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.”
The complete record
Every one of 2,635 lines we hold for Kellie Armstrong, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 37 of 53.
“<BR /> <BR />Minister, today, we have heard that you have too few staff to enable effective enforcement. Therefore, let us use innovation. Can councils do anything to help the Department? Is there enough of a threat to stop rogue developers from abandoning residents to go on to their next project?”
“In my constituency, that does not happen. Years go by before developers complete a road. They use the excuse that their site is not yet finished and that there are more phases to come. In the meantime, residents live without bins being collected from near their home, with dangerous footpaths and with continued surface flooding. Residents are at their wits' end. <BR /> <BR />I ask the Minister for Infrastructure to end the torture that some residents face, please. Use the bond much more quickly to ensure that unadopted roads are brought up to the standard at which they can be adopted. I will happily bring the Minister to a development in Killyleagh to see for herself beautiful homes surrounded by unfinished and entirely unsuitable access roads.”
“For example, how much will it cost to adopt a road in five or 10 years' time? <BR /> <BR />The Department's website states:”
“In an example such as this, why has the Department not utilised the bond to put right the mess that the developer left people with? Those families cannot sell their homes to move to somewhere where their bins can be collected, where they can walk along the development's footpath without fear of trips or slips, and where children can play safely under street lights. <BR /> <BR />More determined and focused intervention is necessary to ensure that developers do not walk away and abandon residents for years and expect residents, or even the Department, to pick up the pieces. There is a reason why a bond is required, and it should be used much more quickly. All developers should be aware that, if they do not make good, their bond will be used. The bond needs to be of enough value to meet costs, not today's costs but future costs.”
“An unadopted road is also one where people live without appropriate sewerage; where footpaths are trip hazards; where secondary drainage is often appalling and leads to terrible flooding; where manhole covers stand proudly in the centre of the road; and where people have to drag their laden bins quite some distance to the main road from which the council collects refuge. <BR /> <BR />My constituency has a number of developments with unadopted roads. In some of those areas, the developer has all but abandoned the people who bought or rent homes there. In one case, a development built on a steep hill remains unadopted after a number of years. The road surface has been left in a mess, residents are distraught, and the developer has not been taken to task.”
“An unadopted road is one where street planning functions have been exercised, a bond has been placed under the Private Streets (Northern Ireland) Order 1980, and the Department is not satisfied that the street has been:”
“Minister, I am glad to hear the update on the Ballycastle town strategy. When will the high street strategy confirm actions to assist all towns to recover from the impacts of COVID?”
“<BR /> <BR />The Committee also noted that legislative consent motions (LCMs) in relation to the Westminster Pension Schemes Act 2021 were agreed by the Assembly on 1 June and 2 November 2020. <BR /> <BR />Overall, the Bill is designed to safeguard workers' pensions and ensure good pensions governance. Therefore, on behalf of the Committee, I support the Bill. <BR /> <BR />Finally, as the Alliance communities spokesperson dealing with the Bill, I pay tribute to our Minister. It is a technical Bill and one that can cause a lot of confusion; thank goodness we have great officials. The Bill aligns Northern Ireland pension provision and pension holders with the rest of the United Kingdom, and it confirms that pension holders will be better protected.”
“The Committee was briefed on the text of the amendments by officials at the meeting on 22 April 2021 and was content that they did not represent new policy or changes to the original policy intent. <BR /> <BR />I thank the officials, Gerry McCann and Doreen Roy, for their assistance during Committee Stage and for their patience in providing technical explanations and briefings on the amendments. <BR /> <BR />The Chair, Paula Bradley, confirmed at Consideration Stage that the Committee was content that the amendments were technical, drafting and consequential amendments required to the Pension Schemes Bill as a result of the Westminster Pension Schemes Act 2021.”
“The protections that the Bill will put in place for people's pensions was another key issue for members, as they felt that it was not outside the realms of possibility for a master trust to collapse. <BR /> <BR />While members of master trusts would not have access to the Pension Protection Fund, there is a safety net in the Bill in the event of a scheme being underfunded due to fraud. Members were also reassured to hear that the Pensions Regulator could, if necessary, operate across the border to address schemes that operate in Northern Ireland and the Republic. <BR /> <BR />During Committee Stage, officials advised that amendments would be necessary at Consideration Stage as a consequence of the Westminster Pension Schemes Bill, which at that time was before Parliament.”
“The Committee is content that the Bill will cap early exit charges in occupational pension schemes. That, again, has to be welcomed, as it will enable people to get more from their hard-earned savings. <BR /> <BR />The Committee reported on the Pension Schemes Bill on 19 November 2020, having considered the provisions of the Bill at eight meetings and having taken oral evidence from the Northern Ireland Assembly Research and Information Service (RaISe), the Workers Pension Trust and the Pensions Regulator. The Committee agreed the clauses as drafted, once members were reassured by responses from the Department and from witnesses to a number of queries. <BR /> <BR />Members wanted to be sure that master trusts were properly regulated and that the Pensions Regulator was allowed to make full use of its powers in Northern Ireland.”
“<BR /> <BR />Membership of this type of scheme across the UK has grown from 0·2 million in 2010 to 16 million by 2019. There are around 100,000 members of such schemes in Northern Ireland alone. While the growth in this type of scheme is to be welcomed, there is, obviously, a need for appropriate measures to ensure that the risks are managed. Fundamentally, that is what the Bill does. <BR /> <BR />The Committee was first briefed on the Bill on 17 June 2020 by departmental officials, who confirmed that it would ensure that no master trust scheme can operate without authorisation from the Pensions Regulator and that specific requirements must be met. <BR /> <BR />The Bill also deals with administration charges. Some people have been faced with early exit charges when trying to access their pension savings.”
“I am deputising for the Chair of the Committee. I thank the Minister for her kind comments. <BR /> <BR />The Committee for Communities welcomes the Final Stage of the Bill, which, overall, is designed to safeguard workers' pensions and introduce a welcome new regulatory framework for master trusts in Northern Ireland. Over the past few years, master trusts have become very popular, and I, for one, have learned a lot about those trusts and about pensions regulation throughout the proceedings on the Bill. A master trust is a multi-employer occupational scheme for unconnected employers run on behalf of the employers by an external organisation. The schemes are popular with small employers, and anyone who, like me before I came to the House, has had a number of employments will be delighted that somebody is keeping them all together.”
“Today, however, this legislation, which I will support, puts right a number of mistakes and errors and incomplete pieces of legislation that it has been necessary to correct. I am sorry that it has taken this long. It should be a quick transfer of functions, but it should have been done months ago.”
“<BR /> <BR />As Deputy Chairperson of the all-party group on disability, I will now speak about the transfer of functions from Education to the Department of Justice and specifically, article 23 of the Special Educational Needs and Disability (Northern Ireland) Order 2005, which relates to the procedure of the tribunal. The original transfer between Departments was incomplete in the 2011 order, and that is being put right today. It now gives the Department of Justice all the legislative powers that it needs to make procedural regulations for the special educational needs and disability tribunal. <BR /> <BR />As my colleague, Andrew Muir, said, this has been some time in coming.”
“<BR /> <BR />The racial equality strategy is retained in the Executive Office, and I look forward to some concentrated work being completed to ensure that data that relates to ethnicity is collected. The Equality Commission has been looking for that data to be collated through the fair employment and equality monitoring. As anyone who knows me knows, I want the fair employment monitoring to be changed to better reflect and measure all section 75 categories and not just whether someone is Catholic or Protestant. That is a debate for another day, however.”
“The Departments (Transfer of Functions) Order (Northern Ireland) 2021 moves section 19 of the Employment Act (NI) 2016 to the Department for Communities. Section 19 requires the Department to publish information on the gender pay gap in Northern Ireland. I welcome that move, as it brings into the Department all the employer action plans that identify how that employer will eliminate gaps that exist between the pay that is provided to men and women. I am also delighted to note that that transfer of functions will bring together workforce statistics that relate to ethnicity and disability, as the Department for Communities is responsible for the gender and disability strategies. It makes sense for data to be collected by that Department.”
“<BR /> <BR />Perhaps, in his response, the Minister will provide his thoughts on the way forward and on how, for the rest of this year, he and his team will develop a Budget-setting process that will enable the House to have a Budget presented in advance of a financial year. Minister, Westminster will always provide figures late. I know that that breaks our hearts and yours. We know that not all that we ask for will be provided. It is time that we proactively move to let our strategic outcomes guide the Budget, and I will support you when you are trying to do that.”
“Hopefully, I will not need it, Mr Deputy Speaker. I thank the Member very much. <BR /> <BR />Our intention with the Programme for Government was that strategy would guide the Budget rather than money guide what we can do. As my colleague Andrew Muir said earlier, I welcome the role that the Fiscal Council will have in assisting the Minister of Finance and his Department. I say to the Minister: is it time for a new way of thinking on our Budget? Is it time to start the work today on a new way to develop and deliver our Budget? How can we improve Committee scrutiny? How can we include the public? How can the Budget be presented in order to demonstrate how the Programme for Government outcomes will be achieved?”
“I find it difficult because we have a draft Programme for Government in which all Departments should be working together to deliver cross-cutting outcomes. However, where are the shared budget areas in this Budget? If we are to achieve societal objectives as outlined in the draft Programme for Government or in any future Programme for Government, we need to see a more strategic Budget that reflects both departmental priorities and how outcomes will be delivered.”
“<BR />I am aware that the Department for Communities submitted a bid to the Department of Finance to update COVID funding requirements. The updated bid for £68,645,000 aims to address some of the areas that were not allocated any expenditure in the 2021-22 Budget. It is disappointing to all of us that Departments have to wait for in-year resource bids to be able to fund necessary services which we all agreed through Bengoa and New Decade, New Approach for transformation to deliver more efficient services. <BR /> <BR />I also found it very difficult to read that the Communities Department's Budget presentation confirmed how it had to focus on how workloads are aligned to the Department's strategic objectives. Why should I find that difficult?”
“That shortfall will have a serious negative impact on the community, which is trying to come out of COVID. <BR /> <BR />Minister, this is a cold Budget. It is a very difficult Budget; one that I am sure that you are not happy to have to bring to the House. The shortfall means that there is zero support for councils to deliver COVID-recovery programmes; social supermarkets received zero; arts, cultural and heritage recovery also received zero; the charities and social enterprise recovery fund received nothing; new welfare mitigations to close the loopholes in the bedroom tax and the two-child limit were allocated nothing; and the advice sector, which provides much-needed welfare reform advice, was allocated zero.”
“<BR /> <BR />Before joining the House in 2016, I worked in the community and voluntary sector, where late letters of offer, the constant threat of redundancy and mad March moneys made planning very difficult. That all added a dimension of stress that was unnecessary, and it is time that we plan for multi-year Budgets to give those who deliver our services some reprieve and some confidence that their jobs will be secure. <BR /> <BR />As the Alliance Party spokesperson for communities and Deputy Chair of the Communities Committee, I share the concern that is felt by all the members of the Committee for Communities, as expressed by the Chair of the Committee earlier in the debate. The bid made by the Department was £132·589 million but the award allocated was £66·825 million; a shortfall of almost £66 million.”
“I thank the Finance Minister — you will not hear that too often today, Minister — for presenting his Budget. Like others, I will be voting for the Budget. What other option do we have? Any delay in getting this one-year Budget confirmed will put pressure on our civil servants and the many organisations and businesses that await contracts and grants. I hope that, as highlighted by others, this is the last time that we receive a one-year Budget from the Minister of Finance. The Minister and all of us in the House recognise that, without a multi-year Budget process, the efficiency savings made through the planned and strategic delivery of services cannot be realised.”
“Minister, I agree that it is part of your essential duties to consider climate change, and one of the ways that we can do that is through active travel. You mentioned the £20 million capital, but that is significantly less than 5% of your capital budget. How can we hope to move forward a blue-green change to the way that we travel if it is not funded appropriately? Can you increase the funding available for the blue-green fund through other capital options?”
“We are all asking for that, and there are solutions for people who have issues with doing so. We do not need to bland out who people are: we can celebrate diversity and inclusion. Now is the time, but I would have loved it if our Executive Office Ministers had been here, stood up and said, "Grand, no problem. We've heard you all and are going to take it forward". There is not enough time left in the mandate for them to do that, so it will be over to Mr Lyttle. I hope that his private Member's Bill is tabled in time for it to be heard and taken forward.”
“<BR /> <BR />I understand completely the Catholic Church's concerns, especially in primary education where there is protection and where Catholic teachers can bring forward the ethos for sacraments. However, I draw people's attention to the fact that the Equality Commission has basically provided a solution. It has said that, in order to take the chill factor away from people of other backgrounds seeking employment in those schools or feeling like they cannot apply for a teaching job in a certain type of school, a discussion can happen on positive action or affirmative action, if it needs to be taken, and plans can be put in place. That is as long as people know clearly whether they can apply before they apply. <BR /> <BR />We have an Equality Commission that has been asking for a removal of the exemption.”
“Hopefully, I will not need it, Mr Deputy Speaker. <BR /> <BR />Let us be very clear: we do not want discrimination in anybody's workplace. As I said, this is not about bashing people of faith; it is about giving teachers fair employment. When we are looking at the independent review of education, the removal of the exemption is one step further towards inclusive education. It is not about blanding out people's backgrounds and cultures. We should be developing people who respect themselves and who they are and respect others for who they are. It is time to move forward, and removing the exemption would be a good and welcome way forward. Just as we have Stranmillis University College, which offers the education certificate, there is a way to move this forward.”
“That, if it comes forward, has the potential to make the biggest changes to our education system in Northern Ireland, but it will take a long time. <BR /> <BR />To be clear to anybody who is listening in, although I doubt that that is the case at this time of the night, this is not about bashing people of faith. This is not about Catholic-bashing. There are other areas in which Catholic ethos can be carried through. We see it already in integrated schools. <BR /> <BR />I went through Catholic education: primary school and post-primary school. I attended one of the best schools in Northern Ireland. My daughter went through integrated schools. She still got her Catholic sacraments. There was no difference.”
“Why therefore has it not been done? <BR /> <BR />Given how many non-binding party motions that we have had in this place over the past number of weeks, I have to ask why the Executive Office has not brought this matter forward. It is not as if it is overburdened with legislation. I do not get it. I do not understand, and I would really have loved for one of them to be here today to explain to us why that cannot happen. Why does it have to take a private Member's Bill to do it? Why do we have to take up the time of Assembly staff for something that could easily be done? We all support the motion. <BR /> <BR />To be very clear, we do have the independent review of education, but that will take years and years to implement.”
“I believe completely that teachers should be included in our Fair Employment and Treatment Order: of course they should. <BR /> <BR />As Mr Sheehan and others said, unions have said that it should be done away with, because, as Justin McCamphill said:”
“Like everyone else who has spoken so far, I am, of course, going to support the removal of teachers from not the "exemption" but what is called the "exception" in the Fair Employment and Treatment Order. <BR /> <BR />Why are teachers not protected? This is not just about religion or teaching religion but about protecting teachers. Across the world, Northern Ireland is picked out for having very good recruitment processes. There are protections in place for employees, and if you are not treated well, you can go to a tribunal or to court, where you can win your case and be awarded the job or get the promotion for which you were turned down. You have access to all of that, but we do not allow our teachers to do so. Those are the people who quite often look after children for more hours of the day than parents see them.”
“Thank you, Minister. I declare an interest because my daughter is the Secondary Students' Union's good relations officer. I am not asking about that, however. <BR /> <BR />Minister, what is the rationale behind the permission to omit the GCSE English language controlled assessment unit, and can a pupil or school choose to sit it if they so wish?”
“As recently as January 2020, with New Decade, New Approach, there was a commitment from the Government to the implementation of the Stormont House Agreement. <BR /> <BR />Today, I pay my respects to Patsy, Geraldine and the Mullan family, from Portaferry and beyond, and to all the families, whose names were read out by Mr Sheehan. Those families have been through hell.”
“<BR /> <BR />There will be other occasions on which to debate what the Government are doing around legacy and what should happen now. However, it is worth noting that what is now in train does not have the support of the Ballymurphy families, other victims' groups, most of the political parties or many veterans. <BR /> <BR />The approach of the Government appears to be framed through the lens of addressing the false narrative of vexatious investigations and then bolting on whatever else it takes to get there, rather than taking a holistic approach to maximising truth and justice. We already have a legacy process agreed by the UK and Irish Governments and most of the Northern Ireland political parties in the Stormont House Agreement of 2014. Although far from perfect, it has the potential to deliver outcomes in truth and justice.”
“However, in the immediate aftermath of the inquest findings, the UK Government needed to give an unqualified and comprehensive apology to the families. The manner in which that was handled last week was not only clumsy but offensive. In the aftermath of the Bloody Sunday inquiry, there is a clear model in the way in which the then Prime Minister, David Cameron, gave such an apology. It was almost as though the current Prime Minister did not want to be bothered and was just going through the motions. <BR /> <BR />The Matter of the Day is rightly around the Ballymurphy families. However, in recognising them, we need to recognise the many thousands of other families across Northern Ireland and further afield who still wait for their justice and truth.”
“On behalf of the Alliance Party, I join others in recognising how the Ballymurphy families pursued their long and tortuous path to seeking justice with immense courage and dignity. <BR /> <BR />While truth cannot bring back loved ones who were lost, the families have received complete and utter vindication. Not only were the victims completely innocent and the use of force utterly without justification but the families had to put up with the libel that the victims were IRA gunmen. Even in the most challenging of circumstances in 1971, these deaths should never have occurred. <BR /> <BR />The Ballymurphy massacre had wider repercussions for the UK Government and their predecessors, both in how the massacre was able to take place and how it was handled afterwards.”
“We will depend on our farmers to do that. <BR /> <BR />Today's motion is calling for resources to ensure that our peatlands and woodlands can be protected, but that cannot be done just by the House. Rather, it has to be done in partnership with others, such as our councils and the NIEA. The Environment and Climate Change Committee in Westminster wanted to ban the burning of peatlands by 2020. Why can we not be that strident? Why do we not try to achieve something that forward-thinking? Our schools, our planning departments and our councils all have a role to play. Minister, I will support you to the hilt if you take that measure forward. We cannot stop looking after our environment because some people want to have planned burning, which risks so much of our habitat.”
“I do not think that you do. I know that you said that the £340 million associated with the European Union should be provided directly through Westminster and not via the Barnett consequentials, and I would love to see a strategy developed for how we can get that amount of money invested in our environment in Northern Ireland. <BR /> <BR />I know that a lot of farmers are concerned about the Climate Change Bill that is going through the House. They are the custodians of our environment. I live in a rural area, surrounded by farmers, and I know many farmers who are saying, "If we are part of the discussions on that, we can help and improve things". In fact, Jim Shannon MP said in the House of Commons:”
“I agree with Mr Wells that there needs to be stronger legislation in place so that, when people are found to be breaking environmental laws, more can be done. I absolutely support the Minister in taking something forward. <BR /> <BR />Minister, you said in your statement on 26 April 2021:”
“I have to say that the destruction of wildlife that is happening is not on. <BR /> <BR />There is not as much peatland in my constituency as there is in others. I watched my neighbouring mountains in South Down burn. What a sight it was to see, just beyond the Ards peninsula, the sky lit up bright red that night. All that I could think of was the Fire and Rescue Service personnel, who, at that time, were batting down the fires with shovels and coping with all that smoke. It is really hard to imagine the nightmare in which they were working. It is amazing that they managed to get the fires out. We did not have rain over that time, unfortunately. It came a bit later the next week. How many people have to put their life in danger, however, before the issue is dealt with?”
“As part of that resourcing and as part of the Minister of Finance's review of building regulations, I would like Minister Poots to take forward some further support with planners to ensure that woods can be protected. There is a quarry in my area that has been defunct for over 50 years. There is a woodland that a developer is trying to develop, and the planning officers say that their hands are tied.”
“While I absolutely agree with the Minister's planned Forests for Our Future project, I have a concern that, when planning permission goes forward through different councils across Northern Ireland, the red tape ties them up and they cannot proactively protect woodlands; in fact, the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA), which is supposed to look after our environment, is at times tied up with red tape. That is why I support the idea of an independent environment agency. <BR /> <BR />I agree with the RSPB, which has called for the need to resource fully a strategy to protect, preserve and enhance our peatlands and woodlands.”
“Of course I support the motion. I am one of those people who are affectionately known as "tree huggers". Like the Minister's colleague, my colleague in Strangford Jim Shannon MP, I have planted many trees, and I maintain a wildlife sanctuary on the Ards peninsula. If only we had more trees. However, as Mr Wells said, my commitment is to natural trees that are native to Northern Ireland, which should be protected. I agree with him that invasive external species should not be used here. <BR /> <BR />We have a vibrant biodiversity in Northern Ireland, but it is being harmed by red tape.”
“I thank the proposers of the motion; it is an important debate. I will have to recommend myself for disciplinary action because I find myself agreeing with Mr Wells far too much.”
“I am disappointed by the Minister's response, because I believe that it is the Department of Education and CCEA's responsibility to monitor the impacts that this has on children. To speak again about mental health and to pick up on a point made by Miss Woods, it has come to my attention that there is a primary school in my constituency where the board of governors has not met, leading to stress for staff and parents. What action will you take to ensure the effective governance of primary schools and, in particular, to protect staff who are employed by the Education Authority?”
“Thank you, Minister. Given the increasing pressures that schools face because of their budgets, can you outline to us whether the common funding formula, which is a key part of that, has ceased? If not, where is it being dealt with, and where can we access updated information on that?”
“Let us make sure that we invest in our young people and in the people in our health service who help them. Let us make sure that we change things. We cannot talk about this any more. I am delighted that a private Member's Bill is coming through on autism. The Autism Mummies, with whom I am in regular contact, cannot wait to see that. They have responded to Pam. We need £2 million a year to stand still. It is not working. We need more, so let us invest in it. Let us make it a key priority that people with learning disabilities and all types of disabilities are prioritised in the next Programme for Government.”
“I say that because, even if the waiting lists were resolved, there would still be a massive issue. That is why I mentioned the Programme for Government. We can all say that we need this and we need that, but let us do it. Let us go back to the Programme for Government. Let us look at where we put the investment, and let us get a move on. How many times do we need to say that we are failing children with autism? We should be saying that we are making lives better for children with autism and looking at how we are getting to that point. <BR /> <BR />I support the motion's call for a longer-term autism strategy. I have no problem in supporting the amendment, but I ask the proposers of the amendment to confirm who the independent body is. Let us not take any money away from autism services by putting it into another body.”
“Exploris, for instance, in my area, has an autism afternoon, and some supermarkets have autism times, when the lights are better and the sound is turned down for people who want to go in. <BR /> <BR />We all want early diagnosis to be uniform across all trusts, but we must not forget that it is not just children who have autism. Let us not forget the number of adults who are faced with issues on which other Departments do not seem to pick up. For instance, people who are going forward for personal independence payment (PIP) appeals are being presented with the option of a video or telephone appeal system. Honestly? Why is learning disability treated so badly? Why are the systems not improved to meet the needs of people with autism and people with learning disabilities? <BR /> <BR />I do not envy the Minister.”