Alan Chambers
North Down · Ulster Unionist Party · Northern Ireland
“<BR /> <BR />A relatively recent piece of important character that was added to the village some years ago was the addition of a number of trees along Main Street.”
“It is my pleasure and privilege to present a petition signed by more than 1,500 people calling on the Department for Infrastructure to drop plans to chop down a number of mature street trees in Main Street, Groomsport. <BR /> <BR />Groomsport is a beautiful village with a strong community spirit.”
“Indeed, in the past week, it has been adjudged to be the best-kept town on the island of Ireland. It has many outstanding characteristics, including three lovely beaches with clean and pollution-free bathing water; a well-sheltered harbour that is reputed to have been first constructed by the Vikings; a modern children's playground; and t…”
“Minister, I sent a question for written answer in May 2025. You told me that your officials had identified a problem on the A48 in November 2024 and that a works order had been issued.”
“The Department's approach to the problem, however, has been to fire up the chainsaws. That is a shameful and unacceptably lazy plan. There are many engineering solutions that do not involve such crude environmental vandalism. Government policy, rather than to chop down healthy mature specimens, is to encourage more tree planting.”
“For many, the ability to start or grow a family is a major priority; for others, it is not a priority at all. When fertility problems stand in the way of that dream, the emotional toll can be immense. There has already been reference to the commitment in NDNA, which was one reason why my party very much welcomed that agreement.”
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“Minister, I sent a question for written answer in May 2025. You told me that your officials had identified a problem on the A48 in November 2024 and that a works order had been issued. In March 2026, I reminded you that that work had not been carried out, and you told me that a work instruction had been overlooked and that, since it was weather-dependent, you could not give me a date but that the contractor would prioritise it. We are now coming into July 2026, and the work still has not been carried out. Is that a typical case, Minister?”
“Minister, I know that you fully agree that social workers perform an incredibly important and challenging role, especially those working in children's services. Will you provide an update on the number of such staff in post and how that has improved recently?”
“The Department's approach to the problem, however, has been to fire up the chainsaws. That is a shameful and unacceptably lazy plan. There are many engineering solutions that do not involve such crude environmental vandalism. Government policy, rather than to chop down healthy mature specimens, is to encourage more tree planting. The petition's message is clear:”
“<BR /> <BR />A relatively recent piece of important character that was added to the village some years ago was the addition of a number of trees along Main Street. The variety of tree planted was chosen after great thought had gone into finding a member of the maple tree family that was considered to be best suited to withstand the storms and conditions that proximity to the sea can bring. They have matured into healthy trees that give the village a continental feel, especially when the sun shines. <BR /> <BR />In the past five years, the Department has received a few complaints about damage to footpaths that is allegedly caused by the trees' roots. One householder has raised concerns that the tree closest to their home is causing dampness to their property. That will have to be fully investigated.”
“Indeed, in the past week, it has been adjudged to be the best-kept town on the island of Ireland. It has many outstanding characteristics, including three lovely beaches with clean and pollution-free bathing water; a well-sheltered harbour that is reputed to have been first constructed by the Vikings; a modern children's playground; and tennis courts. Many years ago, the community ensured that two remaining fishermen's cottages with thatched roofs were spared the demolition ball. They are now a tourist attraction that has displays of old artefacts of the period and hosts community activities during the summer months. The village is a haven for water sports, birdwatching, recreational walks and as a place to simply relax.”
“It is my pleasure and privilege to present a petition signed by more than 1,500 people calling on the Department for Infrastructure to drop plans to chop down a number of mature street trees in Main Street, Groomsport. <BR /> <BR />Groomsport is a beautiful village with a strong community spirit. It is a perfect place to live, work or visit. It has two busy community groups that have volunteers out and about in the village, weekly, carrying out litter picks and tasks such as clearing weeds. <BR /> <BR />The original Irish name for Groomsport meant "the port of the gloomy servant". It is now anything but gloomy. It is a bright and welcoming seaside resort; a vibrant village that regularly comes out on top in best-kept village competitions and has had many successes in Ulster in Bloom inspections.”
“That would be a good outcome and very welcome, but, given the failure of the Executive to agree a Budget and the well-known financial pressures being experienced by the Department of Health, can it be achieved without dropping or reducing some other services? I am sure that the Minister will address that point. <BR /> <BR />Ultimately, fertility treatment should not be viewed as a luxury or an optional extra. For many families, it represents hope and the chance to realise deeply held aspirations. While significant challenges remain, it is right to acknowledge the progress that has been achieved in supporting the ongoing work to expand provision further and to continue pressing for solutions that are affordable, sustainable and fair to all who rely on such services.”
“In addition, waiting times have been dramatically reduced from the levels experienced during and after the pandemic. Patients now wait for around one month to commence IVF treatment once placed on the treatment list, compared with waits that stretched to well over a year previously. <BR /> <BR />At the same time, I recognise that many people will look at other parts of these islands, such as Scotland and Wales, and ask why Northern Ireland has not yet reached the same number of funded cycles. When I have engaged on the matter, the Minister has made it clear that work continues on the feasibility of introducing a second cycle of treatment. It is still a case of "When", not "If". I welcome that work and encourage it to continue at pace, but I recognise not just the financial challenges but the logistical challenges of delivering it.”
“For many, the ability to start or grow a family is a major priority; for others, it is not a priority at all. When fertility problems stand in the way of that dream, the emotional toll can be immense. There has already been reference to the commitment in NDNA, which was one reason why my party very much welcomed that agreement. However, six years on, people are entirely justified in asking what progress has been made. Thankfully, there has been some. <BR /> <BR />In 2024, publicly funded provision was expanded to provide eligible women with one full cycle of IVF treatment through the use of additional frozen embryo transfers. That was not a headline-grabbing announcement, but it represented a meaningful improvement for many families and was delivered despite the considerable financial and operational pressures facing our health service.”
“Minister, will you provide some clarity on the number of BMA members who voted in favour of strike action, and how that compares with the actual, overall number of staff in those posts?”
“Do the reports of alleged human rights abuses of their own citizens by the Chinese authorities present any ethical challenges in our discussions with them?”
“Does the Minister agree that the actions of the heartless and cruel bullies who worked in Muckamore and those who chose to turn a blind eye, as the report identifies, are not, in any shape or form, representative of the many thousands of staff in our Health and Social Care system who provide compassionate and dedicated care daily to the vulnerable, the young, the elderly, the ill and the dying, who all depend on our Health and Social Care system?”
“Does the Member agree that, even with the petition of concern in place, his amendment could still be passed and go through into legislation were there a cross-community vote in favour of it? The petition of concern has not scuppered his amendment nor put it in the dustbin.”
“On a point of order, Mr Speaker. Is it in order for the Minister to point her finger at me?”
“Can you expand on the issue of US tariffs? Those tariffs could have some very serious implications for the economies of the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland.”
“First Minister, thank you for your statement this morning. Under business and trade matters, the statement reports that the council:”
“Two members of the Northern Ireland senior women and men's football teams — the much-capped Ashley Hutton and Josh Magennis — attended Kilmaine. <BR /> <BR />Mr William Campbell served as principal from 2014 to 2019. The current principal is Mrs Rachael Sinnamon, who is not only a former teacher in Kilmaine; she attended that wonderful school as a pupil. <BR /> <BR />I wish the school another 50 years of success and excellence in delivering first-class primary education to generations to come. I record my warmest gratitude for what the current and past staff have contributed to children's education and development over the past 50 years in Kilmaine Primary School.”
“The founding principal was Mr Raymond Boyd, who led the school until 2001. He was loved by the children and respected in equal measure by the parents. The school added a nursery unit in October 2000, providing preschool education for 52 part-time pupils. <BR /> <BR />The late Mr John Mann succeeded Mr Boyd as principal and oversaw one of the most significant developments in the school's history when the move was made into a purpose-built new building in 2005. Prior to that, education had been conducted in 46 temporary mobile classrooms. The new facilities marked a major milestone for pupils and staff, providing modern classrooms and resources to support learning. Since then, the school has continued to build a reputation for academic achievement, sporting success and a strong programme of music, drama and pastoral care.”
“Recently, I had the privilege of taking a walk down memory lane when Kilmaine Primary School in Bangor hosted an impressive exhibition to celebrate 50 years of delivering a top-class and caring primary education to thousands of children. My five children attended the school — it is just round the corner from my home — and 11 of my grandchildren have been educated at Kilmaine Primary School. The school motto is, "Everyone Counts". That is an ethos that the school lives up to. It is a happy school, and the joy of the staff and children is evident when you step in through the front door. <BR /> <BR />Kilmaine opened in September 1975 with 109 pupils and five members of teaching staff. The school grew rapidly alongside the surrounding housing developments, and, in the 1980s, it reached more than 700 pupils and, during the 1990s, over 1,000.”
“— for signing the petitions of concern. My conscience is not for sale; it cannot be bought. My conscience is not dictated to by an inducement from anyone.”
“Mr Dickson referenced the petitions of concern. Earlier in the debate, Mr Tennyson mentioned my name and suggested — I did not hear the exact wording that he used — that I had received some reward —”
“Minister, I join you in totally condemning last week's violence. I will always defend freedom of speech and the right to peaceful protest, but that comes with responsibility. Obviously, last week, lines were crossed. <BR /> <BR />Does the Minister agree that the strongest response that we can give is to stand firmly alongside our international healthcare workers and reassure them that they are not visitors to our health service but an essential and valued part of it, as are all members of our dedicated health workforce?”
“Does the Minister agree that her response may do little for teachers' sense of safety or their general morale?”
“Can the Minister confirm that he is committed to implementing the real living wage for statutory and independent-sector care workers?”
“Minister, thank you for your statement. I especially welcome the allocation of £42 million for the e-pharmacy programme. Will the Minister agree that this will come as an important development to place the pharmacy sector on a sustainable footing and one that, equally importantly, will facilitate service growth?”
“by other bodies. What would those "reasonable steps" look like?”
“Gerry, I absolutely agree with the intent of amendment No 13, which calls on the Executive Office to:”
“Corridor care, excessive ambulance handover delays and patients waiting unacceptable lengths of time for treatment should never become accepted as simply part of modern healthcare. That is why the responsibility is on us all to ensure that emergency care in Northern Ireland does not just exist but is capable of delivering the safe and timely care that patients deserve. Introducing a 111 service is part of a much broader programme of reform, one based on long-term planning, workforce investment and the political will to confront the deep structural problems across our health system.”
“For too long, ambulance crews have effectively been trapped outside hospitals instead of responding to emergencies in the community. As an MLA, I have worked with families in North Down over the years who have had to watch a family loved one lie on the ground in pain for appalling lengths of time because there was not sufficient crew available to attend to them with the urgency required. <BR /> <BR />I commend the Minister for taking steps to rectify that even if they are not always entirely easy or universally popular. The problems that we see in our hospitals today started many years ago. One of the greatest dangers for any health system that is under sustained pressure is that abnormal conditions gradually become normalised.”
“Therefore, I am keen to see it delivered. Importantly, the debate also goes directly to the heart of the wider shift-left agenda. For too long, Northern Ireland — a bit like the NHS across the UK — has operated a hospital-centric model that is no longer sustainable. However, we should not pretend that a 111 service on its own is a silver bullet. That is why I very much welcome some of the practical measures that are already under way. Phone First services help to direct patients towards more appropriate pathways, while same-day emergency care services and Hospital at Home models are beginning to demonstrate how care can be delivered differently and more effectively. Likewise, the recent introduction of the Ambulance Service's release-to-rescue protocol has the potential to be a real game changer.”
“Establishing a fully integrated regional 111 service by September 2026 would require significant workforce planning, digital infrastructure and financial investment. It simply cannot be delivered overnight, nor, I suspect, by September, especially given the fact that we still await a Budget. Mr McGrath mentioned the current pressure on our workforce: he is absolutely spot on. However, the timeline in the motion would undoubtedly add to that pressure between now and September. <BR /> <BR />In principle, a properly designed 111 system could absolutely provide patients with a simpler and more accessible route into urgent care. It could help to ensure that people receive advice earlier, are directed towards the most appropriate setting and avoid unnecessary attendance at already overcrowded emergency departments.”
“Few issues better reflect the pressures facing our health service across these islands than the pressures on urgent and emergency care. Every MLA in the Chamber will know of constituents and families who have contacted our offices to highlight their experiences. As the Minister has said regularly in the Chamber, those pressures are no longer associated just with winter but are persistent and all year round. Demand continues to rise. Patients present with increasingly complex needs and challenges, with delayed discharges continuing to place enormous strain on hospitals and ambulance services alike. <BR /> <BR />Against that backdrop, the principle behind an integrated regional 111 service is sound. While I support the ambition behind the motion, we must be realistic about timelines.”
“Minister, this cannot have been an easy decision for you to make. I welcome the fact that it was one that you took after a period of extensive independent fact-finding. My thoughts remain with all the women and families who are involved. Can you assure the House of what can be done to prevent anything like this from ever happening again?”
“They deserve political leaders who are prepared to stop using social care as a rhetorical prop, while they quietly avoid the political actions and leadership necessary to sustain it. Until the Assembly is finally prepared to match its rhetoric with financial and political reality, I worry that motions such as today's are increasingly being used by some to try to distract from the wider, fundamental decisions, or lack thereof, from the Executive.”
“<BR /> <BR />Let us be honest enough to tell the public the full story. Sustainable workforce models cannot be built on financial chaos. Transformation cannot be delivered through annual firefighting exercises. Scandinavian-style public services cannot be promised while there is a refusal to take difficult budgetary decisions. Six weeks into the new financial year, where is the urgency about the lack of a Budget? There is none. That is an outrageous position for the Executive and the Assembly to be in. Political motions such as the ones being debated today do not pay mileage bills, recruit staff or discharge patients. If we are serious about sustaining home care, we cannot simply continue doing more of the same. I am quite sure that the Minister believes the same. Home care workers deserve far more than warm words from the Assembly.”
“Indeed, the motion would perhaps have been more credible had it not come from the party whose Finance Minister is urging other Ministers to do everything that they can to avoid increasing the budgetary shortfalls that they face. Despite all the speeches about valuing care workers, there are still political parties that present an image of there somehow being easy answers. There are not. If there were, policies would have been introduced long before now. I fully support the introduction of the real living wage. Many home care workers should have been receiving the real living wage long ago. They carry out difficult and exhausting work in all weathers, often travelling significant distances between calls, all the while holding together a service on which many families now completely rely.”
“That should concern every Member. The truth is this: for too long, social care has been treated as the poor relation of our health system. The COVID pandemic shone a spotlight not only on the importance but on its fragility, so I very much welcome the Minister's focus on it. <BR /> <BR />Every MLA knows that, when home care collapses, pressure floods straight back into our hospitals. Frankly, one of the greatest frustrations in the debate is in listening to parties claim to support community care while they repeatedly fail to provide the financial certainty that is needed to sustain it. It is remarkable to listen to parties emphasise the need to invest in social care when they sit around an Executive table that still cannot deliver the long-term financial certainty that is needed to sustain it.”
“The motion is right in recognising the enormous contribution that is made by home care workers. They are people who carry out physically demanding, emotionally draining and deeply responsible work every day. As has already been said, they travel huge distances. They work unsociable hours. They support people with increasingly complex needs. Their duties are always delivered with kindness, compassion and a willingness to go the extra mile. However, very often, sadly, they do so with far too little recognition. <BR /> <BR />Meanwhile, demand continues to grow year after year. The Health Committee has regularly heard that home care pressures are being compounded by rising demand, workforce shortages and ongoing funding constraints. Almost 2,800 people across Northern Ireland are living with assessed, unmet home care need.”
“<BR /> <BR />Behind every figure on a waiting list is a child struggling at school, a parent approaching breaking point or an adult trying to navigate a society that, too often, still fails to properly understand them. They deserve the very best system that we can give them. Hopefully, improvements will continue to come in the time ahead.”
“<BR /> <BR />However, we also need realism and honesty in the debate, because the Assembly cannot continue to demand expanded autism services, expanded ADHD provision, reduced waiting lists, enhanced respite care and fully staffed multidisciplinary teams while refusing to acknowledge the scale of the financial and workforce pressures facing the wider system. There also needs to be honesty around the growing reliance on private assessments, because increasing numbers of families are now paying privately simply because they cannot tolerate waiting years for assessment in the public system. That raises serious questions about equality of access, because speed of diagnosis and support should never depend upon a family's ability to pay.”
“The recognition that support should not always depend on securing a formal diagnosis is also sensible because, too often, families feel trapped in a bureaucratic race for diagnosis simply to unlock access to basic support services. That is neither efficient nor compassionate. The growing emphasis on neurodiversity awareness and staff training in front-line services is also a positive step in the right direction because, sadly, too many autistic people still report poor experiences when interacting with health services or mental health settings that are simply not designed with neurodivergence needs in mind.”
“<BR /> <BR />I want to praise Ema Cubitt for the work that she has undertaken in her role as Independent Autism Reviewer. Her reports have highlighted the very real pressures facing autistic people and their families. Even when her findings are difficult for the Executive or the wider system to hear, they help focus attention on areas where improvement is urgently needed. I believe that her contribution has strengthened the wider conversation around autism services considerably. I also welcome the fact that work is progressing through the autism strategy 2023-28 and the associated delivery plans, because important reforms are under way that, if implemented properly, have the potential to improve consistency in access across Northern Ireland.”
“Rather, the greatest frustration is the exhaustion that comes from battling fragmented systems, repeatedly telling their story to different agencies, navigating postcode lotteries in service provision and being told repeatedly that support is coming somewhere further down the line. We need to be honest about the consequences of those delays. Delayed diagnosis does not simply create an administrative backlog in the system; it impacts on mental health, educational attainment, family stability and wider life opportunities, leaving many autistic people feeling unsupported at precisely the point when early intervention could make the greatest difference. The evidence clearly demonstrates that, when support is delayed or inaccessible, pressures simply emerge elsewhere in the system, often in much more acute and costly ways.”
“I welcome the opportunity to contribute to the debate, because autism services represent one of the clearest tests of whether our health and social care system is genuinely capable of delivering person-centred, responsive and compassionate support to those who rely on it the most. <BR /> <BR />At present, however, far too many autistic people and their families feel that the system is still not working for them in the way that it should. For many families, the greatest frustration is not simply the existence of waiting lists, serious though those waiting lists undoubtedly are.”
“I welcome the Minister's remarks. The news was particularly welcome for the almost 2,700 patients. How does the Minister hope to bring GPs in North Down along with him on the move to his new neighbourhood model?”
“Alongside that, the work on the cost-of-service review is essential. Getting that right matters, and it is absolutely essential that decisions are grounded in accurate data and reflect the real cost of delivering care. Dentists, in particular, I suspect, will make that case strongly. <BR /> <BR />Meaningful reform of NHS dentistry will not happen overnight. It requires careful planning and sustainable funding. However, the previous trends are now pretty unsustainable, so I very much welcome the Minister's efforts in that regard. Perhaps the creation of a multi-year Budget, agreed across the Executive, would be a good place to start.”
“It is targeted support to enhance fees for priority treatments, sustain child examination schemes and provide direct support to practices that continue to deliver NHS care. <BR /> <BR />There is also investment in access through emergency dental clinics and the dental access scheme, which is targeted at those who are most in need, including unregistered patients who require urgent care. The recent unexpected announcement of the establishment of a new emergency clinic in the Western Trust area is a practical example of that focus. Importantly, the Minister is addressing workforce sustainability with additional dental foundation training places to help retain newly qualified dentists in the system. Those are not headline-grabbing reforms, but they are necessary stabilisation measures.”
“There is no doubt that registrations have lapsed massively in recent years, but we need to remain mindful that a huge number of patients have been removed for simply not engaging, despite many having had little reason to. That is one of the most challenging issues of all and one that, understandably, can create a real sense of unfairness. <BR /> <BR />Yes, the concerns raised in today's debate are valid, but so are the Minister's proven efforts on the issue. In recent weeks, the Minister has again not sought to downplay the challenges. Crucially, he has taken real and tangible steps in an almost impossibly constrained financial environment. An additional £8 million investment in health service dentistry this year is not insignificant.”
“The legacy of the pandemic workforce challenges and contractual models have combined to create a perfect storm in every region and corner of the United Kingdom. Our dental practices are largely independent providers — a bit like our GPs but, perhaps, with even greater autonomy. Despite the major shift from the NHS to private dental work in recent years, most dentists, if not all, care deeply about their patients and want to deliver better oral health for them. <BR /> <BR />When it comes to those who are still delivering NHS care, I recognise that the current general dental services contract bears little resemblance to today's economic and clinical realities.”
“I very much welcome the opportunity to contribute to this important debate today. There is not an MLA in the Building who will not be aware of the challenges that our constituents and, indeed, our families have been facing in relation to NHS dentistry. The frustration felt by our constituents is real and entirely understandable. In 2026, it is not just the challenge of finding a dentist who is willing to take on NHS patients but the scale of change in registration data that is really concerning. <BR /> <BR />We need to remember that Northern Ireland is not alone in facing those pressures. NHS dental systems across these islands are under strain and are demonstrating similar trends.”