Maolíosa McHugh
West Tyrone · Sinn Féin · Northern Ireland
“At present, they are largely dependent on borrowing through the Department's capital arrangements, which can limit their flexibility and their capacity to compete with ports elsewhere across these islands. The Bill represents an opportunity to address those issues.”
“Importantly, there will continue to be accountability and oversight through board structures, including representation from locally elected council members, as is already the case at Belfast harbour. That public connection and democratic input is an important safeguard, and one that should provide reassurance.”
“Tá céimeanna beaga ann is féidir linn uilig a ghlacadh lenár sláinte a fheabhsú: scrúdú sláinte a chur in áirithe leis an dochtúir; bheith ag labhairt go hoscailte faoin mheabhairshláinte; páirt a ghlacadh i mbothán na bhfear nó i ngrúpa siúlóide; nó bheith páirteach in aclaíocht eile. Cuireann siad uilig feabhas ar an tsláinte.”
“I welcome the introduction of the Harbours Bill, and I commend Minister Liz Kimmins for introducing legislation that seeks to modernise the framework within which ports operate. <BR /> <BR />Our ports are critical pieces of economic infrastructure.”
“Tháinig deireadh le Seachtain Shláinte na bhFear ag deireadh na seachtaine seo a chuaigh thart, ar Lá na nAithreacha. Is cuí gur le linn Sheachtain Shláinte na bhFear a thit Lá na nAithreacha, nó is minic a shíleann na fir nach bhfuil an dara rogha acu ach saighdiúireacht a dhéanamh.”
“They support employment, facilitate trade, enhance connectivity and contribute significantly to our local and regional economies. My party therefore welcomes the introduction of the Harbours Bill and looks forward to engaging constructively as it is progressed through the Assembly to ensure that it delivers for our ports, our economy and…”
The complete record
Every one of 620 lines we hold for Maolíosa McHugh, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 10 of 13.
“Minister, staying with the fiscal council, an issue that I mentioned in the debate prior to lunchtime, I ask you in what way do you think that the fiscal council will improve financial reporting.”
“Water meters only monitor the amount of water that has been consumed one way or the other. They are not necessarily an imposition of another tax on people. <BR /> <BR />Given the limited resources at the Minister's disposal, there are some good news items, including the extra allocations for Health and Education. The regional rates freeze and the continued rates holiday will be a vital boost for businesses as we transition into a post-COVID-19 position. Without an improved block grant allocation or the devolution of tax-varying powers, the current Budget represents the best option available to the Executive. Short of constitutional change under the Good Friday Agreement, we are not likely to see any other change in that respect.”
“The Executive need to look at the further devolution of tax-varying powers as a means to better set out our own priorities for public spending, and I welcome the Minister's confirmation that the fiscal commission will produce a report on that before the end of this mandate.”
“Children from low-income families who rely on free school meals will greatly appreciate that allocation, which will go a long way to ensuring that parents have the means to feed their children when schools are closed. <BR /> <BR />The final Budget contains limited opportunity for revenue-raising measures. The regional rate set by the Executive is the only significant revenue-raising power that the Executive hold and represents about 5% of the total draft Budget settlement, which is equal to about £500 million. The lack of any devolved tax power leaves the Executive almost entirely dependent on the Westminster Government to provide the funding needed to pay for our public services. As we have seen over the past 10 years, that leaves us vulnerable to Tory austerity measures, as is particularly evidenced in our health service.”
“We need to see delivery of key flagship infrastructure projects, such as the A5 in my constituency, Casement Park in west Belfast, more social housing units and major repair works on rural roads. <BR /> <BR />Sinn Féin welcomes the £42·8 million allocated to the Department for Communities, which will allow for the continuation of existing welfare mitigations to protect the most vulnerable in our society. Parents in receipt of support for special educational needs (SEN) will welcome the £10 million allocated to the Department of Education to assist with special educational needs provision. The draft Budget also contains a £30·6 million allocation of COVID-19 money to Education to deal specifically with holiday hunger.”
“<BR /> <BR />I am delighted to see £20 million allocated to the Department for Communities for the Job Start scheme, which will assist our young people back into work. None have suffered so much during the pandemic as our young people, whether that is by being restricted from socialising or, in particular, by being restricted by lack of job opportunities that they would have depended on to support them while in college, for example. <BR /> <BR />I note that £722·5 million of capital DEL — the biggest allocation in years — has gone to the Department for Infrastructure, along with £170 million of reinvestment and reform initiative (RRI) borrowing, which will provide a major boost to our construction industry and will, hopefully, provide many jobs.”
“Tory underinvestment has been devastating to all communities in the North of Ireland. A greater spending envelope is required to finance an ambitious programme that will kick-start our economy, encourage investment in the North and lead to recovery. <BR /> <BR />Despite the limited funding available, there is much to be positive about in this Budget, which I believe provides steps towards recovery. The Minister allocated £300 million towards an economic recovery package, and that is to be welcomed. It is hoped that the voucher scheme will be the stimulus needed not only to encourage shoppers but to allow local high-street businesses to compete with the many multinationals offering goods for sale online.”
“<BR /> <BR />Huge levels of funding were directed towards hospitals and other front-line services to ensure that they had the resources that they needed to provide care, to tackle the pandemic and to administer the vaccine — an administration that has been so successful. The pandemic has shown us just how vulnerable our healthcare system is, following a decade of budget cuts. There were waiting lists before the pandemic, and we are now at breaking point as those waiting lists extend further and further. There are other long-term structural challenges to our economy in addition to that, including significant regional imbalances. There has been a decline in our productivity and competitiveness, as well as growing levels of income inequality and deprivation.”
“Ba mhaith liom fosta buíochas a ghabháil leis an Aire as an ráiteas. I, too, thank the Minister for the statement. I welcome the opportunity to contribute to the debate on the Budget Bill. I will comment on some of the key allocations in the Budget. In the last year, over £3 billion has been spent on COVID support. Thousands of businesses have benefited from schemes such as the localised restrictions support scheme (LRSS), the COVID restrictions business support scheme, the newly self-employed support scheme and grants to businesses in order to support their reopening. That was in addition to a two-year rates holiday for many and an 18% reduction for others, which has been extended for another year.”
“Whilst the SDLP has only one vote in the Executive, do you accept that the Budget was agreed by all of the Executive?”
“— despite the commitment in New Decade, New Approach to deliver that. <BR /> <BR />I welcome the £230 million of COVID support funding for the 12-month rates holiday that will benefit thousands of businesses, and I know that this particular Budget will, in fact, leave us all much better prepared in many respects —”
“We are almost entirely reliant on the British Government to provide the necessary funding to enable our public services to function, and, yet again, we have been let down by the same Tory Government who do not care about this place or the people who live here. To stimulate the economy into a position of recovery, we need investment from the British Government, yet they have chosen not to invest. <BR /> <BR />It is also disappointing that we have still not got a multi-year Budget settlement that would allow more strategic planning —”
“So much of the current uncertainty and disruption is a direct result of Brexit. Boris Johnson and the DUP promised us that we would be better off and that all EU funding lost would be replaced; however, I remain sceptical. We need clarity on the Shared Prosperity Fund and the Levelling Up Fund in respect of the size of the funding envelope and how those schemes are to be delivered. The £35 million that the British Treasury has committed will be used to assist the implementation of the protocol and will minimise the worst effects of Brexit. <BR /> <BR />The Minister described the Budget as a standstill Budget, and I agree.”
“We need to get back to a position where we can make real inroads into the ongoing issues in our health system. The crisis in our health service waiting lists is now at breaking point. That has been an ongoing issue for years, without any significant attempts to get to grips with the challenges. I am regularly in contact with patients in my constituency of West Tyrone who are suffering daily but have no realistic prospect of being seen by a consultant for years to come. A decade of underinvestment and cuts to our health budget due to Tory austerity have left it in a weakened state and struggling to cope with ongoing pressures. We need radical reform and significant investment from the British Government if we are to begin to meet the needs of patients. <BR /> <BR />Brexit is still a concern.”
“There has been an increase of 125% in the number of people claiming universal credit, and that will, no doubt, continue to rise in the months ahead. Our economy shrank by 11% last year, and the economic forecast predicts that we will not get back to pre-COVID levels of economic activity until the end of 2022. <BR /> <BR />Despite the significant scale of the problems that we face, there is light at the end of the tunnel. The vaccine roll-out has been a huge success, and we are now in a much better position, with businesses able to open to the public and resume normal activities once again. The task for us all is to start to rebuild the economy and get people back to work by investing in our public services in order to generate growth in the economy.”
“Thousands of jobs have been lost since the outbreak of the pandemic, bringing down untold stress and hardship on families with so much uncertainty about when the next pay cheque will arrive and whether it will be enough to pay the bills and put food on the table. We have seen a huge spike in the number of people suffering from mental health issues, with many struggling to access the services that are available. On top of that, thousands of workers have been placed on furlough. Those people face a cliff edge come September if they do not manage to find their way back into work before then. The British Government should do all that they can to ensure that people on furlough are protected when the scheme ends.”
“Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire as a ráiteas. Thanks to the Minister as well. I welcome the opportunity to contribute to the debate on the Supply resolution that will give effect to the Main Estimates for 2021-22. I commend the Minister and the officials in the Department for producing the Estimates and the associated Budget Bill. The Estimates are based on the Budget 2021-22 document that has been endorsed by all the parties in the Executive and again here in the Chamber only two weeks ago. <BR /> <BR />This has been an extraordinary year for us all. The scale of the damage that the pandemic has inflicted on society, in both human and economic terms, has been catastrophic.”
“Do you agree, Minister, that the British Government are pursuing a course that is in direct contravention of the democratically agreed position?”
“I am sure that the Minister agrees that the Together: Building a United Community strategy is crucial work in building a better and shared future. Will you detail the financial awards made in the current financial year to support good relations work?”
“I will finish my remarks on an optimistic note. Although it may take some time to recover from the pandemic, the path to recovery is laid before us. Tá mé an-sásta go bhfuil muid ag gabháil chun cinn céim ar chéim. I am very happy that we are going forward step by step.”
“<BR /> <BR />Brexit is still a key concern going forward, with little or no detail to date on exactly how much of the EU structural funding will be replaced and to what extent our devolved Ministers will have the authority to access the replacement funding when it does arrive. I welcome the allocation of £35 million from the British Government to assist in the implementation of the protocol, which will minimise the worst effects of Brexit. Only today, the European Commission emphasised again that the problem is not the protocol; the problem is Brexit.”
“I am therefore delighted to see that £20 million has been allocated to the Department for Communities for the Job Start scheme, which will assist our young people in getting back into work. <BR /> <BR />The Department for Infrastructure has been allocated £722 million of capital DEL, which is the biggest capital allocation in recent years. That substantial budget, along with an additional £170 million of reinvestment and reform initiative (RRI) borrowing, will provide an immediate boost to our construction industry and provide many jobs. We need to see the delivery of key flagship infrastructure projects, such as the A5, which is in my constituency, Casement Park in west Belfast, more social housing units and major repair works on rural roads.”
“A 12-month rates holiday will provide some breathing space, particularly for the hospitality, retail, tourism, manufacturing and childcare sectors. Those sectors have been hit very hard by the pandemic, and we must do all that we can to help them to get back on their feet. <BR /> <BR />I also welcome the allocation of £275 million to the Department for the Economy for an economic recovery package, which will help to kick-start the recovery. Part of that includes £150 million for a high street voucher scheme, and I look forward, as do the public, to that being rolled out in the coming months. <BR /> <BR />Young people have been among the worst affected by the pandemic, with many losing their part-time jobs while struggling to pay for accommodation and student fees.”
“It reminds me of when I see an advertisement in a supermarket that says, "Bananas: 2p for a pound", but there are no bananas. That seems to be very much the case in our health service now. While it is the case that it is free at the point of entry, it is not in a fit state to deliver the service that the public require and demand. It is central government that can step up to the plate and assist our Minister and the Executive to help to deliver the kind of service that we all hope for. <BR /> <BR />Despite the limited level of funding available, there is much to be positive about in the Budget, and I believe that it provides the basis for a fair economic recovery. I commend the Minister for securing £230 million of COVID support funding for rates relief, which will benefit thousands of our businesses.”
“Although we have seen further COVID Barnett consequentials since the first draft was considered, it is disappointing that the British Government have not provided a funding envelope that would enable us to have the ambitious investment Budget that is needed to stimulate significant levels of growth. <BR /> <BR />It is also disappointing that we still do not have a multi-year Budget settlement to allow more strategic planning, despite a commitment to deliver this in New Decade, New Approach. In the case of Health in particular, I know, from listening to health professionals, that they require that for the development of the health service and so that they can address their ever-increasing waiting lists. In fact, only last week, one constituent had it confirmed that he could be waiting for up to six years for a hernia operation.”
“We owe them a debt of gratitude, and it is right that we acknowledge their contribution. <BR /> <BR />Thankfully, with the successful roll-out of the vaccine and the cooperation of the public, we are now in a much better place. I extend my best wishes to all those businesses that have opened up in recent weeks. We must now move to the next phase of the fight against COVID, which is all about rebuilding and repairing the long-term economic damage left behind by the pandemic. <BR /> <BR />We face many challenges that we must quickly get to grips with. It is in that context that this Budget is so important. The Minister has described this Budget as a "standstill Budget".”
“Unfortunately, many will not be in a position to reopen now that the restrictions have been relaxed. We have seen an unprecedented level of Government support to those businesses and self-employed individuals who have been most affected by the pandemic, with over £3 billion spent on COVID support funding so far. This support has meant that bills could be paid and food put on the table, but we must also acknowledge the hardship felt by families who have been forced to get by on much-reduced incomes. We also saw huge levels of funding directed towards our hospitals and other health services. This was necessary to ensure that our healthcare staff had the resources to respond to the crisis and provide care to the many thousands of patients suffering from COVID and other illnesses.”
“Ba mhaith liom fosta buíochas a ghabháil leis an Aire as a ráiteas. I thank the Minister for his statement. I welcome the opportunity to contribute to the debate on the Budget for 2021-22. I commend the Minister of Finance for bringing forward the Budget in the most challenging of circumstances. <BR /> <BR />We all know the scale of the damage that the pandemic has inflicted on our society in both human and economic terms. Thousands of jobs have been lost in the last year, with many more workers uncertain if their jobs will survive when the furlough scheme ends. The number of people claiming universal credit has doubled since the start of the pandemic, and this will no doubt continue to rise in the months ahead. Tough but necessary restrictions were imposed on businesses, requiring them to close for long periods.”
“Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire as a fhreagra. I thank the Minister for his answer. There is no doubt that there has been a huge scale of financial assistance to the business community. When will we expect the £5,000 and £10,000 grants to be paid out?”
“I totally understand that travel and tourism have suffered so much, and I appreciate the emphasis that has been placed on them, in particular. However, so many other industries and businesses have also suffered throughout the pandemic. Can the Minister provide details of the financial assistance that is in place for other industries?”
“My apologies. I would like to very quickly get to the point, which is that society is judged by how it protects its most vulnerable. In our case, we are letting down those who have autism, and we should respond to that immediately.”
“Previously, employers were encouraged with support grants to employ people with autism —.”
“I was glad to hear the comment that was made about a child of three years of age who had been tested. That should also be a primary objective in the system for our preschool children so that they have the same opportunity. The parent probably knows before the test is ever carried out that their child is autistic. <BR /> <BR />Parents identified a total lack of long-term planning and training for the workers who engage with those who have autism. Whether it was the Western Trust OTs or whoever, the parents felt that training was missing. <BR /> <BR />There is a lack of employment opportunities for those who have been diagnosed with autism. They go through the school system and come out the other end to, all of a sudden, find that there is no support service for them.”
“They criticised the Health and Social Care Board, the Western Trust, the Department of Education and even our council for the lack of facilities that they provide for those who are autistic. <BR /> <BR />Diagnostic testing is one issue that has been highlighted today. Although there is much criticism of the lack of diagnostic testing and the fact that people very often have to pay for it, many of the people who I talked to said that the bodies that they dealt with recognised diagnostic testing as being the service when it should be only the very first step and the services should be provided on the basis of the result of a diagnostic test. <BR /> <BR />It is accepted, particularly in the case of autism, that early diagnostic testing is so important.”
“My heart went out to that mother. As we talked through the issues, it became obvious that she was not alone in experiencing such a dearth in provision, so much so that it caused me to take an initiative. I posted on Facebook and held a Zoom meeting in order to look in particular at provision in West Tyrone, which is the constituency that I represent. I was inundated with enquiries from providers, parents and school representatives who all wished to join in the meeting. If I was moved during the first meeting that I had with that lady, I was not prepared for the intensity of the criticism from those who attended the Zoom meeting. I was shocked in every respect at what they outlined to me.”
“She had to fight tooth and nail every step of the way throughout her child's schooling to get him what little support was available. Now, as he is a young adult, his needs are different. As parents, we know that, although they grow up, in many respects our children are just big children but with very different needs who constantly need the support of their parents. That young man's needs are different, and his mother is still fighting and facing the same insurmountable hurdles in her attempts to attend not only to the needs of her son but to the needs of the family in coping with his condition.”
“I offer my support to the proposers of the motion and the amendment. <BR /> <BR />Some time ago, I had my first meeting with a parent of a young adult who is autistic. I am sure that his condition would have been described as at the severe end of autism. He struggles daily, and so too do his mother, father and siblings in that home. His mother broke down in tears in my office as she described to me the daily struggle and the feelings of helplessness in dealing with it. She did not know where to turn, received no support, cried out for respite and was sick to death with worry, as she did not know what would be the future for her son in the event that she was no longer in the picture. That was such a concern for her. <BR /> <BR />The mother explained to me that this has always seemed to be the case.”
“I thank the Minister for his statement. The skills challenge in rural areas is significant in every respect. Providing financial support to education and having modern facilities are pivotal, not only to the sustainability of the industry but to rural economies. You have answered one of my questions, which was to do with when construction will start. To what extent will the new facilities increase capacity for those who are engaged in the industry?”
“I thank the Minister for her answer, but I am still not convinced that a system is in place to ensure that the scheme is equality assessed. Notwithstanding that, the Minister has selected a number of tourist attractions and accommodation providers that will be part and parcel of the voucher scheme. How will the Minister ensure that the impact of the scheme is spread fairly throughout the Six Counties? I am thinking in particular of my region, west Tyrone, where many an attractive site would benefit from the scheme.”
“Thank you for your answer, Minister. You and your Department are to be congratulated on the objectives that have been achieved to date for the completion of new social housing and on the fact that you have exceeded targets for commencement and completion. What steps are you taking to ensure that that trajectory continues?”
“It will help to stimulate the local economy and will, hopefully, encourage all of us to respond to the Minister's initiative and others that have been taken by the Executive that will come to the fore later in the year, such as the voucher scheme and the Job Start scheme. Those initiatives will complement this decision by the Minister and allow the economy to emerge from the depressive state in which it has found itself. I look forward to all that improving in every respect. Arís eile, gabhaim mo mhíle buíochas leis an Aire as a ráiteas. Again, I thank the Minister for his statement.”
“Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire as a ráiteas. I thank the Minister for his statement, which I support. This instrument, which is at his disposal, will in many respects help to stimulate the economy here in the North of Ireland. We all know only too well just how things are for businesses and for householders and how people have suffered over the period of the pandemic. For some, it has been very difficult: I am thinking in particular about furloughed workers who, like self-employed people, have had great difficulty in meeting bills and, maybe, something as basic as putting meat on the table. This rates relief, in many respects, is such a help to them.”
“Go raibh maith agat, a Aire. Thank you, Minister, for your answer. You alluded to the success of prisons in preventing COVID: will you update us on the vaccine roll-out in prisons and say what impact that will have on visits?”
“Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire as a ráiteas. I thank the Minister for his statement. Only last week, we discussed in the House the development of the A5 road and its implications for the north-west region. Given the recent announcement of delays to the A5, will you clarify for us the status of the £75 million committed to it by the Dublin Government?”
“Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire as a freagra. I thank the Minister for her answer. Considering the impact of unadopted roads on communities, what enforcement strategy, for instance, is the Minister adopting to ensure that those roads are brought up to a standard that will allow people to have something as simple as getting their bins collected?”
“Minister, where I live in the Derg valley, each and every year, I see gorse fires. Some are extensive, some are controlled and some are otherwise. Can you expand on the work that the strategic wildfire group does?”
“Go raibh maith agat, a Phríomh-LeasCheann Comhairle. Thank you, deputy Prime Minister.”
“That is essentially what is required, however, to ensure that we realise all our ambitions for the north-west region. We need to get our ducks in line, deal with the environmental issues that have been raised and be prepared to deliver the project.”
“I am a wee bit afraid to say "Get your ducks in line", because, if I mention ducks at all, there will probably be another judicial review on the environmental impact on those same ducks.”
“Although we appreciate that that instrument of democracy is there to allow a citizen to challenge decisions one way or the other, there is no doubt about it, and I have to make the point, that, at present, the same system is there to abuse the democratic wishes of many people who live in the north-west region. <BR /> <BR />Serious questions have to be asked, even in the Chamber, about judicial reviews and how easy it is for people to bring one in the North of Ireland. The faceless people of the Alternative A5 Alliance, as it is called, seem to be so well funded that they are able to bring one judicial review after another. There are serious questions to be asked there. People have to confront that. I know that, given her statements to date, the Minister is quite prepared to confront it and move the issue on.”