Sinéad Bradley
South Down · Social Democratic and Labour Party · Northern Ireland
“<BR /> <BR />Periods have had many different names and have come, as Emma correctly pointed out, in many different colours. Mostly, they were talked about in hushed tones, but that is no more.”
“I, too, support the Bill, and I thank Pat Catney, my friend and colleague, for introducing it. <BR /> <BR />As a Member who sat on the Justice Committee, I am all too aware of some of the harrowing circumstances that young women face every day.”
“Pat's charm allowed everybody to embrace what he is trying to achieve today. I genuinely mean this: the people of Lagan Valley served the House proud when they put Pat Catney here. It is having people like Pat, with a good heart and good intentions, in a place where change can happen that results in days like today.”
“I am privileged to support the motion on behalf of the SDLP. Like other Members of the House, I have heard at first hand about the horrendous and heinous acts that led to the Domestic Abuse and Civil Proceedings Act.”
“I thank Members across the Chamber for their kind words. <BR /> <BR />I suppose that all of us like to consider ourselves to be fair. I include myself in that.”
“I thank my party leader, Colum Eastwood, for hearing my calls, understanding the importance of the Narrow Water bridge and making sure that it was included in the New Decade, New Approach agreement.”
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“Does the Minister accept there are many young, vibrant, very good, well-qualified teachers who are excluded from the Investing in the Teaching Workforce scheme? Will he consider lifting the maximum profile which means that teachers with more experience cannot apply for these jobs?”
“I thank the Member for giving way. I hear quite firmly from the Executive spokespeople here today that there is such confidence in the process. Could you then explain the tremor that exists when an independent review is mentioned?”
“Does the Member accept that there are some very good organisations receiving SIF money? So far, those who have spoken in defence of the process have completely ignored the point and tried to ride on the good reputational position that those organisations hold in the community.”
“I place on record my apologies for not being in place at the beginning of Question Time. I thank the Minister for using the opportunity to express his and the House's condolences to the family of Austin Hunter. The SDLP certainly associates itself with that. <BR /> <BR />Will the Minister explain the delay in bringing the social strategy to public consultation and provide a timeline for when we will see the strategy?”
“I am concerned because the debate has completely turned and we are now talking about finance. The terms of reference of the Education Authority never made any reference to finance. We had serious questions about the review, but now we are questioning whether the terms of reference of the review are changing before our very eyes.”
“I thank the Member for giving way. Will the Member clarify that, in the interests of having that detail correct, the Education Authority's review suggested this was not a monetary decision; it was about a review of service?”
“I truly hope that the Minister has come here with an open mind. If anything comes out of the debate, I ask him to consider facilitating a meeting with representatives of the sector to discuss the review. I refer not to adding to the review but to looking at it and seeing how it was constructed and the faults that lie in it and whether he is willing to consider at least pushing the pause button. I ask him please to consider the centres and all the social value that you will never see presented to you by officials in the form of a balance sheet. I urge him to take on board that request and thank him very much for being in attendance.”
“They take that far beyond the centres through their life and carry that community spirit with them. They really bring such social added value that we cannot measure it.”
“The information in the public domain to date does not, I have to say, fill me with confidence that that work has even been undertaken, and I urge him to consider that. <BR /> <BR />I put this to the Minister again: how do we measure the added confidence that young people get from visiting the centres? How do we measure the personal development that takes place when young children stay away from their parents, perhaps for the very first time? I know that some of the leaders at the centres — this was referred to — have the skills and ability to deal with the very delicate issue of homesickness, and the children learn to network with their friends. It is so difficult to put a value on that. How do we measure the spirit — the community spirit — that is engendered by the young people who step up to do courses and volunteer?”
“Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. I take the Member's point. <BR /> <BR />I ask the Minister simply to pause and take note of what is being presented here today. These are very positive, popular centres for good reason. The issues of health, obesity and outdoor pursuits have been raised, and the Programme for Government clearly reflects their importance and makes repeated references to them. The proposals to close the centres contradict everything that the Programme for Government, as it is being built, represents or claims to represent. The contradiction is so wide that it cannot sit comfortably with the Minister. In that vein, I urge him to sit down and set the proposals or the possible proposals against the objectives of the Executive.”
“I ask the Minister to take note of the fact that some children who visit those outdoor centres may excel for the very first time in their life. It is an opportunity for them to break away from the confines of the classroom and find that they are particularly good at something that they would not otherwise have had the opportunity to be introduced to. Events such as visits to outdoor educational centres build their confidence, and that stays with them for life. How do we measure that, Minister? How can we make a judgement on whether it would sit well on a balance sheet?”
“First, I thank my South Down colleague Colin McGrath for securing the Adjournment debate in the Chamber this evening. I also thank the Minister for being in attendance, which is critical to the debate moving forward. No doubt, through many submissions, the Minister will have been made aware of the strong reasons that surround the need to keep the centres open; indeed, in the last week or two, I had the opportunity to visit the purpose-built Killowen centre. I put on record my support for the retention of that centre, along with the other two centres in South Down, which, I believe, offer an equally good service. <BR /> <BR />The arguments that have been made are largely self-evident in that you will protect jobs and continue to offer enriched educational experiences beyond the classroom.”
“Will the Minister confirm that she supports the Patten threshold of 7,500 full-time police officers? Has she committed to putting that at the centre of any budgetary priorities going forward? Within what timescale would she hope to achieve it?”
“It is particularly impressive considering the revelation that 96% of questions for written answer to the Minister have not been answered on time. <BR /> <BR />Based on concerns raised in the House and through the Committee, particularly the lack of commitment to develop a framework that is more suited to Northern Ireland, it is unfortunate that the SDLP cannot and will not support the LCM as it stands. We will not be the drivers of what is essentially a Conservative Party policy that does not fit in Northern Ireland.”
“A cut-and-paste English model is not a best fit in Northern Ireland. Of course, we want the calibre of our universities and their output to be easily recognisable from overseas. It is important that we look at creating a model that will enable potential overseas students or foreign direct investors to recognise and appreciate the value of our universities. A Northern Ireland pitch should consider not just how we compare in a UK context but have a much wider scope; we should consider how our universities appeal in a global and in a European marketplace. Our foreign direct investors and students should come from a much wider brief than the measurements in the UK. <BR /> <BR />I have to say that I note how swiftly this proposal was presented to the Committee and to the House. That raises, at least, a very curious brow.”
“I could go on, but the most important concern referenced today is the link to student fees or, more precisely, the possibility of a future link to student fees. Strong and compelling arguments have been made to highlight the likelihood of universities using the framework to create what could become elitist institutions. It is feared that the potential hike in university fees will result in our universities being filled by those who can afford to be there rather than by those who are most suited to being there. <BR /> <BR />I take the Minister's point when he said that such is not his intention and that current plans do not involve a possible link between the TEF and fees. However, the assurances given today, and at Question Time last week, fall far short of what we in the SDLP would have hoped for.”
“In 2015, the Conservative Party manifesto promised to introduce a framework to recognise universities offering the highest-quality teaching. The outworkings of that election promise — the TEF — are in front of us today. The framework, which was scripted in an English context, as the Minister said, has been controversial and continues to be controversial even within its home parameters. It has been argued that this English model is not an easy fit even for the English universities that are working to it. <BR /> <BR />The Chair of the Committee rightly highlighted the serious concerns brought to us. In addition, some made reference to a lack of transparency or argued that the transparency clause could go further; others suggested that the metrics used to gauge good teaching are questionable.”
“I accept that intervention, but I also ask the Minister to consider the time period and the developments in technologies that have happened since the original infrastructure was put in place.”
“As the Minister is no doubt fully aware, serious and legitimate concerns have been raised by residents in close proximity to the proposed North/South interconnector. In that context, in 2001 the Moyle interconnector went into service, an undersea cable between Islandmagee and Ayrshire connecting the Northern Ireland energy market to GB at 500 megawatts. Fifteen years later, we are told that technologies have developed significantly. In that context, does the Minister appreciate the legitimate questions raised by residents about the proposal to build the infrastructure for the North/South interconnector at 600 megawatts?”
“Thank you. I thank the Member for his intervention. There is no place for anybody to hide, and that will become a matter of public record, given that it is with PAC at the moment. <BR /> <BR />The estimated £1 billion bill is a major mistake that the Executive cannot pretend did not happen. For many years, budgets will carry the scar of RHI, which has been described outside the House as "grossly negligent". Funds to support strategies such as the one we speak of today will inevitably be disadvantaged as RHI claimants are paid off. <BR /> <BR />I urge the Minister to ensure that a good dose of realism is injected into any scheme that aims to forward the integrated single electricity market. He must consider population growth, the hope of economic growth and the overall rise in demand.”
“<BR /> <BR />The motion rightly refers to the policy vacuum in the Department following the closure of the Northern Ireland renewables obligation and the dramatic failing of the renewable heat incentive. The cost attributed to the renewable heat incentive — this is without fear of exaggeration — is staggering. The estimated £1 billion bill is a major mistake that the Executive cannot brush aside and dismiss. Budgets for many years to come will carry —”
“The paper also highlighted the tensions between the energy policy goals of sustainability, security of supply and keeping cost as low as possible. That is what is known as the "trilemma". <BR /> <BR />Of course, we need a long-term strategy that details the efficient, sustainable generation of power, identifies an agreed and considered transmission process and delivers a fit-for-purpose and, equally, a reliable distribution network while ensuring a fair and open competitive retail market. We must not lose sight of the renewable targets, which were put in place for very good reasons, such as the reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, while broadening our vision of emerging technologies, such as battery storage, as they come closer to market.”
“It is widely acknowledged that the wholesale fraction of most energy bills is, at roughly 60%, proportionately the most expensive. It is also known that the most significant factor in determining the price of wholesale electricity is the price of fossil fuel used by the conventional fossil fuel generators. Costs are forecast to rise significantly, which is a point that we need to rethink. <BR /> <BR />In 'Northern Ireland Electricity Price Transparency: Follow-up Paper', the Utility Regulator rightly highlighted that there were no straightforward answers to lower electricity prices for Northern Ireland customers, as energy use can be complex and interwoven. It is important to be clear about the key drivers of price and the levers that can be used to impact on prices in the short and longer term.”
“As SDLP spokesperson on the economy, I support the motion and thank those who brought it forward for debate. The motion begins by raising concern that electricity prices for non-domestic large energy users are almost 60% higher than the EU-15 median. Along with the proposers of the motion, I would argue that we should all share that concern. Whilst we endeavour to understand the reasoning behind it, we must also look at and aim to fully address it in a realistic fashion. This is an economic burden that we can ill afford to carry at this time of such volatility across Northern Ireland businesses.”
“On a point of order, Madam Principal Deputy Speaker. I am also a new Member, and further to the previous contribution, can we then be communicated with if there has been, based on this decision, a change to my understanding of the point of order that Mrs Long raised?”
“Considering the deputy First Minister's continued confidence in the governance of SIF, despite the serious questions that have been raised in the House and elsewhere, when does he intend to publish a full list of all organisations that applied to SIF, all those who received money from it and how much they received?”
“I thank the Minister for his answer. Will he also give a guarantee, although what he said was far short of a guarantee, that the TEF will not be used as leverage to remove the tuition fee cap in Northern Ireland? Will he consider responding to the calls to put a TEF panel in place in Northern Ireland?”
“I welcome that you embrace taking the decision and that you take ownership of it. Will you confirm, for clarity, whether your decision has to be presented to the Executive for completion?”
“Vulnerable service users will be affected, but does the Member agree that rural dwellers will be among the most vulnerable, as they will have difficulty accessing services, should the offices be closed?”
“While the question today rightly looks at the out-and-out failure to meet the 13-week target, I express to the Minister my shock at finding out that anybody living with a mental health issue would have to wait 13 weeks, let alone that the target has not been met. Is the Minister satisfied that this is an acceptable target?”
“I will. Increasingly, I suspect this Executive will become known as the Executive who like to share the blame but never the credit.”
“If the Member is serious in saying his party does not accept those as additional factors to be considered in the amendment, I find that quite disingenuous. In fact, I would go further. When I listened to the debate — this will perhaps be the routine — I felt that, regardless of what amendment is tabled, parties will simply look through it to find a get-out. I do not see the get-out here, and Sinn Féin should really reflect before it decides how it will vote on this. While it is comfortable going for the softer language, I ask this: is there a fear of accountability? Rather than vote for the promotion and encouragement of economic growth, why not call for real and substantial growth? I put it to the House that, increasingly —”
“No, I do not accept that; in fact, if I remember correctly, it was your party colleague who was in office when the money was not brought forward for the bridge. <BR /> <BR />Speaking directly to the amendment, Conor Murphy on behalf of Sinn Féin gave first light about why his party did not believe it could support the amendment. He said that he believes that the SDLP, at any cost, will come in here and take merit from the Executive. I assure you that that is not the case. If the Member does not want to listen to me, he could take time to read the amendment. He will see that it goes further than the motion. It adds a sense of urgency and asks the Executive to address the need for:”
“There must be out-of-silo thinking and a joined-up approach to where people will stay and what their experience will be. What activities and pursuits will they engage in while they are here? At the same time, we are talking about the possible threat of closure of outdoor education centres. Opportunities do not exist in other constituencies to partake in sports that people would not otherwise have an opportunity to engage in. What opinion will those tourists leave with when they have had the Northern Ireland hospitality experience? Again, that goes back to Stephen Farry's comments about training and being not just open for business but successfully open for good business and giving our tourists an experience to remember.”
“He acknowledged the good work of many organisations and individuals who have contributed to the sector and the success of sporting tourism to date. <BR /> <BR />What we must ask ourselves is this: why would tourists come here? What events would attract them? How do they get here? There is the uncomfortable truth of the United Airlines story, which should not be repeated in the House. There are also issues with the Enterprise service, which is barely functioning right now. Some tourists might even like to approach my constituency of South Down via a bridge at Narrow Water. The infrastructure and the means of getting here should be there. <BR /> <BR />How do they get here? Where do they stay? I am very conscious that hotel plans are sitting with the Planning Service and not getting through the system.”
“<BR /> <BR />Alan Chambers expressed his concern that the Minister's party had once again tabled a motion for debate that really calls for nothing more than what we should already consider to be agreed. He also made calls for a sporting museum, which, he thinks, would be a precious addition to any strategy. <BR /> <BR />Stephen Farry rightly highlighted what we will discuss further: the self-congratulatory tone of the motion. He went on to mention and discuss all-island connectivity, the methods of getting repeat visits, customer care and, rightly, the training that would be required to make a visitor's experience one that they would wish to return to and share again. <BR /> <BR />We then had a contribution from Steve Aiken, who referred to the Wild Atlantic Way, which we look at with envy, and there are lessons to be learned there.”
“I welcome the opportunity to make the winding-up speech on the amendment. I start with comments made by my party colleague Justin McNulty, who rightly referred to events such as the Irish Open and could barely contain himself, being the sporting man that he is, when he referred to the bid for the Rugby World Cup and something about a haka on the Mall in Armagh. Reference was also made — rightly so — to embracing the GAA. The scale of support across the world for the GAA is largely unmeasured, but the Executive must embrace it, considering the fact that we are the homeland of Gaelic games. Justin McNulty also rightly raised the point that there is one-event thinking going on at the moment — successfully at times, when events are captured and brought here — but we must extend beyond that way of thinking.”
“I thank the Minister for his answer. Considering that there have been at least three incidents of river pollution, one in the constituency of South Down, which I am proud to serve, will he outline whether NI Water has inspected all water treatment plants? Is he satisfied that the level of fines imposed on NI Water is adequate?”
“Does the Minister accept that a large number of the delayed discharges are due to the fact that there are insufficient staff and resources for community care packages? What direct action is she planning to deal with that matter?”
“I thank the Minister for his answer. If I am right, he has told us that no conversation happened before the ministerial direction, which I find quite disturbing. I put it to the Minister that this is our only direct air route from Northern Ireland to the United States. There was no room for a blunder, and yet a blunder there was. Can the Minister advise on what urgent action he has taken, along with the Executive, to address the issue and ensure that we have a direct route to the United States as soon as possible?”
“— that did not support small businesses and medium-sized enterprises. So, perhaps, he could reassure his own party colleagues not to fret.”
“It is something that we should all encourage them to do and try to set out that pathway in a way that they can embrace it fully and confidently consider the way forward. That said, I welcome the motion as it is presented, but I think that we missed an opportunity to widen it. <BR /> <BR />In summary, the Executive expressed their concerns earlier today that the Opposition tended to fret a little. I can assure the Minister that as a member of the Opposition, I never believed that he would bring forward an economic strategy —”
“<BR /> <BR />The SDLP had put forward an amendment to the motion, and I think that it was simply to frame it in the context of the possibility of Brexit. We must consider that for any growth. We will very quickly look at the topic of sending our goods elsewhere and at exporting our goods, and, difficult as it may be for some, we must embrace the fact that Brexit has its problems. There are potential problems not just for growth; businesses at this moment in time may be considering exporting but may put that decision on hold. Many have told us that they are reluctant to make decisions because there are so many question marks and so many unanswered questions. Based on this, it is difficult, particularly for small and medium-sized enterprises, to make the decision to go ahead and embrace the export market.”
“When we look at the potential for growth we see that there is a very obvious need as the tourism sector in South Down has yet to be fully tapped into. We need to encourage the Executive to come out of silos because it takes that economic ambition and vision to recognise where the potential growth is in particular areas. It would be difficult then to brush aside such significant projects as the Narrow Water bridge, which, no doubt, would bring tourism opportunities to South Down. In the construction of the bridge, we would be looking at the building sector as well. So, we must commit and we must show that the breadth of our vision goes wider than simply looking at a document that does not resonate and does not reflect what is happening on the ground.”
“In many of those small businesses, the owner is the senior management team, the HR team, the finance department, the IT department, and they answer the phone before sweeping the floor on their way out. Those businesses also need our support. There is an opportunity here for us to really reach out to them and accommodate and recognise the difficulty that they have with their time. So, it is about looking at growth but making a very real package that will deliver and resonate with such small businesses. If any strategy is serious about encouraging growth, it would reach out and be cognisant of that fact. <BR /> <BR />We have to then look at the wider context. I will visit my constituency in South Down, as other Members have done in their constituencies.”
“Some of those are, as we have already outlined, planning, the rating system, access to finance, access to broadband, corporation tax, VAT, labour, bureaucracy and red tape etc. It goes on. <BR /> <BR />Another statistic that jumped out at me was that smaller businesses with fewer than 10 employees are not really offered the level of support that is given to larger businesses, and that is because they are not considered to be high-growth firms.”
“As the economy spokesperson for the SDLP, I, like others, am pleased to support this motion. Like the mover of the motion, I pay tribute to the FSB, which has been very helpful, not just in presenting information to us but in Committee. It certainly has its finger on the pulse when it comes to small and medium-sized enterprises in Northern Ireland. <BR /> <BR />Rather than regurgitate the points that have been well made about how significant SMEs are in Northern Ireland, and in the interest of moving the debate on, I will look at the barriers to growth that have been expressed to us and that I have heard about through my work when speaking with businesses — views that have been reinforced by the presentations from the FSB.”
“<BR /> <BR />Cat Seeley, although I may not be quoting her word for word, quite rightly sent out a reassuring shot to those nurses, saying that the Minister was listening and does care. We are simply asking the House, "Please extend that to midwives". Recognise that that problem extends to midwives. Let us not be so pedantic as to hang on two words, and come in on agreement that, based on those two words, this is our flow and travel of direction. Embrace the spirit. I ask the Minister, and every Member in the House, to extend your care and support to all nurses and all midwives.”
“We could add, "Thus promoting the sustainability of our nursing and midwifery workforce". We could add, "Thus reducing our need to undertake expensive recruitment exercises overseas". We could add, "Thus allowing the continuity in nurse and midwifery/patient relationships". There is plenty we could add to that. <BR /> <BR />What is in the motion is good. Nobody is arguing that that is not a valid point, but we cannot then just say that, because two words — "workforce planning" — are missing from an amendment, the spirit of that amendment has not been embraced by the House. I ask people who are uncomfortable with those two words not being in the amendment this: are you therefore saying you are happy to not acknowledge the pressures facing nursing and midwifery?”
“"Thus reducing" are the two words. There are many things that we could add to that "thus reducing". In this instance, the motion states:”