Sandra Overend
Mid Ulster · Ulster Unionist Party · Northern Ireland
“My thoughts are with the Black family, who have been put into the public eye once again due to the failings of the judicial system, the very system in which David served so faithfully.”
“On this, the last day the Assembly will meet in this place, I thank my colleague Mr Doug Beattie for proposing this important motion. I express my deep concern and share the anger of many people from my constituency of Mid Ulster at the management of the bail conditions for the man who was charged with offences linked to the terrorist mur…”
“<BR /> <BR />There is an argument that suspects have an entitlement to bail due to the length of time that they spend on remand. However, the answer to that must be to speed up the process of administering justice and not to grant bail in such cases.”
“It emerged that, having failed to sign in with police on 18 November, it was not until 23 December when police called at his bail address that they found the flat had been cleared out, and, in fact, evidence suggested he had been gone a few weeks by that stage.”
“To allow this type of situation to occur once could be seen as being careless. For it to happen twice in the same year is clear evidence of a culture that needs to change and of a policy that needs to change. Bail is seemingly too easily given out and not stringently enough managed.”
“I thank the Minister for that. I wonder whether he is optimistic that he will deliver that programme in the days that remain, given the fact that clubs have been waiting since last March, when the consultation process ended. An announcement was promised before Christmas. How confident is he that there will be something for local clubs?”
The complete record
Every one of 753 lines we hold for Sandra Overend, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 7 of 16.
“Actually, we were assured that this was a remodel of the existing SENCO role in schools, but it now includes a responsibility for taking into account multiple non-SEN identities; for example, newcomers coming into the school with special educational needs.”
“I am content with the amendment, as it clarifies that all types of provision made or provided to each child with special educational needs, whether specific or otherwise, should also be referred to. I think that that is particularly relevant, considering the reduction of the statementing process from five stages to three. It is felt that that precaution will help children who may not be reaching the statutory process. <BR /> <BR />Turning to amendment No 12, concern was expressed about the capacity of the board of governors to discharge its functions and the absence of qualifications for the new learning support coordinator role.”
“The Committee felt, as I do, that there is no point in placing an obligation to share and not have the necessary checks in place to make sure that that sharing is a success. It was felt that this amendment is not duplication but that there may be some problem with extending the functions of the RQIA to enable it to carry out these additional functions. <BR /> <BR />The decision as to whether there is an increase in bureaucracy, and the worth of it, is questioned by some, but I feel that there is a need to assess how the new functions are working and whether the sharing is successful. I am minded to support that amendment. <BR /> <BR />Amendment No 8 amends the 1996 Order to read that the statement shall specify the nature and extent of special educational provision to be made for the purpose of meeting those needs.”
“The sharing is two-sided. Information can travel both ways, and, importantly, they may pool budgets and share resources for the purposes of exercising their functions. We have heard of the example that delays in a child receiving the appropriate care that he or she requires was down to a simple yet elongated debate about who would pay for it. The Committee amendment resolves that debate and the obvious delay. <BR /> <BR />Amendment No 6 follows on from the previous amendments, and amends amendment No 5 so that provision is made to assess the sharing that will now be guaranteed. Indeed, the Committee discussed the need for that amendment, following the successful implementation of Mr Agnew's private Member's Bill, the Children's Services Co-operation Bill.”
“<BR /> <BR />Regarding amendment Nos 3, 4 and 5; during representation to the Committee it was generally felt by many that communication was necessarily improved, not only between the Departments of Health and Education but, very importantly, between any and all education providers for each child with special educational needs. Furthermore, we felt strongly that the PLP should be shared between schools that the child has transferred to, provided that the parents, or the child if over compulsory school age, agree. I believe that the PLP acts as a historical document, providing information on any action in the past, that may or may not have been beneficial, for the future education of that child. <BR /> <BR />Amendment No 5 extends the same sharing of information effect to the two main Departments, Education and Health.”
“<BR /> <BR />Clause 3 makes a number of changes to the duties of the board of governors in relation to pupils with special educational needs. It requires boards of governors to make school personnel, not just teachers, aware of a child's special educational needs. It requires them to maintain the PLP, rather than a non-statutory individual educational plan, and it obliges them to make parents, and children above compulsory school age, aware of dispute mechanisms. It also ensures that the Education Authority is aware of changes regarding SEN support.”
“As a member of the Education Committee, I can say that we gave it fair scrutiny, with the mission of making improvements and representing the views and concerns of those who provided evidence to us. I thank all of them for their input. I would also like to express my thanks to the Committee Clerk and staff for helping to keep the issues streamlined. I must also say thanks to the departmental officials for their responses, patience and cooperation. <BR /> <BR />Turning to the amendments; amendment Nos 1, 2, 9, 10 and 11, in their various places throughout the Bill, were discussed in Committee at length with various witnesses. It was felt that the word "shall" is stronger legislatively and will ensure the duty that is being placed. I welcome the Minister agreeing to the Committee's suggestions in those cases and moving those amendments.”
“It is my pleasure to speak on behalf of the Ulster Unionist Party on the Special Educational Needs and Disability Bill at Consideration Stage. I welcome its progression today. I think that it was some nine years ago that the Department of Education began a review of special educational needs, and that was long before my time in this place. During my time as a Member of the Assembly since 2011, I have received numerous representations from concerned parents and teachers on the complex, prolonged and unsatisfactory system that is currently in place, which leads to delays and inconsistencies. So, I welcome the progress of the Bill, with the amendments being proposed today.”
“It is clear that there is much more work to be done to lower emissions. That will involve innovative solutions. We should maximise the potential of our renewable sources by supporting advances in solar, biomass and hydro technologies, provided we do so in a way that is sensitive to local communities. The Ulster Unionist Party will continue to support steps to increase energy efficiency and, in line with UK targets, to substantially reduce greenhouse gas emissions in pursuit of a strong and sustainable environment for Northern Ireland.”
“If you do not mind, I will continue. The levels of public consultation required in discussions with relevant stakeholders would take up a significant amount of time, so much so that it would be unachievable to establish such a Bill within the mandate. While it may not be an ideal scenario, Northern Ireland, as well as the other devolved Administrations, are covered by the UK Climate Change Act 2008, which established the world's first legally binding climate change targets. In the absence of specific Northern Ireland legislation, it is our party's view that all public bodies, including local government, should put in place carbon reduction strategies with accompanying targets to measure progress.”
“I acknowledge Steven Agnew's amendment, which seeks to establish a Northern Ireland-specific climate Bill, but there is clearly a lack of agreement among the parties on the issue.”
“He was rightly acknowledged for leading the cycling revolution and taking steps to create a Northern Ireland where people have the freedom and confidence to travel by bicycle. However, it appears that, collectively, the Northern Ireland Executive are not doing all that they should to bring down emissions. The Executive are on course to miss the Government targets to reduce emissions by 35% from 1990 levels by 2025. I hope that this does not become another example of the Executive being unable to deliver. <BR /> <BR />From recent figures, we can see that, rather than the Executive taking real steps forward in reducing emissions, they are going backwards, with emissions increasing from 2011 to 2012 and remaining static in 2013. That is simply not good enough.”
“It is to be encouraged that the Environment Minister will also be in attendance to represent Northern Ireland. <BR /> <BR />The challenge of tackling climate change is no less formidable now than it was five years ago. The Ulster Unionist Party is fully committed to reducing our emission levels in line with the United Kingdom's commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 80% from 1990 levels by 2050 and to reduce our carbon footprint consistently. <BR /> <BR />During Danny Kennedy's tenure as Regional Development Minister, he did his utmost to reduce emissions by making public transport more attractive. Indeed, the Belfast rapid transport system, which Mr Kennedy worked on for a long time, is introducing vehicles that utilise some of the latest hybrid technology, with lower noise vibration and, indeed, pollutants.”
“I am grateful for the opportunity to speak on the motion. The Ulster Unionist Party recognises the need to address the threat of climate change. It goes without saying that this generation should have a moral obligation to pass the earth to the next generation in as good a condition or better as when we received it. <BR /> <BR />We very much hope that the aspiration of the Paris talks to deliver the first ever truly global deal to tackle climate change is realised. However, we recognise that creating consensus on the issue is extremely difficult, as was evident from the previous United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen in 2009. Some 20,000 people are due to attend the Paris conference. Among them will be 140 global leaders, including Barack Obama, Vladimir Putin and David Cameron.”
“Does the Minister intend to make his recommendations on the funding of further and higher education this side of the election, or was the Big Conversation a big delaying tactic to avoid potentially unpopular decisions?”
“It is more to do with the sound system than my colleagues. Will the Minister clarify whether there is a change to what schools will have to do as part of the statutory process going forward?”
“I thank the Minister for a response on the matter. I could not hear all the answer, with the speakers in this part of the Chamber, but I wonder could he —”
“I welcome the Member saying that the Minister is giving a reprieve to some of those care homes, and I look forward to the detail on that. However, does the Member agree that the Minister should lift the non-admissions policy for the statutory care homes that are still here?”
“It certainly seems that the Health Minister's policies are not effective and he is failing older people in Mid Ulster and across Northern Ireland. Those are the people who need care and stability the most. I feel that it is not good enough. I appreciate the Minister's presence here this afternoon and I am keen to hear how he plans to rectify those problems and ensure that the older people of Mid Ulster are given the care that they so desperately need.”
“I know from personal experience that these carers provide an excellent and necessary service to many people in Mid Ulster, and they must be given the resources and support to carry out their important work. The Minister is closing care homes under his control, leaving many older people with an uncertain future. He is not training enough nurses to staff private care homes and to provide domiciliary care packages, leaving older people without the care that they will need, now and in the future.”
“<BR />Where carers and care packages are put in place, the carers are being stretched thin on the ground. However, that is hardly surprising when there are not enough care staff employed to cover the needs of older people in need in Mid Ulster. I have had discussions with district nurses and carers who have concerns over the levels of mileage paid for the journeys to and from patients and the difficulties faced by those who travel from one edge of the constituency to the other. The rural nature of Mid Ulster only exacerbates the problems felt by those carers and puts more pressure on the industry. <BR /> <BR />In the report, the Commissioner for Older People pointed out:”
“However, as the Minister closes care homes in Mid Ulster, and as more and more people will now need specialist care in their own homes, he has failed to ensure that proper domiciliary care provision has been put in place. <BR /> <BR />One case that I have been dealing with through my constituency office concerns a lady who has been fighting to secure a care package for her uncle, who suffers from Alzheimer's and who requires multiple care visits per day. She has been fighting for that care package for over a year — that is 12 months in which she and her family have been stretched to their limits because the trust and the Department have been unable to find a suitable care package for her uncle. This state of affairs is simply not good enough.”
“She also noted that receiving good quality domiciliary care in Northern Ireland has been become a "postcode lottery". <BR /> <BR />I have been contacted by many people whose families are being stretched to the absolute limit in their care for elderly and vulnerable family members. The Minister and his predecessors have continued with the policy of closing care homes across Northern Ireland, stating that older people staying in their own homes will ensure that they can retain their independence of living and receive care in a familiar and comfortable environment. I can certainly feel for that idea. In the report, the commissioner describes it as the "lynchpin of Transforming Your Care", noting:”
“The Health Minister, therefore, admits sole responsibility for the lack of numbers and student nurses coming through. <BR /> <BR />The problem is also being felt in the domiciliary care sector, where there is a severe lack of care staff to fulfil the needs of older people throughout Mid Ulster. The Commissioner for Older People for Northern Ireland recently published a report on 'Domiciliary Care in Northern Ireland'. In the report, she noted:”
“One would imagine that, with the crisis threatening to develop further, the Minister would seek to address the problem by working with Executive colleagues to find a solution. When I asked the Minister in a question for written answer to detail discussions that he had with the Employment Minister regarding the number of nursing places at universities and colleges, he stated:”
“Indeed, in the news this afternoon, we heard of seven care homes closing across Northern Ireland. <BR /> <BR />As the managing director of one private care home in Mid Ulster who contacted me said:”
“<BR /> <BR />I was disappointed that the Minister refused to meet me on this issue. It would have been an opportunity to discuss the concerns of people in the area and the reality on the ground. We know that he was consulting to make Westlands care home into a community hub, despite much protest against that. I wonder whether that idea is going ahead following this consultation. If so, what exactly will that entail? How will that continue to help the older people in Mid Ulster? Those are questions that remain unanswered. <BR /> <BR />The problems are not confined to residential care homes under the control of the Minister. No, care homes in the private sector are also crying out for help due to a lack of nursing staff being trained, which is causing them great difficulties.”
“We have all been made aware of the problems faced by older people, especially through the stories of those who have come into our constituency offices. The patients for whom Westlands care home in Cookstown is their home, like so many others in so many other statutory care homes across Northern Ireland, know all too well about the impending closures and what that will mean for them. I presented a petition to one of the Minister's predecessors in July 2013, signed by almost 5,000 people from Mid Ulster who called on him not to close Westlands care home. The following consultation on care home provision in the Northern Health and Social Care Trust has closed for responses, but I wonder if those responses will make any difference to the outcome for residents who call places like Westlands home.”
“I am grateful for the opportunity to bring this Adjournment debate to the House, especially on this important issue: care of older people in Mid Ulster. Indeed, I want to thank colleagues for their grace in allowing me to move the debate to today following the passing of my grandmother a fortnight ago. While the topic was not raised with my grandmother in mind, the care that she received both at home from her family members and from a great team of domiciliary carers, who called at her home regularly, certainly informed me of many issues and concerns on this matter. <BR /> <BR />Our older people are some of the most vulnerable people, both in Mid Ulster and throughout Northern Ireland. Some are cared for in residential homes, some by carers and some by family members.”
“Does the commissioner appreciate that the Speaker's decision to remove the national anthem had, ultimately, the opposite effect of his supposed effort to make it less delicate?”
“I would just like to tease this out. Will the Minister advise how she will deploy further libraries moneys that were granted in last week's monitoring round?”
“I thought that the Principal Deputy Speaker was giving the Minister the new challenge of grouping the supplementary questions together. Will the Minister provide an update on what action her Department has taken to decontaminate the land at Ballykelly, especially to remove the lead? Overall, how much will it cost to clean the site up and remove the likelihood of flooding?”
“Will the Minister provide an update on what action —”
“I welcome the opportunity to ask a question on this issue. I welcome the additional departmental expenditure limit funding that has been allocated to the Department of Education. It is very much needed, especially the money that is going to special educational needs, because it is an issue that has been raised at constituency level time and again. Will the Minister clarify whether the £500 million that the Treasury committed in the Stormont House Agreement to fund shared and integrated projects still stands? I understand that the Executive had the flexibility to spend this money on things that are not necessarily educational but are relevant to a shared future. Will the Minister clarify that issue?”
“I thank the Member for giving way. On that issue, I foresee a problem. For instance, my postal address is Portglenone, which is a County Antrim address. It is part of the mid and east Antrim area; yet, I actually live in County Londonderry. So there is a conflict there. I foresee that sort of problem.”
“I thank the Minister for his statement. I share the concerns of the Committee Chair about the portability and comparability of the GCSE grades. Furthermore, I note that the Minister said that he values the roles of bodies other than CCEA in the provision of grades. If the English boards refuse to retain the alphabetical system, which they might, given the inconvenience and the small market for GCSEs in Northern Ireland, does the Minister plan to go as far as using his powers not to approve their qualifications, which could close the market for GCSEs in Northern Ireland and effectively create a monopoly for CCEA in the provision of GCSEs here?”
“The Minister intends to speed up access to justice. How does he see that working with the closure of so many local courts, including the one in Magherafelt in my constituency?”
“That is how we make sure that they continue, not by this legislation, which, the sponsor himself agrees, no one really wants. I oppose the progression of the Bill.”
“<BR /> <BR />After talking to people in Fermanagh and mid-Ulster, I believe that there is no desire to remove the current system and return to the simple use of townlands. I share the desire to keep our townlands but not the desire to give them primacy in our postal addresses. I too would like my children to know of the history of the area where we live, but we do not need this legislation to share that information with the next generation; instead, we talk to them about townlands. My children know about Dreenan crossroads and the Mullaghboy hill. They have heard of the Gall bogs and the land at Inneval that my grandfather used to farm. We refer to townlands in our daily conversation. We laugh about the sound of the names and talk about where they originated.”
“Only three of the previous 26 councils had some sympathy for Mr Flanagan's desire to bring forward the legislation. Of course, having sympathy is very different from actually using it. Why bring in such legislation, then? I have spoken to my colleagues in County Fermanagh, who explained the unregulated system that existed there for a long time. There was much confusion and debate about simplifying addresses there. In fact, many people in Fermanagh were given new addresses only a couple of years ago, with new house numbers and postcodes. No doubt that caused some problems locally, so I am surprised that Mr Flanagan wants to inflict further upheaval on a far more significant scale.”
“I thank the Member for that intervention and agree with him. In the rush to bolster townlands, Mr Flanagan has simply decided to set that point aside. <BR /> <BR />Giving primacy to townlands rather than roads is just not workable. I wonder if Mr Flanagan has discussed the matter with Royal Mail to receive its analysis of the proposal. Furthermore, I am interested to hear the cost of introducing such a system for LPS and how it would deal with the varying systems of councils, since none is obliged to introduce the system. <BR /> <BR />Mr Flanagan stated that, in his consultation, he did not receive much support from councils to introduce such a townland system. In fact, he said during his briefing to the Environment Committee:”
“Of course, he also forgets that, in many areas of Northern Ireland, the PSNI is reluctant to casually walk up to a stranger's door and ask for an address. This system, well meaning as it is, is just not feasible. When people ring 999, they want the rescue services to arrive as soon as possible, yet, if what the Bill is offering were introduced in a council area, I suspect that response times would be severely affected.”
“He claimed that the police, the fire brigade and the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service would depend on local knowledge. I remind him that it is 2015, and he should not totally dismiss the technological advances of recent decades. Local knowledge is invaluable, but I am sure I do not need to tell Mr Flanagan that, even in his constituency, with its swathe of rural roads and lanes, much like my own, many police officers are not from the area where they work. Indeed, I know that the PSNI even tries to base officers away from their home area, for sensible reasons I might add. I ask Mr Flanagan this: in an emergency, how are two officers, both from outside the area, who have the latest but now obsolete mapping kit in their vehicle meant to arrive at an address under the new system without having to waste crucial time?”
“Sometimes, just by the run of the road, you can enter a townland, leave it and then enter it again. The confusion of such a system, including the sheer frustration of the people affected by the change, should not be underestimated. <BR /> <BR />Worse still, what about the blue-light services? Such a system would most certainly confuse ambulance drivers, who depend on a simple road number system to find addresses, especially when time is of the essence and an emergency has been called. In the depths of rural Northern Ireland, where there is no mobile signal for GPS systems, surely a simple road network system is the best. During his evidence to the Committee, Mr Flanagan was asked about these services. He took an almost primitive attitude.”
“It seems to me that numbering houses by townland would send us back in time to when people would walk from one townland to another, visiting close friends across fields rather than by road. The world is a much smaller place now than in the days of walking to a neighbour's house across the townland. Delivery vans can follow road maps, knowing that even numbers are on one side of the road and odd numbers on the other. <BR /> <BR />I cannot imagine numbering houses in a townland. Where would we start? Would the numbers go clockwise or anticlockwise? Would we start from the centre and work outwards or vice versa? How easy it would be to confuse the postman. In addition, what would happen on roads that pass through several — sometimes, many — townlands?”
“<BR /> <BR />As for the proposal to enable councils to bring forward changes to addresses so that houses will be numbered by townland rather than by road, I do not see why anyone would abandon the current, workable system. Yes, townlands are precious, particularly for those of us living in rural areas, and I commend the Member for his work, but that affection needs to be balanced with a sensible, effective and efficient address system. Given the choice between having their townland on the first line of their address or having a system that allows ordinary, day-to-day services to function, I hazard a guess that people would chose the latter. <BR /> <BR />It makes perfect sense to me to have houses numbered along the route used to get to a place.”
“I rise on behalf of the Ulster Unionist Party. I very much support the use of townland names; in fact, I generally use my townland name in my postal address. It is Ballymacpeake, which means "homestead of the Macpeakes". It was a tradition passed down by my husband's ancestors, the McCaugheys, who lived there before us. Likewise, I spell the name of my road in the same way as my family did, despite it being different from the way in which it is spelled on the sign at the end of the road. It is a family tradition, and I follow it. I have experienced no problems including my townland name on official documentation, and I generally submit the townland name after the road name and before the town name. I therefore see no problem with continuing that practice.”
“Does the Minister accept that the Lifeline service plays a truly invaluable role in every corner of Northern Ireland and that allegations or insinuations of its being a Belfastcentric service are truly inaccurate?”
“It seems that certain grades of civil servants are not being allowed to leave at this time, and she has maybe touched on the reasoning for that. Can she confirm whether that is true and whether everyone who wants to leave will be allowed to leave at some stage?”
“There is no indication in the Bill that it will lead anywhere. Is the Assembly serious about a shared future? Is it serious about shared education? What do we mean by shared education? The answers to those fundamental questions are not to be found on the A4 page that contains the four clauses of the Shared Education Bill. We will listen carefully to what the Minister and others have to say, and make further contributions as the Bill proceeds at Committee and Further Consideration Stages.”