Doug Beattie
Upper Bann · Ulster Unionist Party · Northern Ireland
“I absolutely accept what the Minister said earlier, which is that she would not have been able to get such a Bill out of the Executive. That is the sentence that you would have heard from me, Minister, had you waited a minute. I absolutely accept that that is the case, and I think that we all do.”
“Just a minute. Minister, I guess that I disagree with you, because I too did my work. I accept that I do not have the resources that you and your Department have, but I sat with the Public Prosecution Service and talked through this very thing, and it said that it was workable.”
“The Director of Public Prosecutions would look at the seriousness of the offence — death by dangerous driving, risk of harm to the public, serial arson, assault, sexual behaviour that is a danger to the public — and he would also look at the best interests of the child, because we have not got away from diversionary measures here.”
“Had James Bulger been murdered by two nine-year-olds, we would probably be having a discussion about the minimum age of criminal responsibility being nine, such was the anger in 1993 when that horrendous crime took place. All the ages are arbitrary, and we need to deal with that.”
“That raises the minimum age of criminal responsibility from 10 to 12. It is not what some people, who want it to be 14, want; it is not what others, who want it to stay at 10, want; but I believe that 12 is right. Why do I presume that a child can commit a criminal offence at 12 years of age?”
“In essence, however, that amendment would raise the minimum age of criminal responsibility from 10 to 14, apart from in the case of the offences in that closed list. It has been said many times, and I will not repeat what has been said, but the closed list does not make sense to me either.”
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“Anyone who believes that we have a fit-for-purpose delivery mechanism is kidding themselves and the people of Northern Ireland. <BR /> <BR />What is the Finance Minister proposing? We know that he proposes not the mutualisation of Northern Ireland Water but the creation of a developer tax on new homes and properties that will ultimately see the extra costs passed on to buyers. There is no review of student funding, even though universities are haemorrhaging staff and students. There is no innovative funding model for the York Street interchange and no creation of an infrastructure bond, selling the long-term prosperity of Northern Ireland to overseas wealth funds. There is no substantial revision of the rating system. If he is proposing any of that, he is not keeping us informed.”
“Think of how much of the close to £1 billion spent on IT systems, consultancy fees and the creation of border posts could have been better allocated to health transformation or even to paying for much-needed police recruitment. <BR /> <BR />To be honest, I do not think that anyone here really believes that we have a public service that is fit for purpose. Chasing an overspend of £1·3 million with forensic accountants while ignoring and deflecting the £3·5 billion overspend on capital projects is more than indicative of a lack of any critical thinking. A fundamental, independent review of how we spend our existing money, coupled with the transformation of those who deliver it — the Civil Service — is now a prerequisite.”
“Thank you, Mr Speaker. It is certainly a swayed comparison — the Member is absolutely right — but we still have to look at the issue and at the measures that we can implement but are not implementing. I will touch on those in a moment. <BR /> <BR />We have to ask whether our public services are efficient. How is it that we are incapable of public procurement? How is it that we have spent multiple millions on the A5 with not one square metre of tarmac laid? How is it that building construction has basically come to a halt because of inadequate water infrastructure. How is it that our Economy Department has had its accounts disclaimed? Equally, because it is an Opposition motion, I ask this: what costs of rigorous implementation are being accrued?”
“It is easy to blame that wholly on the austerity measures from Whitehall, which have been significant, but it also has to be recognised that, on average, Northern Ireland citizens pay approximately £400 less in all forms of revenue raising than those in the rest of the United Kingdom. For comparison, the figure for the Republic of Ireland is substantially more, with a comparative shortfall of nearly €1,000. The details of that are laid out in the excellent work by the Fiscal Commission. <BR /> <BR />We cannot keep going back to London to demand more money when we have not put our house in order. We certainly have not done that, which, in many cases, is due to the fact that we have not had continuity of government.”
“I am standing in for our finance spokesperson, Steve Aiken, who is happily going through a bit of post-surgery recovery at the moment. I am sure that he would be slightly more colourful on the subject than I am likely to be. <BR /> <BR />The Fiscal Commission and the Fiscal Council have made suggestions about closing the funding black hole between Northern Ireland and the rest of our nation. We welcome the changes in the required level-of-need funding and the fiscal settlement to close the gap in funding here created by the suspension of Stormont. It is clear that we are still looking at a significant shortfall in the years to come. We analysed the shortfalls over the past decades, and, historically, we have consistently missed out on pressures by about £0·5 billion per annum.”
“We are in a difficult place now, and what we need is for the Equality Commission to speak to our Executive and for Ministers to lay out what we are going to do. We need cool heads, but, at the end of the day, this is about women's rights.”
“The statement gives the same guidance for schools. It goes on to state:”
“We now need clear, detailed guidance from the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland. I will quote the Equality and Human Rights Commission's interim guidance, because I got lambasted for using these terms in a previous debate:”
“Sex means natal sex or sex at birth, and a gender recognition certificate does not change that. The trans community remains a protected group under the Gender Recognition Act 2004 and equality legislation in Northern Ireland, so those in that community have their protections. The Supreme Court ruling was not about them. Of course, it has an effect, but the ruling was about women's rights. Although the Equality Act 2010 does not apply to Northern Ireland, the Supreme Court does, and its findings have an effect here. The Equality Commission said:”
“Women who want their own spaces, sports, groups, refuges, hospital wards or toilets should never be viewed as controversial. It is not controversial for a woman to ask for private care from somebody of the same sex — meaning biological sex — or, if they fall foul of the law, to have an intimate search conducted by someone of the same biological sex and with only a person of the same sex present. Indeed, women police and prison officers should not be forced to conduct intimate searches of a biological male purely because that individual has a gender recognition certificate. This is about privacy, safety and dignity, but, above all, it is about women's rights. <BR /> <BR />The Supreme Court ruling was clear as far as the Equality Act 2010 is concerned.”
“I thank the Minister. What he laid out is encouraging. The Minister knows that dealing with bereavement is key to supporting victims and survivors, be that Sean Brown's family, Patsy Gillespie's family or Mary Hull, whom you, Minister, know very well. Are there any specialist bereavement services part of the Regional Trauma Network? Would the Minister support a bereavement payment scheme?”
“The Minister will know that concerns have been raised with the Information Commissioner's Office about the break-in at Dundonald House by those who feel that personnel files kept there were not secure. Will the Minister outline the processes for accounting for all personnel files, be they of prison officers or anybody else from the Civil Service, particularly when in transit between your Department and the Department of Justice?”
“The Minister makes a really good point. We call them the Black Paths. The Minister will know where we are talking about. If people were to use the Black Paths a lot more, by walking, cycling or whatever, the Minister is absolutely right to say that that would alleviate an awful lot of the problems. One of the real issues, however, is that the Black Paths are not maintained to the level at which they need to be maintained. At night-time and at other peak times, people are therefore scared to use them.”
“You gave way; I thought that you had finished. You painted a really good picture of what it is like beyond the immediate area of Craigavon Area Hospital. You raised some really good points, but here is a fundamental one: even if you have shuttle buses to put people on that are well timed and easy to access, they still could not get to the hospital quickly because they would be caught up in the same immediate gridlock in and around the hospital.”
“Sorry: were you finished, or did you give way?”
“This is why it is a really important discussion. What Mr Buckley said, and what you are saying, is that, in many ways, because the traffic is so bad, we are displacing it elsewhere. If you go on to the Bluestone Road first thing in the morning, for example, you will see motorists shooting along that road and heading past Bocombra Primary School. Traffic is already being displaced because of that central problem. How do you fix that, given that people are so settled in the way that you have described? It is right that we speak to them, but we need to do something to ensure that, at least, ambulances and other emergency services vehicles can get to the hospital.”
“The Member has raised an important point. One of the main roads that could help to bypass the problem is the Northway. The Northway leads onto the M12 and then the M1; it is a major access point. Yet, if there is a car accident on the road, the whole network pretty much falls apart from Portadown to Craigavon and further afield.”
“I say that with the full understanding that we need to engage with the residents, because the residents of that area have changed. There are people who have bought houses there without knowing about the original proposals. We may have to revisit that. <BR /> <BR />Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker, Minister and all the Members who have turned up to talk about an important issue for many people in that area.”
“It is a huge issue for anybody who has to go to the hospital, possibly in an emergency; anyone who has to transit from Lurgan to Portadown and use that road, because it cannot be avoided, to go to the Southern Regional College (SRC) campus; and pupils of Craigavon Senior High School who now have to go to the Portadown campus because the Lurgan campus was closed, which has increased the traffic further. <BR /> <BR />I apologise because it is difficult to explain the challenges. I invite the Minister — it is a genuine invitation — to come down and look at the network around the hospital. That might help her Department to free up the funds to get the traffic alleviation scheme in place so that the rear entrance to Craigavon Area Hospital can be used.”
“Lisnisky Lane is no longer fit to cope with the level of traffic that is using it. <BR /> <BR />Craigavon has the largest active travel network, from Newry canal to Lough Neagh and Lurgan, yet the number of cars in the area is increasing due to the number of people who are coming to use the hospital and the change in the hospital network. That is becoming a genuine issue, not just for the people who live there, of whom I am one, although that is not why I brought the topic to the Chamber.”
“<BR /> <BR />If you look at the other side, at the wonderful road that has now been reopened that goes from the Kernan roundabout and heads past the Kernan cemetery, you see that it is being used as a rat run in the way that you mentioned. The speed of the traffic going down that road now is pretty bad. The problem is, of course, that the roundabout stops you getting onto that road. I agree with the Member that there has to be consultation at every level. <BR /> <BR />We all know about Lisnisky Lane, which goes up the back of Craigavon Area Hospital. It was resurfaced a number of years ago. The resurfacing was only temporary because the Department was going to put in that new infrastructure, which has now been delayed well beyond what we thought it would be. That temporary resurfacing on Lisnisky Lane is starting to crumble and degrade.”
“I thank the Member for that really important point. I will try to explain the problem as best I can. I think that the residents that you are talking about include those of Bracken and Lisnisky Crescent. The plan was always for a road to go through those two estates, heading down to the A27 and into the back of the hospital. That was always going to be the case. However, we are so far down the road now that, in the minds of people who have moved into the area, that would be an impingement for which they were not prepared. We will get what could have been avoidable objections from an awful lot of people, so we will have to go into a series of consultations with people. You are absolutely right.”
“There was meant to be a traffic alleviation scheme. The original design would have seen a road junction joining the Bracken and Lisnisky Crescent estates, leading down to the A27, while making the rear entry to the hospital accessible. I think that the Minister knows that those plans are sitting on a shelf in her Department awaiting funding, but they have been stalled.”
“Therefore, a huge flow of traffic already heads into what is quite a small road network around the hospital, creating a high volume of traffic at key times of the day, with high levels of traffic coming in from Mandeville Road, Seagoe Road, Lurgan Road, Killycomain Road and Kernan Road. <BR /> <BR />For the Minister, those are probably just the names of roads that mean nothing. It means, however, that every single access road heading to the hospital is gridlocked at some time of the day. Normally, that is first thing in the morning as kids are heading to school, but there are problems later in the day and during hospital visiting hours.”
“They are with the Department of Education, because that move has been delayed and we do not now know when it will take place. We thought that it was going to take place in this or the next financial year. That is not likely to be the case, but the plan is still for the school to move on to Mandeville Road, which will create more traffic going into the school. Indeed, an issue was raised by a DUP colleague at the council, I think, about a flooding risk that comes from the school on to Kernan playing fields. <BR /> <BR />We have six schools in the vicinity of Craigavon Area Hospital. Those are Southern Regional College; Craigavon Senior High School; Bocombra Primary School; Seagoe Primary School; Portadown Integrated Nursery and Primary School; and Killicomaine Junior High School.”
“We just have to deal with the gridlock, which is set to get worse, because more housing developments are going up in the area. <BR /> <BR />I can stand here with others, and we can say, "We need housing". Of course we need housing, and we are in support of housing, social housing and creating space for people, but we need to make sure that the infrastructure can match the housing that is going up. With housing being built, however, there are more cars, more children going to school and, invariably, more gridlock around the hospital. <BR /> <BR />We have Portadown Integrated Nursery and Primary School being moved from Seagoe Road on to Mandeville Road. There are issues with that move, I have to say, but they are not infrastructure issues.”
“<BR /> <BR />The road leading from the Rushmere Shopping Centre in Craigavon towards the hospital, which is Mandeville Road, goes from a dual carriageway to a single carriageway just as it enters a major housing area at the Kernan roundabout. It is difficult for me to paint a picture of it, but we are talking about a busy dual carriageway that hits a roundabout at Kernan no more than, I would say, 600 metres from the roundabout at the hospital, when it suddenly turns into a single carriageway. That, invariably, creates a serious bottleneck. I know that it creates a serious bottleneck, because I happen to live in that neck of the woods and I cannot get out in the mornings because of the traffic. There is no way of changing that single carriageway into a dual carriageway.”
“Now we have real concern that the road infrastructure around the hospital is not fit for purpose and could inhibit accessibility to the hospital in an emergency. <BR /> <BR />At certain times of the day in that neck of the woods, with traffic coming from all directions to the roundabout at Craigavon Area Hospital, there is gridlock, and I am fearful that, at times, ambulances are not able to get through. It really is an emergency, and it compromises our ability to get people to the hospital quickly. I will lay out a few issues, and I am sure that my fellow MLAs from Upper Bann and those who are not from Upper Bann may be able to add more.”
“Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. I will certainly not take 15 minutes. I hope that this can be a debate in which we interact with one another about a particular issue at Craigavon Area Hospital. I start by thanking the Minister for Infrastructure for coming along to be part of the debate. My aim is to highlight genuine infrastructure issues and concerns near the hospital. <BR /> <BR />As we all know, Craigavon Area Hospital is a major site in our acute hospital network, serving more than 241,000 people. Since it was built in 1972, there have been major changes and developments — I am talking mostly about housing developments and changes to the schooling system — and the road network has not kept up with those.”
“I thank the Minister for his answer. This is a consumer and ethical question, because many consumers would not be happy if they were consuming meat that was slaughtered through halal practices, yet, in Northern Ireland, there is no legal requirement to specifically label meat as halal or even kosher. Will the Minister look into that with a view to changing it?”
“On funding as a whole, will the Minister outline the effects on sex offender monitoring and visits due to the insufficient resources for her Department?”
“The Ulster-Scots sector is not as developed as the Irish language sector, but, with support and recognition, we can help those who work hard to develop it. <BR /> <BR />An Irish language strategy is important, as is an Ulster-Scots strategy. They do not need to be mutually exclusive. Neither one should feel that the other is taking away from it; instead, they should feel complementary in what they are trying to achieve. I hope that all Members will support the amendment.”
“One of the reasons why I believe the amendment to be appropriate and necessary is that it puts into context the diverse cultural melting pot that we all belong to in part or in whole. It is a living expression of who we are, where we have come from and how we understand ourselves and one another. <BR /> <BR />In recent years, we have seen a remarkable resurgence of interest in Irish and Ulster Scots, particularly among young people. As we commend the Irish language sector, which we should, it is important that we equally commend the Ulster-Scots Agency for its tireless work in promoting and developing the use of Ulster Scots. Its hard work has ensured that Ulster Scots continues to thrive as an important part of Northern Ireland's shared cultural heritage.”
“We cannot forget the elite US 75th Ranger Regiment, which was formed from Rogers's Rangers, the leader being Robert Rogers, the son of Ulster-Scots settlers. His standing orders are still used by that regiment. <BR /> <BR />Ulster Scots has a major influence on country, folk and bluegrass music. It is music that tells a story with the use of highland and lowland pipes, fiddles and drums. Rhythmic poetry defines Ulster Scots, with poets such as Samuel Thomson, Francis Boyle, Sarah Leech and James Orr, a Presbyterian from County Antrim and one of the United Irishmen involved in the 1798 rising. He wrote in a similar vein to Robbie Burns about rural life and did so in vivid terms. <BR /> <BR />It is intriguing that we have so much crossover in culture and language in Northern Ireland and across the whole island of Ireland.”
“When I visited an Ulster-Scots Agency outreach programme near Londonderry, I heard about the rich cultural heritage, including music, poetry and film. 'Stories Frae the Loanen' is a series of six short educational films for kids to learn the language. Forged in Ulster's series of films is as varied as it is informative. Ulster Scots are key to what happens globally. Forged in Ulster's series shows how Ulster Scots shaped the most powerful country in the world: the United States of America. No fewer than 20 US presidents have Ulster-Scots heritage. It was an Ulster Scot, John Dunlap, from Strabane, who printed the first US Declaration of Independence. Another Ulster Scot — Charles Thomson from Maghera — helped to design the US Great Seal.”
“Thank you, Deputy Speaker. The Ulster Unionist Party believes that the Irish and Ulster-Scots languages and cultures should be respected, promoted, funded and cherished. They are as much ours as they are anyone else's. I remember attending a Turas awards event with Linda Ervine a while back and handing out awards to people who had achieved various levels in speaking the Irish language. It was a genuinely warm event that felt inclusive. The people receiving awards, who were not put off by my poor attempts at speaking Irish, really looked happy with their achievements. <BR /> <BR />The amendment is about adding an Ulster-Scots element to the motion. I hope that the Assembly will support it. It acknowledges, celebrates and advances the historical, cultural and social importance of Ulster Scots in Northern Ireland alongside Irish.”
“That might just be my clumsy words. The point that I am making is that, by not having an inquiry down South, we cannot compel people from south of the border to give evidence. I am outlining the problem, and that is the solution that —.”
“The Irish Government have failed, at every level, to do anything for the victims or anything to address that state's role in the Troubles. I think that they have sanitised themselves away from this such that they think that the Irish state did not have a role in the Troubles. Well, it did, and the Irish Government need to take responsibility for and ownership of that. They need to stop just being critical of everybody else and start looking inwards to themselves. Lastly, it is a reminder. The Omagh bomb victims deserve answers. They deserve the truth, as do the thousands of victims right across these islands, and the Irish Government must step up to help provide that information.”
“<BR /> <BR />The Irish Republic was used as a base to murder thousands of UK citizens, yet the Irish Government do not feel that it is right to set up their own legacy mechanisms. I do not get that. I do not know how anybody here can say that they should not set up legacy mechanisms. The reality, however, is that they have not and do not intend to. They intend to do what they have done to date, which is to have an MOU that says, "We will share information", albeit we have already seen that they do not share the information when it is required. <BR /> <BR />I will finish with three things. The UK Government have failed miserably in dealing with the legacy of our past. They have failed to show a backbone in holding the Irish Government to account for their territory being used to murder so many of our citizens.”
“I thank the Member for that question. It is a very real question. Here is the issue as I see it: imagine that the UK has its inquiry and comes out with a series of outcomes. Of course, those will be redacted for security reasons — that will always be the case. I would expect the Irish Government to do the same in a parallel process, come out with something that says, "Here's where we got it wrong". While we in the UK say that we could maybe have stopped it — I am surmising — maybe they could say, "Well, actually, if we'd done this, it might never have left our territory in the first place". If they are not willing to examine that, they have no way of knowing. There is no way of having a joint inquiry, because legislation would not allow that to happen. We all know that.”
“I am not dismissing the sacrifice of the Defence Forces or the gardaí personnel who gave their lives fighting terrorism, but let us face the fact that the territory of the Irish Republic was used as a base to murder thousands of UK citizens.”
“The last time that they did a commission of investigation into that, there were missing documents from an Garda Síochána, missing documents from the Defence Forces and missing documents from the Department of Justice. <BR /> <BR />The reality is simple: the Irish Government criticise much but deliver little. Even when some were hell-bent on the Stormont House Agreement, the Irish Government never saw fit to have a parallel process. When the Conservative Government brought forward legacy legislation, even though it was disastrous and nobody is standing over it, the Irish Government brought forward nothing. They have not brought forward anything on legacy, and we are letting them away with that. We are not holding them to account while they hold our feet to the fire.”
“Unless that legislation gives the Omagh Bombing inquiry the power to compel witnesses from the Irish Republic, including members of the gardaí and the Directorate of Military Intelligence, it is pointless. That simply is not going to happen, regardless of any memorandum of understanding. From our engagement with the Irish Government around the flawed Stormont House Agreement, we know that the gardaí and Irish military intelligence will redact information before an investigation, so why on earth do we think that an MOU will make any difference? Just look at the Dublin/Monaghan bombings: another despicable instance of bombing from our Troubles. That was on 17 May 1974, with 34 people killed and 300 injured.”
“The Dublin Government promised much to the Kingsmills families and delivered little, even though they said that they would bring in unprecedented legal measures to facilitate cooperation to deliver on their commitment. Compare that statement to the statement from the Irish Justice Minister just 10 days ago:”
“The timer power unit (TPU) was made in the Irish Republic. The IED was assembled and placed on board the car in the Irish Republic. The plan was made and rehearsed in the Irish Republic. The vehicle-borne IED left the Irish Republic, crossed into Northern Ireland and detonated, killing 29 people, before the bombers escaped back into the Irish Republic. <BR /> <BR />Yet, the Dublin Government do not feel the need to hold a public inquiry in parallel to the UK inquiry, or even a commission of investigation. They clearly do not take their commitment to victims seriously, and many victims do not trust their hollow words. They do not trust some weak memorandum of understanding on information-sharing. They have good reason not to trust them.”
“We can try, however, to give them truth and justice, and we can strive to give them accountability. I hope that the public inquiry is the start of that process. Could the bomb have been stopped? Could lives have been saved? Were there failings in the intelligence collation? Was there human error? The inquiry will aim to find that out. <BR /> <BR />What is absolutely clear is that terrorists placed a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device in Omagh town centre and 29 innocent people were killed and over 200 were injured. They were not in the wrong place at the wrong time. They were in the right place at the right time, and they were murdered for no reason and with no excuse. The vehicle that delivered the IED to Omagh on that fateful day was stolen in the Irish Republic. The explosives were sourced in the Irish Republic.”
“Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. Over the past month, we have watched and listened to victims, victims' families, police officers and people from the medical emergency services recount their stories of the harrowing and horrific bombing in Omagh on 15 August 1998. They have done so with clarity, courage, compassion, a sense of loss and a deep sadness. Those who have listened to the powerful commemorative hearings cannot be anything other than moved by their personal reflections. They have lost loved ones and lost life's rich opportunities. Many will live with the outcomes of that awful day for the rest of their days, physically and psychologically. No matter how many warm words we use now or in the future, we cannot give them back their murdered loved ones. We cannot erase the sights, the sounds and the smells of that day.”
“It is clear that, if action is not taken, organised crime groups such as the Firm, which is in my constituency, will exploit the lower classification of ketamine. The misunderstanding is that it is a safer drug, but it will create more victims. <BR /> <BR />As I said at the start of my contribution, we need to have the difficult conversation about our strategy for dealing with illegal drugs and about how we deal with addiction. However, taking into account how dealers use ketamine to exploit young people and mix it into drugs such as pink cocaine, I am absolutely in favour of ketamine being reclassified as a class A drug. <BR /> <BR />My respect and condolences are with Sandra Larmour today, as the tragic loss of her beautiful daughter, Jeni, reminds us all how fragile life is.”
“It targets the young, and ketamine is often found in it. Ketamine is licensed in the UK as an anaesthetic. It can be used for short-term pain relief, but it is not available on prescription. That legitimacy, combined with ketamine's status as a class B drug, gives everyone the impression that taking it or continuing to use it is safer, but it is not. Ketamine can suppress the nervous system, particularly when it is added to alcohol. That can be dangerous and even deadly. <BR /> <BR />Sadly, the majority of ketamine users are aged between 16 and 24. Drug dealers know that and deliberately target that age group. Earlier this year, a £6·4 million shipment of illegal drugs, including ketamine, was seized by the PSNI.”
“I acknowledge Sandra Larmour's dignity and her campaign to reclassify ketamine after the tragic loss of her daughter, Jeni. Many will argue that we must relook at how we deal with illegal drugs in our society and throughout the United Kingdom. I have some sympathy for that view and would gladly enter any discussion about it. Right now, we deal with illegal drugs through a criminal justice framework in combination with Health and Education. I am glad that the Justice Minister is here, but the responsibility does not sit just on her shoulders. We must support her and her Department. <BR /> <BR />It is clear that the Government now see a major issue with ketamine. In January this year, they sought legal advice on reclassifying ketamine as a class A substance, after illegal use reached record levels. Pink cocaine is a class A drug.”