Sinéad Ennis
South Down · Sinn Féin · Northern Ireland
“The revelation over recent days that members of the DUP, including the Assembly Speaker, Edwin Poots, had knowledge of the exploitation of a young woman by the now convicted paedophile Jeffrey Donaldson raises serious questions for the DUP.”
“The bottom line here is that a dangerous paedophile went unchallenged and, worse still and despite clear, known red flags, was elected leader of the DUP.”
“We only have to look at Belfast Harbour's master plan, which sets out the possible significant economic impact that that can have. That includes enabling a quarter of all island-wide seaborne trade, which, in turn, creates £8·8 billion in gross value added and equates to 15·7% of the North's total annual output.”
“Instead, the focus must be on whether the agencies that have responsibility, including the environmental regulators and enforcement bodies such as the NIEA and the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, are doing enough and whether they have sufficient powers to tackle such issues effectively.”
“The primary objective of the shaking up of driver licensing here in the North is to improve road safety by ensuring that young people are better equipped for driving on our roads. However, at present, many young people pass their tests and are completely priced out of driving because of the insurance rip-off that we are seeing.”
“That reality sees them borrowing from the Department, which is already in a very constrained capital budget position, as the Minister outlined. The provisions in the Bill will ensure that the accountability and oversight mechanisms provided by commissioners on the boards of ports or harbours will continue.”
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“On a point of order, Mr Deputy Speaker. I appreciate you letting me in to make a point of order. It is on the comments by Jim Wells about the GAA being a sectarian organisation. I urge him to immediately retract those comments, because the GAA could not be further from that. It is sad that he would label any sporting organisation, particularly one that is so rooted and relevant in the community as the GAA, as a sectarian organisation.”
“Is the Minister aware that, over the past weekend, the entire south Down, Newry and south Armagh area was without any ambulance cover? What does the Minister have to say to my constituents, who are rightly aggrieved by that? Will he urgently address the issue?”
“By passing these technical legislative provisions today, we can ensure that that support continues to be administered to those who need it most and when they need it. As we return to more normality in society and further increased economic activity, the hope is that this support will have kept those vessels in a position where they can return to normal business safely and in a more financially secure position. I support the motions.”
“Like so many other industries, our fishing communities have struggled to adapt to the severe and ongoing economic disruption caused by COVID-19, and, indeed, few industries have such deep or culturally important roots in their communities as in our coastal fishing villages and towns such as Kilkeel and Ardglass in my constituency of South Down. With demand for fresh fish heavily reduced and suppressed at home and in European markets, local fishing vessels and their crews needed emergency support. To make matters worse, we know that fishing operations, especially smaller crews and vessels, often struggle to make ends meet. Sinn Féin recognises that many crews have wages that are insecure and often inadequate. In April, three months of support was secured to cover the fixed costs for operating the vessels, totalling some £1·5 million.”
“The pensions market continues to grow and evolve, particularly since the introduction of automatic enrolment; so too does the manner in which people manage and access their pensions. It is necessary, therefore, that the regulations keep pace. As I understand it, the Bill aims to put in place additional safeguards for people who are saving into master trust schemes. It increases the power of the regulator and allows for, amongst other things, the introduction of a cap on early exit charges in certain occupational pension schemes. It is vital that people can have confidence in the schemes, and that will be my focus as we continue to scrutinise the Bill at the next stage.”
“<BR /> <BR />The Bill is about maintaining the support and supply of new homes, which is necessary to help families and people to access housing and have the security and dignity of a home. The Assembly must ensure maximum delivery of social and affordable homes, which will undoubtedly be achieved by the passage of the Bill. Sinn Féin will support the Bill.”
“The unacceptable level of homelessness, North and South, needs to be addressed, and we are certainly up for doing that. Sinn Féin believes that the building of social and affordable homes should be targeted in areas of highest need, and rural areas need to be included and should not be forgotten about in that respect. <BR /> <BR />As an MLA representing a largely rural constituency, I know that housing development in rural locations has missed its target over each of the past five years. The Housing Executive's rural and place shaping teams need to work with rural communities and their representatives to examine their housing needs and support housing associations in the delivery of new-build schemes to address social housing need in areas such as south Down.”
“<BR /> <BR />It was useful for the Committee to have received clarity from departmental officials last week on the ONS reclassification and why the Housing Executive could not be included in the Bill. It was also very encouraging to hear officials reiterate Minister Hargey's commitment to bring forward proposals around the Housing Executive sales scheme. That would give the Committee proper time for scrutiny, which is what we were all asking for. I am glad to hear Minister Ní Chuilín reiterate her support for that course of action here today. <BR /> <BR />New Decade, New Approach brings a focus on building homes in areas where objective need has been identified. Sinn Féin believes that adequate housing is a human right, and we will continue to promote that across the island.”
“I am not going to rehash the many arguments in support of the Bill that have been made over the last number of weeks, but I reiterate my praise for Minister Hargey and Minister Ní Chuilín in their determination to achieve the reclassification of the housing associations. We know the knock-on detrimental effect of not achieving reclassification. It has been well articulated by Members across the Chamber in the last number of weeks, not least of all the effect that it would have on the ability to build much-needed social homes, which would see this drop by 50% in real terms. I know that is something that none of us in this Chamber could stand over.”
“The Minister will appreciate the need for public services to work efficiently, and with that in mind, will the Minister give an update on the 'New Decade, New Approach' commitment to review arm's-length bodies?”
“I thank the Minister for his response. I am sure the Minister agrees that it is wholly unacceptable that, if your child has autism and you want them educated in a mainstream setting, you have to travel outside the south Down or Newry, Mourne and Down District Council area. That is unacceptable and it has to end. I encourage the Minister to use his influence with the EA to make sure that these development plans are expedited, so that parents and their children are not further disadvantaged.”
“I thank the Minister for her detailed response. The 'Connected Nations 2019' report showed that, in the Newry, Mourne and Down area, only 7% of premises had ultra-fast broadband, compared with 92% in Belfast. Nine per cent of premises in Newry, Mourne and Down were unable to get broadband speed of even 10 megabits. That is a serious issue for students, families and businesses, notwithstanding the current crisis and the necessity to work from home at this time. Can the Minister ensure that Project Stratum will prioritise areas with the lowest coverage?”
“I thank the Minister for her response. Is she considering continuing any of these mitigating factors once the crisis has passed?”
“I invite him to Kilkeel to meet the teaching staff and the board of governors to discuss the next steps with him, and I know that he will be very much welcomed.”
“I thank the Minister for his statement. I am absolutely delighted to see the inclusion of St Louis Grammar School in Kilkeel. The Minister will know of my persistence in ensuring that there is financial investment in the school and in the wider Mourne area. I cannot think of a school that is more deserving. As someone who has worked closely with the board of governors of St Louis Grammar School, I know that they will be absolutely thrilled to be included in today's announcement. The investment is absolutely necessary and justified. It will allow the much-needed new school build to proceed at pace, and it will ensure continued educational excellence and the viability of education in the Mournes. <BR /> <BR />Will the Minister outline the process for the next steps for schools?”
“Therefore, I ask Members to not support them and to allow the necessary passage of the Bill.”
“I believe wholeheartedly that we need to completely revitalise the Housing Executive. We should have a Housing Executive that is properly governed and fit for purpose and that deals with all the inequalities in housing, and Minister Hargey has agreed to tackle those. Damaging and jeopardising the Bill is not the way to do that. <BR /> <BR />The Committee for Communities, of which Mr Durkan is a member, and the Executive have given consent for the Bill to proceed by accelerated passage. In his opening comments, Mark mentioned Housing Rights. ONS and Housing Rights are telling us that this needs to get done, so I suggest that he listen to them and that we all listen to them. The amendments risk adding serious delay and therefore would have serious financial implications if they are supported.”
“<BR /> <BR />Turning to the amendments, what we have here from Mr Durkan is a doubling down of his bizarre misunderstanding of what the Bill is actually about. I say "bizarre" because he sat in the Committee and did not raise any of these concerns. Despite what he says now, he agreed to the need for accelerated passage. These amendments, which are entirely unrelated to the Bill, would, as he knows, fundamentally change its very nature to the point that ONS would reject it completely out of hand. That tells me that, despite his warm words, he is prepared to lose 50% of the social and affordable housing stock and is prepared to put the extra £3 million per month financial pressure on the Department, and for what? To make a few ill-thought-out political points.”
“How many families are already struggling to obtain their own home in unfair conditions of overcrowding, with young families still being penalised for the housing crash of more than a decade ago? <BR /> <BR />The Bill will ensure that housing associations have the financial freedom to access much-needed funding for social housing, new builds, and to continue the co-ownership scheme. Importantly, it will not come from the increasingly pressurised Executive Budget. If this reclassification was implemented, housing association borrowing would be treated as public debt and deducted from the Executive's capital Budget. It is important to understand that the Bill, and its accelerated passage, was supported by all members of the Committee for Communities, with no issues or concerns being raised.”
“I, too, send my best wishes to Deirdre Hargey and to Christopher Stalford for their speedy return. <BR /> <BR />I place on record my thanks to the Minister for her fast and decisive action in providing the utmost support for our housing providers and for those struggling to obtain a home through home ownership or social housing. If classified as public bodies, housing associations would lose their ability to borrow financial transactions capital, as all borrowing would have to count as public-sector borrowing. In real terms, that would reduce the number of social homes by approximately 50% each year and would dramatically reduce funding for the co-ownership scheme. I ask Members to consider the impact that that would have on supporting economic recovery in the aftermath of COVID-19.”
“The Bill will return to the Committee before it comes into effect around September, and I look forward to the opportunity to debate it further there.”
“I concur with the Committee Chair's remarks about planning for retirement and the fact that it is never too early to do that. It is crucial that those pensions have the greatest possible security.”
“I thank the Minister for outlining the proposed changes to the Pension Schemes Bill and for providing the rationale for bringing the legislative consent motion to the House. <BR /> <BR />As the Chair of the Committee said, ultimately, it would have been preferable to have additional time for scrutiny and to bring in legislation via the Assembly, but I recognise that timing is a key factor. As the changes seek to provide additional protections, safeguards and options for members of schemes, any delay would be to the detriment of people here.”
“<BR /> <BR />Every year, 60 housing association homes and 30 Housing Executive homes are sold, and that stock is never replaced. How many families are already struggling to obtain their own home while living in unfair conditions of overcrowding? How many young families are still being penalised for the housing crash over a decade ago? The Assembly must ensure the maximum delivery of social and affordable homes for our citizens in what will undoubtedly be a tough and uncertain period ahead.”
“I am sure that the Member will explain it in his contribution, so I will leave that to him. <BR /> <BR />I thank the Minister for her fast and decisive action in providing the utmost support for our housing providers and those who struggle to obtain a home, either through homeownership or social housing. The Bill is about maintaining the supply of new homes that is necessary to help struggling families and our most vulnerable to access housing and have the security and dignity of a home. If classified as public bodies, housing associations would lose the ability to borrow financial transactions capital, as all borrowing would have to count as public sector borrowing. In real terms, that would reduce the number of social homes by approximately 50% each year and would dramatically reduce funding for the co-ownership scheme.”
“I find the intervention by my colleague on the Committee for Communities a bit bizarre. He gave a long preamble about housing being an equality issue, yet he attempted to jeopardise the accelerated passage of the Bill. If that were to happen, approximately £20 million would be taken out of the social housing budget. Considering that he did not mention any of his concerns when we spoke about it in Committee, I find it a bit bizarre.”
“It is, therefore, imperative that the Bill passes through the Assembly by accelerated passage. We support that.”
“I agree with the comments from the Minister and the Chair of the Committee on the need for accelerated passage for the Bill. I know that it is not the Minister's preferred vehicle, but it has to be noted that the Committee for Communities accepted the need for accelerated passage to reverse the ONS decision to classify housing associations as public bodies. We know that failure to grant accelerated passage will have consequences, not least financial implications. As the Chair said, it will draw a cost of £3 million per month to keep the co-ownership scheme open to new applications while the Bill progresses. <BR /> <BR />I welcome the Minister's determination on this issue because, as the Chair said, it is very unlikely that the British Treasury will extend the current derogation for another year.”
“No, I will not, thank you. I am going to get this statement out by hook or by crook. <BR /> <BR />From the outset of the global pandemic, protecting lives and livelihoods has, rightly, been the priority of the Finance Minister and his colleagues. Once the crisis has passed — it will, eventually — we must ensure that such projects as Casement, the subregional stadium project and, of course, Narrow Water bridge and other revitalisation projects are advanced so that they can act as the economic drivers that we will, undoubtedly, require in the post-COVID world. This crisis is unparalleled, and there is an onus on all of us, especially the Ministers, to bring forward any and all measures that will support people and bolster public services at this time. I support the Bill.”
“No, I will not, thank you. All of the potential for action since the Assembly has been restored and the fact that we now have a Minister in place are being squandered by the inaction of Minister Mallon. She is sleeping on the issue. I call on her to show leadership. If there are still matters and problems with regard to Casement Park and if she is still waiting for information, she needs to step in. She needs to pull rank and show leadership on the issue.”
“Only last month, the Committee for Communities learned that £4·5 million in ring-fenced capital funding for the Casement Park sports stadium project had been surrendered in the June 2019 and January 2020 monitoring rounds because of the continued unwillingness to make a decision on the planning application. For 11 years, Gaels in Antrim and Ulster have been waiting for a permanent, fit-for-purpose home to be built. The fact that a quarter of a million members of the GAA in Ulster are without adequate stadium facilities is nothing short of a disgrace. I wholeheartedly agree with a recent assessment by Belfast solicitor Niall Murphy that the failure to deliver on Casement Park is an equality issue.”
“<BR /> <BR />The 'New Decade, New Approach' document, which was concocted by the British and Irish Governments and signed up to in good faith by all parties in the Chamber, raised the expectations of the public that investment in key projects and services would be forthcoming from the British Government, but, in true perfidious Albion style, the British Government have thus far reneged on those commitments. We cannot allow the treachery of the British Government to infect the mindset of Departments and Ministers. Now is the time for Ministers to show leadership on issues such as Casement Park.”
“My fear and the fear of everyone I represent is that this inept and cruel Tory Government, in true Conservative style, will use the crisis not as a lesson in the importance of investing in public services but as an excuse to inflict more austerity and hardship on us and the communities we represent. Instead of a lurch towards more austerity, we need to see government — centrally and locally — spending money on capital and regeneration projects that will revitalise our communities and act as drivers for our economy and our hospitality and tourism sectors.”
“Notwithstanding the hundreds of millions of pounds provided to the Department of Health, this Minister has provided money for interventions such as the enhancement of the discretionary support fund; £20 million to offset the impact of COVID on councils; £410 million in business grants; £25 million for agriculture, as my colleague Declan McAleer said; and funding packages to support the charity sector and the community support scheme. The list goes on. For that, he must be commended. <BR /> <BR />As the Finance Minister has explained, before we were faced with the challenges of COVID, our block grant was already at pre-austerity levels: £360 million in real terms, as has been said by Members who have spoken.”
“The fact that we have Ministers like Conor Murphy in Finance and Deirdre Hargey in Communities who are actively and fundamentally opposed to austerity meant that the Executive were able to move money and resources out the door and provide targeted interventions to ensure that our citizens were supported. The citizen-centred and humanitarian approach of the Finance Minister ensured that Departments had the necessary resources available to them to meet the mounting challenges posed by the COVID crisis.”
“I will not give way. <BR /> <BR />The preparedness of the British Government to deal with a global pandemic such as the one we are now living though was compromised as a direct result of their deliberate policy of austerity. They stripped money out of the NHS, refused to pay nurses and other healthcare workers a decent living wage and decided that PPE and other vital equipment was not high on their list of priorities and that these were aspects of the health service where they could save a few quid. Those were all deliberate policy decisions made by the Tory Westminster Government of the day. <BR /> <BR />It is my firm belief that, in the North, we have been lucky that we have the right Ministers heading up the right Departments at the right time.”
“We make no apologies for it, because Sinn Féin has been saying for years that austerity was bad for your health. Let me tell you: we take no pleasure in the fact that we have been proven right.”
“I thank the Minister for his time today and welcome the opportunity to offer some thoughts on today's proceedings. As other Members have said, we need to reflect on the difficult context in which the Minister brings the Vote on Account to the Assembly. Not only are we in the grip of the biggest health emergency in living memory but the economic damage as a result of COVID-19 will, no doubt, weigh heavily on us all for a long time to come. All that would be bad enough in itself, if it were not set against the grim and ghoulish backdrop of years of British Government and Tory austerity. Some people in the Chamber do not want to talk about austerity. They do not want to hear us mention that word, because it makes them feel uncomfortable.”
“The Minister's statement talks about recovery and how she can play her part in that. I suggest to her that one very obvious way in which she could play her part would be to finally make a decision on Casement Park. It is a vital project, which has Executive approval. It would play a significant role in the economic recovery. When will she finally give clarity and make a decision on Casement Park?”
“Yes, I will. We need to ensure that our councils are adequately resourced. On that, can the Minister give us any more detail on how the money for councils will be divvied up? We need to ensure that there is a fair distribution across council districts, as some councils are impacted on more than others. Members of our Committee have mentioned certain reserves that councils may have. We need to ensure that there is an adequate and fair distribution of the money that the Minister has announced, so I wonder whether she can give us some more detail on that, please.”
“I thank the Minister for again coming to the Assembly to outline her interventions, which, to date, have been entirely citizen-focused and entirely based on ensuring the collective well-being of our communities. <BR /> <BR />It is absolutely right that the Minister has outlined her protections for councils.”
“The Minister's focus and our focus here is on protecting people, not grandstanding. The real action and a genuine attempt to protect people in the private rented sector have been taken by this Minister. The Bill is necessary, and it provides those in the private rented sector with some protections during the crisis. The Bill will ensure that, in circumstances where someone in the private rented sector is struggling to pay rent through no fault of their own, they will have the certainty of a roof over their head and their landlord cannot move to evict them at this time. Introducing amendments that would make it harder for us to protect those people is, quite frankly, baffling, and for that reason, we will not support the amendments. We will support the Bill as proposed by the Minister.”
“We spent considerable time in the Chamber last week arguing the need for the Bill to pass, and to pass quickly — that must happen so that the protections within it become effective now, when they are needed. To not support the Bill, or worse, to cynically delay it in an attempt to gain some perceived political advantage, will put lives in danger. That cannot, and will not, be tolerated, and it begs the question why Mr Carroll would bring such ill-thought out amendments to the Chamber in the first place, and whether he has considered the potential consequences of selfishly prolonging the progress of the Bill.”
“Mr Principal Deputy Speaker, let us just call a spade a spade. What we have in these amendments is unnecessary time-wasting. We have all become depressingly familiar with "Publicity before People's" self-aggrandising brand of politics, but to use the passage of this Bill, which is designed to protect those in the private rented sector during the biggest health emergency in a generation, for their own propaganda purposes, is reprehensible. <BR /> <BR />Proposing amendments that are legislatively redundant, are highly susceptible to successful legal challenge or are outside the legislative competence of the Assembly tells me, quite frankly, that Mr Carroll has not done his homework.”
“I appreciate the comments from Members today. There is a clear recognition of the need to expedite the measures through the Assembly. There is a need to act fast and to act now, notwithstanding the issues that Members have mentioned about accelerated passage. This is the biggest health emergency in a generation, and these Standing Orders must be suspended to allow the Private Tenancies (Coronavirus Modifications) Bill to pass and to be effective now, when it is needed most. If we are to protect families from becoming homeless through no fault of their own, accelerated passage of the Bill is the only viable option, and we need to act now with the utmost urgency. The Bill will ensure that no one will lose shelter at the most critical time of self-isolation. Therefore, to not support the motion is to put lives in danger.”
“The Assembly must ensure protections for all citizens during the crisis, including those in the private rented sector. Every Minister should use the power afforded to them at this time to mitigate the hardships that people face as a result of the global pandemic. Every Minister should think about how they can use their Department to make life easier for citizens and to give people a break at this time. Some are doing that and leading by example; others hide behind the need for legislative amendments and an unwillingness to stretch themselves and meet the crisis head-on. This Minister — the Minister for Communities — has shown that it can be done. <BR /> <BR />In order for the Bill to have any use for those it is intended to help, it needs to pass and it needs to pass quickly. It is in that context that I ask Members to support the Bill.”
“Social tenants residing in Housing Executive or housing association tenancies have been given assurances of no eviction due to COVID-19. Therefore it is only right that tenants in the private rented sector are not the only section of society to be excluded from protection of shelter. To exclude them, as the Chair said, is to exclude 134,000 households and families. I ask Members to consider how many in those households have family members who are at high risk and are shielding and how many members of those families have lost their jobs or earnings, possibly forcing them into rent arrears through no fault of their own. <BR /> <BR />An extension of the notice-to-quit period will make a real difference to families under stress who are worried about losing their home.”
“<BR /> <BR />In normal circumstances, we would, of course, scrutinise the Private Tenancies Bill in the Committee. However, we all recognise that these are extraordinary times, which puts an onus on political leaders to act and to act fast and urgently. It is for that reason that I support the motion.”
“I thank the Minister, on behalf of the hundreds of students and their families, for raising the issue of student rents and, having highlighted the need to use the hardship fund for students, ask you to address this in the same way that you have regarding supports for people who are already vulnerable and struggling. <BR /> <BR />I welcome the Minister's decision to increase the notice-to-quit period for private tenants from four weeks to 12 weeks through the use of accelerated passage. That will ensure that private tenants will be protected from becoming homeless in the most critical period of this health emergency. Government guidance states that no one should move home in this period as it may assist the spread of the virus and put undue pressure on our public services.”
“<BR /> <BR />Minister, this was mentioned in the earlier debate — and I appreciate that it is not your remit — but you will recall that, at the last meeting of the Communities Committee, members' main concern was the continuing millstone of students having to pay for student accommodation that is not being used, while letting agents and landlord enjoy a rates holiday. Quite frankly, that is a disgrace. I urge the Minister for the Economy, if she has not already, to work with you and Executive colleagues to find a solution for students and their families.”