Linda Dillon
Mid Ulster · Sinn Féin · Northern Ireland
“It is important to have that acknowledgement for the sake of history — so that the generations who come after us will understand what happened to you and what you went through. It is also important for our present and future: we must make sure that what happened to those women, girls and children never happens again.”
“I begin by offering the apologies of my colleague Carál Ní Chuilín, who cannot be here today owing to ill health. Carál has been very much invested in the work on the legislation. The Bill is very important to her, given the work that she does in the Assembly and the people with whom she has personally worked and engaged over many years.”
“My colleague Áine is the Member who probably comes closest to having a true understanding of what you have had to live with and endure, and continue to live with and endure, because it has affected, and will affect, you all your life, and we know that those effects are transgenerational. I acknowledge that.”
“We can never allow that to happen. <BR /> <BR />You showed bravery by speaking up. You spoke up, yes, so that people would know what had happened to you, but you also spoke up so that it would not happen to others.”
“Some lived to see the beginning of the campaign but not the Bill getting to this stage. Many did not even see the beginning of the campaign and did not believe that, in their lifetime — or anyone else's lifetime, for that matter — there would be an acknowledgement of what happened to them.”
“I apologise for not being in the House from the beginning of the statement and thank you for your latitude on that. <BR /> <BR />Thank you, Minister. You have outlined some of the benefits that Waterways Ireland ownership can bring to waterways and local communities.”
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“In my role as Chairperson of the Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (AERA) Committee, I would like to take the opportunity to mention that the Committee has identified knotweed and, indeed, hogweed as potential problems. The issue was first raised at the Committee meeting on 16 June, when it became apparent that practically every member around the table had issues with knotweed and/or hogweed. When we questioned officials, it became clear that there was no consistent or coherent strategy to deal with it; in fact, the Department told us that, despite recognising that knotweed and hogweed are species that "cause significant problems operationally", they are dealing with it on a case-by-case basis.”
“I call on the Minister to act on the motion and finally get something done about used tyres so that we do not need to bring the issue back to the Chamber again.”
“<BR /> <BR />The fact that we are discussing the issue in the Assembly again indicates the failure to properly address it, and I call on the new Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs to act on the motion and be the Minister who implements real and effective action on the issue rather than paying lip service to it. <BR /> <BR />I welcome the support for the motion and the amendment from across the Chamber, and I genuinely hope that we will see plans come to the Committee as soon as possible. As has already been said by some Members, we cannot take the fact that there will be some opposition to this as a reason not to act on it. There is opposition from some quarter to every piece of legislation that we bring to the Chamber, but that does not mean that we cannot move things forward.”
“However, it is unfortunate, given that the issue has come up in the Chamber before, that the previous Minister was not able to move forward with the Committee report, as one of its recommendations was that any scheme should be developed in close liaison with the Twenty-six Counties. <BR /> <BR />A number of people mentioned councils being the first port of call and having the first responsibility for tyres, particularly tyres on bonfires. We probably need to be a wee bit cautious about that. As one who comes from one of the 11 new councils, I know that we often leave issues to councils to deal with, but we need to make legislation and rules in central government that mean councils are able to do what they need to do without incurring additional cost. If there is additional cost, we need to look at helping them with it.”
“We have heard from all contributors about the harmful effects of the pollution, criminality and antisocial behaviour that derive from used tyres. Bonfires are only one element of that antisocial behaviour, so we should not concentrate on it too much. As Mr Beggs said, there are people who drop tyres off at bonfires and encourage the use of tyres that maybe would not ordinarily have been sought by those who are lighting the bonfires in the first place. <BR /> <BR />We have heard about the cost to farmers of a permit when they find a use for used tyres, and the Minister should review this charge with a view to abolishing it. I welcome and support the amendment proposed by the SDLP.”
“Has the Minister had any meetings with the chief executives, chairpersons or mayors of the councils? Your predecessor in DSD had such meetings when I was on the previous Mid Ulster Council, and I have to say that that did a lot to allay any fears that we had. That would be beneficial and give reassurance to councils. I hope that, when powers are transferred, you will give the councils the resources, unlike previous Ministers who did not do that.”
“I thank the Minister of his answer and welcome him to his first Question Time as Minister. Will he give an indication of when construction will commence on the Randalstown to Castledawson section of the A6?”
“What responsibility is there on clinicians to ensure that the number of cancelled appointments is reduced? How does the Minister plan to tackle that?”
“Will the Minister tell us how many incidents of bovine TB there have been this year, how that compares to previous years and whether there has been an increase or decrease?”
“They do not want to move out of the rural area, and we do not want them to leave. I highlighted a number of these issues last week when I spoke in the PFG debate, and I will continue to champion our rural communities and businesses through the Committee structure and on the Floor of the Assembly.”
“My constituency of Mid Ulster has over 8,000 VAT-registered businesses — that is the greatest number of VAT-registered businesses outside Belfast city. We in central government need to support indigenous businesses and put a proper focus on this, as those businesses will be what sustain the rural economy. The reality is that, while FDI will be an economic driver in urban areas, indigenous businesses will be the economic driver in our rural areas. <BR /> <BR />I met a number of businesses from the east Tyrone area at a recent meeting organised by Dungannon Enterprise Centre. Their issue is that they are outgrowing their premises and cannot obtain larger premises in the local area. That may seem to be a good dilemma, but our fear is that we will lose those businesses to larger towns and cities.”
“<BR /> <BR />Without proper broadband, our rural children are being disadvantaged in their education, our rural businesses are less efficient and unable to grow and our farmers, who are being asked by DAERA to submit forms online are unable to do so. We have to tackle head-on the attitude that appears to exist that it is easier to move businesses out of rural areas.”
“<BR /> <BR />As Sinn Féin spokesperson and an MLA for the large rural constituency of Mid Ulster, whilst again accepting that all our Departments are under budgetary constraints, I sincerely hope that there will continue to be a focus on tackling rural deprivation and isolation. I ask that the Minister develop a strategy with the Economy Minister to tackle the lack of rural broadband provision. A proper strategy and joined-up working within government would surely ensure that broadband providers are held to account in a more efficient manner. It has been outlined today that not everything has to be tackled with money and that there are other ways of tackling things and coming up with strategies that do not necessarily incur budgetary constraints.”
“The Committee sought assurances that, where there might be slippage in those projects, the Department has shovel-ready projects in the pipeline. It is something we will keep a watching brief on. <BR /> <BR />Members of the Committee also sought additional information on the modest £0·3 million expenditure on broadband and have sought clarification on where the money will be spent and the criteria for receiving it. <BR /> <BR />In conclusion, the Committee recognises the importance of its role in scrutinising the Department's expenditure and delivery of projects. I look forward to updating the Assembly in the future on budgetary debates about the work of the Committee on the matter.”
“It accounts for some £0·8 million moving from resource to capital. <BR /> <BR />More than three quarters of the budget of the Department's veterinary service animal health group is allocated to tackling bovine TB in herds. That is a significant budgetary commitment from the Department. Around £12 million of that expenditure goes towards compensation costs alone. I am aware that was a priority for the previous Committee for Agriculture and Rural Development, and while the new Committee has yet to set its priorities, I have no doubt that bovine TB will feature as a major area of scrutiny. <BR /> <BR />Moving on to capital expenditure, the Committee noted that IT capital projects account for over 40% of the Department's overall capital allocation.”
“On resource, the Committee is aware that the £215 million budget is net of the EU funds administered by DAERA, which is a significant element of the Department's work. Given the budgetary pressures facing the Department, the Committee sought a detailed breakdown of the £48 million income generated by the Department. DAERA's income capacity will be crucial to address the challenges ahead. The Committee will keep that under scrutiny and seek assurances from officials that money is allocated correctly and swiftly. <BR /> <BR />The Committee is aware that, following changes in Treasury guidelines on research and development, the Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute (AFBI) will benefit from the reclassification from resource to capital expenditure. The Committee welcomes that development.”
“Given that the Department's remit also includes rural affairs, I have already outlined my expectation with the Department that, notwithstanding the difficulties faced by staff as a result of the relocation programme, DAERA's offices should not all be located in the city. <BR /> <BR />It is imperative that the Department manages the programme efficiently and that it is fit for purpose. I have no doubt that members of the Committee will wish to scrutinise the implementation and delivery of the change programme as we move forward in the mandate. <BR /> <BR />I shall now outline other concerns and issues raised by members during the briefing with officials on the Main Estimates.”
“The Department is also undertaking a major relocation programme that may lead to further changes and loss of corporate memory. DAERA is a very geographically diverse Department and has 70 different locations and offices, including 12 DAERA Direct offices. It has already moved its fisheries division to Downpatrick, Forest Service will move to Enniskillen and Ballykelly will become the new corporate headquarters. The Committee has heard that those locations will also be reviewed. The Committee will look forward to scrutinising the review of DAERA's estate strategy to ensure that the Department makes optimal use of those locations, which, in turn, might make money available to manage its other pressures.”
“According to the Department, that should save around £6·5 million a year, but, as a result, the Department has lost people with significant experience and expertise.”
“I welcome the opportunity to speak today as Chairperson of the Committee for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs and to outline the views of the Committee. We received a briefing from officials on 9 June. <BR /> <BR />The Committee recognises the significant challenges faced by the newly established Department. Last week, we heard from the Department's permanent secretary that DAERA will face significant budgetary pressures and must manage a £12 million resource reduction. The Committee is aware that the Department is undergoing a significant change programme. We heard that it has an ambitious change programme to help it become more modern and digitally driven. The outcome of the voluntary exit scheme saw the departure of 318 full-time equivalent staff from the old DARD and 370 full-time equivalents from the new Department.”
“Can the deputy First Minister give us a reassurance that the final draft will prioritise early intervention to give our vulnerable young people the best start in life?”
“It is a real challenge for us. I also witnessed the fact that our Ministers did not come forward to meet Mid-Ulster District Council. I hope that in this new and fresh start, with the Programme for Government as its basis, Ministers will be very open to meeting all 11 new super-councils because that is the grass roots and that is where our people are. Ministers need to take cognisance of what is happening in councils and of what councils are saying to them and what councils need.”
“It is vital to assist our businesses and communities. Rural broadband and telecommunications are causing inequalities for our rural dwellers and businesses as they face much higher costs for, very often, much poorer service provision. The proportion of premises with access to superfast broadband is 88% in urban areas and 37% in rural areas. That is a massive and unacceptable disparity. We are driving businesses into urban settings, which creates inequalities for rural dwellers in gaining employment. Therefore, the rural road network and access to good, affordable transport services are essential outcomes in the PFG. <BR /> <BR />In my previous role as chairperson of Mid-Ulster District Council, I witnessed at first hand the difficulties faced by businesses in rural areas in trying to access good broadband provision.”
“It appears that it cannot be measured at urban/rural level, yet agrifood is to be one of the key drivers for the economy and is one of the few industries that can be, and is, spread throughout all geographical parts. <BR /> <BR />While the new Committee did not get into this level of detail with officials at our first meeting, I expect that we will do so in the near future. I hope to explore all those measures and find out in detail how they will be used to ensure that the outcomes and benefits of the framework are there for the farmer and rural communities. That is all that I wish to say as Chairperson of the AERA Committee. <BR /> <BR />As Sinn Féin spokesperson on agriculture, the environment and rural affairs, I believe that there needs to be a focus on outcome 13, which is:”
“Each indicator also has a number of measures to see whether it is happening. These are largely derived from existing statistics. They will show how we are performing in relation to the outcomes and provide a basis to monitor progress and take appropriate corrective action. Some of the outcomes indicate that the measurement is available at NISRA at a geographical and urban/rural level. For example, indicator 16, which is about increasing the proportion of people in work, can be measured at urban and rural level. Ensuring that the opportunities for jobs and good-quality jobs are available to rural as well as urban dwellers is exactly what we want. However, some of the indicators cannot be measured at this level, such as indicator 21, which is about increasing the competitiveness of the economy.”
“However, the Act will not apply to central government until 1 June 2017 and to local authorities until 1 June 2018, so I am looking forward to hearing from the Department on a semi-regular basis over the next few years about how that is to happen. This new framework must be for all our people, be they urban or rural dwellers. <BR /> <BR />The Programme for Government is focused on outcomes. As it states:”
“However, during a very brief discussion with the DAERA permanent secretary and his team at the Committee last week, I raised the fact that there are no specific indicators for the agriculture sector or rural communities. DAERA officials responded by saying that the agrifood sector makes a very significant contribution to the economy and will be a key driver in the economic indicators contained in the framework. They also said that, at a high level, the important outcomes such as jobs, health and the economy will impact rural dwellers as much as the urban dweller. <BR />The Committee was also told that DAERA will work with other Departments in a coordinated, integrated way on the impact of these high-level indicators on rural dwellers and that, since the introduction of the Rural Needs Act, they now have the statutory basis to do so.”
“Go raibh maith agat, a Phríomh-LeasCheann Comhairle. As this is my maiden speech, I will begin by thanking the people of Mid Ulster for electing me. As some will know, I took over the seat that was left vacant by our deputy First Minister, Martin McGuinness, so I have big shoes to fill. I certainly hope that I will give the people of Mid Ulster the same kind of representation as he did. They were very proud of him — rightly so — for the representation that he gave in the Assembly. <BR /> <BR />As Chairperson of the Committee for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, I have noted that there are three indicators that will fall to DAERA: indicator 29, which is to increase environmental sustainability; indicator 36, which is to increase household waste recycling; and indicator 37, which is to improve air quality.”