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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“<BR /> <BR />We have to remember that, throughout the entire pandemic, whilst we ensured, thank God, in an operational Assembly, that people were safe, regulations were in place and measures were in place to support businesses, the community, and healthcare and front-line workers, we should also have been planning properly, from day one, for the reopening of society. The flick-of-a-switch approach will not work because it puts everybody at risk. I do not think that any Member of the House would argue with that. If we get it wrong, and we reopen society quickly and without proper protections and guidance in place, we will put people at risk. For the House to do that would be unforgivable. <BR /> <BR />Today, we have talked about funerals. I am not going to make political points.”
“However, when, each and every week, we hear announcements of the reopening of churches, for example, as Mr Allister mentioned, and that there can be funerals with a certain number of people present, and masses or church services, but that there cannot be weddings, it does not make sense. It causes confusion in our communities that we, then, are burdened with trying to clarify. As legislators, we are, then, in the ridiculous position of being unable to clarify it because the announcement has been so poorly communicated.”
“However, as many Members in the House will know, over the course of the past number of weeks, we have been inundated by constituents asking us to clarify the guidance or announcement that has been made here. For example, one of the earliest announcements was about hotels. People could book a hotel, but we could not tell them the date. That is just an example of the inconsistencies and shortcomings that there have been rather than proper planning for the reopening of society. <BR /> <BR />The public out there are concerned. They are reaching out to us, as individual MLAs and people in positions of authority, to ensure that, whatever steps we take, we can, at all times, ensure that the public will be safe.”
“<BR /> <BR />It is unhelpful in many ways because, whilst we are minded to continually think of those who have made considerable sacrifices throughout this pandemic, there is a reckless or loose reopening, and a lack of guidance around what is expected in the reopening of our society across all sectors. If that is not handled properly, we will return to square one. We are seeing patterns emerge in various countries right across the globe where spikes are happening in the pandemic and infection rates are going up in certain towns and villages. <BR /> <BR />Members of society are concerned, and rightly so. They have put their trust and faith in us as legislators and in the Executive to ensure that, whatever action we take, it ensures the population's safety.”
“Their sacrifices were huge, so huge that we will never be truly able to thank those who have stepped beyond all boundaries to help and protect our population from the threat and risk of COVID-19. <BR /> <BR />My concern is that, as we emerge from COVID-19 — we still remain in a place of significant uncertainty as to the true impact ahead could be — we are simply now, instead of following a phased reopening, announcing, in a lucky-dip sort of approach, the reopening of this, that and everything that may suit the agenda of particular Ministers, or the First and deputy First Minister, at the Executive.”
“It seems that this entire process around COVID-19, and the preparation for it, to ensure the health and safety of the general populace, has been badly handled, messily handled. Like other Members, I appreciate that it is an entirely complicated, unprecedented situation. <BR /> <BR />In the early stage, it was, "Close everything. Shut everything down. Shut your businesses." It is important to recognise the huge sacrifice that has been made by all sectors of our society, and the business community, who have been closed and their doors have been shut for many months. Our healthcare staff, nurses, doctors and front-line workers, for the last number of months have sacrificed their lives and well-being to ensure that we were safe, cared for and looked after in hospitals.”
“Mr Principal Deputy Speaker, it is good to see you back in your role and, hopefully, fully recovered from your recent illness. <BR /> <BR />From a societal point of view, there is considerable confusion in relation to how this entire process has been handled. At the outset, when COVID was coming towards us, and we could watch the impact it was having right across the globe, instead of preparing, we were doing very little. Then there was an automatic panic reaction of closing everything or, in some cases, a debate about closing everything, refusing to do so, and then coming back later that day to the Chamber, in the case of the Education Minister, and announcing the closure of schools”
“It is also important that we discuss staff safety. Throughout the last mandate, there was a series of incidents in MLAs' offices where staff did not felt safe. In my office in Omagh, that happened to one of my members of staff who was on her own because we could not provide cover for the person who was off, and she suffered a threat that day. Surely, there needs to be some allowance for staff safety as well.”
“That is vital in supporting our communities at this time. It is not an easy debate, but there are issues with the determination that need to be addressed. Our staff deserve fairness. We cannot go out into the public domain and stand up for the rights of workers if we are not going to practise what we preach ourselves. That is our reason for supporting the change and the motion.”
“My party is committed to robust transparency measures to ensure that there is no return to the abuse of public money, as was clearly outlined very articulately by Mr Allister, in relation to Research Services Ireland. I have mentioned that in the House on many occasions in previous contributions. The SDLP will be making that position clear and at the Assembly Commission as well. <BR /> <BR />Now, more than ever, constituency offices are needed to help the many vulnerable people who contact us each and every week and the many businesses that are struggling to make ends meet and to support those who are seeking to improve our communities. The motion is about MLAs deciding what we want to be responsible for, which is the well-being of our staff, and for running an effective and efficient office that delivers for people.”
“I know full well that we are living in very tough times and that every penny of public spend needs to be accounted for, but I stand here today for my staff and the hard-working staff of many other Assembly Members in offices who deserve fair pay and fair terms and conditions. My office could not run without my staff working more hours than they are paid for, alongside the many volunteers who, daily, help me in my duties as a public representative. They are making an invaluable difference to the communities that I am elected to serve, and all that I want for them is fairness. <BR /> <BR />We are not seeking a dilution of scrutiny or accountability; the opposite is true. The proposed measures will demand enhanced scrutiny of every penny that is spent in this place.”
“In order for the public to have confidence in us, we need to ensure that we practise what we preach. We are in a situation where our staff are being failed because their rights are not being protected under the current determination. Whilst I understand and appreciate the reasons for the determination, given the previous abuses of some in relation to MLAs' expenses, it is vital that we, as employers and as MLAs, protect the rights of our staff. <BR /> <BR />I am not proud that we give our staff the minimum legal amount of sick and maternity pay. I am not proud that annual leave is at the minimum statutory level. I am not proud that, under the current rules of the determination, there are staff in MLA offices who could be earning less than the living wage and are struggling.”
“<BR /> <BR />There is a real lack of common sense in the current determination and Mr Allister was right to touch on that in his contribution, even around signage, phone numbers or a very small crest on a door — very simple things that were fineable under the current determination. Even a broken-down printer could not be repaired locally; you had to send for someone to come from Belfast at a cost to the public purse that made no sense whatsoever. When you tried to have those discussions, you were shot down and told, "It is in the determination". That made things very frustrating for a lot of Assembly Members to continue in their duties. <BR /> <BR />Many of us in the Chamber proudly support the advancement of workers' rights. Each and every day, I hear Members of the House speak about the importance of protecting those rights.”
“I thank the House for the opportunity to contribute briefly to what is an important debate. As we have heard already, the public are, rightly, annoyed about the prospect of any increases to expenditure. However, clarification needs to be put into the public domain as to what the motion is about. It is not about Members' pay, and we cannot blame the public for being angry, especially after we had been locked out of the institutions — certainly against our will — for the last number of years. There is no change to Members' pay and nor should there be. Members' pay will still be independently determined and that should always be the case. The SDLP would not support the motion if that was the case. The motion is about how we treat members of staff, deal with complex problems and offer a service to the public every day.”
“As Jim Allister rightly said, the pain of losing a young person is unimaginable and unbearable for many. My thoughts and prayers, and those of my SDLP colleagues, are with Fiona, her family and all those who are going through this tremendously difficult time.”
“Over the last few days, we have all got to know Noah a little bit better from the posts shared on social media; the videos of him cooking, playing musical instruments and sport and that infectious smile. His caring nature shines through in abundance in all those social media posts. There has been an incredible outpouring of grief to support Fiona and her family at this incredibly difficult time. The search for Noah united communities. I know that the prayers of our entire society, from one end of this island to the other, will be with Fiona in the days ahead. <BR /> <BR />Many young people across the island have lost their life in recent months. I pay tribute to the loss of young life in my colleague Dolores Kelly's constituency and in my constituency, where Dean McElwee tragically lost his life at the weekend.”
“I, too, echo the words that have been shared in the House by colleagues. Quite simply, there are no words that could ever comfort Fiona, her sisters Shona and Niamh, Noah's uncles Gearoid and Ronan, his granny, Margot, and his grandfather, Gerry, during this very difficult time. I cannot even begin to imagine the pain, worry, stress and anxiety that they suffered in the days prior to finding Noah. There are no words for such a tremendous and tragic loss of young life. <BR /> <BR />Noah's family are originally from Strabane. Many members of his wider family remain there. As a town and community, many gathered there over the weekend to pay tribute to the family, to offer our prayers, condolences or thoughts and to share in the family's grief at what is a very, very difficult time.”
“Thank you, Minister, for the answer to that important question. This year, the academic year has been hugely disrupted. Our every way of life has been hugely disrupted, but the academic year for students has been disrupted from start to finish. Has any consideration been given to the waiving of tuition fees for the students affected this year? Has your Department had any engagements with the universities on that? Student debt is a big issue, and I do not see why students should incur that debt, given that they have not benefited from the full educational opportunities.”
“What happens in a situation where a small school cannot accommodate the pupils, even with a one-metre distance between pupils, in the classroom? Will provision be made for extra space, and will that be financed by the Department or the EA?”
“I thank the Minister for his statement. For once, I thank you very happily for the announcement in relation to Strabane. It is welcome news, particularly for the principal, Mrs Bridget Wilders, her team and the many families across Strabane who have long awaited the new build and the advancement of the project. Some 470 pupils await this, so it is welcome news. <BR /> <BR />Many schools across Northern Ireland, including my constituency, are anxious about the return to school, which your Department is working on. What investment or plans are in place to ensure that there is the necessary infrastructure to ensure the safety of staff and pupils in the school environment? For instance, a lot of the discussion has been not just about class sizes but about classroom sizes.”
“I welcome the Minister's statement and thank him for bringing it to the House. Minister, there is much in the statement that will be welcomed by many. In particular, we have led a strong campaign on the plight of sub-teachers over the last eight or nine weeks. Uncertain whether they could pay bills or put food on the table, it has been a very stressful time. I am just wondering, Minister, what conversations you have had with the Minister of Education as to how the scheme will be rolled out. Were criteria discussed in reaching the overall figure of £12 million, and how quickly will it be allocated to these people who are suffering at this time?”
“It is important that we have prior notice, but I appreciate the Minister's visit. <BR /> <BR />The Minister has acknowledged and witnessed at first hand the great efforts that have been made in communities and the life-changing work that has gone on there, particularly through this pandemic. What other funding will be available to sustain this work beyond COVID-19? The Strabane Community Project, in particular, is a lifeline to so many people, particularly the elderly and vulnerable. It has faced some cuts, as you know Minister, in recent times.”
“Minister, I put on record my appreciation to you for visiting Strabane, in my constituency, on Friday. It was greatly appreciated. You witnessed the great work that goes on by the local Strabane community project, the Fountain Street community project and the jobs and benefits office. Minister, I know that my colleague across the Chamber will probably not have had notice. I received notice of your meeting at 9. 55 am — only five minutes before you arrived.”
“The Assembly and its survival is more crucial than ever before, and we must work together to ensure that we get through this together.”
“Stop stamping on each other's toes and do whatever possible to protect our people, to save lives and to help society recover from COVID-19.”
“We have ended the long-running discrimination around teachers' pay, but, as one ends, another begins because supply teachers have been left out in the cold in relation to COVID-19. There is no sign of any funding, although we have heard commitments from the Department of Education that it has made a bid for the £12 million required. Those teachers have livelihoods, houses to pay for and bills to pay. They are very concerned and there needs to be provision for them. <BR /> <BR />I will throw the A5 in as a one-liner because everyone knows that I have to mention it. <BR /> <BR />To conclude my remarks today, we are in uncharted waters. This is a testing time for the Government and the Executive. It is vital that the parties around the table, particularly the larger two, pull together in one direction.”
“Taking existing allocations in addition to COVID-19 support, the Department's budget is still £165 million short, and there are no indications as to where the shortfall will impact. The SDLP has major areas of concern about education, including fair pay for teachers, special educational needs, school budget pressures. The list goes on. Those are all pressures that have to be met if we are to ensure that our education system is properly delivering for all our children and that no child falls between the gaps. Pre-COVID-19, our schools system was crippling at its very knees, and, unless proper action is taken, that will continue to be the case when this pandemic is over and our schools reopen. <BR /> <BR />I am very tight for time, but I would like to touch on the issue of supply teachers.”
“<BR /> <BR />I will now make comments as the SDLP's education spokesperson, and as an MLA for West Tyrone. I thank the Executive and Members present for showing a collective front in tackling what has been one of the most serious global public health issues in our lifetime. I pay tribute to our front-line staff, health workers and front-line workers in the community. I also mention Pat McManus, who sadly lost his life. He was a Strabane man who moved to England, some years ago, and was a front-line health worker. He was the first person from Northern Ireland to sadly lose their life. <BR /> <BR />Turning to the education budget, it remains concerning that all additional pressures in the education budget will not be met in this Budget or a future Budget.”
“That, combined with investment in other preventative measures outlined, could lead to huge savings further down the line due to a reduction in the number of complaints finding their way to NIPSO in the first place. The Committee also looks forward to a timely appointment of a permanent ombudsman, given that the powers of the acting Ombudsman will expire in July of this year. <BR /> <BR />The Committee would be supportive of a multi-year budgetary framework in the future as it would enable a more strategic budgetary focus. The Committee would also encourage maximum focus on income-generation opportunities. As such, the Department of Finance's Budget document has made provision for the figures agreed by the Committee in its report published on 5 March 2020.”
“<BR /> <BR />I move now to the Audit Office. Members questioned officials on the new business model and the transformation work undertaken in recent times. Members were pleased to see the amount of budget reductions that the office has been able to make in that regard and received a number of assurances from officials that they had not had a detrimental impact on the work outputs of the office. <BR /> <BR />Despite having a relatively small budget, members of the Committee were struck by the wide remit of NIPSO, as well as the growing numbers of complaints considered by the office since its inception in 2016. Members were particularly interested to hear about the future role of the office in relation to the complaints standards authority.”
“The Commission is legally obliged to meet those costs, but members questioned officials on the controllable proportion of the Commission’s budget. Elements include income-generation options, staffing implications of a fully functioning Assembly, the Commission’s capital budget and staff resources. Members also noted the anticipated financial implications of the New Decade, New Approach agreement, some of which are still uncertain. That will, no doubt, be a focus for the Assembly Commission and an area of future scrutiny for the Committee. <BR /> <BR />Members were satisfied with the detail presented during its evidence session, but there is a clear need to have more than one opportunity to examine the Commission’s budget. It was also noted that the scrutiny role of the Audit Committee in that regard needs to be codified.”
“The Committee’s agreed report on its deliberations was published on 5 March, and a debate on the Assembly Commission’s budget, specifically, took place in the Chamber on 16 March. The Committee’s evidence-gathering took place over two meetings on 13 February and 4 March 2020. All evidence gathered has been published as part of the Committee’s report. With the limited time available to me today, I cannot dwell on the detail of the evidence gathered by the Committee, but I will reflect on particular areas, the first of which relates to the Assembly Commission. <BR /> <BR />It is clear that a large part of the Assembly’s Budget is driven by costs set out in the Assembly Members (Salaries and Expenses) Determination 2016.”
“John loved his family, the SDLP and the people of East Derry. To finish, with your indulgence, Mr Deputy Speaker, John had a tough and ballsy exterior, but underneath he was a soft, gentle, kind man and someone who had a great sense of humour. Before I stood to speak, I was thinking about the last time that John stood with me in the Chamber. It was when he stood just behind me and paid a heartfelt tribute to Séamus Mallon on his death. This place will certainly be a lot sadder for the loss of a great man — a man who gave his life to so many. <BR /> <BR />I will speak now as the Chair of the Audit Committee to reflect the scrutiny of the Budget 2020-21 for the Northern Ireland Assembly Commission, the Northern Ireland Audit Office and the Northern Ireland Public Services Ombudsman.”
“John was elected to the House for 22 years. He spent 45 years of his life as a public servant. He showed an unbelievable dedication and commitment to the public, and he was a fierce champion of public funds. He was a man who chased every pound and accounted for every penny when it came to his accountable role on the Public Accounts Committee.”
“Can I follow on from my colleagues and other Members in paying tribute to our dear friend and colleague, John Dallat? His death came as a tremendous shock to us all today. Even though he had been unwell, it still came as a shock that he has gone so quickly.”
“I thank the Minister for his statement, his ongoing engagement with Members throughout the crisis and the way in which he responds to us so openly. I follow on from what other Members have said in welcoming this enhancement programme, which will come as a huge benefit to the school estate. As we know, the school estate badly needs investment, and it has been long awaited. I welcome the fact that it is a priority for you and your confirmation of it. <BR /> <BR />Given that the school classroom has been replaced by remote learning from home, Minister, what are your thoughts on the figures for children who are engaging online? They are quite low and concerning. There are reasons for it. However, what is the Minister doing to ensure that no child falls through the gaps in the absence of the classroom in this crisis?”
“Now, information is coming out, but we need clarity on how people can access the necessary provision that is being, gratefully, granted. <BR /> <BR />Finally, we, in the House, must work together, all politics aside. This is us standing shoulder to shoulder for the greater good of the people of this place. I know that if we focus our attention strongly on protecting human life, we will save countless lives. I thank you both for your leadership.”
“I am continually being asked, as are other Members, by business owners, business leaders and people who are self-employed for reassurance about what will happen in the coming weeks.”
“<BR /> <BR />With regard to testing, even in the health service, a huge amount of people are concerned about the lack of testing. I know that that will be largely resolved. I spoke on the phone yesterday to a nurse who was in tears and was frightened because she sees in front of her what is coming. She feels the pressure now. She is entirely and absolutely dedicated to saving lives and supporting people, but her mother, father and her family are worried about her, in turn. I worry too about mental health and the impact that that has on those in front-line services. I know that you will continue doing all that you can to support them. <BR /> <BR />I will make a final point about information for businesses. With every problem that occurs, we face 100 questions emanating from that one problem.”
“It has resonated with a large percentage of the population across Northern Ireland, but there is still an element of people who are just not listening. It frustrates me deeply to see, even yesterday, huge numbers of people continuing about their business as though this is just the flu, with some people even treating it as if it is a holiday. We need to make it very clear that this is a life-or-death situation. People will die around us, and we are very worried about that. <BR /> <BR />With regard to advice, Dr Gabriel Scally, on the news during the week, was very good. He said that his advice to the public would be to behave as though we already had it. In doing so, people will self-isolate and realise that it is the best possible measure that they can take. Staying indoors is the solution to this.”
“I begin by applauding the tremendous efforts of the First and deputy First Ministers throughout what has been a difficult and challenging few weeks. It comes as a great relief that the House is restored, we have an Executive in place and the First and deputy First Minister working together throughout this tremendously difficult and unprecedented challenge. This is, as the deputy First Minister rightly said "the challenge of our lifetime". It has instilled a huge amount of fear in our community in people of all walks of life and even church leaders. <BR /> <BR />I know that there is discussion on the Coronavirus Bill today. What powers has your office to enforce a lockdown of Northern Ireland, for want of a better description? You have put out a clear message and have continued to repeat that message.”
“We heard about a 14-year-old child in the UK, with no underlying conditions, who died from the virus this week. The reality of this virus is that it can affect everybody very differently, depending on their own system, and there are many people who have unidentified underlying issues as well. What can we as an Assembly, and your Department, do to ensure that parents keep children, where possible, within closed doors and educate them as to the importance and the dangers of this thing?”
“I thank the Minister for her detailed statement. We are in unprecedented times, and people are genuinely fearful. My mother has been in isolation for 10 days, simply because, if she were to become infected, her life would be at risk, and we are all conscious of that. It is a very difficult time for many families, and we recognise that. <BR /> <BR />Many people in my constituency have been speaking to me about large groups of young people who are congregating in public spaces, not necessarily within premises or anywhere else, but, for want of a better description, roaming the streets throughout the weekend and since the schools have closed. No doubt this will continue to be an issue. What can we do, Minister, to ensure the safety of those children and to educate them that this is a very serious issue? They are not immune to it.”
“We are certainly in unprecedented times. Businesses, in particular, are extremely worried about the impact that this is having on our economy, on them and on the welfare of their workers at this uncertain point. As you know, Minister, in Strabane there are many large businesses, such as O'Neill's, Frylite and others, that employ workers from both sides of the border. Will the Minister explain what the lockdown in the South will mean for those businesses and what support his Department will provide to them? Are there any conversations around taxation, VAT and the sorts with HMRC?”
“It is safe to say across the House that teachers, principals and parents are absolutely already panicking regardless of what is said on social media or in the House. They are panicking simply because they see a lack of direction on this important issue. Many parents have already taken their children out of school because they are very concerned for their children's well-being. If the Minister is so adamant and set against closing schools, what will happen to parents who make that decision in the interests of their children's health?”
“I thank the Minister, and I commend him on his leadership thus far on what is a very serious and worrying issue for many. I also commend our front-line staff for the great work that they are doing and their families for supporting them in going out there very bravely to support each of us in their role of saving lives. <BR /> <BR />Minister, my question is focused on life-saving equipment, such as ventilators and hospital beds. Will you provide an insight to the House on the numbers of each of those in each trust area, please?”
“I thank the Member for giving way. Surely the Member must realise that the Irish-medium sector has been deprived of the necessary funding from the House for many years and is now playing catch-up. It provides an invaluable contribution to communities such as mine and to towns such as Strabane and Omagh. I would like the Member to acknowledge that an Irish-medium education has a positive impact on the lives of many children.”
“We also need to look at how educational outcomes can be improved in the system; improvements that could be, where possible, cost neutral to the public purse. We add our support to Mr Carroll's amendment as well.”
“<BR /> <BR />In keeping with the declarations in 'New Decade, New Approach', we must ensure that every school has a sustainable core budget to facilitate the delivery of quality education.”
“Clear targets need to be set, and proper capital and resource investment in the sector is needed, with buy-in from each political party. That has to be a starting point. I do not believe that this Minister or the previous Education Minister were totally committed to increasing integration in our school system. That has to change, because the benefits of integration are clearly apparent. <BR /> <BR />We have had three years of inaction, with no Government here. That has had an impact on growing a single education system. In that context, and in coming to the Sinn Féin amendment, I believe that, given the crisis in education, we are in need of an independent review of education and of how we can better utilise our resources and public finances.”