Stewart Dickson
East Antrim · Alliance Party · Northern Ireland
“Thank you, Minister, for your answer. Minister, you will have noted that the Government recently announced a VAT cut for some family expenses for a range of activities over the summer. That is perhaps a change.”
“Many do not know how to apply; others do not even realise that the opportunities exist. If the process itself is a barrier to participation, it is really not open to all.”
“I was born in 1950 in Thorndale House, which was one of the homes that is named in the legislation. I was born to married parents, and Thorndale House was a maternity home. It was where you went to have your baby in 1950 on the Antrim Road. My mum and dad went there, I was born and, a few days later, I left with loving parents.”
“I agree with Mr Brett: amendment No 6 is important because it will deal with persons who refuse to provide information or evidence to the inquiry. Amendment No 8 to clause 20 is a tidying-up amendment that will allow the Committee to make interim reports, which will be of benefit to the inquiry process.”
“That is why I want the inquiry to succeed and why it is vital that it succeeds. That is why it is important for us to see that cruelty in the full glare of a public inquiry. That is why it is important that the scheme goes through without further delay. <BR /> <BR />Finally, I place on record my thanks to the Committee Chair.”
“The Assembly faces stark choices, and agreeing the draft Budget as it stands is not a silver bullet, nor is it sustainable for us to continue in the absence of a Budget. It is vital, therefore, that we break the cycle of crisis and collapse that has been destroying our public finances.”
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“Welcome, Minister, to your first Question Time and thank you for your answer. I am encouraged by the work that you are doing and, indeed, by the comments that you just made on seeking political solutions to the difficulties that we face in the import and export of goods to and from Northern Ireland. You, Minister, along with your predecessor, also have a statutory duty to perform your functions. I am sure that you would not wish to be in breach of the ministerial code by dragging your feet or working against them.”
“Over the last number of weeks, on public media and social media, we have seen a situation that could perhaps be described as being "heated up". Today, I want to hear the Assembly cooling all the rhetoric to ensure that people can go about their daily duties in delivering for us in Northern Ireland. The last thing that we want to do in the Brexit debate is add further barriers. My appeal today is that we have a calm and rationale discussion and work to ensure that all those employees can return to work as soon as possible.”
“What we need to do today is ensure that a calm atmosphere is created so that the council, DAERA, the PSNI and all those involved in the safety and security of the staff can work together on the issues around the threats to provide an opportunity for a proper and safe return to work for the employees. Sadly, I know all too well what happens when there is unrest in somewhere such as East Antrim. I have received personal threats, and my office, as Members will be aware, was attacked on previous occasions. I sincerely hope that we are not heading back into that situation. <BR /> <BR />I, for one, want to work hard to ensure that we have calm, cool, collected thoughts on the issue. That is my appeal and my pledge today.”
“Thank you very much, Mr Speaker, for the opportunity to speak this morning. Before I commence on the Matter of the Day, I want to add to your words about former Minister Poots and to wish him well on the difficult health journey ahead of him, some of the aspects of which I am personally all too aware of. <BR /> <BR />We will all be aware of the news today and, indeed, over the last week about the unacceptable threats made against staff at the port of Larne. The matter escalated yesterday, when Mid and East Antrim Borough Council, together with the Department, had to take action to withdraw environmental health and DAERA staff from the port of Larne and the port of Belfast. First and foremost, my concern is for the staff, who have been placed under that totally and utterly unacceptable threat.”
“We need to learn from our previous complacency and get it right in the future.”
“I appreciate some of the reasons behind that, but we need to step up care home inspections. <BR /> <BR />We need to move back to routine inspections as quickly as possible and with all the necessary mitigations and PPE in place. I strongly agree with the Committee's recommendations on the consequences for the failures of care and how those should be considered in future contracting arrangements, including the capacity to recoup funding where poor service has been provided. I am concerned that the owners of some care homes do not have the appropriate background for providing high-quality and caring services. They simply see their homes as an investment. <BR /> <BR />Finally, the report highlights communication problems in health and social care.”
“I strongly support the Committee's recommendation to set minimum standards for sick pay and to tackle issues with low pay and poor terms and conditions of employment. Better staff remuneration and contractual sick pay to reward care home staff properly will encourage skill retention as well as allowing staff to be financially secure and able to self-isolate when ill. <BR /> <BR />Further to that, it is critical that employers ensure that staff who are at high risk, such as those from the BAME community, are properly protected. I am aware of the wider issues of care home regulation and of what are, I believe, failings of inspection and enforcement. I have had first-hand experience of that in my constituency. I have concerns about the halting of inspections last year.”
“It is clear that much work has to be done to recruit staff, and, while I welcome the measures to speed that up, it is vital that the Department and the RQIA monitor this. We need to set out more robust staff-to-resident ratios and ensure that staff movement between homes is low and practical. We must ensure that the qualifications and training of care home staff are improved, which is vital to turning it into a real opportunity for people who want to work in the care sector. <BR /> <BR />As mentioned, many who work in our care homes are among the worst paid despite the vital service that they deliver. Naturally, that contributes to difficulties in recruitment and, particularly, retention.”
“The Department has, of course, had to channel additional funds into the sector during the pandemic, but we need to take a serious look at ensuring that it is properly funded going forward to provide the high quality of care that should be expected. The lack of investment in the system has, undoubtedly, exacerbated the issues of staffing levels and poor pay and conditions. Organisations including the Commissioner for Older People, Age NI and Marie Curie have highlighted those issues. <BR /> <BR />Staffing levels have been a challenge for the care home sector for far too long. The situation has been made more difficult by the pressures of the pandemic, sickness, Brexit, staff movement between homes, self-isolation and systemic issues such as the lack of childcare.”
“For the individuals, their families and care workers, the response was quite simply unacceptable, and we must start to work out what went wrong and make sure that it cannot happen again. How we got into this situation, with such high numbers of deaths in our care homes, is complex. The report outlines many contributing factors, including testing, hospital discharge policies and structural problems in the sector and in Health and Social Care. <BR /> <BR />Time is limited, so I will not cover all areas of the report. I will take some time to go over a few of the structural problems highlighted. I fear that our social care system has been run on a shoestring for far too long.”
“I thank the Committee for bringing the report to the House for debate. It highlights incredibly difficult and systemic issues that we need to start to address immediately in order to improve and, indeed, to save lives. As many Members have done, I put on record my appreciation for those who work in care homes, often in challenging and complex circumstances and, in many cases, without adequate support or appropriate pay. For many, it is a vocation, and their compassion and hard work need to be recognised. <BR /> <BR />In 2020, 775 care home residents died with COVID-19 — 40% of the deaths in Northern Ireland. Every one of those deaths is an immeasurable loss.”
“— and the Executive to deal with those matters through the Brexit subcommittee.”
“We need to work on those issues, not shout and scream at each other across the Chamber. I have to say to Mr Allister that I am not aware of anyone in Northern Ireland who has been starved as a result of Brexit. I am aware, however, of those who struggle to put food on the table — shame on the House and the parties in the Chamber that have contributed to that. <BR /> <BR />It is important that we all calmly address the issues that are in front of us today. The article 16 debacle that took place over the weekend actually has an upside: it has opened a door for further and genuine discussion between the EU and GB. I have to say respectfully that the GB Government addressed the issue well over the weekend. It has also clearly achieved an opportunity for all the parties in the Chamber to get together to address the issues.”
“It is hypocritical of those who, on the one hand, criticise the EU to, on the other hand, continue to call on the GB Government to invoke article 16. <BR /> <BR />A wide range of issues need to be resolved. My party is working on those. I challenge others around the Chamber today to say what work they have been doing to resolve the issues. That is what we are about. Bespoke solutions are needed to issues such as SPS checks, parcels, pet passports, mutual recognition of qualifications, trade into and out of the Republic of Ireland and the United Kingdom, groupage, qualifying goods, frontier workers, the shared prosperity fund, environmental issues and employment law issues. A long list of issues need to be resolved between the United Kingdom and the EU, to the benefit of Northern Ireland.”
“Let us be absolutely clear: there is and was no justification for the European Union invoking article 16, or attempting to invoke it. The last thing that the EU, the United Kingdom and, indeed, the world needs is a vaccine war. Shame on the EU for what it attempted. <BR /> <BR />We also need to be clear that there was no such thing as a good or sensible Brexit. However, we are where we are. Those in this House who turned down and opposed a range of moderate means to manage Brexit have failed. They thought that their hard Brexit was the way forward, rejecting such proposals as were made by former Prime Minister Theresa May.”
“Thank you very much, First Minister, for your statement. Today, your statement has started to draw back the veil on a difficult time in the history of Northern Ireland. You said that many of the adoptions were cross-border adoptions and that there were incomplete records in respect of those. Can you tell the House what engagement will take place to access those records and archives in the Republic of Ireland and what work will be done on a cross-border basis? You also referred in your statement to the preservation of records now: is that an instruction or a request?”
“— will have a detrimental impact on them, and particularly on children from minority and ethnic backgrounds and those with disabilities. It is, therefore, vital that the Education Minister, in addition to acting now, support children with special educational needs and outline his plans for how he will support them and to recover.”
“While we face serious challenges, I regret that I do not believe that we are doing enough to support children with special educational needs. The response has been, at best, haphazard, inadequate, in the hope that, perhaps, we would not face further lockdowns. However, that needs to be fixed now. <BR /> <BR />Looking forward, the Equality Commission has noted that the loss of months of schooling for many children —”
“For the continuation of the service, and for the safety and reassurance of staff, we need high-quality and plentiful PPE to be provided and full engagement with the Department on those issues that are highlighted. Many, I fear, have been left to look after themselves. <BR /> <BR />I was interested to see the UK Government's attempt to roll out the rapid COVID-19 testing in secondary schools in England. Of course, that has now been delayed. Has the Minister of Education had discussions with the Health Minister for something like that to be provided in our special schools, considering the unique circumstances in which they operate? That would go a long way to reassuring staff and parents as we try to find our way out of the pandemic. <BR /> <BR />Children have a fundamental right to education.”
“I spoke with a principal last week who told me that a number of parents are opting for remote learning because of fear for their children's well-being. I believe that that is, ultimately, a judgement for parents; however, we need to do much more to reassure them, from an educational well-being perspective. Children benefit from being in the school environment. <BR /> <BR />I am informed that a number of staff in a school in my constituency are off ill, including some who are recovering from COVID-19 and others who are suffering from anxiety. It must be recognised that social distancing is all but impossible in a special school environment.”
“Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker; my apologies. I agree with the Member. It is absolutely clear that special educational needs schools were in crisis pre COVID and that this situation has exacerbated that further. The Minister owes an explanation not only to the Assembly but, much more importantly, to parents, students and school teachers and staff. <BR /> <BR />Everyone here agrees that special schools should remain open through the lockdown in order to ensure that children with some of the most complex needs and their families can be supported. However, I have serious concerns about the mitigations and supports that have been put in place. Staff in our special schools are feeling let down; that is what I am told daily.”
“Sorry, I thought that there was an interruption.”
“I want to know what the Minister's plans are and what he is putting in place to ensure this. With specific —.”
“Our Minister has to be aware that this is a vital part of ensuring the well-being of young people. I encourage the Minister to work with schools to standardise measures to permit occupational therapists to carry out their functions when schools reopen. Furthermore, can the Minister advise what measures have been put in place to ensure that, through the current period of closure, occupational therapists can work with teachers and others to prioritise students and meet their needs? <BR /> <BR />This pandemic has highlighted a much greater need for communication across many levels of government, including health trusts and the Education Authority, which needs to engage better to provide support to children with special educational needs in general, but especially through this period of serious disruption.”
“In Northern Ireland, the vast majority of children are learning remotely, including many children with special educational needs, and this presents very serious challenges. A Queen's University report last year found that remote learning arrangements were disproportionately difficult for autistic children, especially as regular school supports are withdrawn. I am disappointed that the issues highlighted appear not to have been resolved. Online learning needs to be reviewed to provide quality learning and support to meet the needs of special needs children. <BR /> <BR />With regard to providing ongoing support, the Royal College of Occupational Therapists noted varying COVID-19 arrangements for schools and difficulty in communication and cooperation with schools.”
“I appreciate the opportunity to speak on this issue, and I thank my Alliance colleague, the Chair of the Education Committee, for facilitating the debate. I also thank all of those who work in our schools, many of whom are, quite frankly, scared. Nonetheless, they continue to provide care and support for children with special educational needs in exceptionally challenging circumstances. I have a number of special needs schools in the constituency of East Antrim and know well the dedication of the staff to the children in their care. I speak regularly with staff and parents. <BR /> <BR />The pandemic has had a profound and long-lasting impact on educational provision across the world.”
“Thank you, Minister, for your statement. I appreciate that you do not have direct responsibility for running individual Departments other than your own. Nevertheless, do you not have concerns about those that underperform in delivering the funds that you have given to them? Particularly, I am thinking of every scheme that the Department for the Economy has come up with for those who find themselves under stress at this point in time due to the closure of their businesses. Every time a scheme is devised, there remain many who are excluded. There is a great deal of frustration, particularly around the reality that funds may be returned to the Treasury. What action will you be taking to encourage Ministers so that that will not be the situation?”
“What action are you taking to ensure that the unfair and premature cost being added to deliveries to Northern Ireland will be dealt with?”
“Minister, we are where we are today because of the eleventh-hour nature of the final Brexit negotiations and the rejection of pleas from this House, only a few weeks ago, to extend the time for those negotiations, which involved your party and others. We are in the middle of project reality, and it is upon us. We are experiencing red tape and bureaucracy. We are experiencing the hard-line Brexit that you and your party pursued. Indeed, some in your party would argue that it was not sufficiently hard line, which was why they voted against it. <BR /> <BR />Minister, we now see a Government who, through their Revenue and Customs service, are attempting to impose a £50 fine on hauliers whose paperwork is incomplete.”
“I thank the Minister for his answer. Will the action plan address the bioaerosols that are released, particularly from pig rearing and its associated activities? It is a great source of nuisance to many residents in residential areas, not least in Monkstown, which is in my constituency.”
“It has brought us friction and red tape and few of the so-called benefits, a situation that was warned about and flagged up. What discussions, if any, were there on ferry routes to Ireland, North and South, and the consequences of any delays, particularly at the port of Larne in my constituency?”
“Thank you, Minister, for your statement. In paragraph 26 you said in respect of Brexit that the Council wants to see minimal disruption to trade and economic activity, but, as we have seen over the past few weeks, Brexit has brought us anything but that.”
“We will be working towards the closest relationship possible with the European Union, and we will work to mitigate, as far as possible, the social and economic damage that Brexit threatens.”
“People living on the border well know the nuisance of roaming charges, for example, and the United Kingdom Government should now be taking action to ensure that those charges will not return. <BR /> <BR />I do not think that anyone here can be happy with the Brexit that we have, for many different reasons. It is clear that it will harm Northern Ireland and the United Kingdom and that this deal is far from what our economy and society need. The Brexit process is far from over, and those who think that today will end the debate are living in cloud cuckoo land. We will be debating the impacts and the problems of this Brexit and its consequences for many years to come. My party will work to continue to build bridges, not borders. That is what the Alliance Party stands for in this community.”
“Unfortunately, this process has shown the limits of our influence, not least of all to one particular political party in this Chamber, despite all its vaunted promises. Nevertheless, we have to work with what we have. Perhaps there is one silver lining: with suitable flexibilities, streamlining and, crucially, certainty, Northern Ireland may indeed be at an advantage to the rest of the United Kingdom and Ireland in terms of goods. I would like to see that work continue, particularly through our Department for the Economy. However, it has been mentioned that services are to be excluded from this, which, in a service-based economy, will represent huge barriers to our businesses and customers. I hope that we can make progress on this and the considerable benefits that could be realised with proper participation in a single market.”
“We still have little information on the amount of funding, the design of the programme and who will manage it; all while groups that are funded via the European social fund, for example, are telling us that they need information and certainty now. <BR /> <BR />It is regrettable and also welcome that the Irish Government have had to step in to prevent Northern Ireland citizens from losing some of their rights, from European health insurance to participation in the ERASMUS+ programme. I hope that there is further scope for participation in other programmes, such as the European Solidarity Corps, if the UK continues its disinterest in continuing these key initiatives that many of our people, businesses and voluntary organisations directly benefit from in Northern Ireland. <BR /> <BR />Mr Speaker, this is, indeed, where we are.”
“<BR /> <BR />In regards to the protocol, it is to be welcomed that we have a grace period and increasing clarity, but ongoing flexibilities and support will be vital. We do not want to put up barriers to trade anywhere, but that is exactly what this type of Brexit and the UK Government have chosen to do. The protocol is the outcome of such choices, and we must make it as frictionless as possible. <BR /> <BR />Unfortunately, the agreement leaves behind our participation in a range of activities, such as the European structural and investment funds. Alliance has serious concerns about the shambolic and half-hearted plans, for example, for the shared prosperity fund that is supposed to replace them.”
“There is no such thing as a good Brexit. It builds on outdated notions of a nation state and is designed to put up walls, causing friction and distancing ourselves from the largest trading bloc in the world. It demotes the United Kingdom in terms of diplomatic influence, leaving us as a more isolated, medium-sized economy in a world of large trading blocs. <BR /> <BR />It really did not need to be this way. For example, we could have left the political structures but stayed in the single market and/or the customs union, but, instead, we now have a mess of red tape, barriers and bureaucracy for businesses and individuals. Indeed, we have more rules today than those which we are leaving behind.”
“I do not think that it could come much later, but this has been another page in the history books of what has been a dire and difficult year. It is a moment of sorrow and reflection at what we are ultimately losing after being on a roller coaster that people and businesses boarded in 2016 or, indeed, even earlier. <BR /> <BR />In the Chamber today, someone has already quoted Churchill, and I will also do so:”
“I am a European, and no one will take that away from me. I rise as Alliance Party economy spokesperson, and I welcome the opportunity to speak on this debate. The Alliance Party will support amendment Nos 1 and 4 and oppose amendment Nos 2 and 3.”
“Minister, I am pleased that you noted the progress made on, and the current position of, North/South collaboration through the Horizon 2020 programme. Given that that is an EU programme, what action are you going to take to make sure that such research cooperation can be continued on a cross-border basis before those whom you supported consign the EU to the scrapheap, along with the funds and support that we have received up until now?”
“Thank you, Minister, for your statement this morning. Up to now, EU funds have made a considerable contribution to the whole tourism project, particularly in border counties. What action are you proposing to take to ensure that we maintain comparable amounts of support after Brexit, given the news yesterday from the Finance Minister that he expects the prosperity fund to have a deficit of some £70 million in year 1?”
“I thank the Minister for his response. There are clearly very serious concerns about central control of the fund. Can you assure the House that you and the Department will do everything in your power to ensure that such funds that are allocated will be decentralised to the regions, particularly Northern Ireland? Can you estimate the amount of funding that has already been received by the Department so that we can work out what the loss might be?”
“<BR /> <BR />I support the Matter of the Day.”
“<BR /> <BR />None of that can be in the interests of the citizens of Northern Ireland, and they are the people who matter in the Chamber and in this discussion. Members referred to the protocol, but that is not the ideal mechanism to deliver for Northern Ireland. The only real deal for Northern Ireland would be to remain in the European Union. <BR /> <BR />However, the Prime Minister needs to do a deal. He needs to compromise and recognise, as Mr O'Toole and others in the Chamber will undoubtedly say, that the jingoistic days of gunboat diplomacy are over for the United Kingdom. We live in a modern, sophisticated and integrated society, one where we all depend on each other. That includes the single European market. To deny us and the United Kingdom access to that market is nothing short of a disgrace.”
“Before I start, Mr Speaker, I will say to you that I will reflect on your advice. Thank you for that. <BR /> <BR />Recriminations and how we got to where we are today with the protocol and, indeed, Brexit in general, are probably really not the Matter of the Day whether you are in a party that dragged the United Kingdom out of the EU or in one that did not do enough to keep us in it. However, it is important that we recognise that the Prime Minister is either working to, or against, that very famous book by another world failure, 'Trump: The Art of the Deal'. Our Prime Minister is not going to be able to achieve a deal because he is, clearly, trapped in the arms of his rabid Brexiteers. Those are the people whom he is looking over his shoulder at in order to ensure that the UK gets a no-deal Brexit.”
“Does the Member agree that we run a very serious risk, once the pandemic is over, of going back to our old habits? We have supported local businesses, grown more vegetables and done things differently, and, unless we get strong government intervention, we run the risk of going back to our old habits.”
“This has been a terrible year for the sector, and we need to ensure that we support it properly to get through this, as we need to do with our air connectivity with the rest of the world, to which others have made reference. I believe that there are concerns about air connectivity for —.”
“I have absolutely no doubt about that, and I agree entirely with the Member that this requires imaginative and targeted investment for the future of Northern Ireland. Expanding businesses such as Wrightbus and others that are invested in the green economy and in delivering green energy is vital, because it is that energy that will drive the rest of our economy, whether it is by providing the lights in buildings such as this or whatever else it happens to be. All of those things are important. <BR /> <BR />Tourism and the revival of our town centres are also key to our future economy. Our report notes that tourism makes a vital contribution to our economy in many ways. It sells Northern Ireland to the world and supports thousands of jobs, but it also creates an internal market.”
“We need to be planning now to divest ourselves of fossil fuels and to invest in green, new-energy sources for Northern Ireland.”