Declan Kearney
South Antrim · Sinn Féin · Northern Ireland
“The 'good jobs' Bill is designed to benefit every single worker across this society, regardless of background. It is not anti-business. It is about growing economic productivity and enhancing employment and workers' rights.”
“The rhetoric around proper scrutiny is a complete red herring; it is an attempt by the DUP to run down the clock in relation to the mandate. Why is that? What is the DUP afraid of? Why is it vetoing the 'good jobs' Bill?”
“The fallout from Brexit is a reality that is being felt hard by workers and families across the North daily, and that is illustrated in evidence sessions that we have received in the Economy Committee. In one, we learned that our electricity bills here are now higher as a result of Brexit.”
“Catastrophic, kamikaze economics, politically toxic — there is no other way to describe the Brexit debacle. Yet, 10 years on, those in the Chamber who continue to cheerlead are burying their heads in the sand.”
“The fact is that Brexit has brought a positive focus to the democratic logic of self-determination and constitutional change in Ireland. There is a way to remove the negative and enduring legacy of Brexit. Irish unity provides that option. Therefore, it is time to widen participation in the debate.”
“Minister, do you agree that the discrimination in employment and the political vetting that have been practised in this state for so long, and actively supported by some Members, have no place in today's society, and that appointment to government boards should be open to all sections of society, including such citizens as Peter Lynch?”
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“Finally, all the Sinn Féin MPs, alongside their SDLP and Alliance Party MP colleagues, have written to the Minister, asking to her refuse this application and urging the avoidance of a future costly error. Today, a LeasCheann Comhairle, agus a Aire, I make the same request on behalf of my local constituents. Impím ortsa, agus impím ar an Aire éisteacht le glór an phobail áitiúil. Minister, do not bow to the aggressive commercial interests behind this proposal. Listen to the people of South Antrim and North Belfast. Listen to our rural dwellers and the urban population of Hightown and Mallusk. Minister, finish your assessment of this application, alongside your officials, as is appropriate, and then refuse the planning application.”
“A lack of transparency has surrounded the procurement process. I am deeply concerned that aggressive commercial interests are driving the proposal, the only outcome of which is to give primacy to private profit over wider public good, with the cost to be carried by local ratepayers.”
“Real safety and environmental concerns apply to the impact on the natural ecosystem of the Belfast hills and the natural habitat of the surrounding countryside. It is notable that the Planning Appeals Commission (PAC) has recorded significant concerns, including issues pertaining to visual impact. None of those fears has been allayed. Arc21 persists with that agenda. Worse still, seven years on, local people live with uncertainty about the project emerging, literally, in their backyards and back fields. <BR /> <BR />Secondly, as well as advocating for the interests of my constituents, I too harbour a deeper concern about the driving interests behind the project. It is the largest public-sector procurement project in the history of the region. No independent assessment of the business case has been considered.”
“The overwhelming view of local people is that they do not want the incinerator to be put on to the Belfast hills. That is the feeling of residents in Hollybrook, Mayfield, Alderley, Aylesbury, Blackrock, Dermont and Anna's Grove and of the farming families in the Belfast hills. They all feel the same. Last week, as I engaged with residents on their doorsteps — constituents in the immediate vicinity — the issue was raised. People asked where the incinerator situation was and what the outcome of the issue was going to be. <BR /> <BR />All of us — residents and I, as a local representative — fear for the health and well-being of the wider community and fear the ramifications that will flow from the proposal if it is approved.”
“Éirím i mo sheasamh chun cainte inniu chan mar Aire ach mar Chomhalta tofa don cheantar. I speak not as a Minister but alongside my colleagues as a constituency MLA. I am pleased to address the issue and thank Steve Aiken for securing the debate and putting a spotlight on this egregious issue. Gabhaim buíochas don Aire féin as ucht a haird a dhíriú ar an ábhar agus as a bheith anseo don díospóireacht tráthnóna. <BR /> <BR />I want to make three points. First, this is a highly controversial issue in South Antrim and neighbouring North Belfast. Since the outset of the project in 2014, popular opposition has grown. I echo the remarks of Steve Aiken and Pam Cameron by extending my appreciation to the No-ARC21 campaign group, which embarked upon and led a commendable community-led campaign of opposition to the proposal.”
“— has much more surety on multi-year funding, rather than being part of an annual cycle.”
“The match funding was confirmed in February, and, as a result, the Communities in Transition project is set to receive an additional contribution of £10 million over three years to support delivery of the next phase of the project, from April 2021 to March 2024. Although this sum falls short of the initial bid of £12 million, which was made to support delivery, it is a positive development that the project —”
“Funding for the Communities in Transition project, which is part of the Executive's tackling paramilitary activity, criminality and organised crime programme, was due to end in March 2021. During the first phase of delivery, from November 2019 to March 2021, the project had a budget of £8·5 million, which has had a significant impact in communities, from helping to establish community safety fora to re-imaging murals. <BR /> <BR />In July 2020, the Executive committed, subject to budget availability and match-funding support, to extending the programme for a further three years to March 2024.”
“I thank the Member for his question. After some very disappointing and erroneous reporting about the Communities in Transition project, I welcome this timely opportunity to remind Members and the public what this important project aims to achieve. <BR /> <BR />Communities in Transition is about helping communities to break free from the grip of paramilitarism. It is designed and delivered to empower and support those in communities that have been negatively affected by paramilitarism, criminality and ongoing coercive control to bring about positive change. In stark contrast to one unhelpful and grossly inaccurate media report, it is not designed to assist paramilitary and criminal organisations to become community organisations. Any such suggestion is an insult to those working to support communities on the ground.”
“We are moving into a pre-market consultation. There will then be a new round of public procurement for organisations to participate in under phase 2. All the appropriate rules and regulations on good governance and public procurement will apply at that stage.”
“The indications of the evaluation to date are that that has been the case in relation to phase 1 of Communities in Transition.”
“Go raibh maith agat as ucht an cheist sin a chur. I thank the Member for her question. I think the Member knows well that the issues that we face are integrated and that poverty is an integral part of this society. Poverty breeds disenchantment and alienation, and that creates the circumstances where paramilitary organisations and criminal gangs can seek to manipulate young people. We need a holistic approach. I believe that, thus far in phase 1, we have seen that type of integrated approach taken forward. When we are responsible for the allocation of public moneys, it is essential that, at all stages, we ensure that the funding is targeted where it is most required, on the basis of objective need, and that we get value for money.”
“I thank the Member for his question. I will not take lectures from him or his ilk on these matters. My credentials in relation to standing up against paramilitarism, organised crime, criminality, sectarianism and intolerance in this society are beyond dispute. I assure the House that I will continue to provide that type of leadership when others in the House — perhaps as I look towards the Member in question — fail in their responsibility to provide unambiguous leadership for the future”
“I thank the Member for his question. Listen carefully to what I said: we need to speak with one consistent, united voice in our opposition to all forms of violence, terror, paramilitarism, criminality and organised crime in our society. Having listened to the Member speak on many occasions, I am sure that we are at one in that ambition and responsibility. Sinn Féin will not be found wanting in our responsibility, along with Executive colleagues, for taking that agenda forward and ensuring that the anti-paramilitarism programme, which we have responsibility for seeing delivered, is effectively delivered and becomes a foundation stone for a stable, functioning society with good politics at its heart and proper power-sharing.”
“That will be found through the full implementation of the Good Friday Agreement and, as I said earlier, all of our parties on the Executive working together in concert and in lockstep.”
“There should be no ambiguity whatever on that issue. They must be brought before the courts, made amenable and held to account, because they are enemies of our peace process. Making politics is key to building a future free from paramilitarism, criminality, organised crime and the influence of those narco gangs. We are at a point, and there is a choice to make between a race to the bottom or a peaceful, democratic, political way forward and safer communities.”
“Gabhaim buíochas leis an Chomhalta as ucht a ceiste. It complements the question posed by the previous Member. I absolutely agree that, 23 years after the Good Friday Agreement, there can be no place in this society for paramilitary groups, criminality, organised crime groups or narco gangs. They neither care for nor offer any type of future. The manipulation of young people that we see and the destructive violence that is used, which has very serious potential implications for life and safety in our society, must all be removed. Like sectarianism and all forms of bigotry and intolerance, those elements are a cancer in our society. <BR /> <BR />I have a clear message, and I echo what I said in response to Mr Stewart: those involved in violence, criminal damage, manipulation of our young people and attacks on the PSNI must now stop.”
“We, as an Executive, must bend our collective efforts to ensuring that the programme is effective in and of itself and delivers the desired results but also that, through political leadership across all five parties that are members of our Executive, we speak with one voice — beimid ag caint d’aon ghuth — in our absolute and unequivocal opposition to any further violence against police officers or any other public servants in our society.”
“I thank the Member for his question. I dispute the point about paying off paramilitaries to make them go out of existence. That is not a correct characterisation of the work of the programme. However, I absolutely agree with the Member's condemnation of the attack on the police officer and his family in Larne, in his constituency. I also associate myself with condemnation of the attack on the police officer and her family in Dungiven just previous to that. There is no room, scope or role for paramilitary or organised crime gangs in this society. They are the antithesis of what we need to see in developing a united, shared community.”
“The Executive have agreed to a further phase of the wider tackling paramilitary activity, criminality and organised crime programme, to be delivered until March 2024. The Communities in Transition project will be a significant part of the community-facing element of the programme in phase 2. <BR /> <BR />It should also be noted that the Communities in Transition project is only one of many interventions that are being funded as part of the tackling paramilitarism programme, which includes policing responses and focused youth interventions amongst other things. A lasting impact, however, will be achieved only when all parts of the programme operate in partnership.”
“Action B4 is known as the Communities in Transition project, and phase 1 has seen contracts awarded for delivery of over 30 individual projects and two regional programmes across eight areas of focus. A mid-term evaluation of implementation so far has been completed that shows that a significant amount of good work has emerged through the project to date.”
“The first phase of the cross-Executive action plan on tackling paramilitary activity, criminality and organised crime ended on 31 March 2021, and the Executive Office has lead responsibility for delivering actions B1 to B4 of that plan. Actions B1 to B3 relate to the reintegration of those with conflict-related convictions who have identified obstacles to employment, financial services and travel, among other things. Good progress has been made, including adoption of the employers' guidance on 'Recruiting People with Conflict-related Convictions' by the Civil Service. Work continues to improve access to financial services and international travel.”
“I commend the regulations to the Assembly.”
“Coming into operation from 12 April, it allowed: click-and-collect services for all non-essential retail; the opening of outdoor retail, including car dealerships, car washes, garden centres and plant nurseries; the viewing of venues used for weddings or civil partnerships by up to four visitors, accompanied by one staff member; the removal of the "stay at home" requirement; outdoor sporting events for up to 15 people for the purpose of training, organised by a club, individual or individuals affiliated, in each case, to a relevant sporting body or organisation; the removal of the 25-person limit for attending funerals, marriage and civil partnership ceremonies; and, lastly, up to 10 people from two households to meet outside at a private dwelling. <BR /> <BR />Molaim an rún agus na rialacha don Tionól.”
“It does, however, now provide operators of a passenger transport service, their employees and their agents with the power to enforce the legislation. <BR /> <BR />Arís eile: níl athrú ar bith air seo ó thaobh polasaí de. <BR /> <BR />Again, this is not a policy change. Operators of passenger transport services had already been designated as relevant persons with identical powers under the Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (No. 2) Regulations. Those powers are now in the Health Protection (Coronavirus, Wearing of Face Coverings) (Amendment) Regulations instead. <BR /> <BR />I now move on to the fifth and final statutory rule, SR 97. This is the first amendment to the newly consolidated Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) Regulations 2021.”
“Instead, SR 96, which is before the Assembly today, amended the Health Protection (Coronavirus, Wearing of Face Coverings) (Amendment) Regulations to include those existing face-coverings provisions in relation to places of worship and close-contact services. This rule was also the first amendment to the Health Protection (Coronavirus, Wearing of Face Coverings) (Amendment) Regulations 2021. It was made on 8 April and came into operation on 9 April 2021. It required people to wear a face covering whilst inside a church or other premises where beliefs are practised and where they are providing or receiving a close-contact service. <BR /> <BR />For eagle-eyed Members, I point out that, while the wording has changed slightly in this piece of legislation, it is a matter of drafting and does not reflect any change of policy.”
“<BR /> <BR />The third SR that we are debating is SR 93 of the Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) Regulations. This rule made no policy change to the regulations; it only consolidated the restrictions regulations as they stood on 8 April 2021. This consolidation created a clear and accessible set of regulations that can be more easily amended in the coming weeks and months as further relaxations are agreed by the Executive. This rule also marks the start of the set of new principal regulations and revokes the Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (No. 2) Regulations, which were made in July 2020, and all subsequent amendments to them in 2020 and 2021. <BR /> <BR />Some face-covering provisions previously in the Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (No. 2) Regulations were not included in that new consolidation.”
“We ask Members to note here that there were no policy changes to the level of fines in that correction. From 1 April, the SR allowed up to six people from two households to meet outdoors in a private dwelling and up to 10 people from two households to exercise together outdoors. It extended the list of non-essential retail allowed to operate click-and-collect services to include garden centres and plant nurseries. <BR /> <BR />SR 91 made amendment No 7 to the Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (No. 2) Regulations 2021 on 31 March. It came into operation on 1 April and allowed up to 10 people from two households to take part in outdoor sport, including exercise or training, and indoor toilet facilities in sports or exercise facilities to open for those participating in an outdoor sport.”
“Mr Principal Deputy Speaker, with your permission and especially given the number of regulations that we are dealing with, I will focus my remarks exclusively on those at the centre of today's debate. <BR /> <BR />First, SR 71 makes the sixth amendment to the 2021 (No. 2) restrictions regulations. Made on 24 March, it allowed for a number of relaxations and technical amendments to correct the legislation. From 25 March 2021, it allowed professional sporting leagues or competitions to take place where they had already commenced after 18 December 2020. It also amended the next formal review date for the regulations to 15 April 2021, removed the expiry date of the regulations, which had been 31 March 2021, and corrected a technical drafting error on the level of fines and fixed penalty notices for certain offences.”
“Junior Minister Lyons and I are bringing forward four statutory rules, Nos 71, 91, 93 and 97, that amend the Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) Regulations. De ghnáth pléitear na leasuithe le comhaltaí in ord na n-uimhreacha de réir mar atá siad leagtha. We normally take Members through the amendments by number. This morning, we will be taking through the amendments made between the principal regulations, namely the Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (No. 2) Regulations, and the new set, which commenced on 9 April 2021. We are also bringing forward one statutory rule, No 96, that amends the Health Protection (Coronavirus, Wearing of Face Coverings) Regulations. To try to make it a bit simpler for us and for Members, we will move through the amendments in order of their SR number.”
“We have an opportunity, colleagues, to make real and lasting change. With support from our Executive Ministers, Members, Departments and the wider community, I believe that we will be able to do that together. Mar sin de, go mboga muid chun tosaigh le chéile.”
“We who hold political office should take inspiration from our young people. Our priority must be to build bridges towards a better future where our young people can truly flourish. Standing still is not an option; that would be an abdication of our shared political and civic responsibility to our children and young people. We should ensure that our young people are liberated by the decisions that we make and can enjoy the benefits of living in a united community devoid of sectarianism, intolerance and segregation. <BR /> <BR />In conclusion, T:BUC is a shining example of how we can create positive engagement around identities, cultures and traditions for the common good. We hope to develop that collective spirit, as the full Executive consider the work on the FICT report.”
“The event was another reminder to me that each new generation can bring different perspectives to the challenges that we face.”
“We can be very proud of the progress made to date. Since coming into office, I have closely engaged with participants in local groups involved in the delivery of the T:BUC programmes. Last Tuesday night, alongside junior Minister Lyons, I was genuinely privileged to attend an online shared learning event hosted by young people from the good relations ambassadors programme. The programme is funded by the T:BUC strategy and is delivered collaboratively by officials in the Executive Office alongside other partners. In today's debate, some Members referenced our young people. Those young people, from all sorts of backgrounds — built-up areas, rural areas and all parts of the Six Counties — provided an inspirational account of their shared experiences of working together.”
“The T:BUC work enshrines a framework for government action in tackling sectarianism, racism and other forms of intolerance while seeking to address division and sectarian segregation. The Executive fund seven headline actions in the strategy along with a number of good relations programmes and initiatives and — I refer to comments made by some Members — actions to support our ethnic minorities.”
“We intend that the work on mapping a way forward in relation to the FICT report will also link into that wider agenda. On a recommitment to reconciliation, peace and stability, I reassure all Members of our continuing commitment to those aims, agus tá mé fein tiomanta agus lántiomanta do na cuspóirí sin. As I mentioned, the work of the commission and the FICT report are inextricably linked to the work on strategies at the heart of the Programme for Government, the Office of Identity and Cultural Expression and NDNA. <BR /> <BR />In closing, I refer to another important strategy that I touched on at the outset. As Members know, the Together: Building a United Community or T:BUC strategy reflects the Executive's commitment to improving community relations and continuing the journey towards a more united and shared society.”
“<BR /> <BR />Members have also spoken more widely of their wish to see the Executive honour the commitments in 'New Decade, New Approach' on the establishment of the Office of Identity and Cultural Expression in terms of funding and their wish for us to recommit to reconciliation, peace and stability. I welcome that emphasis from the Members who addressed those points. Be assured that we are committed to the development and implementation of the rights, language and identity proposals contained in 'New Decade, New Approach' go huile is go hiomlán. That includes arrangements to progress, during the current mandate, the NI Act 1998 (Amendment No. 1) Bill, which provides for the creation of the Office of Identity and Cultural Expression.”
“That extends to include initial engagement with our full Executive later this week and the subsequent development of a detailed work plan, including resource and funding implications. Steps will also include engagement with the joint chairs and all relevant Departments. The working group also discussed issues around publication of the report, and, subject to any emerging pressures, we plan to deliver on the totality of that work over the coming months. The proposed way forward will also link closely to the ongoing work on a revised Programme for Government.”
“There needs to be collective leadership from us all in that regard. The scope of the work of the commission and the cross-cutting nature of the report are such that support and leadership will be required in a number of areas for us to make progress. Organisations, public bodies and the wider community will all need to take responsibility and show leadership in how we go forward. <BR /> <BR />I mentioned that a working group had been set up to consider how to progress issues arising from the FICT report. The Members' motion raises the issue of publication and the need to bring recommendations from the report forward for the Executive to review. I can confirm that the first meeting of the working group took place last Thursday, 18 March. The meeting was very productive, and discussion focused on a proposed road map.”
“The extensive list of outcomes sought by the commission that I mentioned should leave us in no doubt of the scope and ambition of the FICT process, but we should all be realistic. It is inevitable that, at the conclusion of any such process, the challenges will remain. While the report could never have been expected to provide the solution to all the issues and challenges that it considered, it will, nevertheless, provide us with avenues of progress for many of them. <BR /> <BR />Real change in any of these complex and challenging issues will be achieved only when all parties represented in the House show the necessary leadership and commitment to that change, and it is in that context that I absolutely agree with the wording of the motion when it states that decisions on the implementation of the report should be made by the Executive.”
“However, Minister Lyons and I, supporting the joint First Ministers, are committed to working with Executive colleagues to take this important work forward. <BR /> <BR />As part of its work, the commission considered some of our most complex societal issues with impacts across many aspects of our daily lives. As Members know, many of those issues have been with us for generations. Tá siad linn leis na glúnta, ó chuaigh an saol ar suíochán. They were with us then and remain with us today. The report has the potential to provide us with pathways to make progress, potentially, on a number of those core issues. However, I repeat that we should remember that no single report, publication, policy or strategy could hope to provide conclusive solutions to all the long-standing issues.”
“To do that, we must focus on the principles that seek to address the causes of those issues rather than the potential ways to manage them. I agree with many Members: I suggest that commitment to the principles of equality, parity of esteem and respect and an absolute commitment against any forms of intolerance are essential to creating the environment for change. It is collective leadership on those issues and principles that will foster an environment in which the FICT report can flourish. <BR /> <BR />The multifaceted challenges that have arisen from the ongoing pandemic have been unprecedented in many ways. That has, in fact, impacted on our consideration of the progression of the report. Our priority — all Members will agree with me on this — must be constantly to keep people safe and save lives.”
“After that series of meetings, it was agreed that the next steps should be to convene a working group to consider the issues discussed in more detail and to agree on a way forward in relation to the report itself. I will talk about the working group in more detail later. <BR /> <BR />Before I do so, it is important that we acknowledge the context that surrounds the issues that we are discussing today. The commission did important work. However, it is plain that the wider societal issues relating to flags, identity, culture and tradition are bigger than the FICT report or any other report. That was reflected in earlier contributions today. Those issues can be understood and advanced only if we look at them across the board and at every level in society. Mar tá siad uile go léir fite fuaite ina chéile.”
“It is important to emphasise the commission's inclusive make-up, albeit, as Mr Beattie highlighted, that only one female sat on it. All parties were involved in the commission's work, and all parties have a stake in the resulting report and the recommendations that have been made. It is also important to recognise the key role played by the commission's independent members. They provided critical input from the wider community beyond politics. Their contribution undoubtedly added value to the commission's work and report. <BR /> <BR />Junior Minister Lyons and I met the commission's joint chairs in October 2020. We also met officials in our Department in September 2020 and again in January 2021 to consider the next steps.”
“Further, the commission sought to maximise opportunities to achieve significant reductions in manifestations and levels of hate crime; to develop a society that can seek to identify areas of commonality and have constructive debate around where the challenges remain; and to maximise the opportunities to promote the benefits of diversity and cultural expression in our society. <BR /> <BR />The commission was cognisant of 'New Decade, New Approach' in concluding its work, and it provided its final report on 17 July 2020. I take the opportunity to thank the joint chairs, Professor Dominic Bryan and Neville Armstrong, and all the other commission members, both lay members and party-political representatives. They all — each one of them — deserve credit for the work that they have done.”
“The role of the commission in that regard was to consult established and new elements of the community — reference was made earlier in the debate to newcomers to this place — identify key areas of commonality as well as difference and encourage shared learning, active listening and understanding in a meaningful way across our traditional boundaries. <BR /> <BR />The work of the commission aimed to contribute to a number of shared outcomes. They included the development of an open, tolerant and mutually respectful society; the development of a shared identity that relies on its mutual interdependencies and seeks to identify areas of common value; and an improved approach to dealing with contested displays and expressions of identity.”
“We have done that with other recent challenges, such as the pandemic, or on successful initiatives such as Together: Building a United Community. We need to do it again with FICT. <BR /> <BR />The commitment to establish the FICT commission formed part of the Stormont House Agreement and the subsequent Fresh Start Agreement. The commission consisted of 15 members, seven of whom were nominees appointed by the leaders of the five main political parties that sit on our Executive. The remaining eight members were drawn from outside government through an open competition. <BR /> <BR />To remind Members, the main objectives of the commission were:”
“Go raibh maith agat, a Cheann Comhairle. Thank you, Mr Speaker. Cuirimse fáilte roimh an díospóireacht seo ar thuarascáil an Choimisiúin ar Bhrathacha, Féiniúlacht, Cultúr agus Traidisiún. Tuigim go maith gur ábhair dhúshlánacha iad seo go léir. I am grateful, however, to be afforded the opportunity to respond to the motion and amendment tabled by Members of the Alliance Party and the SDLP on the current position of the Commission on Flags, Identity, Culture and Tradition. <BR /> <BR />I begin by acknowledging that any discussion on the issues brings with it a number of perspectives and views, and that has been reflected throughout the debate. We should not underestimate the challenges involved, nor should we shy away from those challenges. We must all work to create common ground.”
“In common with other Governments, we are deeply concerned about reports of the treatment of the Uighur and Kazakh populations. We believe that we are in a position to share our unique experience of how building an accountable political and democratic system is good for business and society.”
“Foreign policy is not a devolved matter. The function of the bureau in China is to strengthen our relationship with central and provincial governments and the people of China to increase trade, tourism and educational opportunities. It is not a political office, so no direct representations have been made by the bureau to the Chinese Government. <BR /> <BR />However, as an Executive, we have a responsibility when it comes to how we engage on the world stage and with our international partners in promoting the values and rights that are important to our democratic systems.”