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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“I thank the Minister for his answer, and I wish him well with any future visits. I declare an interest, as my daughter is a nurse in the elective care unit at Lagan Valley Hospital. I am glad that the Minister had good service there. <BR /> <BR />With regard to tackling waiting lists, how important is it that the investment of £165 million that is being touted in the draft Budget is delivered in full to ensure that places such as the elective care unit in Lagan Valley Hospital play their part in reducing those waiting lists?”
“The Minister rightly pointed out how important the harvesting of data is. Can he give any sense of whether the new systems and investments are directly improving patient care?”
“We must also recognise that some private tenants feel disempowered and fearful of raising concerns because of the risk of retaliatory eviction. Enforcement powers mean little if tenants are too afraid to have them used. <BR /> <BR />At its heart, the motion is about dignity and basic standards. No child should grow up in a mould-affected bedroom, no older person should sit in a damp, cold living room, and no tenant should feel that asking for a repair is asking for too much. Our constituents are simply asking for safe, warm and well-maintained homes and for problems to be fixed — the first time. That is not an unreasonable request. It is the very least that our communities should be able to expect.”
“In polling commissioned by National Energy Action Northern Ireland, 43% of respondents said that their home had been affected by damp and mould and 39% said that they were living in fuel poverty. That should concern each and every one of us. It tells us that many households may be struggling beyond what is captured by official repair statistics. Fuel poverty and housing conditions are closely linked. If homes are poorly insulated and families cannot afford to heat them properly, condensation and mould are, as we know, much more likely. That is why retrofitting and improving the fabric of our housing stock is not optional: it is central to prevention. Better insulation, effective ventilation and energy efficiency measures will reduce damp at source and ease pressure on the Minister's finite budget in the long term.”
“The introduction of Awaab's law in England shifted the focus from expectations to enforceable time frames. Northern Ireland does not yet have an equivalent. If our current framework provides the clarity required, it still needs urgency and accountability, and we must strengthen it. <BR /> <BR />Clear standards and timelines protect tenants and give landlords certainty. I know that there is a commitment to inspection within 24 hours, which is welcome, but inspection is only the first step. What matters is proper diagnosis and fixing the root cause, whether that be installation failure, ventilation problems, heating inadequacy or structural water ingress. <BR /> <BR />We must listen to wider lived experience.”
“Those figures represent real households, real children and real older people. We know that damp and mould are linked to respiratory illnesses, asthma and infections and that they have an impact on mental health, especially when they are not addressed properly. When a parent contacts my office, worried about their child's breathing, it stops being a policy debate and becomes a matter of urgency. <BR /> <BR />We cannot speak about that without thinking of Awaab Ishak. His death was a tragedy that shook many of us: a little boy who lost his life because of serious hazards that were reported but not resolved urgently enough or properly. We owe it to his memory to ensure that, when families raise concerns about damp and mould, those are taken seriously and acted on.”
“Issues with maintenance and standards of repair are probably the single biggest category of housing complaint that my office deals with. People are not just frustrated from having to wait but worn down from having to report the same problem again and again. A wall is cleaned, but the ventilation issue remains. A patch is painted, but the water ingress is never addressed. That is not good enough for any tenant, whether in social or private rented accommodation. <BR /> <BR />As has been referred to, the Housing Executive's own data shows that, in 2023-24, there were 17,198 damp-, mould- or condensation-related repair requests. In 2019-2020, that figure was just over 10,000, and, after a dip during COVID, the numbers have risen year-on-year. Given that we have just had the wettest winter on record, I think that 2025-26 will be a disaster.”
“I welcome the opportunity to speak on this important motion and thank the Member for West Belfast for proposing it. The issue is not an abstract one for me but one of the most common issues that is raised in my constituency office. Given the questions that I have previously asked him, the Minister will know that that is a fact. Time and again, families contact my office about maintenance problems, delays in repairs and the poor standard of work when repairs are eventually carried out. <BR /> <BR />I will give credit, however, to the local Housing Executive team in Lisburn. They met me in my office to discuss the challenges. Damp, mould, persistent leaks, heating systems that fail, windows that do not seal and, very often, repairs that treat the symptom and not the cause lie at the root of those challenges.”
“Does the Member accept that that is a discrepancy and that it needs the Committee's attention?”
“I thank the Member for giving way. Having worked with him for 10 years now, I know that he is committed to justice, security and a peaceful settlement. He went from speaking about the Prison Service to speaking about the Police Service. He highlighted the fact that the prison population has risen. Does he accept that the establishment figure for serving prison officers has also decreased over the past 15 to 20 years?”
“I thank the Minister for his answer. It is probably one of the most difficult issues for the Minister to find the right answer to. The Minister is right to say that schools with the proper resources are the best place for those pupils. Will he give a guarantee today that pupils will go to the school that is best resourced for them and not one that does not meet their needs?”
“I thank the Minister for his answer. Although we welcome the initiative, a relatively small number of students will be affected. Will the Minister outline the obstacles to his implementation of something that would have provided fairness across that cohort of student teachers and those subjects?”
“Thank you, Madam Principal Deputy Speaker.”
“A five-year project line for that action on bovine tuberculosis leaves those under the spectre of positive bTB cases feeling hopeless, especially when the compensation fails to cover the full income loss or the emotional toll. That is not ambition; it is administration. <BR /> <BR />We also see £11·2 million in reduced requirements while vacancies remain unfilled and planning turnaround times suffer, particularly in the Northern Ireland Environment Agency.”
“<BR /> <BR />The Committee is considering the Dilapidation Bill and has heard evidence on the lack of resources for councils and on the Bill's application. On 5 February, we took evidence on the progress of the Lough Neagh action plan. The final 2025-26 allocation saw £6·3 million resource DEL and £9·2 million capital DEL allocated to help deliver the remaining 22 actions. I know that that is important to every Member. <BR /> <BR />I will bring my comments as Committee Chair to a conclusion and add a few comments as an MLA. The Estimates expose a Department that is still reacting rather than reforming. An extra £3·2 million for the delivery of the bovine tuberculosis programme is simply not financially commensurate with the scale of a crisis that is devastating farm families.”
“There is therefore very much a live, watching brief on that. <BR /> <BR />Unfortunately, the DAERA budgetary challenges of the past year remain familiar to the Committee. Compensation for bovine TB does not cover the full income lost, because it takes time to rebuild a herd, never mind deal with the emotional distress. <BR /> <BR />We know that the Minister shares our interest in supporting the agriculture sector to thrive. To that end, the Committee held a successful nutrients action programme (NAP) proposal stakeholder event, in November, to bring farming and environmental stakeholders together. <BR /> <BR />The Committee wants to see finance delivered for a just transition and has issued a call for views on the proposed statutory rule (SR) to establish the just transition commission. We encourage responses to that.”
“<BR /> <BR />As part of the December monitoring round, the Department identified £11·2 million of reduced requirements. I reiterate the Committee's concern about the speed at which vacancies at DAERA are filled and the impact of that on service delivery, most notably the NIEA's planning turnaround times. DAERA had an £8·1 million increase in capital DEL compared with the Main Estimates position, and, during the year, £11·3 million of HMT funding was allocated for administering the Windsor framework. <BR /> <BR />I move to resource AME. As mentioned earlier, £108 million has been allocated for a potential technical accounting adjustment in relation to Mobuoy. The Committee is waiting to hear from DAERA on the way forward following the consultation on the draft remediation strategy.”
“The Committee queried with AFBI the budget provision for the legal and staff costs that were incurred because of the breach. <BR /> <BR />I turn to the spring Supplementary Estimates, as considered at our meeting on 29 January. We noted that, during 2025-26, the main drivers of spending changes were an overall £69·2 million increase in resource DEL compared with the Main Estimates position, and an allocation of an additional £80·8 million in resource DEL. That included £63 million from HMT to administer the Windsor framework; it was not additional resource for DAERA programmes. There was also £7·9 million for depreciation; £5 million for the environmental improvement plan (EIP), including Lough Neagh; and £3·2 million for bTB programme delivery.”
“<BR /> <BR />One DEL reduced requirement of £0·8 million arose from a slippage in a lease at the Larne facility for 2026-27, and £108 million of non-cash resource annually managed expenditure (AME) budget cover was sought for a potential technical accounting adjustment in relation to the awful Mobuoy illegal waste site. That approach was consistent with last year. <BR /> <BR />Some £0·6 million non-cash resource AME budget cover was sought for a potential technical accounting adjustment in relation to the AFBI data breach that we heard about recently. At its meeting on 29 January 2026, the Committee held an evidence session with AFBI on the data breach and heard that it was due to human error and non-compliance with established controls.”
“However, under resource DEL reduction requirements, there was a non-earmarked reduced requirement of £4·9 million from the delay in filling vacancies and a requirement from Treasury of £2·9 million because the timing of staff appointments had been slower than anticipated. Many times during the year, the Committee expressed concern about the speed at which vacancies were filled in DAERA and particularly at the NIEA in regard to its planning function. There was also an Executive-earmarked reduced requirement of £3·1 million for PEACE PLUS.”
“We have heard much in the Chamber about the unmet challenge of bovine tuberculosis. However, we note that DAERA is not unique in having to rely on in-year budget allocations to meet statutory aspects of its work. The Committee heard that the cost of the bTB compensation project for 2025-26 was £47·4 million. The Minister of Finance will understand that that is a £4·3 million increase on 2024-25. That means that the overall cost of tackling bovine TB will reach over £65 million in 2025-26, which is quite a failing. <BR /> <BR />On December monitoring, at our meeting on 27 November, we heard that DAERA had no resource DEL or capital DEL bids.”
“Officials advised the Committee that, since bTB compensation is a statutory obligation, it was more likely that a bid would be met for that than for anything else.”
“<BR /> <BR />In June 2025, DAERA made one resource DEL bid of £3·2 million for bovine tuberculosis (bTB) compensation, and it also made four capital DEL bids totalling £8·9 million: £4 million for the tackling rural poverty and social isolation (TRPSI) framework; £2·3 million for estate improvements at the College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise (CAFRE); £1·3 million for country park improvements by the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA); and £1·3 million for scientific equipment for the Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute (AFBI). The bids were based on unmet elements of the budget bids, particularly the bid for bovine tuberculosis compensation.”
“I welcome the opportunity to speak on behalf of the Committee for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs. We considered the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs' allocations over the year in oral evidence sessions, first for the June monitoring round and then for the December monitoring round. We received a written briefing a few weeks ago on the spring Supplementary Estimates and on the revised out-turn and forecast out-turn documents. Holding the monitoring round in December rather than in October was not ideal, but we understand that the delay was down to the lateness of the Chancellor's autumn Budget statement.”
“Like the Member for South Antrim, I say, "Well done" to the Minister for getting the percentage up. We have to look at the raw statistics, however, as percentages can sometimes skew the real figures. How many farm support payment applications were made in that year as against the year before?”
“<BR /> <BR />The Committee noted at its meeting on 5 February correspondence from the Department detailing how the UK ETS authority will now enhance its internal checking and scrutiny processes to minimise the risk of similar issues arising in the future. Further assurances were given that officials are working with colleagues in the Departmental Solicitor's Office to improve the robustness of drafting checks. <BR /> <BR />Overall, the Committee was content that the amendments contained in the SI are of a technical and operational nature and that the errors discovered, although indicating a weakness in the checks, did not impact on the Committee's consideration of the policy. The Committee agreed to recommend that the draft Greenhouse Gas Emissions Trading Scheme (Amendment) Order 2026 be approved by the Assembly.”
“At the briefing on the SI from officials on 15 January, Committee members pressed them for more information on how the errors were missed in the checking process and sought assurances that checking procedures have been tightened. Officials apologised for the errors and highlighted the case for introducing further safeguards to strengthen the robustness of checks on draft legislation. The Committee was assured that they were minor errors that did not impact on the policy or the operability of the SI. However, the Committee was later notified that a further minor typographical error had been identified on 19 January.”
“<BR /> <BR />The Committee enquired whether the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA) had enough resources to deal with the UK ETS. Officials advised that sufficient resources are in place at present and that officials can call on the support and knowledge of the regulatory bodies in other jurisdictions if required. <BR /> <BR />I highlight that the process of the draft SI did not run entirely smoothly due to a number of drafting errors. The draft Order was originally laid on 1 December 2025 but was subsequently withdrawn following the identification of typographical drafting errors. An amended version of the Order was shared with the Committee on 18 December, which was some delightful Christmas reading for members.”
“Thirdly, the phased reduction and eventual replacement of free allocation for sectors that overlap with the UK carbon border adjustment mechanism, known as, as the Minister said, CBAM. DAERA officials advised that the amendments are technical and operational and that they are necessary to ensure the continued effective operation of the scheme. When questioned by the Committee on any financial impact, officials responded that, although the UK ETS comes at a cost to industry — currently, in the region of £15 million a year to Northern Ireland business — the draft Order will not mean a significant change to cost. The Committee also heard that, since the UK ETS came into force on 1 January 2021, it has raised in the region of £19 billion for the UK Treasury.”
“The Committee noted that the aim of free allocation in the UK ETS is to support climate policy and emission reduction goals and mitigate the risks of carbon leakage. This can occur when companies relocate their production to countries with less stringent climate laws, resulting in an increase in overall global emissions. <BR /> <BR />The Committee also noted that the Order makes the following amendments to the calculation of free allocation for the 2027-2030 period. First, adjustments to historical activity data used in the free allocation equation to account for COVID-19-related disruption. Secondly, updates to sector-specific benchmarks used in free allocation calculations.”
“I rise on behalf of the Committee for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs to represent its views on the draft Greenhouse Gas Emissions Trading Scheme (Amendment) Order 2026. The Committee's scrutiny began at our meeting on 4 December, when we considered a letter from DAERA that gave advance notice of the laying of the draft SI and a summary of the proposed amendments. The Committee noted that Minister Muir had given consent for the draft SI to be laid under the draft affirmative resolution procedure, and it was laid simultaneously as an Order in Council before the Northern Ireland Assembly, the Houses of Parliament, the Scottish Parliament and the Welsh Senedd. On 15 January, the Committee held an oral evidence session with officials from DAERA's climate change and green growth policy division.”
“Those did not work particularly well because, while they may have been morally right, their application was not good. We also know about the proliferation of virtual private networks, which have seen a 1,800% rise in their use. Unfortunately, a lot of that stuff can be driven underground because age-based restrictions, if introduced, cannot stand alone. They must be part of a holistic response. <BR /> <BR />In Northern Ireland, we are, for once, probably in a slightly better position than some of the other regions. We have the Safer Schools NI app, which is already in around 85% of schools in Northern Ireland, but what is missing from that is parental awareness of the use of that app.”
“They are being exposed, sadly, to pornography, self-harm material, bullying and misogynistic abuse, and the algorithms do not merely host the content but actively promote it. Crucially, children and young people themselves tell us that things are not working. Young people across Northern Ireland have called for greater protections online, for clearer boundaries and for adults to take responsibility, but that advocacy means more than listening, because we are meant to protect those young people and to speak clearly about the harms that are posed. <BR /> <BR />At the same time, we must be honest about the complexity. An outright ban used prematurely or in isolation risks unintended consequences. I need not remind many people in the Chamber about the ban on alcohol for under-18s and on smoking for under-16s.”
“The debate must be grounded in one guiding principle, and that is the best interests of the child. That is not a slogan but a legal, moral and human obligation rooted in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). Children have the right to protection, to healthy development, to dignity and to be heard. When those rights come into conflict with the business models of multinational tech platforms, it should not be the children who lose. <BR /> <BR />The evidence before us is no longer anecdotal, nor is it isolated. We see clear links between social media use and harm, whether that is to mental health, to emotional well-being or to development, particularly among younger users. Children are being exposed to content that is wholly inappropriate and that, in any other context, would be considered to be wholly unacceptable.”
“Madam Principal Deputy Speaker, I forgot about the three-minute rule, so I will read through this quickly. Pin your ears back. <BR /> <BR />At the outset, it is worth acknowledging an uncomfortable truth for us in the Chamber. Many of us, if we were to log into our own daily screen time and honestly reflect on that, would see that there is a degree of hypocrisy when we talk today about children and social media use. Maybe we are bringing a bit of our own wisdom to it. <BR /> <BR />Digital technology brings real benefits, including connection, creativity and learning, and it would be disingenuous for any of us to deny that. However, recognising value does not absolve us from responsibility, particularly when the evidence of harm is now so abundantly clear.”
“I thank the Minister for her answer and for affirming that there will be an extension to the scheme. Can the Minister outline what the comms strategy looks like for that to ensure that shoppers are aware of that in Lisburn and Newry? Can she offer some clarity around how we will better protect people from getting fines because they did not understand the scheme in the first place?”
“Will the Member accept that all schools segregate children based on ability, whether it is a high school or grammar school, because the children are streamed as soon as they go into year 8, so there is streaming and segregation anyway?”
“Yes, that is still selection. To be fair to the Alliance Party, it is the only party that supported the Ulster Unionist Party's suggestion back in 2021, which, I think, is a better suggestion than that which the independent review body brought forward. Whilst we put a lot of store by what professionals say, most people here are parents and have lived experience. In fact, lived experience is one of the best tools that we can use. <BR /> <BR />To finish, if you have been talking about an issue for years, when you bring such a motion to the Floor, come with solutions.”
“— free school meals and which school your child wants to go to. I will take a question.”
“It matters to the SDLP, Sinn Féin and Alliance. Guess what? It matters on this issue too. Parental choice exists in every aspect of children's education, including transport, special educational needs —”
“However, the party that tabled the motion, the party that tabled the amendment and the Alliance Party have never brought an alternative solution to the Assembly. That is what brought me down to the Chamber for the debate. We get private Members' Bills and motions on academic selection, and we talk about the issue. However, only one party in the Chamber has brought a workable solution, and that is the Ulster Unionist Party. We recognise that some of the points raised by Members are absolutely valid. Is this the best that we can do? No, it is not. However, we have all inherited a system that has served the majority of people well. Can we improve it? We absolutely can. <BR /> <BR />I go back to a point that was discussed a few minutes ago. If we removed academic selection, there would be a postcode lottery. Parental choice really matters.”
“When I, as the education spokesperson for this party, had my first meeting with the wonderful group of people who led that review, there was a missed opportunity. In the first meeting, I asked the group whether it would look at the Dickson plan as an alternative to the P7 test. The answer at that meeting was, "No, that is not on the table". That may have been because of the terms of reference set by the Minister at that time, but it signalled to me that there is a bit of a glass ceiling. I am not afraid, and the Ulster Unionist Party will not be afraid, to talk about the glass ceiling, but we will not take away a pathway that parents and children can understand and that the system supports. <BR /> <BR />I accept that there may be some disadvantage.”
“Thank you for being brief. I go back to a point that was raised about me personally when we had this debate in around 2020. I was accused of not caring about the mental health of young people, which I took personally. If your accusation, Pat, is that I do not care about the mental health of my daughter and the young people of Northern Ireland, I will go toe to toe with anyone on that. I have the highest regard for the mental health champion, who is the best person for that job, but it is OK to disagree even with professionals. <BR /> <BR />It is about how we address academic selection and attach a value to it. What do I mean by that? There have been missed opportunities, one of which was in the review of education.”
“Based on my personal experience, I think that we should always be up for reform and improvement of any system that we have, particularly for children and young people <BR /> <BR />I also declare an interest in that the third of my five children recently navigated the test. My two older children did the AQE test, and, this year, our P7 pupil sat the SEAG test. My young daughter did not suffer mental distress. She was not overanxious. I do not diminish the fact that some pupils are, but is it really the test that causes the problem?”
“As a former long-term member of the Education Committee, at which this topic raised its head on numerous occasions, I am delighted to take part in the debate today. I say that for a reason, to which I will come back in a minute or two. I also declare a number of interests. Like Mr Baker, I did the 11-plus — I do not know whether it was called the 11-plus in your day, Danny — but did not pass the test. I did not get to go to Wallace High School or Friends' School, but I thank God that I went to Lisnagarvey High School, because it turned me into the man that I am today. I did not enjoy the day that I got my result.”
“I thank the deputy First Minister for her answer. I am not sure whether that was a yes, you have done some work with the Infrastructure Minister on that. It would be a capital project. <BR /> <BR />Deputy First Minister, if you travel to the US for St Patrick's Day, will you give a commitment to engage the US president on pre-clearance for Belfast International Airport? I see that as a real boon to Northern Ireland's prosperity and a means of opening up valuable transatlantic routes for travellers.”
“The community and voluntary sector supports around 11,000 people each year, many living with learning disabilities, other disabilities, long-term health conditions and significant mental health challenges. They also assist people to gain skills, to secure employment and to access essential intervention services, with up to 650 staff roles funded through the Shared Prosperity Fund, 403 of which are full-time posts. I urge the Chamber to unite and to lobby the United Kingdom Government to change their funding model.”
“That is what people are calling it. That will drastically reduce the amount available for the very services that help people into work and protect their well-being. For example, on Friday, I visited Stepping Stones in Lisburn, which is an amazing charity that empowers people with learning disabilities and employment barriers through skills training. Sadly for organisations such as Stepping Stones, the cuts come against the backdrop of Northern Ireland's labour market, which is already under strain. Our economic inactivity rate, at 26·5%, stands as the highest in the UK, and we have the lowest employment rate for disabled people. As the chair of the all-party group on disability, I declare an interest with regard to that. <BR /> <BR />Those figures are not abstract statistics.”
“I appreciate your indulgence, Mr Speaker. Mental health disability and learning disability community and voluntary organisations are not facing a funding gap: they face a funding cliff edge, and it is people's mental health and workplace inclusion that will bear the cost. The transition from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund to the new local growth fund, if implemented in its current form, risks creating a profound and totally avoidable funding crisis for our communities and for the services that support them. <BR /> <BR />Under the existing arrangements, funding to tackle economic inactivity in Northern Ireland has been about £25 million a year. From April 2026, it is set to fall sharply to £9·2 million, which is a reduction of around 64%, due to the shift to the local growth fund and its proposed 70:30 split.”
“The websites create a digital platform that drives violence against women and girls by turning women into commodities for potential buyers to pursue and then select one who fits their taste. They reinforce the gender dynamics that underpin violence against women and girls, sadly, from a young age. The platforms industrialise the embedded violence and stereotypes that put women in danger. We must do everything in our power to curtail the demand for the industry while providing women and girls with real opportunities to exit it. <BR /> <BR />I will finish with this one; it is a slight curveball. My church is trying to raise money for women who are caught in prostitution in India, where £500 buys a woman out of the sex industry. We need to do more here to protect women in Northern Ireland.”