Colum Eastwood
Foyle · Social Democratic and Labour Party · Northern Ireland
“Thank you, Mr Speaker. Given the fact that the Good Friday Agreement envisages an Assembly, a power-sharing Executive, North/South Ministerial Council and other bodies, is it the case, today, that, if we do not have the nominating officer here from Sinn Féin, no Executive will be formed?”
“Mr Allister has made my point for me. The Good Friday Agreement is absolutely 100% clear. The power-sharing Executive, the Northern Ireland Assembly, the North-South Ministerial Council: at any point over the last 1,000-plus days, those institutions could have been restored. People on these Benches have tried hard.”
“That is why we are here today. We will gladly take part in those institutions but we will not be party to a stunt that is using and abusing people's emotions and sensitivities over a very difficult issue, which could have been dealt with at any point over the last 1,000 days.”
“<BR /> <BR />Is it the case, Mr Speaker, that without Members here present to my right or who should be to my right that there will not be an Executive formed today? If that is the case, we will be in no position to support a Speaker and allow for the undermining of the Good Friday Agreement through a unionist-dominated shadow Assembly.”
“<BR /> <BR />It is, of course, true that because of the DUP's despicable and disgraceful behaviour, not just around RHI, we have got to this point. It is also true that they were let do all those things. They were allowed to do all those things.”
“We put the papers in on all manner of subjects, topics and areas, but nobody wanted to negotiate back. Nobody wanted to talk to us about how we can invest in the Irish language, protect equality for LGBT people and tackle poverty and discrimination right across our society.”
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“I think that the Republic of Ireland team is going to qualify as well when they get through the play-offs. They beat the world champions, Germany. That was a fantastic achievement. I look forward to both Irish teams competing in the finals in France next year. In the future, I look forward to there being one Irish team competing at major tournaments together, because I think that could be a fantastic thing for this island, as sport continues to unite and break down barriers.”
“I join others in congratulating Michael O'Neill, the Northern Ireland team and all the supporters for the fantastic way that they have approached this tournament so far. It has been a great weekend for sport on this island. The all-Ireland rugby team are doing fantastically well in the Rugby World Cup, and we wish them all the best. The Northern Ireland team qualified top of their group, which is something that I do not think that anybody would have expected. It was an outstanding achievement.”
“<BR /> <BR />Brian Friel was somebody who was able to translate into literature that which was previously left unsaid. He was able to straddle the supposedly conflicting notions of tradition and modernity, and to do it very, very well. He gave us the humility to understand that it was OK to be confused about identity. He was a tremendous asset and someone of whom all from our part of the world are very proud. I think that his influence will last for many's a generation to come. Thank you very much.”
“I am happy to join Members who have spoken in sending the House's condolences to Anne and Brian Friel's family. I was a pupil at St Columb's College, so it was hard to escape the influence and inspiration of people such as Brian Friel, Seamus Heaney, John Hume and others who adorned the walls and sometimes entered through the front door to inspire us young people. It was a tremendous way to grow up, having, as we did, those kinds of inspirations all around us. <BR /> <BR />It is very difficult to sum up the impact of Brian Friel in a couple of minutes. Others talked about how much of an influence he has been on the literary scene around the world. The simplicity of his burial and funeral probably indicates what kind of a man he was. He lacked pretension and was almost embarrassed by his achievements.”
“However, the first enterprise zone in Northern Ireland is going to Coleraine — an area that does not need it. It is also an area that got things before Derry in the past, and we are still feeling the effects of that. So, I implore the Executive. We will all play our part, but if we are going to ask for city deals for Northern Ireland, let us ask for one for Derry first, because it is Derry that needs it most.”
“We have the One Plan, but the solution to delivering those things is for the Executive to ask the Treasury to allow a city deal for the north-west. We recognise that Belfast is also looking for a city deal, and we wish them well in their endeavours, but we will not accept a city deal for Belfast and a road to Derry. I can hear those arguments being made: "Och, wouldn't it be great if Derry and Belfast got together and did one big city deal?". We have had experience of that. The north-west is the area of highest economic need; the north-west needs investment first, as was the case with the enterprise zone idea, which came from the Executive. The question was asked and the proposal was made by the First Minister and the deputy First Minister, and it went off to the Treasury.”
“We are not surprised that we have not had movement on this yet. In a question for oral answer, in September 2014, I asked OFMDFM how it planned to deliver the One Plan commitments. That question has not yet been answered. In June of this year, I asked OFMDFM how it planned to progress the north-west gateway initiative. That still has not been answered. I have asked OFMDFM to detail job promotion targets for 2015-16. They still have not been decided by the Executive. The north-west ministerial subgroup, which we all welcomed, has met once. <BR /> <BR />We all know the problems; we are coming to this with solutions. I think that everybody recognises that road infrastructure and investment in Magee and higher education in the city are starting points.”
“It has not got a motorway going in or out of it, nor has it a university of the right size to attract the investment that is required. That is a stain on the reputation of politics in Northern Ireland. We are offering a very obvious solution, even though it comes from the Tory party in England. We do not look a gift horse in the mouth. If Glasgow can attract £1·3 billion of investment to their area, why can we not do something similar? Why can we not ask the simple and obvious question to which the Treasury has already said it would say yes? Why can the Executive not do that? I do not understand.”
“We have been without a motorway from Derry to Belfast for 50 years. It is God knows how many years since we began calling for a motorway from Dublin to Derry. I am glad to hear more soundings and positive words coming from the Irish Government today around the A5. <BR /> <BR />I think that people have had enough of positive words and of nice reports being written. People want to see delivery. They want to see us taking people off welfare. The best way in which to take people off welfare is to ensure that they have the opportunity of getting a job, and the best way in which to get a job and to create employment in areas of high unemployment is to invest in infrastructure and skills. We have not done that. There is a black spot in Northern Ireland: it is called the north-west.”
“People in the House who are not from the north-west are probably fed up listening to all of us talking about the problems that we face in Derry. Unfortunately, we are going to have to keep talking about those problems if the Executive do not begin to find ways in which to resolve them. <BR /> <BR />Our view is that the One Plan and a city deal can operate side by side. In fact, a city deal is the way of delivering the One Plan objectives, one of which was that we would see 9,400 students at Magee university by 2020. Even I now can recognise that we are not going to meet that target. Of course, it has been 50 years since we were told that Magee university would not be able to reach its full potential because of the University of Ulster campus being sited at Coleraine. Fifty years on, and we are still here making this argument.”
“Is it really the legacy that we and the Executive want to leave for the next generation that the second city in Northern Ireland, which is recognised as one of two key economic drivers by the Executive, is ranked at number 21 out of 26 areas for having high-value jobs. I do not think that that is good enough. That is why we have come here with the motion and why Mark Durkan and the SDLP have, for a long time, campaigned for a city deal. <BR /> <BR />We have been told by the Treasury and the Secretary of State that, if the Executive come with an idea, a plan and a proposal for a city deal for Derry, they will look positively at that idea. Why would we look a gift horse in the mouth? We all played varying degrees of a part in developing the One Plan for the city. It recognised all the issues that we have talked about.”
“I have had to stand up in this place far too many times and explain that Derry is at the wrong end of many of the economic league tables and that Derry lags behind in investment, infrastructure and skills and in investing in our young people to try to ensure that we can have a stable and sustainable economy, in which our young people do not have to leave to get work. <BR /> <BR />Very recently, we saw the Department for Social Development's 'Households Below Average Income Northern Ireland 2013/14' report. Derry, which is the second city in the North and is recognised by the Programme for Government and the Executive's economic strategy as one of the key economic drivers for Northern Ireland, ranked number 21 out of the 26 previous council areas for high earners.”
“I think that it is a fantastic idea to allow cities to play a full part in deciding their own priorities and developing their own plans. Of course, in Derry, we have a lot of experience of developing our own plans. Unfortunately, many of those plans are sitting on a shelf somewhere in one or more Departments in and around this Building. We now need to ensure that we have delivery of some of those plans. We were delighted to see the Heenan-Anderson report recognise the ability that city deal has to be transformational for local economies. <BR /> <BR />We all know the difficulties in Derry.”
“Like other cities in England, Scotland and Wales, Glasgow has decided and will decide how best they will spend that money and use that new power to determine and develop their future and their economy.”
“It is not often that I rise to encourage our Executive to adopt a Conservative Party proposal, but the fact that it is a Conservative Party proposal does not mean that it is not a good one. Chancellor George Osborne's proposal and the outworkings of it in England and now in Scotland and Wales have been very positive for the cities involved. <BR /> <BR />City deals began in smaller cities across England, and we were told at the time that we would not have access to them because of our devolution settlement. Since then, we have seen Glasgow enter into a city deal compact with the Treasury and the Scottish Government that will, in effect, draw down over a billion pounds of investment in Glasgow.”
“I thank the Minister for his answer. What specific criteria will he use to withhold or reduce a compensation reward on the basis of an applicant's character?”
“I thank the Minister for his answer. Does he agree with me that any independent body — any independent environmental protection agency — should be on an all-Ireland basis if we want to protect the environment in the places that it is needed?”
“I thank the Member very much for giving way. Does she remember, like I do, that, in previous times when we had no Minister, the practice of the Civil Service here was to basically follow the lead of the English Departments? Does she agree with me that it would be a good idea for the Civil Service, in the week or so that they are free from DUP control, to bring in the pay increase that NHS workers in this part of the world have been denied for far too long?”
“I encourage the First Minister to change his attitude.”
“However, they cannot take those decisions if they do not even meet as an Executive. The people are calling on the politicians up here, whatever our other difficulties, to act on this issue and to be to the forefront of showing the compassion that is required to meet these refugees with open arms and to ensure that, if they do get this far, they are not living in the destitute conditions that some of our recent refugees are living in at the minute. <BR /> <BR />This is a political issue. There are many major geopolitical implications to all these things, but right now we have an Executive that are not meeting. We have responsibilities. Our responsibilities are not as large as the UK Government's, the Irish Government's or anybody else's, but we have responsibilities and we cannot meet those responsibilities unless this Executive meet.”
“People told me that it is not about politics and that it is only about a humanitarian crisis. However, these people are not fleeing an earthquake. They are fleeing a manmade crisis, whether it is the evil of Assad's regime, the evil of ISIS or the stupidity of Western Governments and their interventions in places like Iraq. We helped to create this crisis. We need to help to solve the problem as it stands. <BR /> <BR />About five minute before I rose to speak on that day, the First Minister, if that is what he still is, made a comment that the Executive would not be meeting. I know that a lot of these issues are reserved, but we in these institutions have a responsibility, in whatever way we need to and have to, to meet as an Executive, to act in whatever way we need to act, and to allow the Executive to make those decisions.”
“I do not think that that is something that we can be proud of at all; it is something that we should be very ashamed of. All of us, as European citizens, need to respond to that. I know that in this city, my city and places all around the North, we have had demonstrations, with people saying that refugees are welcome in their homes. That is an illustration of the character of the people of this place. Even though we all have great difficulties here — there are 4,000 on the waiting list for houses in Derry — people in Derry are still saying, "Come here. We will look after you. We will open our arms to you." They understand the difficulties that people are going through. <BR /> <BR />When we had a Matter of the Day on this issue a couple of weeks ago, I was criticised for making a political speech.”
“If America, for example, had been closed to Irish refugees — refugees is what they were — what would have happened to all those people? People were dying in the ocean, and now, in 2015, people are dying in the ocean. It is not good enough. <BR /> <BR />One of the founding values of the European Union was the protection of human dignity. I am not so sure that the scenes around the borders of Hungary are living up to that founding value. Sanctions need to be placed on EU countries that do not live up to those values because it is a stain on the reputation of the European Union that, instead of opening our arms to people who are fleeing brutal conflict, we close the doors and fire tear gas at them.”
“Mr Speaker, last night, you, along with our colleague John Dallat, organised and hosted an event about the Great Famine. I commend you for doing that. It is a major event in our history, one that we should never forget. We should not forget it because, in the immediate aftermath of the Great Famine, one million people died. One million people travelled to other parts of the world, many of whom died on coffin ships. Even if they did reach places like America, they received a very hostile reception in a lot of cases. Many others went on and did very well, and, in subsequent generations, their families ended up in very prominent positions in places like Washington DC. We, on the other hand, many years later, have not learned the lesson that we need open and welcoming countries for people who are in deep and real crisis.”
“I thank the Minister for that answer, I think. Further to that, when will the letter of offer be sent to Derry and Strabane Council to allow work to start on the redevelopment of the Brandywell?”
“I very much welcome the Minister's commitment in that regard. When are we likely to see his employment Bill come before the House?”
“What work is he doing with other Departments and Ministers to tackle areas, such as mine in the Foyle constituency, that are specifically and particularly affected by long-term unemployment and any other measure of unemployment?”
“Maybe the Minister could answer this question without mentioning welfare reform.”
“I thank the Minister for that answer. She knows well the numbers of people who get the 6.00 am bus from Foyle Street in Derry. Will she support an Executive-wide decentralisation programme, whereby all Departments would be asked, and, hopefully, would be able to deliver, a level of decentralisation to the north-west and other areas of high unemployment?”
“All that we will be doing is playing into the hands of those dissident republicans who want to put young people in jail or the cemetery. We need to be determined to fight against and change that. <BR /> <BR />We have heard talk this afternoon of refreshing devolution. We are absolutely, 100% in favour of devolution but only devolution with power-sharing, equality and protection for minorities at its heart. We are not interested one bit in renegotiating what was long and hard fought for and voted for by the people of Ireland. That is our bottom line, Mr Speaker. We are happy to see some changes in order to help this place work, but we will not stand over any changes to the fundamental principles of the institutions: power-sharing; equality; and human rights.”
“The people I represent have more reason than most to be cynical about the lack of delivery of this place. However, in my conversations with people in the last couple of weeks, I have met nobody more determined to make sure that this place works, and works better, than those in my constituency. People are, of course, fed up with the type of politics that we have and the lack of delivery, but they are determined to make it work, and they think that we are nowhere near as far forward as we should be in that regard. <BR /> <BR />The constituency that I come from also has a level of latent dissident activity. If we think that pulling down the institutions and continuing with the type of politics that we have seen over the last couple of weeks will do anything to cement democracy or progress, we are absolutely wrong.”
“I might be a bit of a renegade for saying this, but I actually have some hope that we can solve these problems, because history tells us that we can solve our problems here if we all collectively decide to try to do it. We at least need to be determined to find a solution. I am not detecting determination from every part of the House, and that needs to change. We need to protect these institutions. We do not protect them by trying to destabilise them. We do not protect them by threatening them. We do not protect them by walking out one week and walking in the next. We also have to rid the politics of Ireland of paramilitarism and the finances that they have built up over the years. <BR /> <BR />I come from a constituency with the highest unemployment levels of any Westminster constituency across Britain or the North.”
“I thank the Minister for his answers thus far. Imagine for a second that the Stormont House Agreement is implemented and the funds are available: is he confident that we can fill the gaps in personnel and recruitment to ensure that we meet all the needs of the legacy issues?”
“I know that the First Minister has just told us that there will be no Executive meetings unless there are exceptional circumstances, but I count this as an exceptional circumstance. We saw the First Minister of Scotland out last week willing to do her bit. I ask that the First Minister convene a meeting of the Executive as a matter of urgency to find out how this Executive and this part of the world can play a role in helping some of these people survive the most brutal of conditions. I hope that the First Minister will hear that call.”
“We now have an opportunity to respond in a humanitarian way, and I do not think that the British Prime Minister is meeting his obligations in that regard at all.”
“As one of the richest countries in the world, we need to be there to help people who are suffering some of the most brutal conditions imaginable. <BR /> <BR />We are also responsible because we have sent bombers and troops to some of those countries, and we have destroyed those countries. We have left people with no option but to flee, whether from the evil of ISIS, Assad or Saddam Hussein or the stupidity of Western powers in trying to interfere where they do not understand. A couple of years ago, had the British Prime Minister had his way, we would have intervened in Syria as well, and the beneficiaries of that intervention would, of course, have been ISIS. So, until we understand these issues, Western powers need to be very careful about how they act and respond.”
“One of the founding values of the European Union was to respect human dignity. As Europeans, we are all failing to respect the human dignity of the refugees. It is a catastrophe and a disgrace that hundreds of thousands of people are searching for sanctuary and, in many cases, they are not able to find it. I think that we are all responsible in that regard. <BR /> <BR />It is very unfortunate that it took the image of young Aylan Kurdi to shock us into action when so many people have drowned or, thankfully, been rescued in the Mediterranean Sea over the last number of years. It has, though, shaken us into action. Ordinary people, ordinary communities, Churches and all types of organisations want to act and help, but they cannot help without our Governments putting their shoulders to the wheel and doing what is right.”
“I appreciate what the Minister said about Ballycastle, but given the current financial pressures and impending further financial constraints, is the Minister confident that we are not looking at potential infraction proceedings on any other sites across the North?”
“I thank the Minister for her answers thus far. What criteria have been used to determine eligibility for the voluntary exit scheme? Are they based just on finances or is consideration given to departmental needs?”
“Given the very positive affirmation of equal marriage by the people of the Twenty-six Counties, what will the Minister's Department do to advance the cause of ensuring that all the people of Ireland have the opportunity to be treated as equals in their own country?”
“I thank the Minister for his answers thus far. Of course, the Foyle constituency has the highest levels of any type of unemployment in all the Westminster constituencies. That was the case long before the welfare discussion, or crisis, as the Minister likes to talk about. What progress are we making in increasing the maximum student number (MaSN) at the North West Regional College, which will, of course, be essential in trying to tackle youth unemployment and underemployment?”
“I thank the Minister for his answer and join him in paying tribute to those staff. I also appeal to him to work with his Executive colleagues, if possible, to ensure that staff who want to be redeployed can be redeployed within the city or the surrounding areas. We have a very real unemployment crisis in our city, and losing jobs is not something that we need to acquiesce in.”
“That brings me nicely to my supplementary question: when will the report be published?”
“Hopefully, the DUP will move to a much more tolerant place in society. If it does not, I do not see how any potential British Prime Minister could do a deal with a party that thinks that homosexuals harm society. We need to see a complete change in the attitude of that party, and I hope that, today, it takes the opportunity to begin that process.”
“<BR /> <BR />I fully respect people's right to oppose equal marriage, but people need to understand that we need to be seen to support members of our community who have been getting all the wrong kinds of messages from this place, whether telling people that their blood is not good enough to save lives or that they cannot adopt children, when children are crying out for loving fathers. <BR /> <BR />Mr Wells has done the right thing, but I call on the DUP to go further. One of the DUP's MPs has said that gay people harm society. That kind of bigotry is what harms society. That kind of bigotry is what got us into a lot of difficulties over the years in this place. I call on the First Minister to disassociate himself from Ian Paisley's remarks and to ask him to withdraw them, in the same way that Mr Wells did.”
“The SDLP's policy is clear, however: we support equal marriage. I know that that is our policy because I proposed it at our party conference, and it was passed by a majority. That is how we do things. We are very clear that that is our position, but we also recognise that we have to protect the Churches and religious organisations that do not want to take part in equal marriage. This is about changing civil marriage, not about changing anybody's religious interpretation of what marriage is. Marriage has changed and evolved over the centuries. This is about the access to civil marriage. In the event that the motion passes and we finally get to a position of equality with people in Britain, the Churches will be protected.”
“The motion and the idea of equal marriage are about ensuring that people in our community can access the full services of the state and be seen as and respected as full citizens in our society. There is no reason whatsoever why the North of Ireland should be the only place in these islands that does not have marriage available to same-sex couples. That is the position that we will be in very shortly, because I believe strongly that people in the South will vote yes in the marriage equality referendum, and I hope that they do. We will be the only place on these islands that does not have that same equality for members of our community. <BR /> <BR />I fully respect people's views on this issue. I understand that people have deeply held religious views. People in our party have deeply held religious views about this issue.”
“We are having this debate at a time of great concern for the many in our community who have not been treated as full and valued members of it by people in positions of authority. In the last few days, members of our community have been demeaned and their value and worth attacked. I am glad to see that we are now at a stage at which people own up to their mistakes, take it on the chin and resign. We do not have much of a culture of that here yet. I think that Mr Wells has done the right thing by resigning, and I wish him all the best in dealing with his personal difficulties. <BR /> <BR />As an Assembly, and as people in positions of power and responsibility, we need to be seen to embrace all members of our community — all members.”
“We will go to Westminster to try to lock David Cameron out of Downing Street and ensure a progressive alliance in the next British Government. I hope that others will hear the call and join us in that fight.”
“That is without even talking about the benefits from doing trade with other member states. After this election, we are potentially looking at a Conservative/UKIP/DUP alliance that would allow for an exit from the European Union. People in Northern Ireland should be very scared of that, and, in our view, the only way to stop it is to ensure that we have a Labour Government in Downing Street, one that have their feet held to the fire by progressive forces from the Celtic areas around here. <BR /> <BR />I am an Irish nationalist and I would love not to have to go to Westminster. I would far rather go to our own national Parliament in Dublin, but the fact remains that power rests with Westminster, and, as democrats, we will go to Westminster to try to get the best possible deal for our people.”