Justin McNulty
Newry and Armagh · Social Democratic and Labour Party · Northern Ireland
“I thank the Minister for challenging some of the narratives that are peddled in relation to immigration. <BR /> <BR />Minister, what steps are you taking to support community safety partnerships in addressing misinformation on illegal immigration and to help build confidence in how local criminality is being managed?”
“I thank the Minister for her statement. I welcome the progress that has been outlined today on major waterways projects, including the Ulster canal project.”
“Will you commit to throwing your full support and that of your Department behind that effort by backing the establishment of the task force and by working proactively with local councils and partners, including the Department of the Taoiseach's Shared Island unit, to realise finally the enormous economic, tourism and environmental potenti…”
“I thank the Minister for his statement. We have all seen the deterioration of our high streets and streets in our towns and villages with the shift to online shopping. Vacancy and dilapidation are now sadly the norm. Will the review act as a stimulus for businesses on those streets in our towns and villages?”
“Absolutely. The Minister and the Department can never relinquish the reins of proper scrutiny. <BR /> <BR />The reclassification by ONS will mean that all trust ports can borrow, which will allow them the commercial flexibility to invest more in their infrastructure.”
“<BR /> <BR />The trust port model has stood the test of time and has worked well for the North. We can see the economic and social benefits in the local communities around the ports. In 2025, the DFI completed a review of the trust ports in the North to explore how the Department's policy on trust ports could be updated.”
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“I thank the Minister for his statement and for his efforts to date to stem the spread of coronavirus. I pay tribute to our overburdened and undervalued healthcare workers who will be placed under enormous pressure in the coming days and weeks, and I wish them well in that challenge. <BR /> <BR />We have heard today that St Patrick's Day parades have been cancelled in Dublin and in Cork, and there are sporting events being played behind closed doors. What actions does the Minister envisage being necessary here in relation to St Patrick's Day parades and sporting events in the days and weeks ahead?”
“Extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures. The measured advice does not cut it. School principals are pulling their hair out with the worry of having to make the decision about whether they should travel to Italy. Directing them to the Public Health Agency website or the Foreign and Commonwealth Office website is not sufficient. They need robust, definitive guidance on whether they should travel to Italy. In the context of 7,375 live cases of coronavirus in Italy and 366 deaths, and if we are in the containment phase, surely it would be prudent not to send school trips to Italy and for the Minister to give robust guidance to our school leaders now.”
“I had an interesting response from the Assembly's RaISe last week when an answer came from the head of marine planning that related to Armagh's coastline between the Victoria Lock on the Omeath Road and the border, close to Davey's pub. Is the Minister aware that County Armagh has a coastline?”
“I thank the Member for allowing the intervention. Paramilitarism has left scars on families and communities. Will the Member agree that paramilitarism, criminality, coercive control and intimidation are wrong and always were wrong? Will the Member also agree that there is no place in the House, 22 years after the Good Friday Agreement, for anyone to give cover to blatant paramilitarism and coercive control and, by so doing, further victimise victims such as Paul Quinn and his family?”
“I express my sincere thanks to those in the health service and the Public Health Agency for their work on the issue so far. Will the Health Minister confirm that we have a suitable quantity and quality of testing kits to ensure that we can properly and efficiently diagnose, given the bizarre circumstances whereby the United States did not and given that people will want to be reassured swiftly in the case of suspecting a contraction?”
“I applaud the Minister for her efforts to improve road safety for all road users. Will the Minister join me in sending condolences to families from my constituency: the Faxton family, where a mother and son tragically lost their lives, and the Magill family, who were so tragically bereaved at the weekend?”
“A few weeks back, I was lucky to be at the T:BUC Uniting Communities through Sport and Creativity event in the Armagh City Hotel. It was attended by Ulster GAA, the IFA, the IRFU and the PeacePlayers, amongst others. Will the First Minister give her assessment of how successful that programme is? Are there any plans to continue or increase funding to that programme?”
“As a Gael, I want the much-promised and discussed redevelopment of Casement Park to materialise at long last. Planning must be granted and money must follow.The redevelopment of Casement is about more than just the construction of a sports stadium. It is about respecting a cultural and sporting tradition, investing in an area of social need, promoting sport, health and well-being, building a hub for community endeavour and creating an iconic beacon of hope in the heart of west Belfast. It is time to get Casement done. <BR /> <BR />To finish on a lighter note, I may need to give further consideration to the Budget in light of the confirmation I received today from the head of the marine and fisheries group that County Armagh does, indeed, have a coastline.”
“I also want to see the development of greenways that connect towns, cities and, more importantly, communities. I want an improved waste water infrastructure so that we can not only protect the environment and waterways but unlock the building of the new homes and properties that people and the economy need in order to flourish. <BR /> <BR />As a constituency representative, I want the east link and west link roads in Armagh to be developed. I want the southern relief road in Newry and the Narrow Water bridge project to be progressed and developed. I want the Executive to support important, exciting projects like a city park at the Albert Basin in Newry; a hotel in the old, historic jail in Armagh; and the completion of the new, exciting and innovative multisport and leisure village in Armagh city.”
“This is a small island, yet if you live in Newry or south Armagh and work in Dublin, you struggle to get to Dublin by train in time for work each morning with a reasonable departure time and journey duration. It is the same from Newry to Belfast. I also want the A1 project to be completed without delay so that the safety issues are addressed and not one more life is lost. We need to focus spend on infrastructure projects that will grow the all-Ireland economy. It is in everyone's interests, whether nationalist or unionist, to grow the all-Ireland economy. <BR /> <BR />The green eco-warrior in me wants massive expansion of the rail network across the island, particularly in the North, as we seek to move people from their cars to public transport. Reopening the Armagh to Portadown rail link should also be explored.”
“As the world endeavours to cope with the coronavirus, we need to ensure that the region and island are prepared. We need to take all possible steps to prevent an outbreak here. If it does come, we need to deal with it. Yes, it could become a public health emergency, in that such an event could impact on every aspect of life, from schools to workplaces to public services and the general public. Is there money in the Budget to deal with a major public health emergency? <BR /> <BR />I want a number of key areas to be progressed in future budgetary processes. On infrastructure, I want a Budget that prioritises the provision of an hourly Enterprise service between Belfast and Dublin.”
“Continuing to do what we have always done just will not cut it any more. <BR /> <BR />Future projects must strike a balance between doing what we must do, what we want to do and what we need to do strategically. We need to plan and build for the future. We need to build a society that cares for people from the cradle to the grave through its hospital services, childcare, education, training, job creation and care for the elderly. We need to build an infrastructure that supports modern life with affordable quality homes; sport, recreation and leisure facilities; road, rail and waste water infrastructure; and the broadband and telecommunications infrastructure to meet contemporary and future demands. <BR /> <BR />As I speak in the Chamber, three pupils from the North have self-isolated, and some schools, I believe, have been quarantined.”
“Four years an MLA — four years — and this is the first time that I have been able to debate a Budget Bill, even if it is a backwards Budget or, if you like, a retro-Budget. Why? It has been said that, for three years, the voice of the people has not been heard in this place as part of the Budget-making process. Now that we are all back doing what we are supposed to be doing, I want a Budget for this year and the years ahead that reflects the needs and priorities of the community. Public services are stretched in every direction. They need more financial capital and more physical and human resources, be that in doctors' surgeries; school classrooms; hospital wards; or road, rail or waste water infrastructure. Services need to be modernised, reformed and transformed. To do that, they need financial resources.”
“It is misleading for the Member to attribute the overspend to design issues with the GAA. It was purely down to delays as a result of the Assembly being down and other planning hold-ups. It was not purely a question of the design. It is also misleading to say that the money for Casement Park is capital funding. It is ring-fenced for infrastructure only and should not be confused with funds and pressures available for other services.”
“I welcome the Minister to her post and wish her well in her role. My constituency of Newry and Armagh is rich in culture. We have our rhymers, our bullets, our dramatists, our musicians and our poets. An curadhmír springs to mind. The Cailleach Bhéara sent shudders of fear through me as a child. I welcome the Minister's capital investment in the new cultúrlann at Aonach Mhacha in Armagh city, which, I am excited to say, is due to open next month. Will the Minister take the opportunity to wish the group well? Will she bring forward a support scheme to help to develop and celebrate cultural heritage in places such as the new cultúrlann Aonach Mhacha in Armagh?”
“I acknowledge the presence of two incredibly brave people in the Public Gallery today: Breege and Stephen Quinn. I was pleased to see the First Minister and the deputy First Minister at the meeting of the Executive Office Committee confirm that, in their view, Paul Quinn was not a criminal. Will the deputy First Minister confirm that that view is held by all Ministers in the Executive, including the Finance Minister, Conor Murphy?”
“Condolences to his family, friends and fans.”
“Harry Gregg was a sporting icon. He was so much more than a sporting icon or a sporting man; he was a man of great dignity, humility and strength. He was a family man, touched by personal tragedy as well, with the loss of his first wife and his daughter through cancer. Harry was a "Busby Babe". I am a GAA man, but, in my formative years, I was also a Man U fan. I grew up admiring such players as Sammy McIlroy, Mal Donaghy and others and their exploits with the Northern Ireland team in Mexico '86. Sammy McIIroy said today that Harry was a man with the bravery of a lion, on and off the pitch. He was a man who, in 1958, climbed back into a burning aircraft in an effort to save his teammates' lives. Although Harry was a reluctant hero, what he did that night in Munich says everything you need to know about the man. Rest in peace, Harry.”
“Will the Minister pursue any other all-Ireland priorities?”
“What trees has Séamus Mallon planted? I measc na naomh go raibh sé.”
“Last night, Tommy Sands played a moving lament for Séamus at his wake. Tommy called him the last of the great Irish chieftains. Having experienced what he called the life-waste and spirit-waste of violence in the bloodstained 1970s and 1980s, he had a different dream. His was a dream of justice, peace and reconciliation, and he played a lead role in bringing justice, peace and reconciliation to our shared home place. Séamus said:”
“My sincere sympathies are with Orla and Mark and with Séamus Mallon's little princess, Lara. Also his sisters Jean, Kate and Moira, and his wider family, friends and neighbours. Of course, they are with Marie Harte, who spent many years caring for Séamus and for Gertrude, who passed away in recent years, and they are with Brendan his gardener who he spent many hours with in his greenhouse. <BR /> <BR />I want to pay tribute to and thank the players and members of O'Donovan Rossa GFC, Mullabrack, the community of Markethill, the Mid Armagh branch of the SDLP and Séamus Mallon's family, friends and neighbours who volunteered an extraordinary effort to ensure a beautiful and fitting farewell. <BR /> <BR />It is questionable whether all of us would be here today if it were not for the work of Séamus Mallon.”
“We need the delivery of broadband to Newry and Armagh now.”
“A more serious problem is that when these people ask questions and try to find out when the provision will improve in their areas, they cannot get any answers. They cannot design for the future; they cannot plan for the future because nobody will give them any answers about when broadband will be delivered to their homes. Who will give them the answers? We have heard in recent election campaigns about people delivering broadband to Newry and Armagh. Where is the broadband that is being delivered to Newry and Armagh? Where is it? People are sick —”
“These are reported individual impacts. These are real-life stories:”
“The first game that we played on that Spectrum 48K was 'Horace Goes Skiing'. We used to load the game from a cassette tape, and the game loaded over three or four minutes. In my home on Aghmakane Road, the download speed is equivalent to loading 'Horace Goes Skiing'. <BR /> <BR />I am glad to have welcomed representatives here from several communities in Newry and Armagh who are totally frustrated about their situation. They surveyed their communities. In Lissummon, 60% of respondents cannot get 2 Mbps, and 90% cannot get 10 Mbps. Recent figures from Ofcom show that 8% of premises in NI cannot get 10 Mbps, and just 3% cannot get 2 Mbps, so they are well behind in Lissummon. <BR /> <BR />Not only is the urban/rural digital divide getting wider but we in Lissummon are falling behind our rural neighbours.”
“The premises there are all running on superfast broadband. <BR /> <BR />In the North, however, we do not do it right. We bring fibre to the cabinets, and then copper to the home. If you are over half a mile from the cabinet, forget about it. The greater the distance from the cabinet, the lower the speed. The South is leaving us behind. Why would a company that may be rurally oriented move north of the border? <BR /> <BR />Why should our rural communities pay the same BT bill as somebody who is getting superfast broadband download speeds when they are getting, say, only 0·5 megabits per second (Mbps)? Why, for two totally different services, should those two bills be the same? <BR /> <BR />I remember, as a child, Santa bringing me and my brothers and sisters a Spectrum 48K.”
“<BR /> <BR />I am talking about people on Ballyscandal Road or Battleford Road in Tullysaran; Mullan Road, Tynan; Slaterock Road, Granemore; Drumgreenagh Road, Madden; Tullyah Road, Beleeks; Dundrum Road, Tassagh; Tandragee Road, Portadown; Listrakelt Road, Derrynoose; Lake Road, Cullyhanna; Ballydogherty Road, Lissummon; Skeriff Road, Cullyhanna; Polkone Road and Glenmore Road, Aughanduff; and the Tullyherron Road, between Whitecross and Mountnorris. I can go on and on and on. <BR /> <BR />If this place is to mean anything — anything at all — to the people whom we represent, surely we can get pressure put on BT or central government to sort this out once and for all. A scheme has been rolled out on the Carlingford peninsula — the wild and wonderful Carlingford peninsula — whereby fibre broadband has been delivered to the home.”
“Small businesses in rural communities are struggling to survive using current broadband download speeds. I know of one business near Madden in County Armagh that is competing on a global playing pitch, innovating beyond belief on an annual basis and growing its workforce, but is being held back by a lack of broadband provision. I have met many of these people. They are deeply frustrated, to the point at which they are fed up with announcement after announcement about investments in broadband, only to be told, "Oh, sorry, that doesn't impact on you".”
“In the North, 8% of premises have less than a 10 megabits per second download speed. I know of many communities in Newry and Armagh where 90% of the premises have less than a 10 megabits per second download speed. The Department for the Economy is creating pockets of disadvantage that did not even exist 10 years ago. It is well for the Minister sitting up there in Strangford, where the download speeds are second only to those in Belfast. Broadband is not a luxury; it is a necessity for modern life. Young primary-school children and students at university need access to broadband. If a householder wants to do online shopping or banking or keep up to date with work, they need access to broadband. Indeed, the farmer who wants to complete his or her single farm payment application online needs access to broadband.”
“Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker. Like other Members, I wish you well as you start the next challenge of your life. <BR /> <BR />The great digital divide: my colleagues in local government and I get contacted about this on a daily basis, like other Members. It is fitting that, as we leave this place tonight and move into an election phase, we discuss this very important issue, which impacts so many families, businesses and farmers across Newry and Armagh. I thank Mr Kennedy for bringing this issue before the House. I am sure that, like me, he is constantly inundated with calls and queries. <BR /> <BR />The rural/urban digital divide is growing wider and wider. Broadband, or, indeed, the lack of it, is becoming a crisis issue for so many in our rural communities.”
“Minister, we know that 80% of the boilers in the North are fuelled by wood pellets as opposed to 80% of the boilers in the UK being fuelled by woodchip. Can the Minister give us confidence that its terms of reference enable the inquiry to consider why the scheme in the North has been set up in such a way as to favour utilising the globally traded commodity of wood pellets produced by one company in the North called Balcas, which is a £100 million annual revenue company in Fermanagh in the First Minister's constituency? Maybe the Minister can give us confidence that the inquiry will give us clarity on that issue.”
“Minister, there are other ways of making public information that would allow us to identify details of usage in the RHI scheme. Is he willing to make public geographic information on where the scheme is being most abused?”
“I thank the Minister for his answer. Has he made a commitment to use the funds to build over and above the 9,600 houses that he has agreed to build in this mandate?”
“Will the Member make the distinction between woodchips and wood pellets because 80% of the boilers in the North run on wood pellets as opposed to woodchips?”
“I know the machine of the party to my right is presenting this in a different way, twisting the truth to hide its incompetence as silent partners of the "Look After Its Own" party. The "Look After Its Own" party wants us to believe its Minister Arlene Foster, her SpAds and officials could not grasp the importance of a cap or tiering. Her advisers or an official decided to remove that protection, but the fundamental fact is that Arlene Foster did sign off on it. <BR /> <BR />Those questions need answers. They need to be answered by the Economy Minister, who is here, and by the Finance Minister, who is not here. We need an urgent, time-bound, judge-led public inquiry into the RHI scheme.”
“<BR /> <BR />I know the propaganda machine of the party to my right is presenting this in a different way, twisting the truth to hide its incompetence as silent partners —”
“In the current frenzy to come up with a fix, which has been proposed by the people who caused the problem in the first place, we cannot lose sight of the fact that there is still a target to be achieved, or else the taxpayer will ultimately face EU fines for not achieving it. That point is being completely lost: this was a green scheme that has turned into a scheme deep in the red. <BR /> <BR />What is the current percentage of renewable heat against total heat? How much more is required to achieve the target by 2020? We need to ensure that the amendments to the scheme include a plan to achieve the targets. The SDLP voted against the amended scheme being closed down in February 2016. That was the amended scheme that should have been adopted in the first place; it was a scheme that incorporated caps and tiering to prevent abuse.”
“Thank you. It is obvious that those checks and measures were removed; that is why we are in the present crisis. <BR /> <BR />Were no heads raised when farmers were installing five boilers to do the job of one? Who knew what and when? Boiler suppliers and fitters were laughing all the way to the bank, but now they have no business because the scheme was not set up in a sustainable manner, as it was in the UK. <BR /> <BR />The EU renewable energy directive sets a binding target of 20% final energy consumption from renewable sources by 2020. A major point to recognise is that that scheme was set up to ensure that the UK as a whole achieves the renewable heat targets required by 2020 under that EU directive. The UK is still required to meet those targets or else face fines.”
“Thank you. We see where assumptions have got us. <BR /> <BR />When the scheme went out to consultation, what submissions were made? Who made them? Did those submissions influence the decision-making? Who benefited? Why did they remove the cap or tiering system that was introduced in the UK? Who made that decision? Why was the tariff reduced above the 100 kW threshold in NI as opposed to the 200 kW threshold in the UK? Who made that decision?”
“A big opportunity was missed to keep money in the country; the socio-economic benefits are not in Ireland. <BR /> <BR />Why was the scheme set up here in such a way as to promote the use of the globally traded commodity wood pellets as opposed to woodchips, which are produceable locally, with the obvious socio-economic and environmental benefits? This was a green scheme that has turned into a scheme deep in the red.”
“Are we to believe that nobody in the Department knows how to use an Excel spreadsheet? Are we to believe that none of the highly paid SpAds knows how to use an Excel workbook? <BR /> <BR />The cost of setting up a woodchip storage and delivery system is twice that of wood pellets. Pellets are refined sawdust; the calorific value is higher for pellets. Pellets are approximately double the cost of woodchip to buy and pellets have a much larger carbon footprint because of the high energy demand of the production process and transport. Whereas, as I said, woodchip can be produced by any farmer, carpenter's workshop, garden centre or willow grower locally, the only wood pellet producer in the North cannot meet the demand for wood pellets so we have to import them.”
“The cost per hour to run the boilers is £19·80. The cost per year to run the boilers is £166,320. That is a profit of £103,000 from running five 99 kW boilers as opposed to a cost of £100,000 from running one 500 kW boiler. Did no one see anything wrong with that? The scheme was set up as a disincentive to run one boiler, when using five is much more lucrative.”
“For a 500 kW heat demand, you would expect to use a 500 kW boiler as your configuration. The tariff for a kilowatt-hour is 1·5p; the subsidy per hour is £7·50. The annual subsidy for running the boiler 24/7 for 50 weeks of the year, shutting it down two weeks for maintenance, is £63,000. The cost per hour to run the boiler, with wood pellets costing around 4p per kilowatt-hour, is £20 per hour. The cost per year to run the boiler is £168,000. So to run your boiler full tilt for a 500 kW heating demand costs £105,000 per year. <BR /> <BR />But wait: why use one boiler when you can use five? Let us replace our 500 kW boiler with five 99 kW boilers. Our tariff per kilowatt hour then moves up to 6·5p, and the subsidy per hour rises to £32·18. The annual subsidy for running the boilers 24/7 for 50 weeks of the year is £270,270.”
“Woodchip boilers have a smaller carbon footprint than wood pellet boilers and are better for the environment. Unlike wood pellets, the production of woodchip supports local businesses, as it can be produced locally by any farmer, carpenter's workshop, willow grower, garden centre or wood yard. However, here in the North, our scheme has been set up in such a way that it encourages the adoption of wood pellet boilers. Some 80% of boilers in the North are burning wood pellets, a globally traded commodity. In the North we have one privately owned producer of wood pellets, with an annual revenue of £100 million. <BR /> <BR />Let us do a quick deep dive into the figures for the scheme as it was set up here; they are very revealing. Let us say that your farm sheds or chicken houses have a 500 kW heat demand.”
“The farmers I know are honest and hard-working and recognise the daily grind of milking cows; dosing and testing their livestock; moving their stock to and from market; maintaining their fences, ditches and hedgerows; cleaning out their houses; draining their land; ploughing, sowing and harvesting their crops; covering silage pits; and calving and lambing in the middle of the night. Our farmers do not do weekends; they work a seven-day week. <BR /> <BR />Back to the RHI motion. There are a number of issues and questions that I would like to raise in relation to the scheme. The scheme had already been set up in the UK, where it was operating as it should, by promoting the use of woodchips as a renewable fuel. Around 80% of boilers are fueled by woodchip in the UK.”
“I will get to the point. My colleague Councillor Thomas O'Hanlon and I were observing that not too many farmers around Sturgan Brae were availing themselves of the RHI scheme. The farm sheds had a blanket of snow that was not being melted by the heat generated by multiple wood pellet boilers. I recognise that those farms and businesses that are availing themselves of the incentive are not doing anything wrong under the law, which legitimately allowed them to claim a subsidy for switching to, or beginning to use, renewable heat. I also know that our farmers have got a little bit of a bad rap around this scandal.”
“Just over a week ago, I was travelling around south Armagh, navigating the treacherous roads in the snow. We were enjoying picture-postcard views of Slieve Gullion, Sturgan mountain, Topney and Camlough mountain, looking down over Camlough lake. It was hard to imagine that, in just a few months' time, hundreds of athletes will be swimming that lake competing in the crooked lake triathlon. If any of you has not visited Slieve Gullion and the area of outstanding natural beauty, I encourage you to come along to see the spectacular scenery.”
“Will the Member please recognise the difference between profit for a farm as a whole — as a business — and profit through heating your shed? Will he please distinguish between the two?”
“Minister, in recent days, you have been spreading fake news, making statements about Newry rail services and Narrow Water bridge. How can that work when your colleague the Finance Minister has not even brought forward a Budget? Are you not ashamed of making empty promises to the good people of Newry and Armagh, whom I am proud to represent, filling them full of hope about improved rail services and developments that may never happen? Are you not ashamed of yourself? You are putting out fake news.”