Sammy Douglas
East Belfast · Democratic Unionist Party · Northern Ireland
“Avoid the appearance of wrongdoing. There is a sense out there that what is happening, over the last number of years, is wrong. The courts are too lenient and even the PPS is too lenient. William Humphrey said earlier that it undermines the criminal justice system. I agree with William.”
“It was claimed by the so-called Real IRA, and, as my colleague mentioned, the accused has broken bail conditions on five occasions. <BR /> <BR />There has been talk in the debate about human rights.”
“I rise as a member of the Justice Committee to speak in the debate, and I thank Douglas Beattie and his colleagues for bringing the motion to the House. I am here to support the motion.”
“Certainly, in the midst of his comments, there is a frustration. That frustration has been there for many years, not just recently. I agree with the Chief Constable.”
“Minister, you alluded to north Belfast. Have you looked at the statements by the Chief Constable, who has questioned the linkages that may be undermining the whole criminal justice system in situations like that? <BR /> <BR />Also, I want to pay tribute to you. I think that you have been a great Minister.”
“Thank you, Mr Speaker. I certainly agree with my colleague about the full rigour of the law. The Assembly should be tough on crime and tough on the reasons behind crime.”
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“I am not sure what the scale of this is, and I think that it is much more difficult for men to admit that they suffer domestic violence. <BR /> <BR />As Mrs Kelly said, one in four women suffers domestic violence at some stage in her life. That is a terrible statistic, and it is indicative of the breakdown of society. Again, I ask the Minister to look at that. For me, the amendments will definitely improve the lives of victims of domestic violence, and I hope and am assured that the Bill will help in the fight against domestic violence. I believe that these proposals will make a difference. <BR /> <BR />I conclude by welcoming the protections that the Department has outlined in the amendments, and I look forward to the broader consultation that, as the Chairman of our Committee said, will take place between now and 2016.”
“<BR /> <BR />I also want to highlight something else, and maybe the Minister will address it. I am not sure whether I am on the right track here, but does the Bill deal with domestic violence against men? Over the years, a number of men have come to me, even since I opened up my office on the Newtownards Road four years ago. Some of those men tend to come in when they have a few beers on them and have a sense of Dutch courage. It is horrendous. One man who came to me said that he was suffering serious domestic violence daily but his biggest fear was his partner's three brothers, who were quite hard men in a sense. It was the fear of them rather than the fear of retaliating. He did not want to retaliate; he loved his partner. Maybe the Minister will look at that and confirm whether the Bill will address those issues.”
“Mr Principal Deputy Speaker, you will know of two of many in east Belfast: the Cregagh women's centre does excellent work with women, as does the recently formed Pitt Park Women's Group on the lower Newtownards Road. I see the work that they are involved in with women and children and the positive impact that they can have on the lives of so many people. I think that the women who work with victims of domestic violence will support the Bill. They will say that this is a good news story for them and the work that they do. I have been involved in community work for 25 years, and I have seen at first hand the impact of domestic violence on families. It is not just about women but about their children, their friends and the break-up of families — the horrors that Mrs Kelly outlined.”
“One of the things that we have recognised over the years is that it affects all aspects and every area of society. I suppose that, in the past, it was always about disadvantaged communities and people who were living in poverty or whatever, but domestic violence affects the whole community across Northern Ireland. Mrs Kelly reminded us that Women's Aid is at full capacity. It is a wonderful organisation, and, when we talk about austerity measures and big cutbacks, it is the sort of organisation that we should support day in, day out for the work that it does on domestic abuse and domestic violence. Like many others, I pay tribute to Women's Aid for the work that it does on a 24-hour basis, but there are other organisations as well.”
“As a member of the Justice Committee, I welcome the debate. I want to focus on the amendments relating to domestic violence. As I said, it is a timely debate. All that we have to do is look at our television screens. We hear it in our communities, and we read in the media about the horrors and the impact of domestic violence on too many families in our communities. First, I support in principle the work done by Mrs Kelly and her colleagues in the SDLP and, indeed, their amendments on domestic violence. I welcome them and will certainly support them in principle. Moreover, I pay tribute to two other colleagues, Mr Frew and Lord Morrow. I will support Sarah's law and, indeed, Clare's law, which Dolores Kelly mentioned. <BR /> <BR />Mrs Kelly clearly outlined the horrors for women who experience domestic violence.”
“I have about 22 pages here, but I will try to keep it down to 20 if I can. I am only joking.”
“As I was saying before you joined us, Mr Principal Deputy Speaker, I will try to keep this as brief as I possibly can. Hopefully, my speech will be as good as your handover.”
“Like the previous Member to speak, Lord Morrow, I will to try to be as brief as I can. That said, Mr Deputy Speaker — where did he go?”
“Earlier, the Member mentioned that the prosecution would keep its powder dry. Will you just explain to the House what that means?”
“Will the Minister outline what sort of funding has come from the Arts Council for Northern Ireland under the musical instruments for bands scheme?”
“In the Minister's estimation, are the new super-councils ready to deliver the affordable warmth scheme?”
“He also referred to savings that can be made by reducing duplication and by streamlining. Does that mean that the Minister accepts that the current system has duplication and is not efficient? Will the Minister now acknowledge that the issues surrounding duplication could have been tackled much earlier?”
“I, too, welcome the Minister's statement this morning. The Minister will be aware that the Justice Committee has been hosting a number of justice seminars aimed at promoting innovation and collaboration within the criminal justice system. The Minister states that recommendations in the youth justice review:”
“On the theme of challenges, what impact will the failure to implement the Stormont House Agreement have on your health budget?”
“I thank the Minister for his answers thus far and also offer my best wishes to him in his new role. This scheme is obviously very successful and has been rolled out across Northern Ireland. Can he remind us of the numbers who benefit from the scheme?”
“I thank the Member for giving way. He mentioned ESF. All research shows that the early years programme is a valuable programme that makes a major impact. Does he agree that it will be disastrous for those groups across Northern Ireland if that fund finishes in August?”
“I understand the cuts that he is facing, but we need to work together to ensure that the most vulnerable groups in our society get a fair hearing and an opportunity to put their proposals to us so that we can help and support them. <BR /> <BR />I know that the Minister will reply later, but I just want to pay tribute to him. As my colleague said earlier, he gets it when it comes to the community and voluntary sector. He was out with us recently on the Newtownards Road, and the work that he is doing in supporting some of our most disadvantaged people in society is very encouraging. I welcome the motion and encourage all Members to support it.”
“I thank the Member for his intervention. I certainly agree with that. As our current Prime Minister says, "We're all in this together". We are all in this together, and we need to work together to ensure that these groups survive and exist in the future. <BR /> <BR />As I said, these groups were about throughout the conflict. Many of the groups, the women, young men and others, held their communities together at times when Northern Ireland was falling apart. Last Thursday, when I was at the count, people from the Dee Street playgroup came to see me. The playgroup has been going since the 1970s, and there is a threat to its funding from the Department of Education. I met the Minister of Education, and he has empathy with those groups.”
“Thank you, Mr Speaker. I thank the Member for his intervention. I certainly agree with him. One of the groups that I am sure he is thinking about is Bloomfield Community Association on Hyndford Street, which has been involved for many years. I am sure that you are aware, Mr Speaker, that Van Morrison is from that street. That group is working tirelessly day in, day out, and it has a real fear that it will go out of existence.”
“That is a big message to us all. There is a sense that we need to do something about this urgently.”
“There is recognition that things are difficult. Groups out there realise that they are going through times of austerity. It goes on to say:”
“As I said, there is a real fear that groups could lose out and disband as a result of this. <BR /> <BR />I got an email last Friday. I welcome some of the comments from the Chair of the Committee for Employment and Learning. Like him, I got a letter from Greenway Women's Centre. Let me read it out:”
“It not only provides employment but works with those from disadvantaged backgrounds, provides support to those who wish to change their life and helps them to fulfil their potential. The organic growth of projects and the ability to be responsive to needs of its communities mean that the voluntary and community sector can often be more responsive than Departments or government officials when it comes to working at a local level. Last week, I was cycling along the Newtownards Road and passed the Ballymac Centre. At 9.15 pm on a Sunday night, young youth workers were there working on a voluntary basis with some of the most disadvantaged people in our communities. I pay tribute to those people, who work day in, day out in the most disadvantaged communities.”
“I have been involved in the community and voluntary sector since the 1970s, and I certainly welcome the motion. I got involved in community and voluntary work by accident in the 1970s. During the conflict, I worked with prisoners, ex-prisoners and members of my community. For the past 25 years, I have been involved in community and voluntary activity in east Belfast. So, I have a bit of experience, and I certainly empathise with the fears expressed by many of the groups that they will lose out. Ultimately, some will collapse. I pay tribute to organisations such as the Northern Ireland Council for Voluntary Action, which has raised the profile of these groups and informed us of exactly what is happening, as have other groups. <BR /> <BR />The voluntary and community sector in Northern Ireland is an integral part of the economy.”
“Yes. As somebody said, I am just as knowledgeable as the Minister.”
“I speak as a fairly new member of the Committee for Social Development. I think that I have been on it for 14 minutes.”
“I thank the Minister for his answer. He mentioned the Belfast bike scheme, and I am sure that he is aware that, when people hire a bicycle, they are not provided with a helmet. On a recent visit to Utrecht in the Netherlands, I saw thousands of cyclists, and I counted four people wearing a cycling helmet. Will the Minister outline the Department's view on cycle helmets?”
“I thank the Minister for her answer. Can the Minister outline what response or progress there has been in east Belfast through jobs created?”
“I wish that they had said that about me, but they actually said it about the Minister.”
“Not so long ago, I spoke to one of the key civil servants in Stormont. He is from Lisburn, and he told me that he drives from Lisburn to Victoria Park in east Belfast. The reason he does that is not just that it is a wonderful park with beautiful scenery, ducks, swans and everything else but because of the quality of its good, clean surfaces on which his children can actually cycle in safety. That is very important as well. <BR /> <BR />I am certainly aware, as all MLAs are, that money is scarce. The Connswater Community Greenway was a major project that brought £23·5 million from outside sources, and we need to look at how we can attract more resources from outside and other agencies. <BR /> <BR />I know that my time is running out, but I just want to finish with a quotation from the excellent NI Greenways site:”
“Thank you, Mr Principal Deputy Speaker. I certainly welcome the Member's intervention and concur with him that it was an excellent event. It brought so many people together and was a great opportunity. <BR /> <BR />I was out in Victoria Park and Orangefield Park yesterday, and it was amazing to see the number of families and children out cycling.”
“<BR /> <BR />I believe that the Minister is personally and genuinely committed to a cycling revolution, and I am glad that that revolution is under way. I see it on a weekly basis. <BR /> <BR />I recently spoke to a person whom you will know, Mr Principal Deputy Speaker, Glenn Kinning, who runs a cycle repair and sales business on the Castlereagh Road. He told me that, since last year and the Giro d'Italia, the number of parents who are coming in to buy bicycles for themselves and their children has increased dramatically, The cycling revolution is definitely under way, and an increase in cycling has led to an increase in business for the Kinnings and other cycling businesses. Sales of bicycles and bicycle equipment are definitely up.”
“For me, especially in the early days, I came across areas of east Belfast that I did not know existed — some wee streets — but you also get to see the issues as you cycle along those streets and roads that you certainly would not see driving past in your car. The only regret that I have about cycling is that I did not embark on it when I was much younger. I wish that I had done that. <BR /> <BR />Last year, as a birthday treat, my family sent me and my wife to Utrecht in the Netherlands for a few days, and I experienced cycling there. It was the first time in my life that I had been in a traffic jam of cyclists. There were hundreds and hundreds of cyclists, and it was a new experience for me.”
“Stephen Moutray made some very kind remarks about me earlier, and I am delighted that he is now involved in cycling and has applied for the cycle-to-work scheme in Stormont. <BR /> <BR />I took up cycling three years ago in a serious way, in that I got on my bike for the first time in many years. For me, it was mainly for health reasons. I had gone through a very difficult time — I experienced a traumatic death in my family — and I found that, when I started to cycle, it really helped me to get out into open spaces and to relieve stress and pressures. I can honestly say that it is one of the best decisions that I have made this century. <BR /> <BR />I would certainly encourage all those MLAs who do not cycle to consider cycling and to get on their bike.”
“I want to thank my colleagues for turning up now and again.”
“As the vice-chair of the all-party group on cycling, I welcome and support the motion. I thank the Committee for the sterling work that it has engaged in. I also want to thank my colleague — in fact, I do not have too many here at the moment.”
“I am sure that the Minister will agree with me that, when working in those areas, you need to work along with the local communities. The Connswater Community Greenway also operates in that area, so would the Minister encourage his workers to continue to work in partnership with the Connswater Community Greenway?”
“I thank the Minister for his answer, and I thank him for coming to the lower Newtownards Road these past few months. Can he give us an update on the refurbishment of the Ballymac Centre?”
“I thank the Minister for his answer and extend to him an invitation to visit the Connswater Community Greenway. I know that he tried to get there before, but there was bad weather. Does the Minister have any other measures planned to improve the water quality of the three rivers that he outlined?”
“I thank the Minister for his answers so far. He did not include politicians — the MLAs who lobbied him — in his congratulations. Would the Minister continue to encourage his officials and others to work with the school and parents to ensure success for this major school in east Belfast?”
“I thought the Principal Deputy Speaker was a good friend of mine.”
“And there is more: the Police Ombudsman also has a full role. I agree with the Minister, who is clear that the order will fill a gap in our law enforcement effort that he, as Justice Minister and chair of the Organised Crime Task Force, and our Chief Constable have highlighted for some time. <BR /> <BR />I believe that NCA operations will be subject to significant and robust accountability arrangements, because of those assurances and the ability for the agency to respond — let us not forget it — on a 24/7 basis to target those in our communities — the criminals, the blackguards and the groups — who pose the greatest risk to the people of Northern Ireland and beyond. The issue of the National Crime Agency and why it needs to come into operation in Northern Ireland is well known and has been debated in the House before.”
“I understand that some Members may have concerns about transparency and accountability. However, the order will provide a vehicle to hit criminals where it hurts most and would do so in a way that places the PSNI at the heart of decision-making on operations. It also provides a role for the Policing Board to monitor the exercise of NCA functions, to call the director general of the NCA to meetings and to call for reports, updates on progress and so on.”
“Is this not what the majority of people in our communities want: the full weight of the law being brought to bear in cutting serious and organised crime? I suggest that, if we went round the doors tonight and spoke to people in Belfast and across Northern Ireland, the overwhelming majority would agree with the new agency being set up and would support it. <BR /> <BR />Earlier, I spoke to a senior PSNI officer, who informed me that organised crime is growing and becoming more sophisticated. There are more international crime gangs in Northern Ireland, including, he said, Russians. Those gangs are operating across Belfast, across Northern Ireland, across the border, in the rest of the United Kingdom and, as we all know, across Europe. Is this not a wake-up call for all of us in the House to support the motion?”
“I wholeheartedly agree with the Minister. I sincerely believe that some Members are looking a gift horse in the mouth. Let us see what they are potentially rejecting. This morning, I looked up the NCA website. It says that the NCA is a new crime-fighting agency with:”
“I hope that people will respond to that, accept that this is the last opportunity and go for it. <BR /> <BR />I want to read from a letter that we got from the Minister. I hope that this does not trigger a point of order, as happened earlier. The Minister says that he believes that:”
“As a member of the Justice Committee, I support the motion. I congratulate my colleagues Alastair Ross and Stewart Dickson for bringing this hugely important issue before the House. <BR /> <BR />Earlier today, my colleague Alastair Ross said:”
“I thank the Member for giving way. I want to highlight two projects that could be jeopardised if that amendment is made. I declare an interest in both projects: one is Titanic People, which is in Westbourne Presbyterian Church on the lower Newtownards Road, and the international visitor centre, which we hope will be ready by next August; and the other is a Van Morrison event that will attract a lot of international visitors next August. Does the Member agree that, if we do go down the road of shifting the social investment fund money, it will jeopardise excellent projects such as those that would help to regenerate the whole east Belfast area?”
“I thank the Minister for his answers so far. Recently, he referred to the filtering arrangements for minor offences, or so-called minor offences, and talked about reviewing them. Will he expand a bit more on how he will do that?”
“I thank the Minister for her answers thus far. Apart from the 1,000 possible jobs that will be created on the rig, will she outline the wider opportunities that will flow from this development on Queen's Island?”