Kellie Armstrong
Strangford · Alliance Party · Northern Ireland
“I welcome the opportunity to speak in support of the Fisheries, Aquaculture and Water Environment Bill. It is timely and important. Miss McIlveen, a fellow MLA for the Strangford constituency, has just spoken.”
“<BR /> <BR />The Bill reflects the realities of the post-Brexit landscape by aligning protections here with those in other UK jurisdictions and the UK Fisheries Act. That consistency is important for standards, enforcement and international confidence in our products.”
“Last year, I met the Department and we discussed that. The opportunities for seaweed farming in Strangford lough are wonderful, and the opportunities from seaweed that Queen's University has identified are incredible. We are lucky to have those opportunities on our doorstep, as long as there is licensing and it is properly looked after.”
“Moving beyond managing individual fisheries, the Bill recognises the interconnected nature of our rivers, loughs and seas — an approach that is very much in line with Alliance's commitment to evidence-based environmental policy. The inclusion of a national benefit objective is also significant.”
“A while ago, we saw that commercial bottom trawling had all but decimated the horse mussel population in Strangford lough. It has since been changed to a special area of conservation. That limits a lot of activity in the lough, which is not a bad thing considering that horse mussels are coming back.”
“They allow for timely action on lower-level offences without over-burdening the courts while still acting as a meaningful deterrent. If only everybody were acting properly, we would not need to have those deterrents, but we are where we are, and the Bill hopes to improve upon that.”
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“There is a requirement in the Good Friday Agreement to consider ways forward. It is time that we think about the nature of that agreement, how that agreement has helped us so far and how we can use it moving forward. <BR /> <BR />My knowledge of this place has come from working with the Committee for Communities and the former Minister for Communities. I want to highlight one of the differences that we have in Northern Ireland, and it comes back to the Levelling Up Fund. In the last term of the previous working Assembly, we had a housing strategy agreed, and we were going to put out so many new house builds. We have not been able to do that, and, in fact, that strategy has not been met because we do not have enough money to build those houses.”
“Health has come up time and time again, and, whether it is domiciliary care or the waiting lists, it is time for us to resolve those issues. However, as the First Minister and deputy First Minister have mentioned, we can only do that if we have enough money to take forward transformation and reform. The £3·3 billion is a first-day help, but it will not take forward the sort of reform that Prime Minister Sunak is asking us to take forward. <BR /> <BR />Others have mentioned, as part of the key themes of today, reform of this place to ensure that we have a sustainable Government that is not going to collapse whereby we cannot change and move things forward because we are not in this place. It is time that we think about that and ask the other Governments to step in and help if we are not able to do it.”
“In doing that, we can support families and the community, and we can help people to be in employment, have their own money and not be so dependent on the Government.”
“A key theme that has been put forward today has been public-sector pay, and a number of Members have made it clear that, while £3·3 billion is a huge amount of money, it will give people public-sector pay security for one year: one year, not for ever. That is why we ask not for a ceiling on the ambitions of the fiscal responsibilities of Northern Ireland but for a fiscal floor that we do not go below. We do not need to put a cap on our people being supported and how their need will be met. As some Members mentioned, sporadic allocations are sticking-plaster amounts, and it is not enough. <BR /> <BR />Childcare has been mentioned often, and I am delighted because my party has worked hard on childcare, especially with Kate Nicholl MLA, to put children first.”
“We all know from being on Committees together in the past that working together and being critical and supportive of a Minister are some of the better ways of working, so thank you for that. My party will support the SDLP amendment because, while you have asked for a plan and a costing of that delivery, that is the natural step for what we will have going forward, particularly as we look towards a Budget. <BR /> <BR />Today, we have heard from many Members from across the House, and one thing that we can agree on is that everyone has a shared call for support from the Westminster Government to fund this place in a way that will meet need.”
“Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. I congratulate you on taking your role as Speaker. I look forward to working with you and the Deputy Speakers as we go forward for the remainder of the term. I also congratulate the Members who made their maiden speech. Working a maiden speech to the clock is difficult, so congratulations to Phillip Brett, Eóin Tennyson, Diane Forsythe, Danny Donnelly and Nuala McAllister. I chickened out of doing that and did my maiden speech during a debate on legislation where I was not timed. Well done for doing that today. <BR /> <BR />To the SDLP, thank you very much for your contribution today as Opposition. Constructive opposition is welcome.”
“On a point of order, Mr Acting Speaker. Hansard will record that the £600 will not, I said, be given out before Christmas. I offered that it would be possible for us to get £400 out before Christmas as an electric credit and £200 after Christmas. Hansard will be proof and fact of that.”
“Today I will vote for the proposed Speakers, because I want this place to get back to work. Today the DUP has a choice: elect a Speaker and let us all get on with helping constituents in Northern Ireland, or continue your boycott and leave constituents in the cold this winter.”
“Westminster did not intentionally delay the scheme. I put it to the House that the DUP dropped the ball. <BR /> <BR />I would love to see some payment in some format before Christmas. It is unacceptable for people in poverty here to have to wait until January while the rest of the UK is insulated from the worst effects of the crisis. Alliance wants to see Westminster proceed with electricity credits before Christmas and continue to work on a cashback option in parallel. That could look like providing the original £400 credit on bills pre Christmas, with a £200 cash-out option to follow as soon as possible. <BR /> <BR />I go out regularly across my constituency, surveying people and asking what their key issues are. The first thing that they tell us is, "Get the £600 out to households", and the second is, "Get the Executive back to work".”
“Mr Graham Stuart MP made it clear in the Commons that the energy issue is a devolved issue. He said:”
“Mr Acting Speaker, neither your constituents nor mine, nor any constituents in Northern Ireland, have received any part of the £600 energy support payment, because the DUP continues to use them as leverage in its political game with Westminster. It is clear that Westminster is in no rush to sort out the payment. Northern Ireland was never going to be able to opt into a GB energy payment scheme. It was always going to require a bespoke approach, because Northern Ireland has a different regulator, system and companies. Northern Ireland is more dependent on oil for home heating. Originally, the payment was supposed to come through the Barnett consequentials. I have no doubt that, if a local scheme had been progressed earlier this year, we would not be in this dreadful situation.”
“Thank you. <BR /> <BR />I shall continue with the piece in the 'News Letter':”
“yet, here we are, a House divided and constituents facing uncertainty over how they will pay for oil to heat their home. I say to each DUP Member — MLA colleagues in the House today — that now is not the time for division and uncertainty. End your boycott. Using fellow citizens as leverage is not working. Our health service is crumbling, and many health staff will be heading out on strike. Tackling the cost of living is being hampered, not helped, by the DUP's boycott. <BR /> <BR />In the 'News Letter', Niall Deeney reported on a statement made by the homeless sector this week as part of Homelessness Awareness Week. He wrote:”
“If we manage to elect a Speaker today and go on to elect an Executive, the subject of today's recall motion will be answered. We can all get back to work, put our collective force together and create a solution to enable the £600 energy support payment to go out to all households. Sadly, however, from what I have heard today and as a result of the use of cross-community voting in this place, I do not expect the DUP to end its boycott, and I expect every household in Northern Ireland to face a cold winter without the same level of help that is being provided to others across the UK. <BR /> <BR />The DUP's 2022 manifesto states:”
“On a point of order, Mr Acting Speaker. The Member has just referred to only unionists and nationalists in the House. Can you clarify whether those of us who are forced to be designated as others are also in attendance?”
“On a point of order, Mr Acting Speaker. Will you clarify whether today's vote on the Speaker is cross-community? In that vote, will the votes of those of us who designate as "Other" carry the same weight as those of everyone else?”
“On a point of order, Mr Acting Speaker. I want to raise the point that, in the House and through the code of conduct, we are all supposed to respect each other. Mr Allister has just tried to denigrate members of my party, who are designated as "Others" under the rules of the Good Friday Agreement, by calling us another name. I would like a ruling from the Speaker's Office on whether Members should respect each other's designations, whether "Unionist", "Nationalist" or"Other" and use that accordingly when speaking.”
“Thank you very much, Chris Lyttle MLA. It has been an absolute privilege and pleasure to work with you. I cannot wait to see what you achieve next.”
“<BR /> <BR />The Bill changes a few things that I will put on record. We have very good teacher training colleges in Northern Ireland. Those colleges can now prepare our student teachers to teach in any school in Northern Ireland. I look forward to their taking forward that challenge. There is an opportunity for young people, as Mr Weir said, to look to their teachers knowing that they reflect Northern Ireland and that they have the best person for the job standing at the front of the classroom. <BR /> <BR />In my final couple of sentences, all that I want to say is that, in Chris Lyttle, we have had a champion for children, a champion for disabilities, a champion for sports, including football, and a champion for learning disability . Now, in his final piece of work for the Assembly, we have a champion for teachers.”
“The Bill omits article 71 from the Order, and that means that schoolteachers are now protected by fair employment legislation. It also shows that private Members can make a difference. <BR /> <BR />This will be the last time that I speak in the House in this mandate. I say this to all those teachers: in 2024, when you are applying for jobs, it was Chris Lyttle who made sure that fair employment legislation will protect you. Chris is finishing off the Bill today, and he is finishing off his political career. Today has been wonderfully progressive. The legislation going through today — the cheers in the Great Hall were nice to hear throughout the Building — goes to show, as others have said, how positive this place can be. It is fitting that the whole day has been about private Members' Bills.”
“I thank the Bill sponsor not only for introducing the legislation but for getting it through to its Final Stage on the last day of the mandate. I, too, thank the Executive Office Committee, because, had it not been for its actions, I very much doubt that the Bill would have got this far. As Mr Stewart and Mr Sheehan said, when this place has a mind to get something done, it can get it done very effectively. <BR /> <BR />It is a matter of regret that we did not see the Executive Office bring through the Bill. For it to be introduced, it had to go through a private Member. As Mr Sheehan said, however, its timing was just right. There has been no fighting about it. There have been no concerns that one sector of our community was being discriminated against in the Bill.”
“<BR /> <BR />The Minister will be back on Thursday to talk about period products — thank you for taking that on, Minister — but this Bill is the final piece of legislation coming through the Communities Committee. It has been an absolute pleasure to work with you all on it. The Bill shows that the Department for Communities has the ability to provide support for people in crisis. This Bill is particularly for people who own their home; their interest will be paid. It has been an experience and a half, however, so thank you very much. I am happy to support the Final Stage. <BR /> <BR />Finally, I wish our Chair the very best in what she is taking on. Paula, I recognise completely the hard work that is coming towards you, but what is meant for you does not go past you. I will miss you.”
“As the Chair said, huge thanks also go to the Committee Clerk, Janice, to Sean, Antoinette, Rachel and Oliver, who served with us earlier in the mandate, and to Claire McCanny, who kept us all sane, explained things that we, as a Committee, were not 100% certain about, and made our lives a lot easier. <BR /> <BR />I will take a short time to thank our Chair. Paula chaired the Committee with respect and allowed all of us — even me — to ask the 101 questions that tortured everybody and probably made our Committee meetings far too long. She had the patience, however, to enable scrutiny. She allowed us not only to scrutinise the Minister, her Department and Bills such as this but to support the Minister, which is an important role for Committees that people often forget about.”
“The Support for Mortgage Interest etc (Security for Loans) Bill allows regulations to impose a charge on a property in respect of which a support for mortgage interest loan is made, and it provides for charges securing support for mortgage interest loans to be registerable in the Statutory Charges Register. Thanks to the answers provided in Committee to questions on the detail of an SMI loan, on the process of registering and removing the statutory charge and on how the SMI loan is repaid, I am content to support the Bill. <BR /> <BR />Before I sit down, I will thank the Minister and her Department. A lot of complicated and complex Bills have come through. This was not one of them, and, as we come to the end of the mandate, I am grateful for that. Huge thanks go to the Minister and her team.”
“When we go to your office and see Frances, we always know that we will see a smiling face. <BR /> <BR />The challenge for those of us who return to the Assembly will be to build the public services that our people want — ensuring that we get across all the public services in this place — and to really start to build a united community. For now, Mr Speaker, it has been a privilege: it has been a privilege to work with some who will be leaving us; and I hope that it will be a privilege when the Assembly comes back after the May election.”
“I pay tribute and say thanks to Naomi Long, our current Justice Minister, who made her priority the safety of women and girls and who stepped forward to make sure that the Troubles victims' pension would be paid. I also thank all the parties in the House for working with me and my colleagues in Alliance, particularly on my Integrated Education Bill. That was a lot of hard work. I thank you, Mr Speaker, and those who sit beside you — including the Clerk/Chief Executive — and all the staff, from the Doorkeepers, the cleaners and the catering staff to the entire secretariat — the Bill Office, the Library, the Events Office and the Education Service. In particular, I thank Frances from your office, Mr Speaker, who, we know, will be leaving this place shortly. She is a lovely lady who we will all miss.”
“David achieved something that only a few people get to do: leaving politics on a high. <BR /> <BR />That leads me to another gentleman who is soon to leave this House: my dear colleague Chris Lyttle MLA. I am not going to cry. As we all know, Chris has served most recently as the Chair of the Education Committee during the mandate. His commitment to fairness in that role extends to his Bill that is about to pass Final Stage this week, which will extend fair employment to all schoolteachers. Chris has been a champion for children, and we will all be poorer for his absence in this House, although I look forward to not listening to him talk about football any more. <BR /> <BR />A lot of work has been undertaken, and many Members have mentioned the Bills.”
“This was also a mandate that saw a significant change. The Assembly was reduced from 108 Members to 90 Members in March 2017. <BR /> <BR />Alliance has also had a number of changes during the mandate, with Dr Stephen Farry becoming an MP and moving to Westminster. For a short time, our Alliance leader, Naomi Long, was a Member of the European Parliament. Her shoes were filled during that time by the gracious and dedicated stateswoman Máire Hendron. I wish Trevor Lunn well as he ends his political career. Although Trevor has decided to move on from the Alliance Party, he is still part of our family, and we wish him and his family well in his retirement. We also had the retirement of former Justice Minister David Ford, who, I have to say, is having far, far too much joy and fun in his life with his wife Anne and his family.”
“Thank you, Mr Speaker, for being back in the House today. You and I have both come out of COVID to be back here today, but it is a privilege to stand on behalf of Alliance at the end of the mandate. I first came to the House in 2016, the same as Mr Butler, but little did any of us know that we would face an election less than a year later. Then we had a three-year collapse and, more recently, the walkout by the First Minister. I wonder whether future politics classes and history books will consider this mandate as a wasted opportunity. Only time will tell. <BR /> <BR />During this mandate, we have had the worldwide coronavirus pandemic, and we have lost 3,265 people to this cruel virus. I thank our health service and our wider community, which showed a spirit throughout the pandemic that we really need in this House.”
“On behalf of the Alliance Party, I support the Fair Employment (School Teachers) Bill. I would need to do that because I have co-signed the amendment. <BR /> <BR />The Bill sponsor has said that the amendment is a non-substantive stylistic change to clause 3. It tidies up the clause, and there is not too much more to say about that, other than it has cross-party support. If the amendment is agreed today, by the end of this week, rather than continuing to allow employers to discriminate, hopefully, we will bring teachers into the fold and give them the full protections of the Fair Employment and Treatment Order.”
“Post offices do, if those post offices are not inside a shop. It is therefore important that we give some incentives to banks to keep ATMs in rural areas. Otherwise, they are just abandoning us.”
“<BR /> <BR />As the Minister has said, retaining ATMs in rural areas is extremely important, but I say to him — this has also been said by Mr O'Toole — that we need to have some sort of a strategy. There are ATMs in my rural area that people will not use, because they charge £2 if you want to lift £20. There is something going on with ATMs, whereby, if there are two ATMs within 1 mile of each other, one has to charge and the other does not. The rate relief is absolutely welcome. The lack of banking services in rural areas is extremely concerning, especially given the fact that post offices will no longer be allowed to deal with people's benefits. I was talking to the credit unions recently. They are thinking about expanding into other services, such as mortgages, but the fact is that credit unions do not have an ATM.”
“I thank the Minister very much for extending the rate relief for ATMs in rural areas. As everyone in the House knows, I am a rural dweller. I represent the Strangford constituency, which is largely a rural constituency. You have to drive 25 miles from the bottom of the Ards peninsula before you get to a bank. That is something that is making life extremely difficult. I know that everyone is saying, "Sure, after COVID, everybody's using plastic", but not everybody is using plastic. During COVID, I came across hairdressers who rent a chair in a salon. They had to be paid in cash, because they did not have a mobile card machine. They lost out on the high street voucher scheme as well. How are we supposed to teach children about the use of money — hard cash — if they cannot get it in their hands? A lack of ATMs therefore causes problems.”
“At this stage, we are coming out of COVID, thank goodness. I hope that we have no further outbreaks. However, as the Minister mentioned, there have been many benefits of the legislation in that parents, rural dwellers and other people have been able to take part in meetings for which they may have, otherwise, needed to give an apology. I am keen that we do not lose sight of the bigger picture in the longer term. We need more permanent legislation to take that forward for councillors in the future.”
“I take the chance to say this to the Committee Chair: Paula, I will miss you. You have been a fantastic Chair and a friend. It will be sad coming back here without you being here, Paula. Thank you so much for all your time. You have been patient with some of us who were, perhaps, a bit wet behind the ears. <BR /> <BR />The Chair summarised the legislation well. It extends until September 2022 the period for hybrid meetings for our council colleagues and councils across Northern Ireland. I absolutely support that, going forward. I have a word of caution, however: we hear from many quarters that, after the Assembly election in May 2022, there may be a period of negotiation. My concern is that, in September 2022, following a summer recess, there may not be an Executive to take that hybrid model forward for councils and councillors.”
“<BR /> <BR />The Alliance Party gives its full support to the Fair Employment (School Teachers) Bill, which will, at long last, ensure that teachers are all protected by fair employment legislation.”
“It is right that we protect all those teachers by bringing their whole profession under the protection of fair employment legislation. <BR /> <BR />I turn to the amendment. The extension to 24 months gives all employing authorities and directly employing schools time to update their employment practices to ensure that fair employment is in place. If you work out the timings, you find that the fair employment legislation requirement will need to be met by about April 2024, in good time for appointments to be made to fill teaching positions from August or September 2024. That should not be an onerous task for any employing authority or school, as fair employment has existed for all non-teaching roles and other employers since the FETO legislation was enacted in 1998.”
“On 24 February, the BBC education correspondent, Robbie Meredith, confirmed that Bishop McKeown of CCMS had said that the exception was "no longer appropriate or required". <BR /> <BR />I thank the Bill sponsor, Chris, for introducing this private Member's Bill to fix the issue by extending equality protections to our teachers. I also thank the Executive Office Committee, which worked with the Bill sponsor to enable the Bill to come to the House for debate and to progress. It is a short Bill covering an issue that used to be controversial but, thankfully, is not any more. Earlier today, the Agriculture Minister, taking the place of the Minister of Education, spoke about the professionalism and excellence of the teachers that we have in Northern Ireland.”
“It was not time then, but it is now. We have only to look at the website of the NASUWT The Teachers' Union to see that it calls for:”
“It my pleasure to speak on behalf of the Alliance Party in support of my colleague Chris Lyttle's private Member's Bill, the Fair Employment (School Teachers) Bill. <BR /> <BR />It appears that the planets have aligned for the legislation. We have arrived at the right time for the majority, if not all, to be in support of the revocation of article 71 of the Fair Employment and Treatment (Northern Ireland) Order 1998. That simply means that all teachers will be protected by fair employment legislation in the same way as all other employees. <BR /> <BR />The issue has been considered for many years. Before I speak to the amendment, I will say why I support it. The Equality Commission considered the removal of article 71 in 2004. It felt then that the exception should be retained for primary-school teachers in Northern Ireland.”
“Many people played their part in the process, including Renters' Voice, Housing Rights, the Chartered Institute of Housing, PropertyPal, the National Union of Students-Union of Students in Ireland (NUS-USI), the Landlords Association, the Housing Executive, the End Fuel Poverty Coalition, Electrical Safety First and the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service, all of which provided valuable evidence to support the Bill. I thank the Minister and her officials, the Committee Clerks, RaISe and all who managed to get the Bill to completion before the end of the mandate.”
“I expect that, had it not been the end of the mandate, with time running out, the Minister would have completed all consultation before bringing such important legislation to the House. Yesterday, we considered the review by the Committee on Procedures of private Members' Bills; perhaps it is time that we also considered how Bills are brought though the House by Ministers and Departments. Perhaps it is time to ensure that all Bills have gone through full consultation before they are introduced. I am sure that the Minister would agree that, while the outcome of the Bill is progressive and will help private tenants, the process was made more difficult by the late consultation. <BR /> <BR />Today, the Private Tenancies Bill will pass Final Stage.”
“Schedule 2 provides the Department with the power to make regulations that will make it obligatory for domestic private rented properties in Northern Ireland to have a minimum energy performance certificate (EPC) rating. <BR /> <BR />The legislation will not have passed without some difficulty. It was difficult to work on the Bill when the Minister and her Department undertook consultation in the middle of Committee Stage. While I do not disagree with the outcome, the approach taken to the Bill was far from satisfactory. Committees are supposed to scrutinise and support a Minister and their Department. The Committee for Communities was not treated with respect during the process. Taking the Bill to Second Stage before consultation was complete was a mistake.”
“<BR /> <BR />The Minister has confirmed that it is her intention — I hope that it will be the intention of the next Minister for Communities — to deal with the issue of rent caps. That work will need consultation and careful consideration if it, too, is to achieve the balance between protecting renters and potential over-regulation of the private rented sector. Today, we have legislation that limits the amount of deposit that can be charged and how often rents can be charged. It provides fair notice to quit periods for tenants and landlords, and it confirms who has responsibility for electrics, fire alarms and carbon monoxide monitors.”
“They have played a pivotal role in providing support and advice to vulnerable tenants in the sector. The Bill finds a balance between protecting tenants and the potential for over-regulation, which could drive landlords from the sector, thus compounding housing problems. <BR /> <BR />As we all know, there are not enough social homes to meet the demands of all renters. Therefore, as we know, many choose or have no option but to rent from a private landlord. In protecting private renters, a balance has to be struck to ensure that we do not drive private landlords away from the sector. During the progress of the Bill, the amendments made have managed to achieve that objective.”
“On behalf of the Alliance Party, I confirm that we will support the Private Tenancies Bill passing its Final Stage in the House and moving to Royal Assent. The intention of the Bill is to assist, as far as possible, in making the private rented sector a safer and more secure option for those who require or wish to be housed in the sector. <BR /> <BR />The private rented sector provides a flexible tenure choice for many tenants, particularly young professionals. However, as the Committee considered the Bill, it remained mindful that the sector provides housing for a significant number of vulnerable households and that many third-sector bodies and, indeed, constituency offices and MLAs had been contacted by people who were concerned about private tenancies.”
“The report outlines instances when Committees would have had additional time to carry out their scrutiny of an LCM but the provisions of Standing Order 42A did not allow them to do so. Therefore, I am glad that recommendation 5 allows for more flexibility in relation to timescales for Committees where possible, based on the planned timescale for the passage of the specific Bill through Parliament. <BR /> <BR />LCMs have become more common in the Chamber due to the pandemic and Brexit. The report details how, in terms of Brexit, this rise is expected to continue as we work through the legislation that follows on from our exit from the EU. It is important that the recommendations in the report are given careful consideration and that work begins swiftly to implement change ahead of the next mandate.”
“Without the statutory footing of the Sewel convention — we recognise the complexities around this — it is important that the democratic will of those elected to the Northern Ireland Assembly is heard, and a level of scrutiny should be applied in terms of openness and transparency. Alliance supports and urges improved communication from Ministers to the Assembly when normal timescales cannot be met, and accountability and explanation from Ministers when they fail to comply with Standing Order 42A. <BR /> <BR />Alliance is pleased to see the inclusion of recommendation 7, which we fully support, in terms of the introduction of enhanced recording, reporting and publication arrangements in relation to LCMs. Scrutiny is an important part of the role of a legislature. In fact, it goes to the core of the role.”
“Alliance outlined in its submission to the consultation on LCMs that it is supportive of the current procedures in place to deal with normal LCMs. As the Committee report also details, we do not believe that now is the correct time for fundamental reform of the principles that underpin Assembly procedure in that area. <BR /> <BR />In our party response to the report, we detailed that consideration should be given to the rare occasion on which the Northern Ireland Assembly informs the UK Government of its opposition to an LCM.”
“In conclusion, private Members' Bills are important to enable Back-Bench Members to bring forward legislation, but it is not appropriate for Ministers to break with convention because a Bill does not suit their political outlooks.”