Deborah Erskine
Fermanagh and South Tyrone · Democratic Unionist Party · Northern Ireland
“Minister, you did not mention the removal of the zero-detriment policy, which is a concern that I have. That is worrying for anybody who sits in the Chamber, and for the construction industry in particular.”
“I thank the Minister for his comments about the Western Trust's chair. I, too, pass on my sympathies to his family. <BR /> <BR />Minister, we had the pause to the emergency general surgery consultation process last July. You asked the trust to provide a vision plan.”
“Quality assurance is really important when looking at roads. A number of us in the Chamber could take you to potholes that we have raised with the Department that have been fixed but have then reopened within a matter of days, meaning that we have had to go back into the portal to raise it with DFI staff again.”
“I thank the Minister for her statement and hope that she enjoyed her visit to Enniskillen. The statement mentions moorings. I want to focus on the Fermanagh end of the Ulster canal. I have received communication about accessible jetties and ensuring that jetties and moorings are up to standard.”
“<BR /> <BR />That was laid bare last Wednesday when representatives from the ICRIR said that they had written to the Irish Government 11 or 12 times without receiving any form of reply from them. That is shameful.”
“<BR /> <BR />It is interesting that, for years, Sinn Féin has called on the UK Government to provide information, yet its silence on the Irish Government is deafening. There are people who sit in the Chamber who know exactly the truth about what happened, yet they are prepared to lie about their involvement in the IRA.”
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“I thank the Minister for her answer. I have always supported policing, and I have always wanted to stand up for our police force in Northern Ireland. They are the people who protect our communities and help to support people in them. The Minister outlined a number of things that she has been doing, and I appreciate that. In that context, therefore, does she agree that adequate funding and increasing police numbers would support and help to create better morale? Does she support the Chief Constable, a man who is passionate about his workforce and who is trying to invest in them and fight for them, who took steps to request more funding and support over the summer?”
“I thank the First Minister and deputy First Minister for their statement. I welcome the Programme for Government in the face of many challenges that are facing the Executive. One such issue is investment in our waste water treatment. I welcome the document's references to creating better infrastructure. However, some of the funding for capital works relating to waste water treatment will fall under the investment strategy, so can the Minister point to work that is actively taking place in that regard so that it can tie in with the core missions of the Programme for Government?”
“The Planning Appeals Commission, which is sponsored by the DOJ, is in a logjam, and there is an onus on the Justice Minister to look seriously at that. It must all be properly and adequately funded, and there must be a cross-departmental, non-siloed approach to ensure that our government policies and legislation strategies are funded and matched up so that we have delivery on the ground in every constituency across Northern Ireland. <BR /> <BR />I pay tribute to my DUP colleagues, mainly my party leader, Gavin Robinson, who, for some time, has been raising the need for Northern Ireland to be adequately funded and to see an uplift. DUP MPs were doing that long before others. They often did so as lone voices. My party will continue that work, and, today, I support the Budget (No. 2) Bill.”
“The latter recommended that the Government provide funding and major project expertise for the purposes of delivering specific recommendations for cross-border rail. In particular, I want the Infrastructure Minister to ensure that Fermanagh is included in future rail development plans. <BR /> <BR />Furthermore, our planning system needs fundamental change. I know of investors who are hesitant about injecting cash into Northern Ireland for major developments or projects simply because of the time that it takes to get applications through the system. In the past few weeks, the Committee heard from the renewables sector, and it was clear that the planning system is hampering applications for wind farms, which could have an impact on our ability to reach our climate change targets.”
“Schools and new homes cannot be built, and, without updated planning policy or capacity in our Northern Ireland water systems, we run the risk of investors pulling out of Northern Ireland. <BR /> <BR />Delivering high-quality infrastructure will be the foundation of future growth across the United Kingdom of which we are a part. I want to see development of infrastructure projects and the ideas that are contained in the Union connectivity review. I know that my DUP colleagues have been working at Westminster to ensure that Northern Ireland has its fair share of funding to see those projects become a reality. There are clear synergies between the Northern Ireland connectivity review and the all-island rail review.”
“It would be helpful, therefore, if the Minister could set out when she expects to be in a position to bring forward the next Budget and whether that is expected to be a single- or multi-year Budget. <BR /> <BR />I will now briefly speak in my capacity as an MLA for Fermanagh and South Tyrone. As I have said in the Chamber many times, infrastructure is the bedrock of our society. Providing better road networks, building better capacity in our waste water treatment and aiding better transport networks are key to unlocking more and better jobs, helping our economy, drawing down investment and securing even the most basic right in life: a roof over your head. Therefore, it must be taken seriously. A lack of investment in that area has a knock-on impact on other Ministries.”
“However, for that to occur, the Committee has to be extended the opportunity to contribute in a timely manner. The scarcity of resource makes the need for Committees to actively participate to ensure that public money is maximised all the more important. <BR /> <BR />The Committee will monitor the Department's performance through the in-year monitoring round process and the progress against its business plan objectives and its end-year out-turn. Furthermore, the Committee will wish to engage with the Department on its resource requirements for the next financial year at the earliest opportunity to enable it to engage more widely with stakeholders.”
“I conveyed my dissatisfaction with the situation when officials attended the Committee last week to give evidence on the June monitoring round. <BR /> <BR />The timescale for interaction between Committees and Departments details the process for engagement between Committees and their respective Departments in respect of consultations. The Committee expects that to be adhered to as far as possible, regardless of the circumstances. It therefore expects the Department to provide a copy of the report on the consultation, including details of any proposed changes to the indicative allocations, in advance of any final decisions by the Minister. I have previously stated that the Committee is keen to work collaboratively and constructively with the Minister and the Department.”
“The equality impact assessment (EQIA) consultation was subsequently launched on 11 June. It is disappointing that the Committee received no advance copy of the consultation document and was advised of its launch only on the day after publication. Notwithstanding the severely constrained time frames associated with the Budget, the Committee for Infrastructure has a statutory function to advise and assist the Minister. Without sight of the consultation document, the Committee was not aware of some of the measures being considered by the Department to reduce spending, such as the introduction of a concessionary fares application fee, before the document was made publicly available, despite specifically requesting the details of such measures during the oral evidence session.”
“In response, the Committee was advised that no detailed information on the options was available at that time and that that would be developed after responses on the indicative allocations were received from the respective parts of the Department and its ALBs.”
“The Committee was informed that ALBs and various parts of DFI had been asked to respond to their indicative allocations within four weeks, after which a consultation on the equality screening of the indicative allocations would be undertaken. Given that the Budget allocation falls short of the requirements identified by DFI, officials were asked for information on the options or measures that might need to be considered in order to live within budget.”
“Both objectives require significant capital investment in our infrastructure, so it is essential that we move to a multi-year Budget. That would give more certainty to the Departments that typically incur higher capital spend. Capital projects are complex and expensive, so Departments need to know that funding will be available in future years to ensure that key capital projects can be delivered. Undoubtedly, the lack of a multi-year Budget constrains our ambitions to develop capital projects. It means that there is a lack of clarity on whether there will be sufficient capital funding in subsequent years as projects progress. <BR /> <BR />The Committee received oral evidence on the 2024-25 Budget allocations at its meeting on 29 May.”
“<BR /> <BR />Our water system is at capacity in many areas, and, in others, it is in desperate need of being updated. That has social and economic impacts: it prevents the building of social housing, for example, and limits industrial and economic development. Investment is, therefore, essential, not only to support our existing economy but to grow capacity to help our economy to grow. Regrettably, however, the indicative allocation for this year falls short of the requirements identified by Northern Ireland Water. <BR /> <BR />Translink will also face significant challenges to ensure that it can support the transition towards a decarbonised public transport fleet and reduce the amount of harmful greenhouse gases that it produces.”
“Our water infrastructure, particularly our waste-water infrastructure, is in desperate need of a significant capital injection. <BR /> <BR />Through the price control 2021 (PC21) process, the Utility Regulator issued his determination of the financial resources that would be required to allow Northern Ireland Water to fulfil its responsibilities. During oral evidence to the Committee, the Utility Regulator noted that we are in a difficult situation with the lack of funding to achieve the PC21 goals. The Committee was also advised that the Utility Regulator had undertaken a midterm review to evaluate whether the initial determination remained realistic. We look forward to the outcome of that review. However, we must be mindful of the role that inflation will have had since that initial PC21 determination.”
“The Department for Infrastructure's overall resource allocation for 2024-25 is £559·5 million against forecast requirements of £676·6 million. The Department submitted bids totalling £1·2 billion for its capital budget and received an overall capital allocation of £820 million. The Committee is fully aware that the Department and its arm's-length bodies (ALBs) face significant challenges across many business areas, which will affect all of our day-to-day lives. Those business areas include the maintenance of our road network and water infrastructure and the delivery of public transport services across Northern Ireland. It is generally acknowledged that some of those key areas have already suffered from years of underfunding. That makes the current Budget position all the more concerning.”
“I welcome the opportunity to contribute to today's debate on behalf of the Committee for Infrastructure. As we all know, the financial landscape in Northern Ireland has presented significant challenges to Departments to manage their day-to-day services. That is likely to continue to be the case. As Members are acutely aware, the restricted Budget settlement means that all Departments are operating within significant constraints, which means that tough decisions will be required to prioritise services and what can realistically be delivered. <BR /> <BR />Since resuming business, the Committee for Infrastructure has received oral evidence on a number of occasions to try to understand the Department's financial position and the associated challenges that it will face over this financial year.”
“Yes. Will the Minister commit to listening to the industry and having input into the Treasury's VAT consultation on that issue?”
“I thank the Minister for her answer. I am pleased to hear that there is ongoing engagement. I have a particular concern about the taxi industry. In 2014, there were 16,000 taxi licences in operation, but that number was down to 7,500 at the beginning of this year. The taxi industry is worried about VAT changes and what those will mean for the industry, because they could result in operators going out of business or drivers not entering the industry.”
“Are there any measures that the Minister can take to make sure that the decisions are rural-proofed? This is corporate decision-making, and, ultimately, we are only asking and urging. What can the Minister do about that?”
“I thank the Minister for her answer. I welcome the fact that there will be a follow-up in autumn and look forward to hearing the outcomes of that. <BR /> <BR />Those services are vital for rural areas. Banks make corporate decisions without thought or regard for the people of rural areas.”
“When will the rest be reviewed, and will the Minister commit to jointly funding the event duration monitors so that we can truly monitor the overspills, which will help to arrest the pollution incidences that result from our waste water treatment works?”
“I thank the Minister for his statement. I understand that the Minister is keen to remove the statement of regulatory principles and intent (SORPI) arrangements, following the review that was instigated by previous Ministers, Minister Poots and Nichola Mallon. The Infrastructure Committee has raised questions on the pollution incidents that have occurred as a result of NI Water overspills. The Minister said that overspills in our waterways were to a lesser extent than those from agriculture, but, technically, that is not true. In truth, we do not fully know. <BR /> <BR />In response to the Committee, the Infrastructure Minister confirmed that there were 724 storm overflows. Only 60 of those are deemed satisfactory, and only 260 have been assessed.”
“I thank the Minister for his statement. He provided an update on the ongoing work to review and update the Shannon navigation and canal by-laws. In evidence to the Infrastructure Committee, Waterways Ireland officials advised that there is an aspiration that, at some point, once that work is completed, we will revisit the Erne by-laws to update them as well. The way in which we use our waterways and safety around them has changed significantly over the years — I see that issue as a local MLA — and updates to the by-laws need to reflect that. What discussions, if any, has the North/South Ministerial Council had on updating the Erne by-laws? If there have been no discussions, will you give the House a commitment that you will raise that issue?”
“I thank the Minister for his statement. He referred briefly to the all-island strategic rail review. Can he provide more detail on the next steps with that review after it has been presented to the Executive and the Government of Ireland next month, particularly the discussions between the Governments in the context of the Union connectivity review? Obviously, my perspective is as an MLA for Fermanagh and South Tyrone. Can he share whether Fermanagh will be included? We need to ensure that we have a regionally balanced transport network, and it is the only county that is not included.”
“I thank the Minister for his answer. I welcome the fact that it is cross-departmental, but I am aware of seven planning applications that have been taken out of the system for the shared rural network programme. In rural areas, that will have a major impact on mobile connectivity and our ability to grow our economy, businesses and all of that. Outdated planning policy is hindering the project, so what exactly will the Minister do to solve that issue quickly, before we are left behind?”
“The Minister will be acutely aware that I, too, want to see Enniskillen Royal Grammar School progress. Can he indicate what the timescales may be, once the school completes the planning stage? Decanting to the Devenish College site is not ideal either, given that the college moved to a new site and there are issues with that site as well.”
“Key to the night-time economy is having proper infrastructure, such as taxis and public transport, in place. The night czar has raised the issue of a lack of taxi provision in particular around the city centre. Those workers are concerned about the VAT consultation that is going on at the moment in respect of Treasury's plans. There seems to be a nonchalant view of that from the Department. Is the Minister working with DFI in relation to those VAT plans? Is he working with the taxi industry? We cannot afford to have fewer taxi drivers in the system.”
“It will be no surprise to the Minister that I am interested in housing need in rural areas. He referred to issues around hidden demand and to his ministerial engagement with stakeholders. What steps is the Minister taking to identify hidden demand, specifically in rural areas?”
“— position of Northern Ireland. Therefore, we will vote against the motion.”
“We will continue to make the case that the Trade and Cooperation Agreement review next year presents an opportunity to demonstrate that Northern Ireland should not be bound by EU law, which is not needed when mutual enforcement and recognition would and could work between the UK and EU. That will ensure that any approach to affording businesses and consumers access to both the UK and EU markets respects the territorial integrity of the UK, the value of existing trade flows and the constitutional —”
“That approach was recklessly dismissed by the EU and Dublin.”
“Mutual recognition would see the 5% of businesses in Northern Ireland that trade with the EU monitored by UK authorities to ensure that they have complied with EU standards and regulations and paid any tariffs due. The EU would take the same responsibility for Irish businesses exporting into Northern Ireland.”
“It is unclear how the development of a new economic strategy for Northern Ireland, as recommended by the motion, falls into the remit of "implementation". Furthermore, why should the Republic's foreign direct investment association have any role in the development of Northern Ireland's trade and investment strategies? Promoting Northern Ireland's role in a truly global economy should be a matter for the Executive, Invest NI and the Department for Business and Trade. We are firmly of the view that it does not require large swathes of EU law to apply in Northern Ireland to secure advantageous and mutually beneficial trading arrangements.”
“Creating working groups that focus solely on North/South trade, rather than investment opportunities that encompass the whole UK, limits what can be achieved for our businesses and communities. <BR /> <BR />The motion envisages a role for the North/South Ministerial Council that frankly does not exist. Article 14(b) of the protocol states that the Specialised Committee will:”
“<BR /> <BR />Today's motion also talks about the potential benefits of so-called dual market access for attracting inward investment to Northern Ireland. It fails to consider that, if a global manufacturer is considering investing in Northern Ireland's highly skilled workforce, barriers to sourcing key materials from one of the world's largest economies — GB — will have a chilling effect on whether a business chooses to invest. A competitive advantage at the point of sale is of little benefit if there is a competitive disadvantage elsewhere in the supply chain. We accept the reference to easing the flow of trade between GB and NI in the motion, but it is at best superficial. There is no reference to a role for Intertrade UK, which will be key to promoting trade between our four nations.”
“Moreover, GB remains the largest and most valuable market for Northern Ireland's economy, including external sales. Those trends must be reflected through trade, customs and regulatory arrangements that provide unfettered access for firms and consumers. The SDLP, Sinn Féin and Alliance fail to realise that the internal barriers to trade between GB and NI have a direct and tangible impact on our competitiveness when firms market their goods outside Northern Ireland, including in the EU. The higher transport and logistical costs from GB for raw materials will lead to higher production costs and, in turn, higher product prices, which collectively makes breaking into new markets more challenging.”
“The DUP has been clear that the arrangements to which Northern Ireland is currently subject impact on and undermine the integrity of the UK's internal market. However, the DUP was able to make gains. Building on the progress to date, the DUP will continue to fight to fully restore Northern Ireland's place within the United Kingdom, including removing the application of EU law in our country and the internal Irish Sea border that it creates. <BR /> <BR />The continued barriers to trade with GB demonstrate that dual market access to both the UK and EU markets, in the broadest sense depicted by those who tabled the motion, does not exist in the sense outlined. We must not pretend otherwise. Purchases made by Northern Irish businesses from GB were worth more than twice as much as those from the whole EU, including the Irish Republic, in 2022.”
“Everybody in here knows that the information that has come out from 'Spotlight' is concerning: we all get that. However, big companies and Northern Ireland Water are, essentially, getting away with polluting rivers. That is not just happening in Lough Neagh; it could be happening elsewhere in Northern Ireland. When will enforcement happen on the issue? It is vital.”
“The Infrastructure Committee received information about properties that are at risk of flood. For example, 45,000 properties are located in at-risk areas, and, when you add climate change to that, there are an additional 14,800 at-risk properties. The Committee has asked for a breakdown of where those properties are. I am cognisant of the fact that the budget position is not exactly helpful in relation to prioritising schemes. Will the Minister detail what he intends to do about flood alleviation schemes for that significant number of properties in Northern Ireland?”
“Absolutely. I thank the Member for his intervention. It is vital to growing our economy and making Northern Ireland better. I therefore endorse the legislative programme, and I look forward to working on it with all colleagues.”
“Furthermore, there must be implementation of the planning reviews and strategies born from Northern Ireland Audit Office and Public Accounts Committee reports. Planning issues have a knock-on impact on our ability to grow our economy and could have a detrimental impact on our ability to reach the climate change targets that are already set out in legislation. <BR /> <BR />As I have said in the Chamber, infrastructure is the bedrock of our society. It is therefore important that legislation and finance match it to make Northern Ireland better.”
“<BR /> <BR />In closing my comments made with my Infrastructure Committee hat on, the Committee understands that the Bill is not expected to be large in the number of clauses that it will contain. Nonetheless, it will include important provisions, and the Committee will want to take time to consider them in detail when the Bill is introduced later this year. <BR /> <BR />As a DUP MLA, I will briefly touch on some aspects of the Bill. Through the Committee, I have become aware of legislation that is not fit for purpose, such as that which relates to our taxi industry. It is important that the Department takes that seriously, such are the consequences for home-to-school transport and, indeed, our night-time economy.”
“<BR /> <BR />Other areas explored during the evidence session with departmental officials were the policy proposals relating to SuDS and the homeowner flood protection grant scheme. While the Bill will provide enabling powers for the SuDS guidance, the detail will be brought forward in secondary legislation. It appears that quite a bit of secondary legislation will follow from the Bill. The Committee will want to consider whether the use of delegated powers is appropriate or the provisions should be included in primary legislation. Where delegated legislation is appropriate, we will want to ensure that it is afforded the proper level of Assembly control.”
“In its covering letter to the Department, Northern Ireland Water stated that it would need clarity on the funding and cost implications of the proposal. During the oral evidence session, almost two years later, NI Water said that it had still not had clarity or detailed discussions, yet the proposed extended or new powers appear to have cost implications for it. Members will know the funding issues faced by Northern Ireland Water and the impact that underinvestment has had, particularly on waste water infrastructure. I expect the potential financial implications of the Bill to be of particular interest when the Committee undertakes its detailed scrutiny at Committee Stage.”
“Although the draft Budget allocations had not been announced before the evidence sessions took place, the Committee was fully aware of the overall constrained financial position that the Executive faced. Departmental officials were therefore questioned on what cost or savings analysis of the Bill's provisions had been undertaken. However, they were unable to provide details of potential costs or savings. They explained that the Bill will provide for enabling powers, with the details subsequently being worked out in subordinate legislation. <BR /> <BR />In advance of its evidence session, Northern Ireland Water provided the Committee with its response to the Department's consultation, which was dated June 2022.”
“The water, flooding and sustainable drainage Bill will expand the range of activities that are to be included in a hosepipe ban; provide enabling powers for guidance on sustainable drainage systems (SuDS); enable the adoption of pre-1973 private drainage infrastructure; include powers for Northern Ireland Water to fix missed connections and register adoption agreements in statutory charges registers; put the homeowner flood protection grant on a statutory footing; and make technical amendments to existing legislation. <BR /> <BR />The Committee received oral evidence from departmental officials on the outcome of the Department's consultation and from NI Water, as the Bill will make amendments to its powers and duties.”
“I welcome the opportunity to speak on behalf of the Committee for Infrastructure. As the First Minister outlined, the Executive's legislative programme for 2024 includes one Bill for the Department for Infrastructure, and that is the water, flooding and sustainable drainage Bill. That is the first of five potential Bills that the Department identified, and the Committee understands that there will be at least three Bills in the current mandate.”
“<BR /> <BR />The veterans of D-Day landed on those beaches to fight for freedom for everybody; they did not discriminate. They were heroes for all. The First Minister, unfortunately, fell short of her promise to be First Minister for all.”
“I do not know what other engagements, she felt, were a higher priority, but perhaps she will spell out the reason for the decision that she took. The veterans who made the trip deserve an explanation, but so do the wider public. The deputy First Minister represented not just all those who stepped up to fight from Northern Ireland; I am glad that she also referenced those from across the island of Ireland who joined the Allied fight against the Nazi regime. The mistakes of our political representatives were not confined to the First Minister. Our Prime Minister was in Normandy, but he prioritised an election interview and left early. His decision to leave is inexplicable, but he has at least taken the step of apologising: the least that could be expected.”
“The freedoms that they helped to win must always be honoured and protected. <BR /> <BR />As elected representatives, we, in particular, enjoy the benefits of those hard-won freedoms. Democracy and freedom to put forward our different viewpoints were secured by all those who landed on the beaches of Normandy. We all, from whatever background, enjoy those freedoms. People from across Northern Ireland were pleased to see the deputy First Minister join veterans and leaders from across the world in Portsmouth and Normandy. It was humbling to see veterans of over 100 years of age or in their late nineties travelling to remember their friends and comrades on the Normandy beaches. Despite their frailty, they stayed to the end of events. <BR /> <BR />It is disappointing that the First Minister was not present.”