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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“I realise that this is not a pretty picture after the aborted procurement last year. It is clear that the project cost was underestimated from the start, but there have been no cost overruns and no taxpayer money has been wasted. Members will no doubt ask why more problems have arisen on phase 2, when phase 1 was delivered on time and on budget. Translink started the process by combining both elements in one overarching design and build procurement. That appears to have been based on a template that is more relevant to a straightforward construction project than this project.”
“That is already in hand and will be supplemented by a further independent review of costs before the procurement. The revised appraisal will require DFP approval. Secondly, I will engage with Translink and look again at capital plans in my Department over the next two years to establish how the project will be funded.”
“Needless to say, I am very disappointed and let down by that. Translink has had custodianship of this key Programme for Government commitment and has singularly failed to discharge it effectively. Nevertheless, I remain committed to the project and to improving transport links between the two cities. <BR /> <BR />My priority now is to move to procurement. We are at an important point in the project. Translink must begin the procurement process for the signalling part of the project soon if we are to get close to the revised timetable of the end of 2016. As I said, I remain fully committed to the completion of phase 2. There are two pressing priorities to enable the signalling procurement to proceed. First, an updated economic appraisal must be produced to validate phase 2 remaining value for money.”
“One of the key review recommendations is a lessons-learned plan, to which I attach particular importance. I expect the Translink board to address that urgently and for the new group chief executive to grasp the issue. I will not tolerate anything like this happening again. I will also commission a review of how my Department assesses and reviews all major capital projects, not just those in Translink, and review reporting arrangements to me on particularly important projects. <BR /> <BR />The findings of the report disappoint me. Translink continued to plan using figures that were not based on fact. The original estimate was frankly little more than a guesstimate. Unfortunately, as a result of the review and the resolution of the issues arising, there may now be a further minor delay to the project.”
“<BR /> <BR />The review makes a number of recommendations on how to take the project forward, including an immediate engagement with the supplier market to generate interest; a further check on the cost estimate to inform a pre-tender estimate; applying a higher level of contingency to a cost estimate for an updated economic appraisal using guidance in use in the Department for Transport; and reviewing the content of the contract for the signalling element of the project to ensure that it is clear that contractor payments have an upper limit. <BR /> <BR />I have accepted the project assessment review and its recommendations. My officials have engaged with Translink to draw up an implementation action plan. Progress will be subject to a further external review in December before a decision is made to enter into a contract.”
“That remains an issue, and the review recommends that a further review of the latest cost estimate be undertaken. <BR /> <BR />Other key conclusions are that a figure of £40 million, including an appropriate level of contingency is more realistic for the overall project; that, although this is a significant project in Northern Ireland terms, it is relatively small in national terms and thus may not be seen as particularly attractive by suppliers; and that, based on the information provided to the review team, the Translink decision not to proceed with the single bidder last year was justified.”
“The key conclusions are that the original cost projection was a high-level estimate not backed up by any detailed planning or design work, which Translink did not make clear at the time; that the original projection was underestimated at least partly due to failure to build in contingency at an appropriate level for a complex signalling project of this kind; and that relying on a single source of cost estimation, even if it is independent and specialist, in the original appraisal and currently, represents a potential vulnerability.”
“The detailed design work now suggests that overall costs could be of the order of £40 million. Translink made my Department aware of that development earlier this summer. Given the gravity of the issue, I immediately commissioned an external review of the project management and the updated cost estimate. The review was in the form of a project assessment review (PAR) commissioned through the Major Projects Authority of the Cabinet Office, which is a process normally reserved for projects seen as central to the UK economy, such as high-speed rail. <BR /> <BR />The review took place in mid-September, and a final report was presented to me at the end of September. Because the report deals with commercially sensitive information, I do not intend to make it available at this stage.”
“Translink took the decision last summer to abandon the planned combined design-and-build procurement and to start again. That meant that the project would be delayed for around one year. At that time, I made clear my disappointment with Translink, specifically at the way that the decision was communicated and its impact upon the timetable for the project. Therefore, I mandated Translink to make the delivery of the project an absolute priority going forward. On top of that, Translink took the procurement forward on the basis of a separated design-and-build approach for the signalling works. <BR /> <BR />However, in the light of this detailed design work, it has become clear that the projected cost of between £20 million and £22 million for phase 2, prepared by Translink in September 2011, was a gross underestimate.”
“Phase 2 involves the completion of resignalling works and the construction of a new passing loop. Progress on that phase is the key focus of the statement. The passing loop creates the infrastructure for a more frequent hourly service. Phase 3 involves a full relay of the middle sections of the track between Coleraine and Londonderry and the potential introduction of a half-hourly train service. <BR /> <BR />There are always risks attached to major capital projects, including procurement risks. I referred to that previously, in my statement in 2011. Whereas phase 1 has been delivered smoothly, on time and within budget, that has not been the case with phase 2. In September 2013, I explained in response to a question for oral answer that Translink had encountered difficulties in connection with the procurement on phase 2.”
“Thank you, Mr Principal Deputy Speaker. With your permission, I wish to make a statement on the Londonderry to Coleraine rail track, specifically phase 2 of the project. I set out in a previous statement on 10 October 2011 my continuing support for the key Programme for Government commitment to improve the rail link between the two main cities in Northern Ireland. Phase 2 is one part of that. <BR /> <BR />Members will recall that this key project is being taken forward in three phases. Phase 1 involved the relaying of the end sections of the rail line at Coleraine and Londonderry, completing essential bridge works in those locations. That was completed in March 2013 within budget and ahead of time. That ensured that, having addressed the immediate safety concerns, Translink continued to run services in and out of Londonderry every week.”
“I beg to introduce the Off-street Parking (Functions of District Councils) Bill [NIA 40/11-16], which is a Bill to transfer to district councils certain functions in relation to off-street parking places; and for connected purposes.”
“I remember being at a St Patrick's Day White House reception, and Willie and I had sort of manoeuvred into a position close to the podium from which President Obama would address the gathering. Indeed, Willie engaged me as his personal photographer, in the hope that we might get a snap. In the end, we got close enough, and I managed to take a reasonable photograph— I tell the House that it is always advisable to have an alternative career — which Willie, I think, still hangs in his office or home. So, there was that side to him of being politically aware and able to use the situation to not only his advantage but to the advantage of the Assembly. <BR /> <BR />I thank him for his contribution, wish him well for a speedy recovery and a happy retirement, but I also hope that he makes a positive contribution in the House of Lords.”
“It is an honour and privilege to join others in paying tribute to Speaker Hay. William Hay has had a long and distinguished political career, especially in the north-west, in local government and in the House. I have no doubt that it will continue, hopefully, in the House of Lords. <BR /> <BR />It would be unwise for anyone to underestimate Willie Hay's political shrewdness and abilities as a political operator. It can honestly and fairly be said that he made a very positive contribution to public life in Northern Ireland, not least as Speaker. We heard about his outreach work. As a Member and a Minister, I found him to be fair, impartial and open-minded. He tried to encourage common sense in the Chamber, which is no mean feat. <BR /> <BR />He has also been a great ambassador for the Assembly and Northern Ireland, but he was canny.”
“I thank the Member for his question. I have made it clear to the Regional Development Committee that I plan to use any revenue generated from those who commit moving traffic offences and to reinvest it to support audiovisual systems. I hope very much that the Regional Development Committee will support me in that as we move forward. The provision of audiovisual services on buses will not only benefit the blind or partially sighted, it will be of use to visitors and tourists. I see it as a real enhancement to our public transport system, and it will help many passengers in the years to come.”
“Perhaps if that is more interesting, I could listen, too. <BR /> <BR />Anyway, I am proud to be the Minister delivering that important investment in public transport and in supporting those who are blind and partially sighted.”
“I am grateful to the Member for his question. Indeed, it is timely because, just yesterday, in the Long Gallery and at the front of Parliament Buildings, we were able to join with others to celebrate 30 years of Guide Dogs NI. It was a real delight for me to share in that and to witness at first hand the work of the association. I know that the Member has been closely identified with that, as other Members have. On that occasion, I was also pleased to be able to announce that my Department will progress audiovisual services on our Metro bus services. It is hugely important that we make public transport available and accessible to as many people as possible. It is important for positive health benefits and for the reduction of social exclusion. I am proud to be the Minister delivering that important investment in public transport.”
“I am grateful to the Member for his supplementary question. I could not sustain and could not advocate with due conscience any cuts that would savage the winter service programme or, indeed, affect the concessionary fares scheme. Therefore, I am very happy to signal, as a member of the Executive, that they are red-line issues as far as I am concerned.”
“I do not take any pleasure in having to take those tough decisions, but I have done so in the full knowledge of the potential implications. Let me make it absolutely clear again: I bid for an additional £48 million in resource funding in June, and that funding could have been properly spent in my Department this year. I received less than the shortfall on concessionary fares, and, I have to say, Departments headed by Sinn Féin and DUP Ministers did much better than that.”
“I am grateful to the Member for his question. In June monitoring, Executive Ministers, excluding the Health Minister and the Education Minister, were asked to make reductions of 2·1% and 2·3% this year to provide more money for health, to cover the cost of the non-implementation of welfare reform and to patch over poor financial management at the centre of the Executive. The failure to give notice of cuts or to allow them to be planned for over a four-year period has made those cuts deeper than they otherwise might have been and has meant that areas that could otherwise have been protected are now at risk. That has meant, as I have said in answers, that I have had to pause the issuing of work to external contractors, and that has impacted on street light repairs, gully emptying and grass cutting.”
“That is why it is important that we maintained the budget of NI Water going forward so that it can provide and improve the facilities, not only drinking water but waste water facilities, so that we can alleviate the risk of flooding.”
“I am grateful to the Member for her supplementary question. Of course, it is an important consideration that, while new waste water treatment works improve the services that are provided on waste and sewage, water supply and all of that, they alleviate but do not completely eradicate the risk of flooding. The Member, I think, will be conscious of that. Nevertheless, I do, of course, sympathise with anyone whose home has been impacted as a consequence of internal flooding. I would not wish that in my house, and I certainly would not want to see it imposed on others. That is why bringing forward schemes is important, not only in the Warrenpoint area but in other parts of Northern Ireland.”
“I am grateful to the Member for her question. There has been some correspondence through Assembly questions by her on this issue. Obviously, the new scheme that is in place will benefit local householders and local businesses. It is not yet clearly established that the cause of the flooding incident that took place recently in that area was solely the impact of the works that had been carried out. I am still waiting on final confirmation from that investigation, and I will, of course, make that available to the Member.”
“I am grateful to the Member. Clearly, all the fatalities on our roads represent real tragedies to the families involved, and we should never underestimate that. I extend my personal sympathy and that, I am sure, of the entire House to all those who, even in recent days, have lost loved ones as a result of road fatalities. Obviously, investigations take place into each accident or fatality and into the reasons and the causes, so it is not proper for me to comment on that. I think that it is essential that we provide the winter services that people look to and expect but also benefit from. Of course, a salted road does not absolutely mean and ensure that it will remain free from accident. So, it is also essential that due care and attention is taken by road users at every opportunity.”
“Certainly, it is my intention to protect winter services because I understand that, whilst there is no statutory obligation to provide them, they are important. The general public expect to see that winter services are provided to the maximum that they can be. That remains my position.”
“I am grateful to the Member for his question. It is timely. Of all the services that Transport NI and my Department provide, I think winter services are looked upon as essential. Certainly, this is a challenging budgetary period. Discussions are not yet concluded. He will know that the Executive are to have further discussions, even within the next 24 hours, and they will, presumably, be ongoing.”
“I have been made aware of some of the rumours. It is unfortunate that such rumours have emerged. Certainly, under my watch, I have no intention of changing the status. I do not see it in any way other than being a walkway and a cycling highway.”
“I am keen to ensure that the Comber greenway links more effectively from the area around Holywood arches to the city centre. That would include improved links into the Connswater community greenway in the vicinity of the Ballymacarrett walkway and improvements to the greenway at various points along its length.”
“I am grateful to the Member for his question. He doggedly pursues this issue; I know that he is also a keen cyclist. I also welcome his support for my vision of increasing the use of the bicycle throughout Northern Ireland. From his cycling experience, he knows, as will others, that the Comber greenway is one of the best pieces of cycling infrastructure that we have in Northern Ireland, and I am very keen to see it developed further. <BR /> <BR />The draft bicycle strategy picks up the theme of a comprehensive network for the bicycle and highlights the need to create a network of high-quality and direct joined-up routes. My cycling unit has started working on scoping out a bicycle network for the city of Belfast, and it will, undoubtedly, include the Comber greenway.”
“I thank the Member for his supplementary question. I cannot disagree with the sentiments that he expresses. It might well be that I will print the Hansard report of his supplementary question and direct it towards colleagues in the Executive, perhaps, even to his party colleague the Finance Minister, because I believe that the cuts and savings that have to be effected at this time have the potential to cost even more in the future. That does not make good economic sense. So, I welcome the sentiments that he has aired, and I hope that he will follow those through, even with his party colleagues.”
“<BR /> <BR />These have been difficult decisions to take, but they are necessary to try to protect areas such as winter service, where withdrawal of our work would have an even greater impact on the Northern Ireland economy and the public. I realise that these measures impact on contractors, road users and the public, but I have to make the best use of my Department's limited resources.”
“However, as they have only the resources to complete around three quarters of the total workload, they will not be able to provide the service that the public would expect in normal circumstances. In addition, I have been left with no funding to pay contractors for the repair of street lights that fail, unless they pose an electrical hazard to members of the public. Currently, 7,900 street lights are out across Northern Ireland and outages are rising at a rate of around 1,000 a week. My operations and maintenance staff are dealing with outages on a priority basis but they have only around one quarter of the resource required to provide normal service.”
“As you will be aware, following the announcement on June monitoring, my Department’s resource budgets that are used for the day-to-day maintenance of the road network have been cut. As a result, I have had no option other than to stop issuing new work instructions to our contractors, who currently undertake around one quarter of our essential work in the following areas: footway and carriageway patching, including potholes, grass cutting and environmental maintenance; gully emptying; road marking maintenance and renewal; and traffic sign maintenance and replacement. <BR /> <BR />As I said, my Department’s in-house operations and maintenance staff will endeavour to keep the road network in as safe a condition as possible.”
“Thank you for your question. I will resist the temptation to infer that you may have learned more about traditional routes and about not seeking to change them on a political, rather than a road-building, basis; we will not talk about that. We have been very careful to ensure that environmental issues have been dealt with. I am satisfied that they have been given proper consideration and that, perhaps, even the additional expense incurred as a result of such environmental changes was worthwhile and worth bearing with in terms of the overall benefits to the wider community.”
“I am grateful to the Member for his supplementary question. I congratulate him on his recent appointment as Chairperson of the Committee for Regional Development and I pay tribute to the former Chairperson, Mr Spratt. <BR /> <BR />I have to say, respectfully, that we are past the issue of the Ballynure bypass and the route chosen. Careful consideration was given to all those issues at the time, including through the public inquiry, and I am satisfied and optimistic that, when the scheme that we are bringing forward is completed, people will see and understand the full benefits.”
“Indeed, his father was a very strong advocate and supporter of this particular scheme. I see it as having huge potential, not just for the port of Larne but for the economic regeneration of, and better connectivity to, that area of Northern Ireland. I am sure that that will improve business opportunities and I am very hopeful that we can move forward on that basis and that it will improve the economic lot of the people who live and work there.”
“I am grateful to the Member for his supplementary question, and I pay tribute to him and the lobbying that he undertook to ensure that the scheme has finally been brought forward. It has been a long time in the making.”
“The £130 million,14-kilometre long A8 dualling scheme is 25 months through its 34-month programme. Construction is progressing very well and is approximately 75% complete. To date, approximately two million cubic metres of earthworks material has been excavated, including over 500,000 cubic metres of rock. The road-paving operation is continuing, with around 180,000 tons of material laid to date. All eight bridges along the route of the scheme are now substantially complete, and three of the eight structures are open to two-way traffic. It is expected that the new A8 dual carriageway will be open to traffic by the end of May 2015. Landscaping work will continue until December 2015.”
“I will not accept that I took soft-option decisions at the end of July. If the Member had been present for the earlier debate and had any knowledge of or interest in it, he would have heard a full and detailed explanation. Rather than the Member fulfilling his ongoing desire to fill the airwaves and social media with his views, it might pay him to listen a little more.”
“He seemed to have a serious issue understanding finances —”
“I am grateful to the Member. I respectfully say to him that I am not sure that he is in a position to lecture on economics, given his performance on 'The Stephen Nolan Show' yesterday.”
“All gullies in the area were cleaned as normal before the cuts were imposed, and I am hopeful that the area should remain fairly free of drainage problems in normal circumstances in the short term. My operations and maintenance staff will endeavour to prioritise gully-cleaning and dealing with known flooding area problems. We seek to prioritise those areas to ensure that they are protected as far as we can. If flooding does occur, operations and maintenance staff will be deployed, as resources permit, to deal with any problems that may arise across the county.”
“As the Member will be aware, to meet pressures in my Department's resource budget, I had to take difficult decisions to stop issuing new work instructions to external contractors for routine maintenance activities, including gully-emptying. In the Fermanagh area, gully-emptying on urban and main roads was carried out by an external contractor, with operations and maintenance staff providing the service on the minor road network. <BR /> <BR />Operations and maintenance staff will endeavour to fill the gap left by the unavailability of contractor resources. However, that will mean that service levels will be reduced to around three quarters of normal.”
“I am grateful to the Member for his question. Success has many authors; failure is an orphan. I assure him, and Members from other constituencies, that we are seeking to improve the overall infrastructure for the travelling public by upgrading stations, be they bus or rail stations. We have had some success in that. Members will remember Ballymoney and Antrim as examples of that. So, we continue to roll those forward. Some of it is largely dependent on finance. As I said earlier to his party colleague, we would be very pleased indeed to see you and your party put your money where your mouth is. I remind the Member that talk is cheap, but it takes money to buy whisky.”
“We got into trouble earlier with Kieran McCarthy, who objected that the Alliance Party had been overlooked on a previous occasion. <BR /> <BR />The issue of park-and-ride is an important one Province-wide, not just in the Banbridge or general upper Bann area. We are always looking at opportunities to improve those facilities, because we see the benefit to the travelling public of providing such facilities. If the Member has particular sites that she wants to pass on for us to investigate, I am happy to hear from her.”
“I am grateful to the Member for her encouragement to see the scheme brought successfully to a conclusion. Who knows, she may even get an invite to the sod cutting.”
“I am grateful to the Member for her supplementary question. I pay tribute to her for her doggedness in pursuing this. It is a very important issue, not only to the people in Banbridge, particularly those who use public transport, but to people in the wider area, given the important network that Banbridge serves in that part of Northern Ireland. The Member is right. I take considerable pride that, having listened to the representations made by Banbridge council and other representatives over the years, including herself, we are at last beginning to see progress. I am determined that we will continue with that. I hope very much that the Ulster Unionist Party will get the credit that it duly deserves.”
“Given that there is some uncertainty about the landowner's intentions, Translink has proactively discussed with Transport NI an alternative option to the potential use of nearly the full car park. It is my intention that work can begin on the project in 2015.”
“I thank the Member for her question. The design process was completed at the end of August 2014. To ensure that some off-street car parking was retained by Transport NI, Translink has been trying to acquire a small corner of land from an adjacent landowner. The negotiations for this piece of land are ongoing. The site is leased to a local well-known retailer but is privately owned. This necessitates Translink having to get agreement from the retailer and the owner. The retailer that leases the site has agreed to the layout supplied by Translink. <BR /> <BR />The current design plan is based upon the use of most of the car park at Kenlis Street — some 53 of the 74 available spaces.”
“I am grateful for the supplementary question that the Member has asked. Clearly, I have to be aware of the issue of health and safety. It is the paramount issue with regard to how we continue to protect people in both the work that we do and the way in which it is done. My operations and maintenance staff will endeavour to keep the road network in as safe a condition as possible, but they have only the resources to complete around three quarters of the total routine maintenance workload on roads. Again, in the case of street lighting outages, in-house staff can complete only a much smaller percentage of the overall workload. I consider that to be a serious issue, and I have asked my officials to seek formal legal advice on it.”