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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“I thank the Minister for his response. Once again, it is worth noting that, without access to the United Kingdom's pillar 2 network, our ability to test the consistently large numbers that we are testing would be severely restrained. Can the Minister comment on whether he is considering expanding our own domestic pillar 1 capacity?”
“<BR /> <BR />I wish this invaluable service well.”
“At the time, it was made clear that it would have been useful for funding discussions to involve other Departments and the policing and community safety partnership, given the benefit of the service to the PSNI. Regrettably, nothing came to fruition, so, once again, the Minister intervened. This time, it was not for just three months but for six. Whilst other Departments and statutory bodies often talk a good talk, it is regrettable that no one other than Minister Swann was able to offer even a partial contribution to the service. <BR /> <BR />If other statutory bodies are serious about that service continuing on a sustainable basis, they need to step up to the plate. They need to dig deep into their pockets and help to create a long-term funding package and a model that is available for even longer operating hours.”
“The Ulster Unionist Party has long recognised the need to develop and support innovative approaches to help people in times of emotional crisis. The community crisis intervention service has, undoubtedly, saved lives. It is not just its emphasis on a community response but that it works from 8.00 pm on Thursday to 8.00 am on Sunday, when some support organisations may not be there for people. <BR /> <BR />The service is a safety net, providing a short-term solution to an immediate crisis. That is why I was pleased that Robin Swann personally intervened not once but twice to secure the service. The first intervention was in June this year when he provided £32,000 as a breathing space for the council to reach a longer-term funding solution.”
“I attended a meeting at lunchtime with some representatives of GPs. They certainly appear to be working harder than ever. I got the impression that morale remains high, and their professional dedication continues to shine through. I am sure that the Minister recognises the sterling work being carried out by that sector of the health service. Does he agree that COVID centres take pressure off GP practices, rather than imposing additional unacceptable work on them?”
“Of course, it is not just the service leavers or the health service that benefits; it also provides clear benefits for the PSNI. <BR /> <BR />Before I sit down, Mr Principal Deputy Speaker, I will once again repeat the phrase "It is good to talk". No problem exists in anyone's life that cannot be resolved. There is no weight on your shoulders that cannot be lifted, and there are no bad thoughts that cannot be eradicated. Just sitting down with someone — a professional or a trusted friend — to talk about your issues can be the start of the journey to recovery and taking back control of your life. There is no shame or sign of weakness in doing so.”
“In the longer term, we need a service that is fit for purpose and is funded to meet the often complex needs of our population, but, in the short term, we also need a service in place that can provide immediate and urgent mental health support. The work of the multi-agency triage team is one such form of support, and, after it was piloted successfully, it was little wonder that it was quickly extended to cover the Belfast area. At a time of COVID, with all the additional pressures that that puts on our hospitals and staff, there has never been a more important time to avoid unnecessary attendances at our emergency departments. By putting in place preventative and early intervention practices, that is exactly what the multi-agency triage team does.”
“Given the immediacy of the challenges associated with the pandemic, it was only right and proper that it was accompanied by the COVID response plan, detailing the psychological well-being and mental health response to it. In addition, there has been more progress made in relation to specialist perinatal mental health services, the development of managed care networks for child and adolescent mental health services and improving the role and profile of mental health in primary care in the last few months than in the years before. <BR /> <BR />Despite the progress, nothing could have prepared us for COVID-19. I fear, therefore, that some in our society will live with the consequences of anxiety and depression well beyond the immediate physical risk.”
“That is why, when the Ulster Unionist Party took up the Health portfolio, after it was passed over in the House, sometimes repeatedly, by other parties in January, we said that we would make mental health a key priority. <BR /> <BR />The COVID-19 pandemic has underlined the need for this area of healthcare for our community and its absolute importance in supporting the mental resilience of all our citizens. Despite the immense challenges of recent months, the Ulster Unionist Party has been able to deliver on a number of its key manifesto priorities. Minister Robin Swann established the position of an Interim Mental Health Champion for Northern Ireland, and his choice of Professor Siobhán O'Neill has been widely supported. He also moved quickly to publish the mental health action plan, along with the 38 actions in it.”
“It is a stark fact that one in four people across Northern Ireland is likely to suffer poor mental health. It can strike at anyone: young or old, strong or weak, rich or poor. It can have a trigger point or none. For far too many people it is an unspoken illness. The message that "It is good to talk" is one that cannot be repeated often enough, yet, for too long, it was not given the focus or the resources that it needed or deserved. There is an unlimited body of evidence to show that mental illness is associated with greater risk of physical illness. Physical illness, in turn, increases the risk of mental illness, and one should no longer be viewed in isolation from the other.”
“Whilst I note the very high demand for testing locally, as well as the increase in our testing capacity, how important have the over 204,000 tests provided by the UK Government under pillar 2 been to our efforts in Northern Ireland to tackle the pandemic?”
“In light of the position of commissioner being vacant over the past months, will it be within the competency of the office of the Commissioner for Standards to investigate and rule on complaints relating to alleged serious breaches during the COVID-19 pandemic?”
“What is the Commission's approach to homeworking by secretariat staff in the future?”
“Is the Minister in a position to detail the number of pigs that would have been processed through this plant during the time that it was closed? Is there evidence of how many of those pigs remain on the farm, and how many have been processed through other plants?”
“That poor man could not have resisted or articulated the treatment that he may have been receiving. <BR /> <BR />I wish the harrowing police inquiries well. My party fully supports a timely public inquiry into this dreadful scandal. We owe it to the patients and their families, and to those family carers, such as the widow whom I mentioned, who are no longer with us, to provide answers, to hold those guilty of any criminal offences to account and to ensure that such a shameful episode never happens again.”
“Those answers will not be easy, and there may be more difficult revelations ahead, but, if we are to ensure that it never happens again, we need total truth and transparency about what took place on the wards of this hospital. <BR /> <BR />I recall an elderly and frail widow, whom I knew well, who devoted her life to lovingly caring for her severely disabled adult son. He depended on her for every aspect of his day-to-day care. Just before her death, she had to commit her son into the care of Muckamore Abbey Hospital. She died, reassured that her son would receive the same care and attention that she had lavished on him. That poor lady would spin in her grave if she knew the potential for her son to have become a victim and a punchball for some sadistic person who was supposed to supply care.”
“<BR /> <BR />I noted the publication of the report into that issue last month. While the findings do not make for a pleasant read, I was glad that the Minister, once again, affirmed his intention to hold an inquiry. I also welcome the sensible approach that he has adopted since coming into office. He has avoided any knee-jerk decisions or statements on an issue that warrants the utmost attention and consideration. He said that he would visit Muckamore; he did. He said that he would engage with the families; he did. It is the families and patients who should remain to the forefront of our minds. This should not be a party issue. All political parties should be equally disgusted at what happened at Muckamore, and all parties, I suspect, have an equally strong appetite to get answers as to how and why it happened in the first place.”
“How did the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust seemingly not know what was going on? Those are four basic questions to which the Muckamore patients and families deserve answers. Just as importantly, we all need assurances that such depravity will never be allowed to happen again. <BR /> <BR />While the abuse came to light in September 2017 with the game-changing discovery of CCTV recordings, there were earlier warning signs. The Ennis ward safeguarding investigation, a full five years earlier, should have been enough to raise concerns. However, time after time, opportunities were missed, and the abuse was allowed to go on. While the responsibility for any abuse should always rest, foremost, with the individuals inflicting it, there was clearly a systemic failure in the leadership, management and governance of the facility.”
“<BR /> <BR />Muckamore Abbey Hospital should have been a place of safety; it should have been a therapeutic place to which patients could have gone for loving support and care. While I suspect that, over the years, some patients received exemplary treatment, unfortunately, the shocking scale of abuse subsequently revealed has understandably overshadowed all that. <BR /> <BR />As the Deputy Speaker has cautioned, we should remain especially careful as a live police investigation is under way. It is important that we let it take its course. However, there are many other unanswered questions about Muckamore. How did it happen? How could staff who were trained to look after vulnerable patients cruelly inflict such harm and distress on the very same people? How was it allowed to go on for so long?”
“No words of condemnation are strong enough for what is alleged to have happened in Muckamore Abbey Hospital. Patients, many of whom were the most vulnerable in Northern Ireland, were failed. They were allegedly abused. Patients were allegedly verbally and physically assaulted. They were treated as if somehow they were not equal citizens, and somehow it was all inflicted on them by fellow human beings, people who were charged with both the privilege and the responsibility of caring for them. It was disgusting. Regrettably, it could unfairly compromise the reputation of all those professionals who provide dedicated and loving daily care for the most vulnerable in our community.”
“I am sure that the thoughts of the entire House are with those grieving families. Our thoughts are also with the families of patients currently in that hospital. It must be a really stressful time for them and their family members. It must also be a particularly stressful time for the staff of the hospital. Our thoughts are certainly with them as they try to bring this outbreak under control. <BR /> <BR />The message here is that this virus is no respecter of location or person. If it can overcome all the infection controls in a hospital environment, would the Minister agree that it is more important than ever that the general public continue to follow the advice and regulations to the absolute limit to avoid any more grieving families?”
“Thank you, Minister, for your responses. Can the Minister disclose the specific eligibility requirements that will allow those with convictions of more than two and a half years to claim the payment?”
“It would be easy for you now to stand back and catch your breath, but you are moving forward through this statement with a compassionate and urgent approach to attend to members of society who are currently experiencing pain, particularly in the field of orthopaedic procedures, by not delaying movement with pre-action public consultation but, rather, getting things up and running urgently in the interests of public health. Will the current postcode lottery be removed, and will your plans offer those in pain some hope that their issues will be resolved in a timely and structured fashion?”
“Minister, it is important that the House recognises the achievements that your team at every level of health and social care has delivered in extremely challenging circumstances. It is also important to place on record the appreciation not only of the House but of the people of Northern Ireland for the leadership that you have shown in your six months in office. Mountains have been moved from the standing start that saw our valued nursing staff standing on picket lines.”
“Minister, given that this is a fast-changing situation, what advice would you give to anyone who is considering overseas travel that is not essential?”
“He said that the normal practice was to inform local authorities and the PSNI the following day of any regulations that had changed. I do not think that, from a housekeeping perspective, that is really satisfactory. I know that the Executive, when they decide that they can relax a regulation, have a duty to do so quickly and give the public the benefit of it, but, as I say, from a housekeeping perspective, it would be much better if the change kicked in from midnight on a date, as opposed to a time during the day. As I say, it is unfair to the enforcement agencies.”
“Yet the police could have come up the same road at 11.05 pm and encountered a crowd of people in excess of 10 who were not respecting social distancing or anything else, and they would have spoken to them, totally unaware that, at 11.00 pm, the law had changed and that, now, a gathering of 15, 16 or 18 was legal and complied with the regulations. That has the potential to create embarrassment for the enforcement agency. <BR /> <BR />When I asked the chief environmental officer whether they had had any conversations with the police during that Monday to give them a heads-up that the regulations in respect of gatherings were going to change at 11.00 that night or whatever was deemed to be the time, he said that, no, they had not done so.”
“At the Health Committee, I raised with the chief environmental officer the point that it is not good housekeeping to have laws change in the middle of a day. They should be changed and come into law on a date, as opposed to a time. I pointed out to the chief environmental officer the sort of confusion that was caused on 29 June, when it became law at 11.00 pm, making it legal for 30 people, as opposed to 10, to gather. That was not really fair to the enforcement agency, which, in that case, was the PSNI. They might have been out on patrol and, at 10.55 pm, come across a gathering in excess of 10 and would have taken whatever they considered to be the appropriate action, be it advice or, if necessary, the issue of fixed penalty tickets.”
“I do not put any more weight on what he has to say than what I hear from our own experts whom we have employed to advise us. Only weeks ago, the R number was considered to be of paramount importance. We were all hanging on it, waiting for the Executive to announce the latest R figure. It became the habit that it was announced every Thursday. We all waited with bated breath to hear what it was, because it was considered to be a very important indicator of how we were controlling the disease. I do not think that we can now simply discard the R number. It is still a scientific figure to be looked at, and I hope that the Executive will continue to consider it. <BR /> <BR />We have heard that amendment (No. 9) was discussed by the Executive on 29 June. It was signed off at 9.30 that Monday evening and became law at 11.00 pm.”
“We have heard that the guidance is confusing. Yes, there could be clarity in some elements of the guidance, but we have to recognise that they are emergency regulations and have maybe not been put together with the same scrutiny as the law would normally attract. We have to accept that clarity will be needed in certain sections of the regulations. A lot of the confusion has been created not by the wording of the regulations but by the selfish actions of parties and civic leaders in the House. We have a responsibility to adhere to the regulations. How can we expect the public to adhere to the regulations if we cannot? <BR /> <BR />I heard Gabriel Scally on the radio this morning, and I hear he is an extremely prominent professor. To me, he is just a voice with an opinion.”
“It is important that we and the public recognise that the Executive are trying to do a job of work. The Executive are trying to strike a balance between getting the economy back on its feet, getting people back to work and getting basic services available, all whilst trying to protect the public's health the best they can. We have to recognise that any relaxation of the regulations is not an invitation to the public to let their guard down or to relax their personal measures to prevent the spread of the virus. Social distancing and personal hygiene are still paramount in controlling the virus. As civic leaders, in a way, we have to set an example, and we have to continue to adhere to the guidance as best as we can. <BR /> <BR />The virus has not gone away, and it has not relaxed its efforts to spread.”
“How can the deputy First Minister reconcile saying those words in the light of what we all witnessed last week? It is an undisputable example of "Don't do as I do but do as I tell you". I have to put on record that I have not heard anything in the House tonight that justifies the deliberate breaches of the regulations that are designed to save lives.”
“Published selfies that Mr Stalford referred to suggest that social distancing went out the window, and the fact that a sound system was in place in Milltown cemetery suggests that the organisers expected large numbers to turn up. <BR /> <BR />Perhaps the most telling statement from the deputy First Minister was made before the Black Lives Matter protest. Mr Stalford quoted it, and I will quote it again. She was reported as saying:”
“<BR /> <BR />The guidance also said that there should be no gatherings after funerals, yet there are images of several such gatherings, some of them involving prominent Sinn Féin politicians. The guidance also states that coffin lifts should not take place unless the pall-bearers all reside in the same house, yet Mr Storey's coffin was carried by several individuals, including Gerry Adams. <BR /> <BR />On 29 June, the day before the funeral, the deputy First Minister said:”
“Before the funeral, there was a breach of the advice that funeral arrangements should not be advertised, in order to curtail the numbers attending. Sinn Féin's official Facebook page, the MP Paul Maskey, the Assembly Speaker, Mr Alex Maskey, and multiple other party figures were among those openly publishing the funeral timings and route on social media. At the time, the Executive were telling the public that only 10 people could attend a funeral, and the Church authorities involved have confirmed that that was the latest Stormont guidance that they had. That night, the advice on the Executive website upped that number to 30, but that was after the funeral.”
“However, even before the funeral, there were significant breaches of the guidelines, which stated that wakes should not be held. There was a wake for Mr Storey, and Sinn Féin MLAs attended. Did the deputy First Minister attend? Sinn Féin MLAs were involved in large-scale gatherings some days before the funeral, when Mr Storey's remains were brought home to his family. At the daily update on 11 June, the deputy First Minister said:”
“<BR /> <BR />This funeral and the grief of the Storey family, which I acknowledge, are centre stage only because some people, who should have known better, were not prepared to make the same sacrifices as have been made by hundreds of families throughout Northern Ireland in how they buried loved ones. On 10 May, the deputy First Minister said during a daily update:”
“The leader of Sinn Féin, Mary Lou McDonald, was clear when she said that the funeral of Bobby Storey was meticulously organised. It is against that backdrop and in the context of those words that we must couch all our remarks on that funeral. The responsibility for the clear, deliberate breaches of the regulations and guidance issued by the Executive, as well as the attendance and behaviour of Sinn Féin Ministers and MLAs, sits with the deputy First Minister. Her actions and words have damaged the credibility of the Executive, underlined her clear lack of integrity and undermined her moral authority and that of the whole Executive Office.”
“Does the Minister accept that there is huge and growing public perception and anger across the community that her actions, and those of others at the funeral, breached the regulations and guidance that are in place to protect the public whom we serve?”
“I thank the junior Minister for giving way. Mr Sheehan expressed concern about a rise in the R number in London, which is cause for concern. Does the Minister agree that what is more relevant to the House is the local R figure and what we all should be doing to help to keep it low?”
“I could have said that 20 or 30 times over the past couple of months. What gives those saying that they had to attend the funeral of a friend the moral right to take that position? I can understand colleagues in the House wanting to have been at that funeral last Tuesday. I totally get it, and if there was not a pandemic, I would have no quarrel with hundreds of people going and doing all that you do at that type of funeral. I would have had no difficulty with that, but we are still in the middle of a pandemic that we are all trying to fight. <BR /> <BR />Let us be under no illusions: another surge could take many more lives. We all have a responsibility to do what we can to ensure that that does not happen.”
“<BR /> <BR />The Chief Scientific Adviser told the Health Committee that he walked into a shop with his face mask on and was surprised that others in the shop did not have face masks. He may have been referring to the proximity of people in a confined space. I am not sure that he was indicating that he wears a face mask when he walks up and down the street. The face mask can give a degree of mitigation against the transmission of this virus. The greatest mitigation is to avoid large gatherings. The events of last Tuesday, which we will debate at length tomorrow, were totally ill-advised. It was disappointing that Members of the House and our Executive saw fit to attend that funeral and could not make the sacrifice. <BR /> <BR />I have heard "I could not not attend the funeral of a friend".”
“I cannot start to imagine what her feelings were when she saw the news last Tuesday and heard about all that went on at the crematorium. I am sure that they were sadness and disappointment. I am sure also anger, and I can understand the anger. <BR /> <BR />I am talking about only one lady, one family. We all know families that have made the same sacrifices. Hundreds of families have made that sacrifice over funerals in recent weeks. I had dozens of emails over the weekend asking me, as a public representative, for an explanation and to comment. I really do not know what to say to people. I have respect for the House, I have respect for the Executive, I support the Executive. I have been a cheerleader for all the regulations. It is the responsibility of us all to be cheerleaders for what will protect life and limb.”
“He was a long-serving member. There would have been an expectation, I think, that his cortege would contain colleagues from that uniformed organisation and, no doubt, they would have carried his coffin with pride. That lady followed the hearse from a funeral home, where they had a short service, and stopped in the middle of the road, not far from where I live, and had to say her goodbyes to her husband of some nearly 60 years. It was quite poignant: she had to kiss the window of the hearse. That was her goodbye to her husband, whose body was then taken to Roselawn for cremation. She had to make that farewell in the middle of a public street, with traffic flowing past her and people walking up and down. Not a terribly dignified way for anybody to say goodbye to a loved one. That lady made that sacrifice, about two weeks ago.”
“However, we have had large gatherings, particularly of young people, on beaches, and we have had protest meetings and gatherings to protest about various issues. We all accept that those sorts of gatherings are ill-advised. In his opening remarks, the junior Minister said that fines alone are not the answer. Of course, they are not. We all have a civic responsibility to exercise the regulations and guidance that are given, and we have a responsibility to show civic leadership. <BR /> <BR />Last week, I spoke on the day of the funeral that has been in the news in recent days. When I spoke, I did not have knowledge of any of the circumstances around that funeral or of what happened subsequently at Roselawn crematorium. I told a story, and I will repeat it, of a neighbour whose husband had served in a uniformed organisation of the state.”
“We have to recognise, as Mr Beattie said, that the restrictions, particularly around funerals, are not directed at any one section of the community on the basis of religion or political positions. They are regulations that have affected every home throughout Northern Ireland. The regulations are not in place, and they have not been put in place by the Executive, for fun. They are here for a reason, and that reason is to protect us all and to stop the spread of this dreadful virus. <BR /> <BR />Over recent weeks, we have had instances where we have seen irresponsible behaviour around gatherings on beaches during the good weather, albeit, thankfully, nothing like what we witnessed on the south coast of England.”
“In the meantime, a lot of my friends have died and have been buried, but you did not know where or when they were buried because of the restrictions around the number of people who can attend the funeral.”
“We have all made sacrifices around the education of our children and grandchildren. People of faith have made sacrifices around their ability to join in public worship. Families have made sacrifices around family gatherings, and one of the big things is that we have all made sacrifices around not being able to visit relatives and family members who are in hospital, nursing homes or care homes. Those are huge sacrifices that we have all had to make. However, the one sacrifice that trumps them all is the sacrifice that we have had to make around our attendance, or lack of attendance, at the funerals of friends. The most recent funeral of a friend that I attended was, maybe, two and a half months ago.”
“The message is still very much about social distancing and washing our hands. The simple things that we have been told and messages that have been preached over recent months still very much apply. If we are serious about protecting public health, we all must continue to buy into that guidance and those restrictions. <BR /> <BR />As other Members have said, we have all made sacrifices because of the introduction of the coronavirus regulations and guidance. If we look around us, we see that even the democratic process has been compromised to the degree that only so many of us can be in the Chamber to exercise that process at any given time.”
“I, certainly, welcome the relaxations that are contained in the amendment (No. 7) and amendment (No. 8) regulations. I must say that I had some personal concerns about the amendment (No. 8) regulations, on the opening of certain premises where food and drink are consumed. However, I must say that the hospitality industry has risen to the challenge over the weekend, and I do not believe that we could find any fault in how it has approached its responsibilities towards keeping people safe. <BR /> <BR />We have to recognise that those relaxations, welcome as they are, are only part of the road back to normality. They are only part of the journey. We are not there yet. The pandemic is still claiming lives, making people ill and causing families misery. We cannot lose sight of that.”