Rachel Woods
North Down · Green Party · Northern Ireland
“We have to get it right, but we are not starting from scratch. We only have to look across the water or down the road to the public and private sectors that already offer that type of leave. <BR /> <BR />I now turn to the comments of other Members.”
“<BR /> <BR />It is time to end the coercive control that criminal gangs have over our communities. Victim and survivors' voices must be heard and reflected in our laws and policies. Minority groups should not be sidelined or silenced. We need to educate from a very young age.”
“There is no direct cost to employers from safe leave, and it is needed to deal with the issues related to abuse. We need to destigmatise abuse and tackle root causes, misogyny and toxic masculinity. <BR /> <BR />I agree with Mr Weir's comments. We should not need to have the protections in place.”
“I thank every Member who spoke during the debate for their comments and support for the Bill. I will address the Minister's comments first. I thank him for being here, and I am glad that he is feeling better. <BR /> <BR />The Assembly cares, and we need to work constructively together to help.”
“<BR /> <BR />As I said at Second Stage, period poverty must be viewed through the lens of children's rights and how the Bill meets our obligations under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC).”
“<BR /> <BR />I take this opportunity at Final Stage to thank officials and members of the councils who took the time to discuss with me their policies, the background to them and how they are working in practice: thank you for everything that you are doing for your staff, and I hope that, should the Bill pass, your regional Parliaments an…”
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“That begs this question: why are we changing the law in response to a lack of enforcement against those who are abusing the licence? Surely we should not be disadvantaging those who want to provide entertainment until 4.00 am or 5.00 am and are doing so lawfully. <BR /> <BR />We will be supporting the amendments in this group, bar Mr Allister's for obvious reasons.”
“Is that the rationale for clause 3? It does not make any sense. Because few entertainment venues would seek or benefit from a later closing time, will we prescribe in law that all of them must close at a time that corresponds to the liquor licence? What was the thinking behind clause 3 and the amendments that we are debating, specifically amendment Nos 4 and 5? I can see that the officials told the Committee:”
“What of the provision of public transport? Again, I would certainly welcome any intervention from Committee members or the Minister in relation to this. If we are building back better and supporting our local industries, be they hospitality, tourism, DJs, musicians, artists or creatives, how do the opportunities afforded to us, as legislators, in the Bill allow for that? <BR /> <BR />I note from Hansard, which I had a quick look at today, that, on 11 March 2021, an official from the Department told the Committee:”
“Without the entertainment licence being extended past drinking-up time and with nothing else open at that later time, we will have people leaving bars and clubs and piling out onto the streets at the same time.”
“Again, that relates to amendment Nos 4 and 5. It does nothing.”
“I believe that the review, done properly with all those that need to be heard involved in it, can be a way of dealing with some of those issues if that is not done through the Bill, especially with the alignment issue that is changing the 2016 legislation and that did not get the majority of support in the Department's consultation. <BR /> <BR />We can cite numerous examples of why that would be beneficial for Northern Ireland and for the creative industry. We look to European cities, including Glasgow, which implemented a similar scheme in 2018. There are numerous other examples that the Committee has given consideration to on who and what would be impacted on, including the night-time economy, staff, public transport and the police, but how does that assist in addressing the bottleneck of people leaving bars and clubs at the same time?”
“Now to my question in a very roundabout way: I would like to know exactly what that means for amendment Nos 4 and 5, one of which is in the Minister's name and one of which is in Ms Armstrong's name. What 104 late licences was the Committee discussing? Are they the 104 late licences under clause 4, to which there are the two amendments tabled, or are they 104 licences elsewhere? <BR /> <BR />I go back to the band example. Read alongside amendment Nos 4 and 5 and with what is in the Committee report, when do I stop playing? It is worth mentioning, as others will, the review clause that we will deal with in group 4 as it relates to my comments on clause 3 and those on the permitted hours amendments contained in group 1.”
“If we look at amendment Nos 4 and 5 to clause 4, however, both effectively do the same thing. They extend the number of times that a licensed premises can get police authorisation for additional hours to either 104 or 208. If clause 3 stands part of the Bill as it is, when the Bill receives Royal Assent and depending on how the vote goes tonight on the amendments, it could mean that on the 85, 104 or 208 times a year that late nights could be authorised, entertainment would also finish at the same time as drinking-up time ends. <BR /> <BR />I go back to the band analogy. If I am in a band, and drinking-up time in the bar finishes at 1.00 am, I must finish playing at 1.00 am as well. As I stated before, however, in the Committee report, under clause 3, it states:”
“<BR /> <BR />In the survey report that was published further to the Department's consultation, consideration of entertainment going on past drinking-up time and alcohol sales was discussed, but that has not made its way into the amendments that we are discussing tonight. It was, however, debated at Committee Stage and mentioned in the recent Committee report on page 78:”
“I would like to know in more detail the effect that that would have on council powers to grant entertainment licences. Does it change their ability to grant them to 5.00 am or 6.00 am? <BR /> <BR />I will give Members a practical example. Let us say that I am a bar manager, and I book some live music, such as a band or a DJ, for a Friday night. I have my late licence, and it has been granted until 2.00 am, so my bar is closed to the public at 3.00 am as we finish drinking-up time. I want my DJ to continue until 4.00 am, however, and I provide water for people to enjoy the music until that time. Does that mean that, under clause 3, with amendment Nos 2, 4 and 5, I no longer have the authorisation of the late licence and must stop serving alcohol at 11.00 pm?”
“While we are debating amendment Nos 2, 4 and 5 tonight on permitted hours and the number of nights specifically in clause 4, it is a matter of concern to me that clause 3 should have the effect of curbing the promotion of a booming, safe and responsible night-time economy, as well as opportunities for our creative sectors. I will happily take an intervention from the Minister or perhaps in her summing-up remarks she can tell us about the basis for aligning entertainment and liquor licensing, especially given that the majority of respondents to the Department's consultation stated that they agreed with the practice of entertainment continuing after the end of drinking-up time. I direct this to the Committee and the Minister again: what consideration was given to the night-time economy and the creative sectors?”
“However, I hope that the Minister and Department will consider using other means, perhaps through councils, of making the information accessible to people online, because not everyone reads the papers. Granted, that is another issue, but it is worth considering in the context of more people in an area accessing information. <BR /> <BR />Prior to this evening, I spoke to passionate people about their experiences of leaving Northern Ireland — this is to do with permitted hours — and of coming back here and seeing the differences compared with elsewhere. They gave me their permission to speak about their experiences tonight. One of them said:”
“The Musicians' Union has said that, particularly in Northern Ireland, the blanket ban on all live music has left many musicians unable to work at all and that reform of our licensing laws should support them. However, we have logistical issues that make that unfeasible, and it is clear that the Executive will need to be mindful of the need for flexibility and dedicated support. <BR /> <BR />I will move on to the Bill and the amendments in group 1. I do not intend to speak on every amendment, but a few are worth mentioning. I will go into some detail on amendment Nos 2, 4 and 5 and how they relate to clause 3. First, I welcome the changes to clause 3 on consultations and neighbour involvement. It is very welcome, and having the local papers publish those types of notices will help levels of engagement.”
“Many pubs, bars, cafes and restaurants are open again but not wholly, as others have said, and some will not have survived the last 18 months. Many of those on furlough struggle to support their families and have left to find other work. Recently, a friend in the industry described trying to find a chef with experience as like trying to find hen's teeth. We have much to do to support the sector as we emerge from the pandemic, and I fully support the call made by Unite for a hospitality and tourism rescue plan and Hospitality Ulster's call for a recovery plan. I ask the Executive and, in particular, the new Economy Minister to meaningfully engage and support the sector. <BR /> <BR />That goes for the music industry too, and I will touch on that later in my comments on the amendments in group 1.”
“I welcome the opportunity to speak on the Bill at Consideration Stage. It has been a long time coming, as others have said. As I have done before, I will begin by declaring an interest as a frequent visitor to licensed premises and because I worked in the industry until the COVID pandemic lockdown restrictions and have family and a partner who still work in the industry. With your indulgence, Mr Deputy Speaker, I will make some brief comments on the hospitality industry, especially given that I have not had the opportunity to do so via the Committee. I will be very brief, if that is OK. <BR /> <BR />We need to recognise the devastating impact of the pandemic on the sector, the business owners and the staff. There are problems with levels of debt and issues with grants and loans, and costs continue to mount despite government assistance.”
“I thank the Minister for her answer. Her answer to my supplementary question might be something similar. It is important that trends and outputs in respect of quarries that operate in Northern Ireland can be reliably monitored. If the Minister is going to write to me, will she also let me know if, and when, the previous mineral returns can be calibrated to ensure variations in responses for individual years are sufficiently robust to ensure that this can be happening and compared?”
“However, I worked with Mr Ringland in my constituency, and he is an absolutely outstanding member of our community, especially when it comes to local sports. I appreciate how hard he works, and I wish him all the best. It is with those sentiments in mind that I say that today.”
“We shared our experiences of the George Floyd protests that were discussed earlier and the impact of riots, as well as youth issues, education, food poverty and all the shared interests that we have between here and the US. I am pleased to say that I keep in touch with all those people, who are from Washington, Minneapolis and Oklahoma, and friendships were made in the process. It is that kind of relationship that should be continued and fostered as part of shared understanding and peacebuilding. I speak today with those sentiments in mind. <BR /> <BR />Like others, I was surprised to learn of the appointment. Then again, we are used to surprises coming from the UK Government and the Secretary of State. Questions have been, and will be, asked on the process of the appointment, and that is OK.”
“I was not going to speak on the matter, but much has been said about the connections between the US and Northern Ireland, including the Northern Ireland bureau. It would be wrong of me not to mention, in the spirit of today, an exchange programme that I was involved in a few years ago that was funded by the US Department of State. <BR /> <BR />Many youth voices from here and the Republic of Ireland were flown out, and we spent nearly four weeks travelling around the US speaking to people, learning more about each other and being part of the project. Nearly 30 of us were there, and I am pleased to say that I continue to keep in touch with those people, and we share our experiences.”
“<BR /> <BR />I would like to see a mechanism created by which fines that were accepted on the day or that have paid to date can be refunded or donated to charities and those working with minority ethnic communities in Northern Ireland, given that the PSNI has confirmed to me that no such mechanism existed in the regulations when fixed penalty notices (FPNs) were handed out on that day and that FPNs could be set aside only by using regulation 12 by a direction of the Magistrates' Court. I urge anyone with the powers to do that to do so immediately. <BR /> <BR />I pay tribute to all the people and groups who advocate support for BAME communities in Northern Ireland and to those who stand up to racism. Their voices and actions are essential.”
“The Police Ombudsman's report on an investigation of police policy and practice at protests in Northern Ireland was published last December in response to the handling of the protests held in Northern Ireland on 6 June. I note that the actions were also subject to a Policing Board review and report in November 2020, in which a number of recommendations were made. I hope that the Policing Board will continue to hold the police to account on those recommendations, which include a recommendation that the police consider adopting a human rights-based approach to the policing of future protests. That would involve the balancing of competing risks and rights. I appreciate that there has been an apology, but we need to do much more.”
“I thank Mr Carroll for bringing the Matter of the Day to the House. The policing of the Black Lives Matter protests has had a deeply damaging and corrosive effect on the relationship between the police and our minority ethnic communities. The Black Lives Matter protesters engaged in social distancing, yet they were met with a firm response, with numerous fines handed out. Last week's PPS decision not to prosecute is therefore entirely welcome for those who have been subject to investigation for nearly a year. <BR /> <BR />From the outset, the operation and the decision-making were deeply flawed. I appreciate that the PSNI has admitted that it got things wrong and has offered an apology a number of times.”
“Will the Minister explain why his Department has failed to introduce adequate arrangements to assess the effectiveness of those interventions and whether they are contributing to the achievement of outcomes?”
“Thank you, Mr Speaker. I, too, welcome the report and thank those who put so much work into producing it. The onus is now on the Executive to ensure that it is fully funded and implemented. <BR /> <BR />The Minister will be aware of the recent NI Audit Office report, which stated that the Department of Education is:”
“I thank the Member for giving way. The Member and, indeed, the Minister mentioned resourcing and pressures in their speeches. Does the Member agree with me that, given that, in Northern Ireland, we have the Children's Services Co-operation Act, which legally requires relevant Departments to work together, utilising it is something that the Minister and the Executive can perhaps do together on resourcing and budgets?”
“Perhaps the Minister will also tell the House, specifically with regard to the review being carried out by NICCY and today's NIPSO report, what he and his Department will do in response. <BR /> <BR />All behaviour is communication, positive or negative. It is important that children's rights are front and centre of anything that we take forward. We thank and commend our teachers today for the amazing work that they do. I believe that we are all on the same page in wanting to see the changes. We will support the motion.”
“It has also been raised by the Northern Ireland Commissioner for Children and Young People (NICCY), NIPSO, the British Association of Social Workers, parents, carers, politicians and so many others, so we do not need any more reports and recommendations. The Minister and Department, in conjunction with those involved — the parents, carers, children and young people themselves, the schools, teachers, unions and organisations — need to introduce mandatory training, data collection and reporting and to have a clear and well understood policy embedded in children's rights. <BR /> <BR />There are other options that we can look at. Many are listed in the motion. We need a bit of a system change. I hope that the Minister, in his summing up, will outline what he can do to ensure that that happens.”
“We must collect data and ensure that reporting mechanisms are in place and are understood. Whilst there will always be the hidden impacts that are not known about — granted that will always happen — we need the resources too to make sure that every relevant staff member is adequately trained. <BR /> <BR />They are not new recommendations, as we have heard. In 2016, the UNCRC expressed its concern about the use of restraint and seclusion on children with psychosocial disabilities, including children with autism, in schools. The committee urged the UK to abolish restraint for disciplinary purposes and to ensure that it was used exclusively to prevent harm to the child or others and only as a last resort. It urged the abolition of isolation rooms and recommended that the state should:”
“We all need to look at that. <BR /> <BR />There needs to be a clear way in which parents can raise issues. Coupled with that, there must be data collection. The British Association of Social Workers has stated that it supports records of cases being shared with parents and guardians or with the young people involved, as well as with the school board, the Department of Education, the EA and the Children's Commissioner. I would certainly support that. <BR /> <BR />There must be clear avenues of communication, understood by everybody involved. I hope that the Minister and Department can implement those as a matter of urgency. We need to have a standardised policy in order to safeguard our children and young people. I note the NIPSO report published today, in which the ombudsman states:”
“I thank the Committee members for tabling the motion. I, like others, have been contacted by families and parents affected by this. I thank them for their determination to be heard. The motion may not have been on the agenda today without the continued lobbying and raising of the issue with MLAs by a few key parents out there. Listening to those parents, it breaks your heart to hear what has happened to their children and how it has impacted on them as a family. <BR /> <BR />There are key asks in the motion. They will require, at the outset, resourcing, working together and consistency of approach, as other Members have mentioned. We need to recognise that there are difficulties with definitions. Some parents and carers will not be aware of what was happening to their child or that it was something that could happen.”
“That is set against a backdrop of already stretched resources and the added pressures of a dramatic fall in fundraised income and increased demand. For this work, we must be forever grateful. <BR /> <BR />Are we going to continue to prioritise macroeconomics like gross value added (GVA) and GDP as the marker of progress, or can we do better and prioritise health and well-being as the key to a just and green recovery for our generation and the generations to come?”
“Nearly five years on, I reiterate that call. <BR /> <BR />As we come out of the COVID crisis, trying to get back to the way things were is not good enough. We must build back better and focus on resilience and well-being to ensure that those needs are met. We need properly resourced services for the people who need them, no more cuts to the very organisations that exist to help others and support for people of all ages. We also need to reconsider what we prioritise and value as a society. The community and voluntary sector has a wealth of experience and can help to meet the challenges that we face. The sector has been going above and beyond, providing support to some of the most vulnerable in society, including our children and young people, and it has picked up where statutory organisations cannot.”
“Only 29% of the respondents said that they felt hopeful about the future, and over half felt that they are not coping well with not seeing friends and family. That is not OK. It is not OK that our children and young people continue to raise that, especially when we know that youth mental health services are unable to meet demand. <BR /> <BR />The Children's Commissioner has been clear on the need for a children's rights-compliant mental health system that is responsive to children and young people. 'The Elephant in the Room' report, published in July 2016, and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) recommend that the Executive:”
“Mental health and well-being were the joint-top issues for young people at the time of the survey — 67% mentioned them — with isolation, loneliness and boredom following suit.”
“<BR /> <BR />Like others, I want to focus on children and young people and how they, in particular, are still waiting for the services that they need. Last year, the Northern Ireland Youth Forum surveyed thousands of children and young people on the issues affecting them. In response to its April survey, 62% said that mental health was the main issue that they, as a young person, faced; 332 young people mentioned loneliness and isolation; and 361 said that fear and uncertainty were affecting them, which, as we all know, impacts on mental health. In its November survey, 74% of the nearly 4,000 young people who were surveyed said that they felt that their mental health had deteriorated during the pandemic.”
“That is something that I have found difficult recently, especially as we emerge from another lockdown. We also have much to do to deal with historical trauma and the intergenerational impacts of the conflict. <BR /> <BR />The health inequalities report 2021 that is referenced in the motion highlights massive gaps that continue to exist in mental health provision between those who are disadvantaged and those who are better off. The death rate from intentional self-harm in the most deprived areas was double that in the least deprived areas, and prescription rates for mental health problems are increasing and the gap between the most and least deprived areas widening. Those are shocking statistics, and they highlight the urgent need for improvement.”
“I thank the members of the Health Committee for tabling the motion. It is really important that we send a message to people in Northern Ireland that mental health is taken seriously and that help is out there. It is really important for people to talk and reach out to each other to seek help, even if it is initially to a friend or family member, and to take advantage of the support that is there. It is also crucial that the Executive deal with the ongoing and historical issues with accessing mental health services and dealing with the root causes. <BR /> <BR />The COVID crisis will have and already has had psychosocial impacts on people here that will be felt for years to come, and short-term changes will be difficult for our mental health.”
“I thank the Member for giving way. Does the Member agree that, for the respectful society that he mentioned, education is key and we need mandatory and comprehensive relationships and sexuality education (RSE) that reflects the lives of everybody here? Does he also agree that it is a disgrace that Departments with responsibility for equality have provided no funding to LGBT groups since Peter Hain was Secretary of State?”
“I thank the Minister for his statement today. Our teachers and school leaders are rightly concerned that other arrangements may be employed should pupils lose any more face-to-face teaching between now and when exams are scheduled. Can the Minister provide any more detail on the contingency plans for next summer's assessments so that students and teachers are not thrown into the deep end again? How will he ensure that lessons will be learned from the difficulties that teachers have faced and continue to face?”
“There must be full compliance with international law and a genuine peace process, otherwise people will continue to suffer while the international community's attention is elsewhere. There must be negotiations that can resolve the conflict that are based on international law, justice and the end of discrimination. Those are the only realistic building blocks for a secure and lasting peace. The violence cannot and must not continue.”
“<BR /> <BR />In addition to procuring an end to bombing, rocketing and violence, it is time for the international community to play an actual meaningful role and step up to events in Israel and Palestine. Words are fine, but making public statements without action is meaningless. This is not the first escalation of tension and violence. It is not the first time we have witnessed the senseless and horrific murder of people. The violence is following patterns that we have seen before, reminiscent of the horrific hostilities in 2008, 2012 and 2014.”
“I too thank Emma Sheerin for tabling this Matter of the Day. We have witnessed devastating events in occupied Palestine and Israel. The heavy bombing of Gaza continued last night as the fighting now enters its second week. More than 50 children have been killed, and the death toll sits at nearly 200. Every effort must be made to end all attacks and forms of aggression, address the underlying causes and hold those responsible fully accountable. De-escalation and a route to peace can only be achieved with the full realisation of Palestinian rights and the end of Israel's systematic discrimination against Palestinians in Israel and occupied Palestine.”
“I will not speak for long as much of what needs to be said has been said already. This is rightly about the Ballymurphy families. The verdict of the coroner affirmed what the families of those killed in Ballymurphy in 1971 have always known: their loved ones were entirely innocent. It is shameful that it has taken 50 years for official recognition of the killing of these 10 people. The families have lived through the past 50 years with the heavy toll of injustice that was visited upon them, and they have not given up. <BR /> <BR />I hope that the coroner's verdict comes as a degree of comfort after decades of distress and compounded grief, but it is nowhere near enough. I pay tribute to the fortitude of the Ballymurphy families and the grace and dignity that they have shown during this very difficult and protracted inquest process.”
“I thank the Minister for giving way. Will the Minister confirm that in drawing up the peatland strategy he is doing so in conjunction with other Ministers, such as the Minister for Infrastructure?”
“The Assembly has even voted in favour of a motion calling for its establishment, but that promise has been kicked down the line to, perhaps, the next mandate. Again, on a crucial matter, the Executive fail to deliver. The need for an IEPA has never been greater. Northern Ireland is the most nature-depleted part of the United Kingdom, which is one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world. We cannot continue like this. I support the motion.”
“That will involve, crucially, as Ms Armstrong has said, local councils, as part of local development plans and community planning, and other organisations in our communities that are leading the way. Rather than the scattergun approach of offering grants for planting spruce, for example, there needs to be a tree and woodland strategy for Northern Ireland to ensure that the right trees, the native species, are planted in the right places. Of course, peatland and woodland strategies must be part of a nature recovery network. <BR /> <BR />The debate further shows the need for an independent environmental protection agency for Northern Ireland, and we in the Green Party have consistently called for that New Decade, New Approach commitment to be honoured.”
“This is not just a job for DAERA. The motion must also extend to the remit of other Ministers, such as the Minister for Infrastructure, as we are dealing with ammonia pollution. Also, the power to grant large-scale peat extraction lies with the planning authorities. Properly addressing the issue will require buy-in from Finance, Economy, Infrastructure and Education, as well as local communities and NGOs. It must be joined up — joined-up thinking, policy-making and funding — to enable nature to start getting joined up again. As we know, nature is remarkably resilient and capable of regeneration, if we just allow it to happen and manage it properly. <BR /> <BR />We need to plant the right trees in the right places, and there must be a strategic approach to woodland creation that is integrated with other land use considerations.”
“In the Republic, too, €108 million is committed to rehabilitating former peat extraction sites. In the presentation that we were given, we were shown a table in which Northern Ireland had question marks beside it. I hope that the Minister can fill in some of the blanks for the House on exactly how much his Department is putting towards peatland recovery, as well as providing an update on where the Department's promised strategy is.”
“<BR /> <BR />The all-party group on climate action, which I chair and of which, I am glad to say, Mr Wells is a prominent member, recently heard that, in England, a £640 million nature for climate fund has been established, with a significant proportion allocated to peatland restoration. The Scottish Government have allocated £250 million for peatlands over the next 10 years. The Welsh national peatlands action programme 2020-25 committed £1 million a year over the next five years.”
“The cost of restoring our blanket bogs has been calculated to be less than the costs of dealing with the effects of climate change. Therefore not only can we reduce carbon emissions but we can lock it up, and we can continue to do so in the future, as well as filter our water, control flooding, provide niche habitats for wildlife and enhance our tourist offering. So, what is stopping us? As we have heard, peatlands provide significant natural capital benefits, including carbon storage, water purification, flood prevention, habitat restoration and improved air quality.”