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.”
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“The Assembly Commission recently received advice that the ongoing deterioration and associated health and safety concerns now meant that the legal position had changed and that a full suite of remedial works should be pursued. As a result, the Assembly Commission is now moving to appoint contractors under a construction and procurement delivery framework to undertake repairs, prevent any further deterioration and ensure the health and safety of all Building users. Those repairs will address the issues that relate to damaged stonework and resolve the ongoing issues of water ingress in Parliament Buildings. The Assembly Commission will continue its legal action against Hamilton Architects LLP and Tracey Brothers Ltd to recover the full cost of those repairs.”
“I thank the Member for her question. The Assembly Commission has obtained expert advice on the necessary repairs to the roof of Parliament Buildings. Any urgent holding repairs that have been identified by those experts have been carried out, along with some temporary protective works for health and safety purposes. <BR /> <BR />Until recently, the Assembly Commission had refrained from undertaking a full range of remedial works, based on advice that doing so could prejudice the Commission's legal position. As the Member will be aware, the Commission has issued proceedings against Hamilton Architects LLP and Tracey Brothers Ltd for negligence, breach of statutory duty and breach of contract arising from roof defects.”
“I thank the Member for his question. It is a really good question. That will be kept under review by the Commission. It is a valid point, and the Commission will visit it this afternoon. I will make sure that it is on the agenda at that point.”
“For example, for the reporting year 2022-23, we managed a 29·4% reduction in electricity usage, an 8·6% reduction in gas usage and a 51·6% reduction in waste generated, against the baseline year of 2008-09. <BR /> <BR />The Assembly Commission’s sustainable development unit works closely with a number of partners to introduce energy-saving solutions and ensure continuous improvement in our energy efficiency. One such example is working with the Department for the Economy in relation to the geothermal technology on the Stormont estate and investigating possible options for heating.”
“I thank the Member for his question. The Assembly Commission strives to be an exemplar organisation in sustainable development and has implemented a range of measures to enhance energy efficiency and improve the environmental performance of Parliament Buildings. They include installing a building energy management system to better manage the time schedules for heating and ventilation, the installation of lower-power LEDs and becoming a conservation area for native black bees. <BR /> <BR />The Assembly Commission sets ambitious targets in relation to energy use, waste generated and paper consumption and is committed to achieving year-on-year reductions.”
“I thank the Member for giving way. This intervention may add weight to the Member's argument, but he can make his own mind up about that. <BR /> <BR />In Lisburn, there is a bakery, the owner of which has lambasted me for three weeks, because they cannot get a piece of machinery — a simple mixing bowl that costs £150 — for want of having to fill out extremely arduous paperwork. The lack of scrutiny and attention to detail in drawing up this legislation, particularly on the part of the EU and its requirements, is ridiculous. That points very much to the matter being debated today.”
“I commend all the parents and volunteers who put in many hours to get the very best out of those talented young people.”
“In the Chamber last week, I heard a lot of tributes to Cillian Murphy on his win at the Oscars and to Emma Stone. Just the week before that, I spent a wonderful evening in the Lisburn civic centre with Fusion Theatre, Lisburn. That group has operated in Lisburn for around 10 years, and it has a team of 11 fabulous volunteers who look after some of our most talented young people from across Lagan Valley and beyond. I stayed for around three hours watching a fantastic show called 'Anastasia - The Musical'. I think that it was the first time that the production had been put on in Northern Ireland. I was struck by the talent that we have on our doorstep. I have no doubt that, if some of those young people pursue a career in theatre and the arts, soon enough, we may see an Oscar winner from Northern Ireland.”
“I thank the Member for giving way. The report of the independent review of education talks about a single education system but not necessarily with regard to parental choice of sectors. It talks about the management bodies. That is where we can achieve a single education system.”
“I thank the Member for giving way. I will be as fair as I can. Mr Sheehan and Mr Elliott have spoken. They were probably both here around 2014-15, and they understand that promises were made to all schools in Fresh Start. Is the Alliance Party seriously suggesting that we start to rewrite previously agreed commitments from the UK Government and the House?”
“Does the Member agree that it would be disrespectful to people in Omagh, where the Strule campus is long awaited and will probably not come in on budget at £150 million, to not vote for the amendment?”
“I thank the Member for giving way. I do not think that the Member is speaking about my contribution, but will the Member accept that Fresh Start funding specifically states that it is for shared and integrated education and that pulling that money affects shared and integrated projects together?”
“I thank the Member for giving way. Given that she previously held a ministerial portfolio, will the Member agree with me how important it is that, even with non-binding motions, we are accurate when we try to reflect the existing legislation and that it needs to be accurate, word for word? Our very words and actions are in Hansard, and we can give a false sense of what can be achieved if we misquote.”
“They can improve their life opportunities and societal awareness and help to build a better Northern Ireland for all. I ask the Assembly to endorse the amendment, which recognises the value of both shared education and integrated education and calls for action from the Secretary of State and the Minister to give confidence to the projects that are spade-ready so that people can see their pupils', parents' and stakeholders' dreams realised.”
“I thank the Member for her intervention. I agree, and I will go further than that. In Omagh, for instance, where we have seen some of the most costly acts of violence that would lead to division, we see the Strule campus as a vision that is still not realised. As someone who worked on the Desertcreat project, which I hope to speak about in the Chamber in the not-too-distant future, I do not think that £150 million will build Strule. If we do not get commonality and agreement on my amendment, we will condemn Brookeborough, Strule and other shared projects and disengage them from what was promised in 'A Fresh Start'. I thank the Member for her intervention. <BR /> <BR />Shared education and integrated education are equally vital methodologies that can help us to equip our children by promoting tolerance and inclusivity.”
“Last year, I was able to visit Millennium Integrated Primary School, and I toured the site with Barry Corrigan, the principal. It was infectious how he shared his vision and plans that day, and I was almost as excited as he was about what was in store for Millennium. However, I will not and cannot set aside what was promised in 'A Fresh Start'. In Fermanagh, the Brookeborough shared education campus, which has been sitting on its plans for 10 years, faces into an abyss that is not of its making. I know that many of those projects were spade-ready, and the recent developments with the money will have shaken all the people involved to their core. It is beyond imagination that we would double down on their pain by not acting collegially and with one voice.”
“I once more reinforce the need for a stable and secure Executive and for us all to recognise our role in providing good governance, delivering on the past promises to all and working together to end political stalemate, which impacts on the lives of everyone but most significantly on the lives of our young people. <BR /> <BR />It seems a lifetime ago that the UK Government allocated £500 million as a commitment to both shared and integrated education. That was welcomed universally, and, indeed, many groups, schools and sectoral bodies rightly embarked on ambitious project designs. Some of them, like Fort Hill Integrated College, are in my constituency. Those schools have long since been sitting on their agreed plans to redevelop their old and dilapidated estate.”
“I always ask them what their priorities are, because, if we do not listen to their voices and give voice to them in the Chamber, we set ourselves up for them to fail. I say without fear of contradiction that the priorities of young people always include tackling poor mental health, protecting the environment, life and career opportunities and, importantly for today's debate, societal and educational inclusivity. <BR /> <BR />When the Assembly is down, which it has been for five of the past eight years, we are choosing politically to stall or end the work on all four priorities that I spoke of.”
“The good news, where we have brought agreement, if not consensus, is this: in meeting the need to ensure that we tackle societal divisions and promote tolerance, the earlier and younger we engage our young people, the better the outcomes for Northern Ireland and the broader the opportunities for our young people. <BR /> <BR />One of the best things that I get to do — I speak about it often — is meet and engage with young people. Over the past number of years, I have spoken and, more importantly, listened to literally thousands of young people across this wee country. They are pupils from every type of school: Irish-medium, Catholic maintained, integrated, controlled, special, primary, post-primary, right down to nursery.”
“<BR /> <BR />Our children and, indeed, many people in the Chamber are post-Good Friday people. Thankfully, for almost all those people, the violence, hatred, intolerance and propaganda that my generation grew up with has gone away. The job is not complete, however, and there is more that we must do to copper-fasten a brighter and better future for the next generation. Multiple reports and studies have been completed to assist us in deciding how we can best achieve that. There are different ideas as to the genesis of the problem. Some believe that social injustice and inequality are the key contributors to division, and some believe that it is about separate education in schools. In many ways, both beliefs are correct, and we do not need to compete on that matter.”
“From the failure to establish a single education system as early as 1921 to the fact that we still have multiple sectors and management bodies that are charged with putting children first while meeting the often competing demand of upholding parental choice of school type provides challenges. <BR /> <BR />Today's motion and amendment speak almost exclusively to the need to secure funding that was previously promised, but I remind the House that the recent independent review of education has once more offered us the chance to pursue the goal of a single education system in which children of all religions, social and ethnic backgrounds, disabilities or abilities, whether academically or vocationally talented, will feel welcome and, more importantly, included.”
“I move the amendment to the motion tabled by the Alliance Party in the sincere hope of being positive and proactive and of addressing some of the shortfalls of the motion, which, I am sure, are not intentional. After all, to reduce the vision and aspirations promised to the shared education and integrated education projects that were underpinned by Fresh Start would be, in essence, to reframe them as having met an unfair end. <BR /> <BR />No one can argue that Northern Ireland has not had a fractious, difficult and politically unstable past. Taking the opportunity to miss an opportunity seems always to have been the political choice of the day.”
“I thank the Minister for his answer. Were any requests for additional funding made to the sports Minister for the delivery of subregional stadia projects? <BR /> <BR />If the Minister has not yet visited Lisburn Rangers Football Club in Lagan Valley, I would like to offer him the opportunity to visit with me.”
“I thank the Member for giving way. Does she agree that it is really important that men create that role model, particularly for young boys, which will be instrumental in breaking through the ceiling and challenging those stereotypes that, indeed, many of us grew up with?”
“<BR /> <BR />I support the motion, and, in Baroness Blood's words and by way of encouragement to all women in Northern Ireland, I suggest a line worth learning: "Watch my lips, I'm speaking".”
“There, she helped to establish three community centres in the greater Shankill area. As chair of early years in Belfast from 2000 to 2009, she contributed to the well-being of many families and children. <BR /> <BR />Similar to me, Baroness Blood was passionate about early years intervention for children. She knew the importance of giving children the best possible start to life. Baroness Blood made significant contributions to the political landscape here in Northern Ireland. Her tireless efforts in community work and political activism laid the groundwork for initiatives such as Sure Start. Baroness Blood was not simply a forerunner for workers and young people; she was a women's activist who challenged the status quo and male-dominated environments and managed to inspire future generations to show up and speak up.”
“I do not think that it was a title that she sought. Baroness Blood left school at 14 years of age and began working in her local linen mill. She then joined the Transport and General Workers' Union, which was fundamental in fashioning her trajectory. From a young age, Baroness Blood epitomised the struggle and fight as an advocate for women's and workers' rights and had a proven commitment to improving lives, which set her on her remarkable path. In 1996, Baroness Blood helped to set up the Northern Ireland Women's Coalition, giving women a voice in politics. It played a pivotal in the peace talks that led to the Good Friday Agreement in 1998. In 1989, Blood became a community worker on a project for long-term unemployed men. She also worked with the greater Shankill early years project as an information officer from 1994 to 1998.”
“During those eight years, the Executive Office has had at least one woman and, more often, two, leading this place. That is to be celebrated. It is important to note that although 38% of our Members are now women, that is not enough. That should be seen as a floor, not a ceiling. <BR /> <BR />It would be remiss not to take this opportunity to remind ourselves of a trailblazer and pioneer — I would go as far as to say a revolutionary — who was fearless in her day. The descriptor, "From linen to the Lords" is one that some have given to the late Baroness May Blood. Baroness Blood was a woman who led an extraordinary life and is a leading example for all girls, including young girls, and women across Northern Ireland. She was the first female peer from Northern Ireland, and she used her title to help those from disadvantaged communities.”
“<BR /> <BR />I have had the privilege to work with many amazing women in many guises over the years, from the women who put on the uniform of the Northern Ireland Prison Service and faced the same risks as I did to the women who put on their fire kits in the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service and risked their life to save others, in the same manner as I did. I will probably get into trouble for this, but I will read three names into the record: governor Amanda Allenby was fantastic and the best governor under whom I worked, and Kirstie Niblock — she got married recently to Thomas Niblock — and Linda McKane in Portadown were two of the best firefighters with whom I ever had the pleasure of working. I have also had the pleasure in this Chamber of, over eight years, working with some absolutely fantastic women.”
“The motion recognises the fact that the journey is still not complete. It identifies three areas for priority: breaking down barriers, challenging stereotypes and creating environments where all women are valued and respected. In fully recognising the journey and steps that still need to be taken to ensure that our young women, in particular, face no barrier to accessing their full life's potential, it would be remiss not to recognise the path that has been forged and the considerable walls that have already been demolished.”
“First, I need to put on record an apology: I gatecrashed the women's caucus last week. I was midway through a handful of sandwiches, thinking that I was in an all-party group meeting. I was treated very kindly but told to leave the room, which I did. <BR /> <BR />It is my pleasure to speak today on this motion, which recognises International Women's Day 2024, and give it the full support of the Ulster Unionist Party. International Women's Day is a global celebration of the social, economic, cultural and political achievement of women. Although I know that here in Northern Ireland, right across the United Kingdom and here on the island of Ireland, much has been achieved in that battle to see gender equality and fair treatment, there is still much more to be done and more that we should do.”
“I thank the Member for giving way, and I am sorry for interjecting in such a good speech. On Saturday, I met the deputy First Minister at a breakfast where I had two of my young children with me. Will she agree that one of the ways of breaking barriers and killing stereotypes is with young people? The introduction that I made to the two kids was that she is one part of the two most powerful women in this country at this moment.”
“On a point of order, Mr Deputy Speaker. Will the Speaker's Office rule on the Standing Order on ministerial statements? It is my understanding that if the Assembly is sitting in plenary format, ministerial statements are heard in the House.”
“The Minister showed last week that he is keen to act and bring forward policies and legislation on matters that he takes a position on. The problem of bovine TB has been around for many years. Will the Minister outline his ambition and what his policy changes will look like?”
“I appreciate the Minister's giving way. Given the eyes that you were giving me, I did not think that you were going to. The Minister will know that I spent 20 years in uniformed services: four in the Prison Service and 16 in the fire service. In all that time, the uniform was provided for you because it was mandatory, whether it was a matter of fair wear and tear in the operational sense, or dress uniform. What about not being too restrictive with schools and trying to work with them on the price gap? When it comes to the remit of the discussions in that regard, if schools say adamantly that they need a certain piece of clothing, they should cover the cost of it. That would mean that things would not be prescriptive and would allow pupils and schools to come to some sort of arrangement.”
“The Chair of the Education Committee raised a good point. There are pressures on families — I talked about summer coming to an end and having to finance school uniforms — but the vicarious passing on of that trauma to our children exacerbates mental ill health and well-being issues for pupils. This is an easy win that we can secure before September, and I hope to hear the Minister respond in a positive way.”
“Let us not burden them with the issue of how they dress for school, and let us allow their parents the dignity of being able to afford a school uniform and a PE kit without having to sacrifice basic items such as food and energy or, indeed, get into debt. We have a real chance to make a tangible difference and to put money back into the pockets of families. We need to act quickly. The first steps of tackling the issue do not come with a huge price tag. Yes, under the current arrangements, the grant is much too low and schools remain unaccountable, to some extent, for their decision making, but the delivery of statutory guidance with an embedded price cap will not cost millions or create budget pressures, so there is no excuse for stalling. <BR /> <BR />I will end on a point that is not in my notes.”
“Evidence from England and Wales, where that action has been taken, shows that statutory guidance alone is simply not enough. We need to grasp the nettle and consider the value and efficacy of embedding a price cap that could be decided by an independent panel. I want to see that teased out more in the debate. That would not only protect families from unreasonable demands on their finances but ensure that we do not end up with a two-tiered system of those who can and those who cannot afford expensive, branded kits. There are some great examples that the Minister may well point to of schools that have shown that it is possible to reduce costs while maintaining quality. I urge the Minister to showcase those schools as models that could be followed. <BR /> <BR />Children have one childhood.”
“Recent research from Save the Children revealed that around one in 10 children has had to miss school due to issues with school uniforms and PE kits. That is not right, and the Assembly should not be comfortable with any child experiencing that. I have met the Department of Education about this, and I know that the Minister has outlined concerns about the attendance figures of many of our children. The Assembly, along with schools, should do all that we can to address the barriers and ensure that financial worries around uniforms are not one of the problems. <BR /> <BR />The motion calls on the Minister of Education to:”
“Growing numbers of families experience a building dread — I felt it when I was growing up and again when my children were growing up — when the summer holidays are coming to an end and the school bills start to stack up. For many families, that has become an eye-watering moment every summer. For many of those families, the return to school after the summer means a deep financial struggle that stretches them to the brink, and, as Mr Sheehan rightly pointed out, it is often the low-paid families who struggle most. We have allowed the situation to get out of control: sadly, uniform has become dominated by expensive branded and crested items that are, in many instances, unnecessary and, as we have read in many reports, seem to cost more than the monthly grocery shop. <BR /> <BR />The motion states that families are getting into debt.”
“<BR /> <BR />The truth is that every young person and child in Northern Ireland has the right to a free education, but the evidence is clear that the lack of accountability for the cost of school uniforms and PE kits is building a barrier to many children getting that right to free education and the school of their choice, simply because their family cannot afford some of the mandatory kit. Sadly, the Assembly has failed thousands of children over the years by not acting sooner to tackle the rising costs of school uniforms and PE kits. Those young people deserve better from all of us. <BR /> <BR />We have known for many years that this is a problem, but we have been ineffective and allowed the status quo to remain. We cannot do that any more. The public want us to act, and families cannot afford for us not to act.”
“I support the motion and believe that we will support the amendment, although we probably have a couple of things to tease out on that. I declare an interest as a member of a board of governors, as a parent who will be involved in the process of purchasing uniforms over the next few years and as someone who, a long time ago, was a young person who felt the effects of this. The effects are not new. They have been there for over 40 years, unfortunately, probably longer. It is possible that even Mr Sheehan felt the impacts of this when he was a young person.”
“I thank the Minister for his statement. The Minister will also understand that many responsible owners will be quite concerned this morning. Will the Minister give a clearer definition of what will constitute an XL bully dog? There will be owners of bulldogs that are not XL bullies who will be seriously concerned this morning.”
“This is a question that I first asked in 2016 to then First Minister Foster: how long is the Executive Office prepared to land-bank that valuable asset and stall efforts to reap its full potential benefits for Lagan Valley in particular?”
“I thank the Minister for giving way. There was a piece of that that registered with me. We talk about complexity of need. Does the Minister agree that it may be that there is just a better understanding of the complexity of need and that, as opposed to thinking about the individuals and the changing profile of children, we are just getting better at understanding their needs?”
“I thank the Member for giving way. I really admire his passion for the subject, and I served on the Committee with him. Does the Member agree that, while funding is one avenue of concern, the under-use of the Children’s Services Co-operation Act (Northern Ireland) 2015 has been a singular failure by most of the Departments to exercise efficiencies and direct transformation?”
“I thank the Member for giving way. I am loath to jump in here, because I think that you are making great headway, but I want to pay credit to you as the chair of the all-party group on learning disability and the former chair of the all-party group on disability. We have shared roles there. The Member mentioned that children with a learning disability or a disability face discrimination at nursery. They then move into education, and then, as my motion speaks to, they move into the workplace and further education. Does she agree that they face discrimination throughout their lives?”
“Although there are inarguable challenges to be faced in the creation of worthwhile and valued opportunities, that is unconscionable as a goal if we do not commit to broadening and maximising our commitment to creating a society in which those young people are afforded the very best opportunities and the very best and highest levels of support to fulfil their potential as valued members of society. I have to ask this: can we call ourselves a truly inclusive and empathetic society? I ask Members to support the amendment.”
“Sadly, however, and for many years, young people with a disability or a learning disability have faced an unfair and unknown challenge, because there is a shortage of options and a lack of support as they move into that transitional phase. That is why I tabled the amendment. <BR /> <BR />An Assembly report from 2016 into post-education provision for young people with a disability or a learning disability found that that was the case back then. There was a lack of suitable provision to transition and a systemic process coupled with a lack of information for parents and young people to navigate that next stage of their life. A clear inequality exists.”
“Thank you, Madam Principal Deputy Speaker. This is going to get crazy biscuits now. To answer the Member briefly, if that is ok, the EA of our phase inherited a real catastrophe and was faced with an almost impossible situation. At this point, I am reserving judgement, because I believe that some of the people who are there, and who were there, have been doing, and did, their best. The problem has been compounded because we have not been here. <BR /> <BR />The education years are the nurture bed for life for all children, regardless of who they are. I think that we can all accept that. Those are the years in which we prepare our young people and encourage them to achieve the best outcomes that they can in life, whether those be in further education, higher education, in the workplace or in whatever adventures they want to undertake.”