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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“It is like throwing a deckchair off the Titanic and hoping it will work out. It is not going to work; we need meaningful investment. I know that money is tight, but what is more important than addressing the educational underachievement of our children? The £36 million would be money well spent. It would certainly be better spent than the £100 million that is going to be fired into tokens for the high street. This plan is a better-value investment, and it should be prioritised at all costs. <BR /> <BR />I ask the Finance Minister this: where is the shortfall? Does he believe that educational underachievement merits additional funding? What is his Department going to do about it? This is a political problem; it can be fixed by prioritisation.”
“The only way to address the issues in the report is for the Minister of Finance to put the money in place to ensure that the recommendations can be addressed. Let us be clear about this: whilst there is an issue with underachievement among Protestant boys, there is an issue with underachievement generally across all our communities, and it needs to be addressed. No child should pay the price for political failure. Make no mistake about it: there has been a political failure in this place to address educational underachievement, and that is on the shoulders of us all. It should be addressed, and it must be addressed. The report is very good. <BR /> <BR />Today's Budget sets aside only £4 million to take forward the panel's plan, which has been costed at £36 million per year. That hardly even scratches the surface.”
“The report is a vital piece of work, and it was damming on educational underachievement. That did not shock any of us. We knew, certainly from an Education Committee point of view, how serious the issues are and what the major failings are that exist here in tackling educational underachievement. The vast majority of those failings emanate from a failure to properly fund and resource an already stretched education system. I see no effort to rectify that in today's Budget. <BR /> <BR />In the House, we have had many reports suggesting all sorts of reforms. We have talked about Bengoa and everything else, but this report is vital to address what is a very serious issue. However, will it be just another report?”
“<BR /> <BR />On that point, it is very disappointing that today's Budget contains insufficient funds to enable the development of a comprehensive childcare strategy. That is the famous childcare strategy that we have talked about and talked about. Again, there is no action, no money and no follow-up; we just talk and talk. People are fed up with it and want that to change. Given the issues and pressures facing the sector, I am sure that Members will agree that the childcare strategy is needed immediately and needs that vital investment. Robin Newton mentioned in great detail the recommendations in the report on educational underachievement. I, too, put on record my sincerest appreciation to Dr Purdy and his team for the immense work that went into that report.”
“It is clear that a long-term strategy for the sector that includes additional investment and resources from the Minister is needed. I have heard members of the Minister's party and, indeed, of other parties mention the serious issues that affect the childcare sector. I have seen the fancy graphics that call for action, but when their colleagues who are sitting in positions of power fail to actually deal with the issue, it begs serious questions. Is this just lip service, or are there meaningful intentions to deal with these serious issues? The childcare issue needs to be addressed, can be addressed and should be addressed by cross-departmental working and money from the Minister of Finance.”
“We have seen parents in absolute desperation. We have seen parents who literally have never had one minute of respite. We have seen parents throughout the pandemic who have spent seven days a week over the course of the past year without any support and who are literally on their knees, pleading for support and help, but it has not happened. It is unforgivable for this House. We are a small jurisdiction, and it could be dealt with very easily with the proper focus, plan and prioritisation. We need to ensure that those who are in positions of responsibility for this and have failed are held properly to account. If we fail to do that, we will repeat the mistakes of the past. <BR /> <BR />The childcare strategy was mentioned by another Member. Over the course of the pandemic, the childcare sector was also hit very hard.”
“I thank the Member for his intervention, and I welcome his remarks. He is absolutely right that there is a desperate need for cross-departmental working and cooperation. A lot of the issues that have been identified point to the fact that Health and Education are not working closely or effectively enough and, indeed, that Finance is absolutely vital. We can talk about all the things that are needed, but without the necessary investment from the Minister of Finance it is impossible to resolve these issues. It is not in isolation. We can fire money at these things — rest assured, there is a desperate need for investment in SEN — but there is also a need for prioritisation and to properly deal with the issues. <BR /> <BR />I will finish on the SEN point by saying that children have absolutely been failed. We have all seen the tears.”
“Rest assured that the situation facing special educational needs children is a crisis.”
“<BR /> <BR />As we in this Chamber all know, special educational needs children are continually, continually, continually being failed by the current system that is not delivering for them. We can talk about reviews. We can talk about reform. We can talk about money. We can talk about how we think it could be fixed. It is necessary now more than ever for this issue to be prioritised. Far too many children are stuck on a waiting list for an assessment. We have hundreds of millions of pounds being rolled in to resolve this issue, yet we still have 5,124 children waiting for an assessment. We have seen that go on for years and years. That is not good enough. We cannot fail our children. The test for this place is about how to prioritise their needs and what we do in a crisis situation.”
“When you look at the block grant for the Education Authority, you will see the £359 million that has been allocated for special educational needs and the additional £22 million. What is it going to take to resolve this issue? Not enough has been done. There has not been enough planning or prioritisation, and, certainly, the interests of those young people have not been put first. We have heard serious revelations about the Education Authority in recent times. It was revealed by whistle-blowers that, in order to delay the process, statements were not date-stamped because the EA was so inundated and the system was so fractured and broken. It took an immense amount of pressure from the Education Committee when this place was re-established to get to the heart of that problem.”
“It is hoped that that will be made up this year as a result of funds from the monitoring rounds, but it has shed a bright light on the fact that a lack of proper planning and cross-departmental working is damaging the educational outcomes of our children. <BR /> <BR />That brings me to an important point that other Members have mentioned: special educational needs. There is no deviating from the debate around the subject. It impacts us all. It has come to every one of our offices and desks. Young people and children are being failed by the system. When you look at the figures and the amount of money that has been allocated, you scratch your head and say, "Is this an issue with funding, or is it a case of complete and utter incompetence on the part of those who have been responsible for resolving the issue?".”
“It is high time that education was treated as seriously here as it is in other jurisdictions. This place has challenges, but we have to recognise that it is quite small and manageable: it is six counties and 18 constituencies. It is not rocket science. It is about planning and strategy. It is about ensuring that money goes to the right places and that we are not simply throwing money at pet projects or wish lists from parties, particularly in the face of an election. We may see that evolving over the next few weeks and months. <BR /> <BR />In the context of today's debate, it remains extremely concerning that the education budget faces pressures of £146 million. Again, that is not a new figure; it was discussed in the House prior to the pandemic.”
“While we have witnessed cut after cut, additional funding has been provided in England through the pupil premium policy; Scotland has spent £1,500 more — £7,300 compared with £5,800 in Northern Ireland — per pupil; and the South has the delivering equality of opportunity in schools programme, which aims to address the issues around funding. <BR /> <BR />I remind the Finance Minister and the incoming Education Minister — I cannot reiterate this strongly enough — that spending on education is not a cost; it is an investment in the future of our young people, this place and our society, and we should do everything that we can to ensure that we fund our schools and provide the necessary resources, which are absolutely vital for the development of our children and young people.”
“It is not appropriate. It is having a direct impact on our children and young people. <BR /> <BR />Many times, I have heard Members to my right say that a decade of Tory austerity has been disastrous for this place, but we have to take some responsibility for the lack of prioritisation, strategy, focus and planning. Education should never face cuts. We should always strive to improve the educational outcomes of our children. We have to remember that, while the Tories have been no friends to this place — no one knows that better than the DUP in recent times — the Budgets and cuts have been rolled out and administered by a Sinn Féin/DUP-led Executive. It has crippled our education system and affected the educational outcomes of so many young people.”
“We have had the distraction this year of the huge challenge — no one in the House should underestimate it — that COVID has presented to every Minister, the Executive and the House. I know that all of us wanted to act in the best interests of doing all that we could to save lives and livelihoods. The COVID pandemic has absolutely compounded the issue and highlighted how far behind we are in properly funding and resourcing our education system. That has been said many times in the House over the past 14 years of the DUP/Sinn Féin-led Executive. The Institute for Fiscal Studies reported last year that, in real terms, cuts in spending per pupil since 2009 have been largest in Northern Ireland, with a 10% reduction in overall spending. That is a 10% cut to our children's education. No one would say that that is appropriate.”
“I also wish Michelle McIlveen, the new Minister of Education, well. I look forward to working with her on the many challenges that exist. <BR /> <BR />Education has been on its knees for a number of years. We often talk about cuts to education when we should be talking about investment in it. Education is not a cost; it is an investment in our children and young people and an investment in this place. It is an investment in our economy because, ultimately, young people and children who have been supported through schools that have had access to adequate facilities and support will be better skilled and educated; it will benefit their outcomes in the long run. <BR /> <BR />Budgetary cuts and challenges to education predate COVID.”
“I appreciate that the Minister had a mammoth task. There was no blueprint or rule book to follow, and we reacted as the situation emerged. I appreciate that that is an extremely difficult situation to be in. I genuinely believe that the Minister was acting in the best interests of children as he believed them to be and that he always did his best. That said, there will always be a record set in the House on Ministers and their performances, and Peter will be remembered as one who was courteous and approachable in office — he always responded to me in my role as SDLP education spokesperson — but I cannot leave out the fact that the House had to be recalled on three occasions to hold the Minister to account over failures to put the interests of young people first. That said, I wish him well for the future.”
“It is short-sighted and lacks aspiration and any prioritisation of the key challenges that our community faces. I will go into more detail as we go forward. As noted by my colleagues in yesterday's debate, we continue to miss out on the importance of multi-year budgeting, which would set a longer-term, joined-up strategy to deliver better in the greater interests of our people across Northern Ireland. <BR /> <BR />I will focus my remarks on the Education budget, before outlining concerns regarding the impact of this Budget on the wider issues that face my constituency of West Tyrone. Before I do that, I pay tribute to the outgoing Minister, Peter Weir. Many in the House know that Peter and I did not always see eye to eye on matters of education or the challenges that have been faced this year.”
“When Minister Frew got to his feet, I thought that he was going to state his support for the protocol. I nearly bit my tongue off. I want to congratulate Minister Frew on his appointment and wish him well. There are many challenges in that Department, as in them all. <BR /> <BR />I welcome the opportunity to participate in the debate and make my comments as the SDLP spokesperson on education and an MLA for West Tyrone. I reiterate the concerns raised by my party and others in yesterday's debate on the Supply resolution for the Main Estimates. There is great dissatisfaction with the budgetary process. It is a complex process that is not properly explained, and we essentially debate decisions that have been taken already with little input, at this stage in the overall budgetary allocation.”
“I thank the Minister for his answer. People in my constituency of West Tyrone want to know about the Connect2 regional hub in Omagh. Can you confirm if it will be open in 2022? Can you guarantee that there will be high-value jobs for people in the area? Has any consideration been given to such a hub for the Strabane area?”
“I thank the Member, my constituency colleague, for generously giving way. I note that he mentions the importance of revenue raising and the consideration of such in order to provide greater support to and funding for our public services. However, the Member may remember that, under the Ministry of Chris Hazzard, water meters were placed right across the North, more so under his Ministry than under any other. Does the Member believe that that is the route for revenue raising? Is that his party's position?”
“I thank the Member for kindly giving way. I totally agree with what he said about restrictions: when they can be removed, they should be removed, and any barrier to business should be removed to support businesses. They have had a very tough year, as the Member will agree. Does the Member also agree that the Executive's flip-flopping, poor decision-making and uncertainty have led to further difficulties for those businesses and, ultimately, the restrictions being in place for longer?”
“I, too, put on record my appreciation of all our teachers, who have worked tremendously hard over the past year and continue to do great work in supporting our young people. <BR /> <BR />I am a wee bit confused, Minister. You say that you and your Department are in support of scrapping the exemption. The First Minister has clearly stated that she is in support of scrapping it. Am I right to suggest that it is the deputy First Minister who is holding this up, as the signature of both may be required to move this forward? It is becoming a game of 'Guess Who?'. Can you shed any light on that?”
“It is vital that we avoid the mistakes of last September, when many students were in difficult circumstances. Will the Minister commit to a schedule of regular meetings with the National Union of Students-Union of Students in Ireland (NUS-USI) — a schedule similar to that of her counterparts in GB — to engage on that issue and others and to ensure that our students' voices are heard? Last year, as she will know, they felt ignored for too long.”
“I thank the Member for very generously giving way. Does she agree that the Department for Infrastructure is underfunded and that it is therefore practically impossible for the Minister to repair those roads and do the necessary work for our communities with the budget that has been allocated by the Finance Minister? Is that the Member's assessment?”
“Have you obtained the Finance Minister's commitment to such additional expenditure, in particular, in keeping with the understanding that early intervention is the most effective, including cost-effective? Will you deliver in full all 13 of the actions that form the focus of the early years recommendations?”
“Thank you, Mr Speaker. I cannot get my camera to work for whatever reason, but I will proceed. <BR /> <BR />I thank the Minister for the statement today. It is much welcome, and I put on record my firm appreciation to the members of the panel for this excellent and focused report. I am delighted that the Minister is endorsing the report in its totality, not least because it is a ringing endorsement of the SDLP programme for tackling underachievement that we published in October 2020 — so you will not go wrong, Minister. <BR /> <BR />The SDLP submission concluded by pointing out that putting more resources into education was not a cost; rather, it was an investment. The implementation of the report requires an average of £36 million per year for five years, which totals £180 million.”
“Fluffy conversation around the issues will not resolve the school estate problems in East Antrim; what will resolve them is swift action by the Minister of Education. Less debate, more action, more money, more investment in the school estate and swift leadership are absolutely necessary to ensure that our children in East Antrim and every other constituency have the best possible access to high-quality provision.”
“As I stated previously when mentioning Larne High School and Carrickfergus Grammar School in the context of the school estate, I am all for debates about the condition of the school estate in East Antrim, but, equally, Adjournment debates by themselves do not solve the issues.”
“Mr Principal Deputy Speaker, with respect, the theme of the debate is the school estate, and that is not unique to that specific constituency.”
“I declare an interest, because my former primary school —.”
“Similar to Carrickfergus Grammar, there is a very serious issue with traffic management at schools such as St Conor's in my constituency, where the main road, which is surrounded by hundreds of housing estates and residents, sees a logjam every single day. Children are coming straight out of the school gate to go to their parents' cars or to buses or taxis and are running in between and behind cars, putting themselves at risk. The issue is that there is so much congestion that it is threatening the lives and safety of those young people. <BR /> <BR />Members have highlighted Larne High School, which was built in 1957. Member Beggs said that it needs work, as it is 64 years old. In West Tyrone, Strabane Primary School is another example. It is 50 years old and has been waiting for a major refurbishment since 2004.”
“<BR /> <BR />Some of us might blame the Minister, and some would say that I continually blame the Minister. I understand, however, that, politically, it is a big issue. It is an issue in all our constituencies that needs to be resolved, and it is one that has been going on for many decades. I have written to the Minister in recent times about similar issues that exist in the school estate in West Tyrone and in Fermanagh and South Tyrone. The Minister will know that St Conor's Primary School in the heart of Omagh is suffering similarly. The school was built many years ago and accommodates 400 young people and many teachers. As Mr Dickson and Mr Stewart outlined, the issue lies outside the school estate. The higher volume of vehicles on the roads brings into question the safety of our children and young people.”
“<BR /> <BR />That having been said, I am not a Member for East Antrim, as Members will know, but all the issues that have been shared by Members today are reflected in schools by school leaders, principals and parents right across the entirety of Northern Ireland. I have done a fair bit of research on some of the issues, and I have looked at some correspondence from principals in East Antrim. I share Member Lyons's disappointment at the lack of commitment and willingness from the Education Authority to invest in Carrickfergus Grammar School and the disappointment of Members across the Chamber who echo his concerns. The Minister is best placed to resolve those issues and could very quickly, with a phone call or the stroke of a pen, add pressure to ensure that the steam is taken out of the delays.”
“I do find it quite strange, however, that a Member who is in the same party as the Minister has to bring an Adjournment debate to highlight those issues. Perhaps the best thing to do is to have a conversation directly with the Minister to resolve the issues in your constituency, because I can tell you that they are not unique to East Antrim. The condition of the school estate right across the entirety of Northern Ireland is in question, and, although it is easy for all of us to point the finger at the Education Authority, the buck certainly stops with the Department of Education and the Minister, and not just Minister Weir, who has been in office for just over a year since the three-year collapse of the institutions, but consecutive Education Ministers, who have failed to grasp the nettle and resolve the issues with the school estate.”
“I thank Member Lyons for securing the debate. I am all for such debates, particularly when it comes to putting a very bright spotlight on the school estate, its dilapidated condition in many parts of Northern Ireland and safety issues inside and outside schools. Various constituents right across Northern Ireland have shared with me, as the SDLP's education spokesperson, many stories that are truly shocking and definitely question the safety at some of the schools and the condition of some of the estates.”
“— needs to put his money where his mouth is and start delivering for the priorities of people on the ground.”
“It is terrible, and it should be resolved, but, unfortunately, in this Budget and after many bids from Minister Mallon, there has been no meaningful investment laid out by Minister Murphy as the Minister of Finance, the man who holds the purse, the man who holds the money, the man who has failed to provide adequate funding to the Department for Infrastructure, which has an outstanding Minister who is delivering on the ground for people but has been hamstrung as a result of a Finance Minister who is not coughing up the funds to deal with the roads — roads that run through every single community in Northern Ireland and that are becoming more and more embarrassing as the day goes on. This Finance Minister —”
“<BR /> <BR />Looking to roads, I see elected representatives across the various political parties, particularly Sinn Féin, standing next to potholes. These are not just councillors but MPs — abstentionist MPs, at that — and MLAs standing next to potholes, pointing at the road and saying, "Isn't this terrible?". I agree.”
“That is a terrible indictment of the political failure of these institutions and of the Executive to deal with this fundamental issue, and it is not as a result of coronavirus. This predates coronavirus and was a problem then. What did we as an Assembly do, and what did parties of the Executive who were in a position of power and strength do, then? They walked out the door for three years, collapsing the institutions on the very feet of the people who were struggling and needing intervention and medical support. That is a terrible indictment and reflection of the political failure of this place that needs to stop. I know that the majority of constituents whom I speak for and represent in West Tyrone share that frustration as well.”
“Some Members have mentioned that this is a disappointing Budget, and that is putting it lightly. There are many aspects of this Budget that lack vision, that lack strategy and that lack prioritisation of key, important issues that affect our constituents on the ground and on a daily basis. Members across the House have shared concerns about the state of our health service and about the waiting lists that are growing by the hour, let alone the day. People's pain is increasing, and they are becoming even more challenged by the circumstances that they find themselves in. When they seek support and help and the necessary medical attention, they are told that they are on the waiting list. As my colleague Cara Hunter said, people are literally dying on these waiting lists.”
“The Committee was keen to see commencement of complaints standards authority powers for NIPSO, and members paid particular attention to the resources needed to recruit appropriate staff and to put necessary systems in place. <BR /> <BR />As I have already mentioned, the Committee agreed its initial position on the draft budgets for the three bodies in December 2020, but, following correspondence from the Minister of Finance in relation to pay pressures and the public-sector pay freeze, the Committee revised its position to take the pay freeze into account. I can confirm that the Department of Finance Budget document has made provision for figures agreed by the Audit Committee. <BR /> <BR />I will now make remarks as an MLA for West Tyrone and the spokesperson on education for the SDLP.”
“During evidence sessions with the NIPSO and her officials, questions were asked around the resources required to deal with the projected increase in maladministration work and the additional staff needed to place a greater focus on learning and development work. It is hoped that that will lead to increased awareness and insight around complaints and ultimately result in improvements in public service delivery. The resources needed to allow the NIPSO to provide a high-quality, impartial and independent investigation service were also subject to discussion, including the resources needed to increase the capacity for own-initiative investigations.”
“<BR /> <BR />In relation to the Audit Office, members questioned the officials on its accommodation project and the increasing cost from the concept design estimates that were shared with the Committee previously. However, it was noted that the increase was due to moving to a detailed design process, allowances for COVID-19 and construction inflation in the current marketplace. Discussions also took place around the costs associated with the Audit Office's continuing recruitment process, which is intended to achieve the appropriate balance in skills and expertise in the organisation in order to allow it to operate effectively, and the potential impact on income with the loss of European agricultural funding for rural development. The challenge of taking forward some of the RHI inquiry recommendations was also discussed at length.”
“<BR /> <BR />In relation to the capital budget, members recognised that resources were needed to address underinvestment in the fabric of the Building in the last three years. The areas discussed during evidence sessions with officials included electronic access control; the security management system; the audio system in the Chamber; updates to the telephone and television systems in Parliament Buildings, which are ongoing; and the potential financial impact of roof repairs to Parliament Buildings. Other resource elements considered included some income-generation options for the Commission, such as the use of Parliament Buildings for weddings and ceremonies and the staffing implications of a fully functioning Assembly.”
“Following considerable scrutiny of the 2021-22 budgets for the three bodies, the Committee agreed its initial budget position document in December 2020. A debate specifically on the Commission's budget took place in the Chamber on 2 March 2021. <BR /> <BR />I wish to reflect on some particular areas covered during the Committee deliberations. I will start with the Assembly Commission. The Commission has a legal requirement to meet all costs associated with Members, including salaries, allowances, expenses, Members' staffing costs and pension contributions. Those budget elements are determination-driven and are not under the control of the Commission. However, the Committee considered those areas that are under the control of the Commission.”
“I speak today as the Chairperson of the Audit Committee to reflect the scrutiny of the 2021-22 Budget for the Assembly Commission, the Northern Ireland Audit Office and the Northern Ireland Public Services Ombudsman (NIPSO). <BR /> <BR />As the House is aware, the Audit Committee scrutinises and agrees the budgets and estimates of the Northern Ireland Audit Office and the Northern Ireland Public Services Ombudsman and lays the estimates before the Assembly. The Committee also scrutinises the Commission's budget and is actively pursuing codification of that role, with a view to extending it to include consideration of the Commission's estimates. In recognition of the independence of the non-ministerial bodies, the Committee fulfils those budgetary functions in place of the Department of Finance.”
“The Minister gave a very detailed answer and answered my supplementary question in the body of that answer. Thank you.”
“Mr Speaker, since the Assembly returned, all 14 questions have never been asked. Well done, Minister.”
“Thank you, Minister, for the answers to your questions so far. Pre-COVID, the courts estate was used for appeals for people going through the benefits process. Does the Minister believe that that is an appropriate use of the estate, and does she consider that it is up to date enough to ensure disability access given that there are heavy doors, no real automatic door opening and difficulty parking?”