Karen Mullan
Foyle · Sinn Féin · Northern Ireland
“I support the motion but would like it to have gone further. Damp and mould do not exist only in Housing Executive properties, so it is important for us to address and identify solutions for all homeowners. The right to a high-quality, safe and secure place to call home is one of the most basic and fundamental rights in any society.”
“<BR /> <BR />For the purpose of today's debate, I will focus on Creggan in my constituency, where hundreds of homes have been affected for many years by damp and mould because of lack of ventilation and poor insulation. Following the SERC report, surveys were carried out of properties in Creggan in 2015 and 2016.”
“I also carried out an online survey of residents who lived in Housing Executive and housing association properties affected by damp. Respondents outlined timelines of their experiences of damp and mould, with one resident reporting having experienced it for 33 years — absolutely shocking.”
“<BR /> <BR />The extent of the issues facing tenants was initially brought to light by the research carried out by the South Eastern Regional College in 2014. The research found that many homes suffered poor and inadequate levels of thermal protection, resulting in unnecessary energy losses and assumed high heating costs.”
“<BR /> <BR />As I said at the beginning, the Housing Executive is not the only housing provider that needs to act. I want to see the housing associations putting plans in place immediately to address the same defects in their homes, with grants made more widely available to homeowners and those in the private rented sector, so that everyo…”
“Occupational therapy is one of the most important areas of health about which constituents contact my office. I am sure that that is the same for many Members. You have given us an answer, but I want to highlight that, as of December 2020, there were at least 120 occupational therapy staff vacancies.”
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“I also thank the Minister for the statement and welcome the hope that it provides. <BR /> <BR />The joint First Minister will appreciate the enormous contribution that sports and sporting bodies make to our health and well-being. Throughout the pandemic, children have been at home for months. Many parents are anxious to know when their children and young people will be able to return to sports. Minister, how can we assure parents that it is safe for children to return to sports and how can we support our sporting clubs to reopen?”
“I thank the Minister for her statement. Can the Minister provide an update on her plans to increase the stock of social and affordable housing?”
“Minister, since the start of the pandemic, you, along with Carál Ní Chuilín, have been determined to do whatever it takes to support those most impacted on by COVID. In addition to statutory sick pay, which you touched on, what changes have you made to ensure that support is delivered to those who need it?”
“Minister, I also welcome the statement and the alternative arrangements presented today. Following on from the Chair of the Education Committee, I ask for further clarity on the details of COVID-specific allowances for young people, specifically those whose education was disrupted from September to December. My daughter missed seven weeks of school when remote learning was not in place. I also want to ask you to detail the allowances that will be made for those who are still without an IT device, data or broadband connection.”
“I thank the Minister for his answer. I have met groups in Derry, and some currently receive funding from the EU social fund, and others do not. They have expressed concerns to me about the difficulties in accessing PEACE funding. Have those been addressed in PEACE PLUS?”
“I thank the First Minister for the statement. I send my heartfelt thoughts to all victims of the mother-and-baby homes. Like other Members, I believe that it truly was a shameful time in our history. First Minister, what outreach will there be and what further steps taken for victims and survivors who have never come forward about the abuse that they faced?”
“Given the need to deliver effective remote learning, has the Department sought assistance or received offers of support from internet providers in order to address poor broadband for pupils? Are there any plans — I wrote to you about this matter — to provide data to pupils and families who are struggling?”
“— with special educational needs and their families.”
“Yes. Finally, the Minister answered many of the points in his contribution. He pointed to data and reports that have informed educational openings in the current lockdown, along with Health. He outlined his Department's support and the partnership working and funding that is happening in this lockdown. I welcome the Minister's giving us that update. I ask the Minister to take away from today that there is a need to do better for children —”
“Yes. I was just coming on to the fact that you outlined engagement with unions and teaching staff. That is something that we —”
“<BR /> <BR />Clare Bailey raised concerns about the impact of COVID-19 and talked about how it had exacerbated existing issues with special educational needs. <BR /> <BR />Stewart Dickson outlined the loss of services and asked how the Department and the Minister would support the Royal College of Occupational Therapists to get back to work. <BR /> <BR />Gerry Carroll pointed to the underfunding of special schools and SEN before the pandemic and said that all was not rosy in the garden before it.”
“<BR /> <BR />Justin McNulty highlighted the absence, loss or removal of other allied services and the impact that the lack of support has had on young people's routine and their families and how we need to learn lessons from that. <BR /> <BR />Rosemary Barton commented on the impact on young people's education and on how many have suffered greatly from the loss of their routine, which has continued into the second lockdown. She said that we need to plan better for children with special educational needs. <BR /> <BR />Paula Bradshaw focused on health. She pointed to the lack of funding and the need for early years intervention and to work more closely with stakeholders, particularly those with a focus on children and young people. She said that the Department, the Minister and the Education Authority should do better in relation to that.”
“He also quoted statistics from the National Autistic Society and talked about the vital need to monitor, liaise on and review everything. <BR /> <BR />Mr Newton outlined the difficulties for special schools and said that it was a privilege for him to speak up for children with special educational needs. He outlined the budgetary pressures prior to the pandemic and the need for resources to be in place. <BR /> <BR />My colleague Órlaithí Flynn also raised that but focused particularly on the mental health and isolation of families and pupils. She talked about how they feel abandoned, the further impacts of the pandemic and how we must find a way to provide support to all those people. <BR /> <BR />Maurice Bradley was also concerned about respite and the lack of support for children and parents. He highlighted the disparity in provision.”
“<BR /> <BR />Daniel McCrossan made a personal contribution in relation to his nephew and commended his local school for the support that it has provided to his family. He outlined the need for complete change on this from the Minister and the lack of expert-led support and guidance for special schools from the Minister and his Department. He said that more support was needed in special schools and that vaccination must be prioritised. <BR /> <BR />Robbie Butler outlined the huge impact on families. He talked about how the temporary removal of the provisions in the Education Order goes against everything that we know to be right. He made the relevant point that the effects on these children will be long-lasting rather than temporary.”
“Thank you, Chair. I think that the Minister might be glad that I am moving on. I very much welcome your comments. It has been a real pleasure to work with the members of the Committee and the vast number of people whom I have met throughout the sector. <BR /> <BR />Mr Humphrey raised the worsening situation around statementing pressures. He spoke about what families have had to deal with and the devastating impact that the closure of services during lockdown has had. He also raised, as many other Members did, the issue of social distancing and the wearing of PPE. <BR /> <BR />My colleague Nicola also spoke about the impact that the loss of services, particularly therapeutic services and respite, had on children and their families and the heartbreaking reality that many families are going through still, not just in the last lockdown.”
“Again, he spoke about parents feeling abandoned and struggling. He asked that the Minister give more clarity on support, safety, resources and the vaccination.”
“I acknowledge the Minister's position. He gave an update on the priorities for the vaccination and recognised that that will reduce anxiety among staff, so thank you, Minister, for that. <BR /> <BR />First, the Chair of the Education Committee, Chris Lyttle, spoke about the limited access to special schools in the last lockdown and how the Committee was concerned about the services available to children with special educational needs during that period. He spoke about how the Committee, during that time and since then, has been prioritising needs and engaging with stakeholders, parents and others. He pointed to the event that we held in December at which we as Committee members heard how schools and parents felt abandoned during that period, particularly those with autistic children. He went on to speak in his role as an Alliance MLA.”
“I will try my best to do justice to the many valuable contributions and to fit them all in. <BR /> <BR />By way of an overview, all Members supported the motion and thanked and paid tribute to our school staff, particularly those in our special schools, the community, parents, pupils and stakeholders. All Members raised concerns about special school support, the resources, the guidance and the safety. Members also supported the vaccination of school staff, with a priority for special schools. I know that the Minister gave us an update on the meeting this morning, but it is disappointing that we are still talking about the need to vaccinate staff, particularly staff in special schools — that should have been done by now — and those in the mainstream schools that are also open. We need to move on that very quickly.”
“I know. I need some educational support. <BR /> <BR />I hope that, following the debate, we will see a multidisciplinary, cross-departmental, coherent and permanent process for ensuring that vulnerable children gain consistent access to special educational needs support during and after the pandemic. I hope that that will include a transparent, single-point-of-entry process with a named officer responsible for each child. I hope also that we will secure the associated resources required to cover those services for all future pandemic-related disruptions to education and beyond. <BR /> <BR />I turn now to the contributions to today's debate. I thank all Members who spoke, my fellow members of the Education Committee and the Minister for his presence and his response.”
“Continuity of support for those who are clearly most in need. Thank you.”
“When the present crisis abates, there will be considerable focus on how we have managed educational provision during these unprecedented times. A key measure of the Department's effectiveness will be how we ensure conitu—, con— I cannot even say it.”
“On the behalf of the Committee, I thank the Minister and all the contributors to the debate. I expect that the discussion will continue online or through other media for quite a while. <BR /> <BR />I begin by referring to vulnerable children — those with special educational needs — and how they, their families and their schools have been supported during the pandemic.”
“I join you, a Phríomh-LeasCheann Comhairle, in welcoming back the Minister. It is great to have her back. <BR /> <BR />In your answer to the Member, Minister, you outlined her plan to engage with the Children's Commissioner and other stakeholders. Will you give some detail on how you plan to include young people in the development of the anti-poverty strategy?”
“Minister, I welcome the work that your Department has done in bringing forward the commitments in 'New Decade, New Approach'. I share the concern about whether the in-depth review that we require will be achieved in that time frame, but I thank you for your answer. <BR /> <BR />You mentioned the Department for the Economy when you were talking about cross-departmental working. Do you agree that the Department of Health plays a vital role, particularly in our young people's well-being and ensuring that that is provided for in a modern-day education system?”
“Minister, I heard you say before that nothing replaces in-classroom learning. Following on from the Chair's point, your answer to him was that those students are working hard at home, but we know that there is very much a varied learning experience at home, particularly for those who have special educational needs and need that in-classroom support. For those students and the others who have missed up to eight weeks and will continue to be disrupted, when will you publish the full details of the special circumstances?”
“I thank the Minister for bringing the statement to the Floor today to give students some assurance before Christmas.”
“Minister, the Education Committee heard evidence a number of weeks ago that suggested that the Department of Health had not fulfilled its obligations to cooperate with the Education Department on children with special education needs. Can the Minister assess the current levels of cooperation between the Education and Health Departments to support children with special education needs?”
“I thank the Minister for her answer and for her work and ongoing support for those who are most vulnerable. I also want to thank her for meeting the community and voluntary sector in Derry and Strabane with me last week. Will she outline her intention to work collectively with other Departments and agencies to ensure that long-term and targeted support is provided to those who are most in need?”
“I thank my fellow Member for Foyle for tabling the question. I also extend my thoughts to the employees facing redundancy. <BR /> <BR />Minister, in the summer, Debenhams paid off a number of staff, including staff in Derry — many of them long-term staff — who could have been furloughed at that stage. They treated them terribly. As outlined by Mr Dickson, they would not engage with the unions or with me. Will you engage with Debenhams and the administrators to ensure that workers receive their redundancy entitlements?”
“Thank you for that response and the work that is ongoing for residents. It has been an issue for nearly 10 years and there have been many consultations. We would like to see an end to the consultation and something put in place. Could you expedite that work, please?”
“I thank the Minister for her response and that update. That is very welcome, Minister. I ask that areas such as Foyle Road be included. I have written to you on this, and you responded yesterday. I will arrange a meeting locally with your office. Can you give assurances that your Department will effectively deal with the problem following our engagement, given that your Department has had to respond nine times in the past two years to flooding in the Foyle Road area?”
“I thank the Minister for his answer. As you rightly highlighted, COVID has delayed many treatments. Unfortunately for those awaiting IVF treatment, it has added further to delays that, in some cases, are now running into years, Minister. Will you assure us that you are looking at all available options and will you look at directing investment into fertility services to improve and speed up the journey?”
“Minister, thank you for your response and for the support that you have given to local businesses in my area. How many have received the initial payment and subsequent payments as the weeks have rolled on?”
“I also thank the Minister for his statement. I particularly welcome the free school meals payment that will apply across all the school holidays, and I commend all those who have worked and lobbied on the issue for many years. Minister, can you confirm for us the period that the free school meals payment will cover?”
“A post-primary school in my constituency had to close after four days of reopening because the principal, the two vice principals, six teachers and all the canteen staff had to self-isolate. It was not safe. Intervention over and above the packages that you have mentioned is needed there. I have highlighted to both you and the Health Minister the burden on principals in relation to tracking and tracing. I asked both your Departments to work together to significantly enhance the PHA's capacity in schools. Can you give us an update on progress?”
“I thank the Minister for his statement. In relation to ongoing and future cooperation, what is the Minister's assessment of the impact that COVID has had on cross-border shared education projects? Minister, I ask that you restore the funding to ScoTens and that your officials meet the Committee to discuss that.”
“Thank you, Minister, for engaging with musicians. In my area, musicians appreciate the grant funding. What will the remaining £26 million be spent on?”
“Minister, dog fouling is a blight on our neighbourhoods. In an area of my constituency, we have particular issues with rodents, which apparently feed off it. Are you considering making it mandatory for dog owners, of which I am one, to carry litter bags or appliances for removing foul when out walking their dog?”
“Does the Minister believe that the high street task force has a role in COVID-19 management and recovery?”
“<BR /> <BR />Finally, as is the case in the House, the survey does not find consensus on post-primary transfer, but it is clear that new arrangements must be considered if we are serious about putting children first in our education system.”
“What is striking and deeply unsettling about the survey is some of the common words arising from feedback from young children about the transfer test: "worried", "nervous", "scary", "unfair", "stress", "concerned" and "sad". These are 10-year-old children in the midst of a global pandemic: where is the compassion for them? <BR /> <BR />Many teaching unions have shown leadership on the issue and have called for an end to academic selection: I commend that leadership. I also commend the leadership of the schools that, so far, have decided not to use the transfer test this year, in particular St Columb's College and Thornhill College in Derry.”
“There is now a culture of private tutoring for many children. I ask the Minister to agree for the funding given by the Executive for the Engage programme to be used by primary-school pupils to purchase an online tutoring app. What is his Department doing to ensure that the Engage funding is used to support all children who have fallen behind because of the disruption in their education? <BR /> <BR />As outlined by the Chair, when teachers were asked for their preferred method of transfer, the most popular position was not to run the test this year and for schools to use non-academic admissions criteria. Teachers were also asked how they felt about children taking the transfer test following COVID, and 92% were concerned in some way.”
“The use of this system discriminates against children from socially deprived backgrounds, those with a special educational need and those with social and emotional needs. Over the past week, I have been contacted by many parents, teachers and concerned groups. Unfortunately, I do not have time to read out them all, but I thank them for getting in touch. <BR /> <BR />I will read out a piece that was sent to me by a primary 7 teacher. She said:”
“Sinn Féin supports the motion tabled by the Education Committee, and, as the Deputy Chair of the Committee, I am impressed by the number of people who took part in the survey. Like the Member opposite, I thank Louise and the Assembly team for their work. <BR /> <BR />With over 8,500 respondents, the survey shows the intense level of interest in post-primary transfer and, in particular, the worries over this year. Parents, children and teachers responded to the survey, and that is why the work was so valuable. It reflects the reality on the ground of what transfer is like here. <BR /> <BR />Sinn Féin's position on the unregulated tests used by some schools and carried out by private companies is clear: they should be abolished. However, for today's debate, I will mainly focus on this year's situation, brought in by COVID.”
“<BR /> <BR />We need only observe the success of the rail line in recent years to recognise the benefits that a greater service could bring to the north-west. Although we are in a challenging period, we always need to plan for the future, and that should include improving a service that has proven its worth time and time again.”
“We all look at the old rail network with astonishment, but no action is ever proposed to right that wrong. Let us begin exploring the expansion of the rail network in order to address the decades of neglect and underinvestment that the north-west has suffered. <BR /> <BR />Our rail network can play a huge role in tackling our carbon emissions. Emissions from transport amount to around 23% of the total greenhouse gas emissions in the North. It is the second highest carbon emitter on the island. By improving our rail services, we can make public transport a much more attractive alternative to private car journeys. However, an issue for rail as a whole is that our rail network is largely dependent on fossil fuels. We need to start decarbonising our rail network to make it truly sustainable.”
“Let us get phase 3 of the railway works delivered, let us improve the frequency of services, let us reduce journey times, let us look at increasing stations on the line and let us not confine the conversation to the current network.”
“The north-west does not enjoy a rail network; it has a line connecting Belfast to Derry, a journey that takes two hours and 15 minutes. For many of us who travel to Belfast daily, taking the train is not a viable option. The line also possesses some of the most isolated stations on the island. The large appetite for rail in the north-west has been demonstrated, and we must build on that and provide a modern service for the people. <BR /> <BR />Over 30 years ago, my granda, a native of Belfast, used to take me on the train from Derry to Belfast and back home again. Over 30 years later, apart from the new transport hub building, little has changed. There has not been the expansion and investment that a region like the north-west would expect.”
“As Mark Durkan said, a feasibility study on phase 3 of the line has been commissioned by the Minister, but I ask the Minister to go further and commit to delivering on that. It is a common belief that the north-west has a substandard state service in comparison with east of the Bann, and it should be an objective of the Department to end that perception. <BR /> <BR />A century ago, Ireland had a much more comprehensive rail network. I am sure that most Members have seen the pictures, as it is a popular image on social media. It makes our current network look pale by comparison. It also highlights how the north-west's services were completely stripped away over the years, and who can deny regional inequality when they see the map?”
“The impressive passenger number increases on the Derry line after my colleague, Chris Hazzard, introduced hourly services to Belfast have led to Derry becoming one of the fastest-growing stations on the island, and that is a testament to the powers of rail to increase connectivity and incentivise people to take up public transport. The increase in passenger numbers has exceeded expectations, and we need to build on that. By decreasing journey times and increasing the frequency of the services, we can make public transport the transport option of choice. <BR /> <BR />The inclusion of Derry in the feasibility study for a high-speed rail network is very welcome, Minister. That needs to be pursued by action and delivery on the ground.”