Deirdre Hargey
South Belfast · Sinn Féin · Northern Ireland
“His double standards, including his condemnation of and opposition to equality and rights for our LGBTQ+ citizens, have caused real harm to others. The revelations about his double life expose the staggering hypocrisy of the DUP's moral facade. We need to know whether failing to act sooner left more vulnerable people at risk.”
“One week ago today, Jeffrey Donaldson was found guilty of 18 child sexual offences, including rape. That conviction was made possible only by the strength and resilience of the two victims who came forward and reported the abuse. Donaldson was an abuser. He abused children, but he also abused his position in politics and faith.”
“They now say that they knew about his behaviour, but, crucially, they did nothing to expose his inappropriate hypocrisy and double life. The 'Spotlight' programme and other reports have shown that senior members of the DUP — its most senior figures, including the then leader, Edwin Poots — were aware of serious issues and allegations abou…”
“It is therefore not credible to suggest that the intelligence agencies were blind to his compromised double standards and double life. <BR /> <BR />Those questions demand answers from the DUP leadership. They demand answers in the House from the deputy First Minister, who was closely associated with Donaldson.”
“It is clear that there is a huge disconnect between Whitehall and the reality that is being felt by people on the ground. A British Treasury policy that is managing decay, real-terms cuts and disastrous policy decisions such as Brexit or the funding of wars over public services comes on top of existing disparities between how public servi…”
“The answer is not the short-term fixes or cash injections that we have had in the past, which have allowed for the repeated Treasury script of record settlements and inability of the Executive to manage their finances — scripts that are often parroted in the Chamber.”
The complete record
Every one of 2,594 lines we hold for Deirdre Hargey, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 20 of 52.
“The Member will be aware that a judicial review (JR) has been taken against the Department for Infrastructure’s decision to grant planning permission. The draft full business case of November 2019 identified potential increased cost estimates due to delays to planning approval, construction inflation and repeated design stages. This increased cost estimate will now need to take account of any delays as a result of the judicial review. Discussions have been taking place and will continue with the GAA in respect of all those and associated matters, including the apportionment of any projected increased project costs. Currently, there is no proposed change to the £15 million contribution already committed to the project by the GAA.”
“Definitely. There has been excellent work over the past two years through the conversations that I have had with the Infrastructure and AERA Ministers. We have collaborated and put together money that is targeted at rural settlements and communities, and we have done a few programmes on the COVID response. This programme is an extended part of that partnership, and I want to continue to work with those two Departments in particular and, indeed, any Department to look at how we can share resources to really meet the needs of local communities. The partnership has been really good, and I want to continue to see that develop in the time ahead.”
“We have a number of projects in the north-west, including the Harbour Square public realm project, the inner walled city public realm project and the Strabane town centre public realm project. A number of schemes and initiatives are under way, and a number of planned schemes are being looked at. Of course, we are also looking to take forward larger schemes such as Fort George and other initiatives.”
“The project is a great example of the partnership between various Departments, the council and, indeed, local communities. At present, the procurement process for a contractor is under way. It is anticipated that the contractor will be appointed in February, with construction beginning in March this year.”
“I was delighted to recently announce that my Department will provide funding of £440,000 towards the Strathfoyle greenway project. My Department has been investing in the urban greenway network for several years. Supporting the Strathfoyle community greenway is a natural extension of that work and adds to my Department's excellent track record of developing those types of projects. The 2·7-kilometre extension to the popular Waterside greenway will link Stradowen Drive in Strathfoyle to Derry city centre and the wider greenway network. It will also provide a commuting route to Foyle port and Maydown. <BR /> <BR />I can advise that the full funding package is now in place, and Derry City and Strabane District Council will lead on delivering the greenway in partnership with my Department, DFI and DAERA.”
“I am the Minister for Communities, and I know and have been to many communities in which the people come from a unionist or, indeed, a British tradition and have respect for The Queen. Their key issues at this time are the cost-of-living crisis, education, health and homelessness. Of course, those are the issues to which I respond. I have delivered schemes right across the board and right across all communities, and I have never looked once at their background, unlike some who ask questions about someone's religious background. I deliver schemes across the board to those who need them most. That is what I will continue to do in the time ahead. We are in a cost-of-living crisis. We have spoken about the fuel crisis. That is my priority at this time.”
“My priority — I have been consistent on this — is to protect the most vulnerable in our communities through targeted funding. That is not to say that events like that do not have a role. However, I direct funding to councils for the celebration of festivals and occasions. I do that for a number of programmes. I have been approached about a number of significant events that sections of our community feel are important, and they have been directed to the same local government process. The funding that I retain in the Department is used to focus on protecting services around fuel, which we have been looking at, housing and homelessness and the organisations that work with those who face financial hardship at this time.”
“I have no doubt that, funding or no funding, they will mark and celebrate the occasion across the board.”
“Totally, the Queen has played a positive role and is a very important figure to a large section of our community here.”
“I do put money out on an annual basis through the community festivals fund that goes to local government, and that is how I allocate money to mark events across the board. Money does go out, but it goes via local government. There is no central fund to fund any of these programmes, whether it is a jubilee or any other key event that may be important to sections of our community. Therefore, I ask organisations to contact their local councils, or, indeed, the British Government, who have been running out programmes to mark this event.”
“Of course, there are many people here who see the British monarchy in a very respectful way and who support that, and, of course, the jubilee is a key occasion. As you say, it is of a much larger scale, and that is why, up until now, the responsibility for funding and putting resources in place to mark these events has been with the British Government. <BR /> <BR />There are many events in our community and across society that we could mark if requests came to my Department to do that. I have to manage all those with the budget that I have and consider the need. We are talking about a fuel crisis. We have pressure around homelessness services. We have pressures in our community and voluntary sector as well, and I have to prioritise where I put resources.”
“As with all Departments, the resources available to the Department for Communities are extremely limited. I will continue to prioritise the resources that I have towards protecting the most vulnerable and providing support to hard-pressed families, workers and their families. Therefore, I have no plans to introduce a grant scheme related to the Queen's platinum jubilee. However, community organisations may be able to apply to existing funding schemes for financial support towards programmes or activities. DFC provides funding to the 11 councils for the community festivals fund, and councils provide match funding and administer the scheme on behalf of the Department. Organisations may be able to apply through that resource.”
“We are looking at what we need to do over the next period. Of course, the whole area around the housing revitalisation will be a fundamental piece in ensuring that homes are fit for purpose, because there has been decades of underinvestment, for example, in Housing Executive stock, where energy is just being released. It is about that whole system and the fundamental approach in looking at this. Of course, we continue to engage the Utility Regulator, the Consumer Council and others as we start to move forward on those longer-term, systemic areas.”
“There is obviously the fuel poverty strategy, which is about warmer, healthier homes. We will be looking to upgrade the strategy, and that is one of the key areas that we will be looking at over the next period. As I said previously in the Chamber — I know that the Committee has heard it as well — we want those to align with the Executive's energy strategy and the green growth strategy in looking at the holistic issues. I know that some of those have been produced, so my officials are engaging with officials in DAERA and in the Department for the Economy to bring forward a scheme. <BR /> <BR />Of course, we are engaging with sectors. I have met a number of organisations. In terms of the immediate crisis, we have received numerous pieces of correspondence from different organisations that want to help.”
“When we requested that it make the payment, it said that it could not make the payment; it would need a change in primary legislation, and that would be done outside this financial year, when the money needs to be spent.”
“I agree that some media coverage has led to an expectation or perception. Of course, there is learning in terms of front-loading the information, even on the system. The Department, in working with Bryson, has been quickly adapting to that. <BR /> <BR />Some may have heard the head of Bryson on the radio this morning talking about the unprecedented demand. A scheme that is targeting 20,000 people, with 280,000 trying to contact it, will never be fit for purpose in that way. It was never intended to do that. The larger fuel support scheme of £55 million is to try to get to as many households as possible. <BR /> <BR />I tried to extend that scheme, for example to look at the issue of tax credits, but because that is a reserved matter, it has to be for HMRC to advise.”
“They will be the ones who will receive a direct payment of £200 without application, which will be paid directly into their bank or Post Office accounts, or whatever accounts they highlighted to receive their benefits.”
“If you are applying for the Bryson scheme, you will still get the automatic payment, because the Bryson scheme is to deal with an immediate potential threat of losing fuel support or being cut off or disconnected. As part of the process of applying for that, applicants have to provide evidence. Bryson has been working to make that better understood in advance of someone making an application. That system is being developed as the scheme begins to roll out. <BR /> <BR />On the other hand, with the other payments, my main function was to target those on the lowest incomes, and that would be those in receipt of means-tested benefits. That is 281,000 individuals.”
“Definitely. Somebody is making profit out of these rising costs, and it is not people who are living here. Obviously, people across the globe are struggling. That is why governments that have the necessary tax powers have to take further action. As I said, the Finance Minister has written to the British Government about VAT. That is one quick way that people would see an impact on their bills, and it would apply to all households that pay bills. Many organisations in England, Scotland and Wales have been calling for that. It was discussed at the Executive meeting last week. I hope that, as a united Executive, we can continue to put that pressure on the British Government to act in that regard.”
“Those payments went out in November and December. We have other supports, such as the discretionary support scheme, for those who find themselves in crisis, but we also need to see larger government responses. The Finance Minister wrote to the British Government about the removal of VAT on energy bills. I have been pushing for us to press the British Government again for a response. The Economy Minister has responsibility for energy policy, and a paper on that is out for consultation at the moment. We are going to the British-Irish Council meeting on 4 February to look at the rising cost of energy. We will make those specific asks on VAT and other issues at that meeting.”
“I look at the ongoing issues. I have met representatives from a variety of organisations, and simply setting up a task force will not deal with the immediate problem. We have fuel poverty in our society, and we are looking at action plans and the housing revitalisation programme to start to address the longer-term, systemic issues, but, at this point, we are also in a global fuel crisis. Those other programmes will mitigate the impact, but they will not overcome the issues that we face. The bigger issue is that the Bryson Charitable Group scheme was intended to target only 20,000 individuals, and it was always to be in addition to the £55 million scheme, which will target 280,000 individuals over the next period. <BR /> <BR />We have also paid out the winter fuel payment to just under 300,000 pensioners.”
“As at the close of play on 14 January, 2,358 applications had been made, of which 1,323 applications had been validated and found eligible, and 1,098 applicants had received their fuel payment. Bryson Charitable Group expects to process around 300 to 400 applications a day, although that will be subject to constant review.”
“<BR /> <BR />I also recognised that there was a need for a smaller complementary fund to be delivered quickly for people who are in immediate crisis: people and families who are at risk of disconnection or who have been disconnected; and people who need immediate help. On 29 December, I was therefore delighted to announce that my Department will contribute £2 million to an emergency fuel payment scheme that is operated by Bryson Charitable Group. The scheme is a collaboration among the Utility Regulator, the Consumer Council and a number of energy providers. I thank all those organisations for their work on, and contributions to, the scheme. <BR /> <BR />The scheme will deliver targeted emergency support to those in fuel crisis and who have a temporary inability to meet their fuel costs.”
“With your permission, Mr Speaker, I intend to answer questions 2 and 7 together. The unprecedented energy prices this year and, indeed, last year have meant that those who are already struggling financially are facing added pressures. I am aware that, without additional support, many individuals, particularly those on low incomes, may struggle to heat their home or pay their energy bills. That is why, on 13 January, I announced that I had secured £55 million for an energy payment support scheme for individuals on low incomes who are struggling to meet the rising energy costs owing to the global fuel crisis. The scheme provides for a one-off payment of £200 to be made automatically, without the need for an application, to around 280,000 eligible individuals who are in receipt of specified benefits.”
“I will allow this to be done quickly. I thank everybody for their contributions once again and reiterate my thanks to the Committee. It shows how working together can make a Bill better. I commend amendment Nos 3 and 4.”
“I have listened and have determined that such a stipulation should be included for the first scheme, allowing future Ministers the flexibility to determine whether consultation on amendments to the scheme would be in the public interest. Therefore, I propose amendment No 4, which would amend clause 2 in order to stipulate that there will be public consultation on the first scheme of delegation.”
“Therefore, I move amendment No 3, which will amend clause 2 to include orders made under section 37 of the Act in new paragraph 9A(2) as powers that can never be delegated to staff. Such decisions account for a small percentage of decisions undertaken by the commission, and having them made by a committee will not hinder the commission's ability to make such orders to any meaningful extent. <BR /> <BR />On amendment No 4, it was always my intention to consult on any scheme of delegation that I brought forward to ensure openness and transparency and that any proposed scheme would be co-designed by those potentially impacted. However, during the evidence session on 14 October last year, despite assurances provided by officials, the Committee asked whether such a consultation could be stipulated in the Bill.”
“My initial assessment was that the section 37 power did not appear to have the propensity to have the same detrimental impacts on individuals, and the fact that section 37 is not included in new paragraph 9A(2) did not make it inevitable that it would be delegated to staff. However, on reflection, I have determined that there is justification for including section 37 in new paragraph 9A(2), as those decisions could have significant implications for a charity and its trustees. That is reflected in the fact that section 38 of the Act treats section 37 orders in the same way as those in sections 33 to 36 in terms of the notification requirements placed on the commission in respect of the decision and a statement of the commission's reasons for making it.”
“Whilst no such orders have been made by the commission or its staff to date, the Committee queried why, when sections 33 to 36 have been included in new paragraph 9A(2) as powers that can never be delegated to staff, section 37 has not. My view, when bringing forward the Bill, was that sections 33 to 36 can have a potentially significant adverse impact on an individual's reputation and their ability to continue to act in the charity sector. Although such orders can be made by staff in other jurisdictions throughout Britain and Ireland and, indeed, here, I took the view that, in order to restore confidence in the process here, such decisions are better taken by the commission or by a committee established by the commission under schedule 1 to the Act.”
“Clause 2 deals with how the commission will discharge its functions and makes provision for limited delegation to the commission staff where that is clearly stipulated in the scheme of delegation for which a full policy consultation would take place. Members will be aware that proposed new paragraph 9A(2) stipulates that some decisions of the commission should never be delegated to staff. That is the main area in which the types of decision that are taken during a statutory inquiry could have a significant detrimental impact on individuals and their ability to serve in the charity sector. <BR /> <BR />Section 37 of the Charities Act (NI) 2008 allows the commission by order to direct a person to apply property in a specified manner.”
“<BR /> <BR />Of course, there is much more work to be done, but, in this shortened mandate, it was important that we tidied up the protections in the legislation, particularly off the back of the judgements that were made. I commend the amendments.”
“We knew that we needed to fix the existing legislation before beginning to review the situation. The pandemic then hit, which caused a delay, but I am glad that we are able to progress this part of the process. <BR /> <BR />As was rightly said, Dr Oonagh Breen and the others who were part of the independent review of charity regulation have concluded their work. I hope that we will publish their recommendations very soon. The Committee will get a copy of those recommendations in advance of their publication. Those recommendations will look at the other changes that we need to make to reflect the initial intent of the 2008 legislation.”
“I thank everybody who spoke to the amendments. I thank and give recognition to all of the staff for their work, from those in the Department for Communities to those in the Committee, the Bill Office and the DOJ. I reiterate that the work with the DOJ, with its Minister and officials, on tribunal rules continues. <BR /> <BR />The key part of this was recognising the convention rights and extending the appeals time frame. I completely recognise that, when the legislation was initially brought in, it was bit of a fix, which came off the back of the McBride court judgement and the appeal judgement that followed it. When I came into post in January 2020, that was one of the first areas that I met officials about, because the judgement was made the previous year.”
“During its briefing to the Committee on 16 September, the commission advised that, while it has the facility to contact individual charities to advise them of the implications of the passing of the Bill, it does not have the details of all parties that could be affected — for example, trustees or members of those charities. Therefore, I believe that there is justification in allowing extra time for appeals that arise from the Bill and that that can best be done by extending the time frame from 42 days or six weeks to 91 days, which is 13 weeks. Therefore, I propose amendment No 2, which will amend clause 1(8) of the Bill so that the time frame for appeals arising from decisions made lawful by the Bill is extended from 42 days to 91 days.”
“In setting that time frame, I recognised that it would be crucial to have fresh appeal rights communicated as widely as possible and that the Department should work with the commission, sectoral interests and representative bodies to ensure that that is the case. I also recognised that the Charity Tribunal rules allow for appeals that are submitted outside of the required timescale to be considered if the tribunal deems it appropriate. However, during the Committee Stage evidence sessions, many witnesses stated that 42 days was not enough.”
“Therefore, I propose amendment No 1, which will amend clause 1 of the Bill so that decisions taken under sections 22(3), 22(4) and 23(1) of the Act are included in clause 1(5) of the Bill, therefore remaining unlawful and, thus, free to be challenged via the Information Commissioner's Office, the ombudsman or the courts. <BR /> <BR />On amendment No 2, members will know that, as drafted, clause 1(8) of the Bill stipulates that the fresh appeal rights for appeals arising from the decisions that are being made lawful retrospectively by the Bill be subject to the standard appeals time frame.”
“In addition, if I determined that such appeal rights should be afforded where none previously existed, those rights would have to be extended to all decisions taken under the provisions, not simply to those that would be retrospectively validated by this Bill. However, if the commission was to conduct an inquiry that required the gathering of large amounts of information, it would have the potential to contain the personal data of tens of thousands of people. Such new appeal rights could greatly hinder the commission's ability to conduct its regulatory functions effectively and could generally impact the number of cases in the Charity Tribunal.”
“<BR /> <BR />During the Committee's deliberations, it was queried whether the Bill might make those decisions lawful but create new appeal rights in respect of sections 22(3) and 23(1) of the Act. I do not believe that to be prudent or necessary. The Information Commissioner's Office, rather than the Charity Tribunal, is the appropriate mechanism for challenging decisions about data processing. The validation of decisions taken under section 22(3) and section 23(1) could hinder a third party's potential recourse to the Information Commissioner's Office, as it would remove a legality argument for such third parties that they could have utilised to argue that any processing of the data was unlawful as it did not have a statutory footing.”
“<BR /> <BR />There are no rights of appeal under section 22(3) of the original Act, and the rights of appeal in respect to section 23(1) are limited to those who were served with the order to provide the information but do not extend to those whose information may have been disclosed as a result of the order. Taking on board the concerns that were raised at Committee, I have determined that sections 22(3) and 23(1) of the Act should be added to clause 1(5) of the Bill so that decisions taken by commission staff remain unlawful. In addition, I have determined that the administering of oaths or the requirement for the making of or subscribing to the declaration of truth under section 22(4) of the Act should also be added to clause 1(5) and remain unlawful.”
“That was the rationale for the provisions for exemptions in clauses 1(3) and 1(5) of the Bill, which mean that decisions will remain unlawful where a court or tribunal have found them to be unlawful, they are the subject of ongoing proceedings where unlawful delegation is one of the issues of those proceedings and where they are specifically excluded by clause 1(5), for example the publication by commission staff of a statutory inquiry report on the suspension or removal of a trustee. In addition and to provide further protections, I am determined that there should be refreshed appeal rights where a decision is to be made lawful by the Bill, and that is afforded by clause 1(7) and 1(8).”
“This group of amendments seeks to provide further safeguards in addition to those proposed in the first draft, which I introduced in the Assembly in June of last year. Amendment No 1 is in response to evidence presented to the Committee that there could be a potential breach of an individual's convention rights if the Bill made lawful decisions relating to the collection and storing of data under sections 22(3) and 23(1) of the Charities Act (NI) 2008, which could include personal information. From the outset, I have been clear that nothing in the Bill should impinge in any way on the rights of individuals under the convention.”
“The Bill also allows for future arrangements to be put in place in respect of how the Charity Commission functions effectively going forward to increase efficiency, public trust and confidence. In addition to and in direct response to the views of community sector representations, I determined that the Bill should also include a power to introduce a registration threshold through subordinate legislation, subject to the draft affirmative procedure, at some point in the future, if the evidence supports it. <BR /> <BR />Clause 1 of the Bill relates to past decisions taken by the commission's staff that were found to be unlawful due to the deficiencies in the legislative framework.”
“First, I place on record my thanks to the Committee for Communities and its Chair and Deputy Chair for their assistance in progressing this short but important Bill to Consideration Stage. The Committee's scrutiny has been robust and diligent, and the amendments that I have proposed are as a direct result of its considerations. As a consequence, I believe that the Bill is now better. <BR /> <BR />As you will know, my purpose in bringing the Bill to the Assembly is to address the impacts of the McBride court judgement, subsequently confirmed by the Court of Appeal. The Bill makes past decisions taken by staff of the Charity Commission lawful, but only in circumstances where to do so will not impinge on the rights of individuals under the European Convention on Human Rights.”
“<BR /> <BR />With Belfast Rapid Transit phase 2, there is potential to look at how we can build on the cycle infrastructure and the public realm through greenways and by engaging neighbourhoods and communities on how we can reconnect and restitch them through the potential of the Belfast Rapid Transit system. Like others, I look forward to continued engagement on it with the Minister and her Department.”
“Could that be done at the same time, in order to complement the expansion of Belfast Rapid Transit phase 2? I know that the Department works with the Department for Communities to look at the public realm and connectivity with the surrounding communities. It is fair to ask how we can use an investment of this scale, working across government with other Departments, to engage communities. Often, when you look at regeneration, particularly in Belfast in the 1960s and 1970s, you see that roads infrastructure was used to cut off, disconnect and sever communities from opportunities and, indeed, from each other. There is learning from that with which I know that the Minister is very in tune, as we have had conversations about it before.”
“Off the back of the engagements that we have had with local communities and the business community — Christopher reflected on that — there are concerns about how phase 2 will operate and about its impact on businesses. Ensuring that there is a comprehensive traffic impact assessment to understand the impacts and bring in the appropriate mitigations is also a concern. As in phase 1, we argue for an appropriate financial mitigation package for those who would be affected by the proposed changes and for consideration of other ways of mitigating any negative impacts that may arise notwithstanding the positive impacts of a rapid transit system that we see playing out from phase 1. <BR /> <BR />It is also about making sure that there is improved and appropriate cycle infrastructure.”
“So, rather than waiting until, potentially, 2027, if there is an opportunity to add one or two stops to take Belfast Rapid Transit phase 2 into Carryduff, I ask the Minister to look favourably at the opportunities that that would present.”
“<BR /> <BR />We feel that the scheme needs to look at additional stops to take this scheme into Carryduff, which is an expanding neighbourhood. Over the past year or so, I have engaged with the Carryduff Regeneration Forum, many of the sporting organisations and, indeed, with residents. As officials said, there was some difficulty with the roundabout there, but stopping phase 2 at Cairnshill will cut off the opportunity and potential to connect with that expanding community. We see its definite growth in the number of people who now live there and the number of homes that are being built, and both will only increase in the time ahead.”
“Hopefully, I will take less time than that. I am speaking in my capacity as an MLA for the area, and I am also speaking on behalf of Sinn Féin, which has had engagement with the community and local businesses on the proposals that have been laid out. <BR /> <BR />As a party, Sinn Féin is committed to improved public transport, improved air quality, a reduction in emissions and a reduction in car dependency in the south of the city and, indeed, across society. We support phase 2 of the Belfast Rapid Transit system, and, indeed, the proposed route. That was in our response to the consultation. We welcome the enhanced access to Forestside shopping centre, Cairnshill car park and park-and-ride facilities and, of course, the extension to Queen's University because of the flow of people who go there.”
“Thanks to Chris for bringing this important issue to the House, and thanks to Nichola —”