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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Every one of 1,031 lines we hold for Danny Donnelly, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 19 of 21.
“I acknowledge International Nurses' Day, which was celebrated yesterday, 12 May. It is a great opportunity to highlight the invaluable work of our nursing workforce across Northern Ireland. <BR /> <BR />During my nursing career, I saw every day the hard work and dedication shown by our nursing staff, and Health and Social Care (HSC) could not begin to function without them. Last year, 26,063 nurses were registered in Northern Ireland, performing a wide variety of roles in hospitals, care homes, health centres, prisons, schools and people's homes. They worked on the front line throughout the COVID pandemic and continue to work under extreme pressure in our health service.”
“I welcome the opportunity to speak on the motion, and I recognise the importance of the 2011 and 2022 Acts as well as the urgent need for their full delivery. I encourage the Minister to outline a road map towards implementation.”
“There are huge waiting lists of up to five years for autism diagnosis. As the Member who moved the motion mentioned, there are few measurable targets in the autism strategy. There are poor outcomes for autistic people in Northern Ireland in education, employment and mental health. The employment rate for autistic adults is only 22%, which is the lowest for all disabilities. Autistic adults are nine times more likely to attempt suicide, and one in 20 children has an autism diagnosis. Those are obviously very serious issues that urgently need to be addressed.”
“This is another occasion on which political instability and the absence of the Assembly and Executive have impacted on the delivery of key legislative commitments. There is a risk that the progress that we have made through the 2011 and 2022 Acts will be diminished by a failure to deliver, and the Minister must now do what he can to see the 2022 Act delivered in full.”
“We have seen, through similar roles such as the Commissioner for Older People and the Commissioner for Children and Young People, how effective such positions can be. However, the delay in appointing an autism reviewer is concerning, given that the Act received Royal Assent in April 2022 and came into effect three months later. We need to see a time frame for appointing an autism reviewer who will be independent of the Department.”
“That is largely absent from the 2023-28 strategy. Other countries across the world have made significant progress, as have international organisations such as the World Health Organization. It is essential that the Department considers best practice elsewhere in order to improve our position in Northern Ireland. <BR /> <BR />The appointment of an autism reviewer under section 5 of the 2022 Act has been mentioned. That remains an outstanding commitment; it has not been delivered. Having an autism reviewer for Northern Ireland would provide us with an important scrutiny mechanism. The reviewer could monitor the effectiveness of law and practice relating to autism. They would also be able to commission independent research, which would complement the requirement to take into account international practice.”
“The autism strategy 2023-28 includes important commitments in that respect, including on how to support children in schools, training for teaching and academic staff and support for those who are in the workplace or seeking to enter it. One specific example relates to interview processes, which can be very stressful for many people. Those are encouraging points, but they are not accompanied by sufficient detail or statistics. That could be improved upon, given the provisions of the 2011 Act in sections 2(2) and 2(3A), made by the 2022 Act, which respectively require consultation with additional persons and appropriate additional data. <BR /> <BR />Section 3 of the 2022 Act requires the autism strategy to:”
“Thank you, Minister. <BR /> <BR />I also pay tribute to Pam Cameron of the DUP for her work in the previous mandate on sponsoring the Bill that became the Act that we are discussing. <BR /> <BR />The 2011 and 2022 Acts represented landmarks in cross-departmental planning and delivery across adult and children's services. The next step is the full implementation of the 2022 Act, and I welcome the motion's call for a road map for the Minister of Health to ensure his Department's compliance with both Acts. <BR /> <BR />An important change provided for in the 2022 Act relates to the autism strategy. That provision included requiring the Department to take account of a wider range of perspectives and a more prevalent use of data. The autism strategy must now set out how training is:”
“Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. I thank the Member for his intervention. I am not aware of that programme, but any programme that seeks to include children with autism deserves support.”
“This is a very important debate and I am proud to support the motion. It is important to pay tribute to the Members who have ensured that autism has remained a priority for the Assembly since its foundation. First, the late John Fee from the SDLP secured the first Assembly debate on autism in 2002. His SDLP colleague Dominic Bradley sponsored the private Member's Bill that became the Autism Act in 2011. Previous Speaker Eileen Bell, an Alliance MLA, set up the all-party group on autism, and Pam Cameron from the DUP worked on —.”
“Significantly, the report highlights the disproportionate impact of political instability in the Assembly on disabled people and their rights. The report displays the urgent need for institutional reform to prevent the Assembly from collapsing for years again. <BR /> <BR />Equality law in Northern Ireland has fallen behind that in the rest of the UK. One way in which to resolve that gap would be the incorporation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) into domestic law, as it is recognised as the gold standard for equality rights. I hope that the Executive bring that to the Assembly before the end of the mandate.”
“It states that deaf and disabled persons organisations (DDPOs)”
“Whether it is difficulties in accessing personal independence payment (PIP) or adult disability payment (ADP) or proposed amendments to the Data Protection and Digital Information Bill that would violate the right to privacy for many people, it is clear that the outgoing Conservative Government have no interest in addressing any of the inequalities that continue against people with disabilities. I hope that the next Government provide a more equitable and human rights approach to equality issues. <BR /> <BR />The report highlights some of the most pressing issues that are specific to Northern Ireland, such as the loss of EU funds and the failure of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund to provide the same level of support. I will quote two paragraphs directly from the report, which is available online.”
“I rise to speak on the latest UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities report, which was published last week following an inquiry into the rights of disabled people in the UK in March. The committee found that there has been no significant progress on delivering its previous recommendations that were outlined in 2017. The UK Government have failed to address any of the systematic violations of the human rights of persons with disabilities and have failed to tackle the root causes of inequality and discrimination for disabled people.”
“We need to stop them as soon as possible. <BR /> <BR />Although the motion could have been strengthened by greater references to our climate targets and an opposition to wider and cross-cutting projects that will have a disproportionate impact on those targets, I am happy to support the motion. I hope that the Economy and Infrastructure Ministers will do what they can to progress our path towards net zero.”
“That is more prevalent in East Antrim than in any other constituency, especially as — I am sure that every Member will agree — the coastline of east Antrim and Larne lough is incomparable in its natural beauty and biodiversity. I am very proud of the local community and its work in opposing these unnecessary projects. That includes the work of organisations such as Stop Whitehead Oil Terminal, Friends of the Earth and No Gas Caverns. I am sure that Members will remember the successful Stop the Drill campaign in Woodburn Forest a couple of years ago. Those are local people who are campaigning to protect their local environment for future generations. If we are serious about meeting our climate change and net zero targets, we cannot permit the continuation of such projects, with their potentially devastating impact on local communities.”
“In my current role as an MLA, and in my previous role as a councillor for Larne Lough district electoral area (DEA), two projects of huge concern to me and my colleagues have been the oil terminal at Cloghan Point near Whitehead and the construction of the gas caverns under Larne lough. It is clear that the approval of such large-scale fossil fuel projects runs contrary to our climate change commitments and targets, shackling us to fossil fuels for decades to come. I encourage the Minister for Infrastructure to consider how planning legislation can be amended so that climate targets can be a consideration in planning applications, especially those of such scale. <BR /> <BR />The motion refers to the deep concerns that communities have about the environmental and public health risks associated with practices such as hydraulic fracturing.”
“<BR /> <BR />Banning petroleum licensing, drilling and extraction has been recommended by international research from the International Energy Agency and the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. There is broad support for a change in approach from the Department, and I welcome that the new Economy Minister recognises that that should be the case. As we have mentioned, there are far more fossil fuels than we can safely burn. The more that we extract, the greater the risk of climate catastrophe, so we need to keep them in the ground. <BR /> <BR />Like my colleague Stewart Dickson did, I will touch on one of the most important issues that faces my constituency of East Antrim.”
“New sources of renewable energy require new skills to ensure a fair and equitable transition, therefore creating newer and greener jobs. That transition must be fair, and must not impact on households financially, as we all need to be able to heat our homes. <BR /> <BR />Furthermore, as outlined in the Department for the Economy's 'Onshore Petroleum Licensing Policy' consultation document, a ban on petroleum licensing, drilling and extraction would not have a significant impact on jobs or our wider economy. It would, however, play an important role in us meeting our climate targets. We need secure, affordable and clean energy, as was outlined in the Department's previous energy strategy, which looks towards the long-term vision of a net zero carbon economy.”
“We only have to look at Lough Neagh to see the damaging impacts of climate inaction. <BR /> <BR />The previous Assembly made considerable progress on climate legislation through the passage of the Climate Change Act (Northern Ireland) 2022, with its emissions targets of net zero by 2050, sectoral plans for key industries, carbon budgets to deliver on the main targets, and plans to have a Northern Ireland climate commissioner and climate action plan. It is essential that that Act is delivered in full. We cannot afford to water down our targets, as we have seen happen in Scotland. <BR /> <BR />Transitioning away from fossil fuel dependency is often mistakenly seen as an economic negative. That is not the case.”
“I rise in favour of the motion, and I thank the Sinn Féin Members for bringing it forward. In February 2020, one of the first acts of the previous Assembly, following its restoration at the end of a three-year deadlock, was to declare a climate emergency. Much of the wording of that motion remains relevant over four years later, such as the statement that the Assembly:”
“Does the Member agree that there are more fossil fuels in the world than we can safely burn; that the more we extract, the greater the risk of climate catastrophe; and that we need to keep our known reserves in the ground?”
“I agree completely with the Minister's comments about the need for transformation and reform, and I hope that, despite the limitations of the Budget, we can progress transformation and reform. Will the Minister give an indication of how transformation funding provided by the Secretary of State will be spent? Have any projects in Departments been identified to utilise that funding?”
“That must be combined with action to address the issues that have been raised. Once the barriers are lowered and those who provide foster care can finally feel recognised and empowered as an invaluable part of the workforce, I am confident that willingness to foster will no longer be an issue, which it is now. <BR /> <BR />Those are just a few of the issues that the Department needs to consider in a new recruitment programme. I support the motion's call on the Minister to launch such a programme, and I encourage him to adopt an ambitious approach that fully acknowledges the vital contribution of foster carers across Northern Ireland along with the necessary resources and pay that are required to carry out that important role.”
“<BR /> <BR />I absolutely support the motion's call for a:”
“In addition to the variation on accessing free payments in Northern Ireland, on average, the percentage of paid foster carers in Northern Ireland is significantly lower than that in the rest of the UK. <BR /> <BR />While residential care may be the best solution for some children, it is important that children who need care, nurture and stability in a family environment have that option. There are, of course, other barriers that must be addressed in order to make becoming a foster carer easier. There are major workforce issues involving social workers, the bureaucratic nature of the administrative set-up in Northern Ireland and the inability to work across trusts. Many of those issues were raised in the Ray Jones review. However, financial support is again referred to as a significant issue.”
“That could cover all of Northern Ireland. Avoiding unnecessary competition would provide a more effective service. <BR /> <BR />We also need to move away from foster care being viewed as a volunteer-based service to one that is viewed as a more modern and skills-based service that places children and foster carers at the centre of decision-making. That was suggested over a decade ago in the Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority (RQIA) review of statutory fostering services, which was published in 2013. <BR /> <BR />As the Member who moved the motion and many others mentioned, pay remains another issue, but, obviously, that is not the key driver in people's decision to foster children.”
“For example, there is the comparative absence of intrusion by private commercial companies, which we have seen in England. That can drain funding away from public services. There are also disadvantages, one of which is that Northern Ireland is too small to have five separate public-sector foster care agencies and four independent-sector agencies. As the report states:”
“Foster carers can provide exactly that. <BR /> <BR />As has been noted many times, it is disappointing that fewer people are willing to foster. A significant challenge is the bureaucratic obstacles and barriers that face some willing foster carers. Some of that has been outlined in the 'Review of Children's Social Care Services Report', which was headed by Professor Ray Jones. One concern is that children can be moved several times, often at short notice, either between foster carers or between foster care and residential care. Another issue that was raised in the Ray Jones review relates to the significant variations between our health trusts in staffing structures and numbers. <BR /> <BR />There are some advantages for foster care services in Northern Ireland compared with those in the rest of the UK.”
“Many of the points that I was going to make have already been made by Members who spoke previously. <BR /> <BR />I welcome the opportunity to speak on this important motion, and I thank the DUP Members for tabling it. It gives us the opportunity to acknowledge and commend the essential contribution of foster carers. The benefits of foster care are clear: it provides children with a secure, stable and supportive environment. A foster family can provide a child with a very different and more stable life than they may have otherwise. As the motion says:”
“The provision of a regional rehabilitation centre and overdose prevention centre would be key steps forward.”
“The Lord Advocate for Scotland has provided guidance for police, highlighting that it is not in the public interest to prosecute someone for using an overdose prevention centres. Last year, Belfast City Council voted to support a motion to set up an overdose prevention centre in the city, and I believe that the Assembly should now look at that. Doing so would complement the motion by providing a tried and proven method of saving lives and preventing drug-related deaths. We also need wider reform of drug policy and legislation, particularly the increasingly outdated Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. However, that is for Westminster, given that those are primarily reserved matters. In the Assembly, we must do all that we can to reduce harm, tackle addiction and prevent drug-related deaths.”
“There are over 200 overdose prevention centres across 17 countries worldwide, and peer-reviewed research evidences that overdose prevention centres can prevent thousands of deaths, decrease the spread of disease and improve communities by reducing drug litter and by making drug use on our streets less visible. They can also save taxpayers' money through reduced emergency service use. The provision of the opioid reversal drug naloxone to users and their families has also been shown to save lives. I hope to see that progress too. <BR /> <BR />Section 5 of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 prohibits overdose prevention centres, but, despite that, there are plans to open the UK's first sanctioned facility later this year in Scotland, following the experience of an unsanctioned overdose prevention centre in Glasgow in 2020-21.”
“The service does not necessarily have to be in Belfast, as mentioned, but, as Belfast is the capital city and where most of those issues are prevalent, a location there may prove to be the most suitable and beneficial. We will await detailed proposals from the Department. <BR /> <BR />I want to touch on something that was initially absent from the motion but that was then mentioned by the Member who moved the motion, Órlaithí Flynn. That is the inclusion of an overdose prevention centre. Overdose prevention centres are safe and hygienic spaces where people are allowed to inject drugs under the supervision of professionally trained staff who can offer safe equipment and drug testing and who can respond immediately to any overdoses. An overdose is a medical emergency that can be treated primarily with naloxone.”
“and many steps must be taken to confront each of those challenges. The absence of opportunities in many communities remains an issue for many young people, particularly in housing and employment, which exacerbates existing poverty and isolation. The greater prevalence of mental health problems in Northern Ireland, as Diane Dodds noted, compared with the rest of the UK, not least because of the legacy of the Troubles, reiterates the importance of the full implementation of the mental health strategy 2021-2031. <BR /> <BR />We are happy to support the amendment. It is important that plans for a residential rehabilitation service are outlined as soon as possible, especially in what constitutes a regionally strategic location.”
“Yes, absolutely, and, as someone who sits on the APG on reducing harm related to gambling, I have heard horrendous stories about the addictive nature of gambling, and, certainly, we have to address that as a public health issue. <BR /> <BR />The motion notes the:”
“It can be easy to get lost in the statistics in debates such as this, but we should never forget that each drug- and alcohol-related death is the loss of an individual and a devastating loss for their families, friends and wider community. We must do everything that we can to tackle the harms around substance abuse. It is important that the Department of Health progresses the implementation of the 57 actions outlined in the substance use strategy. <BR /> <BR />With support, people can turn their lives around. We have seen that again and again. As has been noted by Members, tackling drug addiction and drug-related deaths is not solely a health issue, and a joined-up collaborative approach is required across the Executive to confront the root causes of drug addiction.”
“I support the motion and the amendment. I thank colleagues from Sinn Féin and the Ulster Unionist Party for bringing these important issues to the Assembly. <BR /> <BR />NISRA's 2024 report on drug-related and drug-misuse deaths makes for truly shocking reading. It is extremely concerning that there has been a 98% increase in deaths due to drug-related causes since 2012. It is also concerning that the majority of those deaths — 55·8% — were of individuals aged between 25 and 44. As the motion rightly states, opioids are consistently the most common form of drug listed as a cause of death, averaging 118 deaths a year between 2020 and 2022. By comparison, road deaths average around 54, which, obviously, is still far too high. <BR /> <BR />Like the proposer, I attended the vigils at Stormont and spoke to families who have lost a loved one.”
“Thank you. Certainly, we are looking forward to seeing the reconfiguration plans. <BR /> <BR />The pressures on the health service are immense and are resulting in unacceptably long waiting lists for treatments and poor health outcomes for many people across Northern Ireland. In that context, we have a responsibility to prioritise addressing multiple ongoing crises, workforce stabilisation and long-overdue reform. That is the basis on which the Health Minister was requesting a deferral period of two years. He has stated that it is his intention that the plans will be progressed to meet the September 2026 date supported by Members at Second Stage.”
“Certainly, it was raised in the Committee that certain departmental resources would have to be put into this, and I am sure that the Minister can clarify that in his response. <BR /> <BR />It is important that all Members consider the bigger picture on issues such as this. I understand that one of the Members who proposed the amendments is a member of the official Opposition, so holding the Executive to account is a key part of their role. Any proposals brought forward by the Opposition need to be workable and take into account the numerous and fundamental challenges facing the Department of Health and, indeed, all Departments.”
“If we reduce the deferral period, as we are told, from the proposed two years to one year or just a few months, the Department will have to focus more of its already strained resources on that single policy issue, possibly to the detriment of others.”
“The Minister should also take the opportunity to develop a funding plan for the implementation of free car parking after the deferral period has ended. The Minister's proposition of making car parking permits free for some Health and Social Care (HSC) staff, subject to criteria, is welcome and should not be delayed. I echo the calls for clarity on that. <BR /> <BR />One reason why we cannot support the amendments is because of the pressures that are facing the staff in particular in the Department of Health. There are so many issues that the Department needs to work on and prioritise, a few of which include waiting lists, domiciliary care practices, general practice and community pharmacy.”
“During the Health Committee meeting on 11 April, departmental officials told us the rationale for the two-year deferral specifically, as opposed to six months or one year. While the awarding of a contract for traffic management, followed by its implementation, is envisaged to be rolled out by September 2024, as we heard, there is no guarantee that that will be the case. We will be interested to hear the Minister will answer the queries about whether he will be able to provide a truncated period. <BR /> <BR />In correspondence to the Committee, the Minister indicated that he intends to bring forward a paper setting out his plans for the implementation of the legislation. I encourage him to do that as soon as possible.”
“I make my comments as an Alliance health spokesperson. I welcome the opportunity to speak in the debate, which is one of the first Consideration Stages of the mandate. Hopefully, it will not be too long before that becomes a more regular occurrence. The Alliance Party will not support amendment Nos 1 to 4, and we will vote to retain the initial date of 12 May 2026, as proposed in the Bill. <BR /> <BR />It is, of course, disappointing that the Hospital Parking Charges Act (Northern Ireland) 2022 is not yet ready to be implemented by the intended date of 12 May 2024. Other Members and I highlighted that in the Second Stage debate and at Health Committee briefings on the Bill with departmental officials.”
“I thank the Minister for that answer. She will be aware of attacks on healthcare workers. Will she clarify how the Bill might protect front-line healthcare workers from attack?”
“It does not alter the intentions of the 2022 Act, but it can be used to ensure its faithful delivery, in line with the intent of the previous Assembly. It is important for our health and social care workers and those who need access to hospitals during difficult times — I noted the Minister's criteria for staff permits — that the Act is implemented in a way that honours its good intentions while ensuring that it is workable and efficient. I urge the Minister to use the new deadline to ensure that the 2022 Act can be delivered by 12 May 2026.”
“<BR /> <BR />The Bill presents two scenarios, one of which is straightforward. Clause 1(2) ensures that, if Royal Assent is granted by 12 May, section 1 of the 2022 Act takes effect on 12 May 2026. The second scenario is more complicated, as the Chair of the Health Committee noted. It provides that, if the Bill does not receive Royal Assent by 12 May, the initial deadline of 12 May 2024 stands until the Bill receives Royal Assent. That means that we could have a short period during which hospital parking charges would not be legal following 12 May 2024. I know that the Minister mentioned that. I seek a bit more clarity on his contingency plans for how he would deal with that period of uncertainty. <BR /> <BR />Beyond that, we are happy to support the Bill and its accelerated passage through the Assembly.”
“<BR /> <BR />It should also be said that, given our climate change commitments and our commitment to reduce carbon emissions ahead of our 2050 net zero target, we should encourage methods of transport that are alternatives to the private car. It is understandable that, in many rural areas, that is not always possible. Equally, it is not always possible for people to travel on public transport, such as those with disabilities, people who require hospital services in a timely manner or, as mentioned, workers who work unsociable hours in the health service. In Belfast, the City Hospital is next to a railway line with its own station, and the Royal Victoria Hospital and the Ulster Hospital are both on the Glider route, although it is noted that public transport is not a 24-hour service.”
“<BR /> <BR />The intention of the 2022 Act is important, and it is to ensure that those who work at a hospital, provide services at a hospital or who are a patient of or visitor to a hospital are not charged for parking there. As section 1(2)(a) of the Act states, a person is not regarded as attending a hospital simply by parking in a hospital car park. There is a risk that that could be abused, particularly in hospitals that are near city or town centres, and we have, rightly, pointed out particular areas where that might happen. If the right mechanisms are in place, that should not be an issue. It is important that the Department ensures that that is not the case, because, as the Minister highlighted, there is the potential for occlusions in blue-light areas.”
“As we all know, that mandate was compressed to just two years instead of five, due to the absence of an Executive, and here we are again, having lost two years out of this mandate already. <BR /> <BR />As the Minister said, this is a short Bill with two clauses and only one policy effect: to delay the coming into operation of the 2022 Act, from 12 May 2024 to 12 May 2026. That is necessary due to ongoing challenges, such as the awarding of the contract for traffic management systems, which is likely to take several more months. For that reason, we did not object to the use of accelerated passage on this occasion. I encourage the Minister to take that time to ensure that the Act can be fully delivered by the new deadline.”