Steve Aiken
South Antrim · Ulster Unionist Party · Northern Ireland
“I thank the Minister for his statement. Minister, as well as the move to reduce the cost to the Assembly of vacant non-domestic properties and to increase liability so that we will not have so many vacant properties, you will be aware of the Dilapidation Bill and of the conversations that have been taking place in Wales and Scotland about…”
“Instead, that most dysfunctional Department, under the most inept Sinn Féin Minister in the Northern Ireland Assembly and a series of grossly over-superannuated permanent secretaries, gave the money back.”
“We know that her Department spends more on legal cases, fighting judicial reviews and being chastised by judges for legal ineptitude and on vesting land and ripping out hedges and fencing and then trying to unvest it and paying even more money to put back the fences and hedges that it took out.”
“We can hardly blame the current permanent secretary, as she has just taken up her post, but, surely, her predecessors must bear some accountability or responsibility, especially considering the senior civil servants' salary scale of between £146,000 and £163,000, with, of course, their taxpayer-funded pension contribution of 34·2% — £218,…”
“It must be said that £181·3 million is a lot of taxpayers' hard-earned money. It is money that is raised from local commuters, vehicle owners, farmers, local businesses, logistics companies and, above all, our constituents — those vital people whom we are elected to represent.”
“The Minister will be aware that, under the public appointments guide published by the Executive Office, it is clear that she is supposed to take independent advice before appointing board members. What independent advice did she receive, particularly about the board members selected?”
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“<BR /> <BR />Bearing in mind that our recycling rates are increasing and that we already have incineration for waste for power, which has the spare capacity to deal with 80% of our black bin waste — potentially more — what could be the economic, environmental or societal case for the Hightown incinerator? <BR /> <BR />When I was first elected to the House, one of my first meetings was with representatives from Arc21 and its lobbying firm. I said at the time that I was willing to listen and that, as somebody who understood the waste for power process, I was persuadable. All the arguments around jobs, an incinerator signalling investment opportunities in Northern Ireland infrastructure, the need to secure energy supply and the consequent reduction in landfill were rehearsed by the company and its lobbyists.”
“<BR /> <BR />As reported by the BBC, the Full Circle Generation facility at Belfast harbour, along with its sister company, could process up to 80% of our household waste, and, with recycling rates increasing across Northern Ireland, that plant alone could deal with the majority of our household waste. A spokesman for the company said that, if the current recycling rates are maintained, it would, by 2025, even be running out of feedstock from black bin waste as recycling will have been such a success. That level of recycling should be seen as a matter of pride for Northern Ireland. Indeed, we will also have a legally binding requirement to recycle, which will help us get to our target of 65% of waste being recycled by 2035. We are well on track to achieve that requirement or even exceed it.”
“<BR /> <BR />I am not against incineration per se as part of waste management and how we deal with the residual plastic cycle. Indeed, it is a matter of some interest to Members that a waste energy plant already exists in Northern Ireland — one that is already making a significant impact on our security of supply issues and on reducing waste going to landfill. That plant in the Belfast harbour estate, with established grid connections and good transportation links, is helping to reduce energy costs to Spirit AeroSystems and is making a cutting-edge business even more competitive. We should all welcome that.”
“Thank you very much indeed, Mr Deputy Speaker. I will endeavour not to use my full 15 minutes. I think that you will be glad to hear me say that. <BR /> <BR />I will begin the debate on the opposition in my constituency to the proposed Hightown incinerator. At the beginning of the debate, as a declaration of interest, I make clear my opposition to this waste and subsidy scheme. I also make a declaration of interest, in full disclosure, that, in my previous employment with the British Irish Chamber of Commerce, I represented companies that were working on waste incineration schemes in the United Kingdom, Europe and elsewhere. Therefore, I have some detailed information on how properly managed waste energy schemes should work. I also have a broad understanding of their business and economic cases.”
“I thank the Minister for letting us know that he has had discussions with the chief executive of NatWest. One of the major concerns that we have is around the desegregation process with the Ulster Bank and the fact that it is heading towards a greater merger with NatWest. Has the Minister had any discussions about the retention of vital back-office functions and jobs here in Northern Ireland? What can we do to retain them here?”
“I thank the First Minister for her answer. One of the significant issues with the protocol is its likely impact on medicines and medical devices. Has she had any discussions with the EU? Has Maroš Šefcovic identified that as a problem that needs to be sorted out, or is he ignoring the issue?”
“These are things that we need to concentrate on. The lesson that we should take and pass on to the people of the Middle East is that violence does not work. It has not worked here, and it will not work in the Middle East. It is time for all sides to stop.”
“Instead, they are using that money to buy rockets that they fire at civilian targets. How can that be acceptable? It is strange that the Members opposite — I say this to them quite clearly — are not talking about this issue with a recognition of what is happening in the rest of the Middle East. They will be fully aware that Hamas is supported by Iran. They will also be aware that the United States is involved, currently, in a conflict with Iran, particularly in the high seas and the seas around the Strait of Hormuz, and is stopping significant amounts of arms going to Yemen. This is all part of a wider situation. <BR /> <BR />We should stop focussing on one area and realise the entire disaster that is happening across the Middle East — in Yemen, Iraq and Syria — and what Hezbollah and Hamas are doing.”
“Can you imagine what would have happened if that had happened in areas occupied by the Irish community, and people had been using similar language about Irish people, or if it had happened in a Muslim community? It is completely unacceptable. I notice that Members across the Chamber seem to think that there is some kind of amusement about this. There is no amusement about this. Antisemitism must be completely pushed away. We should not have it in our society, under any circumstances. <BR /> <BR />However, there is a further issue. We should be critical and clear about Hamas and the role that it has had. Each rocket fired by Hamas probably costs about $200 to $300, or even several thousand dollars. That is money that should be going to support medicines and economic development in the Gaza Strip, but none of that is happening.”
“When we rise for this matter, we should be condemning all violence. In matters of international law, it should be clear that firing rockets against civilian targets undermines the Geneva and Hague conventions. That is clear. There should be no violence on any side. <BR /> <BR />The issue in the Middle East is much deeper. When we in the Northern Ireland Assembly debate this, there are issues that we should be taking to the forefront. The first issue is the degree of antisemitism that has been shown in Northern Ireland. That should not be happening. We should be condemning it completely. At the weekend, we saw disgraceful scenes in London of people going through the streets of an area that is predominantly occupied by people from the Jewish community.”
“I have a declaration of interest: I am a member of the board of governors of the excellent Kilbride Central Primary School up in my constituency. One issue that we, as a board of governors, have had — we have probably alluded to this — is that much of the work that we do seems to be repeated, even though we already have plans and future plans for what we plan to do. Can the Minister commit to getting the Education Authority and the various other organisations to rationalise what they are trying to do, rather than wasting government money by requiring second and third sets of plans?”
“I will say this, however: we have an opportunity, as an Assembly, to do something that is not an orange or green issue or that deals with the bickering that we have all the time in the Northern Ireland Executive. We have a real opportunity to do something that is right for everybody in Northern Ireland, not just for now but well into the future. I commend the Bill's Second Stage to the House.”
“I thank the Member for his intervention. As he will be aware, when we guided his Bill through the Assembly, 82 amendments were tabled to it, and amendments made it a much better piece of legislation. We will have the opportunity to look at this Bill as we go forward. When it is brought in front of the Agriculture Committee and debated in the Chamber, we should be able to look at some of those issues quite closely. <BR /> <BR />I will draw my remarks to a close. It is quite clear that there are a lot of differing views throughout the Assembly on what we are trying to do on climate change. Many Members are quite concerned about climate change and the impact that it will have on the agribusiness sector. Indeed, many have been very strongly lobbied. I respect those Members' views and any particular stance that they may wish to take.”
“I agree. That demonstrates that another safeguard is being put into the process. It would be good if the Minister had been able to say that he sees the work that the Assembly and the private Member's Bill are doing and takes the opportunity to bring them together. We do no service at all to Northern Ireland, our economy or our environment unless we are seen to be particularly proactive. We have that opportunity to be proactive. I am —.”
“If you look at some of the work that he has done for the National Farmers' Union and in other areas, you can see that the Northern Ireland agribusiness sector, which is vital to our economy, has a real opportunity for the future, but we need to embrace it. <BR /> <BR />The safeguards that we have been talking about, and the examples of democratic accountability that are built into the Bill and laid out in the clauses, allow the Assembly to have the final say in the changes. That is important because, unlike things such as the protocol legislation, which we will have no say in whatsoever, the Assembly will be able to look at the Bill as it comes through, modify any targets that are set and enable the Northern Ireland Executive to set the action plans. It gives us some real democratic accountability.”
“The reality is quite clear. The bulk of carbon reductions that we need to achieve has to come from transport, energy, manufacturing and housing, but we cannot get to a situation where we fundamentally damage our agribusiness while we do that. As a party, we recognise that and are trying to achieve it. <BR /> <BR />We also seek to see provisions made for the Departments of Agriculture and the Economy, which recently commissioned a study by Sir Peter Kendall on the future shape of the agribusiness sector in Northern Ireland. Most of that is to do with the protocol and how it reshapes itself. However, Peter Kendall talks clearly about the fact that agribusiness needs to be smarter. It is not necessarily about making it smaller, but smarter.”
“<BR /> <BR />The Assembly is aware that, elsewhere in our nation, there are moves to accelerate the timing of this target. While the difference between 2045 and 2050 may appear to be slight, it has to be recognised that it has exercised some of our farming community. Therefore, we expect to achieve the bulk of the necessary reductions well before 2045, as our entire nation moves to an electric economy. However, we need to help the farming industry transition as, according to the Ulster Farmers' Union, it intends to. We will propose amendments at Committee Stage to enshrine those reduced targets so that we do not significantly damage the agriculture business sector and allow it to transition effectively. <BR /> <BR />We seek to amend the date in clause 2(2) to read:”
“<BR /> <BR />As a party, our representatives and I have listened to the issues raised by the Ulster Farmers' Union, the Northern Ireland Meat Exporters Association, and the Grain Trade Association, among others. We have also listened intently to the conservation groups, many individual farmers, and, indeed, we have had input from the National Farmers' Union, which, I remind you, now seeks to achieve net zero carbon by 2040. On balance, we understand that the golden objective is to be in line with the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, as set out in the report by Lord Deben, dated 1 April, which outlines proposals for Northern Ireland to achieve at least an 82% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. I emphasise the words "at least".”
“Northern Ireland and the Assembly have a critical role. The reasoning for the Bill and its substantive 12 clauses is, first and foremost, to recognise that we are in a climate emergency and that we have little time to act. The Northern Ireland Executive and every Department should now take that fact as part of the future Programme for Government, and it should be factored in to all aspects of future outcomes and work strands. <BR /> <BR />Clauses 2 and 3 set a series of actions on the Executive to deliver and develop sectoral plans and targets. While much of our net carbon reduction can be achieved from the energy, transportation, manufacturing and housing sectors, there remains a considerable amount of comment and concern from sectors of our agriculture industry, as pointed out by the Chairman of the Agriculture Committee.”
“We have seen that the United States, the EU and our nation are seeking to accelerate carbon reduction targets. COP26 is likely to see an even greater emphasis. However, even if we meet these reduction targets, we will still struggle to avoid breaching a greater than 1·5°C increase by mid-century. The chances of us meeting that target are very low. <BR /> <BR />Eighteen of the past 20 years were recorded as the hottest since records began. The degradation of the tundra and across the polar regions and the increasing moves northwards of desertification should be plainly obvious to us all, except those who wilfully ignore the scientific evidence. It is regrettable that, even here in Northern Ireland, at this stage, some choose to ignore the facts of the situation that we now find ourselves in.”
“However, let us be very clear about this: this climate emergency is happening, and it is happening a lot faster than people think. If we think that, in 2050, we will still be arguing about various parts of agriculture here or, indeed, whether beef will be coming from Brazil, which may, in fact, be a desert by that stage, we need to wake up to the fact that we are in a very, very dangerous situation. <BR /> <BR />With those provisos, as outlined, the Bill seeks to bring Northern Ireland into line with the rest of our nation, particularly the provisions of the Climate Change Act 2008 and our national Government's commitment to a 78% carbon reduction target above the 1990s baseline by 2035, with an overall approach of bringing the United Kingdom as a whole to net zero carbon by 2050 at the latest.”
“We helped to fund the Met Office's Hadley Centre, which is designed specifically to research climate change and other areas. That organisation was full of people who were as sceptical as I was to begin with. We have heard many times that no models are predicting our climate well. That is not true. There are models that predicted what is happening right now. When I was due to give evidence at the IPCC and various other places, I was told not to use that evidence because it was so alarmist and that the speed of increases in heat and carbon dioxide emissions meant that we would never be able to reach the global targets that we must meet to prevent a climate catastrophe. <BR /> <BR />I do not want to be somebody who spends my time going around being a doom merchant. I believe in the future, and I believe in opportunity.”
“Furthermore, when in Baffin Island doing some research for the Ministry of Defence — I used to be one of the lead researchers on climate change in the Ministry of Defence, particularly what is happening in the Arctic — I saw at first hand the impact on the tundra and that the permafrost had gone. <BR /> <BR />Virtually every day now, we see increases in the impact of climate change. When we talk about a climate change emergency, there are very key reasons for that, but there is one piece of information for those who still do not think that this situation is occurring. Part of my job when I was at the Development, Concepts and Doctrine Centre — that is quite a mouthful — was that I headed up the global strategic trends programme.”
“I support the Second Stage of the Climate Change Bill. I will outline my support for its main provisions, coupled with amendments that our party may seek to append at Committee Stage. <BR /> <BR />First, this is a personal journey for me. It seems unlikely that somebody who comes from my background as a nuclear submarine captain is an eco-warrior, but I take you back to 1987, which was a long time ago. I was operating under the Arctic ice in areas where there was ice that had not shifted in 1,000 years. However, moving on to 2010, when I was back in the Arctic doing other work, that ice had gone. The 1,000-year ice has disappeared.”
“For clarification, that is "at least an 82% reduction" in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, from the Climate Change Committee report.”
“Thank you very much indeed, Mr Speaker. I thank the Minister for his remarks. I can assure the House that I will not be retiring from politics. Despite my demeanour today, I will fully enjoy continuing to hold Ministers and the system to account. <BR /> <BR />On that point, Minister, the Committee considered the Rates (Regional Rates) Order (Northern Ireland) 2021, and we agree and concur that, in order to provide the necessary stimulus for the Northern Ireland economy, it is very important that we maintain the rates holiday and allow it to happen. Freezing the rates as we have done is also appropriate, because we need to send a strong message across the entirety of Northern Ireland about coming out of COVID and how we will manage that. <BR /> <BR />On behalf of the Committee, we support the order.”
“I, too, wish the First Minister all the best in the future and all the rest of it. We might have had our differences, but we wish you all the best for the future. <BR /> <BR />The question is clear. The Ulster Unionist Party has put together several practical suggestions on how to deal with SPS and trading issues. Will the deputy First Minister and the First Minister commit to bringing all parties together to discuss the Ulster Unionist Party proposals, including with Maroš Šefcovic and the EU? Rather than talking over our heads, will they actually deal with the people of Northern Ireland, where these issues matter most?”
“We must grab the opportunities for things like fintech and other new emerging technologies. We can do that. <BR /> <BR />This is a time for hope. We should all look forward confidently together and do that in a manner in which we all work closely with one another. That is what the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement was all about: transforming Northern Ireland and getting ready for the future. <BR /> <BR />We can look back on all sorts of things and say that we did not want to see such things. I could use Her Majesty's words to express that. However, our most important task, as an Assembly and as politicians, is to look confidently to the future and the next 100 years. Let us make Northern Ireland work for everybody.”
“I asked them how they viewed Northern Ireland, and they said that they were very happy with the way it is. There are things wrong with Northern Ireland, but there are things wrong all over the place — with the Irish Republic, Europe and the United States. <BR /> <BR />When you sit back and think about it, Northern Ireland is not a bad place to be. We have so much opportunity, and we have the greatest natural resource of all: our people. Yes, our people need to be looked after. We need a proper health service, which we are trying to build, and an education system that educates our children together rather than separately. We need an economy based on the future, which deals with the challenges that we will face as a result of climate change and other issues.”
“I thank Mr Allister for bringing this Matter of the Day to the Assembly. <BR /> <BR />Today marks the first day of our next century. It should be a century of pride, because we can take a lot of pride in what we have achieved. There is a lot to commemorate and to reflect on. <BR /> <BR />Yesterday, I spent the morning at a church service, which was quite remarkable in that it was led by someone from what I call the "new Northern Ireland". The minister is from Scandinavia, and she sees herself very much as part of this new Northern Ireland. The music director — I declare an interest here — was my wife, and she is American. The whole church service was not about fear or anything like that. It was about hope for the future. It was interesting to speak to some of the younger people who were at the service.”
“I declare my interest as Chair of the all-party group on ethnic minority community. As legislative time is short, one of the things that we encourage the Justice Minister to do is to get hate crime legislation across the board and in place as quickly as possible. Will you join with me in asking the Justice Minister to make that happen? It is very important.”
“We have the opportunity to show, in the strongest possible terms, our commitment to stamping out the racist scourge of antisemitism.”
“Indeed I do. It is very clear that the vast majority of Jewish organisations, and those people who want to see the scourge of antisemitism removed, do support that definition. That is why it is so important to have it. <BR /> <BR />The Assembly can and must recognise that the attacks on our Jewish community, and all our other minority communities, are hate crimes. As such, they must be dealt with forcefully and with the full weight of the law. We must also recognise, however, that there is something particularly invidious about antisemitism that calls for wider action. That is why we must demonstrate that we, as an elected body, will not tolerate this blight on our society and show solidarity with our and the wider Jewish community by adopting the aforementioned IHRA definition.”
“Those principles have been adopted by our own nation, including by the Scottish Parliament and the Welsh Parliament, and by 29 other nations, including the United States, France and, most tellingly, Germany, but unfortunately not by the Republic of Ireland.”
“Three quarters of a century later, the fact that some still question the Holocaust and the extent of its genocidal intent goes to show just how far we still have to travel. <BR /> <BR />To counter anti-Jewish rhetoric and Holocaust denial, the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance called for international and domestic institutions to adopt a set of underlying principles. Those principles call on us to adopt the non-binding view:”
“Many will be aware that, in recent years, there have been attempts to conflate the identity and religion of the Jewish people and the state of Israel. Although there are many views on Israel — we have heard some here today — and it would be disingenuous of me to say anything other than that I fully support the right of the Israeli state to exist, for others to say that the motion is in some way pro-Israel or supportive of any the policies of the current Israeli Government is just another attempt to disguise the very real problem of antisemitism that exists and that, regrettably, is so visibly manifest in Belfast and beyond. <BR /> <BR />There is also a rise in what are clearly attempts at historical revisionism, coupled with downright denial of facts of history.”
“<BR /> <BR />The Jewish community here also has a strong connection to Israel and its proud history, with Chaim Herzog, the sixth president of Israel, being born in Belfast in 1918. It should be a point of pride for all of us that such a historic figure came from Belfast, but the mere fact that a commemorative plaque cannot be erected in the vicinity of his birthplace without being attacked, that the synagogue for our small Jewish community has been daubed with hate-driven and racist symbols and that the language of antisemitism seems to be pervasive among some shows that there is a real need to recognise that action must be taken.”
“I rise to add my support and that of my party to the motion and our opposition to the amendment. As a declaration of interest, I state that our party has also a motion in the system on the recognition of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance's working definition of antisemitism. <BR /> <BR />At the outset, I would like us all to condemn the disgraceful antisemitic attacks on the historic Jewish graveyard at the City Cemetery in Belfast. That was not the first attack on that hallowed ground of our Jewish community. It is just one of the many examples of hate crimes perpetrated on our friends across that old, established and proud community, a community that has made a huge contribution to life in Northern Ireland culturally, societally and in business and adds significantly to the richness and diversity of life here for us all.”
“If he takes our new resource baseline and adds to the carry-over plus the Chancellor's statement and the Barnett health consequential money and then subtracts the COVID allocations, the anticipated in-year monitoring and the centrally held funds, what is he left with? We consider that it will probably be about £100 million of unallocated money. Can the Minister say whether that money could be used to pay for the victims' pension scheme without having to top-slice departmental budgets? <BR /> <BR />Finally, I notice, Minister, that you said that you will bring the Budget back to us later this month. I do not think that we will be able to do it in the month of April. I do not think that that will happen somehow.”
“<BR /> <BR />The accompanying final Budget document makes repeated references to the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and his apparent failure to sign off on some of the much-needed allocations that I have just mentioned. Minister, why has the Secretary of State declined to sign off on those allocations? Is it linked to the continuing issues relating to the victims' pension scheme, or are there other issues? Will the Minister advise on the way forward for those areas of expenditure that have not yet been agreed, including certain aspects of New Decade, New Approach; pay, transformation and transport; growth deals, particularly for the Mid South West and Causeway Coast and Glens; and the excess on confidence-and-supply money? <BR /> <BR />Will the Minister do some analysis for the Assembly?”
“I thank the Minister for his oral statement and for the previous written statements and the correspondence to the Committee on the 2021-22 Budget. The Committee will welcome the £13 billion of budgeted resource spending, including £450 million of COVID money for Health plus around £500 million for business support and economic recovery measures. Members will welcome the £687·4 million in anticipated in-year allocations, including, it appears, money to address some of the PSNI's staffing issues. Members will also welcome the £1·7 billion of capital spending, including a somewhat larger than expected RRI figure, and it is good to see that we are spending the money that is, indeed, available to us.”
“I thank the Minister for her answer. I am sure that she is as confused as I am by what the MP for South Antrim said. <BR /> <BR />Given representations from the council, councillors and many elected representatives across the entire region, not just south Antrim, will the Minister confirm the continued opposition to the Hightown incinerator, to which many, including me, have referred to as "RHI 2"? We want this incinerator planning brought to a conclusion rapidly so that we can bin this ridiculous project.”
“Has a detailed assessment been made of the voluntary exit scheme's impact on Civil Service vacancies so that we can look closely at its impact on efficiency and whether there is a read-across to the current vacancy problem?”
“It is a question, Mr Speaker. I am sure that you will grant me this short indulgence. <BR /> <BR />There are indications that there is the potential for top-slicing the various Departments' budgets. Our concern is that, as per a commitment in New Decade, New Approach (NDNA), the Health budget is supposed to be ring-fenced. By my calculations, a considerable amount, maybe as much as between £35 million and £40 million, would be taken out of the Health budget. Bearing in mind that we are trying to get out of COVID, and particularly the implications that it has had for waiting lists, I would like the Minister to state whether that is the proposed course of action that he is likely to take.”
“<BR /> <BR />From the Minister's written statements on the 2020-21 allocations and the 2021-22 Budget, it would appear that there is still no explicit provision for the victims' pension scheme, better known as the Troubles permanent disablement payment scheme. The actuary's report shows that the cost would be £19 million in 2021-22, rising to perhaps £70 million in subsequent years. Can the Minister explain how these costs will be funded, given that the courts have ruled that the Executive are obliged to make the relevant provisions? <BR /> <BR />I would like to make a few remarks as the Ulster Unionist Party's finance spokesperson, particularly on the victims' pension scheme.”
“I particularly note the £231·6 million, Minister, and thank you for making the correction before the House. <BR /> <BR />It has been difficult for Departments to spend those large quantities of money in relatively short timescales while ensuring appropriate governance and robust adherence to the rules. The extent to which it has been successful is not yet entirely clear and will continue to be scrutinised by all the Statutory Committees. Will the Minister clarify the total amount of resource and capital that he expects to be carried forward from 2020-21 to 2021-22, assuming that Departments meet their commitments?”
“I thank the Minister for his oral statement and for previous written ministerial statements and correspondence to the Committee in respect of the 2020-21 allocations. I think that the Committee — looking around me, most of its members are here — will welcome the fact that all the resources and most of the capital for 2020-21 appear to have been spent before the end of the financial year. <BR /> <BR />Members will, I think, also welcome the targeted support for the health service in extra PPE and, particularly, the bonus award for our much-valued and important staff; for our teaching professionals, who have done an equally outstanding job; and for the significant sums made available to hard-pressed local businesses as we emerge from the pandemic and start to tackle the economic consequences of COVID-19.”
“The Chair of the Seanad Special Select Committee on the Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union said recently that the protocol damages the Belfast Agreement. Does the First Minister believe that any political party in Northern Ireland can no longer call for its rigorous implementation because it is indeed so damaging to Northern Ireland?”
“I thank the Minister for her comments. Obviously, the tourism and hospitality sector is vital in Northern Ireland. As the successful vaccination programme rolls out, there is a great opportunity for staycations in Northern Ireland and an ability for this place to be used as a destination for people across these islands. We can really push our economy to do that. Will the Minister outline any plans that she has for the promotion of Northern Ireland, in our centenary year, as a great place to visit if we are going to be sticking to staycations?”
“I thank the Minister very much for her comments so far, and, indeed, I welcome the remarks made by the deputy First Minister about HRH Prince Philip, which were much respected by our community and, indeed, across Northern Ireland. In view of that, in the spirit of reconciliation, can she and her party not see a way forward to agreeing to having even just a centenary stone here in the grounds of Stormont? Agreeing to that would say just as much.”