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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“<BR /> <BR />I acknowledge the Minister's predecessor, my party colleague Deirdre Hargey, for the progress that she made in advancing the strategy during her time in post and her commitment to a co-design approach. The voices and input of those who have lived experience and those who work at the coalface are absolutely crucial to finding meaningful solutions. I also acknowledge the substantial body of work carried out by independent panels on the welfare mitigations and the discretionary support fund, and by the expert panel, which has provided us with valuable insights and recommendations that must be taken account of.”
“It is therefore crucial that the Minister for Communities, as the lead Department, makes an anti-poverty strategy a key priority, and I hope that he will outline his intention to do so and his anticipated timeline in his response to the motion. That is not, however, to place the onus entirely on the Minister for Communities. If this strategy is to be effective and sustainable in the long term, it must have buy-in from all Ministers in policy development, joined-up approach and resources. We are all acutely aware of the current budgetary constraints, the reasons for them and the challenges that they present to all Departments but, until this strategy is brought to the Executive table, it is essentially stalled.”
“I thank the proposer of the motion for giving us the opportunity to speak on this issue. I also thank the proposers of the amendment, which we will support. <BR /> <BR />With growing levels of child poverty across the North, and with the findings contained within the Audit Office report, it is vital that the Assembly embraces a renewed sense of collective purpose on this issue. We must send a clear message that we are united in our commitment to addressing inequality in all its forms and to improving the prosperity and opportunities of all citizens, especially our children and young people. The cost of not doing so is simply too high, both for children whose life experiences are impacted personally and for public services in the long term.”
“Also, Minister, what practical support are you able to offer in the meantime to those who have been impacted?”
“I welcome your statement, Minister, which recognises the need to better protect residents from defective design, workmanship and materials. <BR />Minister, you will know that, over the past number of weeks, the Communities Committee has received a number of pieces of correspondence from those who have been impacted, and you will understand that we, as a Committee, will want to work with you to ensure that we can do all that we can to provide the support and the redress that they need. Can you today provide any further detail on your understanding of the timeline that will apply to introducing the forthcoming legislative changes to establish a retrospective period of up to 30 years and a prospective period of up to 15 years in which a party can take action for defective premises?”
“I work with Willowbank, which provides physical disability services, St Vincent de Paul, the Vineyard, COSTA Rural Support Network and all the many groups that we have in our areas. They are really struggling. I look forward, as Chair of the Communities Committee, to working with these groups, because it is vital that we support and reinforce them where we can. They often pick up the services that the public sector is not able to provide. I acknowledge their contribution to the work that we do: we must all work to provide better support for them.”
“I want to make a brief statement about community groups. All of us fully understand the value and impact of all these groups. I am talking about a full range of groups, from neighbourhood renewal projects to groups working in the fields of health, education, urban and rural regeneration, community relationships and many other vital areas in every area of the North. These groups are struggling with a range of issues. They are struggling financially in the aftermath of reductions in funding and as the result of austerity measures and Brexit. They are also struggling with staffing: staff pay, the availability of staff and continuity of staff. This is in circumstances where there is also a rising need for the services that they provide. <BR /> <BR />In my area of Dungannon, the neighbourhood renewal group has done tremendous work.”
“Minister, will you give us an update on PEACE PLUS?”
“While it is crucial that today's Supply resolution is passed to ensure that the allocations announced in February can proceed, and, hopefully, bring a sense of certainty and stability to the Department going forward, as well as to our hard-pressed public-sector workers, we need to acknowledge that funding gaps remain, and that has to be addressed if we are to make progress on the issues that will make meaningful changes to people's lives in the time ahead, such as tackling the growing levels of poverty, supporting workers and families, delivering more social and affordable homes and protecting private renters. We must therefore, a chairde, speak with one voice and continue to robustly challenge the funding formula used to allocate the Budget in the North.”
“is that the Budget imposed by the British Secretary of State last April falls far short of what is required to meet the needs of both the Department for Communities and the people it supports. I call, once again, for a commitment from the British Government to address the historical underfunding of this institution.”
“Whilst I reiterate today that the Committee for Communities is interested in and committed to working collectively in its scrutiny and legislative role, the challenging and competing priorities facing the Department in the upcoming fiscal year will remain a substantial challenge for us all. <BR /> <BR />I will now make some brief remarks in my role as the Sinn Féin spokesperson for communities. What is clear, a chairde,”
“Whilst it is imperative to acknowledge the exceptional nature of the Budget cycle, it is also essential to acknowledge that the unprecedented challenges facing the Department are linked to broader societal and economic shifts and have been exacerbated by the now-acknowledged underfunding of public services here. As we move forward, a more collaborative approach to open dialogue and scrutiny needs to be implemented. The Committee for Communities wants to do what it can to better support the foundations of a more resilient and prosperous future for all our community. <BR /> <BR />In closing, as Committee Chair, there is no doubt about the challenges ahead for the Department and the Committee for Communities with this Vote on Account.”
“The fluidity and uncertainty of the financial landscape, exacerbated by the significant shortfall in moneys available to the Executive, will hinder its capacity to forge long-term plans that are not only feasible but ambitious. The unpredictability compromises both the Department and, therefore, the Committee's ability to anticipate and effectively respond to the evolving needs of our communities, thereby impacting the overall quality and reach of the services provided to our communities. <BR /> <BR />The exceptional circumstances of this year's Budget have necessitated rapid responses and adjustments, often at the expense of more thorough oversight and collaborative discourse.”
“The Committee wants to be able to undertake its statutory role properly and to really get into the detail of following that expenditure, ensuring that the right questions are asked and that every pound is spent in the most sensible way and, crucially, where it is most needed. The reality is that the Department for Communities was one of the Departments that would have run out of cash had there not been accelerated passage of the Budget Bill. The largest Department had reached the stage where insufficient funds were available in February for the Department to continue functioning. The Committee wants to ensure that that does not happen again. <BR /> <BR />It is clear that the Department is facing a profound challenge to its ability to plan strategically.”
“Furthermore, we were advised of the extent of the significant resource pressures that the Department has forecast for this coming financial year. It has bid for more than £130 million from the Executive. Those bids do not all relate to funding for the action plans and strategies on which the Committee is seeking updates; they are non-ring-fenced resource bids. It is the money needed to keep paying social security benefit, as well as for the Job Start programme, the Supporting People initiative and universal credit. <BR /> <BR />The Committee was advised that, as the largest of the nine Departments in the Civil Service, the Department for Communities had a budget of £10 billion for 2023-24.”
“Without exception, each briefing recounted the difficulty that the Department will have to continue to provide services to more people with higher levels of need in what is a very serious cost-of-living crisis within the limits of a budgetary envelope that cannot be reasonably stretched to meet that need. At each briefing, we discussed the budgetary challenges associated with, to name but a few, welfare mitigations; housing benefit; rates; the building of more affordable homes; and the provision of support, advice and relief to some of the most vulnerable in our communities, including the homeless. <BR /> <BR />The Committee heard consistently about the extent of the gap between what the Department can do or has ambition to do and the lack of available funds and staff to make that happen.”
“I will speak on this motion as Chair of the Communities Committee. I also intend to make some brief remarks in my role as the Sinn Féin spokesperson on communities. <BR /> <BR />Since the debate on the accelerated passage of the Budget Bill and the Vote on Account in February, the Committee for Communities requested and received a number of briefings from officials, including the permanent secretary and all the deputy secretaries in the Department. Those briefings focused on the challenges and pressures of the continued provision of services and support by the Department for Communities.”
“Can the Minister provide an update on delivery of the Together: Building a United Community strategy?”
“The Committee was therefore content to recommend that the Assembly also approves these regulations.”
“<BR /> <BR />I move on to the second regulations, on specified diseases and prescribed occupations. These were also considered on 14 March. The Committee is aware that the regulations make changes to realign the definitions of certain specified diseases with the definitions of the corresponding prescribed diseases set out in industrial diseases benefit legislation. Members of the Committee welcomed the fact that the rule will make the changes required to realign the definitions of certain specified diseases in the 1979 scheme with the definitions of the corresponding prescribed diseases set out in the IIDB legislation. <BR /> <BR />It is good to note that two of the specified diseases, the definitions of which no longer mirrored the IIDB legislation, will now be included via this rule.”
“I thank the Minister. He could have got an easier day to stand in, given those pronunciations. <BR /> <BR />The regulations were considered by the Committee for Communities on 14 March. Members acknowledged that the amendment regulations dealing with pneumoconiosis payment of claims would increase the amounts payable by 6·7%, in line with the uprating of industrial injuries benefit. <BR /> <BR />The Committee also recognised that the rule is in line with the long-standing parity principle for social security and related matters. Members welcomed the fact that the increased annually managed expenditure requirement rule will be met in full by the Treasury, with no additional cost to the Executive's block grant. The Committee was therefore content to recommend that the Assembly approve the regulations.”
“Minister, will you give us a commitment to factor in the recommendations of the Comptroller and Auditor General's report on child poverty, which was issued today, before finalising the anti-poverty strategy?”
“On a point of order, Mr Speaker. Will you listen again to the contribution of Jim Allister this morning, which contained an unwarranted and disgraceful attack on an entire section of our children? Will you look at his remarks to see whether they were in keeping with the conduct expected in the House?”
“That is the pressure that young carers are under. I ask everybody who will be working with children and young people, tomorrow and this week, to take a good look — maybe an extra look — at that young person in front of you and ask yourself this: is there a reason for the homework not being in — something that, maybe, other children are not facing? Is there a reason for them to be checking their phone every 10 minutes? Is it because they are worried about something that may be going on at home? <BR /> <BR />I think that we absolutely need to do better by all carers, but young adult and child carers, in particular, deserve our support.”
“There is a cliff edge for some of those hard-pressed carers. <BR /> <BR />I want to highlight some of the words of Bláithnaid Girvan, who I met recently at the all-party group on carers, a young activist and carer herself. Bláithnaid said:”
“They are helping to prop up the health and social care system, but they do not get any of the financial support available to young carers in other places, such as Scotland. It is also important to highlight that there is no service — absolutely none — available in the North for young adult carers between the ages of 18 and 24. As has been said by some of those young carers:”
“I rise as chair of the all-party group on carers to highlight the fact that tomorrow, 13 March, is Young Carers Action Day. This year's theme is fair futures for young carers, and the day will focus on building a more equal future for young carers and, crucially, removing barriers that many of their peers will not face. <BR /> <BR />Colleagues, there are more than 17,500 child and young adult carers here in the North that we know of — there are many that we do not know of — representing roughly 8% of all unpaid carers. Many young carers feel that they are conditioned to expect less from life, and that is, in some ways, an indictment on all of us. <BR /> <BR />It is also important to note that there is a deep sense of unfairness that young carers receive no financial recognition for their caring roles.”
“I thank the Minister for his answers. This is a key scheme for some small groups, because it is the only one that they get. No groups received support last year. Will he, along with the timeline, look at putting in a second scheme in this financial year to support some of those hard-pressed groups?”
“Its launch night in Garvaghey was a very poignant evening. The campaigners had listed all the GAA members and their clubs, the very first of whom was Mickey O'Neill, from our club and from the town of Aughnacloy. He was a very close friend of my brother Ruairí. We were standing at a football game when we got word that, on his way to the game, Mickey had been killed on the A5. That has happened repeatedly and will continue to happen. <BR /> <BR />I want to finish by pleading with those people who have objected to the road to please consider the impact of their objections. Please allow this road to be developed and allow people in our constituencies and communities to have the same level of access to safe road travel as other people.”
“<BR /> <BR />Every couple of days on our WhatsApp groups at home, we get a messages telling us to avoid a certain section of the road, because there is a car on its roof or over the hedge or whatever. On the day I was travelling up to give evidence to the public inquiry on the A5, I almost collided with the back of another car. That happened as a result of what Declan McAleer mentioned, which is all the small entrances. A car was making a right turn, and there was a line of perhaps half a mile of traffic. Every one of those cars had to brake slightly harder to get stopped, and it virtually finished up in a pile-up. Those incidents are going on all the time, and it is only a matter of time until there is another serious incident. <BR /> <BR />I want to acknowledge the work that Enough is Enough and the GAA community have done.”
“The result is that at virtually any time of the day, if anyone wants to cross the main street in Aughnacloy, the traffic on the A5 both ways has to voluntarily stop to allow them to cross. The one crossing in the town is some distance from the shops and from where buses are travelling up and down the length of Ireland, and local school buses, are dropping pupils off at the shops and all of that. Older and younger people in particular are hugely vulnerable, not only to that traffic not stopping, but, when it does stop, somebody else coming around in frustration, cutting inside and going through. It is an absolute disaster waiting to happen, and it is the same with the entire stretch of the A5.”
“Where I live is 90 miles from Dublin airport and 60 miles from Derry. I can be in Dublin airport in the same time that I can be in Derry, and I can be there safely, with the vast majority of the road when I drive South either a two-plus-one or a motorway. The impact of that is that it starves our area of investment. When companies reach a certain size, they have to go elsewhere to get the infrastructure. Over many decades, that has restricted what is a hugely entrepreneurial area. <BR /> <BR />The other issue that I want to raise in particular today is, again, related to the Aughnacloy section. All the A5 traffic on that strategic arterial route, which Maolíosa McHugh mentioned, goes through the town of Aughnacloy.”
“I thank Nicola for securing an Adjournment debate that brings a very important issue back to the Chamber. I have reflected on some of the things that have been said. I live close to Aughnacloy, and a large part of the A5 runs from Kelly's Inn and right down through that section of Fermanagh and south Tyrone.”
“Minister, what are the climate impacts resulting from the Enniskillen southern bypass?”
“Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire as an fhreagra.”
“I was listening in earlier, and I look forward to hearing the rest of the debate. It was extremely foolhardy that rail was taken out of parts of Tyrone. In the south Tyrone part of Fermanagh and South Tyrone, we had a connection through Dungannon and the Moy, as well as a connection through Caledon, but that is all gone. That left our county bereft of any rail whatsoever. I know that Fermanagh was left out of the all-island strategic rail review, and all those issues need to be addressed. <BR /> <BR />I ask the Minister to comment on the fact that those rail connections are not just an economic driver but provide a social connection, and they link communities in a way that, we now realise, is much more environmentally and economically beneficial than was recognised, perhaps, in other times.”
“I could not let the debate pass without mentioning the vexed and vital issue of the A5, which also affects our constituency. That is another key piece of infrastructure, and all the additional pieces will drive us forward into what I believe will be a very bright future. Those are vital parts of that jigsaw. <BR /> <BR />The Enniskillen bypass will certainly contribute to the goal of allowing all our local communities to thrive, and, therefore, I welcome that. I also welcome the opportunity to take part in the debate.”
“In order to do that, we need the right type of infrastructure that allows us to achieve that regional balance and connectivity and that allows local hubs to flourish and areas to maximise their potential, and there is huge potential there. That balance involves equal access to opportunities and services, including vital services such as health, broadband and, of course, investment in our road network. Enniskillen town and the people and businesses that make that town deserve to benefit from the type of investment that would allow their local community and economy to truly thrive.”
“Having battled my way through Ballynahinch on many an occasion in a past life, I have to say that I recognise his concern about that issue. <BR /> <BR />It is also clear that this vital scheme will cut air pollution and congestion in the town of Enniskillen. It is important to say that Enniskillen is a unique town. It is one of very few island towns, and that creates its own difficulties, but it also creates opportunities. However, air quality is a key issue that the scheme will certainly help with. It has been estimated that up to 800 deaths in the Six Counties can be attributed to air pollution, so it is a significant issue, and it is hugely welcome that the scheme will help with that. <BR /> <BR />One of Sinn Féin's key priorities is to tackle regional inequalities and drive balanced and sustainable growth across the island.”
“I agree with Mark that the cycleway and footpath are a key element. It is crucial that we make sure that the infrastructure is there for people to travel and walk safely in our towns and, indeed, between our towns and villages. <BR /> <BR />On Patrick's remarks, I know that we have had boundary reviews recently, but I did not know that it stretched as far as Downpatrick.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, I take this opportunity to welcome you to your role. <BR /> <BR />I am absolutely delighted at the announcement on the bypass. It is much-needed, long fought for and will be of tremendous benefit to the town of Enniskillen and the whole surrounding area in our constituency. Tackling the bottleneck at that section of the road will allow business to benefit from improved opportunities and improved access to our shops; allow people to enjoy improved journey times; and, hopefully, attract people into the town of Enniskillen as well as facilitate their journey through it. <BR /> <BR />It has been estimated that the scheme will improve average journey times by approximately 50% and take 40% of the traffic out of Enniskillen town centre, which is hugely welcome.”
“I take the opportunity to welcome the Minister to his role, and I look forward to working with him as Chair of the Communities Committee. <BR /> <BR />Minister, do you agree that deaf people have experienced generations of inequality and social exclusion as a result of underinvestment in those sources? Will you commit — I know that you mentioned it — to ensuring that the Bill that you will lay will include both Irish sign language and British sign language?”
“<BR /> <BR />It is vital that we continue to speak with one voice and challenge the funding formula used to allocate the Budget here. We also need to prioritise our public services and support for those who need it most. That is certainly what I will do as a member of the Committee for Communities. I support the Bill.”
“<BR /> <BR />I welcome the resource and capital budget allocation for DFC, which will, hopefully, bring some certainty and stability to the Department. I also welcome the £6 million for social housing, the £6 million for the NIHE Decent Homes Standard and the £1·2 million for the cladding scheme. It is clear, given the ongoing housing situation, with 45,615 applicants on the waiting list and 4,422 households in temporary accommodation, that significant pressure is being placed on the Housing Executive budget for homelessness prevention work. It is projected that 23,557 new social homes will be needed for 2022-27. Any reduction in delivery will have a detrimental effect on meeting that target. It would force more households into homelessness and temporary accommodation and, indeed, place further pressure on our statutory services.”
“It is unfair and unrealistic to ask people to contribute more to pay for services at a time when they are already paying more to meet their basic needs and experiencing increasing difficulties in accessing public services, such as the waiting lists that we see in the health service. Those services have been negatively impacted by many years of underfunding and underinvestment, something with which we will continue to struggle. <BR /> <BR />As I mentioned, the Department for Communities is a huge and varied Department. It supports some of the people in our communities who have been rendered most vulnerable as a result of disadvantage. It is responsible for the Supporting People fund; social security; housing; welfare mitigations; social strategies including, crucially, the anti-poverty strategy; sports; culture; arts; and local government.”
“In acknowledging the challenging fiscal circumstances that the Assembly finds itself in, particularly following a Tory-imposed Budget last April, it is clear that there will be extreme challenges for all of us around the Chamber in the time ahead. I welcome the Minister's statement today and, in particular, the allocation of £688 million for public-sector workers. It is important that we acknowledge the crucial nature of the work that our public-service workers carry out and, indeed, their right to fair pay. I certainly hope that they will have clarity on final pay awards as soon as possible. <BR /> <BR />It is clear that the financial package that accompanied the restoration of the Executive will, undoubtedly, fall far short of what is required across all Departments.”
“In the interim, as the Committee agrees its forward work programme and looks to the responsibilities in the portfolio of the Department for Communities, we will be keen to hear from the Minister today on the settlement for the Department in both the short and longer term. The Communities Committee considers a broad range of issues, such as housing and homelessness; social security; energy poverty; social inclusion; charity regulation; liquor licensing; gambling regulation; language; sports; and heritage. It clearly spans a huge range of interests and will require significant resources in the time ahead. <BR /> <BR />I would now like to make a number of points in my capacity as a Sinn Féin MLA.”
“I will speak as Chair of the Committee for Communities initially and then make some remarks as a Sinn Féin spokesperson. In the first instance, I welcome the Minister to her new role. We look forward to working with your Department, Minister. I also look forward to the opportunity in the Committee to scrutinise future Budgets, and I acknowledge and note your comments on that today. Indeed, the Committee looks forward to being consulted on next year's Budget, being involved in the decisions on future spending and setting priorities for funding. Consequently, we anticipate hearing from the Department in detail about its spending plans for 2024-25 in the weeks and months ahead.”
“— are eating off their laps. Will the Minister work with me to ensure that that build is brought over the line?”
“The Minister mentioned the capital works programme. I draw his attention to St Macartan's Primary School in Clogher in my constituency, which has a fully passed case for a new hall. Currently, students cannot all sit down together for a meal, and there are no activities. Support staff are working in unsafe conditions, and teachers —”