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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“<BR /> <BR />Almost 89% of children in Northern Ireland have received their first MMR jab, but fewer return for the second dose, with only 85% of children fully vaccinated by the time that they are five years old. The World Health Organization recommends a 95% vaccination rate to prevent outbreaks, and we are currently below that. Dr Hans Kluge — I hope that my pronunciation is correct — is a regional director of the World Health Organization. In December, he said:”
“I rise to highlight the concerning rise in cases of measles across Europe and in Britain and the Republic. The deputy chief medical officer, Dr Lourda Geoghegan, said that it is now likely that new cases will be seen in Northern Ireland. While there have been no confirmed cases of measles in Northern Ireland since 2017, it is only a matter of time before the illness is reported here. The Department of Health and the Public Health Agency are monitoring the situation closely. <BR /> <BR />Measles is not merely a minor childhood illness that causes a rash; it is a potentially dangerous condition that can have serious complications, such as pneumonia, meningitis, blindness and seizures. It can even be fatal. Just last Thursday, it was reported that an adult who had contracted measles died in a hospital in the Republic.”
“It is important that any proposals are debated and scrutinised here and in the Health Committee, but our priority should not be charges; it should be how we reform and improve domiciliary care. That should be the focus of the Assembly and the Health Committee, so I welcome the debate.”
“Finally, I want to discuss the proposal of domiciliary care charges and particularly the Secretary of State's revenue-raising proposals. The Department of Health had previously considered proposals to introduce charges for domiciliary care, for example in the 2016 report 'Power to People', which highlights that charging arrangements should be equitable and based on the principle that a person should pay or contribute if they can afford to do so. As a party, we objected to the Secretary of State's consultation on introducing domiciliary care charges, as that should be a decision for a locally elected and accountable Assembly and Executive. In fact, many issues facing our health and social care system have been exacerbated over the past two years by the absence of the Assembly and the Executive.”
“<BR /> <BR />It is worth noting that the Northern Trust has both the highest percentage of patients waiting for under 13 weeks for inpatient or day-case treatment and the lowest percentage waiting for over 52 weeks. That shows us that, while a number of people are still waiting for care, when we provide the care, it has an impact on those waiting lists.”
“One of the advantages of domiciliary care packages that support individuals in their own home is that they can lessen the pressures on our main hospitals and reduce waiting times. We have seen that working effectively in the Northern Trust area. According to a survey of domiciliary care workers carried out in September 2022, 4,979 people in the trust area received approximately 12 hours of care and 27 visits. Although I note the 1,700 people who are waiting on care packages, as has been mentioned, that plays a small role in alleviating hospital stays and waiting times. It is my experience that people would much rather be cared for at home for the sake of their mental health and well-being, if possible.”
“That increases pressure on hospital beds, emergency departments and health and social care staff. <BR /> <BR />More recently, the RQIA system inspection report of the Southern Trust highlighted the importance of a sustainable domiciliary care sector, and particularly the need to encourage more carers and nurses to consider working in the sector, since we are facing an unprecedented number of unallocated domiciliary care packages. I recognised the number that a Member mentioned in relation to that earlier. <BR /> <BR />As an MLA whose constituency is largely within the Northern Trust area, I welcome the debate's focus being, in particular, on the Northern Trust and the pressures faced there.”
“People are able to pick up on that when they come into homes, which can prevent future hospital admissions and get on top of things very quickly. <BR /> <BR />It is essential that care staff who visit homes have adequate equipment. That issue has been raised by one Member. A sustainable domiciliary care system is important for the flow of patients through our hospitals, a point that has been reiterated several times. As we know, poor flow leads to overcrowding in hospitals, which is a public health risk — one that I have seen many times. <BR /> <BR />The Bengoa report highlighted the "perfect storm" that the entire health and social care system faces, with patients:”
“<BR /> <BR />The Alliance Party's position on domiciliary care is outlined in our policy document, 'Making Health and Social Care Fighting Fit'. In particular, we want to see improved pay and conditions for those working in domiciliary care — similar points have been made by previous contributors — to encourage more domiciliary carers and district nurses to continue working in the sector. We also want to see:”
“I congratulate you on your new role, Mr Deputy Speaker. It is good to see you in the Chair. <BR /> <BR />I thank the Member for Mid Ulster for securing this Adjournment debate. It is welcome that the importance of domiciliary care is being highlighted in the first Adjournment debate of the mandate. We all have constituents who need care or who have carers and families that are impacted by caring responsibilities. Domiciliary care work is a very important and seriously undervalued part of Northern Ireland's health and social care system; we have heard that again and again today. Our carers and nurses provide invaluable care to individuals in their own homes, and it is right that the Assembly and the Department do what they can to support them.”
“I was one of the MLAs who donned the MenoVest — there are a couple of others in the Chamber — at that event, which was very informative and educational. Does the Member agree that we need more education on the symptoms of menopause and on actions that can help women suffering from it, particularly women in employment, to stay in their jobs and careers?”
“My question has already been answered. Thank you.”
“<BR /> <BR />I also wish to congratulate Minister Swann on returning to the role that he held from 2020 and throughout the pandemic. Clearly, he is experienced and knowledgeable and is well respected across the health service. I know that the issues that I have highlighted and many others affecting the health service will be familiar to him. It is worth being clear from the outset that, where the Minister is willing to proceed with tough decisions to deliver on the transformation and improvement of health and social care, he will be able to rely on our party's full support. If we disagree, we will seek to be constructive. It would send a powerful message if all MLAs supported the motion as a signal of our intent to work together to improve public services for everyone in Northern Ireland.”
“<BR /> <BR />We all know that we have to reform our health service, and the Bengoa report has been sitting on the shelf since 2016. All the main parties have pledged to support the Bengoa principles, and there has been a missed opportunity here. We could have been seven years into a 10-year programme of reform by now. We cannot miss another opportunity. Inaction is no longer a choice. There is no point transforming something if you cannot make it stable. We need funding for transformation and for stabilisation. This is, first and foremost, a finance issue, and I support the motion as all of our public finances, including the health service, need to be placed on a sustainable footing. The Executive need adequate resources to deliver effective public services.”
“Indeed, the wards regularly have extra patients lying in undignified corridor beds, pushed wherever there is space for them. Ambulances that cannot safely discharge patients to departments end up stacked outside with patients in the back for many hours at a time. We know that extended stays in A&E are associated with longer stays in hospital and even increased mortality rates. Overcrowding is a major threat to public health. <BR /> <BR />There is a huge issue with how we care for older people in the community. There is a critical shortage of care packages, and that means that people who are well enough to be discharged from hospital end up staying as inpatients because their needs cannot be met at home. It is essential, therefore, that people are attracted into working in domiciliary care and not pushed out of it.”
“The Royal College of Nursing recently published a survey showing that 83% of nursing staff in Northern Ireland said that, on their last shift, the actual number of nursing staff was not sufficient to meet patients' needs safely and effectively. As well as fair pay, safe staffing was a key factor for many striking nurses in the recent industrial action. It is something that I am passionate about, and I hope to see a safe staffing Bill delivered by the Assembly to protect patients and improve the working lives of nursing staff. Many of our healthcare staff feel overworked, burned out and undervalued, and that needs to change. <BR /> <BR />Our accident and emergency departments are regularly full of patients waiting to be admitted to wards that have no beds available for them.”
“My career to date has been in healthcare, and I am a proud nurse. As such, I am acutely aware of the crises that are afflicting our health service. We have more than 500,000 cases languishing on waiting lists in a country of fewer than 2 million people. Many people, predominantly older people, wait years for routine operations such as hip or knee replacements and cataract surgery. They suffer unnecessarily as their condition worsens, often resulting in increased pain, loss of mobility, worsening eyesight and associated mental health conditions. <BR /> <BR />We have a retention and recruitment crisis across the service, with more than 7,000 vacant posts, 2,000 of which are in nursing.”
“My wife, Maeve, and I moved back to Larne to raise our family in the town, and it is truly an honour to represent the constituency and its people in this place.”
“Nowhere else compares to the beautiful scenery of Islandmagee, the coast road and the glens of Antrim. I grew up in Larne and went to school at Garron Tower, outside Carnlough.”
“His continuing dedication to public life was reflected by his recent election to Mid and East Antrim Borough Council. I look forward to working with him and with all our other local elected representatives to deliver a better and more positive future for the area. <BR /> <BR />It was a huge privilege to have been elected to the Assembly by the people of East Antrim and to join my good friend and colleague Stewart Dickson in doubling the Alliance representation in the area, working for everyone from Jordanstown to Cushendun. Like those of all 17 Alliance MLAs, our politics are liberal and progressive. We are committed to working towards a peaceful, prosperous and shared society. The constituency of East Antrim is a wonderful part of Northern Ireland.”
“It is a huge privilege to make my maiden speech here today, on the first sitting of what, I hope, will be a sustained and productive Assembly term. As MLAs in a functioning Assembly, we have the ability to effect more change in a day in this place than we will have in a lifetime once we walk out of those Doors. Like Mr Brett, I apologise to my parents, who have been up in the Gallery all morning. <BR /> <BR />Before I get to the motion, with your indulgence, Mr Speaker, I will say a few things about my predecessor and my constituency of East Antrim. Roy Beggs will be known to many of you in the Chamber. He was one of the class of 1998 and served as an MLA for East Antrim from then until 2022, including as Deputy Speaker on two occasions. He was widely respected across the Chamber and the constituency.”
“On a point of order, Mr Acting Speaker. Can you confirm today that the votes of MLAs who designate as "Other", rather than as "Unionist" or "Nationalist", will carry less weight than the votes of MLAs who designate as "Unionist" and "Nationalist"?”
“Thankfully, most nurses would consider it unimaginable for a nurse to refuse to help a sick patient. <BR /> <BR />We need to help people in need. We need to end ransom politics. We need a reform system that can be relied on to deliver for people, whatever the political situation, and we need to be able to work together for the common good. I support the motion.”
“Yet, here we are. It is wrong that we have a system that allows people in Northern Ireland to be used as leverage in a political dispute. I got involved in politics to try to make this place better for everyone, but it is going the other way. <BR /> <BR />As I said earlier, my background is in nursing, and I would like to share this observation: if one nurse refused to be involved in the care of a sick patient, that nurse's professionalism and ability to do the job would very quickly be called into question. They would face stiff restrictions on their practise and could ultimately be sacked and struck off for not doing their job. If that nurse were to prevent other nurses from attending to the patient, the consequences could be even more severe.”
“<BR /> <BR />We are in a crisis. People are unable to meet their needs and provide for their families. Otherwise solid businesses are going to the wall. Our health service is facing many serious challenges. Things are getting harder and harder for many of the people whom we represent, and we are failing them. Whatever issues parties have, they should be able to come here and work with the other elected Members to do what we can to support people who are experiencing hardship. <BR /> <BR />Jeffrey Donaldson, leader of the DUP, said in 2019:”
“<BR /> <BR />Last week, along with other local MLAs and charities, I met representatives of over 100 businesses in Larne that were struggling with increased energy bills and other pressures, some so much that they feared they may not be able to keep going for much longer. They were very clear that we should do all that we can to re-form the Assembly to support them through this crisis. <BR /> <BR />People are spending years suffering on waiting lists while their eyesight or mobility deteriorates, waiting on routine operations, sometimes in constant pain. Ambulances are stacked up outside our hospitals, unable to offload sick patients because there are no spaces in A&E departments and no beds available in the wider hospitals. Our health service is operating under extreme pressure, and we are not even in the winter months yet.”
“Absolutely; I completely agree with that. Those organisations add huge value to the amount of work that is done here in Northern Ireland. As highlighted a couple of weeks ago at the event for those organisations, time is running out, and even more so now. <BR /> <BR />I have also heard from many groups that represent people who are suffering from medical conditions and need action plans to be progressed to improve treatments in Northern Ireland. There is a group of cancer patients who cannot get scans that are available to patients in GB, because of the lack of a multi-year Budget to fund the implementation of the cancer strategy. It appears that there is now a healthcare border in the Irish Sea.”
“A local food bank in Larne has seen requests for assistance increase by 111% since this time last year. It is seeing more requests from families with children. Some people have even been requesting emergency food handouts that can be eaten cold because they cannot afford the energy to cook. <BR /> <BR />We had a presentation here a couple of weeks ago from community groups that provide support to people with learning disabilities and mental health conditions to get them into, and to continue in, employment. The groups rely on the European social fund, which is due to end early next year, with no other funding identified to replace it. Without urgent intervention, many vital services will cease to exist for 17,000 people who rely on them and 1,700 jobs among the workers who support them will potentially be lost.”
“That should be reason enough to reform the Executive.”
“It was organised by Dr Ciara Fitzpatrick and highlighted the huge strain that the increases in the cost of living are putting on many households and families across Northern Ireland. Those who spoke made a desperate plea for urgent action to be taken to help support people struggling to heat their home and feed their family at this time. Consultant paediatrician Dr Julie-Ann Maney said that she is very concerned about what this winter will bring for those being hardest hit. One of the risk factors for sudden unexpected death in infancy is hypothermia. Paediatricians are very concerned about fuel poverty and that infants will be cold, as many people will struggle to heat their home. They are very concerned that infants may die this winter of sudden unexpected death owing to hyperthermia.”
“Until this year, my main job was as a nurse working in the Ulster Hospital. Like many first-time MLAs, I left my career to come and work here, but, since the election six months ago, I have been prevented from doing what I was sent here to do. I have not been able to take part in debates on important issues in the Chamber or attend Committee meetings to scrutinise the work of Ministers and Departments. No one has. Over the past six months, however, I have met many people and groups who have strongly expressed their wish that the Assembly be up and running and delivering for everyone in Northern Ireland as soon as possible. <BR /> <BR />Members from most parties attended the Crushed by the Cost of Living event a few weeks ago in this Building.”