Daniel McCrossan
West Tyrone · Social Democratic and Labour Party · Northern Ireland
“I thank the Member for giving way. She has raised some points of interest. Aside from the Bill at hand, the Department of Finance currently collects rates from property owners across Northern Ireland. I have found that there can be difficulties with that when properties have been lying vacant for a significant period.”
“That applies in particular to those who have been land-banking over a period of time — that happens everywhere, unfortunately — with the hope that the big cash cow will be coming and, ultimately, they will be relieved of their responsibility to maintain, look after and enhance the landscape in a town or village by spending the necessary f…”
“As is often the case when we speak in the House, it may be that some ratepayers or members of the public will take it as a given that the Bill will be the silver bullet that will resolve the dilapidation issues in towns. Depending on which area you are in, the scale is very different.”
“We need to be creative in how we can put the Bill to task. <BR /> <BR />Certainly, as I have said, it is good policy. I have no question that the Bill is well intended.”
“<BR /> <BR />Addressing dilapidation is not simply a matter for local government in isolation. The responsibility lies with the Executive as a whole. The Executive have had their eyes closed to this matter for too long, and many of our buildings have deteriorated significantly across council areas over a long period.”
“That encourages private investment, and there is natural enhancement from those investors. However, in areas that lag behind because of economic decline, underinvestment and general deprivation, many towns and cities can quickly become the poor cousin.”
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“On behalf of the SDLP, I, too, pay tribute to our dear friend and colleague Austin Currie and offer our deepest condolences to his wife, Annita, and to Estelle, Caitríona, Dualta, Austin and Emer. As Pat Hume was to John, Annita was Austin's rock. They were inseparable and journeyed through life together, side by side, taking on the challenges that faced them every day. <BR /> <BR />Austin Currie was ferociously decent, a powerhouse of conviction and a man who stood strongly for each and every person in his community — in our community. He was a giant amongst politicians of the time, and he was respected and admired right across the island of Ireland for his tremendous work on battling hard for equality, social justice and civil rights.”
“It would be transformational for Omagh, provided that we have the necessary infrastructure linked to the schools to ensure that they do not add to the congestion of Omagh town, with all its many issues at present. Of course, the long-awaited A5 will also alleviate considerable pressures in that regard. <BR /> <BR />I thank my constituency colleague Nicola Brogan for securing this important Adjournment debate. I thank the Minister for the efforts so far, and I hope that she will continue to push hard to ensure that we can stick to the time frame, that we can see the delivery of the project by 2025 and that our children, young people and teachers and the people of West Tyrone can benefit from that transformational project, which will not only bring huge benefits to West Tyrone but change how education is delivered across Northern Ireland.”
“Lessons have to be learned about such projects, and a robust, comprehensive plan needs to be in place to ensure that Strule can be delivered fully. <BR /> <BR />Mr Buchanan rightly mentioned the schools throughout the constituency that our pupils are in. Over the years, many of those schools have been promised new facilities. Those facilities have been long-awaited by the schools, but, unfortunately, they have not benefited from them. The schools are dedicated to seeing the full delivery of the project, however, and they are excited about it.”
“I understand that there were significant procurement issues for the project, which, ultimately, led to the stalling of works, but it is hard to believe that those issues were not foreseen and that a project path was not in place sooner. <BR /> <BR />From conversations that I have had about the delays, I also know that one of the major stumbling blocks for the delivery of the overarching project was the absence of an Executive three years ago. That meant that there was considerable uncertainty for contractors about going ahead with the procurement process, given the considerable risk to them and to the investment that they were putting in. I appreciate and welcome the ministerial direction on the project and the fact that the Minister anticipates its being completed in 2025. That is reassuring. We appreciate the efforts in that regard.”
“<BR /> <BR />Instead of opening the doors last year to the state-of-the-art facilities, we have only one school on-site. The remainder are left in the wilderness, leaving people wondering when, or if, they can, or will, be delivered within the time frame outlined. To compound the issue further, we were informed only a fortnight ago that the costs of the overall project had spiralled and that we were now looking at a potential overspend of over £60 million, owing to delays in getting the project completely off the ground. As I have said, the Education Minister is dedicated to ensuring that it happens. The spiralling costs of the project are regrettable but unfortunate, owing to the current situation that all similar projects will have faced as a result of the rising costs of materials and construction in today's climate.”
“The development would be transformational for the wider Omagh area and secure much-needed facilities for generations of young people. The project was rightly heralded as being transformational over a decade ago, and, after significant investment and engagement, it was meant to have opened its doors late last year. All that we have been left with in Omagh, however, is delay after delay, which has served only to compound uncertainty over the future of the project: uncertainty for the schools involved and for the teachers, the parents and the pupils. From direct engagement with Minister McIlveen, I know that she, as the new Minister of Education, is dedicated to seeing the project delivered. I appreciate the efforts that she has made in the short time in which she has been in office.”
“It is a privilege to speak in the debate. As Members have said, the project is vital to constituents across West Tyrone, not just to those in Omagh, the county town of Tyrone. It has long been anticipated that the schools would have been developed by now. I thank the Member for securing the debate, which has allowed us to discuss the issue and put strongly on record the unified support of the five Members for the West Tyrone constituency. <BR /> <BR />The Strule Shared Education Campus in Omagh is a majorly significant capital project that has the potential to transform the future of education provision in the Omagh and wider Tyrone area. It involves bringing together six schools and 4,000 pupils and giving them new, state-of-the-art buildings, while sharing first-class facilities on the one site.”
“Careline is a great organisation that puts a box into people's hallways with a big red button and a speaker system and gives them a pendant or two. That alarm is critical in the event that anything, not just a cardiac arrest, happens to someone who lives alone. Those alarms have saved lives. People who were not feeling right have managed to hit the button, and, ultimately, they received medical intervention or family members or others have arrived at the scene at that critical moment. <BR /> <BR />I welcome the Bill. I am proud that it has been brought to the House and of the work that my colleague has done. I am also proud of the Members who have united on this critical issue.”
“The reality is that age does not matter. I have seen healthy, younger, active people go into cardiac arrest and not survive; others had slight symptoms of chest pain and did not get checked; and others had signs of sorts and did not go to be seen. If you have any symptom or signs, it is critical that you are seen and receive immediate medical intervention, because, if you do not, something might happen, by which stage it may be too late. <BR /> <BR />I welcome the Bill; it is close and important to me. I want to touch on the fact that many people in our society live alone and are worried about what to do if they take a cardiac arrest at home. In my constituency offices, we have helped many people in those situations with a Careline alarm.”
“The Bill is significant as a public health initiative that will ensure that our young people are equipped with the knowledge and skills necessary should they encounter a cardiac arrest. It will also help drive up survival rates, increase the likelihood of people being treated swiftly and, ultimately, save lives in communities across the North. <BR /> <BR />It is also important that people be educated on the symptoms. Many people do not get a warning. A cardiac arrest can just happen, and, unfortunately, it happened in the cases of my two grandfathers. Both of them died from a cardiac arrest: one in hospital and the other at home. Unfortunately, they could not be saved. It is vital that we educate society on what the symptoms are. There is a myth that you might be too young to suffer a cardiac arrest or a heart attack.”
“Yet, the North has been falling behind in mandating CPR and AED training in our schools, but it is being welcomed, as touched on by the Minister, and I am delighted that the House is in full support of ensuring that it will become mandatory in schools. <BR /> <BR />The Bill will add to the great work already undertaken by the many charity organisations and community groups that have campaigned tirelessly over the years on CPR and AED training. I put on record my thanks to the British Heart Foundation, in particular. The work that it does is amazing. I had the privilege of being trained in CPR by it today. I also thank St John Ambulance and all of the other groups involved in training and raising awareness.”
“The research points to Norway, some US states and North Holland, in particular, where we have seen significant increases in survival rates over the past decade as a result of such action. <BR /> <BR />Given that, it is no surprise that we have recently seen action being taken on these islands to increase CPR and AED training in our schools. In England, CPR training has been introduced as part of the health education curriculum in secondary schools; in Scotland, every local authority is committed to teaching CPR in schools; and, in Wales, legislation has been enacted that will ensure that CPR will be taught in schools from next year.”
“She has been very good on the issue, and we thank her for it. <BR /> <BR />The Bill will not only help educate our younger people but give them a true life skill that will empower them to react and take important actions when it comes to potentially saving a life, especially the life of a person who suffers cardiac arrest outside hospital. It could be a family member, a close friend or even a stranger that they may come across. Research has also shown that in countries where basic life-support skills are taught in schools, survival rates for cardiac arrest have increased significantly — two or three times higher — when compared with countries where they are not taught.”
“It would be good to see a register of defibrillators and where they are located, because, in the moment, your mind goes blank, as mine did that day. Even though you pass them and see them everywhere, your mind goes blank. You are in a state of flux, and you ask "Where do I go to find one?". That was a helpful suggestion. <BR /> <BR />In recent years, we have made great strides with training, education programmes and awareness-raising campaigns. There is a greater awareness, but more needs to be done. This legislation will help to give a greater understanding of the importance of acting in that critical moment, but we are missing a key part of the jigsaw. The SDLP believes that the greater emphasis on CPR and AED training in education settings is critical. I thank the Minister for moving on that — not that she was not moving before.”
“<BR /> <BR />It is concerning that research conducted by the Resuscitation Council shows that only half of people would intervene if they came across someone suffering a cardiac arrest. That is mainly due to a lack of confidence in administering the life-saving aid. That touches on the point that I made. Thankfully, throughout our communities — Robin Newton touched on this — there has been huge community investment in raising funds for AEDs. They can be seen in all of our constituencies. They appear in rural areas, in places where crowds gather. Following the experience that I have shared, the community quickly moved to raise funds to put a defibrillator at the chapel. That shows the response of the community. <BR /> <BR />Robin highlighted an important point.”
“A lady who was sitting not too far away acted swiftly and carried out CPR until the trained medical professionals of the Ambulance Service arrived. She also administered the AED, which helped massively. Thankfully, the gentleman survived, but, without that lady's swift actions, I do not believe he would have. <BR /> <BR />Following from what Pat Sheehan said, often when such events happen, people are in a state of shock and do not know what to do. The best thing you can do is act, and that is critical to saving an individual's life. Cardiac arrest is traumatic to see and watch, particularly if you are not entirely sure how to carry out CPR. It is straightforward to learn, and people should make every effort to have that training, because you never know when someone in your household or elsewhere will be impacted in that way.”
“<BR /> <BR />As other contributors have said, we all saw the horrific scenes earlier this year when, during the Euros football tournament, Christian Eriksen suffered a cardiac arrest. It was important that timely treatment was given, and it ultimately saved his life. That brought a stark focus to the importance of CPR and AED training globally and to whether we do enough here to save as many lives as possible when people suffer cardiac arrest. <BR /> <BR />I was shocked to learn that, of around 1,400 people who suffer cardiac arrest, only one in 10 survive. That is a shocking figure, and it really brings it home. Unfortunately, just before COVID, I witnessed a gentleman who was sitting just over from me at Mass take a cardiac arrest. It was a shocking thing to witness, let alone experience.”
“I speak as the SDLP education spokesperson and as a Member for West Tyrone. I fully welcome the Second Stage of this significant legislation. I thank my party colleague Colin McGrath for bringing it forward. It has united the House, and, hopefully, we will see swift passage for it. The benefits of it for many will be very significant. <BR /> <BR />Since I have known him, the Member has been a massive advocate and campaigner for CPR and policies relating to defibrillators across the North. I take the opportunity to thank him for the work he is doing and for bringing to the House this potentially life-saving legislation. I also make special mention of Fearghal McKinney of the British Heart Foundation for the work he has done not only in his current role but as a former Member. He is solid on and passionate about the issue.”
“Undoubtedly, the cost will be significant. Minister, do you accept that your illegal obstruction of meetings of the North/South Ministerial Council undermines the rule of law?”
“Why have the victims of HIA still not received a public apology, and where do the blockages lie in that regard?”
“However, I will focus on the elderly and vulnerable people who turned up after the closing date for applications to say that they did not have the means to apply online and did not get on the phone line. What do we say to those people? Exactly how many have not applied?”
“I thank the Minister for making the statement to the House. There is no denying that this is an extremely popular scheme. It is popular with members of the public and popular with businesses. I cannot say that I am overly excited about the fact that my in tray is filled with problems as a result of it. There are a number of problems that I could raise, for instance the fact that people's National Insurance numbers have been used, giving them difficulty in applying.”
“Minister, you are well aware of the pressures that exist in GP surgeries. Phone lines have been jammed, and, as a result, more people have been presenting at A&E and creating a crisis there. We saw at the weekend how that unfolded. Has the Minister given any thought to putting in place a system, similar to that in England, of "walk-in clinics", where you walk in, be triaged there and then, and it is determined whether you go to a hospital, see a GP, a nurse or a mental health consultant? It takes away that pressure, and it worked quite well in England. Has the Minister given any consideration to that system?”
“Thank you, Minister. On behalf of the people of Clady, I put firmly on record their appreciation to you for your swift action and your leadership in resolving what has been a huge issue for that village for over 30 years. You have been in office for just over a year and a half, and you have resolved this in a very short period. I thank you on behalf of those people. <BR /> <BR />Minister, you will know that it is no secret that I sleep and eat the A5 every day of week. It is vital to the people I represent, and I appreciate the update to the House. Can you provide any timescale for how quickly it can be brought back so that we can get some movement? Also, can you reaffirm your commitment, as Minister, to this vital project?”
“Minister, will you outline how your Department intends to spend the remaining COVID funding allocated to the arts and culture sector?”
“I, too, welcome the scheme. Will the Minister outline how many young people in West Tyrone have benefited from it? What will happen at the end of the process, if the young person does not end up in employment?”
“In the instance of the lady who cannot take pain relief, it is inhumane. I have written to the Minister of Health on a number of occasions now, and, although I appreciate the pressure that he is under, the answer is inadequate. There is no plan, there is no strategy and there is no time frame. People cannot continue to suffer because poor management of the health service has been allowed to continue. <BR /> <BR />I also put on record my thanks to the hard-working staff, who are under pressure, but that pressure is worsening as a result of a failure to act and deal with the issue now. This cannot go on for a number of months longer than it already has. We cannot put people's needs on pause just because of poor management.”
“Occupational therapist lists are through the roof, and there is no form of care and support for her. She is in constant and considerable pain, and I have witnessed huge deterioration in the health and well-being of this individual. Another lady, who is a mother of four children, has cancer and is waiting on an operation. She has been told that there is no certainty about the date, nor is there any urgency about her need for treatment. There is an endless list. <BR /> <BR />I appreciate that our health service is in difficulty. I understand that there is a crisis with staff, I understand that there is a crisis with our waiting lists and I understand that there is a crisis even with getting a GP appointment, as other Members have pointed out. How much suffering can our people endure, however? The situation has gone beyond cruel.”
“As a result of how her needs have been ignored because of the current situation with waiting lists, there is a need now for care to be provided in her home. As Ms Sheerin rightly pointed out, that, too, presents considerable difficulties. An unbearable loop of difficulties exists. <BR /> <BR />Another lady, who was diagnosed with cancer five months ago, was told that she was in need of urgent treatment. She has still not had an operation. The consultant has said that he is ready to walk away because there are endless lists of people in similar circumstances. The lady cannot go private because the theatres are also booked up in Ballykelly, so there is no option for this lady whatsoever. Another lady, who is 76 years of age, has to crawl up and down stairs to get to bed or go to the toilet.”
“Mr Speaker, thank you for the opportunity to speak. I, too, will talk about waiting lists. I am sure that many MLAs will agree that their in tray is filling up with correspondence from quite a number of patients across our constituencies who are suffering on waiting lists. Each and every day, I receive calls and correspondence from individuals who have been waiting for a prolonged period for any form of care and treatment, and the needs of those patients are diverse. One patient who phoned me in desperation over the past two or three weeks is waiting for two hip operations, and she cannot receive any pain relief because she has a heart complaint. Therefore, she has to endure that insufferable pain daily. This is a lady in her 70s who lives alone and has no form of support or care.”
“I thank the Minister for her answer and for providing some clarification on the process. Will the Minister agree that this has met with considerable delays? It needs to be given considerable prioritisation by the Department. Can you provide a definitive date when you expect work to begin on the site so that the schools that have been waiting for so long, the children in particular, can benefit from those much-needed facilities in Omagh?”
“I thank the Member for kindly giving way. It was never the intention to play politics with track and trace, but I am sure that, in his own constituency, the Member was getting calls from principals and teachers who were under immense pressure trying to work an unworkable system, which was adding to an already very difficult workload. Will the Member agree that it was, in fact, the right move to take that responsibility away from schools but that problems remain?”
“I think that we all widely agree that there has been no blueprint for how to respond to the pandemic or the disproportionate impact that it has had on children and young people. However, I also think that we are very aware that the insufficient spend or allocated budget to tackle the challenges needs to be addressed immediately. Whilst money is tight and limited, we should never put a price on our children's education or futures. Often, we talk about early intervention and the need to get in early: we cannot allow this to go any further without meaningful intervention. I believe that the Minister will take that seriously, listen to our concerns and act. For that reason, I urge the House to support the SDLP motion and look forward to the rest of the debate.”
“If that does not happen, a generation of children in Northern Ireland will be adversely impacted well into the future of their education. We could stop that now with immediate action. The programmes to date are failing some of the most vulnerable children in schools, including those from disadvantaged backgrounds, those with SEN and those whose families cannot afford private tutors or support and do not have access to reliable broadband or IT equipment. There is a massive need to go back to the drawing board, and that is why I call in the motion for the Minister to do just that. <BR /> <BR />I think that, widely, we are all on the one page in relation to the challenges that we face.”
“The first is to have summer schools. While they have been used here, we simply do not have adequate resources or funding for them. The second is for weekly tutoring sessions with small groups of children. Again, there are massive resource limitations on that here. The third and perhaps most controversial suggestion is to extend the school day. Again, there is a lack of resources and funding for that. The final suggestion is to increase well-being support, but, again, there are massive shortfalls in resources and funding. <BR /> <BR />Against that backdrop, the SDLP believes that it is crucial that catch-up programmes are re-examined and that the Minister brings forward a catch-up plan containing key initiatives that are fully resourced, fully funded and led by data.”
“The costs of lost learning time with regard to national output and social mobility are likely to be very large. We now need a set of solutions that will match the magnitude of this momentous challenge. <BR /> <BR />When it comes to the solutions for catch-up, I believe that the North, the Minister and the Department of Education have been found wanting. I have outlined my concerns around funding and the lack of data. Those need to be addressed immediately as a matter of urgency. <BR /> <BR />There is also a great need to look at the initiatives and strategies that could be deployed to improve educational outcomes for children impacted on by the pandemic. Four specific suggestions are recommended by experts, and I will run through those briefly.”
“<BR /> <BR />When considering today's debate, it is important that we look ahead and anticipate the long-term impact if no action is taken to bolster, fund and properly resource catch-up programmes here. The EPI Chairperson, David Laws, has highlighted exactly that, stating that:”
“For example, 20 months into the pandemic, we are not monitoring the impact of COVID mitigations in the classroom. Rather, trends in Scotland and England are used, as data for Northern Ireland is yet to be published. Those were the words of the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) when he attended the Education Committee. Further to that, we cannot even give an indication of the levels of infection in our schools, as indicated in the Minister's response to a question this week. <BR /> <BR />With regard to areas such as ventilation, which is strongly advised by experts, we are only purchasing our CO2 monitors now to measure air quality, and we have no idea whether ventilation is as effective as it should be. That lack of data only has the potential to add to problems already facing schools and to add to the need for catch-up programmes.”
“Members across this House recognise, from various correspondence from individual schools, that that is a serious pressure on the operation of schools at the moment. <BR /> <BR />To compound the issue even further, and, as revealed in the Children's Commissioner's recent report, Northern Ireland spends less per pupil on education than any other jurisdiction on these islands. That means that our schoolchildren are doubly disadvantaged compared with those in Scotland, for example, and there are no plans in place to properly and meaningfully catch up. <BR /> <BR />As articulated previously in my contribution, the SDLP has had severe concerns around data and informed decision-making when it comes to COVID in our schools. That has had a significant impact on the disruption in our schools.”
“Most significant are figures from the Education Policy Institute (EPI), which informed us that Scotland is spending £200 per pupil on catch-up programmes, England is spending £174, Wales is spending £88 and, surprisingly, or, unsurprisingly, Northern Ireland is spending only £82. That shocking figure indicates that we are spending 60% less than Scotland is spending per head of the student population in schools. <BR /> <BR />Therefore, it beggars belief that the DUP attempted to amend the motion by highlighting all the great initiatives around Engage I and II and around summer schemes etc when the reality is that children in the North have had less spend per head of population than anywhere else in the UK. The Minister is spending a mere 44 pence per day per pupil. That would hardly even buy a pencil. That needs to be addressed.”
“That disadvantage facing children has been difficult to quantify given that there has been no attempt to conduct research locally into the real impact. Back in January, however, 'The Times' education supplement polled 6,000 teachers. Three quarters of the teachers reported that their children are being left behind in their learning, half of the teachers reported that their children were three months behind, and one third of the teachers reported that their children were six months behind. <BR /> <BR />As noted, the impact of the pandemic has hit hard on the entire student population.”
“It is the SDLP's view that not enough planning, funding and resources are going into catch-up initiatives in education. If that is not rectified now, there will be significant issues for children as they progress through education and further into working life. Action needs to be taken now, and, as noted, the impact of the pandemic has hit hard on all our student population, but it is becoming increasingly clear that some children have been more disadvantaged than others, whether they are children from socially deprived backgrounds, children from rural areas or children with special educational needs.”
“I thank all those school staff for their resilience and determination and for putting children first in what were unprecedented times. The staff need special mention today, and they need full recognition from everyone across the Chamber for overcoming seemingly insurmountable challenges, especially as we faced lockdown after lockdown. Make no mistake about it: education was brought to its knees, and we have been playing catch-up since. I want to focus on that catch-up.”
“As the SDLP's education spokesperson, I welcome the opportunity to propose and move this important motion. Throughout the pandemic, it has been clear that education has been hit hard. We have had school closures, exam cancellations, inadequate contact tracing, significant issues with distance learning and, importantly, the decimation of special needs education. While COVID infection rates are still significant in our schools, the successful roll-out of vaccinations, especially among younger people, will, thankfully, help to contain the virus in our communities and allow schools, as far as possible, to return to some form of normality. <BR /> <BR />It has not been easy. I thank our hard-working, dedicated and committed principals, teachers and non-teaching staff from across the school estate who have had to bear the brunt of the pandemic.”
“<BR /> <BR />With proper investment going forward, the arts can only benefit each and every one of us. It enriches our lives and improves our health and well-being. It creates a glimmer of hope and light in darkness. We have been through dark times, and we have seen how people got creative on social media throughout the pandemic and kept us all glued to their many talents. They also engaged with people who found themselves in very isolated situations. <BR /> <BR />The beautiful thing about this sector is that it does not discriminate; it is open to everybody. No matter your age or background, there is an opportunity for you. There are many Members in the House who can be very creative, and I am sure that, in the future, there may be opportunities for them as well.”
“My colleague Sinead McLaughlin talked about the sector being the lifeblood of a successful economy and of thriving communities, and I agree with that. We can see, day in and day out, the importance of the sector. <BR /> <BR />I am tight for time; I have one and a half minutes left to get through this. Largely, most Members in the House are on the same page today, and that is a very positive note to strike. I hope that a strategy will be brought forward. Imagine what this place could do and what the creative arts and culture sector could do if it was properly funded and if a strategy was in place. Look at what we have achieved. Mr Dunne talked about 'Game of Thrones'; I am a huge fan and I have watched it three times. It really shows the huge amount of talent that exists here and what this place can offer.”
“She said that she supports the amendment and the motion. <BR /> <BR />I welcome Ciara Ferguson to the Assembly. I have not had the opportunity to do so publicly. You are very welcome, and congratulations on your appointment. Ciara talked about the many benefits of the arts and culture sector and how it has been hit harder than any other sector. She repeated what her colleague Áine Murphy said about it being the first to close and the last to open.”
“She said that it is an integral part of our society in the North of Ireland. COVID has hit that sector hardest. She was right to point out that it was the first to close and the last to open, and that, as a result, many people in our society have struggled badly. <BR /> <BR />Paula Bradley largely agreed. She talked about the disproportionate impact on the sector, particularly throughout COVID. She talked about the need for a targeted and evidence-based approach to address the inequalities. She said that, given the huge amount of talent that exists, we could lead from the front. With a proper, fully funded strategy, we certainly could do that. <BR /> <BR />Kellie Armstrong also spoke very passionately about the arts — the whole House is on the one page today, which is a record in itself — and about the greater need for support.”
“He also talked about how the arts improve academic attainment, reduce isolation and improve well-being and the many other benefits that they bring to our lives. <BR /> <BR />My colleague Mark Durkan also talked about the considerable benefits of the sector. He outlined the considerable concerns that exist in it. He focused strongly and solidly on the need for greater equality. He particularly highlighted the issues facing Derry and Strabane not just during the pandemic but before it. The north-west has largely been left behind. As an MLA in the north-west, I have heard that time and time again. The focus needs to be on areas not just within but beyond the 30-mile radius of Belfast in order to truly capture the creativity of the entirety of this place. <BR /> <BR />Áine Murphy talked about the importance of the arts sector.”
“I will go straight to it. I ask Members to bear with me. I might have to be slightly creative as I try to make out my handwriting, which suffered as I tried to keep up with some of the contributions. This is a very important debate. It is important to those in the sector that their voices are being heard in the Chamber today, because, for quite a period, they have been asking for a response from this place that truly reflects the crisis that they have found themselves in, particularly throughout COVID. <BR /> <BR />Mr Nesbitt opened the debate. As always, he spoke passionately and articulately about the arts. He talked about the type of society that we want to build. He said that it is crucial that the arts be included in the Programme for Government and that any strategy be fully funded and implemented.”