Liz Kimmins
Newry and Armagh · Sinn Féin · Northern Ireland
“I do not know how it will have affected North Antrim specifically unless the Member is referring to something in particular. We all have a responsibility in climate change and what we do to try to mitigate its impacts.”
“As the Member rightly said, removal of the zero-detriment policy is for the AERA Minister, and I have engaged with the Minister on that, as well as on the removal of the statement of regulatory principles and intent. I recognise that removing that would have detrimental impact on future development.”
“In response, we recently developed and introduced new appraisal guidance, which represents a significant and deliberate shift in approach. Under the previous arrangements, schemes were largely determined by a monetised cost-benefit ratio threshold where, typically, projects that fell below a ratio of one did not progress.”
“A number of significant issues have led to that scenario. I assume that the Member is referring to waste water capacity. I have said that NI Water has suggested that it needs between £3·5 billion to £3·6 billion for the next price control period.”
“Recruitment is a key challenge faced by all Departments. In questions to the Minister of Health, my colleague from Newry and Armagh referred to the recruitment issue that recently impacted on Daisy Hill. The challenge is not unique to DFI. I want to put a focus on ensuring that we build our internal capacity and improve staffing levels.”
“The Executive and the Assembly agree that the Executive's Budget is not adequate, which is why we are in that negotiation. When it comes to the capital budget, we have to factor in a timeline for the legal challenge that we are going through. It is unlikely that we will get a decision from the court on this side of the summer recess.”
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“Last week, we learned that emergency general surgery is to be temporarily withdrawn from Daisy Hill Hospital in Newry at the end of February. That announcement inevitably caused widespread worry and anger across Newry and the surrounding area, as the community believes that it is another covert attempt to downgrade Daisy Hill. Let me be clear: Sinn Féin will resist any dilution of the services at Daisy Hill and remains focused on the retention of services and the upgrade and expansion of the hospital to enable it to reach its full potential. <BR /> <BR />While the trust is proposing this as a temporary measure, it represents a significant loss of important services at the hospital and is deeply concerning.”
“I thank the Minister for such a comprehensive answer. With the unprecedented pressures from the spiralling fuel costs that we are all seeing, the schemes that she mentioned are very welcome and important to support and assist people and families who are struggling at the minute with the cost-of-living crisis. On your last points, Minister, would you, therefore, agree that this cost-of-living crisis that we are all witnessing and experiencing is so significant that it is at a level where we need to see urgent action by the British Government?”
“I thank the Minister for her answer. It is disappointing to hear that there has been no response to date, particularly on something so important. We all know the importance of fully implementing the recommendations of the Gillen review. Minister, do you agree that the recommendations on relationships and sexuality education carry particular significance in preventing sexual abuse? Do you agree that it is important that engagement happens between you and the Education Minister on how they can be implemented at the earliest possible time?”
“I echo the comments of the previous Member in paying tribute to the staff. <BR /> <BR />Minister, probably one of the biggest issues that we as MLAs get on winter preparedness is around roads leading to schools that are not included on the gritting schedule. As examples in my constituency, I think of the Tullyah Road in Belleeks and Chapel Road in Meigh. Has the Minister considered adding important roads like those that lead to primary and secondary schools, particularly in rural areas, to the winter gritting schedule and looking at the policies around that?”
“I thank the Minister for his statement and for attending the Albert basin site in Newry with me last Friday. I welcome the announcement of his allocation of £16·3 million for the development of a city park in Newry, which will be an absolute game changer. Does he agree that this will be a huge asset to the community in Newry and will transform our community for generations to come?”
“Minister, you mentioned data collection, and you recently indicated that you are satisfied that data collection on metastatic cancer will be dealt with as part of the 10-year cancer strategy. However, many constituents have contacted me, citing best practice elsewhere. Are you prepared to reconsider your decision on joining the national metastatic breast cancer audit?”
“— and what we hear does not reflect that. Minister, will you therefore send a clear message to the future key workers in the health service that they are valued and worthy of proper support and investment by initiating such a review?”
“I thank the Minister for his answer. Minister, I am sure that you will agree that healthcare students have played a vital role in the battle against COVID. They have put themselves on the front line for little or no recognition or reward. If ever there was a time that was right for a review of the bursaries and financial support offered to students such as midwives, student nurses and medical students — all our healthcare students — it is now. Although you have listed the supports that are currently available, the experience of students —”
“Go raibh maith agat, a Cheann Comhairle. I thank the joint First Minister for her answer. Whilst it is welcome to see the work of the British-Irish Council progress, does the Minister agree that the public have a right to see similar work progress in the North/South Ministerial Council and that it is long past time that the DUP stopped denying them that right through its unlawful boycott of that all-Ireland institution?”
“Has the Commission considered using the time when the Assembly will not be sitting, prior to the next election, to ensure that our IT systems are fit for purpose?”
“I thank the Minister for his answer. We are all aware that the British Government have failed to replace adequately the EU funding that we lost owing to Brexit. In the context of the funding that has been made available, the Fiscal Council has concluded that local accountability and scrutiny could be diluted by the British Government's bypassing of the Executive in allocating funds. Does the Minister agree that that is yet another example of the British Government's disrespect for the democratic rights of the people who live here, in keeping with their reckless Brexit project that cost us the funding in the first place?”
“Like the Member who asked the original question, I have been dealing with scores and scores of people who have still not received their card. Just over a week out from the deadline, I hope that they receive it very soon. <BR /> <BR />Minister, one of the other issues about which there have been some concerns is that of people who applied for the card and received it but, for whatever reason, have not activated or used it. Can you provide some figures on the numbers of eligible people who have not applied for the card or who applied for and received it but have not activated it so far?”
“In closing, a lot of the points that I wanted to make have been covered, but I think we have a real opportunity here to ensure that we are supporting all bereaved parents, regardless of their length of service and regardless of when they lost their child, because the gravity of that loss remains the same. Therefore, I think that it is imperative that we do this properly so that no one is excluded.”
“<BR /> <BR />None of us can plan or prepare for bereavement and grief. The purpose of the Bill is to provide a compassionate legal framework. We must therefore do that comprehensively to ensure that no one is excluded during what is likely to be one of the most difficult times of their life. The added worry of financial insecurity following the loss of a child is something that no parent should have to contend with. I know that Ms Armstrong said that that does not even enter your mind, but we, as a devolved institution, should do all that we can to shape the legislation to ensure that no one has to worry about that and that further stress is not created at a later stage.”
“We fully support the Committee's amendment to make bereavement leave a day-1 right. We believe that it is wrong to try to make that leave available to workers only after they have served 26 weeks. It is essential that it is acknowledged that many workers in the North, particularly those on zero-hour contracts, may experience breaks in employment and irregular periods of service, through no fault of their own, and that implementing a qualification period would further marginalise and exclude so many of those types of workers. It is also important to acknowledge that women make up the highest proportion of workers in that type of work for a range of reasons, including having to take employment breaks for the care of other children. That would mean that many women would be excluded from an entitlement to bereavement leave.”
“I thank the Committee for tabling the amendment. The strength of feeling on the issue is evident around the Chamber. As others said, the loss of a child is a hugely traumatic experience for any parent. The massive impact that it has on someone who has suffered such a sad loss does not bear thinking about. Regardless of at what stage it happened, it has the same impact. I thank Kellie Armstrong for being so frank in her personal account of the loss that she has suffered on many occasions. <BR /> <BR />As my colleagues stated, we are fully supportive of the implementation of the Parental Bereavement (Leave and Pay) Bill. We believe that all parents should be supported and get compassionate leave from their employment to give them the necessary time to grieve, regardless of for how long they have been in that employment.”
“It is important that we gain a better insight into why active travel works so well on the continent and transfer that learning to any forthcoming green transport policy and active travel legislation.”
“That is in stark contrast to the findings of European studies on the same topic that have shown that approximately one-third of students cycle to and from school.”
“Current policies make that location ineligible for street lighting, despite the high numbers of pedestrians, particularly young people, who are going to and coming from the facilities every day. <BR /> <BR />It will contradict everything that we are discussing today if we do not take on board the important elements that need to be in place for all ages to take up active travel and to do so confidently. Encouraging uptake of active travel must be from the earliest stage possible, as it will require a cultural shift. That can be demonstrated by the findings of the young persons' behaviour and attitudes survey on travelling to and from school published in 2020. The survey indicated that only 3% of students in the North cycle to their school, despite living less than 3 km from it.”
“<BR /> <BR />Across my constituency of Newry and Armagh, there are many keen walking and cycling enthusiasts who are increasingly frustrated by the lack of appropriate active-travel infrastructure to enable them to utilise their preferred mode of transport. We need more footpaths and cycle lanes for proper connectivity to our town centres and key facilities, particularly in rural communities, which are severely lacking in both. I welcome the blue-green infrastructure fund, which has been very successful in helping to address that. <BR /> <BR />Street lighting is also an important factor. As the Minister will know, one example that I raised recently was in relation to the Bog Road in Forkhill, which is the main connecting route between Peadar Ó'Dornín's GAA club and Forkhill Community Centre.”
“Safety for pedestrians and cyclists must be paramount, and we must not just pay lip service to that well-known fact. Just last week, we saw World Day of Remembrance for Road Victims, which acts as a significant reminder of the very high number of people, including many pedestrians and cyclists, who have, sadly, lost their lives on our roads. Although that is not always directly linked to the infrastructure, it is imperative that better and safer infrastructure is in place to reduce the number of people who are seriously injured or killed on our roads and encourage and enable more people to take up active travel.”
“Those people will have no choice but to travel to and from the airport by car due to the lack of capacity in the current service. If we are serious about decarbonising the road transport system, we need to show greater efficiency and effectiveness in the current service provision and ensure that there are no unnecessary gaps in the public transport system. <BR /> <BR />Similarly, active travel must play a key role in any forthcoming green transport policy. We are acutely aware of the huge benefits that walking and cycling bring to the health and well-being of society on an individual basis and environmentally. Although many people are keen to engage in more active travel, there are simply too many barriers to prevent them from doing so.”
“That results in many having no choice but to rely on their car and, subsequently, contributing to the challenging situation in which we find ourselves as regards emissions and the climate crisis. There needs to be an overhaul of our bus and rail network by cutting journey times and increasing services. That should include improving the Belfast to Dublin rail service, which is used by many commuters and could be used by more if it was more frequent. Similarly, we must see the urgent reinstatement of the hourly stop in Newry by the Belfast to Dublin bus services, which is an important route for people who travel to and from Dublin Airport. That has been a huge loss, particularly as we approach the Christmas period, when many people will be returning home to Ireland for the first time in two years to be with their families and friends.”
“It is inevitable that we must transform the way that we travel and work towards cleaner and greener transport, but to do that we need to have the adequate infrastructure in place. One key way of moving towards reducing emissions is to ensure that we have a high-quality public transport system in place and encourage more people to use public transport as part of their daily lives by improving accessibility to it, thereby reducing reliance on the private car. <BR /> <BR />My constituency has a vast rural area, and one of the main barriers to using public transport for people who live in rural communities is the lack of connectivity to the nearby towns and cities.”
“I support the motion, as Sinn Féin's spokesperson on transport. I pay tribute, as others have, to the departmental officials and the research team who put a tremendous amount of work into this important report. The report is very timely as we have just had COP26. It is clear to all that the climate crisis is no longer in the distant future: it is upon us and it must be tackled imminently. Failure to do so will harm our communities and the future generations, and we all have a part to play. <BR /> <BR />As others have said, our most common methods of transport account for 23% of emissions in the North. Those emissions are linked to a range of medical conditions, and there is no doubt that air pollution is a serious public health issue.”
“My party now calls on the Irish Government to recognise the state of Palestine and use their influence on the UN Security Council to demand the enforcement of international law and the full implementation of the international resolutions that Israel continues to flout. Those are tangible steps, but, as the fight against apartheid in South Africa showed, every show of international solidarity is important. <BR /> <BR />We send this clear message to the Palestinian people: we stand four-square with you in your long struggle for peace and justice in your homeland.”
“Today marks International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People. It is important that the international community takes the opportunity to show support for the hopes and aspirations of the Palestinian people to live in peace and freedom. <BR /> <BR />Palestinian people continue to live under a brutal Israeli occupation that ignores international law, lays siege to Gaza and practises routine repression in the West Bank. If international laws are to mean anything, the international community must stand up against that illegal aggression. That is why I am proud that Sinn Féin successfully passed an historic motion in Leinster House that resulted in the Irish Government becoming the first Administration in Europe to recognise that a de facto annexation has taken place in Palestine.”
“However, it is a limited resource, and, if anything, it identifies the crucial need for better connectivity to our hospitals, which requires significant investment and longer-term planning. <BR /> <BR />The Bill presents a real opportunity to support our health and social care staff in hospitals, making them feel valued, and to support patients and families during some of the most difficult times of their lives. I encourage all Members to support the Bill throughout each stage.”
“Having to worry about the financial implications of being sick should not be a factor for anyone. <BR /> <BR />Another issue in my area is car parking outside hospitals, which impacts on local residents as staff, patients and families have to park in nearby residential areas because they simply cannot pay the costs incurred in the car parks. We also need to take the impact on nearby local communities into account. <BR /> <BR />It would be remiss of me not to mention the fantastic home to hospital service provided by Bolster Community in Newry. It is a volunteer-led service that brings patients from rural areas across Slieve Gullion and the Mournes to hospital appointments because of the barriers faced in accessing hospital care from rural areas. I know at first hand of the huge benefits of this service.”
“Patients who travel for cancer treatment, dialysis or other regular medical treatments, or their families who assist them and provide much-needed support during their illness, should not have to pay for car parking. <BR /> <BR />Like many in the House, I have close family members who, unfortunately, have had to go through extensive cancer treatments, spending months on end visiting hospitals and in hospital, which has a massive impact on household income for the patient and, in many cases, their spouse, who has to take a lot of time off work while faced with additional car parking costs every day over long periods. At a stressful and anxious time for many patients and their families, we should do all that we can to alleviate additional pressures.”
“In an ideal world, as many have said, public transport networks would enable the majority of staff, patients and families to travel to and from hospitals with ease. However, that is not the reality. Our infrastructure is not adequate, and many people have no option but to travel by private car. Daisy Hill Hospital in my constituency of Newry and Armagh serves a significant rural area across south Armagh, south Down and, indeed, serves cross-border patients and workers from nearby Louth and Monaghan. The vast majority of patients and staff travelling from those rural communities will have no choice but to do so by private car and are essentially penalised for doing so. Workers who are working long shifts saving lives and providing essential care for us and our loved ones should not be faced with additional costs.”
“By the same token, patients and their families, particularly those who have to make frequent visits to hospital, are faced with huge parking costs, which mount when accessing that hospital care. <BR /> <BR />I know that some Members have expressed concerns about the cost of removing car parking charges at hospitals, but the reality is that it is an unnecessary tax on healthcare workers and a disincentive for recruiting and retaining staff. Putting money back into the pockets of our workers will go some way to make staff feel valued and encourage them to want to work in our health service.”
“I thank my colleague Aisling Reilly for bringing forward this important Bill today, and I commend her for her work on it. I also commend Fra McCann for his work on it previously. <BR /> <BR />As others have said, every Member has publicly commended, and rightly so, the fantastic health and social care staff we have working across the North in our health service, yet many of those staff are having to pay a fee in the form of car park charges to enable them to carry out the invaluable roles of caring for patients and saving lives in our hospitals. As others have pointed out, we would be having a very different conversation if we were talking about the implementation of charges on car parks outside this Building.”
“I thank the Minister for her answer, but the document that the Minister referred to is over a decade old, so, unfortunately, a lot of it is outdated. A recent survey by the Newry BID showed that the parking situation in Newry is a major deterrent to people coming to Newry. With that having been said, I ask the Minister to listen to those local businesses and review her decision not to implement the on-street parking trial as a pilot, to try to support businesses going forward.”
“I would be grateful if the Minister could elaborate on what that would mean in practice and how it differs from the written notice at the investigative stage. Would there be any opportunities to provide that at a pre-court stage?”
“I thank the Minister for her statement. Minister, the statement references the potential for the court to give:”
“I thank the Minister for his response. Does he agree that the British Government's refusal to cut VAT on energy bills as part of the spending review represents another attack on hard-pressed workers and families who are already struggling in the face of a cost of living crisis?”
“I thank the Minister for her statement. Minister, it is vital that we electrify our vehicles, but we also need to promote walking and cycling and to build the essential infrastructure that will enable people to safely take up active travel. That is certainly an issue in my constituency, particularly in Newry, where there are many keen cyclists but, unfortunately, the infrastructure is very poor. Have you had any discussions with your Welsh colleagues about active travel legislation, which they already have in place? Do you have any plans to introduce similar legislation in the North to try to put walking and cycling at the heart of our transport strategy?”
“I thank the Minister for his statement. I also welcome his comments on reopening Newry canal, as, last night, Newry, Mourne and Down District Council agreed to open up conversations with Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council (ABC) on the matter, as it has responsibility for the canal. I look forward to that conversation. <BR /> <BR />Only six concrete actions are mentioned in the statement. Will you outline when we will see the rest of the actions?”
“I thank the joint Minister for her update on the victims' payments scheme. Does the Minister agree that the British Government are not only reneging on their responsibilities for that scheme but continuing to renege on their responsibilities in regard to a legacy process for victims?”
“No, I will not. <BR /> <BR />— where there is no accountability, innocent people are the ones who suffer most.”
“Statutorily barring the Police Ombudsman from investigating conflict-related incidents would only bring an immediate end to criminal investigations and the prospect of prosecutions. If that was allowed to happen, it would be a disgraceful affront to all the families who have been bereaved by the conflict. <BR /> <BR />I ask Members to join me in rejecting the motion on the basis that it attacks the whole idea of accountable policing. We know from our history that —”
“The British Government bestowed that role on it as part of a package of measures in response to a number of adverse findings by the European Court of Human Rights that the British Government were in breach of their obligations, under article 2, to provide an effective investigation into certain conflict-related deaths from 2001 onwards.”
“<BR /> <BR />Yet, as we have seen recently, the DUP is not happy when it does not get the results that it wants and will do what it can to attack, undermine and dismantle the credibility of those delivering the findings. Throwing the toys out of the pram when you do not get what you want is not an approach that will help to build confidence or trust in the police service. However, letting the Office of the Police Ombudsman do its job will reassure the public that there is a mechanism that they can access if they feel that they have not been properly treated and will help us move forward from the legacy of the past. <BR /> <BR />It is important to remember that the Office of the Police Ombudsman was not established to deal with historical investigations, as others have said.”
“I will speak in opposition to the motion. I declare an interest as a member of the Policing Board. <BR /> <BR />The motion is purely an attempt to undermine the independent role of the Office of the Police Ombudsman in holding the police to account. It is important that there is independent oversight of policing in the same way as oversight is carried out of a range of other public-sector bodies, including those in health and social care and education and the Housing Executive. Oversight ensures that we can have public confidence in those bodies, and that there is an accountability mechanism to deal with poor practice and concerns relating to any public-facing service.”
“I thank the Minister for his answer. He will be aware — it will come as no surprise that I am raising it — of the proposal for the city park in Newry. It is a key priority for the vital regeneration of Newry city. Whilst it is heartening to hear that Newry, Mourne and Down District Council has submitted a bid for the project to the Department's complementary fund, I am keen to hear, based on the Minister's engagements with the Shared Island unit, what scope he sees for the Shared Island Fund to finance the park.”
“I thank the Member for giving way. The Member's lack of self-awareness exasperates me when I listen to his contribution. Does the Member agree that harassment can be interpreted in many ways and that, for someone who has made that very difficult decision — one that they have probably deliberated on for days and nights for weeks and have not slept — that poster that he talks about may be interpreted as harassment, because it infringes their right to make a decision about their own body and to come to a conclusion that is not easy for any woman, something that he probably cannot have an understanding of? Does the Member agree?”
“Accessing healthcare should be a private matter, and no one — absolutely no one — has the right to interfere in someone else's life like this, regardless of their opinion or view. <BR /> <BR />Before I finish, I pay tribute to a small group of women in Newry who came together in light of the widespread public outrage on how women were and still are being treated at these sites and formed Supporting Women Newry. Week in, week out, whatever the weather, they stand in solidarity with women and families in Newry to try to make their experiences less traumatic as they access healthcare. <BR /> <BR />I thank Ms Bailey for bringing this important Bill to the House. I ask Members to put aside their personal views, take a humanitarian approach when considering what we are debating, and support the Bill for safe access zones for women.”
“I vividly recall a mother who contacted me in desperation — that is the only way in which I can describe it — because she wanted to have protesters removed from the gates of Daisy Hill Hospital in Newry. She highlighted just how difficult it was for her adult son, who suffers from severe mental health problems. He was traumatised each time that he attended his mental health appointments. She explicitly described the fear that she felt as a mother who had already lost one son to suicide due to the mental health issues that he faced. She stressed that she needed her remaining son to be able to access the help that he required free from distress so that she would not have to bury another child.”
“No one should be made to feel like that, not least in their place of work. <BR /> <BR />It is also important, as we talk in the context of COVID, to remember how many women, in particular, attended appointments alone due to the restrictions that were in place. Whether they were accessing abortion services, maternity services, counselling following a stillbirth or miscarriage, or any other healthcare service, doing so alone meant that the anxiety of all those people was heightened. In my area, they had the added stress of coming into contact with protesters who threw holy water at them; prayed for their sins, as they see them, over a loudspeaker; displayed disturbing images; and obstructed their path. That is traumatic, and it is totally unacceptable.”