Robin Swann
North Antrim · Ulster Unionist Party · Northern Ireland
“I thank the Minister for his detailed statement. I know how passionate he is about the subject and how many times he has brought it to the Executive.”
“It has been reported that today will potentially be the warmest day of the year. As we move into the summer and our summer holidays, I want to raise public awareness of wildfires across Northern Ireland, which have been detrimental to farmland and our environment over the past number of years.”
“Wildfires are still having a detrimental impact on our environment and, occasionally, on livestock, but that reduction shows the impact of the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service's proactive approach to educating the general public and engaging with rural communities and schools on its fire safety message, which is to stay alert, not…”
“There has been a lot of talk of sport in this place over the past few days, with everybody concentrating on UEFA. One sport that is going on across Northern Ireland at the minute is cross-community and goes across all age groups without fear, favour or distinction: pigeon racing.”
“I want to put on record that, since this place passed the amendment that recognised pigeon racing as a sport under the 2016 Act, over the past five years, pigeon racing clubs across Northern Ireland have been able to obtain £113,000 of rates rebates through the sports and recreation rate relief, allowing many of those clubs to continue ra…”
“There was much coverage on social media over the weekend of an incident in Staines in England, in which a police car rammed a young calf to bring it under control. It has restarted the conversation about animal cruelty. <BR /> <BR />I am dealing with a specific case in my constituency.”
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“I thank the Member. I know that he has supplied a number of questions for written answer on that specific point. I am aware of concerns surrounding an individual appointed to Safefood's advisory committee last year. Appointments to the advisory committee are not representative appointments. The advisory committee provides technical advice and guidance to assist Safefood in setting strategy and delivering on its business plans. There will be no impact on my Department's initiatives on breastfeeding. Safefood's advisory committee draws its members from a wide range of experts from the fields of food science, diet and health, industry, communications and regulations, and they act as a resource to Safefood and do not represent their employers.”
“I thank the Member for his point, and he raised it about a previous North/South Ministerial Council statement that I made. We had omitted that paragraph from that statement, so we made sure that it was in this one. <BR /> <BR />With regard to the 23 sitting days, the Member will note that I have been in the Chamber for quite a few of them, making statements on many issues, such as elective care and mental health, and responding in a number of debates. We brought this statement forward as soon as reasonably practicable to get it here, so that I had time to get it in the Order Paper to be given proper consideration, because of the content and the large-scale and important issues that were discussed at that North/South Ministerial Council meeting.”
“I thank the Member for his point. It was not covered at the meeting, but it has been covered in conversations that I have had with his party colleague the Minister for Communities. I will ask that it be put forward for the agenda of the next meeting. I have no problem in doing that and including it among the issues that have already been covered in the North/South Ministerial Council meetings that I have attended.”
“I encourage the Member not just to sing the praises of those individuals and organisations but to encourage them to look to that funding, so that they can continue that work over the next three years.”
“I also welcome Philip McGuigan back to the Chamber. Philip, you look well, and I see, on the front page of the 'The Irish News', that you have thanked the health services for the support that they were able to give you. <BR /> <BR />In regard to the Member's point, we have seen the voluntary and community sector and our sporting codes step up, throughout the pandemic, with getting out the mental health message and supporting our communities over the past 15 months. The organisations that the Member talks about should look to the mental health support fund, which I hope to announce in the next week. There is access to a £10 million pot of funding for organisations that support and work with mental health organisations and individuals across Northern Ireland in the community.”
“I do not have the detail about what that will allow as far as accessing funding from EU bodies is concerned. It is, however, a welcome step that that research and development will continue. What is also welcome was the signing of the memorandum of understanding on cancer research by Northern Ireland, the Irish Republic and the National Cancer Institute in the United States. That is a big step forward and a welcome commitment to cross-border and international working on best practice and research and development.”
“I thank the Member for his point. It is one that has been raised numerous times over the past 15 months. It was the deputy First Minister who said that there should be a common travel agreement across all the islands in the common travel area. No matter if we look at this island as one unit, the common travel area also allows anyone to travel east-west without checks and balances. It would therefore make more sense to look at both islands as one epidemiological unit.”
“As I said in my response to Mr Chambers, however, suppliers of medicines and medical devices must give six months' notice to quit before they can leave the market, so if suppliers decide to quit the Northern Ireland market while still supplying the rest of the United Kingdom, that will happen in the next few days or weeks. That is of great concern to me and those in my Department. Later this week, I will meet Minister Ed Argar again to discuss what has come out of UK-EU negotiations on medicines.”
“I thank the Member for his question. As my response to Mr Chambers indicated, I am concerned. It is my responsibility and desire to make sure that the people of Northern Ireland get the same access to drugs and medical devices as the rest of the UK population gets. I am not in a place to comment on how concerned the Health Minister of the Republic of Ireland is. He can and will speak for himself. <BR /> <BR />As the Member indicated, although a grace period is welcome, there is already an extended grace period for medicines and medical devices until the end of this year.”
“Unfortunately, once again, due to our time frames and our mandates not being concurrent, that is not possible. The consultation will be in my substance use strategy later this year.”
“I thank the Member for the question. It was raised, and, in fact, I had an individual meeting with Minister Frank Feighan, who leads on that work, outside and as a conjunct to it as well. As the Member will know, we are only too aware of the dangers of alcohol consumption. Since 2018, I have been following closely the Scottish Government's introduction of minimum unit pricing. It is part of our substance use strategy. That includes my commitment to hold a full public consultation on the introduction of minimum unit pricing in Northern Ireland within the next year. I noted with interest the Irish Government's recent decision to proceed with the implementation of minimum unit pricing of alcohol. There are ongoing conversations. We would have liked to introduce it in both jurisdictions at the same time.”
“However, as suppliers of medicines need a six-month notification to cease a market, it will very soon become very real for anyone who wants to cease supplying the Northern Ireland market at the end of the year. Those declarations will have to be made within the next few weeks, if not days. I hope that we see a resolution that continues the delivery of supplies to Northern Ireland.”
“I thank the Member for his question. It became only too real for the Irish Government when article 16 was triggered in relation to COVID vaccines earlier this year, and they saw the real impact and the dangers that it could have. I am not sure whether they are completely alive to the real effect that it is having on our health service, but I continue to raise it with Her Majesty's Government and Minister Ed Argar, who leads on that vital work. <BR /> <BR />I hope that we will see an announcement on some direction of travel in the next few days. I know that there is concentration on sausages and fresh foods at the minute, rightly so, to get that issue resolved.”
“As the Member will know, Protect Life 2 also ensures that suicide prevention services and supports are delivered appropriately in deprived areas, where suicide and self-harm rates are highest. When we engage with the three sporting codes and utilise their strength in getting the message out, it mainly helps us to communicate on mental health and suicide prevention with the hard-to-reach target audiences, who, unfortunately, as we know well in Northern Ireland, are mostly young men. That is why utilising those sporting codes is important to us.”
“I thank the Member for that valuable point. Over the past months, we have seen the interaction with and the support given by different sporting codes in relation to COVID. Suicides, as we all know, are preventable, not inevitable, which is why that piece of work is set out in the strategy. The strategy includes a number of programmes designed to prevent suicide, including the Towards Zero Suicide initiative, the multi-agency triage team collaboration between the health and social care (HSC) services, the PSNI and the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service (NIAS), resilience building and suicide prevention training. The strategy aims to reduce the suicide rate in Northern Ireland by 10% by 2024.”
“The Member will know that I have raised the matter on various occasions. The concern about international travellers being able to enter Northern Ireland and the rest of the United Kingdom via Dublin Airport has been raised not just between Health Ministers but between the First Minister, the deputy First Minister and the Taoiseach. I am hopeful, however, that we may resolve the issue once and for all in the next few weeks.”
“I thank the Member for his question and welcome him to his position as Deputy Chair of the Health Committee. I look forward to working with him in the future. <BR /> <BR />On the passenger locator form, positive steps have been taken in the past few weeks, and I hope that we will have that data sharing in place in the next few weeks. Tests are going on at the minute. One of the concerns that we raised while progress was being made was about the data breach that had occurred in the Republic of Ireland through their online and electronic systems. We are seeking reassurance that the security is in place for data sharing to proceed. However, great progress has been made. <BR /> <BR />Over the past year, it has been a great frustration that we have not been able to obtain that data.”
“I thank the Member for his question. The matter was not covered at the North/South Ministerial Council meeting. We talked about the MOU on critical care delivery and about where we could interact and exchange ICU patients if necessary. The review of the memorandum of understanding on the greater work specifically on COVID is ongoing. We have asked the Institute of Environmental Health, an external body, to conduct that review, rather than doing it in-house or asking the Republic of Ireland Government to do it.”
“<BR /> <BR />Ministers received an update on the work of Safefood networks, including community food initiatives and knowledge networks, and on progress in the tripartite initiative between Safefood, the Public Health Agency and the Food Standards Agency Northern Ireland in rolling out minimum nutritional standards for catering for staff and visitors in health and social care settings while supporting nutritional standards for food in schools. Ministers approved the process for the recruitment of the chief executive of Safefood. <BR /> <BR />We agreed that the next North/South Ministerial Council health and food safety meeting will be held in late 2021.”
“The Council noted that Safefood has developed and distributed various resources in educational settings, delivered events including webinars and a podcast series and promoted healthy eating guidelines. The Council noted that Safefood has engaged with customers on social media and has carried out research on food allergens, sustainable food policy and fiscal and pricing policies related to food and non-alcoholic drinks.”
“The Council noted that a knowledge exchange forum of child protection practitioners from both jurisdictions who are working at an operational level has been established with an initial focus on the sharing of learning from the implementation of the signs of safety methodology that is being taken forward in both jurisdictions. Ministers also noted that additional opportunities to extend the remit of the group will be developed in consultation with the NSMC child protection officials group. An update will be provided to a future meeting of the Council. <BR /> <BR />Ray Dolan, the chief executive officer of Safefood, provided an overview of the work of Safefood and updates on campaigns related to weight management, handwashing and Christmas food safety.”
“<BR /> <BR />Ministers welcomed the update on the ongoing work of the All Ireland Institute of Hospice and Palliative Care (AIIHPC). The Council noted the importance of continuing to support the ongoing work of the AIIHPC to improve palliative care and quality of life for people with life-limiting conditions and their carers across the island of Ireland. <BR /> <BR />The Council approved the revised child protection work programme and the priorities set out for the three-year period until 31 December 2024. Ministers noted the latest position provided on other matters, including the updating of the protocol between Northern Ireland and Ireland for handling interjurisdictional child cases and that an updated protocol will be considered at a future meeting of the NSMC.”
“Ministers noted that a renewed memorandum of understanding on the Ireland-Northern Ireland National Cancer Institute Cancer Consortium was agreed by both Health Ministers and the director of the US National Cancer Institute on 16 March 2021. We also noted the work of the US-Ireland research and development partnership in relation to cancer research, including work combining international expertise from the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI), Queen’s University Belfast, the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) and GE Global Research. The Council noted that the Health Research Board (HRB) recently amended its host institution policy to enable eligibility for Northern Ireland research-performing institutions to apply to act as host institutions for HRB grants.”
“<BR /> <BR />Ministers noted the update on suicide prevention initiatives in both jurisdictions, including the joint working on the self-harm registry and the continued collaboration between the Public Health Agency and the National Office for Suicide Prevention, working with the GAA, the Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU) and Ulster Rugby on a health and well-being project. <BR /> <BR />The Council noted the updates on the all-island congenital heart disease network and the North/South living donor exchange kidney transplant service. <BR /> <BR />The Council noted that over 700 cross-border patients have received treatment at the North West Cancer Centre since November 2016, demonstrating how health cooperation delivers real benefits to citizens.”
“The Council noted the Northern Ireland Department of Health's consultation 'Making Life Better – Preventing Harm & Empowering Recovery: A Strategic Framework to Tackle the Harm from Substance Use'. Ministers noted the potential for further collaboration on issues connected with alcohol and drug use and the developments in relation to obesity prevention policy in both jurisdictions. We also noted that, following the UK's withdrawal from the EU, tobacco and related products on sale in Northern Ireland must continue to comply with the requirements of the EU tobacco products directive.”
“<BR /> <BR />The Council agreed the updated work programme and noted that work to ensure that the work programme reflects the priorities of each Administration will continue and that a further draft revised work programme will be presented for consideration at a future NSMC health sectoral meeting. <BR /> <BR />Ministers noted the continued progress on the development and implementation of strategies to prevent the harm related to alcohol and drug misuse in both jurisdictions. We also noted the successful enactment of the Public Health (Alcohol) Act 2018, which is designed to address the health impacts of harmful consumption of alcohol in Ireland by reducing consumption levels, delaying the age at which young people begin to drink and regulating the sale and supply of alcohol products.”
“<BR /> <BR />Ministers discussed the implications of the UK's withdrawal from the EU, and the Council noted the update provided on that matter. <BR /> <BR />Ministers welcomed the progress made to date on implementing the Council’s current work programme in the health sector and noted that the Departments of Health have identified additional areas in which there is potential for further development and collaboration between the health authorities in both jurisdictions. <BR /> <BR />The Council also noted the proposed revisions to the work programme in the area of child protection, which covers a three year period up to 2024.”
“We noted the ongoing cooperation on contact tracing, including the established processes for sharing the necessary details between the Public Health Agency (PHA) and the Health Service Executive (HSE). Ministers welcomed the ongoing collaboration between the two jurisdictions on the further development of the proximity app and noted the ongoing discussions between the two Administrations about a data-sharing agreement in relation to passengers arriving into each jurisdiction. We noted that officials from both jurisdictions will continue to consider the relevant learnings from the phases of the pandemic and exchange views to foster commonality in their approach, where possible, and provide a progress update at a future North/South ministerial health meeting.”
“<BR /> <BR />The Council reiterated its appreciation to all those who have played a part in the response to the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly the health and social care workers who have led from the front and led the front-line response. The Council received a briefing from the Chief Medical Officers (CMOs) on the current public health situation. We discussed the ongoing response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the continued close and productive cooperation between Health Ministers, Chief Medical Officers and health administrations in both jurisdictions to deliver an effective public health response. <BR /> <BR />The Council welcomed the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between both Departments to address cooperation and mutual support in critical care delivery.”
“In compliance with section 52 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998, I wish to make the following statement on the twenty-third North/South Ministerial Council (NSMC) meeting in the health and food safety sectoral format, which was held by videoconference on 26 March 2021. Junior Minister Declan Kearney MLA and I represented the Northern Ireland Executive at the meeting, while the Irish Government were represented by Stephen Donnelly TD, Minister for Health, and Roderic O'Gorman TD, Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth. I chaired the meeting. The statement has been agreed with junior Minister Kearney, and I make it on behalf of us both.”
“I know that it has been hard, you are frustrated and many struggle to cope, but I assure you that you have not been forgotten. I am conscious of your situation and, as an Assembly, as an Executive and as a Department, we are doing our very best —”
“— each and every one of you. You continue to look after family, friends and neighbours during the worst health crisis that many of us have seen.”
“Members are aware that I have put on record my disappointment with the 2021-22 Budget allocation. <BR /> <BR />We, as a society, need to be more appreciative of the role that carers carry out in our communities, and we, as an Executive, need to be better at valuing their contribution. My final words are to our unpaid family carers. Once again, I stand in the Chamber and pay tribute to —”
“<BR /> <BR />The COVID-19 emergency has shone a light on the invaluable role and commitment of health and social care staff, and the critical part played by carers who continue to carry out a vital caring role during this unprecedented time. Carers went the extra mile to maintain support to those in need and, in some cases, became the only contact that people had with the outside. It must not be forgotten that many carers will continue to have significant responsibilities when the pandemic is over. There are no easy fixes. It will involve a strategic commitment through the Programme for Government, significant additional investment and a reformed adult social care system that can deliver for all of our citizens. We must also be aware of the wider context in which we are operating.”
“The 'Power to People' report highlights the need to acknowledge the essential contribution of carers who assist in supporting the sustainability of the broader adult social care system. In response to 'Power to People', the implementation of the Department's reform of the adult social care project was established to agree the strategic direction of the reform project and to produce an action plan regarding the future of adult social care. The independent expert carers' panel is a key stakeholder group of the reform project and has had significant input into the development of the project's policy proposals, most notably on supporting carers. I expect policy proposals to be presented to me this summer, before they go out to public consultation.”
“I thank the Member. It is the fact that we do not have the facility to provide carers with a direct payment. I have been in correspondence with, and my officials have been working with, DFC officials, which is the direct payment authority, to see what can be done in that regard. It is not something that can be done until we can identify the carers. That is why the register is important and why, as I want to make clear today, it is something that we want to do. My Executive colleagues support me in doing so, but its progression will be within a legislative, legal and complex framework. It is still a priority and an issue. In fact, I raised it in correspondence to my Executive colleagues no later than last week. <BR /> <BR />The importance of strengthening supports to carers cannot be overemphasised.”
“It should be noted that trusts prioritised families in crisis and responded to prevent placement breakdown. <BR /> <BR />Members will have heard me say before that social care is badly in need of reform. That work is progressing, but the system that we have in place had significant weaknesses prior to the pandemic. The trusts have been doing their best within the constraints imposed by the system, the challenges posed by the pandemic and the need to ensure the safety of those being cared for.”
“Regular contact by key workers was maintained by phoning carers in cases where face-to-face contact was not possible. <BR /> <BR />Direct payments continue to be paid throughout this period and were offered to many service users as an alternative to social care services when those services were impacted by the pandemic. Indeed, more people are receiving a direct payment now than were receiving one before the pandemic. The total value of direct payments paid has increased by 19% to more than £13 million. <BR /> <BR />Where possible, opportunities for short breaks were offered to many carers during the pandemic where a need was identified. However, some carers chose not to take up the opportunity because of concerns of COVID-19 infection. Where that was the case, creative alternatives were explored.”
“<BR /> <BR />One of our most significant undertakings was the roll-out of the vaccine programme, which was a massive logistical exercise in which carers were prioritised. That involved a significant effort by trusts to ensure that carers got access to the vaccine at an early stage. Nearly 70,000 carers were vaccinated in that way, although many more carers were able to access the vaccine through their age cohort being called for vaccination. Throughout the pandemic, the trusts have continued to review and adapt the service provision in community settings, in line with public health guidance, in order to ensure that people received the necessary social care. That has been undertaken by staff with the service user and, where appropriate, the carer through the use of assessment or determined need.”
“My officials and staff in the board and the trusts have been working very hard to support carers over the pandemic period. In my letter to the Health Committee on 9 December, I gave a very detailed overview of how my Department responded to the pandemic situation to support service users and carers. We made sure that carers were provided with relevant and accurate information that continues to be updated throughout the pandemic. We facilitated the development of a carers' ID card to assist carers when shopping or exercising during the lockdown periods. We provided additional resources to Carers NI so that its advice line could operate extended hours, and we ensured that every home in Northern Ireland received a leaflet setting out how to access the support that was available for carers.”
“<BR /> <BR />The motion also calls for the development of a register of carers, and I previously expressed my wish for my Department to look into the possibility of developing such a register when current pressures allow. It became very evident during the roll-out of the vaccine programme that we in Northern Ireland do not have a robust method of identifying carers. However, that is not necessarily an easy task, and it would require, again, cross-departmental collaboration to achieve, as well as additional funding for its development and ongoing maintenance. Members may be aware that my constituency colleague Mervyn Storey has a private Member's Bill on the issue. <BR /> <BR />Members and carers, however, should be assured that my Department and the HSC continue to work for carers.”
“However, I have escalated the issue to the Executive to seek the assistance of all Executive colleagues in taking that forward. <BR /> <BR />As noted, I was delighted to be able to announce the creation of the support for carers fund at the end of March. The fund, which is worth over £4 million, seeks to provide much-needed financial resources to the community and voluntary sector to support carers. It is now open for applications, and I hope that we will soon see projects getting off the ground that can make a real difference for many carers. I appreciate that that is not the same as a cash recognition to individuals, but it nevertheless represents a very significant financial investment. The funding will be provided directly to support sustained improvement in the lives and experiences of individual carers.”
“<BR /> <BR />As identified, and Mrs Dodds raised this, the major difficultly is being able to clearly identify who is a carer. That problem was brought into sharp relief when rolling out the COVID vaccine to carers earlier this year. I briefed members of the Health Committee on that back in February. The trusts each maintain a carers' register that carers can voluntarily choose to join. However, we know that those lists do not offer any true reflection of the totality of carers in Northern Ireland, so they cannot be used as a definitive list to identify recipients of an award and validate any payments, nor can they be used as the basis for vaccination, for instance. I recognise that that position is disappointing.”
“I thank the Member for her contribution. I have made a couple of scribbled notes about thanking, on this very issue, my two former Executive colleagues who are in the Chamber today. I do not think I have ever spoken out about the conversations that we had in the Executive, but I assure Members that, when the issue of the payment and the difficulties that it presents legally and operationally were raised, I had the support of both former Ministers. They both acknowledged the role that carers play in matters not just in the Department of Health but the Department of Education and the Department for the Economy. I thank personally my two colleagues who are in the Chamber today for the support that they gave to carers when that issue was raised in the Executive.”
“For example, identifying and verifying the status of unpaid carers is extremely challenging; Ms Armstrong has identified that. There are also substantial legal, operational and financial impediments. We have explored several legal avenues, but it is clear that my Department does not have the legislative powers to make such a payment to carers. There are significant aspects that are in the remit of other Departments, and, as you can appreciate, they are not easy obstacles to overcome. A major difficulty is being able to —.”
“Additionally, I have asked the trusts to urgently review their reset and recovery plans, and I have reminded them to continue to assess what further innovative or alternative measures can be put in place while day centres and short break provision are provided at a limited capacity. I very much want to see day centre and short break capacity increased to allow carers the break from caring that they very much need and deserve. <BR /> <BR />I turn to the issue of a one-off award for carers. I said in January and have discussed with the Health Committee that I would like to see our carers provided with an award to recognise their contribution during the pandemic. That work has, unfortunately, proven to be significantly more complex and challenging than originally thought.”
“Some of those new ways of working show merit and will continue in the longer term. <BR /> <BR />As the vaccination programme continues to be delivered at pace and restrictions are relaxed, the expectations of families that day services and short breaks can be restored to full capacity are growing. To that end, I can report to members that the Public Health Agency has been tasked by me to urgently review the risks associated with day centres and short break provision, particularly around social distancing, and to consider the use of lateral flow testing for staff.”
“I am conscious that families and carers need clarity on when adult day centres and short breaks will return to full capacity. Both services are currently subject to public health guidance that ultimately limits the number of people who can use respite services at one time. I am aware that this has impacted on the mental health and well-being of vulnerable adults and their carers. Trusts and independent sector providers have risen to the challenge by augmenting services, providing alternative supports, ensuring that all alternative places are utilised and providing direct payments to families. They have innovated by redesigning physical spaces within the limitations of Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority (RQIA) regulation, developing digital services and increasing the support that is delivered in the family home.”
“Over the past year, I have received numerous letters from carers and public representatives expressing concerns about caring during the pandemic. I know and understand that, for a number of carers, this has been a difficult and challenging period of their lives, and some of the stories are truly heartbreaking. As Minister of Health, I will not shrink from my responsibilities to our carers. There are big issues facing carers right now, and the motion identifies many of them. The one issue that carers repeatedly raise with me is the restoration of short break provision, and that has been echoed by many Members in the Chamber, not just today but over the past 15 months. I want carers listening today and Members of the House to know that that issue has been and will continue to be a priority for my Department and the trusts.”
“I am grateful to the members of the Health Committee for tabling the motion, as it has provided a welcome opportunity to highlight and debate a subject that, as many know, is dear to my heart. Last week was Carers' Week, a UK-wide annual event aimed at raising the profile of carers and the challenges they face and recognising the contribution they make to their families and communities. This year, the added focus was on valuing carers and their role. I was pleased to be able to contribute and take part in a number of initiatives for Carers' Week. I have paid and will continue to pay tribute to the many thousands of people in Northern Ireland who help look after a family member or a friend without financial reward. Put simply, the health service could not cope without you, and we owe a debt of gratitude.”