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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“Further to my contribution yesterday as Chair of the Audit Committee, I wish to make some remarks today as my party's spokesperson for health. I promise that I will not speak for 27 minutes. <BR /> <BR />How the Department of Health, as the largest Department with the greatest breadth of services and responsibilities, with a number of arm's-length bodies (ALBs) with budgets in excess of £1 billion, manages its budget each year will have the greatest single impact on the wider Executive Budget. At the beginning of the financial year, the Department of Health was reporting a significant deficit position of £615 million, including pay. In the past 12 months, costs grew further, and there were additional inescapable operational pressures.”
“I would be grateful if the Minister would do that.”
“In addition, the Committee noted that Members are not anticipated to utilise their full office and staffing costs and allowance for 2025-26. On capital DEL, the Committee noted reduced requirements relating to a change in timing of projects between financial years and differences between actual costs and those budgeted.”
“While an agreed threshold of plus or minus 5% variance in relation to the Commission's expenditure is in place for scrutiny, the Committee was grateful that the Commission nevertheless provided in-year monitoring figures throughout the financial year, which was helpful to the Committee when agreeing budget proposals for 2026 to 2029-2030. The full detail of the variance was set out in the Commission's memorandum, which the Committee was content to note. Key points noted were that the reduction in resource DEL arose mainly from the reduction in expenditure associated with a small number of projects, including roof repairs that had been anticipated in 2025-26 but are now included in the 2026 to 2029-2030 budget.”
“The three bodies have provided ongoing information to the Audit Committee on their in-year monitoring returns, which was helpful to the Committee when it came to scrutinise proposed resource requirements for future years. <BR /> <BR />On 28 January 2026, the Committee noted that the SSEs for the NIAO and NIPSO showed minor variations against the Main Estimates and that the Assembly Commission variance was -5·06% against the Main Estimates position of £67·257 million, excluding earmarked expenditure relating to the Windsor Framework Democratic Scrutiny Committee.”
“The main role of the Audit Committee is to scrutinise and agree the budgets and estimates of the Northern Ireland Audit Office (NIAO) and the Northern Ireland Public Services Ombudsman (NIPSO) and lay the estimates before the Assembly. The Committee also undertakes a budget scrutiny role in relation to the Assembly Commission. The Audit Committee fulfils its role in place of the Department of Finance in recognition of the independence of those non-ministerial bodies. The Committee, however, has regard to the advice of the Department of Finance and the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) in respect of the NIAO in carrying out that role. The Audit Committee does not always contribute to the debate on the spring Supplementary Estimates. I feel, however, that it is appropriate for me to make a brief contribution on the motion.”
“The DUP says that it is not happy with the evidence, but that party's two representatives on the Committee did not ask a single question and did not disassociate themselves from a letter that the Committee agreed to write to the Executive Office in support of the legislation. <BR /> <BR />There is no evidence to support the notion that MUP legislation would cause any meaningful damage to the hospitality industry or the retail sector. History will not look kindly on those who chose obstruction over action. The Health Minister should be allowed to introduce the legislation: lives depend on it.”
“<BR /> <BR />The modelling for Northern Ireland shows that we could reduce dozens of alcohol-related deaths each year, cut hospital admissions, reduce crime and help reduce assaults on hospital staff, so the DUP needs to state its justification for blocking legislation that is evidence-led, life-saving and fiscally responsible. The party can oppose the legislation if it wishes, but it is an absolute disgrace for it to block it from even reaching the Assembly for debate. <BR /> <BR />The Assembly is criticised for the lack of legislation that we produce. Why would any party even try to shut down debate on what would be an impactive new law? The Chief Medical Officer recently gave a detailed briefing to the Health Committee.”
“It is not about penalising moderate drinkers; it is a targeted intervention aimed squarely at cheap, high-strength alcohol consumed disproportionately by the heaviest drinkers. In fact, 60% of alcohol-related hospital admissions come from just 3% of the population: the heaviest drinkers. That is where MUP would deliver the greatest impact. In Scotland, MUP reduced alcohol sales by 3% and cut the number of deaths wholly attributable to alcohol by 13%, representing around 120 lives saved annually. Wales has renewed MUP, the Republic of Ireland has implemented it and Scotland has uprated it. Meanwhile, Northern Ireland dithers while our death rate surpasses that of Scotland and the north-east of England.”
“Over the past decade, the number of deaths has risen by more than 80%, and, in our most deprived communities, the rate is nearly four times higher than in our most-affluent areas. Yet, despite overwhelming national and international evidence, despite clear modelling for Northern Ireland and despite support from clinicians and addiction specialists, the Health Minister is being blocked from even introducing legislation on minimum unit pricing (MUP) for alcohol to be debated in the House. <BR /> <BR />Let us be clear about what is being blocked. Minimum unit pricing is not a blanket tax and is not a tax on the poor, which, only last week, the Chief Medical Officer rightly labelled "a myth".”
“On 11 February 2026, the latest statistics confirmed that there were 397 alcohol-specific deaths in Northern Ireland in 2024, the highest number on record.”
“<BR /> <BR />The motion ultimately calls for something that is sensible and reasonable: a coherent, region-wide approach to mental health data that underpins evidence-based decision-making and strengthens accountability. If we get it right, the benefits will extend beyond statistics. Accurate data will enable better planning, clearer oversight and public debate that is more informed. Most importantly, accurate data will support a system that responds more effectively to those who depend on it. Our goal must not be better reports for their own sake but, rather, better outcomes for people. That is why I am happy to support the motion. Reliable, standardised and transparent data is hugely important to our moving forward.”
“We, not only as MLAs but as citizens and potential service users, need to know how long services take to access, how resources are being used and whether outcomes are improving. At the same time, we must be realistic. Creating a "single, standardised" system is not as simple as merging a couple of spreadsheets, or, even worse, publishing figures prematurely or publishing something that may not be entirely correct. Doing that would risk undermining trust instead of strengthening it. Having standardised data across all trusts, regularly reported and clearly explained, will support better workforce planning, earlier intervention and a more effective targeting of resources.”
“Different systems and reporting structures have made it quite difficult to assemble a regional picture of demand and of what exactly is being delivered on the ground. That has not come about through neglect. Rather, it reflects a system that has evolved over many years without the benefit of unified digital infrastructure. <BR /> <BR />An entirely reasonable complaint has often been made that, for a place as small as Northern Ireland, the structure and delivery of healthcare has been overcomplicated. Having five trusts, each working in a similar way but with some important and distinct differences, has resulted in a pretty uneven picture of mental health data. Gaps in information, be they around bed availability, waiting times, referral pathways or performance against targets, make strategic planning more difficult.”
“I welcome the chance to contribute to the debate. The motion goes to the heart of how we deliver safe, accountable and effective mental health services. No one in the House doubts the scale of need across mental health, addiction and suicide prevention services. In every constituency, families rely on those services in their most vulnerable moments. If we are to meet that need responsibly, decisions must be grounded in clear and consistent evidence. The motion addresses a simple but entirely reasonable point, which is that we cannot build a modern mental health system on incomplete or inconsistent information. Historically, data across our trusts has developed in a fragmented way.”
“I welcome the Minister's decision to suspend participation in the trial. Setting aside the obvious eagerness of one of our local parties to try, unsuccessfully, to distance itself from this policy area as well as previous decisions and new funding confirmations, will the Minister give a commitment that he stands ready to engage with all parties, if necessary, in order to secure wider Executive consensus on a way forward?”
“Minister, we understand that there is a recorded area of unacceptable pollution just outside Belfast harbour and that its size is increasing. Are the findings of your Department that the area of serious pollution is continuing to increase in size?”
“Does the Member agree that the current methodology for fixing potholes does not represent good value for money? I ask that because it seems to me that when a bucket of material is thrown into it and then hit with the back of a shovel, the pothole reappears a week later.”
“<BR /> <BR />While debates such as this one, calling on a Minister to do something that he is already trying to achieve, may provide the Chamber with something to discuss, ultimately it is progress on the ground and in our stroke services that matters most. One of Minister Nesbitt's most commonly used phrases at present is "better outcomes". Little delivers better outcomes than getting the right care in the right place at the right time. I am supportive of the direction of travel that has been set, building on the real progress already achieved in stroke care. I pay tribute to the staff who deliver those services day in and day out and to the stroke survivors and associated charities who educate us all by sharing their stories.”
“<BR /> <BR />Of course, while thrombectomy is critically important for some patients, it sits within a wider stroke pathway that must function well as a whole. Prevention, public awareness, rapid diagnosis, thrombolysis, rehabilitation and community-based recovery services are all essential. Continued progress in areas such as transient ischaemic attack (TIA) services and thrombolysis rates will benefit a much larger proportion of stroke patients, and we must keep that broader picture firmly in view. Public understanding also matters. If time-critical treatment is to reach those who need it, people must recognise the signs of stroke and seek help immediately. Faster presentation to hospital, quicker scanning and coordinated clinical teams all form part of the same chain of care.”
“The move to a seven-day service at the Royal Victoria Hospital delivered by my party colleague Robin Swann in the previous mandate was a significant step forward. I know that the current Minister is working assiduously to make that seven-day service a 24/7 service. The introduction of artificial intelligence in stroke imaging across stroke receiving units is also a particularly positive development. Faster and more accurate interpretation supports better decision-making and helps to ensure that specialist capacity is focused where it can have the greatest impact. Improvements in out-of-hours assessment, early-morning transfers and repatriation processes may be less visible, but they make a real difference to patient experience and system flow.”
“One of the most important advances in modern stroke medicine has been the roll-out of thrombectomy, and its significance cannot be overstated. For the group of patients who are eligible, it can mean the difference between severe, life-limiting disability and a meaningful recovery. It is a highly effective intervention that directly treats the cause of some of the most serious strokes. As clinicians emphasise repeatedly, time is critical. Every minute saved preserves brain tissue, protects function and improves the chances of a patient returning home and regaining their independence. <BR /> <BR />I pay tribute to the stroke teams in Northern Ireland who have worked hard to maximise access to thrombectomy within the current service.”
“I welcome the opportunity to speak on the motion. Stroke remains one of the most serious medical emergencies that we face. For many people, it is life-changing in a matter of minutes. The impact is not just clinical but personal, social and long-term. It is right that the debate also recognises the progress that has been made in stroke care in recent years. No longer is a stroke the death sentence that it was in earlier generations. Indeed, there has been a clear shift towards a more evidence-led and coordinated stroke pathway from prevention and rapid recognition through to acute treatment, rehabilitation and ongoing support. That progress reflects the work of dedicated clinicians who continue to save many lives every week across Northern Ireland.”
“I declare my membership of the Northern Ireland Policing Board. Will the Minister confirm whether the Chief Constable of the PSNI is willing to accept responsibility for completely administering the ill-health retirement scheme?”
“There are no quick fixes here, but I welcome the clear direction that the Minister has taken in recognising the need, building the evidence base and engaging constructively with the issue. That recognition is the foundation on which meaningful and lasting progress can be built. <BR /> <BR />I am happy to support the motion and the amendment.”
“The Minister has been upfront about the financial and workforce constraints that the Department faces. Progress on ADHD services must, therefore, be evidence-based, phased and sustainable. That is why the Minister's decision last year to commission the review — for the first time ever — was so important. <BR /> <BR />Exploring with our health trusts practical options that are informed by data and front-line experience is the responsible way forward, and improving awareness of ADHD across government, education and the workplace is a vital part of the solution. Better understanding and reasonable adjustments can make a significant difference to outcomes, often without significant cost.”
“It is equally important to recognise that ADHD rarely exists in isolation. Some individuals with ADHD experience other needs or challenges. Where services operate in silos, people can be moved between teams or, as happens all too often, fall between them. That is why a model that integrates ADHD into broader mental health services is essential if support is to be effective rather than fragmented. For children and young people in particular, delay carries long-term risks. That is why awareness, early intervention and joined-up working matters so much. <BR /> <BR />At the same time, it is right to be realistic about the context in which decisions must be made. Our Health and Social Care system is under unprecedented pressure in terms of budgets and future needs.”
“I acknowledge the fact that the Minister has been clear, from the outset of his tenure, on the need to reduce unwarranted variation across health and social care trusts. In that context, the call for a regional approach to ADHD diagnosis and treatment is logical and entirely consistent with the wider reform agenda that the Minister has set out. Having a regional service would improve fairness, provide greater consistency for clinicians and offer clearer expectations for parents and families. Importantly, it would also support better planning of workforce and resources, rather than a reliance on piecemeal or reactive arrangements.”
“The motion addresses an issue that has been coming through our constituency offices with increasing regularity. ADHD has long existed, but what has changed in recent years is the awareness of unmet need that individuals and families experience. Adults tell us of years spent trying to understand their difficulties without a clear route to assessment or support. Parents tell us of concerns about their children that are raised early and repeatedly yet met with delay, uncertainty or unclear pathways. That uncertainty has real consequences for education, employment and overall well-being. <BR /> <BR />Members are right to highlight the fact that current provision is inconsistent. Access to assessment and follow-up support can depend on where someone lives, their age or how their needs present.”
“I welcome the Minister's very clear position and his demonstrable actions to date to try to make progress on the hugely important issue. Does he agree, however, that we are now in a rapidly shrinking window of opportunity to make progress with the Bill and that, if the Executive blockage is not soon removed, the opportunity to progress that vital MUP legislation in this mandate will be lost?”
“<BR /> <BR />A sports museum dedicated to our multitude of sporting icons current and past is the least that we can do to acknowledge how they have enhanced our reputation across the world and helped reverse some of the more negative images of where we call "home" and to appreciate the pleasure that their successes have given us. We must also remember the administrators that Northern Ireland has provided to major sports ruling bodies across the world. <BR /> <BR />I commend the motion to the House. It commits to nothing more than an investigation of the "feasibility and appetite" of and for the project. In my last words on the topic, I will paraphrase a cinematic, graphic narrative: if you build it, they will come.”
“You could ride a motorbike around the North West circuit in a simulator or try to put a penalty kick past Harry Gregg or Pat Jennings. Remember that it was a gentleman called William McCrum from Milford in County Armagh who invented the penalty kick. You could try to hit a golf ball further than Rory McIlroy. The ideas for interactive attractions are limited only by the creative imagination of artificial intelligence experts. <BR /> <BR />I have deliberately not rehearsed a list of our sporting icons from across every sport that we follow. If I did, we would be here all night, and there is always the potential to leave someone out. However, it would be remiss of me not to acknowledge the wonderful achievements of our para-athletes over a wide range of disciplines. What an example they set for others to emulate.”
“We have recently seen some of our major, retired sportspeople auctioning some of their collections. It is disappointing that so much of that will leave our shores. Perhaps, if a museum had been in place, a lot of that stuff would have ended up in it. A museum can conjure up an image of perhaps being stuffy and boring, with a static, long line of exhibits. We would have to give families reasons to visit. Having said that, I have no doubt that a collection from all the sports that our competitors have excelled at over decades would be anything but boring. There is no sport played in Northern Ireland that does not have a story to share. <BR /> <BR />Artificial intelligence has opened up new possibilities. Numerous interactive challenges could be provided.”
“There is probably a treasure trove of memorabilia stored in lofts and garages across the country. Some sports have already created modest but popular exhibitions, but they are scattered across many locations. The museum would pull all of that together under one roof. <BR /> <BR />Individual and long-established clubs may wish to exhibit their history. Media outlets could mount exhibits about how sports reporting has advanced over the decades. I am thinking about the BBC, which pioneered sports reporting in Northern Ireland through radio and, later, TV. The print media may also want to be involved. A name that jumps out at me is the late, great Malcolm Brodie of the 'Belfast Telegraph'. <BR /> <BR />Individual items could form the backbone of the museum.”
“I hope that the motion, if supported by the House, will prompt the Minister to join the Minister for the Economy in establishing a working group, as it suggests, to explore the appetite for and feasibility of such a museum. <BR /> <BR />Why a sports museum? The motion alludes to our pride in our exceptional sporting legacy. A sports museum would be an opportunity to celebrate the success of our sportspeople and would act as a motivation for future generations to consider taking up a sport and continuing to add to our sporting legacy of success. <BR /> <BR />What would we display in the museum? The challenge would be to make the hard decisions on what to exclude, given the rich history of Northern Ireland sports competitors punching well above our weight, given the size of our competitor base.”
“In October last year, I asked the Minister for the Economy in a question for written answer whether her Department would consider the establishment of a Northern Ireland sports museum. I sensed that she perhaps did not grasp the economic opportunities. Instead, she suggested that I refer the idea to the Department for Communities, which had responsibility for the establishment of museums. <BR /> <BR />I asked the same question of the Communities Minister, and he replied that he had no plans to develop a sports museum. However, during a recent debate on 'The Nolan Show' about such a museum, the Minister said that he would consider any proposal that was brought to him.”
“The Northern Ireland Audit Office questioned whether the economic case was sufficiently robust, highlighting the need for high visitor numbers to ensure financial sustainability. Despite the doubters, construction began in May 2009, and the development opened to the public in March 2012. The attraction was projected to need about 290,000 annual visitors to break even. In 2024, it had 900,000 visitors. It features in the top 10 visitor attractions in Northern Ireland and is considered to be the number-one visitor attraction in Belfast. I am reminded of the famous line from the movie, 'Field of Dreams': build it and they will come. <BR /> <BR />Back to the sports museum. The motion highlights the economic benefits that the museum could bring to our local economy.”
“On that day, the idea of creating a sports museum in Northern Ireland became a passion of mine, and, indeed, the more I thought about it, the more I formed the opinion that, with all the positives involved, the concept was a no-brainer. <BR /> <BR />I realise that it would cost a lot of money to build a bespoke centre to house the museum and that a robust business case would be required to justify the investment. In the mid-2000s, Titanic Belfast was conceived as part of a wider strategy by the Northern Ireland Tourist Board to regenerate Belfast's waterfront and rebrand the city as a global tourist destination. The total cost of the development was approximately £97 million, making it one of the biggest tourism investments ever made in Northern Ireland. The project had its detractors.”
“Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. Over 25 years ago, I was part of a conversation with the late Mr Barney Eastwood and Dame Mary Peters in a school hall in Bangor after the broadcast of an edition of 'Talkback'. A topic that had been discussed during the broadcast was the long-running saga of the Bangor seafront redevelopment. Dame Mary talked about her passion for the establishment of a sports museum. Mr Eastwood was enthusiastic about the idea and offered to donate artefacts from his boxing gym, including the ring that Barry McGuigan had used to hone the boxing skills that resulted in him becoming a world champion. In fact, a potential site for a museum could well have formed part of the Bangor seafront project at that time.”
“Minister, I appreciate that you do not yet have the final figures. I am sure that you also do not have the figures for the Supreme Court case. Will you confirm that whatever amount of money has been spent on those legal cases will put a major dent in your Department's budget to spend on our children's education?”
“What assessment does the Minister have of the impediments to cross-border healthcare? Does he believe that there is an appetite on both sides of the border to resolve those impediments?”
“If I heard the Minister correctly, she said that her Department had basically no concerns about that sign sitting on its property. By putting that on the record, is her Department now accepting responsibility for public liability? If so, is that not a dangerous precedent for the Department to set?”
“The Member may recall that, in North Down some years ago, a gentleman — a farmer — advertised an evening event for a cancer charity. He put up 12 posters on lamp posts in the North Down area, and the Department took each one of them down and charged him £50. He had to pay £600 out of his own pocket for that. Hypocrisy is certainly at work here.”
“Rightly, they expect leadership and sustained efforts, yet the signatories to the motion unfortunately fail to deliver either.”
“<BR /> <BR />As we can see, criticism comes easily to the Alliance Party, but our health services require MLAs to show willingness to engage with complexity rather than to reduce it to mere headlines. The motion offers little acknowledgement of the progress that has been made in extremely constrained circumstances and will certainly do nothing to help the morale of workers at the coalface. <BR /> <BR />The utterly reckless amendment from Mr Carroll would see patients come to harm. We do not live in an ideal world. Instead, we live in a world where the independent sector delivers a small proportion of activity overall, but it is activity that undoubtedly saves and prolongs lives each and every week. <BR /> <BR />Patients and staff do not need more motions like this one.”
“In early December, we all watched, with some trepidation, the rapid spread of the flu, but, in reality, its rising so early and peaking so quickly helped us avoid some of the worst immediate pressures in early January. Not even the best modelling can fully predict the future, however. <BR /> <BR />To demand what is already happening while accusing the Department of inaction is political theatre, not scrutiny. No one in the House has a magic wand that will instantly remove corridor care or eliminate queues in emergency departments. What we do have, however, is a responsibility to be honest with the public about the scale of the challenge and to support practical, evidence-based measures that stabilise the system while long-term reform continues.”
“Those gains happened not by accident but because of planning and because of people making difficult decisions in real time. <BR /> <BR />I make it clear that I am not for one moment going to pretend that all is fine across our hospitals, because of course it is not. We are contacted daily about the pressures, and I am sure that MLAs' family members have had to go to accident and emergency departments. <BR /> <BR />I find it particularly disappointing, however, that the Members who tabled the motion call for assurances and timelines for winter 2026, as though nothing is already under way. I thought that the Minister had been unequivocal many times in the Chamber on the point that planning for future winters is already being done. In fact, it never stops.”
“It was wrong when that claim was first made, and it is still wrong, but the Alliance Party believes that it knows more than the Chief Medical Officer (CMO), the Chief Nursing Officer (CNO) and every trust chief executive in the Province. <BR /> <BR />In recent months, there have been various debates in the Chamber, and briefings have been provided to the Committee for Health. The operational actions taken have been set out in some detail, with evidence of improved performance in key areas and hard facts that some Members prefer to ignore: reductions in 12-hour delays; improved ambulance handover times in several trusts; and targeted discharge efforts that, even given the social care challenges, created real capacity at critical moments.”
“Like other Members, I begin by acknowledging the very real pressures that patients and staff in our emergency departments face each and every day. Our health workers in particular also deserve our thanks, and, to be honest, they deserve better than easy sound bites and hindsight politics. <BR /> <BR />The motion is long on indignation but short on responsibility. It lists pressures as though they appeared overnight and reads as though healthcare and social care are simple systems with single levers that Ministers can pull at will. It is always easy to criticise from the sidelines. <BR /> <BR />The suggestion that winter pressures were "entirely foreseeable" and that no early planning took place is simply wrong.”
“What a musical treat, and what diversity of music tradition, for the people of not just Bangor but Northern Ireland to look forward to.”