Martin McGuinness
Mid Ulster · Sinn Féin · Northern Ireland
“It was noted that full sectoral audits had been carried out by Departments of the Executive and the Irish Government to identify impacts, risks, opportunities and contingencies that may arise following the UK's intended withdrawal from the EU.”
“<BR /> <BR />We welcome the establishment by Minister Heather Humphreys and Minister Chris Hazzard of an Ulster canal advisory forum, which met for the first time on 23 September 2016.”
“That is something that has never been previously asked. It is interesting that the Member has chosen to call for that. From our perspective, we will have a discussion.”
“We also have 220 people now employed at that centre. They are people of the highest specialisms imaginable in medicine. The dedication that they have to that centre is absolutely amazing.”
“The big decision that was taken by both Administrations at the North/South Ministerial Council meeting — by the Executive Office, the Department of the Taoiseach and the Department of Foreign Affairs — was to put a high-level working group of civil servants in place to deal with the challenges that clearly lie ahead.”
“<BR /> <BR />The oversight board led by Dick Spring and the interdepartmental group set up in both jurisdictions have worked hard to get us to this stage, and I can give assurances that our Executive will continue to give their support to ensure that we deliver the best bid possible.”
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“The participation of the unionist, loyalist, nationalist and republican communities in those initiatives, and in continuing to build on them, is very important because peace is crucial. We know that, even in that city, there are still people hell-bent on dragging us back to the past. Our message to them is that they will not drag us back to the past; we are going to go forward. One way that we can continue to undermine the activities of those who wish to drag us back to the past is to continue to make politics work and to continue to deliver for everybody in the city, no matter what their religious of political allegiances may be.”
“The Member is correct. What is important, as we go forward against the backdrop of what is a very encouraging initiative in which Ministers are participating whole-heartedly, is that, if we can unite everybody in the city behind what the priorities are and how we deliver them, good work will be done. What we do not need to see are divided opinions in the city about how we go forward, particularly on Magee. We need a single vision and a determination to deliver that vision to ensure that it benefits the regeneration of the city. <BR /> <BR />As we know, the city has come on tremendously in recent years in the way in which everybody in the community has come together, for example, for the City of Culture.”
“Of course, we also discussed the decision to relocate the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development to the west of the Bann. All of that clearly shows that all Ministers and our Executive are very clearly focused on recognising that, where there is a perception of regional disparity, we have to do something about it. I am very encouraged by the conversations that we have been involved in. Aspiration is one thing; delivery is another. However, I think that this is a group of people who are absolutely committed to delivery.”
“Once the details and the programme have been confirmed, we will write to relevant ministerial colleagues, inviting them to attend. A report on the outcome of that meeting can be brought to a future NSMC plenary or institutional meeting. We were also able to apprise both Ministers that we met on the recent initiative that the First Minister and I have been involved in to bring together a number of Ministers to look at opportunities in various areas of the North. However, there is a particular focus on the north-west in relation to, for example, the further expansion of the university campus at Magee, the whole issue of the A5 and the A6, and the development of very important military sites in the north-west. We spoke about the opportunities presented by what is, I think, an incredible opportunity at Ballykelly.”
“As I said, we had a very good discussion on the north-west gateway imitative at the meeting, and our respective officials have consulted relevant Departments on the views expressed by stakeholders on the direction and priorities for the north-west. They have also met the chief executives of Donegal County Council and the shadow Derry City and Strabane District Council, which will come into being on 1 April. We understand that work is being progressed jointly by them to develop local and cross-border community and development plans. They will be important contributors to future development in the north-west and have offered to brief Ministers on their plans. <BR /> <BR />We have asked our officials to make the necessary arrangements for a ministerial meeting in the north-west, to be held in May.”
“On the point about how appointments are made, these bodies have been in existence, as the Member will know, for some considerable time, and the appointments will be made consistent with the previous arrangements, whilst absolutely taking into account the latter comments of the Member about opportunities for everybody in society to participate.”
“For good governance reasons, it is important that the boards of bodies are operating effectively. With many board members' terms of appointment about to expire, it is important that we ensure that there is continuity when appointing new members. The joint secretaries have proposed a process that will ensure that there is retention of corporate knowledge on the boards and which will realign the board's terms of appointment to the Assembly in all terms. There is some work to be done on that, and we have asked the joint secretaries to liaise with the sponsor Departments and the bodies and to produce a paper for consideration at the NSMC plenary in June.”
“As we all know, InterTradeIreland was set up to promote trade and business on an all-island and cross-border basis and for the enhancement of the global competitiveness of the all-island economy to the mutual benefit of both jurisdictions. It is delivering on the same, and the recent performance figures back that up, with delivery of a 10-to-one return on expenditure, assistance provided to 64 first-time innovators, assistance provided to 127 first-time exporters and delivery of a total business value of £67 million or €78 million. InterTradeIreland is also playing a key role in ensuring that we meet our targets for drawing down funding from the Horizon 2020 EU programme.”
“<BR /> <BR />I know — it also applies to the working of Departments in the North — that, given the impact of what has been a very cruel world recession and the fallout, for example, of the cut to our block grant by the Administration in London, it places a huge responsibility on Departments and the North/South bodies to continue to deliver their objectives with reduced resources. That certainly represents a real challenge, but I think that good work is being done. We obviously hope for a better economic climate in the time ahead. That might be challenging over the next couple of years, but, ultimately, it is quite clear that the work that has been undertaken by the bodies that have been established under the terms of the agreements are delivering real benefits for people North and South against the backdrop of huge fiscal challenges.”
“It is important that each of the North/South bodies, like other public bodies, deliver their objectives and programmes efficiently, particularly in the current fiscal climate. In that context, and given the pressures on public finances in both jurisdictions, the two Finance Departments agreed a minimum cash-releasing efficiency savings programme of 4% in 2014, culminating in 12% over the period 2014-16. The business plans approved to date by the NSMC include the delivery of those efficiency targets.”
“It will be widely welcomed that, at long last, we are seeing a new impetus and new energy being applied to how Ministers, North and South, can be involved in initiatives that bring huge benefits to people on this island.”
“I know that there is some interest, and I have heard overnight about the release of information in relation to sectoral priorities. The reality is that the report on the new sectoral priorities was part of an NSMC institutional paper tabled at last week's meeting. Papers for North/South Ministerial Council meetings are jointly agreed between the Irish Government and our Executive. We cannot make unilateral decisions to publish an NSMC paper, but, in all fairness, there is nothing secretive about any of it. The ultimate outcomes and conclusions of those discussions will form statements, in the aftermath of agreement at the North/South Ministerial Council, to the Assembly and the Dáil. There is nothing secretive about it. That information will be forthcoming, but there is a considerable body of work to be done.”
“We will consider the outcome of those reviews at a future plenary meeting and will keep the new sectoral priorities on the agenda of future institutional meetings.”
“As I said earlier, Ministers are looking at all areas of cooperation, and there have been good discussions between them about their priorities for the future. These discussions have been aimed mostly at securing economic recovery, job creation, the best use of public funds and the most effective delivery of services for their citizens. We have agreed that Ministers will now formally review their work programmes in each of the areas of cooperation.”
“<BR /> <BR />The First Minister and I have had a number of conversations with the Taoiseach about the Juncker fund. It is a huge fund, which is mostly focused on infrastructural projects. We and the Taoiseach are very keen to explore with the EU and President Juncker how we can benefit from that. Given the challenges that we face, particularly in the funding of various infrastructural projects, this is worthy of further exploration. The First Minister and I intend to visit Brussels in the coming period and, hopefully, have a meeting with President Juncker.”
“As I said, we had a very useful discussion on EU matters and, in particular, on maximising the drawdown of EU funds. Ministers are considering opportunities to maximise the drawdown of EU funds in the various sectors. As we all know, EU funding is very important in both jurisdictions. We think that it makes sense that we should work together ever more closely so that we can draw down as much funding as possible. <BR /> <BR />The discussions to date have been very positive, with several opportunities identified. We highlighted to the Irish Government the fact that there may be scope to cooperate to access funding under the Juncker initiative. We will receive a further update on EU funding opportunities at the next plenary, when all Ministers have had the opportunity to discuss this topic.”
“The Member and other Members will know, because questions have been asked about this in the past, that this was a fraught issue that left a lot of unhappiness. The fact that it has now been resolved will be welcomed by everybody.”
“As I said earlier, we approved the amendment to the North/South pension scheme during the meeting. We believe that the reforms, which will take effect from 1 April, will help to ensure the sustainability of the North/South pension scheme. The key changes are the move to a career average rather than final salary; linking the scheme retirement age to state pension age; and increasing employee contributions to a common level for Northern and Southern members. The North/South pension scheme is modelled on the principal Civil Service pension scheme here in the North. The Finance Ministers in both jurisdictions have already agreed that it is appropriate to apply the changes to the scheme.”
“All that argues for us to continue to build the levels and areas of cooperation that can bring enormous benefits, North and South.”
“<BR /> <BR />As I said, the fact that we have agreed to look at new sectoral priorities, which places a responsibility on Ministers, North and South, to look at how we can gain further advantage by working ever closer together, means that there is an argument going in the other direction: we can save money, pool resources and take initiatives, such as the initiative for the construction of the radiotherapy unit at Altnagelvin hospital. Look at the work that has been done through InterTradeIreland. There have been recent discussions between our Health Minister and the Health Minister in the South, Leo Varadkar, about children's cardiac services. I understand that our Health Minister will make a further statement on that to the Assembly today.”
“As the Member said, there was no discussion about any reduction in the number of North/South bodies. The North/South bodies are already being impacted by the outcome of discussions between the relevant Finance Ministers, North and South, over the last short while. Given the reports that we have received about the effectiveness of the North/South bodies, it is very clear that they bring enormous benefits to North and South.”
“The Council also noted developments in relation to local government in the north-west and agreed that a meeting of relevant Ministers be held in the north-west in May 2015, in line with the Stormont House Agreement. <BR /> <BR />The Council noted the NSMC annual report for 2014, which will be published on the NSMC website before the end of March 2015. Finally, the Council agreed to meet again in institutional format in autumn 2015.”
“It was agreed that the joint secretariat should investigate that proposal further and that a paper on board member appointments would be brought to the next NSMC plenary meeting. <BR /> <BR />Ministers then agreed to an amendment to the North/South pension scheme. The amendment will move the scheme to a career average scheme and will link the scheme pension age to the state pension age in each jurisdiction. <BR /> <BR />We then had a very interesting discussion on the north-west gateway initiative. Ministers noted that, following engagement with key stakeholders in the region on the future direction of the north-west gateway initiative, officials have now consulted with the relevant Departments.”
“We also noted that the Department of Finance and Personnel and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform are taking forward a review of the bodies' financial memoranda. The outcome of the review will be brought to a future NSMC meeting. <BR /> <BR />The Council then considered a paper on board appointments to North/South bodies. We noted that the terms of appointment for some board members of North/South bodies are due to expire later this year, and we considered a proposal on the terms of appointment for board members. That proposal will realign the terms of appointment for board members of implementation bodies and Tourism Ireland to the new Assembly and Dáil terms.”
“That will be a challenging target, but both jurisdictions are already working well together to achieve it. <BR /> <BR />The next item on the agenda focused on various issues relating to the North/South bodies. It was noted that all bodies had prepared business plans for 2015 that will deliver the agreed efficiency savings of 8% compared with the 2013 budget. That is very important given the economic challenges faced by both jurisdictions. <BR /> <BR />Other governance issues were also discussed. We noted that the boards of the bodies are fully operational, that there have been staffing changes at a senior level across a number of bodies and that the North/South pension scheme is in the process of being reformed.”
“It was also agreed that a paper will be brought to a future institutional meeting on longer-term sectoral priorities and that new sectoral priorities will be an agenda item at future NSMC institutional meetings. <BR /> <BR />EU matters are discussed regularly at NSMC meetings, as this area presents good opportunities for us to cooperate for our mutual benefit. At the meeting, we received an update on the ongoing ministerial discussions examining the potential for collaboration to maximise drawdown of EU funds across all NSMC areas of cooperation. Ministers agreed that these discussions should continue and that a report should be brought to the next NSMC plenary meeting. Ministers also noted the joint target of €175 million that has been set for drawdown of funding under the Horizon 2020 programme.”
“<BR /> <BR />The meeting began with a good discussion on a range of issues impacting on the economies in each jurisdiction. The importance of connectivity to encourage economic growth was also highlighted. <BR /> <BR />In line with the Stormont House Agreement of the 23 December 2014, the Council agreed to note a report presented on new sectoral priorities. Ministerial discussions have taken place at sectoral level focusing on areas of mutual benefit, including economic recovery, job creation and improving service delivery. Ministers will now be asked to formally review the work programmes in their various sectors, and an update paper on these discussions will be brought to the June 2015 plenary meeting.”
“A Cheann Comhairle, Mr Speaker, in compliance with section 52C(2) of the Northern Ireland Act 1998, we wish to make the following statement on the tenth meeting of the North/South Ministerial Council (NSMC) in institutional format, which was held in Stormont Castle on Wednesday 25 February 2015. The Executive Ministers who attended the meeting have agreed that we can make this report on their behalf. The Executive were represented by the First Minister, Peter Robinson, and me. The Irish Government were represented by the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Charlie Flanagan TD, and Minister of State for Development, Trade Promotion and North-South Co-operation, Seán Sherlock TD. The First Minister and I chaired the meeting.”
“We are determined to deal with the issue, but it has to be in a way that brings everybody on board.”
“We have an agreement. It is in the Stormont House Agreement that we will deal with the reduction in the number of MLAs by 2021, when the election after the one in 2016 will take place. Speaking personally, I have no difficulty at all with the reductions, except to say that, because the current number was part of the Good Friday Agreement and did not change during the discussions on the St Andrews Agreement, the reality is that we will require the support of all the parties who signed up to the Good Friday Agreement and who supported it in the referendum. I know that reservations about the speed of all of this have been expressed by the Ulster Unionist Party and the SDLP. I think that this matter will essentially have to be processed through the party leaders' meetings.”
“I was surprised to hear that reservations were being expressed. I will not use this exercise as an opportunity to score party political points, except to say that this is a wonderful site and there are tremendous opportunities. The First Minister and I are absolutely determined that we will exploit the development of the site for the benefit of business, bringing in foreign direct investment and putting our people into work. That will be a massive benefit to the whole of County Derry, as I call it, or County Londonderry, as you call it.”
“God knows where I will be 10 years from now, but I think that people will remember the decision to use the site to see, over the next short while, what level of interest there is as we sell off lots. As the Member said, it is an absolutely massive site, so we can predict that it will be very successfully exploited for the purpose of putting our people into work.”
“When a Member get up to ask a question, it is always hard to know what the question will be. However, in the case of the Member for East Londonderry, it was highly predictable that his question would be about Ballykelly. I know that he has a tremendous interest in the development of the site in the interests of the people of the constituency. From that point of view, we sing from the same hymn sheet. <BR /> <BR />We are absolutely confident about this. Apart from the relocation of DARD's headquarters to the site and NI Water's interest in a project on it, many other expressions of interest have come from private companies, some of them from overseas. Even at this stage, we can predict that, when fully developed on the site, there will be thousands of new jobs.”
“I believe that some of them will be retained and refurbished. The First Minister and I have spoken to people who are looking to take out a short-term lease during this year for the next nine months. They have a project that is ready to go. Without breaking confidentiality, it is a very exciting project. For that to work for them, it will require the utilisation of some buildings on the site.”
“The site is twice the size of the Maze/Long Kesh site. The First Minister and I have been involved in some 40 expressions of interest from people who wish to go onto the site. We are absolutely confident that we can create thousands of new jobs on the Ballykelly site, which will be a major boost for people in Derry city, Limavady and the Coleraine area, not to mention Ballykelly itself, so the whole of County Derry and wider afield will benefit through the site's development. It is a very encouraging and optimistic message, and I believe that it will be a success.”
“I am very delighted to be able to say that the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development and I were in Ballykelly less than two weeks ago with the local community and with representatives of all the political parties — the Ulster Unionists, the DUP, the SDLP and Sinn Féin. I am not sure whether there were any Alliance members there but there probably were. We were there to view the ongoing demolition of military buildings on the site so that we can begin the process of relocating an entire Department, the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, to the Ballykelly site. <BR /> <BR />When the Ballykelly site first came into our ownership, many people thought that it would be a hindrance to the Executive and that it would cost us money to maintain. It cost us some initial funds, but I believe that they were well spent.”
“— that is emerging successfully from conflict, and I think that the vast majority of the Members, with the exception of maybe one in the House, sing from the same hymn sheet as I do on this.”
“I know some people who are very close to him also, and he knows that I know them, and he knows that I have a great admiration and respect for them, even though they come from a completely different religious position from mine. <BR /> <BR />I think that we all have to respect each other. We have to recognise that the whole issue of religion can be very divisive and very damaging to our society. We only have to look further afield to what is happening in other parts of the world to see the atrocious activities of groups like ISIS and the way in which it targets religions of all descriptions and carries out mass murder in order to get its own way. So, hopefully we are a society —”
“I think that the Member mentioning my attendance at church in recent times is a bit bizarre. I am a regular church attender, and sometimes I go there with the First Minister and, indeed, with others when the occasion demands. I have a huge respect for all Churches. As someone who is a Catholic, I try to be the best Catholic that I possibly can be. At the same time, during the Stormont House negotiations, the purpose of the commission that we agreed was to deal with the whole issue of flags, symbols and emblems, and I think that that would be stretching the remit, although I am certainly open to conversations during the party leaders' meeting around the issue that the Member raised. I know that he is very close to his own faith.”
“The point that the Member mentioned obviously has some currency in relation to the ongoing discussions. I understand that there was an important meeting between the Bishop of Down and Connor and the DUP last week. It was quite interesting that there was also a meeting between me and the Bishop of Down and Connor a week before that. Obviously, the Churches have a very great interest in meeting politicians. As we go forward, we have to ensure that we have a very fine balance between the rights of faith communities and minorities in our society, because a chief responsibility of the Assembly and the Executive is to ensure that we protect the rights of everyone and that there is equality for everyone whilst, at the same time, not denying anyone the right to practise their faith.”
“I think that there are tremendous protections for faith communities in the North of Ireland, and I have a tremendous respect for all of the Churches and the contributions that they have made through what has been a very challenging time for us in terms of the political process, and also the tremendous work that the Churches do in bringing people together.”
“Of course, in the meantime we have to await the finalisation of the legislation in the House of Commons, but I am confident that the decisions that have to be made will be made in a very expedient way, with a view to ensuring that we garner as much opportunity as we possibly can.”
“I certainly do agree, and the First Minister and I have been involved in discussions around that. It will also be discussed during the course of the party leaders' implementation meetings. When you consider the sort of access we have in going to the United States and actually meeting President Obama, Vice President Joe Biden and others, you can clearly see that there is incredible interest in the ongoing success of the peace process here. <BR /> <BR />There is also tremendous interest in supporting economic development here. In the course of our conversations, we recognise that Invest NI has a very important job to do, and we need to give it as much support as we possibly can. That means coming, as quickly to possible, to an agreement on time frames and on the rate that we strike.”
“We had, during our stewardship of OFMDFM, a very important economic investment conference right in the State Department, from which flowed many of the new job announcements that we are now seeing on a very regular basis. I believe that we will continue with a very positive message and, against the success of the Stormont House Agreement, make it absolutely clear to everybody that we are open for business. In the context of the debate around corporation tax, it is quite obvious to all of us that there are great opportunities, as well as challenges, that lie ahead.”
“Well, I have been very privileged in this job, going back to when the DUP and Sinn Féin first agreed, with others, to go into government together in 2007, to work on how we can develop, as a central plank of our economy, the attraction of foreign direct investment to the North. The late Rev Ian Paisley and I had a very successful visit in December 2007, and since then I have worked very closely with the First Minister, Peter Robinson, all over the United States of America. In the course of that work we have managed, even against the backdrop of a very cruel world economic recession, to attract more foreign direct investment jobs to the North than at any other time in the history of the state. <BR /> <BR />Quite clearly, there is an open door for us in the United States, whether it be in California, Chicago, New York or Washington.”
“Of course, key to all of it is the leadership being given in these institutions. I think that that leadership is being given. People recognise the value of bringing our people together and ensuring that, as much as we possibly can within the challenges that we face, we continue to integrate our young people with a view to ensuring that it pays dividends in the future in moving to a much more peaceful and less divided society.”
“I have to say that it was inspirational to listen to the sort of leadership they were giving. The recognition that they understand is given to these projects will hugely benefit our young people in all sorts of ways — through their education; through sport, drama and arts; and through a whole range of issues.”
“Essentially, the opportunities for shared education right across all the work that schools are involved in are clearly there for all of us to see. The fact that the Lisanelly campus, for example, is seen as a totemic project and is being looked at by schools all over the North of Ireland and, indeed, further afield clearly shows that people recognise that there are opportunities to bring people together. That is the case not just in the context of sixth-form lessons. If more people are brought onto shared sites, we will see a level of contact that we have not seen in the past. It will be a real opportunity to have people working together and sharing, for example, restaurant, canteen and sporting facilities. <BR /> <BR />The First Minister and I recently met people from Brookeborough in County Fermanagh.”
“<BR /> <BR />Absolutely essential to all of that is the leadership that is shown in the Assembly and between political parties. I described the Stormont House Agreement as an opportunity for a fresh start, and I think that we all need to seize that opportunity so that we can continue to build confidence in the political process and between communities. If I may say so even in this conversation, I warmly welcome the fact that the Loyalist Londonderry Bands Forum will make a presentation to the Sinn Féin ard fheis this weekend in Derry city. I think that all of that represents a big effort being made by people on all sides to see what unites us, as opposed to what divides us. The sort of leadership that is being shown in the city of Derry is something that could be followed everywhere.”
“I think that there is a very strong view on the Executive and, indeed, among the parties that negotiated the Stormont House Agreement that the achievement of the £500 million — half a billion pounds — to bring our young people together in shared education campuses and to support integrated education is a very worthwhile project as we continue to build for the future. There are clear and ongoing examples of people making an effort to come together. I know that considerable discussion is taking place between officials from the Department of Justice and people on either side of the horrid so-called peace walls that exist in Belfast to see whether we can continue to meet the target that we have set ourselves to bring those peace walls down.”