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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“We are absolutely totally committed to totally peaceful and democratic means to the point where those who are not in favour of peaceful and democratic means have threatened our lives and attacked our homes. My track record is second to none, just as it is good on attracting jobs and standing up to so-called dissident republicans and extreme loyalists who try to ferment conflict on the streets.”
“I unreservedly condemn the terrible massacre that took place against innocent people in Orlando. It was an horrific crime. It again raises the whole issue that is to the fore in the United States of America about the ability of people to access weapons by just walking into a shop and purchasing them. It seems that the character who was responsible for the massacre in effect did that over the last couple of weeks. <BR /> <BR />Thankfully, we here in the North — I am reading into the question the attitude of my party, for example, in the context of all we have been through over 40 or 50 years and, more importantly, over what has been a very important peace process that has transformed the security and political situation — are committed to totally peaceful and democratic means.”
“Obviously, I do not know what view those investors will take in the context of the run-in to the referendum. I think they are all sitting waiting to see what the decision of the people here and in England, Scotland and Wales will be in relation to Brexit. I do not know what their view will be on the other side of that. It amounts to another one of these unknowns, but, absolutely in principle, my view is that we need to have all the tools we possibly can have to ensure that we are continuing to show that we are open for business and are attracting new jobs for people who need them.”
“I think I have a very strong track record in selling the need for jobs and our proposition to not only US investors in particular but to places like China and the European Union. The reality is that, over what was the worst world economic downturn that we have ever seen, the work that I was engaged in with my colleagues in government, principally from the DUP — Ian Paisley, Peter Robinson and Arlene Foster — brought in more foreign direct investment jobs than at any other time in the history of the state. So, I am absolutely committed and dedicated to providing more jobs, particularly for young people. <BR /> <BR />I think that, in all our engagements in the United States, there was intense interest in us reducing the rate of corporation tax, which is a further incentive for foreign direct investors to come.”
“So, we are absolutely committed to that, but, as the Fresh Start Agreement makes clear, it has to be on the basis of affordability. We believe that it can be on the basis of affordability, so we are working on the basis that the reduced rate of corporation tax will come into being by 2018.”
“Sinn Féin is committed to the reduction in corporation tax. At the very beginning of the debate, the five larger parties in the Assembly were absolutely in favour of such a process on the basis that we did believe, and still do believe, that it can create anything in the region of between 35,000 and 37,000 new jobs.”
“We gave a commitment in the Fresh Start Agreement announcement that we would keep to the time frames that were laid out for us. The time frame for putting forward the implementation plan arising from the work of the three-person panel is that it must be completed by the end of this month. Presently, as we speak, that work is being undertaken. I can give an absolute commitment that, by the end of June, we will have kept to the public commitment that we made.”
“It is a report that, I think, has been widely welcomed by people within society. As we go forward, obviously Members have a duty, if they feel that they have a grievance about this, to raise it in the Assembly. The important thing for me is the work that they were engaged in, the outcome of that work and the key responsibility that we now have to put in place, by the end of this month, a process for implementing it. That primarily falls to the Democratic Unionist Party, ourselves and the new Justice Minister. Parties like the Ulster Unionists and the SDLP effectively stepped away from that responsibility.”
“Obviously, announcement of the paramilitary panel report fell to the First Minister and me. During the course of the Fresh Start negotiations, it certainly became quite clear to me that there was a very strong probability that, in the aftermath of the election, we would find ourselves in the Government with the DUP; effectively a two-party coalition. We were the people who asked and actually appointed the panel members. I want to put on record our deep appreciation to John McBurney, Monica McWilliams and Lord Alderdice for the very thorough work that they did. We believed that it was important, as soon as it was feasible and practicable for us, to publish the report as quickly as we could. I think that that does no injury to the right of anybody within the Assembly to have a view on that report.”
“Hopefully we will not have too long to wait, although I think that, given what victims of abuse have been through, that is obviously not the answer that they seek at this time. I hope that all of this can be processed very thoroughly indeed, in line with Judge Hart's handling of the situation. I want to pay tribute to him for the incredible work that he has done on behalf of us all over the course of recent years.”
“The Member asks a very important question. We have been guided from the get-go by Sir Anthony Hart's stewardship of the process. He has made it clear in the course of the inquiry that he believes that there will be a need for a redress system. We take that very seriously indeed. I have no doubt whatsoever that our thoughts are turning to how we can deal with that. He also went on to say that he still has work to do. Of course, in the aftermath of this, and without attempting in any way to pre-empt the outcome of it, responsibility for redress may well fall to parties other than the Government here. It is obviously something that can be decided only by Judge Anthony Hart. At the moment, he is in the final stages of his inquiry, as the Member well knows.”
“In the previous mandate, 60 of the 64 Executive Bills introduced were passed by the Assembly, following a huge effort by Members, Ministers and Committees, particularly from January to March of this year. That was comparable with the 2007-11 mandate, when 65 Executive Bills were introduced. We hope that we can build on those experiences and, taking into account what the Member has just said, learn whatever lessons need to be learned to ensure a successful outcome for the Executive's legislative programme in the current mandate. While the remit of other legislatures differs, it is nevertheless interesting to note that, compared to the 60 Executive Bills passed in the last Assembly mandate, the equivalent figure for Scotland was 67 and for Wales 25.”
“As the Member will be aware, we recently issued for consultation a draft Programme for Government framework, which sets the direction for the Executive for the next five years. By the end of this year, we intend to have detailed plans in place for delivering our intended outcomes. It is therefore essential that the Executive's legislative proposals for this mandate should reflect and support the priorities in the Programme for Government and be developed in tandem with this process. While we acknowledge fully the need to advise the Assembly of our legislative proposals, this cannot be done in isolation from the wider development of the Programme for Government, and we will give further consideration to the timing and most appropriate means of providing this information.”
“With your permission, Mr Speaker, I will ask junior Minister Fearon to answer the question.”
“For all the delegations, through the access that we had courtesy of the then Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, to the highest levels of the business community in the United States, the issue of our continuing involvement in Europe always came up. <BR /> <BR />One of the big difficulties that we face in the context of any Brexit vote will be how that will have an impact on our ability to attract foreign direct investment, given that one of the major arguments that we used was that we were a near-shore location for a jump-off into the European Union. There are huge implications for us from this vote, and I hope that, in its aftermath, the wisdom of the people will come through and that they will recognise that the great benefits, particularly for us, are ones that we should not spurn.”
“My position is the same as that of my party, which is one of critical engagement with the European Union. Not everything about the European Union is hunky-dory, and we have articulated our concerns about different aspects, some of which the Member referred to in his remarks. However, we have to deal with the impact of a Brexit vote on how we develop our economy. Of course, as the Member will know, over the course of my dealings with Rev Ian Paisley — God rest him — Peter Robinson and Arlene Foster, then as the Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment and now as First Minister, our visits to the United States were hugely important in attracting more foreign direct investment and jobs than at any other time in the history of the state.”
“The answer to that is no. Neither the First Minister nor I has received any assurance whatsoever. Even if we had, I would not trust it for one minute. This is a British Government that were ruthless in dealing with our block grant over the period that they were in coalition with the Liberal Democrats. I have absolutely no faith whatsoever that whatever money is lost through single farm payments, the CAP or anything else will be returned to us by a British Government that are totally and absolutely committed to austerity.”
“Well, I think I represent a very responsible political party in this Assembly. The Member may not think so, but I certainly think so. In the aftermath of the vote, whatever the outcome, we will behave very responsibly indeed. It is hugely important that we all recognise the seriousness of what is about to happen. The Member takes a different view from mine, but, again, he is entitled to that opinion. Whatever happens on the other side of the vote, we, behaving responsibly, will deal with our partners in government and other parties in the House to ensure that we continue to move our society forward.”
“I think that the last thing people here want to see — particularly people in the business community and those who socialise regularly, as is happening increasingly as the peace process develops — is anything that in any way interferes with the very important social interaction, North/South or, indeed, east-west.”
“I listened to Nigel Lawson's interview on 'The Andrew Marr Show' a couple of weeks ago, and he gave the game away very clearly. He was emphatic in his belief that there would have to be checkpoints. The fact that we have seen, this morning, the photographs of checkpoints that exist between Norway and the rest of the European Union adds validity to his argument. He is not the only person who has said that. <BR /> <BR />It has to be a source of great concern to all of us who, I think, have all benefited from the open border. You can now drive from central Belfast to central Dublin in an hour and a half or an hour and three quarters without hitting a red light or a checkpoint.”
“I hope that people in Britain, particularly the Irish community, will recognise the great dangers for our economy and social interaction, North and South.”
“I think that we all understand that any such vote would have a massive impact. We have had the debate. Obviously, we represent only a very small percentage of the overall number of people entitled to vote, but I think we can say, without fear of contradiction, that, at the moment, given the support from the SDLP, the Alliance Party, the Ulster Unionists and us, the hope is that the majority of people in the North will vote to remain. If so, we will stand proudly with Scotland, which I believe will vote to remain. However, the big vote will be in England, as many of us know. It is not a situation over which we have any control. I will be in England later this week, making a speech outlining the implications of all of this for us.”
“In the context of the debate thus far, there are so many unknowns about what will happen on the other side of the referendum, and we will have to deal with them, whatever they are. If, unfortunately, we end up in that scenario, there will be a two-year position with regard to negotiating a way forward, and I presume there will be a lot of negotiations in that period. However, I am not working on the basis of this being a Brexit vote; I am working on the basis of it being a "Remain" vote.”
“People are jumping to a position regarding the referendum. The referendum has not yet been held. It will be held on 23 June. I do not know what the outcome will be. I hope that it is a vote to remain.”
“This morning, on social media, I saw a photograph that somebody had put up of the border that exists between Norway and the European Union. Do I want to see checkpoints on the roads from Derry to Letterkenny, from Tyrone to Monaghan and from Newry to Dundalk? Certainly not.”
“I think that, by this stage, the views of all the parties in the Assembly are well known. I do not think our partners in the Government have any difficulty in understanding our position in relation to the referendum. We are very firmly in the "Remain" camp, for all of the reasons that the Member has articulated. Obviously, our partners in the Government have a different view. This is a democracy; people are entitled to their view. I very strongly hold to the view that any decision to leave the European Union would be hugely detrimental to society, our business community, our farming community and the community and voluntary sector. I also note that people say there will be no checkpoints on the borders in the event of a Brexit.”
“An exit from the European Union is not a certainty. It will be negotiated only if the public vote to leave in the referendum on 23 June. The British Government have indicated that they are not planning on that basis. We will also await the outcome of the June referendum.”
“I, as well as many other Members, absolutely value the contribution that integrated education makes. Of course, I think there are many other sectors that make an incredible contribution to an education system that has seen dramatic improvements in recent years, with increasing numbers of young people emerging from school with five or more GCSEs. I think the United Nations report that came out over the weekend is a very, very important report that should be studied by every Member of the House.”
“It is vital that we continue to process that in a way that gives us the best possible outcomes, and one in which society can be satisfied that they have had their opportunity to have their say. The fact that other parties stood back from that and disavowed the commitments that they made at the beginning — specifically one other party, I should say: the SDLP — is a matter for it. The SDLP was fully engaged in the process from the beginning, and it was only in the aftermath of the election, not before the election — at no stage before the election did it voice any disagreement with the approach that was being adopted — that it disagreed with the process. I believe that that was down to its election results.”
“We have been over that a number of times over recent weeks. It is on the public record that the DUP, Sinn Féin and the Alliance Party stood by the commitments that we made to put in place a Programme for Government that had the widest possible consultation and involved key sectors from within society and the community that wished to contribute. This was a different approach. It has worked successfully in some of the states of the United States, Scotland and Finland. From our perspective, we believe it represented the best way forward. <BR /> <BR />It was also supported by key people within the stakeholder section who came out very publicly and said that they agreed with this approach and that it was an opportunity for them to have the greatest possible input to the Programme for Government.”
“I think we still regard the coordinating role as very important, but given that we are now in a two-party coalition, it is a huge responsibility — it is a responsibility that we and the DUP have taken up against a backdrop of others opting out — to ensure that we continue to give leadership. It falls primarily to the First Minister and me to ensure that the work of all our Departments is coordinated in a way that ensures delivery. Of course, our responsibilities are greater than the work that happens at the Executive. There are other responsibilities that we have, such as meeting delegations and people who come here on an ongoing basis. The whole business of the work of government basically now falls, in the leadership involved in taking it forward, to the DUP and Sinn Féin and specifically to the First Minister and me.”
“<BR /> <BR />During the period of public consultation, we will continue to deliver against our statutory responsibilities and existing plans, undertaking important work in equality, human rights and social change; building a united community; strategic investment and regeneration; our relationships with others, North/South and east-west, and with Europe; and promoting our interests abroad. None of that work is going to stop, but we will be looking in the new Programme for Government at ways to do things better, taking a more joined-up approach with our stakeholders and partners and finding ways that will deliver the greatest benefits.”
“In determining the roles and priorities of the Executive Office over this mandate, we will be looking to the contribution we can make to the high-level outcomes in the Executive's Programme for Government. A draft framework for the programme was agreed by the Executive on 26 May 2016 and was published the following day for public consultation. It contains 14 strategic outcomes that, taken together, the Executive believe articulate the society we wish to have. Those outcomes are supported by 42 indicators that are clear statements for change. A key feature of the new programme will be its dependence on collaborative working, and we will, therefore, be working as part of the Executive team to deliver that programme and drive work across departmental and sectoral boundaries.”
“I appreciate that contribution. As we go forward in processing the work of the Programme for Government, we will take into account the point that the Member just made. I think it is vitally important, as we go forward, that we share as much information as is feasible.”
“I thank the Member for the support that he and his party gave to the approach that we have adopted during the course of the Programme for Government. It is absolutely clear that that work, which began last year, was supported the whole way through by the Alliance Party. In the aftermath of its decision not to come into the Government on this occasion, it stood by its commitment to process a Programme for Government draft that had at its heart the responsibility to engage with the community, society and key stakeholders.”
“It is always our commitment to ensure that, when civil servants attend Committees, they are in a position to provide as much information as they possibly can. It does not take me to remind people that, during the course of the last mandate, we had a situation where we had a five-party coalition. People talk about transparency; many meetings of the Executive took place where at least two of the parties had no difficulty whatsoever with stepping outside of the protocols and briefing the media on the confidential business of the Executive.”
“The question specifically refers to the decisions and minutes of meetings of the Executive. During the course of the conversations that we have, we always think it valuable that Ministers have the ability to engage in discussions to enable outcomes that make sure that we are in a position to provide better government as we move forward. <BR /> <BR />The work of the Business Committee is obviously the responsibility of that Committee, but it has been made abundantly clear that we regard the position that we have adopted, in the conduct of our business and how we relate to the Assembly, as being appropriately suited to the outcome from the Fresh Start Agreement.”
“It is essential for the Executive to be able to conduct their work in an environment where Ministers can engage in full and frank discussion and be confident that the content of their papers and their views are protected. We do not, therefore, routinely release information, including minutes of meetings, that provides details of Executive business or their decision-making processes. The Executive may, however, where they consider it appropriate, make a statement on their decisions or views on a particular issue. We have no plans to depart from that practice.”
“When the full document is finalised at the end of the year, I am committed to the fact that it will be not only a programme that affects us all but a programme to which everyone can subscribe and in which everyone can play a part. <BR /> <BR />I commend the draft Programme for Government framework and ask the Assembly to support the motion.”
“It will enable us to prosper, live longer and healthier lives, have an equal society, live sustainably, be innovative and creative and be a place in which people can fulfil their potential. It will help us to have more and better jobs, build safe communities, care for others and provide help to those most in need. It will establish a basis for us to be a confident, welcoming and shared society that respects diversity, where we give our children the best start in life, and where we are all well connected by good infrastructure in a place where people want to live and work and that is attractive to visitors and investors. It will also allow the Executive to do things differently, working in more joined-up ways and engaging with stakeholders and delivery partners from every sector.”
“<BR /> <BR />Clare Bailey talked about the glaring omission being the position of women, although she paid tribute to Mitchel McLaughlin for the creation of the women's forum, which has been a very important development in our Assembly. <BR /> <BR />I said before the election, at the beginning of last month, that my priority was to bring forward and implement a Programme for Government that grows the economy, provides proper public services and promotes equality and inclusion. I also said that we need a Government that work coherently and collectively, and with equality and respect at the heart of how we do business. I am pleased to say that the Executive's draft Programme for Government framework does all that and more.”
“He also said that the devil is in the detail. Of course it is, and it is unfair to use such terminology at this stage when we have yet to see the outcome of the public consultation, including the public in West Belfast and those in many other parts of the North who want to see us tackling poverty and standing up for the most marginalised, vulnerable and disabled in our society. I was taken aback by his information, which I have not got, that the bedroom tax will be here in 2020. We have made it absolutely clear that, under no circumstances, will our people, no matter what section of society they come from, have a bedroom tax imposed upon them. <BR /> <BR />Jim Allister made his contribution, and the less said about that the better.”
“<BR /> <BR />Steven Agnew mentioned the death of a member of Assembly staff, which shocked us all: some of us have been sitting here for a couple of hours and had not heard about it. Whatever the circumstances, the First Minister and I, with everybody in the House, send our sympathy and condolences to the family as they deal with a very traumatic situation. <BR /> <BR />Steven went on to talk about equality. On this important issue, there will be times when the DUP and Sinn Féin will not agree, particularly in relation to issues such as marriage equality. These are things that we have to work through. We are all on a journey, and we all recognise that there is a duty on us to ensure that nobody in our society feels discriminated against. <BR /> <BR />Gerry Carroll made his point that it was 114 pages of concentrated waffle.”
“<BR /> <BR />I was quite shocked by the comments of Sandra Overend from Mid Ulster, which were terrible and very unfair to young people who are taught through the medium of Irish in Coláiste Feirste. For that to be her first point, in a criticism of the Education Minister's visit to the school, was shameful and I think she should be embarrassed at that remark. <BR /> <BR />Andy Allen talked about fluffy promises. There is nothing fluffy about what we are trying to do, which is to give the public an opportunity to have their say rather than take a top-down approach. This has been successful in other places in ensuring that there is an opportunity for the public to have a meaningful input into the outcome of this Programme for Government.”
“Jo-Anne Dobson dwelt on a range of health issues. Of course, we have a new Health Minister who is working against the backdrop of what will be, hopefully, significant change as we go forward in this term, not least because of the challenges posed for all of us by the outcome of an international report on our health service. <BR /> <BR />I have already mentioned Colum Eastwood, who came after. The main point I made was in agreement with him. We all spoke to the public against the backdrop of the relentless criticism of the DUP and Sinn Féin from the UUP and the SDLP; yet the public, in its wisdom, decided to return us as the lead partners in this Executive.”
“It is out there because people think that they have the right to come in here and stand up and make all sorts of grandiose claims such as, "Why are we not doing this? Why are we not doing that? You have failed us on this. You have failed us on that". Let us hear and see the costed proposals, and let us see how that fits into the Budget that we as an Executive have to deal with as a result of the challenges that we face coming from London and the fact that they have the ability to cut our block grant.”
“He encouraged people in society and in the community to become involved in this consultation. That includes people who are involved in the community and voluntary sector, different stakeholders and ordinary people who have an interest in how we go forward. I renew that appeal. I think that it is very important that we see as much involvement as possible from the public in all of this. <BR /> <BR />Daithí McKay rightly talked about family-friendly hours, and he made the same point about the public and stakeholders having their say. He rightly challenged opposition parties to come forward with their costed proposals. That is where the "motherhood and apple pie" is in opposition land.”
“Obviously, all of us were very sad to hear of the tragedy in his family, and I think that there is not a person in the House who was not totally sympathetic to his family at that time. He raised the issue primarily of how we bear down on the activities of armed gangs and paramilitary groups that are still out there and are still hostile to the peace process and, clearly, would not like it to succeed. We have received the report from the three-person panel, and that will go to our Executive in the next while. That report deals with everything referenced in Doug Beattie's comments, and I think that people will await the outcome of that with considerable interest. <BR /> <BR />Declan McAleer talked about the situation in West Tyrone, and he made a very important point, which was articulated by others as well.”
“He mentioned the fact that there was a dramatic increase in the number of young people leaving with five good GCSEs. I think that he deserves credit for that. <BR /> <BR />Stephen Farry talked about SIF. I remember, when SIF was first mooted, that Alex Attwood described it as a slush fund for paramilitaries. Whatever about the challenges with a new and innovative project, it was certainly no slush fund for paramilitaries. The reality is that it was an attempt to empower local communities, and, indeed, projects are now up and running in local communities that are having an impact on poverty and on people who have not had a job for a very long time and which are also providing much-needed amenities and facilities for local communities. <BR /> <BR />On how we go forward, we also had a contribution from Doug Beattie from Upper Bann.”
“They sent the Ulster Unionists back into the House with 16. They sent us back to the House with 28 seats, and they sent the SDLP back with 12. The people made their judgement, and they judged that they wanted us, with all of the difficulties, challenges and problems that we had during the last term, to take our society forward. I had always hoped that we could have done that and that the SDLP, the Alliance Party and the Ulster Unionists would have been in that power-sharing Executive, which was the central theme of the Good Friday Agreement, but of course that did not happen. <BR /> <BR />Barry McElduff went on to talk about education, the importance of literacy and numeracy and the brilliant work that John O'Dowd did in raising the levels of literacy and numeracy in schools.”