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.”
The complete record
Every one of 2,188 lines we hold for Stewart Dickson, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 31 of 44.
“Fresh Start promises up to £25 million of new ring-fenced funding each year for five years to reduce welfare fraud. How does the Minister intend to use that money?”
“Minister, thank you for your answers thus far, and for the written answer that you have already provided me with on this incident. Do you not agree with me that incidents like this highlight the need for an independent environmental protection agency in Northern Ireland — all the more so now that we are likely to leave the European Union? What guarantee can you give that you will provide the same protection that the EU provides on environmental matters?”
“I thank the Minister for his statement. The mixing of numbers and letters is undoubtedly confusing for students and teachers. Will he assure the House that, after the changes he has made today, employers and further education establishments will have a thorough understanding of the value of the numbers and letters?”
“Thank you for your statement, Minister. Following on from my colleague, I would certainly welcome any investment that would be made in rural roads in east Antrim, but I am also concerned about urban roads. Will the Minister explain to us what plans he has to invest in the resurfacing of urban roads, many of which, in housing developments, are in exactly the same state as rural roads?”
“The Member suggests that the European Union was a tangled web to deceive. Was it deceiving when it gave women rights? Was it deceiving when it gave us environmental rights? Was it deceiving when it gave us employment rights? Was it deceiving when it saved refugees? No, it was not.”
“I am interested in the Member telling us that the First and deputy First Minister will work together on this. Is the reality not that they are as disunited on this subject as the disunited kingdom is today on the whole issue?”
“I thank the Member for giving way. Does she agree that, particularly when it comes to mobile phone coverage, the Minister and his party are putting mobile phone users in Northern Ireland at extreme jeopardy by suggesting that we should vote to exit the EU, which protects mobile phone users and delivers lower costs on a daily basis?”
“I entirely agree with the Member's intervention. It is vital that the tenant knows exactly where the lines of responsibility lie and that that responsibility be clearly set out in appropriate agreements. <BR /> <BR />I endorse the motion due to the positive impact that, I believe, it will have on tenants who currently have to live in an unregulated environment. The landlord registration scheme is a positive first step, but we must now encourage the Minister to take the next step. The amendment, alongside the Sinn Féin motion, will take us forward in this important area.”
“The Alliance Party feels that this is unjust and unfair, and we believe that our amendment will help to tackle a practice that preys on people in desperation and treats them as victims rather than as clients in a modern and progressive society, where the renting of property is something that we should be able to laud.”
“<BR /> <BR />The amendment that Paula Bradshaw and I have brought today widens a positive motion through including the regulation of letting agencies. That is important, given the meteoric rise of the private rental market. It has been observed that a number of letting agencies are using the unregulated nature of the sector to fabricate fees and now treat a vital sector as a moneymaking scheme. A recent study by Housing Rights found that the basic initial checks, which take a few seconds on the computer, can incur a charge of up to £100.”
“Today's motion takes a further step by calling on the Minister for Communities to review the scheme. That is vital, given recent statistics, which show that the rented sector will increase massively, with home ownership falling to 60% within the next 10 years. That reality, combined with the failure of the last Executive to build a sufficient number of homes for our rising population and a property market that prices out first-time buyers with exorbitant initial deposits, has fostered what is known as "Generation Rent". We need to ensure that tenants are protected by reinforcing regulation, the legislation and the rules. This desire was contained in our manifesto, which stated that we would support the introduction of legislation to improve the regulation of the private rented sector.”
“I remember constituents coming into my office and telling me about the appalling conditions of properties that they were renting through a private landlord: the damp, the failure of heating systems, the ill health of their children — all the things that caused great concern to me and to many constituents across Northern Ireland who were living in properties that were in significant disrepair and had landlords who would not engage with tenants unless the rent was overdue. <BR /> <BR />At this stage, the landlord registration scheme has increased tenant confidence, introduced accountability and transparency, and ensured that landlords cannot shirk their responsibilities. The scheme is and must be praised for bringing hidden landlords into the open for the first time.”
“Before 2014, 100,000 homes were being rented in Northern Ireland, with little knowledge of who the landlords were, what their function was besides being a homeowner and agent, or, more importantly, what their responsibilities or lack of responsibilities to tenants were — all of which we should expect from a good landlord. <BR /> <BR />It is on the last point that I have a personal connection to the motion and I am sure that many others in the Chamber do as well.”
“I welcome the opportunity to contribute to the debate on the motion, in conjunction with the amendment that we propose. As I said, I am delighted that the mover of the motion is willing to take the amendment on board. <BR /> <BR />The landlord registration scheme was an important first step in bringing about protections in a fast-developing sector. Since the introduction of the scheme in 2014, recent figures suggest — although perhaps some of those figures are in dispute, and it would be helpful if the Minister could clarify them — that 46,000 landlords have registered, and we possess details of 100,000 rented properties across Northern Ireland.”
“Thank you, Mr Speaker, for the opportunity to speak again on this important issue today. I thank Mr Maskey for his indication of support for the Alliance Party amendment, and, through him, I pass on our best wishes to Fra McCann, who is not feeling too well. I commend Mr Maskey for the work that he did as Chair of the then Social Development Committee, which dealt with this and many similar issues, and the way in which the whole Committee and Assembly came together to deal with these matters of robust regulation. <BR /> <BR />Today, I am standing in for my party colleague Naomi Long. I am sure that at least the Minister will be delighted to know that she is in France, preparing to cheer on the Northern Ireland football team.”
“Congratulations to the Minister on his appointment. Minister, many small libraries are valued by their communities. I place on record my thanks to the staff, who are highly dedicated in the service that they deliver to the public. They quite often go over and beyond that which is required of them as library staff. What assurances can the Minister give to my constituents in East Antrim that small and rural libraries will be retained and enhanced and their service delivery improved?”
“Minister, thank you for your statement. I want to return to the renewable heat incentive. Can you give us an assurance that that matter, regardless of the sums involved, will be dealt with directly by the Executive rather than being left to the Department for the Economy, the sole role of which should be to transform our economy and which should not be burdened in that respect? Will he give the House an absolute assurance that that matter will be dealt with directly by the Executive?”
“Deputy First Minister, in light of the recent United Nations report which highly criticised the segregated nature of our education system, can you assure the House that integrated education will receive the highest priority when it comes to considering Together: Building a United Community?”
“<BR /> <BR />The bottom line is this: like all tourism products, unless you keep refreshing them and putting them in front of a world market, you are not going to be able to attract new and more visitors. I hope that that is what the Minister will tell us about this evening: how much he is enthused by wanting to market not only Northern Ireland but particularly the tourism advantages of East Antrim. <BR /> <BR />Finally, I have one other negative point about tourism; it is our archaic, outdated licensing laws. That is another aspect that we need to look at in this mandate of the Assembly.”
“All those have been benefits of our European membership. Perhaps I have just got as far as I might get in extolling the benefits of EU membership for us in the tourism take. <BR /> <BR />While I am on the subject of the train, I will suggest that one of the things that the Minister might want to take up with his colleagues is connection times between the Dublin train and those that go from Belfast into East Antrim as far as Larne. It is very frustrating for business commuters, and I am sure it must be equally frustrating for tourists, to arrive and discover that there is no connecting train service and there may be a substantial period of time to wait.”
“It caused me to think, Minister, about how we could ensure that those folk perhaps had better spent that bed-night somewhere in East Antrim, rather than taking the stretch from Dublin to there in one go. I do not want to decry the amazing tourist opportunities that there are on the whole island of Ireland, but, of course, we want to be very selfish and ensure that we get the maximum spend from tourists as they come to us in East Antrim. <BR /> <BR />I need to be careful about what I say with regard to this, but it is important for us to note the benefits that membership of the European Union has had for us in developing the tourism take in East Antrim. We have benefited from substantial grant aid, whether for the Gobbins, the A2 and the A8 road schemes or the refurbishment of the train from Dublin to Belfast.”
“We should not forget that Mid and East Antrim not only has 'The Rinka' for ice cream, but is the manufacturer of some of the best ice cream in Northern Ireland because Maud's has its production facilities in Carrickfergus and plenty of retail outlets across the area as well. <BR /> <BR />I have been in places such as Carnlough. Indeed, one morning not that long ago in Carnlough, I spoke to a couple of bus drivers who had brought visitors to that village very early in the morning. I asked them where they had come from and where they had set off from; and they had actually left Dublin at 7.00 am. They were in Carnlough by 10.30 am. They were looking for a cup of tea and facilities at that time and were heading on to the Giant's Causeway.”
“Whatever their level of responsibility, I hope that the Minister ensures that we have a great deal of cooperation between those councils in delivering for us. So, I think that cooperation between the councils is vital, and I am sure that the Minister's Department wants to oversee that, not just in respect of East Antrim but in respect of tourist facilities and activities across Northern Ireland. <BR /> <BR />I thank my colleague Mr Lyons for bringing the debate and for reminding us about the virtues of 'The Rinka' ice cream. My wife and I enjoyed ice cream there on Friday evening.”
“I think if we are on that list, we have definitely got some things right in East Antrim. <BR /> <BR />The role of councils is vital. They have been charged with a very heavy burden in developing tourism. Reference has been made to whether they are up to speed or not up to speed in delivering that, but they have now had a full year in operational mode. We should probably recognise that, strictly speaking, the constituency of East Antrim also includes Antrim and Newtownabbey Council with the spectacular Loughshore park and the facilities that it provides and the areas all the way to the coast and glens. So, we actually have three councils, one with not so much responsibility perhaps but two with very clear and very large responsibilities.”
“There may be many things in East Antrim that separate its elected representatives, but one thing that will certainly unite us this evening will unite us is extolling the virtues of East Antrim as a tourist destination. It does not matter which party or which part of East Antrim you come from. I hope that the Minister will be delighted to hear a united voice when it comes to extolling those virtues, but, equally, there are things that we would like the Minister to do. As other Members made reference to, there are other things we think need to be done to enhance the tourist uptake in East Antrim to make us the number one go-to place for a tourist who visits Northern Ireland. 'National Geographic' magazine has cited the Antrim coast road as one of the must-see places in the world.”
“We do not need that type of exploration in Northern Ireland. We need to get smart and look for the appropriate alternatives that will deliver 21st-century energy needs for the whole of Northern Ireland. I have no desire to see east Antrim turned into the DUP's idea of a Northern Ireland Dallas, no matter how much it would suit the MP for East Antrim.”
“<BR /> <BR />The motion should be calling for a strong and independent environmental protection agency rather than the mouse of an organisation that we have at the moment, which cannot even decide what day of the week it is. I wonder whether the two parties of government will tell us tonight whether they will introduce an independent environmental protection agency to Northern Ireland. <BR /> <BR />We need to remember that it is an exploratory drilling process that is going on in Woodburn and that there is no guarantee that oil will be found, but should it be found, will the Minister give us a commitment tonight that that oil will stay in the ground? That is where the oil, if it is discovered, should remain. In the 21st century, we do not need 20th-century technology. We do not need additional oil in Northern Ireland.”
“The motion states that all the environmental factors must be considered before such a serious project is permitted again. Why should they not be considered while this project is continuing? Of course we want to protect future drilling opportunities, but we have a genuine opportunity tonight to stop this now. I have serious concerns, as others have, about the way in which the Agriculture Department has an environment portfolio and, indeed, that the leadership of that Department is in the hands of the DUP. Essentially, we have a government lock on the decision that faces the Assembly today, and I encourage the Members who have the power in the Chamber to stand up and do what is right and stop now the process and the potential pollution of water that supplies hundreds of thousands of houses in the greater Belfast area.”
“Furthermore, through you, Mr Speaker, will the Minister instruct Northern Ireland Water to release documents to protesters who believe that documents are being hidden from them and from public view and from open and transparent government? He is a party of open and transparent government, so I am absolutely sure that he will do his level best to ensure that every document that is being requested is discovered and placed in the public domain.”
“Thank you, Mr Speaker. The reality is that, despite the words that Ms Hanna used to congratulate her Minister on his actions, he could have perhaps taken that decision as well, but things are much simpler now because there are just two parties in Government, and it is very easy. You do not have all the breadth of consultation that you needed to do in the past. <BR /> <BR />The reality is simply this: Mr Hazzard has the powers to introduce departmental legislation with regard to planning. That is what the motion calls for, so I look forward to hearing a major announcement from him tonight in respect of planning matters.”
“In fact, the motion that is in front of us, which I intend to support, is —”
“Mr Speaker, I will take this opportunity to congratulate you on your appointment. I welcome the opportunity to speak on this very important matter for many of my constituents and those who live in a much larger drinking water consumption area served by the Woodburn dams. Earlier this evening, I and some party colleagues met some people from Stop the Drill, particularly residents who live in the most immediate area around the drill site. They impressed us and persuaded us, if we needed any further persuasion, about the folly of this particular enterprise. <BR /> <BR />Equally, I find it very strange that Mr McMullan and Mr Kelly are co-signatories to a motion here tonight when they are effectively a party of Government, and they could, at the stroke of a pen, stop all this. It seems rather false that they do not take that course of action.”
“— as some of the most polluting activities in Northern Ireland.”
“I am fascinated by the Member's quite correct litany of concerns that he has about environmental pollution, but this is the Member who has a family member who has been involved with some fuel laundering processes, which are on the record, Mr Deputy Speaker —”
“I, too, join the Minister in condemning the acts of last week and expressing sympathy to the Ismay family. Does he agree that the vile and pathetic excuses for humanity who carried out this atrocity and, sadly, others have nothing to offer our society and that the Assembly should be seen as standing firm tonight against those individuals?”
“In respect of the reduction in the number of staff to reflect the reduction in the number of Committees, can the Commission indicate that it took into account that the remit and depth of the work of those Committees will be substantially more than the existing Committees? While there is to be a reduction in staff, can we be assured that it will reflect the additional work that those Committees will have?”
“Minister, thank you for your answers thus far. Clearly you will be aware that many Members have been lobbied by the cavity wall insulation industry with regard to the failures of cavity wall insulation in a number of properties, particularly Housing Executive properties. Will the Minister explain to the House why, given the high failure rate of cavity wall insulation and its importance in delivering appropriate warmth to homes, the Housing Executive is not conducting camera inspections of cavity walls?”
“Minister, will you agree that, in addition to the issues that you have highlighted as successes since you took office from the point of direct rule, there have been some very dark days in your role when you have had to deal with the families of police officers and prison officers who have lost lives, lost limbs and been injured? There are many others who perhaps are not known to us but are known to you. Minister, would you like to comment to the House on those aspects of the difficulties of being Justice Minister in Northern Ireland today, 18 years on from the Good Friday Agreement?”
“In respect of the drilling at Woodburn, it is a bit of a smokescreen to suggest that people believe that hydraulic fracking is going on. We know that it is conventional drilling, and the protesters know that too. <BR /> <BR />You talk about security of supply for fuel, but can we be guaranteed security of supply when it comes to clean, fresh drinking water?”
“<BR /> <BR />Finally, I thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker, for the work that you have done as Deputy Speaker; I place that on record as others have done. I assure the House that, if returned, I will work with my colleagues and others to deliver a better, faster and fairer justice system and that we intend to move that forward.”
“That is absolutely for sure. <BR /> <BR />It is important that we acknowledge all the things that people have done, but there is one area that I have to express some disappointment in, and that is the amendment that I and my colleague Mr Lunn proposed with regard to the very specific and very difficult area of the law in relation to fatal foetal abnormality. While I totally and utterly respect the democratic decision of the House with regard to these matters, I have to place it on record that it is an area that, if I am returned to the House, I will continue to pursue, particularly in respect of the issue that faced the young lady, Sarah Ewart, and the tragic way in which it affected her family.”
“All that has been valuable in the mix. I applaud Mr Maginness not only for the work that he has done in this mandate on the Justice Committee but for the work that he has done representing his constituents and as a voice of sanity and reality for many right across this community. You will be missed in the House. <BR /> <BR />Likewise, I thank Ms McGahan for the contribution that she has made to the Committee and wish her well in whatever she has planned for her future. <BR /> <BR />There is much to be done in the future in the area of justice. We are not finished yet. While I understand and know, as Chief Whip of the party, that the Minister will not seek the position of Justice Minister in the next mandate, I assure the House that he is seeking to be re-elected to the House and will work on behalf of his party and as the party leader.”
“<BR /> <BR />It would be remiss of me at this stage not also to thank Mr Maginness for the important and sage way in which he has advised and worked with the Committee both in private conversation and in the contributions that he has made to the Committee. They really have been immense, and it has been of great value to have a lawyer on the Committee. Mr Maginness also brought his political points of view to the Committee.”
“I cannot say that I wholly agree with where we are in respect of the changes that have been introduced, but what I have seen is good cooperative and collaborative working between parties in the Committee to reach a situation where the Department of Justice can work with and agree what has been done on firearms reform. <BR /> <BR />I also commend the Chair of the Committee, both for introducing aspects of revenge pornography to the Bill and for the very innovative and important way in which he has chaired the Committee. Once again, I need to place on record my sincere thanks for the way in which he has done that.”
“<BR /> <BR />I also add words of thanks to Mr Frew for his amendment on those issues that affect ambulance staff particularly and the way in which they have been abused going about their job. There is a difficult area in respect of this. Sometimes where the abuse occurs the individuals are patients who are in a very difficult situation, but a criminal line is also crossed. It is when that criminal line is crossed that Mr Frew's amendments to the legislation are very welcome and much appreciated. <BR /> <BR />I turn to the issue of firearms reform. Somewhat like Mr Maginness, I did not — fortunately, I have to say — know anything about firearms to the extent that I now know about them having listened to all the discussions and arguments in the Committee for Justice.”
“That person will, and should, have the confidence of the Prison Service and also of the prisoners who will raise issues with them. <BR /> <BR />Much has been made of the concerns of the community and society about animal welfare, particularly animal cruelty, where the criminal line is crossed. We have seen a number of cases where the community quite rightly has been outraged by the way in which courts have had to deal with the law and provide for sentencing. That review and revision in the Bill will facilitate those who issue and provide sentences with a wider range of penalties. It sends out a strong message to those in society who abuse animals in the ways in which we have heard and seen in recent days.”
“2) Bill modernises and deals with the very difficult issue of collection of penalties and fines and replaces those with a non-custodial model that, nevertheless, seeks to ensure that those who need to be dealt with can be dealt with and that they will have the opportunity to have sufficient resources to lead their lives but, at the same time, know that repayment is being made. That is very important. In-and-out prison sentences serve neither the person who goes to prison nor the Prison Service that has to deal with such individuals. <BR /> <BR />Likewise, I welcome the statutory footing for the Prison Ombudsman. That is a vital role. They join a range of ombudsmen across Northern Ireland who have a very difficult but important role.”
“I, too, want to join in the tributes and comments that have been made around the Chamber on where we are today and specifically with regard to the Justice (No. 2) Bill, which is at its Final Stage. I would also like to acknowledge the progress and work of the Justice Minister over the lifetime of the mandate. For me and, I think, for many citizens, he has delivered a fairer and a faster system of justice and has also embarked on wide-ranging legislative reform. <BR /> <BR />As others said, the Justice (No.”
“I thank the Minister for his statement, which was difficult to follow because there was no copy available for most of us. I ask him to address the growing demand for social housing that meets the needs of the 21st century and provides shared space and integrated housing. What efforts will be made in the Programme for Government in the future to ensure that the growing demand for integrated housing can be delivered by the social housing providers and the Housing Executive?”
“I thank the Minister for his statement. Minister, I commend you on the work that the Department has done on the matter, particularly on raising the age of criminal consent. Do you envisage a day when young people in these circumstances will not be dealt with by the justice system and a health, welfare and social services approach will be taken?”