Robbie Butler
Lagan Valley · Ulster Unionist Party · Northern Ireland
“Officials highlighted that alignment was provided through existing EU-derived arrangements and that coherence with existing regulatory frameworks was identified as a main consideration.”
“I note that the Member for Strangford agrees: she understands the value of our fisheries in those areas. There are other complexities. The Isle of Man Government have now done a bit of a circle around that island, which makes it difficult for our fishers from Portavogie, Kilkeel and Portaferry to craft and graft a living from some of the…”
“The Committee took the opportunity to question officials on several issues and highlight matters warranting scrutiny at Committee Stage but was not limited to those areas.”
“As the Minister said, they have possibly been viewed as competing demands, but they are not competing demands, because clean water is part of sustainable food production.”
“<BR /> <BR />I am glad to see language in the Bill on the sustainability of the aquaculture sector, and I want to lean in a bit on that. Aquaculture pastimes have, perhaps, been underutilised, whether they relate to the angling fraternity or other river and water users.”
“Today, I want to talk about a very talented young girl from Lisburn called Freya Terris. Freya, who is 17 years old, attends Friends' School and studies the piano under former Lisburn resident Rory Dowse. Freya is an incredibly accomplished young pianist and has performed in the Ulster Hall.”
The complete record
Every one of 2,636 lines we hold for Robbie Butler, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 12 of 53.
“I thank the Minister for his statement. He will be aware, as will many MLAs, that there are groups that are proficient in the application process. Often, however, there are groups, particularly in rural areas, that do not have the capacity and knowledge to fill out their applications in such a way as to score highly enough. Has the Minister anything in place to encourage groups that have been on the fringes previously to avail themselves of funds that have been closed to them in the past?”
“I thank the Minister for his answer. That is work that was commissioned by Minister Archibald, when she held the position. Work in that space has been delayed for around 15 years, and there is advice from legal counsel on the need for us to do that work. In the interim, can the Minister offer any succour or recourse to the people who are being impacted on by those property management companies, notwithstanding the fact that he has put on the record today that legislation is possible and will be brought forward in the next mandate?”
“Urgency for better access to assisted technology; urgency for training so that our public services can truly listen, even when no words are spoken; urgency to treat non-speaking individuals not as silent but as unheard. On National Nonspeaking/Non-verbal Awareness Day, I ask not for sympathy but for accountability and some awareness-raising. If we pride ourselves in the Assembly on giving voice to the voiceless, let us begin by ensuring that silence is not mistaken for invisibility.”
“However, for thousands across Northern Ireland, including children with autism, stroke survivors and people with degenerative conditions, speech is not guaranteed, and for some, it is impossible. It is a work. It is a frustration. It is silence, misunderstood sometimes as disinterest. It is intelligence trapped behind a barrier that others mistake for absence. <BR /> <BR />Let me say it plainly: we do not value communication until it is taken from us, so this day serves as a reminder to support and advocate for non-verbal individuals, ensuring that their voices are heard and that their rights are respected. Today is not just about empathy but about urgency.”
“I mark National Nonspeaking/Non-verbal Awareness Day. I want to be absolutely clear that we must not allow this to become just another date in the calendar of which we raise awareness and move on. I want to issue a challenge to all Members and to those beyond the Chamber. Stop for a moment and recognise perhaps the most undervalued human right of all: the right to communicate. We must remember that, just because someone cannot speak, it does not mean that they do not understand. We wake up every morning and speak without thinking, which is blatantly obvious sometimes, perhaps even from me. We debate; we interrupt; we shout across the Chamber. We treat speech like air: invisible, automatic and always available.”
“I heard it differently. We will agree to differ. <BR /> <BR />I ask Members to reflect on my absolutely winning arguments and support the amendment. Thank you.”
“A Sinn Féin contribution gave me a wee chuckle, because you said that you were surprised to see the SDLP and Alliance agree with Sinn Féin on something. Nobody on this side of the House is surprised by that.”
“No, I will not, because I will not get an extra minute. I have already made my point about the SDLP's contribution. Sinéad, you cannot have the argument both ways about two airports that are only 60 or 70 miles apart.”
“I enjoy listening to my Lagan Valley colleague speak on the issue, but this is not a constitutional debate. It is not about pitting North against South. It is not a green and orange issue. Rather, it is about jobs for our constituents. It is about improving prosperity and outcomes for the people who live in Northern Ireland. That is the point of the amendment. It is certainly not a constitutional amendment.”
“We pay a third. Sorry. We do not get a third of the output, however, and that is the point. We certainly do not get it in and around our airports. <BR /> <BR />Several Members said that we have been given a unique advantage through the Windsor framework. Hopefully, they will recognise that, equally, the UK-US trade relationship, because of tariffs, gives us a further advantage over the South. We have to utilise everything that is at our disposal and do so to our advantage, so why does our Department for the Economy not take the opportunity to capitalise on that specific angle? <BR /> <BR />I have a suspicion that we may not get the votes for the amendment to succeed, but I ask Members to review and reflect on some of the points that have been made. Mr Honeyford spoke with absolute passion.”
“You cannot have the argument both ways. <BR /> <BR />Bizarrely, we pay two thirds of Tourism Ireland's budget without getting a third of its promotion. That really is not fair. Several Members —.”
“Making simple changes, such as our being granted access to US pre-clearance facilities, would transform things, but I did not hear anybody pick up on that part of the amendment during the debate. Members obviously do not have that ambition. Furthermore, why should we continue to export our jobs, revenue and tourism business accessibility to an airport hours down the road? Interestingly, in her contribution, Sinéad did not apply the same rules to the City of Derry Airport as she did to Belfast International Airport. Apparently, it is OK to drive to Dublin, because it has American pre-clearance, but it is not OK for the people of Londonderry to drive to Belfast. I agree, by the way, that they should not have to jump in a car and drive to Belfast, but you cannot run with the hare and hunt with the hounds.”
“As our amendment outlines and as has been said during the debate, we should be able to capitalise on our leadership and history in this space and on our ability to deliver, which is second to none. We have a competitive geographical and now geopolitical position. We should be able, at relatively little fiscal or environmental cost, to grow the industry. I make no apology for being ambitious about creating jobs and economic opportunities for the people of Northern Ireland, whether at Belfast City Airport, City of Derry Airport or Belfast International Airport. That ambition will always come first. <BR /> <BR />Having more airlines flying out of NI to more destinations in fuel-efficient aircraft should be a win.”
“Later, we had Short Brothers and the considerable use of our airfields and factories during the Second World War to defeat the Nazis. <BR /> <BR />I have heard Members across the Chamber tonight, not from this side but from the other side, say that we are such a small place — we are just a small place — but we have to think big, guys. Some Members in here have shown that they are incapable of seeing the big picture. In Lagan Valley, we have Maghaberry and the Maze airfields, of which the Member for Lagan Valley who spoke earlier is well aware. We have a proud history, but it is sad to reflect on the disconnect between our Executive and that vital industry.”
“Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. My apologies for missing the start of the debate. I assure you that I was watching it on television in my room. It has been a good debate and very good-natured. There were a few pokes made at the Ulster Unionist Party's amendment, but I will poke Members back. I will get to that in a minute or two. <BR /> <BR />I thank Members for their contributions to the debate. It is an important debate, because Northern Ireland has a proud aviation history, which began with pioneers such as Harry Ferguson and Lilian Bland putting us firmly on the map. If Members have not been to the aviation museum at the Maze/Long Kesh, please go. It is probably the most under-visited and underappreciated yet excellent display that we have on this island. Please go and have a look at it.”
“Yes, it is given in schools. Does the Minister have confidence in the MMR vaccine that is given to our schoolchildren?”
“Thank you, Minister. The president further claimed that the MMR vaccine, which is a school-administered vaccine, should be taken separately. Will the Minister defer —?”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, it seems a shame to break that one up.”
“I thank the Minister for his fulsome answer. There has been a lot of debate about this since we returned to the Assembly. Families struggle to understand what the timescale for delivery might look like. I understand that that perhaps lies more with the Minister for the Economy. From my perspective, given the work that you have undertaken in the SEN space, you have a significant part to play. Is there any timescale that you can add for when delivery might happen and change might occur?”
“I thank the Minister for his answer. It did not have a lot of detail. When it comes to smuggling illegal meat or smuggling anything, smugglers will look for the easiest route. What do we do here to protect ourselves from illegal meat-smuggling through the Republic of Ireland into Northern Ireland?”
“The Minister's answer was very honest. He will be aware that a number of conversations are happening at the moment about the lack of cross-departmental cooperation. This is an example of where perhaps that could have been better, given the rural aspect of the question from the DUP Member. <BR /> <BR />Rural halls very often lack capacity. Will the Minister engage with the Minister for Communities in that regard specifically around rural halls, even though it is a project that is being led by a different Minister?”
“As someone who has worn a uniform, has stood on the front line, knows the weight of public service and has had to take strike action at one point, I can say this with conviction: fair pay is not optional; it is essential. <BR /> <BR />Our health workers have carried us through crisis after crisis, and they do not deserve to carry the burden of political inaction as well. Let us do the right thing. Let us honour our word and give our health workforce the certainty and parity that it deserves. I commend the motion to the House.”
“I am not surprised that the trade unions are growing impatient. If the truth be told, as an MLA who is married to a nurse, I am also losing patience, because the issue is too serious to be trapped in political wrangling, and, unless the request of my colleague Minister Nesbitt for ministerial direction is approved soon, we risk plunging into a winter of discontent in our health service. <BR /> <BR />Behind every cancelled procedure or missed opportunity is a human story of a patient in pain, a family left waiting or a child who needs an assessment. Industrial action on that scale is not just inconvenient; it would be devastating. The Assembly has this simple but profound choice: we can allow delay, drift and division to drive our health workers onto the picket lines, or we can send a clear, united message that the Assembly gets it.”
“It is not a problem that the Department of Health can fix on its own. The problem requires collective Executive responsibility, and it requires us to step up, because failure to act will not be measured in abstract numbers; it will be measured in pickets at hospital gates, exhausted staff leaving the service and waiting lists that grow even longer. <BR /> <BR />Every party in the Chamber stood on a platform that promised to deliver for our health workers. We clapped for them during the pandemic. We praise them in speeches. We wrote in manifestos that their work would be recognised and rewarded, but promises mean nothing without delivery. If we allow health workers in Northern Ireland to fall behind their counterparts elsewhere, we will have broken faith not only with them but with the people who trusted us to stand by them.”
“<BR /> <BR />Pay awards have been implemented in England, Scotland and Wales, but, in Northern Ireland, sadly, they remain stalled. Every week of delay makes industrial action more likely and erodes trust in the Assembly, and the workforce is depending on us. Let us not kid ourselves: unless the Executive act soon, industrial action will come. When it comes, it will be massive. I fear the damage that it will inflict on the Programme for Government target for waiting lists. <BR /> <BR />Some Members will point out the scale of the savings that the Department of Health has already made, and, if they are not going to point it out, I certainly will. The Minister has said that the savings that he has achieved this year are "unprecedented", but, even with that, a gap remains, and around £200 million of that relates to pay.”
“<BR /> <BR />Let us be honest: this is not a new problem. It was not that long ago that Northern Ireland's health workers, for the first time in their history, took to the picket lines. They stood in the cold with placards in hand, not because they wanted to be there but because they felt that they had no choice. The patients waiting at home did not blame the staff; they blamed the politicians, and rightly so. Those strikes were a collective demand to be heard when every other avenue had failed them. Colleagues, we cannot and must not allow health workers to be forced into that position again, because the cost of failure is not just borne by the workforce. It is borne by every patient waiting for treatment, every family desperate for care and every community that depends on the system to function, and, yet, here we are again.”
“That is what our health and social care staff do every day. It is what our nurses, doctors, paramedics, porters, cleaners, admin staff and allied health professionals (AHPs) do. They do not clock in for the money, although fair pay matters; they do it because they care, they want to serve and they believe in what they do. Here is the reality: they are serving in environments that are already stretched to breaking point. The wards are short-staffed, colleagues cover double shifts, patients are waiting for longer than ever, and the staff are going home physically and emotionally exhausted. On top of that, when they feel undervalued because promises of parity have been made but not delivered, it does not just dent morale but drives staff away. It makes recruitment harder, and it weakens the entire health system.”
“Every party here nodded along in agreement, yet here we are again. Almost six months into the new financial year, our health and social care workers are still waiting for their increase whilst their colleagues in England, Scotland and Wales have already received theirs. I am sure that most of us will agree that that is unacceptable. <BR /> <BR />I will pause there, because this is about more than just money. I know that some Members will find this a shock, but I used to work in the Fire Service. I know that that will have been a secret to some, but I want to use the Fire Service again as an illustration of how I genuinely know what it is like to go in and sacrifice more than your time by putting yourself in risky situations during a shift in which you do not know what is coming, while knowing that your community depends on you.”
“<BR /> <BR />Upon the restoration of the institutions last year, many promises were made, with health staff, rightly, at the very top of the list. Within days of the Assembly's returning, Minister Swann, the then Minister of Health, was able to present a deal that saw pay parity restored. When Minister Nesbitt took up the post, he was absolutely clear that he wanted the 2024-25 pay award to be delivered as quickly as possible. Through persistence and an innovative but successful approach, he made sure that staff got the increase that they deserved. He also said, however — this is important — that he wanted it to be the last time that health workers were left waiting until so late in the year before knowing whether they were going to achieve parity and whether previous commitments would be honoured.”
“Thank you. Mr Deputy Speaker. First, I declare an interest, because of Nurse Butler and Nurse Hancock, my wife and my daughter, as the debate will impact on them. <BR /> <BR />Today, the Assembly faces a moment of truth. We have been here before, and I have to be absolutely clear that this is not just a debate about pounds and pence or about figures on a spreadsheet. It is also about people, about fairness and about trust between those who serve us and those of us who are meant to serve them. The motion before us seems to be pretty straightforward. It reaffirms something that we should never have to debate, which is that our health workers deserve pay parity, just as they did in January 2020 and just as they did in February 2024.”
“I welcome the Minister's answer, and I assure him of the Ulster Unionist Party's support, should he bring that forward. That is the new stock, but I have explained before that there are significant problems with the maintenance, quality of maintenance and access to maintenance of some of the existing stock. Will the Minister provide an update on any works that he has undertaken in that space?”
“The Committee is also aware of the need to provide sufficient time for its deliberations and to allow additional time, given the likelihood of further Bills overlapping with this Bill in the near future. <BR /> <BR />Having consulted the Bill Office and having considered the evidence that we wish to take on the Bill and our other ongoing other work, the Committee seeks the support of the House to extend the Committee Stage of the Dilapidation Bill until 15 May 2026. We will, of course, work at pace to report in advance of that date, if that is at all possible.”
“<BR /> <BR />At this point, the Committee's public call for evidence on Citizen Space is still open and will remain so until 10 October. We encourage all interested individuals and groups to recognise the Bill's potential impacts and to respond to the call for evidence and the invitation to provide oral evidence to the Committee. The Committee is particularly keen to hear from councils, relevant advisory bodies, professional bodies and the housing and rental sectors and NGOs. <BR /> <BR />The Committee wishes to give the focused issues and wider impact of the Bill due diligence and scrutiny, while keeping on top of its extensive scrutiny remit for statutory rules (SRs) and the new agriculture, environment and fishing policy that seems to be moving forward.”
“The Committee is due to receive a briefing from the Assembly's Research and Information Service (RaISe) at its next meeting, on 25 September. We received its paper yesterday, so we know that RaISe has highlighted further pertinent queries and issues in addition to those that I have just mentioned. The Committee will want to pursue them in detail with external witnesses and departmental officials. For example, further clarity is required from councils on whether the ability to seek compensation under emergency action will have an impact on their decision to use the powers, and there are concerns about the habitat and conservation aspects associated with dilapidated buildings. The Committee will also want to explore and compare the provisions in other jurisdictions to assess whether they are working well.”
“We will also look at ensuring that there is adequate cooperation and clear communication between councils, landowners, occupiers and other interested parties; the adequacy of the fees and fixed penalty charges; and the time frames for remedial action and dealing with unregistered land.”
“That will ensure our enhanced scrutiny at Committee Stage. One of the reasons for the extension date is that the Bill is not as straightforward as it seems, as demonstrated by the issues raised at Second Stage by Committee members and other Members of the Assembly. Therefore, the AERA Committee will need to scrutinise the powers provided to councils and whether it is appropriate that they be discretionary, as well as the full financial and wider resource impacts on councils in implementing the Bill, as guaranteed central funding is not provided for in it, and to explore further whether the cost recovery mechanisms are fit for purpose to encourage councils to use those powers.”
“The Department's 2016 consultation received 24 responses, mainly from councils, and there was majority support for introducing a Bill with a new broader, updated regime to deal with dilapidated and dangerous structures, neglected sites and a range of visual amenity issues. However, Members are all aware of dilapidated buildings leading to further neglect in an area, and you do not need to go too far from this Building to see a row of dilapidated vacant shops, at the Knock lights, that have been that way for many years. <BR /> <BR />In the Second Stage debate, Members raised significant issues about the Dilapidation Bill and highlighted the need to see DAERA guidance documentation that will accompany the Bill. I thank the Department for moving on that guidance at pace, and a draft has now been provided to the Committee.”
“The Committee heard that the Bill provides for a tiered approach based on severity of dilapidation, with those requiring emergency action being judged to be the most severe. <BR /> <BR />The Committee recognises that much of the current legislation is old and that the departmental consultation in relation to the Bill was carried out almost a decade ago, in 2016. Given the length of time that has elapsed, it is of utmost importance that the Committee take its time to fully scrutinise all the aspects and impacts that the Bill may have to ensure that it addresses the current issues across buildings and sites and that it is viable for councils, in terms of resources, in the current financial climate.”
“Thank you, Madam Principal Deputy Speaker. On behalf of the AERA Committee, I request an extension to the Committee Stage of the Dilapidation Bill to 15 May 2026. That date was agreed after discussions at the Committee meeting on 11 September 2025. <BR /> <BR />The Committee was first briefed on the proposed content of the Bill at its meeting on 26 June by officials from DAERA's neighbourhood environment quality branch. We considered the outline of the 31 clauses and two schedules. We were informed that the Bill is intended to provide Northern Ireland councils with the powers to deal with dilapidated, dangerous or neglected buildings and sites and to establish a fit-for-purpose enforcement regime. That reflects the powers already available in the rest of the UK and will enhance the cost recovery powers for councils.”
“I will be quick. I just caution that, even when the road is upgraded, there will be inherent dangers, as with any road, to do with things such as speed. It would be wrong to send a message that delivery of the road absolves anybody of the responsibility to drive appropriately.”
“That is why we say, "Build the road, but, if there are delays, improve safety immediately, because families deserve nothing less". I will not critique or point out what Members have offered to the debate. Everybody has offered something of note, and I hope that, when we vote on the amendments and the motion, there is a collective response that the Ulster Unionist amendment offers the most clarity and certainty. I ask Members to support it.”
“The other thing is that, if we were to change the law every time that we come back here, we would never move forward. There is a time for reflection and a time for improvement. <BR /> <BR />I ask Members to consider a few points to do with our amendment. It does not duck the hard questions. It insists that the A5 be built but that that be done legally, safely and respectfully. We are genuinely not here to win headlines but to save lives, and that is exactly what our amendment's first priority is. I will say again, however, that respect for landowners is not an optional extra. Without it, trust collapses, delays mount and legal challenges multiply. The scheme has to be delivered with fairness at its core. <BR /> <BR />On a wider point, it is about public safety. Every week of delay is a week of increased risk.”
“Unfortunately, that will not lead to delivery of the A5. We do not have the luxury of waiting until the legal process has concluded before the road is improved. It would be good, particularly for the relevant constituency Members, to note the improvements that will be made even in the short term, Minister. <BR /> <BR />The DUP amendment veers off into reopening the debate on climate targets. Even if we were to accede to doing that — I know that many would want us to — the difficulty is that doing so would add possibly 10 years on to the delivery of the A5 scheme, because it would add a complex layer and a possible further barrier to delivering the road upgrade. It is a separate argument that may have merit, but it will not help deliver the scheme any sooner.”
“It acknowledges what Departments have done since the judgement, which is fine, although I am not sure that the whole House agrees on that, but that does not erase the fact that poor independent departmental working created the problem in the first place. It is fundamental that we learn from the mistakes not just of this Executive but of previous Governments here and of the silo mentality in Departments. That work is ongoing. Some Members, particularly those on the Chairpersons' Liaison Group, will understand that we are aware of that work and alive to it. <BR /> <BR />The Sinn Féin amendment also welcomes the appeal, but appeals take time. We know that lawyers — solicitors and law firms — make a lot of money out of elongating their arguments. They can make compelling arguments in litigation.”
“Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. I may not use my five minutes. A lot has been said during the debate, and, as I laid out when I moved the amendment, having three mutually exclusive amendments shows the amount of thought that all parties have put into it. The debate has shown that we are all singularly on one track and that we want to see the A5 delivered as expediently as possible in order to, as the Minister rightly pointed out, save lives. I thank the Minister for being explicit that saving lives is her primary commitment and for recognising that the road runs through land pertaining to around 300 individuals and that that has made it complex. <BR /> <BR />I will turn to the amendments and demonstrate our voting intention. The Sinn Féin amendment probably does not go far enough.”
“I thank the Minister for giving way. As part of that suite of improvements, will the Department consider a speed reduction on certain parts of the road?”
“We need to send out a clear message on the delivery of the A5 that public safety is of paramount importance to the Assembly but that adherence to our legislation also be respected. That is what the project deserves and what those who travel the A5 deserve, and that is what the Assembly should demand today.”
“I absolutely do. Only for the fact that there is an ongoing legal process, I would say a lot more. I certainly do not want to impact on that, but it is quite astonishing. Given that the Climate Change Act was one of the top pieces of legislation — certainly, the highest profile one — that we passed, and that some parties beat the drum loudly on it, it is very disappointing that the evidence was not provided to the judge or for the assessment of need at that time. As I said, that is evidenced in my submission on the amendment. There is a dearth of cross-departmental working, particularly on what we would call "high-profile" aspects of delivery for the Executive.”
“I am nearly at the end of my remarks, but I will.”
“The Ulster Unionist Party amendment strikes the right balance. It insists that saving lives comes first. It insists on fairness for landowners. It insists that road safety measures cannot be paused if there are further delays. It insists on lawful, competent delivery that can withstand further challenge because it has respected the law at every stage.”