Danny Donnelly
East Antrim · Alliance Party · Northern Ireland
“I thank the Minister for that answer. It will not satisfy the people of the area. The completion of the 3 km distributor road was planned to be a key part of the development, linking hundreds of houses to the wider road network, but, due to a planning issue by her Department in the 1990s, it never happened.”
“I thank the Minister for his statement. Minister, as you mentioned in your statement, the inquiry was highly critical of what it describes as "an adversarial and oppositional approach" by the Belfast Trust to the inquiry.”
“The Minister mentioned the need to reform the health service. In light of the recent startling figures that show that half a billion pounds was spent on locums over the past three years, does he agree that investment in attracting permanent doctors may be a more prudent use of Department of Health resource?”
“<BR /> <BR />As a nurse, I condemn the attacks in the strongest possible terms and highlight the specific impact that they have had on people who care for us when we are at our most vulnerable.”
“Every day, they treat patients with skill, compassion and professionalism. Let us be absolutely clear: when a nurse is intimidated on her way to work and chased by masked men into the Ulster Hospital, that is an attack on our health service.”
“I will speak today about the attacks on our international healthcare staff. I begin by saying that my thoughts are with the victim of the brutal attack in north Belfast and his family. I hope that he recovers well. <BR /> <BR />Violence has no place in our society.”
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“Wards in our hospitals regularly have extra patients lying in corridors. Our A&E departments are overcrowded, and the whole system operates under prolonged periods of intense pressure. Sadly, those are precisely the circumstances in which things go wrong. Staff feel exhausted, and they are overworked and undervalued. In conjunction with the duty of candour, we need the Health Minister to introduce safe staffing legislation for Northern Ireland —”
“When things go wrong and someone suffers harm in the course of receiving healthcare, it is absolutely right that the patient or their loved ones get clarity on what happened from the people responsible for their care and that steps are taken to make sure that no one else suffers in that manner. A duty of candour is about reassuring the public that they will get answers and truth when things go wrong and rebuilding trust in the health service after the scathing conclusions of some inquiries. <BR /> <BR />It should not be lost on any of us that the health service in Northern Ireland is under enormous pressure. Our waiting lists are scandalous: people wait for years for routine operations and, in many cases, are forced into paying for private healthcare. We, effectively, have a two-tier health system.”
“I do not see how working with that duty would put anyone off, particularly if they are already professionally regulated. <BR /> <BR />As someone who has worked in the health service, I know that it is important to emphasise that this is not about punishing people for mistakes. Mistakes can happen in any profession, but it is essential that we learn from such mistakes, and that we have a culture in our healthcare system that promotes the highest standards of care and openness, including the highlighting of mistakes and what must be learned from them.”
“<BR /> <BR />In 2021, the Department ran a 16-week consultation on draft policy proposals for a statutory duty of candour and a Being Open framework. There were varying levels of support for the proposals among the organisations that responded, and we have since met and corresponded with some of them. Some stated that they could not support the recommendations, pointing out that their members were already professionally regulated. The proposals are not about diluting the existing regulation of healthcare professionals; they are a means of complementing and expanding that regulation. It was also said that a duty of candour may affect the recruitment and retention of staff. Some people talk about a chill effect in the health service.”
“Nigel spoke very powerfully during that Committee session about the need for a statutory duty of candour. I recommend that Members revisit his contributions. He, rightly, said that people need to have confidence in our public institutions, whether it is the Assembly or our medical institutions. He also said that openness is vital and that those in positions of leadership and responsibility need to listen, not just tell. Furthermore, he, rightly, stated that it is important that we have our own specific legislation on duty of candour in Northern Ireland, given our unique circumstances, and that, given the realities of devolution, we should not simply wait to see what Westminster chooses to do. We must ensure that that is a priority in the remaining two and a half years of the mandate.”
“The recommendations were specifically for healthcare professionals, NHS healthcare organisations and private providers. The inquiry noted that, in 2015, the then Health Minister Jim Wells informed the Assembly that a statutory duty of candour should be introduced in Northern Ireland, and that that was a priority for him and the Department. However, as with so many other things that we discuss in the Chamber, such legislation has been delayed by years due to political instability and the prolonged absence of an Executive and Ministers. <BR /> <BR />More recently, the infected blood inquiry also highlighted the need for an introduction of a statutory duty of candour. In May this year, the Health Committee heard from Nigel Hamilton from Haemophilia NI.”
“The report stated that, in such circumstances, the patient or family:”
“<BR /> <BR />The other inquiries mentioned reiterate the need for a statutory duty of candour. The hyponatraemia-related deaths inquiry, which began 20 years ago, recommended the introduction of a statutory duty of candour in situations in which it was suspected or believed:”
“The case for reform is more relevant than ever, following a number of important inquiries, including the hyponatraemia-related deaths inquiry, the infected blood inquiry and, in England, the proposal for the Hillsborough law. There has been encouraging progress on the proposed Hillsborough law since the election of the new Labour Government, with the Prime Minister recently announcing that the Bill will be introduced in Parliament early next year. A report from the Joint Committee on Human Rights last year highlighted the importance of such a Bill to ensuring compliance with articles 2 and 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights. Legislation from this place would and should be compliant with those articles due to our membership of the ECHR and the legislative competence of this place under section 6 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998.”
“A statutory and legally enforceable duty of candour in our health and social care system is urgently needed on both an organisational and individual basis. Although there is no question that the vast majority of our health and social care staff are committed to the highest standards of care, it is impossible to pretend that mistakes will not be made, so we must ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place to ensure that they are not repeated and that we learn the lessons that are necessary to ensure that there is the utmost care for all our patients. <BR /> <BR />It is very disappointing that limited progress has been made on introducing a statutory duty of candour and that successive Health Ministers have failed to introduce legislation on the issue.”
“I welcome the Minister's statement and his clarity on his actions against climate change. Will the Minister detail further how climate budgets and climate action plans reflect the recommendations provided by the Climate Change Committee?”
“I thank the Minister for his answer. Does the Minister agree with the NSPCC, the Children's Law Centre, the Human Rights Commission and others that ensuring the delivery of quality RSE in schools is a key safeguarding issue?”
“Many organisations across Northern Ireland, including in my constituency of East Antrim, rely on the Shared Prosperity Fund to deliver important services that affect all our communities. What is the Minister's assessment of the announcement of £900 million of transitional funding for the Shared Prosperity Fund, and what impact will that have in Northern Ireland?”
“Given the strong historical and enduring connections between Northern Ireland and the United States, will there be resources for schools and community groups to come together and hold celebration events to mark the anniversary of American independence?”
“She highlighted the Amplify project in her area as being a good example of a project that works against vaping <BR /> <BR />My colleague Kellie Armstrong highlighted the prominence of vapes in shops that also sell sweets and even sunbed sessions. She said that she would like to see a ban on vaping at school gates. I agree, because vaping at school gates normalises the behaviour. Minister Givan highlighted the unacceptable rates of vaping amongst young people and committed to working with the Minister of Health, the Minister of Justice, the PHA and the PSNI to address vaping in schools. He also highlighted the proposed restrictions on vapes in the 2024 Tobacco and Vapes Bill, which will, hopefully, yet come to pass. <BR /> <BR />I hope that Members can support our amendment.”
“For those reasons, I encourage all Members to support our amendment. <BR /> <BR />I will now discuss a few of the comments from other Members in relation to our amendment. Cathy Mason spoke about the lack of regulation in vape selling. Again, that was something that was mentioned by the young people. Colin Crawford spoke of the health implications of vaping for those under the age of 18 and those under the age of 25, which are concerning. Justin McNulty spoke of the proliferation of vapes and vape shops and said, particularly memorably, that vapes are marketed as a confectionary product rather than a nicotine product. That is a strong point. Deirdre Hargey highlighted the fact that vaping is a cross-departmental issue and that there are pressures on schools and communities alike.”
“<BR /> <BR />While it is understandable that Sinn Féin brought the motion to the Assembly and addressed it to the Department of Education due to its focus on children and young people, tobacco and vapes are the responsibility of the Department of Health. In fact, we have discussed this in the Health Committee, and we believe that a collaborative approach between the Departments is necessary. That has been referred to multiple times today. As was highlighted by my former council colleague, Michelle Guy, we have also included councils on the basis that they have a responsibility for environmental health. In the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, councils were to be given additional enforcement authority. It is therefore important that our 11 councils and their representatives are also involved in the decision-making.”
“They said that they know of young people who had been hospitalised because their vapes had been laced with other substances. Again, that is incredibly concerning. They have seen students who cannot concentrate in class and students who become agitated and even violent when they do not have access to vapes. They have seen pupils leaving classes to go and vape in the toilets multiple times throughout the day and sometimes multiple times in the same class. That is bad for those children, who are harming their own health and losing their time in classes, but it also makes the bathrooms full of clouds of vape, which will have an impact on other students. They also reported shops selling vapes to young people without checks, even when they were in school uniform, which, again, I was very concerned to hear.”
“Other issues raised by young people included environmental waste, which is a consequence of disposable vapes, and which my party colleague the AERA Minister is addressing; the marketing and promotion of vaping products to young people; and the lack of knowledge about the long-term effects of vaping. Some of those concerns were supposed to be addressed by the UK Tobacco and Vapes Bill, which, I am hopeful, will be reintroduced in the new parliamentary term. <BR /> <BR />I have had the privilege of working with the Youth Assembly and I attended one of its events in the Building on this issue. I applaud its work on the matter. I also had the opportunity to ask some young people — Aaron and Olivia — who were doing work experience with me this week about their experiences.”
“There is a role for vaping as part of a smoking cessation plan to help long-term smokers to quit, but that should not be relevant for children and young people. As was mentioned earlier, there is an emerging evidence base to suggest that vaping can serve as an introduction to nicotine and that vape users are more likely to take up smoking than non-vapers. <BR /> <BR />Research conducted by Asthma and Lung UK highlighted that over 80% of young people in Northern Ireland are concerned about the growing use of vaping products and their use in their schools.”
“Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. I rise to wind up on the amendment tabled by me and Alliance Party colleagues. I thank the Sinn Féin Members for proposing the motion and the DUP Members for their amendment. We are content to support all three. <BR /> <BR />Our amendment introduces a single change to the motion. In addition to the Minister of Education bringing forward a plan to end vaping in school grounds and reducing the numbers of young people vaping more broadly, we want the Minister of Education working with the Minister of Health and local councils on the development of such a plan. The dangers of vaping have been well heard today, and they are becoming increasingly apparent, particularly among young people.”
“Minister, has a future review mechanism been agreed?”
“I thank the Minister for his statement. It is very concerning to hear that stress and distress was reported by all staff groups who participated in the review, especially midwives. We heard from Diane Forsythe about specific issues in the Southern Trust. If the psychological safety of all staff is a critical priority in a safety-critical profession, then ensuring a fully staffed workforce at safe levels is crucial. How does the Minister plan to include the recommendations of the review in future safe staffing legislation?”
“We must ensure that all children are supported to reach their full potential, and that should not be subject to any limitations. Therefore, support for deaf children is extremely important, and I encourage the Minister to do what he can to ensure that all deaf children have access to qualified teachers of the deaf. That is a vital part of their educational development and, more widely, their health and well-being.”
“It also recognises their right to special care that is appropriate to their condition and to the circumstances of their parents or carers. That should be a requirement of the Department of Education, the Executive as a whole and all public authorities in Northern Ireland. We should also recognise the importance of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities — the UNCRPD — which I plan to address through a private Member's Bill. Such actions would seek to reduce the unacceptable gap in equality legislation and the impact that that has been having on deaf and disabled people in Northern Ireland.”
“<BR /> <BR />The absence of specialist support for deaf children reflects the failure of successive Assemblies to update vital equality legislation. Scotland recently legislated to incorporate the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child — the UNCRC — into its domestic law. Article 23 of the convention states that children with any disability:”
“That comes from a lack of awareness from the wider community, barriers to communication and from the social isolation that comes with such barriers. <BR /> <BR />In a debate on 20 February 2024, in one of the first such debates of the mandate, I spoke about the vital role of our speech and language therapists. Since then, I have been questioning the Department of Health on the need to improve training and provide more training places for speech and language therapists in our local universities. More broadly, there needs to be a collaborative approach between the Department of Education and the Department of Health to address the wider challenges that require a response from them both, as opposed to them working separately on it.”
“Another problem is that career pathways are not always clear to the trainees or teachers who wish to become teachers of the deaf, which creates a barrier to further recruitment. The Department of Education should play a role in encouraging and facilitating those pathways and consider commissioning local training in Northern Ireland. Maybe the Minister will speak to that. <BR /> <BR />As the Alliance Party's health spokesperson, I think that it is important to discuss the importance of teachers of the deaf to our health and social care service, especially as they work in a range of health and social care professions. As has been mentioned, in Northern Ireland, deaf children are more likely to suffer from anxiety and other psychological disorders.”
“<BR /> <BR />The sensory service has highlighted challenges in providing cover for teachers of the deaf, which impacts on the level of support that is available for deaf children and young people. As my colleague Kellie Armstrong mentioned, Jordanstown School in East Antrim is well-respected in the area for the level of service that it provides to children and their families. There are many logistical challenges for the recruitment and training of teachers of the deaf, many of whom work in Jordanstown School. Northern Ireland does not have the capacity to provide training locally, so trainees are required to travel. That incurs significant costs and can be difficult for trainees who have personal or family connections locally. Although the sensory service helps with costs, which can be very beneficial, other challenges persist.”
“regardless of other circumstances. <BR /> <BR />As has been mentioned, there are around 1,400 deaf children in Northern Ireland, and there is not the necessary level of support for all of them. As also mentioned, we are seeing a concerning decline in the number of teachers of the deaf, down 32% since 2011, with another 30% expected to retire in the next decade. That parallels the experience that we see in many other professions, such as general practice, which I have seen in my role as a nurse and as a member of the Health Committee. In many such professions, better pay and working conditions are available elsewhere, such as in the Republic of Ireland, but an additional challenge for teachers of the deaf is gaining the necessary qualifications.”
“I thank the Ulster Unionist Members for tabling the motion. As outlined by my party colleagues from Strangford, we will support the motion. <BR /> <BR />It is vital that we improve support for deaf children in our education system. The key to doing that is to train and recruit more specialist teachers of the deaf. The motion calls on the Minister of Education to:”
“Thanks to the Minister for that answer. As the Minister is not aware of the area, I would be pleased if he were to commit to a visit to see it. There is a specific issue in that area, and a solution to alleviate the congestion could become apparent, and that would be great for people in the area.”
“The Minister mentioned issues with structural maintenance across the road network. I ask the Minister for a bit more detail on what his proposals are for ensuring that the roads are of a quality that is safe for all users, specifically cyclists.”
“<BR /> <BR />A cancer diagnosis can be devastating, and waiting for treatment is incredibly distressing. As Doug Beattie mentioned, the cancer strategy needs to be funded and delivered. As has been mentioned again and again, early detection and timely treatment are what people in Northern Ireland deserve. Thank you for securing the debate today.”
“We know that each trust has different services available for cancer treatment. For example, there are rapid diagnostic centres in two trusts. Access to those services should not be a postcode lottery. We need a single-system approach to health and social care in Northern Ireland, with specialist and regional hubs, depending on the services available in each area, to remove barriers to treatment. The statistics that have been quoted today are a grim reminder of the real-life consequences of the dysfunction and lack of urgency in ensuring reform of our health and social care services. We must remain committed to that crucial transformation to ensure that the people of Northern Ireland receive the highest quality of care when they need it most.”
“Women should certainly be encouraged to check their breasts for anything new or unusual and to attend screening when they are called. As Colin pointed out, the same goes for men. I was one of those men a couple of years ago: I found a lump and had a scan. It was a very worrying time. Thankfully, everything was OK, but it is very worrying when you find something wrong with your body, and the idea of waiting for a long time, not knowing what is going on, is incredibly distressing. <BR /> <BR />I welcome the Health Minister's announcement about taking a regional approach to dealing with breast cancer waiting lists in particular, which will ensure that patients will be seen at the earliest available appointment, regardless of where they are based. That is absolutely the right thing to do.”
“I thank Mrs Dodds for securing this very important Adjournment debate. I am here in place of my colleague Eóin Tennyson, who, unfortunately, is not able to be here but wanted us to be represented. It is certainly a subject that he considers to be very important. He is unable to be here because he is unwell rather than for any other reason. <BR /> <BR />The issue is clearly very important for women across Northern Ireland. I note the disparity in waiting times. Across the Southern Trust in particular, the waiting times are incredibly shocking. The figures for the Northern Trust and the South Eastern Trust that the Member quoted are, again, very shocking for women who live in those areas. <BR /> <BR />As other Members have pointed out, early detection can lead to successful treatment and reduce the risk from this terrible condition.”
“The Minister will be well aware of the overcrowding in A&Es across Northern Ireland, with increased pressures inside the departments and ambulances regularly stacked up outside departments for up to 12 hours. What work is the Department undertaking to reduce average waiting times across our A&E departments?”
“<BR /> <BR />It is right that the Assembly take the opportunity to recognise the vital role of the Northern Ireland Children's Hospice in providing palliative care to children and their families. The recent financial pressures have been extremely concerning, and we must do what we can to deliver sustainable funding for the Children's Hospice. Our amendment is intended to reflect the importance of palliative care in the Children's Hospice and more widely. That should be a key priority for the Department of Health. For the reasons that I have outlined, I encourage the Minister to do what he can to reinstate that vital funding, and I encourage all Members to support our amendment.”
“Earlier this year, we saw the devastating impact of budget cuts, with a planned reduction in bed capacity to ensure a continued and sustainable service. After the Assembly was restored in February, all parties correctly raised concerns about the cuts to the Children's Hospice, and everyone recognises the value of the support that it provides. <BR /> <BR />Too many debates and motions here are focused on confrontation between parties, which contributes to a growing sense of disillusion with the Assembly and what we can and have achieved. This is an issue that requires action from the Department of Health but also a coordinated approach from the Executive more broadly. I hope that we can show that we are capable of delivering on such an important issue.”
“It is the only such service in Northern Ireland, and each year the Children's Hospice provides care for over 350 children and their families.”
“<BR /> <BR />The Health Minister must take responsibility and lead on the essential transformation of our health and social care system. The blueprint is there. We welcome that the Minister launched his consultation on the hospital reconfiguration framework recently. Fundamental reform of our health and social care system will lead to savings in the medium to long term, which should allow us to invest more efficiently in desperately needed services such as palliative care. <BR /> <BR />The motion refers particularly to the Northern Ireland Children's Hospice. The Children's Hospice provides an invaluable service through its multidisciplinary team, which includes specialist nursing care, supported breaks, end-of-life care and family bereavement support.”
“<BR /> <BR />To address funding shortages in the Department of Health and the Executive as a whole, we must address the underlying lack of sustainability of the existing funding model. That requires engagement with the new UK Government and the Treasury. We have raised the issue many times that Northern Ireland is underfunded relative to its need. My party has been calling for the implementation of an appropriate fiscal floor to ensure that the required funding is in place for necessary services such as palliative care. However, the Assembly also has to take responsibility for devolved matters such as health. Ultimately, it is the responsibility of the Assembly and Executive to deliver for the people of Northern Ireland.”
“In the most-recent update, in 2021, the Department outlined that, while 24/7 services are available to children in Northern Ireland, the services are provided on an informal basis and in the absence of a formalised, commissioned approach. That reflects the tireless work of the staff of the Northern Ireland Children's Hospice and others, such as children's community nurses, but the Department must do more to see that objective realised and a clear framework established to ensure that 24/7 support is provided. As with the Bengoa report, highlighted by Professor Bengoa's return to Northern Ireland last week, we are now eight years into that 10-year strategy. Will the Minister, therefore, provide an update on the implementation of that strategy, particularly those objectives that will support the vital role of the Children's Hospice?”
“In 2016, the then Health Minister, who is now First Minister, launched 'A Strategy for Children's Palliative and End-of-Life Care 2016-26'. It included 23 objectives that were intended to provide an improved outcomes-based approach to palliative and end-of-life care for children from 2016 to 2026. Objective 7 is particularly relevant to the motion and amendment:”
“As we have discussed on previous occasions, many community and voluntary organisations have been struggling to maintain their much-needed services, largely as a consequence of the 2023 Budget and its significant cuts to core grant funding — a tragic consequence of political instability in this place — and the loss of vital European funding. <BR /> <BR />A vital service like palliative care should be provided directly by departmental funding. Despite the obvious financial challenges that face the Department of Health and the Executive as a whole, I encourage the Health Minister to do what he can in collaboration with his Executive colleagues and the UK Government to ensure that funding is delivered for palliative care services.”
“We must ensure that every patient is given the highest-quality treatment and support, and that their families and close relatives are given the support that is necessary to relieve suffering and to deal with difficult conditions, including depression and anxiety related to those conditions. That should apply regardless of age, background or any other distinction. <BR /> <BR />Many brilliant charities and community and voluntary organisations provide that essential service. We would be lost without them, their workers and their volunteers.”
“The motion rightly acknowledges the important role of the Northern Ireland Children's Hospice in providing palliative care for children and support for their families in an extremely difficult and challenging situation. Palliative care is an essential part of Health and Social Care. That must include children's palliative care. I have had the privilege of personal involvement in delivering palliative care to patients. I know how important it is. It requires a wide range of specialists to ensure that the needs of patients are met: doctors, nurses, social workers and many others.”
“Thank you, Principal Deputy Speaker. I support the motion. I thank Mr Kingston and his DUP colleagues for bringing it to the Assembly. I ask all Members to support my party's amendment, which will add one line to the motion to ask that the Assembly:”
“Is the strategy funded and what is its budget?.”