Colm Gildernew
Fermanagh and South Tyrone · Sinn Féin · Northern Ireland
“I thank the Minister for his statement. I have been working with Dungannon Chamber of Commerce and Industry. It will welcome this work, particularly in light of its concerns about vacancy and protecting the retail heart of towns such as Dungannon.”
“I thank the Minister for his answer. Minister, you said that there has been an improvement. However, recently, there were reports of over 1,400 patients waiting more than 28 days. How will you ensure that trusts consistently meet the targets for suspected cancer appointments in particular?”
“However, the Committee will want to examine carefully how any new or amended powers would operate in practice. Powers relating to information sharing, official warnings, directions, removal from office and disqualification can have significant, long-standing consequences for charities, trustees, staff, volunteers and, indeed, public confi…”
“<BR /> <BR />The regulations are consequential to the uprating order and provide the supporting technical changes needed to ensure that the revised benefit rates operate correctly. The regulations increase the earning limit for carer's allowance from £196 a week to £204 a week.”
“In response to those findings, Minister Hargey introduced the Charities Bill, which was enacted in 2022. The legislation put in place many of the review's priority recommendations in the limited time remaining in that mandate. The Charities (Amendment) Bill represents the next stage of that reform programme.”
“The Committee will wish to explore the implications of those changes, including for organisations operating across jurisdictions or delivering charitable activity in or from the North. Our charity sector includes a diverse range of bodies.”
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“There is pressure on social work vacancies and the pressure that that places on teams. It is not a case of people deciding to leave; it is often a case of people not securing a place here and leaving to study in an attempt to become social workers and potentially come back here to work. Will the Minister consider how those students can be supported or how much it would cost to meet those bursaries?”
“The sector also struggles with recruitment and retention. New staff who are trained up to a very high and skilled level can potentially move on to other jobs because of burnout or to other statutory sectors where the terms and conditions may be better. <BR /> <BR />This morning, I ask Members to think about the value that those groups bring to our communities. They are asking that their sector is stabilised, sustained and secured. I want to add my voice and say that there is huge merit in us doing that.”
“However, they flagged up difficulties and challenges that they are facing at present, including cost-of-living pressures. In common with many other providers, they are struggling with the basics, such as the cost of heating and lighting. They are also struggling to deal with the huge numbers of children with additional needs who are coming through the system and the fact that there are very few pathways for them to refer those children on to services for their health needs. They are dealing with children in our part of the constituency who have additional language needs too. Those are all challenges. <BR /> <BR />The early years sector is regulated by Health and Education, but it does not receive the same support that is given to some other settings in those areas. That is something that we need to look at very carefully.”
“My statement is on a meeting that I attended, as did Deborah Erskine, after leaving here yesterday. The meeting was with a group of early years providers from Armagh and Dungannon, just outside the Moy. These groups provide early years education at preschool level and inject huge value into our communities. Groups such as Panda Cross Community Playgroup in Cabragh, Killeeshil, and Rainbow Playgroup in Eglish, which my children had the privilege and benefit of attending, have, over many years, provided that additional start for many young children. These groups are largely community based and voluntarily run and have to do additional fundraising. <BR /> <BR />Last night's meeting was a positive and, indeed, inspiring experience, because of the staff's passion for what they do.”
“Will the Minister discuss the allocation with the Housing Executive as well as his Department?”
“In acknowledgement of the pressure that those staff are under, Minister, can you give a date of when you intend to publish the public consultation on the independent advice and debt policy and delivery framework?”
“Hopefully, it augurs well for Tyrone football, especially given recent MacRory Cup and Hogan Cup wins. Undoubtedly, many of those young players will soon be on Tyrone seniors and, hopefully, in the not-too-distant future, will play a part in bringing Sam Maguire back to Tyrone. Today, I congratulate the team. They should enjoy their victory. I also congratulate their management, mentors, families, friends, schoolmates and teachers on such a wonderful achievement.”
“However, yesterday's win was also tinged with sadness. GAA President, Jarlath Burns, said yesterday that there was at least one empty seat in the stadium; in fact, there were even more. John Rafferty, the brother of yesterday's under-20 captain, Michael Rafferty, was killed on the A5 in October 2022; in fact, John had represented Tyrone at under-20 level. Caolan Devlin lost his life in March. His brother, Niall, captained the Tyrone under 20-team when they last won the title, in 2022. The victory is bittersweet in that respect. <BR /> <BR />The game was a ferocious, end-to-end competition. I heard Michael Rafferty, the captain, speak this morning, and he described the intensity of the game. We saw incredible talent on display from both teams.”
“I acknowledge and congratulate the Tyrone under-20 team, which yesterday secured an all-Ireland win in O'Moore Park against Kerry. That under-20 team started its campaign in October in Garvaghey and continued through the depths of the dark winter nights. I will give the context of yesterday's achievement. The team has been training three nights a week since October. That is on top of all the other club commitments. It is also on top of the fact that some of the team work, some attend school and they all have the other parts of their life to manage. As an example, footballer Ruairi McCullagh of Loughmacrory sat an A level this morning at 9.00 am and will sit another tomorrow. <BR /> <BR />The team have brought tremendous pride to their family, clubs, community and the entire county of Tyrone.”
“Ba mhaith liom comhghairdeas a dhéanamh le Foireann Thír Eoghain faoi fhiche bliain d'aois.”
“I thank the Minister for his statement. I look forward to going through it in further detail. Minister, given that the intermediate-rent homes do not provide lifelong tenancies and have a minimum period of 10 years' occupancy, can you confirm whether people will be entitled to remain for longer periods?”
“I thank the Minister for his answer. Thank you for your reference to the residents in the Killeeshil, Cabragh and Granville area. They are suffering significant ongoing odours emanating from two factories, and the agencies are telling them that they struggle to react quickly enough. In order to protect residents' interests and ensure that people can breathe clean air, is it now time to consider establishing a fully independent and fully resourced environmental protection agency?”
“Minister, will you outline how we can get a fiscal framework that provides a fair level of needs-based funding in order to allow us to provide services into the future?”
“Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire as an fhreagra sin.”
“Thank you, Minister. Do you agree that classroom assistants and other non-education support staff play a vital role in supporting our most disadvantaged and vulnerable children and young people such as those with special educational needs, for example?”
“I thank the Minister for his statement and the information that he has provided. I acknowledge that many people will find it a welcome initiative. Minister, can you outline why the temporary exemption certificates cover only private cars and not other vehicles?”
“I wish the entire school community all the best in London on 15 May, and I hope that it wins the award.”
“It is a growing, thriving school in a growing, thriving community. People in the community recognised its value and mounted and fought a campaign to save their school. <BR /> <BR />The Sheila McKechnie awards celebrate the best campaigns and campaigners, with a focus on those who have made change happen in their communities. With patrons including broadcaster Jon Snow, the Sheila McKechnie Foundation was established in 2005 to support and recognise campaigners and to encourage social change through civic action. That makes the school an excellent nominee for the award, given the social change that it has brought about through civic and community action. I acknowledge its work. It was an absolute privilege to be part of the campaign, which was positive and inspiring throughout.”
“I will pick up, geographically, from where my colleague Tom Elliott was in his statement — the village of Fivemiletown in south Tyrone — to acknowledge another fantastic achievement in the shape of St Mary's Primary School. The school has been shortlisted for the award for best community campaign at the Sheila McKechnie awards, which will take place in London on 15 May. <BR /> <BR />A short time ago, St Mary's faced the threat of closure, but under the excellent leadership of Mairaid Kelly of the board of governors and Brian McCloskey, the principal, the entire school community and that of Fivemiletown, including businesses and sports clubs — I acknowledge Deborah Erskine and Tom Elliott's work on this too — rallied around what is an excellent school with excellent educational outcomes.”
“When we look at our transport system and at border areas, it is clear that it is key that we have a strategy that covers the entire island. <BR /> <BR />I am pleased to support the motion. This is a fundamentally important debate, and I am delighted that we have a chance to take up the issue today.”
“<BR /> <BR />We need to, and must, support community groups that know their area and know who may need additional support from time to time. They are ideal partners for us in this. We need to focus on building community groups' capacity to reach out further and support people for whom loneliness becomes an issue. I recognise that "social prescribing" is a contested term, and I understand why it is contested, but it is the term that is widely used, and we need to make much more use of social prescribing. We need to provide outlets in the community for people to build connections and gain the sense of purpose that Robbie was right to identify as being crucial to all of this. I fully endorse his comments about the need for an all-island strategy.”
“Indeed, it is important that we do not medicalise issues or solutions where we do not need to. Taking a cross-governmental approach, we can see that many of the solutions can come from housing, planning strategies, education, rural development in DAERA and our broader economic policies. In addition, many of the solutions lie within the realm of community services and with the community and voluntary sector. Instead of cutting back on community transport, we should look at how we can expand it, because it is a lifeline for many of our citizens who live in rural areas. It maintains their independence, dignity and connection to other people so that they can go to the butcher's to get the meat or so that they can do that other piece of shopping.”
“In my role as a social worker, I often had to fight to get carers perhaps 15 minutes in which to go out, or even at times an hour in which to maintain their faith, never mind to do their own messages. It is very isolating to care for someone. Our system cares for those people rather badly and needs to do better. <BR /> <BR />Loneliness is a public health issue, in that it clearly and significantly impacts on the health and well-being of many citizens across many key sectors, where it can exacerbate other vulnerabilities and disadvantages. We now have an understanding from research that the impact of loneliness on a person's physical health can be the equivalent of smoking 15 cigarettes a day. That is a call to action. That is not to say that the response must, or even should, come solely from the Department of Health.”
“I thank Robbie for proposing the motion on an important issue that all of us need to consider. I acknowledge the many people around the Chamber who have worked collectively on the issue, including the chairs of the all-party group on ageing and older people and the all-party group on preventing loneliness, which came together on the issue. It is important work. <BR /> <BR />I have figures for the impacted groups, but Robbie covered that aspect admirably, so I will not go into the number of people or sectors impacted on. I will say, however, that we clearly have an issue with an ageing society. We need to do better by older people but also recognise that it is not simply about older people. Many younger people and many people with caring responsibilities are impacted on.”
“Minister, do you agree that families with children are much more likely to receive the benefit cap mitigation payment and that its removal would push those children further into poverty?”
“I apologise for not being in my place for a topical question yesterday.”
“Go raibh maith agat, a Phríomh-Leas-Cheann Comhairle.”
“Ultimately, as I have said, it would have been preferable to have had additional time for scrutiny and for legislation to have been brought via the Assembly, but I recognise that timing is a key factor and that any delay would be to the detriment of people here. <BR /> <BR />I thank Marie Curie for the evidence that it provided and, indeed, for the work that it does on a daily basis to support people with a terminal illness, both practically and by lobbying on policy, which is so beneficial to all of us. We have all worked with Marie Curie on that policy work. Marie Curie, along with the Motor Neurone Disease Association, has been tireless in its campaign to scrap the six-month rule. While I appreciate the narrow scope of the Bill, it is a small step in the right direction. On that basis, I am content to support the motion.”
“That would have meant that people in the North would not benefit from the extension of the "terminally ill" definition to 12 months at the same time as people elsewhere. We therefore recognise that the LCM is for a technical reason and to deliver an improved benefit in difficult circumstances that all of our constituents could face. On that basis and on behalf of the Committee, I support the motion. <BR /> <BR />I will make some brief remarks as Sinn Féin's communities spokesperson. I thank the Minister for outlining the purpose of the Bill and for providing the rationale for bringing it forward as an LCM.”
“It told us that, while the scope of the Bill is narrow and likely to impact on a relatively small number of people with a terminal illness, more generally, the focus on private pension schemes and their response to members with a terminal illness is welcome. Marie Curie emphasised that the financial support provided by payouts from private pensions or life insurance policies can be critical for working-age people who are diagnosed with a terminal illness. <BR /> <BR />Whilst the Committee would prefer that LCMs were not used and that we could conduct more in-depth scrutiny of legislation pertaining to the North, on this occasion it considered that, if the motion was not agreed, it would be necessary to introduce a separate Bill to ensure that parity was maintained.”
“<BR /> <BR />Committee members heard that the move to extend the terminal illness definition to 12 months will ensure that affected members of the Pension Protection Fund and the financial assistance scheme will receive payments at an earlier stage in their illness, thereby receiving the financial support they need at a difficult time in their lives. The need for the LCM relates to the fact that the Pension Protection Fund and the financial assistance scheme both operate here and in Britain. The Committee therefore understood that the provisions in the North being part of the Bill would enable the changes to be brought into effect here at the same time as in Britain. <BR /> <BR />As part of our scrutiny of the LCM, the Committee sought evidence from Marie Curie.”
“The Committee received the draft motion in correspondence on 5 March and received a briefing on the LCM by departmental officials at our meeting on 14 March. Members were informed about the scope of the main Bill, which amends the definition of terminal illness in the Pensions Act 2004 and the Pensions Act 2008 so that people with a life expectancy of up to 12 months can receive terminal illness payments from the Pension Protection Fund. We were told that the Bill also amends the Financial Assistance Scheme Regulations 2005 to ensure consistency across the PPF and financial assistance scheme landscape.”
“Minister, will you therefore launch a campaign to promote the benefits of biodiversity with the wider public?”
“Will the transport plans support the city and growth deals?”
“we need solutions that work for people in the private rented sector, who lack the agency to choose or change the type of heating system that they have and are, therefore, more limited in what they can do to increase their energy performance. In the short term, there has to be action on fuel prices or the financial support provided to offset them. That can be done by the British Government's redirecting into people's pockets the money that was raised by the windfall tax on the excess profits that were made by large energy companies. Ultimately, an updated fuel strategy needs to align with the overarching anti-poverty strategy, as poverty does not exist in isolation. We support the motion.”
“Those items listed in the motion are certainly worthy of consideration as part of that, but so too are solutions that ensure a just transition as focus turns towards decarbonisation, increasing our use of renewable energy and reducing the use of fossil fuels. A chairde,”
“We also know that the final cost-of-living payment for people who were eligible was in February, which means that there is now less financial support available for those who have the least. <BR /> <BR />While energy costs have reduced slightly, they still remain high. I concur with the motion, which asks for an updated fuel poverty strategy. Schemes such as the affordable warmth scheme, and the boiler replacement scheme before it ended, have been extremely helpful in supporting people to improve their energy efficiency, but there is also a need for new, innovative, practical and sensible solutions.”
“Many people turned down their heating temperatures to try to reduce usage, and others turned it off altogether, using it only when absolutely necessary or relying instead on blankets and small electric heaters. As we are all too aware, the climate in this part of the world means that there are very few months in any given year where some level of heating is not required. For too many people, that has meant, and it continues to mean, living in cold homes or cutting back on other essentials. That should not be a reality in this day and age, let alone a growing reality. <BR /> <BR />We know the implications of living in a cold home for people's physical and mental health, especially for young children, older people and those with pre-existing conditions, particularly if it is for a prolonged period.”
“I thank the proposer of the motion for the opportunity to speak on the issue today. The cost of heating homes to a reasonable standard, like the two-child limit that we have just discussed, is another key driver of poverty. Our over-reliance on oil in the North, with limited alternative options, especially for rural dwellers, makes us particularly vulnerable to price rises. For people on low incomes, who are already paying a higher rate when they order smaller quantities, those price rises can be really difficult to absorb. <BR /> <BR />We saw the impact of that acutely when energy and food prices spiralled and we found ourselves firmly in a cost-of-living crisis.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, may I take this opportunity to apologise to the Chamber, yourself and, indeed, the Minister for my phone inadvertently going off in the previous debate?”
“Furthermore, the impact of the historic underfunding of this institution and the current budgetary pressures make picking up the pieces of the human impact of Tory austerity policies increasingly challenging. <BR /> <BR />Finally, in considering the motion and the amendment, it is important to be realistic about the time frame and the budget required to ensure any form of mitigation introduced is sustainable in the long term. As work continues towards publishing an anti-poverty strategy, which we discussed yesterday, I implore the Minister for Communities to ensure that offsetting the two-child limit is included in that overarching strategy.”
“I am sure that the Member has indicated that he has come up with several ideas and that he will engage with the Executive on those ideas. <BR /> <BR />To be absolutely clear, Sinn Féin opposes the two-child limit and supports the call across the sector to offset it. We have consistently raised the issue and did so again in our submission to the welfare mitigations review led by Les Allamby. I commend Les and his panel for their work. It is no easy task to be asked to recommend what gaps in the social security safety net to narrow while acknowledging and understanding the limitations of the block grant, because the reality is that the Tory Government have eroded the social security system to such an extent that it has become difficult to even refer to it as a "safety net" any more.”
“The proposer of the motion, in stating that removing this element of universal credit is within the powers of the Executive, knows and understands that what they are really asking for are mitigation measures. Members will be aware that social security, including universal credit, is devolved within the principle of parity, that any deviation from that parity requires agreement from the British Treasury and that the Executive must meet any associated costs from the block grant.”
“Thank you. I thank the Member for his intervention. <BR /> <BR />We believe that this policy discriminates against women and children, is a key driver of child poverty and disproportionately impacts on people here because of our larger family size. The inclusion of what has become known as the "rape clause" highlights just how wrong and unjust this policy is at every level. No child should be denied the financial support required to meet their essential needs. <BR /> <BR />We have called repeatedly for the British Government to scrap the policy, and we reiterate that call today.”
“I thank the proposer of the motion for bringing it forward for debate. Clearly, addressing poverty and inequality is one of this institution's principal tasks in this mandate. <BR /> <BR />The two-child limit was a policy decision taken and implemented by the Tory Government in 2017: first, in child tax credits; and, secondly, following the introduction of universal credit in the North, it was applied to that as well.”
“, an easy task, but with the political will and necessary funding it is achievable.”
“<BR /> <BR />I echo the amendment and the recommendations contained within the Audit Office report. I concur that the strategy must have clearly defined targets which must be specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time bound, alongside robust monitoring mechanisms. That is by no means, a chairde”
“The British Government continuously deepen poverty by cutting support to children and their families and simultaneously underfund this institution via the block grant, and they need to be called out at every opportunity. The welfare mitigations have gone some way to protecting people against some aspects of Tory cuts and are often cited as the reason poverty levels here have remained lower than in Britain. It is important that they continue and are extended to enhance support in line with the available budget. I want to mention in particular the benefit cap mitigation which is due to end next March, which impacts predominantly on families with children. It is vital that this continues, and I ask the Minister for his commitment to do so in his response.”
“<BR /> <BR />It is also important that the strategy ensures access to affordable credit and debt support, as well as to the independent advice sector. Crucially, it must address the clear gap between people's income and what is needed to meet their basic needs, a gap that has been widened by the cost-of-living crisis but also by years of successive cuts and freezes to social security entitlements by Westminster, deliberate policy decisions such as the five-week wait for first payment of universal credit and the two-child rule which, I have no doubt, has contributed to the increased number of children growing up in poverty. <BR /> <BR />Collectively, we need to challenge these policies at source.”
“<BR /> <BR />I implore the Minister to ensure that the strategy is ambitious and that it seeks not only to lift people over the poverty line — although that is clearly the priority — but that it offers economic opportunities to prosper, break the cycle of intergenerational poverty and provide our children and young people with the chance to fulfil their true potential. I believe that this can be achieved by addressing regional imbalances, investing in underserved areas and providing the skills and suitable employment opportunities that pay a living wage for those who are able to work and that provide greater support for people with barriers to employment, such as the cost and availability of childcare, disability, health conditions and caring responsibilities, to name but a few.”