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 43 of 52.
“As I pointed out, the majority of those who applied to the scheme — there have been over 15,000 applications — have been successful. That said, I need to look at the plight of those who have not been successful and, through no fault of their own, find themselves in such a situation. <BR /> <BR />As part of the review, it is important that we reach out to those individuals and talk not just to those who have had a good experience of the system but to those who have had a negative experience. I think that there is an issue. We have a team of dedicated staff who live in the communities and who provide that service. I have seen them really stretching themselves, particularly throughout the pandemic, to go above and beyond.”
“That is why I am doing the review. <BR /> <BR />I have not looked at your suggestion for an overarching group. I have ongoing engagements with Ministers on certain schemes across the Executive. We are looking at the pathway not just to an economic recovery but to a social recovery. We will continue having those cross-departmental discussions across the Executive in order to learn from the impact that the pandemic has had on poverty and how it has exacerbated the problems that are already there. We need to work in a more collaborative, joined-up way on the solutions, and that is something that I am committed to doing in the time ahead.”
“Over 80% of applications for the discretionary support scheme have been successful. We still need to do work on the 20%. I am keen to engage with the Executive where I can in order to look at additional support and to learn from things that have not worked in the past. That is why I have instructed that there be a review of discretionary support. I want that to be independent in some ways, and I am involving people from outside the system in that review in order to ensure that there is independence, scrutiny and accountability. Importantly, in keeping with a co-design policy, which I gave a commitment to, and in embedding a rights-based approach, I want to involve those on the ground who have been impacted by the supports in either a positive or a negative way in order to ensure that we meet their needs going forward.”
“In phase 1, 1,646 applications were received and 129 were unsuccessful. Social enterprise support was also provided through funding of £9·25 million. There were 394 applications to that scheme, and 79 were unsuccessful. Information is not yet available for the other schemes that my Department put in place, such as the community, voluntary and social enterprise sector PPE scheme and the culture resilience scheme, as they are still being processed and applications are being given out at the moment. Again, I am happy to share that information once it is available.”
“My Department acted swiftly to put in place a range of programmes and schemes to support individuals and organisations who have been impacted by the COVID pandemic. In order to support individuals, a fund of £3 million was made available through the discretionary support self-isolation grant, and, as of 31 December 2020, 19,975 claims have been processed, of which 3,883 were unsuccessful. <BR /> <BR />For sporting organisations, a fund of £27 million was made available through three schemes. For two schemes, a total of 2,808 applications were received, of which 526 were unsuccessful. The third scheme is still being processed, so we do not have those figures yet. <BR /> <BR />For charitable organisations, funding of £20·5 million was made available through the charitable grants scheme.”
“I want to make sure that I open up the help that I can give to people in as quick a manner as possible and make the process as easy as possible to go through. That is why it is important, as part of the review, that I engage with professionals who have expertise in this and that I engage with those who have been through the system and may have had a negative experience of discretionary support. We can learn from that experience how we can improve customer service and streamline the service to ensure that it meets the need. We will look at all that. As I said, I have increased the income threshold. That was about trying to get as many low-income families into it as possible. All that will be part of the review, going forward.”
“One of the big issues is that, when we compare the payment with what is happening in England, we see that it is not a straight scheme in how it is implemented across the water, as, I am sure, the Member will appreciate, in that it can be taxed. I want to build as much flexibility into discretionary support as I can to make sure that people get the assistance that they need. Whilst it is not a one-off £500 payment, discretionary support here is a grant, not a loan. You can apply more than once. That is what is important: someone can apply multiple times if they or a member of their household is self-isolating as a result of COVID. <BR /> <BR />Part of the review of discretionary support will be to see whether I can build other flexibilities into the scheme. It is not about stopping people trying to access help.”
“Part of the review will be talking directly to people who have been through the process to see whether we can make changes to the application itself, as the Member mentioned, whether it can be more streamlined and whether there are quicker ways or extra supports that we can build in to ensure that we get all the information that we need and that people get the support that they need as soon as possible. As I work through that review and meet DWP, I will update Members on the conclusions of those.”
“I am obviously keen; that is why I have written to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) about statutory sick pay overall. Changes need to be made. Any uplift to statutory sick pay will have financial implications. I believe that it has to be forthcoming from the Department for Work and Pensions, because there will be a knock-on effect for employers' contributions. Again, we have to look at all that in the round. <BR /> <BR />The important thing for me is to get support to people who need it as quickly as possible. I will put that strongly to DWP in the meeting that is due to take place in the next couple of weeks. I am also committed to reassessing measures that I already have in place in the Department to ensure that we make it as easy as possible for people in a time of crisis to access that support as quickly as possible.”
“I thank the Member for his question. Again, as I said, in the midst of the pandemic, a lot of issues opened up with regard to how the system functioned and the changes that needed to be made. Changes were made quickly to discretionary support to make it more flexible for people. The application form was shortened. We put it online to ensure that people could also access it that way. It continues to be improved. <BR /> <BR />Obviously, I will conduct a review of discretionary support, which is bounded by legislation. That may mean legislative change in the time ahead. However, I am keen to ensure that existing mechanisms are made more flexible to ensure that people who need support can get it as quickly as possible.”
“There have been other supports, such as funding support to councils to assist them with services and loss of income, and, as you will have seen, over £42 million has been invested in making additional COVID heating payments to over 220,000 individuals in groups that were seen as being at high risk. <BR /> <BR />I continue to review all the measures that we are trying to implement, including discretionary support, which is unique to the North, to see how we can make all the schemes more flexible and to ensure that they reach as many people as possible.”
“Overall, the Department and its staff have really stepped up at the height of the pandemic. I take the opportunity to commend the staff of the Department for Communities. They really want to get support out the door and on to the ground as soon as possible. Over the past year, we have invested over £304 million in support right into the heart of communities and neighbourhoods. We have increased the income threshold for discretionary support. That was one of the first measures introduced last year. We also introduced the self-isolation payment, broadening it to make it a grant, and we increased people's awareness of how to draw it down. We introduced food supports in the immediate aftermath of the onset of the COVID pandemic, when people were being instructed to stay at home.”
“I am keeping all of that under review to see how we can improve those systems. I will update the Member in due course.”
“Discussions are ongoing, and I have a meeting due soon. I have a request in with the Minister for the Economy to look as this and other issues on which both Departments need to work together. We need to look at statutory sick pay but also at, for example, labour market interventions. I will update Members when we progress those discussions. <BR /> <BR />The issue of statutory sick pay needs to be looked at. The pandemic has really highlighted the fundamentals and the faults in the system. We need to find ways of addressing those to ensure that people are not having to choose going to work over their health because they do not have the finances to sustain themselves. <BR /> <BR />As I said, I have introduced new measures, within the existing legislative constraints, around discretionary support.”
“Unfortunately, I have only recently received a reply from Justin Tomlinson MP, the Minister for Disabled People, Health and Work. I plan to meet him in the coming weeks to request that urgent consideration be given to increasing statutory sick pay. <BR /> <BR />I should also highlight the fact that I responded quickly to provide financial support to those who have to self-isolate by including additional support through the discretionary support COVID-19 self-isolation grant. That payment is designed to assist with short-term living expenses, where a person or a member of a person's immediate family has been infected by COVID-19 or has been advised to self-isolate in accordance with the latest guidance from the Public Health Agency (PHA). <BR /> <BR />Once I have met Justin Tomlinson, I will update Members as soon as possible.”
“I recognise that anyone moving from a salary to the current rate of statutory sick pay faces a substantial drop in income and financial uncertainty. Increasing the rate of statutory sick pay could go some way to encouraging people to comply fully with the requirement to remain at home and protect the health service. <BR /> <BR />Last March, I wrote to Thérèse Coffey, the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, to request that urgent consideration be given to increasing the rate of statutory sick pay and to ensuring that individuals are properly financially supported during the pandemic. That would ensure that those who are self-isolating do not continue working, thereby potentially endangering their health and the health of others and further spreading the virus.”
“I thank the Member for his question. Statutory sick pay is an important tool in helping people to adhere to the current advice to stay at home if they have symptoms of COVID-19 or have been advised to self-isolate. However, as, I am sure, the Member will appreciate, those guidelines are easier to comply with if you know that your income is enough to support your family.”
“The draft Budget is that at the moment — a draft. Concerns have been highlighted through the equality impact assessment (EQIA) that are more to do with the revenue side of the Budget than the capital side. I am assessing those and taking into account the consultation on the draft Budget. I will then come forward with my budget and priorities for the time ahead. I will update Members on the particulars of the capital and revenue sides once we get to that point.”
“I commit to taking that work forward once the conversations with the council and DFI are concluded. I will update Members accordingly.”
“All those strands of work are important parts of Belfast City Council's 'Bolder Vision' for Belfast. In working with the Department for Infrastructure and Belfast City Council, I commit to taking a strategic, longer-term view of the entire space of the shatter zone, the undeveloped sites that sit there and the roadway and public realm works that need to be done. <BR /> <BR />I know that Belfast City Council's vision is to overcome severance from surrounding communities, which has been a long-standing issue; indeed, when those communities were consulted, one of the key issues raised was feeling locked out of the city centre. I commit to removing that severance and restitching those communities into the city centre and its streetscape. Public realm road infrastructure is a key part of that.”
“There is a commitment that there should be no undue delay with the programme. It will move forward with other key strategic sites along the shatter zone, as we try to move those sites forward for development as soon as possible. <BR /> <BR />I do not have information about the other scheme that the Member mentioned to hand. I can follow up with a written response about when the scheme is to start.”
“The conversations with the Department for Infrastructure and Belfast City Council are ongoing and are moving as quickly as possible. Belfast City Council has developed its 'Bolder Vision' for Belfast, and part of that vision is overcoming severance from surrounding communities. The Member will know that Belfast city centre is surrounded by inner-city working-class communities. There is other ongoing work on the shatter zone that runs along Peter's Hill from Carrick Hill to New Lodge to the bottom of Divis Street. Therefore, the council is taking an overarching view of the essential road work that needs to be done, and measures by the Department for Infrastructure will be a key part of that. We are trying to move at pace, and I will update Members as soon as that work has been completed.”
“I thank the Member for his question. The Shankill gateway public realm scheme received full planning permission in July 2020. However, Belfast City Council has since raised a number of considerations about the omission of a redesign of the Peter’s Hill/North Street junction from the planning approval. My Department has engaged with the Department for Infrastructure and Belfast City Council through a joint junctions working group to review the Peter’s Hill/North Street junction and develop designs to improve that connection to the city centre. When the final designs are agreed and a revised planning approval obtained, if necessary, my Department will consider the budget position against other priorities.”
“I want to get as much support and payments out to people as I can, particularly during the pandemic. The gap has been recognised, and I thank the Members who highlighted it. We are trying to work with DWP and key stakeholders to find ways of making that payment. About 800 people are entitled to that benefit, and we are trying to find a way to pay it as soon as possible. Once we have clarity, we will bring it back to the Committee. However, there is a definite commitment to address the issue.”
“I am glad that the Committee has agreed that the corresponding benefits should be picked up. The issue was raised by Andy and others in the Committee, and I recognise that. The system is in place to work with the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to release the payment as soon as possible. I am proactively looking at how we close the gap with the corresponding benefit and whether any other corresponding benefits have been missed.”
“This is a live issue at the moment. Carál was Minister when it came forward. She recognised that fuel poverty was a growing issue during the pandemic, and her main motivation was to get additional support to people who needed it.”
“Racism cannot be tolerated, and it has to be faced down. One of the things that members of the association and the wider community want to see more of is visible support out on the ground when incidents like this happen. That needs to be the case when racism or sectarianism raises its ugly head. I will continue to support the association through the Department where I can. I will obviously look at the wider community and what else can be done. The big thing is to ensure that we get the organisation back into its existing building as soon as possible. I am committed to that.”
“Obviously there are issues pertaining to the Executive Office in terms of race relations, and to the Department of Justice around security, protection and concerns that the association has raised. I will be engaging proactively with Ministers in the coming days and weeks on that as well.”
“Other voluntary associations have come forward to the Department offering support and buildings that they can get on a temporary basis. We are working through the food programme that the Department supports with Belfast City Council, in this instance, so that we can get food to those families as soon as possible. <BR /> <BR />In the longer term, we hope to get the organisation back into the building. That is one of the big things. There is support from the Assembly and others; we want the building opened again, with the association back in it and delivering more services than it does at present. There is an aspiration and an ambition in the project to do that. I will engage with the association on a regular basis.”
“It is not just pertaining to now; there has been a building of events and there have been previous attacks. There is concern, anger and frustration amongst the members of the association and minority ethnic communities generally. Were all the protections put in place, or were there gaps? <BR /> <BR />Officials in my Department are working with Belfast City Council on this. The first intervention is to ensure that there is temporary accommodation, because association members deliver essential food and other support to communities and families in need. At the weekend, they operated that from their homes, but that is not sustainable, so we are looking at other locations. Last night, Belfast City Council offered the use of the Waterfront Hall.”
“Thank you for the question. Obviously, I was devastated by the news that came through last week of the fire that took place. It was not just that a beautiful historic building was destroyed, but that the Belfast Multicultural Association was doing vital work in the midst of the pandemic. I attended the scene on Friday and spoke to members of the association to give my support and ask what I could do. There was fear at that point, because we did not know what was going on. The police had not confirmed that it was a hate crime; that news came through later in the evening. Over the weekend, I liaised with members of the association, and I held a Zoom meeting yesterday with the association and affiliated groups. With this attack, fears have risen in the community.”
“For example, a club with a bar in one room may be paying more in rates than a hotel. That will cause a huge disparity and an imbalance. We want to see whether, in this financial year, there is anything else that we can be doing. I cannot amend the existing sports scheme, because it is live for applications. My officials and DOF officials are working proactively at the moment to see whether we can find a solution and a way forward to meet the needs not only of clubs that are affiliated to sports but of social clubs more widely.”
“There are specific capacity challenges around doing that, because none of the organisations could have foreseen the pandemic. The situation is under constant review, and I am looking at it at the moment. We will know more after close of play tomorrow. <BR /> <BR />I am not sure whether the Member was here for it, but the other issue that I covered is that there is a gap where social clubs are linked to sporting organisations. Indeed, there is a gap for social clubs more broadly. In some of the engagement that I have had around the rates scheme, some people have told me that there is a huge disparity as a result of rates being based on the building in which the club is situated. In some clubs, drinking takes place in one room yet the rateable value is based on the entire site.”
“I thank the Member. We are keeping all those issues, be they sports-, culture- or arts-related, under review and are looking at the initial community COVID response. There is a capacity issue with getting the money out in the time in which we need to spend it. The process is live, and the closing date is tomorrow. At close of play tomorrow, we will know how many applications are in. Over the coming weeks, we will know what the budget for the fund is going to look like. I have been engaging with DOF, Sport NI and others on whether there are additional pressures and what those might look like in monetary terms in order to allow us to make a bid. <BR /> <BR />The important thing is to get certainty from arm's-length bodies that, if the money is there, we are able to ensure that it can be spent in time.”
“I want to continue to engage with Sport NI and with the sports organisations and codes to see whether, if the fund is oversubscribed, there are other things that we can do. Applications are live at the moment, but the closing date is tomorrow, so I encourage organisations and, indeed, Members here to get applications in before close of play tomorrow.”
“The fund was launched just before Christmas, and COVID response money was committed. As the Member said, it is open to applications at the moment, and I encourage any sports organisation to apply to the fund, which is closing tomorrow. We hope to do an assessment and have a quick turnaround of applications to see what the demand is. Mr Givan mentioned social entities and the impact that the loss of alcohol sales has on some sports. Some of those areas can be picked up through the existing fund if it can be proved that the lost income has had an impact on the sport itself. I am working with DOF to look at what other measures we can put in place. <BR /> <BR />We know that there will be a huge demand for funding. That was the case when we released the initial hardship fund of £2 million.”
“There are unique challenges for rural communities, particularly in accessing or maintaining homes, and I have asked staff to look at that in more detail. Again, I can engage with the Member on those specific areas. <BR /> <BR />I want to ensure that we have a more ambitious social housing building programme in order to build infrastructure and capacity. That is part of the housing transformation and revitalisation piece that was mentioned in Carál's November statement, and I will update Members as we move through that. If the Member has any specific issues or queries, we can follow them up afterwards.”
“The social housing development programme is in the public domain and looks at where the housing need exists. There are big pressures, particularly in areas of the highest housing need, and we are not building enough homes in those areas. I know that Carál wanted to look at that when she was in post, and I raised the issue when I came into the Department last year. <BR /> <BR />There is a programme. I can forward to the Member the specific details of the proposals and where the homes will be ready in this financial year, but we are looking at how we can potentially ring-fence or focus on areas of the greatest housing need. I am also committed to rural proofing the strategy and identifying where there are disparities.”
“<BR /> <BR />The draft Budget is out for consultation and has to come back to the Executive to be signed off. Once I know the definite figure for the borrowing and the overall budget allocation for the Department, I can give more clarity.”
“We have made a bid under reinvestment and reform initiative (RRI) borrowing for our overall capital programme, of which housing is a part. We want to bring forward a housing programme of just over 1,900 homes for the incoming financial year. That will be the biggest housing programme in recent years. In the longer term, I want to build capacity. We need to build more social homes. <BR /> <BR />In the first six months of the pandemic, 2,000 additional people presented with housing stress. It would normally take two years to reach those kinds of figures, and the pandemic has definitely increased the pressures. I want to look at ways in which I can not only increase the social housing build programme but put more investment into co-ownership and other types of housing choices.”
“Indeed, I am sure that members of the expert panel, who are embedded in that work regularly, will also be thinking about those issues so that lessons can be learned, and we do not lose anything from the strategies that are coming forward. There is a commitment to complete that work and present it by December.”
“As I touched on earlier, the expert panel that has been established for the child poverty strategy is considering whether it needs to be a stand-alone policy or can be knitted into the wider anti-poverty strategy. We are looking at those issues, and I will update the Committee and Members as the expert panels that are looking at those two important strategies come forward with their work. We also want to continue to engage the sector because lessons have been learned, even as a result of the pandemic. One of those is about the impact of the pandemic on women and children. We want to look at using gender lenses and to gender proof all the strategies. <BR /> <BR />I am keen to engage and will engage with some of the key sectors. I will also look at some of the lessons from the pandemic and at how they feed into the poverty strategy work.”
“Yes, I covered that in an earlier answer; I am not sure whether the Member was in the Chamber. There is a commitment to have a draft paper ready for December, and there were delays at the start of last year due to the pandemic. On the social strategies — the child poverty and anti-poverty strategies — we have engaged a group of academics and experts who are trying to bring together all the information and data. We are engaging in a co-design panel with people who represent and have a voice in dealing with those issues. We will bring forward recommendations for the next stages of the policy by December, subject to Executive approval.”
“<BR /> <BR />I recognise that children living in poverty are subject to poorer outcomes in education, health and other opportunities, and I want to look at how we can close those gaps to allow children to prosper and participate fully in society. There are few things more important than the well-being of children and young people, and, as part of the review of welfare mitigations on the two-child policy that are being considered, I want to bring forward the new proposals as soon as possible.”
“<BR /> <BR />I am committed to the principles of co-design and the desire to embed human rights in all that the Department does, and that will be an integral part in the development of any new mitigation measures. It is therefore planned to include representatives of the independent advice sector and other groups that have an interest in social security at all stages. <BR /> <BR />We know that, on 6 April 2017, the British Government introduced a limit on support for a maximum of two children. Families are not able to claim a child element for a third or subsequent child born on or after 6 April 2017. There are a number of exceptions to the two-child limit.”
“Thanks very much for the question. The New Decade, New Approach deal committed to a review of future welfare mitigation measures. I am finalising proposals for the review, and I plan to make a formal announcement on how it will be taken forward in due course. Details of the review will be shared with the Committee for Communities at the earliest opportunity, and members will be afforded the chance to present their views on the proposal. I am not yet in a position to provide the specific details on the issues that will be covered in the review; however, I can confirm that mitigation of the two-child policy will be considered. That is part of the considerations. The overarching purpose will be to identify the need to develop a prioritised mitigation package that will be costed and assessed for affordability.”
“<BR /> <BR />I am told that the difficulty with the existing scheme at the finance end is with the rate and the rateable value. If some of those organisations were to be paid on the basis of their rateable value, although they may operate only a room, they would be paid more than some of our hotels. Obviously, there is a disparity that we need to address, but I am conscious that there is a gap and that we need to find a way as urgently as possible to meet the need and fill that gap. We can update Members as we progress in those discussions, and that will come to a conclusion over the next week or so because, obviously, we need something in place before the end of this financial year to support those sports clubs and, indeed, social clubs.”
“In reference to this scheme, you pointed to the Department of Finance, and we have raised the matter with it. Officials from both Departments are looking at this to see what additional scheme can be put in place. I cannot amend the existing sports scheme because it is a live application process. We are now working collectively and urgently. We had a meeting at the end of last week, and we will re-engage this week to see whether we can look at an additional measure to meet the need that is being expressed by Members. <BR />It is a concern for people. There is a concern that their profit should not go into private pockets but should go to meet a broader social need in how they reinvest it. We are looking to see whether a scheme can be created, and, again, we will keep Members updated on where that sits.”
“I thank the Member for his question. That matter has also been raised in my constituency. I know that it not only relates to social premises in sporting clubs but includes social clubs as well. There are limitations. I have given support to sport through the grants that have been made available. Where there is lost income from the social club end that benefits the sport, that can be picked up under that sports programme. The closing date for that is tomorrow, so I encourage all Members who have sports organisations in their constituency to ensure that they put in for that grant. <BR /> <BR />Last year, during the first lockdown, sports clubs and social clubs were impacted, and I wrote to the Minister for the Economy about schemes in that Department.”
“There will be training and support. We are working with psychology experts in the Department on the barriers and limitations for the young people. They will be assigned support from the Department to work with them to ensure that they are job-ready and to prepare them for the transition into a six-month placement. We will work with them through designated work coaches who deal specifically with young people on the issues and barriers pertaining to young people. <BR /> <BR />There will be opportunities for young people to be employed for a minimum of 25 hours per week for six months. Training will be assigned to meet the young person's individual needs as they work through the initial application stage.”