Stephen Dunne
North Down · Democratic Unionist Party · Northern Ireland
“I thank the Minister for her answer. Does the Minister recognise that the delays are causing a lot of stress to current officers and those who have served in the past and are impacting on the morale of current officers? What level of engagement has she had on the issue in the past, and what are her plans, in that regard, for the future?”
“I thank the Minister for her statement. With approximately 15% of the entire Waterways Ireland estate located in Northern Ireland, I am keen to establish any detail that you may have on the scale of immediate safety risks, with regard to diseased trees in Northern Ireland specifically, that are linked to the tree management strategy, whic…”
“All the trust ports support the legislation, as was reflected in the responses to the consultation carried out last year on this important issue. It is also worth noting that trust ports in the rest of the United Kingdom — in Scotland, England and Wales — have been reclassified with no issues.”
“I am pleased to speak in the Second Stage debate on the Harbours Bill. As a member of the Committee for Infrastructure, I support the Bill's general intention, which, ultimately, is to provide all the trust ports in Northern Ireland with greater commercial flexibility. The trust ports are a key part of our local economy.”
“More than 20,000 people are employed in the harbour estates alone, and the harbours support over 15% of our country's total annual output. We can see the developments taking place at the D3 cruise terminal at Belfast harbour through the work that is going on there.”
“That should be the focus for all of us, and something that we can support and get behind. There is no doubt that all our trust ports already deliver significant economic and social benefits, but they are telling us that they can do more, want to do more and are willing to do more.”
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“The Bill provides some of the legislative tools to respond more effectively to some of those challenges. I am happy to support the Bill's moving to the next stage.”
“Clause 6 is about flood protection and provides the Department with powers to introduce grants to assist homeowners in high-risk flood areas to protect their homes. As an MLA for the North Down constituency, which includes a number of areas at risk of flooding, the clause is particularly welcome. Putting those powers on a statutory footing could make a meaningful difference in protecting our communities and our environment. Like my colleagues, I remain broadly supportive of the principle of the Bill at Second Stage, and we look forward to it coming to the Committee, where we will look at it in more detail. <BR /> <BR />We know the devastation that flooding can cause to businesses, homes and families, and there is an urgent need to develop our infrastructure, particularly our water and waste water infrastructure.”
“We have discussed the risk of developer contributions being passed on ultimately to consumers. The Department and the Minister will have failed if two out of the three prongs of her approach to waste water issues add to the ever-rising costs for those struggling to get onto the property ladder.”
“On the future direction of travel of the SuDS policy, lessons can definitely be learnt from across the UK and beyond. In Wales, for example, making SuDS mandatory for certain new developments has led to issues with application processing, maintenance problems and enforcement powers. There is an opportunity for lessons to be learned. Local authorities feel that they are not currently resourced to best administer and be held responsible for SuDS, so I think that there are definitely lessons that we can learn on that. It is also vital that any changes in policy do not lead, ultimately, to excess cost being passed on to the consumers.”
“Notification in websites and newspapers has been talked about, and I echo the points made about the use of social media. Obviously, that has a key role to play going forward. I think that NI Water utilises it already, but maybe there is room to have it in black and white going forward. The role of education is also very important. <BR /> <BR />Sustainable drainage systems certainly can be a useful tool in reducing surface water run-off and improving water quality. They can come in many forms, with hard and soft measures. It is worth noting the comments from the Royal Society of Ulster Architects, which has welcomed the proposal to promote SuDS and, indeed, has highlighted the fact that those have been in use for many years.”
“This legislation, as I said, is a step forward in addressing the challenges that we have, and I am sure that the Minister is committed to working with that sector and the people who were in that room and knows the contribution that they have to make to make progress on this important matter. <BR /> <BR />Clause 1 refers to what is commonly known as the hosepipe ban. Such a ban last took place in 2018, and that demonstrates that it is only ever used in exceptional circumstances. That last time exposed a number of issues with the current powers and some issues that were not covered, and the clause gives the opportunity to widen out the criteria. We received confirmation at the Committee recently that those new powers will not impact on the operations of commercial businesses, and that is an important point.”
“<BR /> <BR />The Minister has described the Bill as part of her three-pronged approach to dealing with waste water infrastructure and the crisis that that sector is in. From looking at the Bill's content, I believe that it is a step in the right direction, particularly when we look at the issues around sustainable drainage. The Minister spoke last week at an event marking 80 years of the Institute of Water and of the Construction Employers Federation, which I also attended. That was a very productive event that highlighted the expertise, innovation and experience that was present in a very well-filled room of attendees. The experience of the waste water and water sector has a key role to play, and the sector has the ability to focus on solutions and to play its part.”
“I welcome the opportunity to speak on the Bill at its Second Stage as a member of the Infrastructure Committee. As others have said, the principle of the Bill, as outlined by the Minister, is, ultimately, to improve water management and flood resilience in Northern Ireland — I think that we can all buy into that — through legislative reform and introducing new processes and powers for Northern Ireland Water. We have seen in recent years the impact of storms and the often milder, wetter winters. That highlights the importance of having fit-for-purpose legislation that allows NI Water and other key stakeholders to be agile and resilient to meet the ever-changing needs of today.”
“Minister, the excuses are over. We ask you to stop the decay on our roads and to, now, deliver the strategy and action that is so greatly needed.”
“It holds Infrastructure and Finance — the purse and the power — but, to date, has failed to deliver. I look forward to hearing from the Minister and hope that progress can be made on delivering the long-awaited road maintenance strategy. Our people cannot drive on promises; we need a clear plan and repairs that last. We also need fairness across Northern Ireland, west and east of the Bann, where people pay taxes and rightly expect a reasonable level of service.”
“<BR /> <BR />I would also like the Minister to comment on the role of technology. We have seen how technology has changed our world across many Departments. To the onlooker, however, it does not appear that modern technology is used to the extent that it could be in dealing with and improving our road network. Active travel has an important role to play — we all know the value of walking and cycling, which have so many benefits — but it is simply not possible to enjoy active travel when many of our footpaths and roads are in a dangerous condition, with broken surfaces, overgrown verges and much more. My colleague Keith Buchanan consistently raises that issue in the Committee and the Chamber, and he will no doubt raise it again today. <BR /> <BR />After two years, Sinn Féin is running out of excuses for not getting on top of our roads.”
“There is an opportunity to do better. Utilities sometimes come in a short time after roads have been resurfaced by the Department, following many years of campaigning, and dig up those recently resurfaced roads. That happened in my area in recent months. There is an opportunity for closer working with utility companies to avoid that. There is also a role for partnerships with councils. We have 11 councils, and we often have 11 different models of working, including in councils' relationships with the Department for Infrastructure. There is room for a more joined-up, strategic approach that would ultimately deliver more effective and efficient ways of managing our roads. For example, the relationship between the Department and councils could be improved where councils have responsibility for cleaning channels.”
“It has been tied up in that party's support for the unrealistic targets of the Climate Change Act (Northern Ireland) 2022, leaving landowners in a state of continued confusion. That confusion continues today, while the road remains a major safety concern. Compensation claims on our roads are soaring year after year, because repairs are not being completed, and it is important to note that millions of pounds are being wasted. There are also major challenges with staff, recruitment and resources, and the backlog of £3 billion has left section office trying to manage on limited resources and low staffing levels. Recently, as was mentioned earlier, the Mineral Products Association (MPA) warned of the dire consequences for our roads. <BR /> <BR />The role of utilities is an important issue that needs to be raised as well.”
“<BR /> <BR />Over 2,500 potholes were reported in my constituency of North Down and in the Ards and North Down council area last year. Of those, 1,800 were acted on, but 1,000 were dismissed as having no action. That is 1,000 defects that my constituents have to attempt to drive, cycle and walk over. In the Ards and North Down area alone, 3,800 potholes were reported. That is the highest number in any council in years, yet that area often receives the lowest funding allocation. On a number of occasions, the Minister specifically referenced Ards and North Down as running a successful pilot. While our section office does its best, I assure the Minister that much more is needed. My constituents say clearly, "No more dither, no more delay: end the road decay". <BR /> <BR />The A5 is a failed project under a Sinn Féin Ministry.”
“I fear that this is its failure, but there is an opportunity to do better and to deliver more than excuses. <BR /> <BR />In the previous financial year, just one year, 107,000 potholes were recorded. That is not maintenance but decay and decline. The number of injury and damage claims has more than doubled from 1,400 five years ago to over 3,800 last year. In that same five-year period, over £32 million of public money has been spent on payouts for vehicle damage and personal injury liability claims. Every pound spent on claims is a pound not spent on tar, stone and repair solutions. It is a false economy wherein we pay twice: once in taxes and again in repairs. In 2023-24 alone, 93,600 defects were patched, yet the roads are worse, not better. It proves that patchwork is not a plan. You can patch a hole, but you cannot patch a network.”
“Sinn Féin holds the Infrastructure and the Finance Ministries. It holds the purse and the portfolio, yet, after almost two years, there is still no strategy and no delivery or action on getting to grips with our roads. <BR /> <BR />In March, the Minister told me that a new roads maintenance strategy would be presented to her in the coming weeks. It is now well through September. Weeks have become months, and I fear that they will become years before we see any further action. Dither has become delay, and people are still waiting. Sinn Féin cannot hide behind the Tories any more: they are gone. The previous Minister often repeated that line, but it is no longer the case. Sinn Féin holds the power over the roads. It runs the Department for Infrastructure, and it is in charge of the purse strings.”
“Our public transport system also relies heavily on our roads network. We are not as fortunate as other countries that have a more diverse public transport system, so our roads are a crucial part of our daily living in so many ways. <BR /> <BR />The Minister presides over a Department that has seen its maintenance backlog triple in the past five years. Shockingly, the cost of that now sits at a staggering £3 billion. The longer the problem goes on, the bigger it will become. Action is needed now to start to ensure that the backlog is reduced not just through sticking plasters but through a sustainable vision for dealing with the root causes of the problem. I fear that road maintenance does not seem to be a priority for the Infrastructure Minister and does not seem to be the priority that it should be.”
“Road safety has been compromised significantly, and we have seen a decline in that important issue in the past number of years. <BR /> <BR />Our road network is of significant economic and social importance, and it affects everybody's life daily in so many ways. We are more dependent on road-based transport for industry, commerce and social purposes than any other part of the United Kingdom. Over the past 10 years and counting, we have seen a limited service in road maintenance, and some would say that we have seen a very limited service. Now is the time to change that. The Minister has now been in position for some time, and there is an opportunity to really get to grips with our poor road maintenance. <BR /> <BR />Almost all our freight is transported by road compared with 76% in GB.”
“I thank the Minister for her attendance this evening; the debate is slightly later than expected. I welcome the opportunity to open the debate on delivering a new road maintenance strategy, which is a very important issue to us all around the Chamber and across Northern Ireland. Few issues unite our constituents more than their frustration at the poor and sometimes shocking state of the roads across our country. <BR /> <BR />Our roads are broken. Everyone in Northern Ireland knows that. Day after day, people drive on our crumbling roads, walk on dangerous broken footpaths and try to see past restricted sight lines because of overgrown grass at busy junctions. There are blocked gullies and little or no weed control, and we can see damaged road signage and our footpaths blocked by overgrown vegetation.”
“I thank the Minister for his answer. Given the strength of feeling around the issues and the feeling of some Civil Service staff that the Civil Service has been influenced by particular ideologies, will the Minister end the association with the widely discredited Stonewall organisation?”
“I appreciate the efforts that you are making on this important issue. Will you outline further what your Department is doing to address the difficulties in accessing support from allied health professionals, given what you have said about the increasing demand and pressures on our special school system?”
“The town of Donaghadee in my constituency is still in shock after the events of the weekend. Pregnant mother of two, Sarah Montgomery, became the twenty-seventh female to be murdered in Northern Ireland since 2020, which is a shocking figure. Will the First Minister provide an update on what more the Executive can do and how the change fund can make a change in the Ards and North Down Borough Council area of which Donaghadee is a part?”
“I thank the Minister for making her statement to the House. Which specific properties were approved for disposal, and were any in Northern Ireland?”
“Donaghadee is a very close-knit and caring community. I know that the community there is already rallying around the family of Sarah Montgomery and that that will continue into the future. There is a real sense of shock, sadness and alarm around the devastating events at the weekend. I assure Sarah's family and friends of our thoughts, prayers and condolences at this time of tragedy.”
“The local community of Donaghadee has been left shocked and saddened at the death of Sarah Montgomery at the weekend. At only 27 years old, she was a pregnant mother of two young children, with her whole life ahead of her. Devastatingly, her life was cut short. <BR /> <BR />Sarah was the twenty-seventh adult woman to be killed in Northern Ireland since 2020. The majority of those women were killed in their own homes, which is truly shocking and devastating. A home should be a place of refuge and safety, but, sadly, that is not always the case. The fact that so many lives have been ended, totally devastated and shattered by the ongoing scourge of violence against women and girls in our society highlights the need for tougher sentencing. <BR /> <BR />I appeal to anyone with information to contact the PSNI immediately.”
“It is truly a shocking situation and very worrying. The High Court has concluded that, if the A5 road is to be built and emission targets met, other infrastructure projects may have to go by the wayside and other sectors may have to be squeezed. Does the Minister believe that it is acceptable for climate change legislation to create a hierarchy in which only certain roads, schools or hospitals can be built? How will the ruling impact on other major infrastructure projects?”
“I thank the Minister for the statement. It outlines that there has been a variance in the final out-turn of £80 million across the most recent three-year period. If that has been potentially going on for several years, why is the Department only addressing the issue now? Was it ignored by former Minister O'Dowd?”
“I urge the Justice Minister to outline clearly how her Department will improve protections for all emergency service workers and help to improve the justice system, particularly for victims.”
“<BR /> <BR />In conclusion, I want to touch upon a particular crime that was raised in the debate and highlighted just last week by the Police Federation for Northern Ireland's Let Them Protect campaign. I was pleased to be able to attend the event for that campaign, and I know that the Minister attended as well. It is important that we always keep focused on what we can do to protect our emergency service workers and everyone who works in the public sector. The campaign rightly calls for heavier fines and longer custodial sentences for people who commit totally unacceptable assaults on those public-sector workers. For too long, criminals have felt that they can punch, kick, spit and ram policemen and policewomen, as well as many of our other public-sector workers, without fear of serious punishment.”
“Ironically, shorter sentences, whilst alarming the public and failing to deter would-be offenders, also often do not provide the adequate time for meaningful rehabilitation support to be put in place. To that end, the sentence fails to achieve either of its goals. <BR /> <BR />A sentencing council, as we heard, could make the sentencing process more transparent, and there is an opportunity for the Department to explore that. Many constituents raise genuine concerns about a lack of fairness in sentencing. In England and Wales, one of the key aims of the guidelines that the Sentencing Council issued is the achievement of consistency of approach in sentencing.”
“<BR /> <BR />In addition to the impact that they have on prisoners and reoffending rates, we must not lose sight of the impact that lenient sentences have on the victims of crime and their families. Figures that my colleague Jonathan Buckley revealed recently found that just over 10% of those who were convicted at court for sexual offences against children received a custodial sentence of more than five years. We must ask ourselves this: what kind of message does that send out about our society's ability to protect our most vulnerable and to punish those who so disgracefully prey upon them? I know that many members of the public right across Northern Ireland have shared their disgust at what they view to be sentences that do not remotely reflect the seriousness of the crime.”
“Unfortunately, evidence from the Commissioner Designate for Victims of Crime suggests that confidence in our criminal justice system is lacking, with only 7% of respondents being fairly confident that the criminal justice system could deliver for victims of crime. <BR /> <BR />The reality is that our justice system must do better. The lack of confidence in the system will only discourage victims from coming forward. As noted in the motion, recent figures show that 80% of prisoners in Northern Ireland are classed as repeat offenders, which is a shocking statistic in 2025. That indicates a failure of sentencing to properly deter offenders and a failure of our justice system as a whole to adequately reform and rehabilitate.”
“I welcome the opportunity to speak on the motion, and I thank Mr Beattie for proposing it. <BR /> <BR />As a party, we are fully committed to supporting measures that improve people's experiences in our criminal justice system. Victims must come first. Unfortunately, in recent years, it appears that that has not always been the case. That is highlighted in the motion, which refers to "lenient sentences". We will, hopefully, see improvement. We want to raise confidence, particularly amongst women and girls who are the victims of abuse, in people's ability to pursue prosecutions and bring perpetrators to justice. To do that, complainants, victims, defendants, witnesses and society as a whole need to have confidence in our law and justice system.”
“As the living with water programme in Belfast is paused, how long will the pause be? Will you outline your engagement with NI Water and what more you will do to tackle the waste water capacity crisis that we have across Northern Ireland?”
“Will the Minister, first of all, join me in paying tribute to Robin Masefield CBE, former director general of the Northern Ireland Prison Service, who passed away, sadly, at the weekend? <BR /> <BR />In her statement, the Minister mentioned human trafficking and people smuggling across the border, which is still rising, unfortunately. What more can be done in the time ahead, Minister?”
“<BR /> <BR />I extend my sympathies to his wife, Rosemary, and his wider family circle. Robin Masefield will always be remembered fondly across North Down and beyond.”
“When he retired, he became known as "Mr Helen's Bay". He was a passionate community champion in his beloved Helen's Bay, where he lived, through his work as the secretary of the Helen's Bay and Crawfordsburn Residents Association over many years. He was committed and a real community champion. He was a highly intelligent man who was never afraid to roll up his sleeves and get involved in community life. He was involved in the u3a and in Holywood Shared Town. He was also an accomplished author, penning many books, particularly of local historical interest, including books on the history of Palace Barracks, on the 150th anniversary of the railway between Holywood and Bangor, on Grey Point Fort and on many other local subjects that he championed and for which he was a proud campaigner.”
“Many of you will have heard the name. He was a distinguished civil servant who committed a lot of his time and many years to service.”
“Today, I pay tribute to Mr Alex Jones from Bangor, who sadly passed away at the weekend. Alex was an incredible character and a much-loved personality. His personality was truly infectious to all who knew and loved him. He was a proud chairman of the Somme Memorial Flute Band in Bangor. He was heavily involved in his beloved local football club, Bryansburn Rangers Football Club, and, as an ex-serviceman, was also a proud member of the Bangor branch of the Royal British Legion and much more. He had many friends in the Bangor and north Down area, across Northern Ireland, in Scotland and beyond. I express my sympathies to his wife, Mandy, and his sons, Scott and Kristopher. Alex was a great personality and will, indeed, be missed by so many across the land. <BR /> <BR />I also pay tribute to Mr Robin Masefield CBE.”
“I thank the Minister for his commitment to that school and other schools in North Down. He visited the school with me last year. Can the Minister advise why there has been a revision to the technical design of the project for Bangor Central Integrated Primary School?”
“I thank the Minister for his statement. There has been only one uplift in the additional security funding budget in the last decade. Does the Minister agree that that simply does not go far enough towards meeting the extra costs facing policing across Northern Ireland? Will he make a commitment to fund the PSNI recovery plan for the duration of the spending review?”
“I thank the deputy First Minister for her answer. As she says, the spending review announcement will be made on Wednesday. What are the Executive's key priorities out of it? What would you like to see on Wednesday?”
“Congratulations, Michael Dunlop, and very best wishes to you. I am sure that many more victories are to come in the years ahead.”
“It was fitting that a special event was held recently in Ballymoney to remember his legacy 25 years on. Stars from today and yesteryear turned out in style on some of Joey's most iconic bikes. <BR /> <BR />Despite many personal trials and tragedy, Michael continues to excel. To win a record 33 races at the Isle of Man TT — two last week in the very competitive super-sport class and another in the super-twin class — is an incredible achievement. The TT is one of the most iconic and competitive motor sport competitions in the world. The success that Michael has had is amazing, and we can all celebrate it. <BR /> <BR />We have a proud legacy and heritage in Northern Ireland of punching well above our weight in so many sports, including motor sport, and that success continues to this day.”
“I congratulate our very own road racing legend, Mr Michael Dunlop, on winning his thirty-third TT on the Isle of Man last week. It is a truly incredible achievement that is worthy of celebration and recognition. It is an honour for another sporting hero from Northern Ireland of whom we can be proud. The Dunlop family name in motorcycle road racing is truly world-famous and iconic through the success of Michael's late uncle, Joey; his late dad, Robert; and his late brother, William, all of whom are sadly no longer with us but have left an incredible legacy of success in their sport of motorcycle road racing. <BR /> <BR />This summer also marks 25 years since the late great Joey Dunlop tragically passed away while competing in Estonia. He will certainly never be forgotten.”
“I thank the Minister for her statement. The Minister mentioned removing barriers to travel for the most vulnerable. Hopefully, she will be aware that the journey by train to George Best Belfast City Airport can be challenging for passengers with accessibility needs. Will she provide an update on or timescale for when decisions will be made on improvements to rail accessibility at the airport through the City Airport rail connectivity feasibility project?”
“I welcome the Department's recently launched advertising campaign that highlights the dangers that children face when getting on and off buses. It is important that that campaign be spread as widely as possible. At Question Time, I mentioned the need for proper maintenance to be undertaken around our schools. Our section offices should be supported with investment to ensure that warning signage, yellow markings and so on can be kept well maintained and that every effort is made to prioritise and not compromise on road safety for all road users, including our schoolchildren.”
“They have made a positive difference across the country in urban and rural areas, and we need to see more of them. I welcome the commitment to a further tranche of 20 mph zones, albeit that "modest" was the word used. It should be kept high on the agenda, so I encourage the Minister to make further progress on the roll-out of 20 mph zones. <BR /> <BR />Additionally, we still await the publication of the 2025-26 road safety strategy action plan, which, I trust, will include measures to improve road safety not just around bus stops and on school routes but across our local communities. A gap exists, but we must look at introducing short-, medium- and long-term measures that will give confidence to parents and ensure safer routes to and from school. <BR /> <BR />We know that awareness campaigns and advertising methods can be powerful.”
“<BR /> <BR />Primary responsibility for exploring legislative options lies with the Department for Infrastructure. Since the Minister has been in post, she has outlined how road safety is a key priority for her. The motion provides her with an opportunity to demonstrate that further through actions, not just words. I welcome her commitment made earlier today — outside of the Chamber, I may add — on the issue. I welcome that step. We also recognise, however, that improving road safety around our schools will require a joined-up approach and collaboration among such stakeholders as DFI, the PSNI, the Education Authority, the Department of Education and our local communities and councils. All have a role to play. As was mentioned during Question Time, the 20 mph zones are a welcome step forward.”
“No parent should be sending their child to school in the morning and be worried that they may not come back. Tragically, events in recent months and years have made that a genuine concern for many parents across Northern Ireland. We must recognise that the danger is particularly acute in rural areas, where narrow roads, blind bends and sometimes higher speeds can only magnify the threat. It is important, however, to point out that those concerns also exist in our busy urban areas. Tragically, we have seen too many near misses and, in some cases, heartbreaking accidents that might have been prevented, had stronger safeguards been in place. Some of those incidents have been referenced already this afternoon. We need to see action now, and we must always remember the families of those who have been most impacted on.”