David Brooks
East Belfast · Democratic Unionist Party · Northern Ireland
“Does the Member accept that our position, as it has been laid out and although it is different from hers, is that schools should have autonomy to decide those things? It is not about appointing anyone, least of all men specifically, to make those decisions; it is about school leadership.”
“I recognise that the Member is being genuine, as all Members have been as they have laid out their reasoning, and I have some sympathy with that. However, Northern Ireland is being portrayed almost as an outlier.”
“We have seen some enthusiasm for private Members' Bills introduced by those on the Benches opposite progressing at speed, and I hope to see similar motivation for such a key issue as inspections. In the past — admittedly, when there was less time pressure — the Committee was generous with its time when hearing from stakeholders.”
“I will say a few words rather make a lengthy speech. The Justice Bill is coming up, and I am sure that my colleague Mr Frew will have that covered.”
“I echo the sentiments that racism is always wrong, but one of the pressures that are causing frustration is the lack of social and affordable housing, particularly in our most deprived communities. That has been exacerbated by Mears's operation.”
“I will not take lectures in scripture and Christianity from those who often spend their time opposing Christian values — I have no truck with such lectures. Equally, I say to those who have been involved in the violence that you will not rebuild a Christian nation by torching houses or cars or by attacking the police.”
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“<BR /> <BR />In my first weeks here, I have heard Members speaking in the Chamber and at the Education Committee about their commitment to and vision for SEN education. The intent of their words is, I believe, sincere, but words are not enough. A vision — a wish list — will remain only that unless the UK Government deliver on their promise of the sufficient, needs-based funding model that my party has advocated. Equally, all parties across the Chamber that are represented at the Executive must be prepared to back up the talk of prioritising education by empowering the Minister with the investment required to improve the lives of all those who depend on and work in our SEN education services. I look forward to working with Members across the House towards that shared goal.”
“Educational transitions should be as smooth as possible for every child, they should be timely and not disruptive to the pupil's education, and they should not exacerbate the challenges that children or their families already face. The Education Authority must be fully accountable in that regard. Too often, its approach appears to be policy-focused rather than child-focused. <BR /> <BR />The needs of the sector and, most importantly, the children go beyond the allocation of places. They require access to tailored and evidence-based support, the mainstreaming of SEN training for all our trainee teachers and facilities that are fit for purpose. We know, however, that, in every sector, transformation and improvement require resource. The implementation of the end-to-end review will be no different.”
“I have nothing but admiration for the work of staff in both schools, which, I know, is replicated in others across the constituency in what are, too often, unfit facilities that are bursting at the seams and in need of repair and replacement. That is testament to their dedication to their vocation and to the children. There is recognition on all sides that, too often, the system in which they operate hinders rather than helps them in that difficult, if fulfilling, work. <BR /> <BR />From speaking to the Education Minister, I know that he is fully committed, as we all should be, to do all within his gift to ensure that young children with SEN have, like their peers, an education that is suited to and takes account of their needs.”
“<BR /> <BR />Through highs and lows, east Belfast's anchor has always been its people: resilient, loyal, hard-working and strong-willed. Today, they look forward, wanting, as we all do, a better future for this generation and the next, easy access to healthcare when their loved ones need it, decent homes for their family and quality schools and education for their children. The motion addresses the need to invest in and secure that education for some of our most vulnerable children. <BR /> <BR />Last week, I visited Greenwood House Assessment Centre and later spoke to the principal of Mitchell House School.”
“<BR /> <BR />Throughout my childhood, it felt like some of those iconic industries were in terminal decline, but the east does not just have a proud history; it has an exciting future, which is core to the new and emerging Northern Ireland economy. Today, we see Spirit AeroSystems seeking to grow their footprint here; Thales, which is at the cutting edge of defence systems; and the cranes of Harland and Wolff, which are such a symbol of our city and of Northern Ireland, again overlooking shipbuilding and a new generation of skilled yardmen and women. The nearby Harbour estate is now teeming with new and thriving industries in the sciences, cybersecurity, film and creative industries, and tourism and hospitality, all of which are foundations of what can be a bright future for all.”
“I was raised a little further east, in Comber, but my family on both sides is rooted in the east. My father hailed from Dundonald, and my mother's side of the family was originally from Saunders Street — now gone — at the bottom of the Newtownards Road. <BR /> <BR />East Belfast has a proud history. It has been at the fore of some of Ulster's most iconic industries: the linen mills; the rope-works; aerospace and defence at Short Brothers; and shipbuilding at Harland and Wolff. It was home to the great CS Lewis, whose image and words greet us on the way into the Chamber. It gave us arguably the world's greatest footballing talent in the Cregagh's own George Best, and, of course, our first Prime Minister, James Craig.”
“Thank you, Madam Principal Deputy Speaker. I am proud to rise for the first time in the Chamber, and I am thankful to those who elected me to represent the great constituency of East Belfast. In the traditions of the Chamber, I will refer a little to my predecessor and my constituency before I move on to the scope of the motion. <BR /> <BR />I follow my friend — a great servant of East Belfast, my party and the House — Robin Newton. As I told him before my election, he was long an encouragement to me. He was, and remains — even outside this place — a peerless example when it comes to providing public service to the place and the people that he was proud to represent and work for over three decades, two of which were in the Assembly. Thank you, Robin. <BR /> <BR />In some ways, I am East Belfast by choice.”
“Minister, in which circumstances is the EA likely to refuse a statutory assessment request by a parent?”
“My thanks to the Minister for his statement. My constituency colleague Gavin Robinson MP has been engaging with him already on two SEN schools in my constituency, Mitchell House School and Greenwood House Assessment Centre. Will the Minister agree to joining us in a visit those schools to see the critical need for the upgrades that they are awaiting and to see why the investment that he is, rightly, calling for is so desperately needed for some of our most vulnerable pupils?”
“Mr Speaker, on behalf of the party Whips, I seek another 30-minute suspension.”
“To those who continue to dismiss unionists' grave concerns on the protocol and demand business as usual, I simply and genuinely say this: you gravely underestimate the resilience and determination of unionists of many hues on this issue, and your unwillingness to hear them corrodes confidence in our political system and institutions. Power-sharing requires the confidence of both communities. I was elected on a mandate to seek tangible action on the protocol and restore our place in the UK internal market. I have sought to honour that mandate and the commitments that I have made to my electors. Just as the Secretary of State says that he is bound by legislation and will do what is required of him, I am bound by commitments that I gave to those who gave me my mandate, and I will continue to do what is required of me.”
“The double standards and the attitude of "safeguards for me, but not for thee" corrode trust in our institutions. Earlier this week, we watched as the SDLP emphasised the need for Assembly consent in order to block the provisions of the protocol Bill, while also wanting to override and bin the need for Irish language standards to be approved jointly by the First Minister and deputy First Minister. The hypocrisy of those contrasting positions is obvious and, shamefully, all too regular. <BR /> <BR />Nobody in the Chamber believes that this charade debate will change anything. Sinn Féin and the Alliance Party are staging this stunt as a kick-start to their campaigns in a snap election. Their grandstanding here will change nothing.”
“Since that time, on the ground, I have heard no message more loudly from the unionist community in East Belfast than simply this: stand your ground. They understand not only that the protocol costs Northern Ireland hundreds of millions of pounds each year, or that grace periods mask the full scale of the harm that the protocol brings with it. <BR /> <BR />In my experience, people across the unionist spectrum have had enough of the foundational tenets of the Good Friday Agreement, which many here are happy to extol when it is convenient for them, being considered sacred when they provide political advantage or protection to nationalism, but then being discarded when they become inconvenient or provide similar safeguards to unionism. Unionists want the pitch to be levelled. They want fairness to be restored.”
“No, thank you. <BR /> <BR />Our party wants to see the institutions restored in full. We have operated them for 15 years, and our commitment to devolution is not in question. It is viable, however, only with the confidence of both communities, not just one. It remains the situation that not one unionist in this place supports the protocol, just as it was before the last election: not one. Those I talked to on the doorsteps were clear about my party's stance on the protocol when they went to the polls. They knew that Jeffrey Donaldson had been as reasonable as possible and had given all the time and space that he could to allow the Government to negotiate a solution or bring forward their own action to restore fully Northern Ireland's place in the UK internal market.”
“We all know now that, despite the Sinn Féin Finance Minister's giving the impression that his coffers are bountiful with cash that he cannot wait to give away, if only the DUP would let him, the Executive are hugely over budget. Sinn Féin and a number of other parties in the Chamber have, regrettably, played cheap politics with the cost-of-living crisis, raising false hopes and expectations.”
“There needs to be some honesty in this place and some realism. While not without its merits, this place is no substitute for the kind of support that can be provided through the financial firepower of our national Government at Westminster. <BR /> <BR />In the months since the election, there has been a dishonesty in the public discourse, which has emanated from some parties. They have actively cultivated and promoted, for cynical political purposes, a myth that there are hundreds of millions of pounds just sitting on the hill waiting to be handed out by a new Executive.”
“I understand that this is not considered to be a maiden speech, in accordance with convention, but it is, nevertheless, an honour to stand for the first time in the Chamber and speak as one of the DUP Members for East Belfast. When I stood on the doorsteps in April and May, I spent a considerable amount of time talking to constituents about the matters that mattered most to them and their families. No one in this place is naive or ambivalent about the pressures that are being faced by families. In our offices, all of us work day and daily with constituents who need help and assistance and do what we can to help them. <BR /> <BR />For the past six months, the DUP ensured that Ministers remained in place, money continued to be drawn down by Departments and vital support was provided through the UK Government's cost-of-living package.”