will leave it at that and hope that the Minister can clear up a lot of the issues that I raised.”
“The second issue is that councils identified legal issues of entitlement that needed to be resolved. Minister, councils need to know exactly what is being transferred. None of us would sign up for even a simple house transaction if all legal issues were not resolved. That is what your legal advice would inform you of anyhow. Have these legal issues been qualified? If not, can the transfer go ahead within the time frame? <BR /> <BR />Take the example of Castle Park car park in Enniskillen. The Chair referred to it, and I know the car park very well. When we met the council, it had no details of the legal title or claims history associated with the car park. A road runs directly through it. On one side, you have Translink. One side is classified as on-street parking whereas the remainder is off-street.”
“As I said, we argued that the Bill will contain no conditions. I think that it was referred to by the Chair and clarified by the chief executive of Mid Ulster District Council, Mr Anthony Tohill, who said that restrictions already existed in planning legislation:”
“It was best put by Cathal Mallaghan, of Mid Ulster District Council:”
“Local representatives will have a much greater say in shaping how local town centres develop and how local services are delivered.”
“Those issues included a lack of information from the Department, not being furnished with maps or drawings that would give an understanding of exactly what was being transferred, financial figures based on tariffs and information on the condition of car parks. I hope the Minister can tell us today how many of those blockages have been resolved. <BR /> <BR />I want to touch on a number of the key issues that arose during our engagement. Sinn Féin does not support any restrictions being placed on the transfer. All councils and the representatives we have spoken to work for the greater potential for their particular town centres. One of the core principles of local government is to have greater powers of responsibility, and we argued throughout the passage of the Bill that greater powers should be given to local councils.”
“Go raibh maith agat, a Cheann Comhairle. First, I concur with much of what the Chair said. My party is also content with the principles of the Bill. <BR /> <BR />Our decision to go out and engage with the people in local councils who are going to assume responsibility for off-street parking was not only a useful but a very informative exercise. The meeting in Enniskillen, which is in my area and was referred to by the Chair, was attended by people from Omagh, Fermanagh and mid-Ulster. The engagement at that meeting crystallised many of the issues that are at the heart of the matter, particularly for myself.”
“Go raibh maith agat, a Cheann Comhairle. Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire as an ráiteas seo ar maidin. The Minister mentioned the Ulster canal in response to an earlier question. Can she outline what progress has been made on the Clones to Upper Lough Erne section of the canal?”