Danny Kennedy
Newry and Armagh · Ulster Unionist Party · Northern Ireland
“<BR /> <BR />I know the circumstances that we are in, but my hope is that departmental officials will continue to explore these issues and find solutions so that, at the earliest point, those solutions can be delivered to my constituency and to the people who have such frustration with the lack of service.”
“This situation is also prevalent in other rural areas of Northern Ireland. People in areas such as Lissummon, Ballygorman, Cladymilltown, Altnamackan, Loughgall, Mullaghglass and countless others, unfortunately, all of which are located in my constituency, find themselves in a position currently where they are provided with little or no e…”
“I, with others, receive regular contact from my constituents on this issue. It is abundantly clear from the representations that I receive that the lack of broadband provision, particularly in rural areas, impacts in many ways on families and businesses that reside in various locations across the constituency.”
“Madam Principal Deputy Speaker, I thank you and the Business Committee for affording me the opportunity to debate the issue of broadband provision directly relating to my constituency of Newry and Armagh. I also place on record my good wishes to you as you leave the House, and I wish you well for the future.”
“The lack of high-quality broadband, for instance, has an impact on the ability of many rural businesses to function efficiently, placing them clearly at a disadvantage to other competitors in their particular field.”
“I could continue to detail many more circumstances, but I want other Members to contribute and to hear what the Minister has to say. I take this opportunity to make an impassioned plea to the Minister to pursue, within a quick time frame, the network improvements that are so clearly required.”
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“We see no reason why, if a Historical Investigations Unit and an Independent Commission on Information Retrieval were to be formed as part of a comprehensive way of dealing with the truth and justice aspects of our past, legacy Coroners' Courts could not sit as part of that. There should be no hierarchy of victims and no hierarchy of investigations. <BR /> <BR />It would be concerning that, even if a comprehensive package of bodies were to be agreed, some people would have an extra option for investigation that others would not have access to. If the aim is to find an all-encompassing way to deal with our past that allows equal opportunity for those seeking truth or justice, keeping legacy inquests outside of this tent seems to contradict the motivation. We want to know more on why anyone would be so opposed to this.”
“We have now had three motions here in just two days that have all touched on aspects of dealing with our past. This issue has been talked about for many years in the Chamber. I am sure that there is an amount of public frustration because of how much talking there has been and how little action. We await to see whether the Secretary of State comes forward with a public consultation. There will be much interest to see what form, if any, that takes and whether it leads to any progress on these issues. <BR /> <BR />We in the Ulster Unionist Party have long argued that legacy issues should have been included in the package of measures for dealing with the past that was discussed during the three talks processes of recent years.”
“Will the Minister take the opportunity to review the legislation governing the effective date at which a new property or domestic dwelling becomes eligible for the payment of rates and at least issue fresh guidelines?”
“What action does the First Minister intend to take to address that?”
“I thank the First Minister for her answer, particularly on that issue. Does she share my personal view, which was highlighted in the court judgement, that the Northern Ireland Equality Commission has "created the impression" that it:”
“I warmly welcome the Minister's statement, in particular her decision to retain the historic courthouse in Armagh city. That will be warmly welcomed by my constituents. I hope that it will not be a temporary reprieve pending the outcome of the Courts 2020 review announced by the Minister. Will she take the opportunity to pursue with her officials the possibility of using Armagh courthouse as a venue for problem-solving courts to help maximise its use?”
“That target is to be met by or during November 2016. Will the Minister outline what the size of the structure would be; how many members it would have; who would appoint those members — practitioners, academics or politicians; and how it would avoid duplication with those with existing responsibility?”
“I refer the Minister to action point 12 on page 26 of the report, under the heading "Transformation":”
“Does the Minister agree that the current mechanisms for dealing with the past operate in an incomplete, imperfect and imbalanced manner that serves only to rewrite history and disproportionately focus on the state? Will she give an assurance to the House that she will not permit that to continue?”
“I thank the Minister for his response. On winter services as well, I ask whether he has any plans to increase the number of grit piles in rural areas of my Newry and Armagh constituency to support the communities there.”
“What practical steps does the Minister intend to take in rural areas outside Belfast to further develop the cycling revolution that I initiated?”
“What thought has been given to sanctions for any group that fails to disband by the end of the lifetime of this strategy?”
“Will the Minister also ensure that there will be ongoing positive engagement with the Orange institution in future on cultural and community developments as a lasting memorial to the work of Drew Nelson?”
“I thank the Minister for her replies thus far. Prior to the publication of the working group's recommendations, what actions are being taken, Minister, by your Department to provide care and support services for women who find themselves carrying an unborn child with a life-limiting disability?”
“— will she at least try to ensure that any future arrangements for border controls are not simply created at Great Britain's ports and airports?”
“I am slightly disappointed at the tone the First Minister seems to be adopting. When she is swilling champagne at the Conservative Party conference later this week —”
“I am grateful to the Member for giving way. Of course. any mention of Newry is worthwhile. It might be interesting to study the viewing figures for 'Stormont Today' among insomniacs and burglars.”
“I thank the Minister for his reply. Given the historical delays involved in all those processes, what is the timescale for the area plans to be completed? How will he and his Department encourage those deadlines to be met?”
“I assume that, because of the fact that the Minister for Infrastructure is a party colleague of the Finance Minister, party politics will no longer have any place in the allocation of funds. I hope that the system of funding to the Department for Infrastructure can be urgently addressed and I look forward to hearing the Minister's comments on that issue. <BR /> <BR />The constituents who send us here from every part of Northern Ireland to make a positive difference on basic issues want to see the roads and carriageways properly maintained in a planned and sensible way. It is time to take the politics out of road maintenance and put the money in instead. I support the motion.”
“Unfortunately, I was never able to win that argument around the Executive table. Indeed, it is a matter of regret to me that during my final period as Regional Development Minister, my Department was effectively starved of the financial resources it needed to provide a proper service for purely, in my view, cheap and sordid party political reasons. <BR /> <BR />Given that it is estimated that £130 million is required on an annual basis to simply maintain the existing road network in Northern Ireland, I was never in a position in my latter years in the Department to meet the needs not only of the road construction industry but the population of the country, who could not understand why such a basic demand was unmet by the then Executive. I genuinely hope that this issue can be fully and finally sorted out by this new Executive.”
“Not only was it poor logic economically, it made it virtually impossible for any of the contractors involved to properly plan the work involved in winter months, having been forced to lay off experienced staff and workers earlier in the year because of the lack of contracts. <BR /> <BR />It is also worth stating that financial allocations made at the earliest point available, at the start of any financial year, would allow those in charge to properly plan the structural maintenance required in a managed way, leading to better value for the hard-pressed and long-suffering taxpayers as well as properly supporting the important road construction industry and the associated businesses, many of them small, indigenous firms providing employment opportunities to our constituents.”
“Structural maintenance and road maintenance generally have been amongst the Cinderella issues kept fairly low down the list of priorities of past Executives, certainly in proper financial planning. The situation that I inherited in my time at DRD, which had evolved over previous mandates, was one in which the funding of structural and routine maintenance was largely dependent on allocations made through the monitoring rounds in June, October and January annually, with most available in the final monitoring round. Clearly, that left the Department at a huge disadvantage.”
“I am pleased to contribute to this important debate, not least because of a more than passing interest in the matter when I spent time in the former Department for Regional Development. I still have the marks to prove it. <BR /> <BR />On my behalf and that of my party, I am happy to indicate broad support for the motion and the amendment. I want to assure the Minister that, although my party no longer takes its place on the Executive, we want, as members of the Opposition, to contribute positively on important issues. I hope that, in today's debate, he will find something useful in the contributions of non-Executive parties, especially contributions from the Ulster Unionist Benches.”
“Surely, any responsible Minister in any responsible Executive should at least look at the option to include private management of the airport so that jobs can be protected in what is an essential subregional airport?”
“I join others in pressing the Minister on the issue of improved broadband provision, particularly in all areas of the Newry and Armagh constituency. The Minister will be aware that I had some correspondence with him on this issue recently. Can we have an undertaking from the Minister that every possible effort will be made to investigate means by which constituents in Cladymilltown and areas of Bessbrook and Newtownhamilton can have greater access to broadband? It is having an impact on not only communities but local businesses.”
“I thank the Minister for his statement. I warmly commend to the Minister the vision document launched this very day by the Ulster Unionist Party on our vision for Northern Ireland outside of the EU, and I hope he will give it careful assessment. Mindful of the concerns of many groups in my constituency of Newry and Armagh who have in the past availed themselves of EU grants and assistance, and of the very tight deadlines surrounding the Chancellor's autumn statement, will the Minister undertake to meet me and representatives of the east border region to provide guidance and reassurance around funding allocations and opportunities?”
“Will the Member confirm that he is now completely reconciled with Lord Trimble?”
“I welcome the Minister's statement. Whilst the allocations to the Department for Infrastructure are welcome, will the Minister take steps to address the stop-start nature of funding to address road repairs and defects in structural maintenance? Will he undertake to put in place proper financial planning and a proper system to ensure that adequate funds are allocated at the earliest point so that contractors and the road construction industry can properly plan and road maintenance is no longer treated as a political Cinderella?”
“In originally looking at the reduction in the number of Departments, the idea had been for the Executive Office to move to a coordinating role, rather than one of service delivery. Can I ask the Minister this: what changed?”
“However, will the Minister join me in expressing utter contempt for the reported celebrations by dissident republican prisoners in Maghaberry prison following news of the death of prison officer Ismay? Will he agree with me that such actions are entirely despicable?”
“On behalf of the Ulster Unionist Party, I join the Minister and the entire House in expressing profound sadness at the death earlier today of prison officer Mr Adrian Ismay. I express sympathy to his wife, his family and his colleagues on his tragic and untimely death. <BR /> <BR />It is more than a little ironic that the final plenary of the mandate has been overshadowed by events outside the House today. Regardless of the House, the lives of the Ismay family have been changed utterly and for ever. Those responsible for the planting of the under-vehicle device 11 days ago bear a very heavy responsibility for the death of Mr Ismay. <BR /> <BR />I am mindful that this is an occasion to express our heartfelt sympathy to his wife and family and not to engage in political discourse.”
“<BR /> <BR />I hope that the perception of Stormont can be improved as a result of what is being put in place this evening. This place is often characterised by lack of delivery and stalemate, but I hope that the message coming out that parties will be able to take up position in official opposition will not just revitalise the Assembly but, potentially, start to turn the tide of public apathy. <BR /> <BR />We now have two packages of measures. I am not sure whether any party in the House would have chosen them in the manner in which they have come, but, nevertheless, it is important to recognise that some progress has been made.”
“It is clear that the public want an official opposition in place to allow them the basic democratic right of being able to vote a party into government and reject them should they become dissatisfied. I am not sure that these amendments create all those conditions, but at least it is clear that some changes are being made, which can be welcomed. <BR /> <BR />The Ulster Unionist Party has also been clear that it is our preference that the official opposition structures would be better enshrined in primary legislation to secure them for the future. It is unfortunate that that is not the case, and it is being done instead through Standing Orders. It is vital that the rights of the opposition are protected into the future, and setting out entitlements in legislation would have been the better way to do that.”
“I am conscious that there is but one sleep until the final plenary sitting of this mandate. It is exciting, isn't it? In respect of the motions to amend Standing Orders, the Ulster Unionist Party has long supported the concept of an official opposition. After years of arguing and lobbying for that, with seemingly little success, we now have two proposals on the table: the changes to Standing Orders stemming from a combination of the Stormont House and Fresh Start Agreements, and John McCallister's private Member's Bill. <BR /> <BR />We should always seek to improve these institutions and make sure that they are fit for purpose and fit to serve our society.”
“On a point of order, Mr Deputy Speaker. It will not have escaped your notice that we are inquorate.”
“I thank the Minister for his response. Can he outline any possible options open to Mr Worton in pursuit of his very justified campaign for justice?”
“Does the Minister agree, following the recent attempted murder of a prison officer in east Belfast, that such fears by prison officers and staff are well founded?”
“At the latter stage of his contribution, Mr Maginness paid tribute to you, Mr Deputy Speaker. I add my personal tribute to you for the service that you have rendered to the House not only as a Deputy Speaker but as a very wise and valued Member.”
“My party and I have not always agreed with the Minister of Justice in aspects of the application of his policies and so on, but I acknowledge and have witnessed at first hand round the Executive table and through the Committee the hard work and dedication with which Mr Ford has applied himself. It is a challenging Department, undoubtedly, and it is subject to what Harold Macmillan would have described as "Events, dear boy", which adds to the challenge. I wish Mr Ford well in whatever career path he chooses, as a Member of this House or perhaps in other places. I will leave that hanging there. <BR /> <BR />All in all, progress has been made, but I do not underestimate the challenge for the new Justice Minister and the scrutiny Committee in the new mandate. I hope very much that positive outcomes can be applied.”
“2) Bill. I was a late arrival to this mandate's Justice Committee, but I enjoyed my period of service there. I found it to be a very constructive and hard-working Committee. I pay tribute to the Chair and members for that being the case. We have achieved positive outcomes, even in the Justice (No. 2) Bill. <BR /> <BR />I do not want to spend too much time on the political love-in that we are engaging in, but I wish to pay tribute to those members of the Committee who have indicated that they are not standing again. I wish them well. The Minister has indicated that he will not seek nomination as Justice Minister in any new mandate.”
“We can welcome the fact that the position of ombudsman is now on a statutory footing. I also welcome the fact that penalties for cases of animal cruelty have been increased. I hope very much that whoever was responsible for the disgraceful and despicable attack on the kitten in the Hillsborough area last week will face the full rigour of the law and be subject to increased sanction and penalty as a result of this legislation. <BR /> <BR />The action that has been taken on revenge porn is welcome. That is in the public interest, as is greater protection for the ambulance workers and medics who provide such an essential service to our community but are subject to attacks by people who ought to know better and ought and deserve to be punished if they are not prepared to learn lessons. <BR /> <BR />Progress has been made with the Justice (No.”
“There is still work to be done on the overall issue of the regulation of financial penalties and tougher sentences for those who refuse to pay fines. We have to find better ways of dealing with the non-payment of fines in cases relating to TV licensing, for instance, and others, rather than the current option of sending people to jail and the ensuing criminal records and considerable costs involved. That, clearly, will be a matter for the new mandate. I know that progress has been made, particularly for TV licensing.”
“I want to join with others and give a broad welcome to the fact that the Justice (No. 2) Bill is in its Final Stage today and will shortly pass through the House. For the 61 clauses and the 5 schedules, I think progress has been made.”
“Thank you, Mr Speaker, for allowing my question. I welcome the broad thrust of the Minister's statement. The Minister may know that, at evidence sessions in the Justice Committee, some concern was expressed about the position of looked-after children. Would the Minister care to comment on issues around that and how they can be best addressed?”
“I am grateful to the Minister for giving way. He will be aware of the report in today's 'Belfast Telegraph' about the high number of cases involving imprisonment for unpaid TV licence fines. Is there any way that a more innovative approach can be taken, rather than putting people in prison for such offences? Can any effort be made to address that situation?”
“— not least because it is in my constituency? It could house something of that nature. <BR /> <BR />The Committee recommends that a commitment be in the next Programme for Government. There is an opportunity, which I hope all parties will take, to engage seriously on how we can improve the criminal justice system in conjunction with other Departments and agencies through that discussion for a Programme for Government.”
“<BR /> <BR />The Minister recently announced the rationalisation of the court estate, and whilst that is regrettable and many of us were critical and remain critical of that, there is perhaps an opportunity to think creatively about alternative uses for buildings once they cease to be fully functioning courthouses, perhaps even including transformation into community justice centres. May I suggest Armagh —”
“Of course, there needs to be the opportunity to foster public confidence in the criminal justice system, so that people know that it is not a soft option and that sanctions are employed if people engage in repeat offending and do not take on board the lessons of the programmes that are offered to them. <BR /> <BR />It is my view and, I think, the view of the Committee that the underlying problems and root causes of offending behaviour in a range of areas, such as alcohol and drug addiction, must be tackled if reoffending rates are to be addressed, and so there is merit in exploring the introduction of problem-solving justice in Northern Ireland, particularly against a backdrop of increased budgetary pressure in the public sector.”
“There is a need for a holistic approach, which may go beyond treating the immediate need and into other areas, including housing. There is also the importance of being able to engage immediately with a treatment order and the ability to go straight from court to the first relevant appointment. <BR /> <BR />Those are sensible and, in many ways, common-sense approaches that I think should be considered urgently in the new mandate by whoever becomes the Minister of Justice. There is also an important judicial role to select members of the judiciary who understand the value and benefits of problem-solving courts.”
“I know that the report, in large measure, details the outcome of those visits with recommendations, but it is important to read those into the record of the proceedings of the House through this debate. <BR /> <BR />Consistent themes that emerged from those visits and from the seminar by the Centre for Justice Innovation included the requirement for significant upfront investment, and that is mitigated through positive outcomes and reduced costs in other areas of the criminal justice system. Of course, there are additional benefits to health. There are the benefits of a multidisciplinary health and justice collaborative approach, which, I think, needs to be truly integrated in terms of treatment and sharing information.”