David Honeyford
Lagan Valley · Alliance Party · Northern Ireland
“Ten years ago, the UK voted to leave the EU, and Northern Ireland was removed from the EU against its will. People will have voted for many reasons, but people were lied to.”
“Many families have spent the past decade worse off, and the loudest supporters of Brexit have punished them, while we have the likes of Farage appearing to be prospering personally. <BR /> <BR />Ten years on, the question is not whether Brexit was right or wrong, because the evidence is clear for everyone to see.”
“<BR /> <BR />The biggest cost of Brexit has been instability, which scares off investment. Since the Brexit referendum, the UK has had seven Prime Ministers, and we have had the Assembly collapse twice. Political uncertainty has become normal. However, when politics becomes unstable, ordinary people pay the price.”
“We need to see more happening, because east-west collaboration is already happening. We need more collaboration to grow our economy further, but talk is cheap. People say such lines on the news but then come to the Chamber and vote against collaboration.”
“Two and a half years into the term of this Executive, much of that remains missing. The same applies to waste water infrastructure and planning reform, with delays continuing to block growth and investment. We should do much more to collaborate North/South, as we do east-west, to improve people's lives.”
“The Executive are failing to provide certainty and follow-up on their commitments. My colleague Andrew Muir having had his green growth strategy blocked for over a year is just one example.”
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“I feel unwell, but I am trying to be positive about this. To be honest, when I read the motion, out of frustration I did not know where to start. We will support it — anybody would support it. I do not think that any of us would disagree with anything in a motion that calls for more jobs. However, the focus should be on how we deliver, rather than on a randomly plucked figure. The motion leaves us none the wiser. It has to be about delivery, not words. <BR /> <BR />I will start by getting the elephant out of the room. The line:”
“I welcome the Minister's response. However, given that our economy is made up mainly of small businesses and microbusinesses, can the Minister confirm that the scheme will also include support for smaller-scale projects from half a megawatt up, and not just those from five megawatts, as was previously said?”
“<BR /> <BR />Ultimately, improving rights and conditions for individuals and families here will, in practice, increase our overall productivity. It also supports and works with the people in employment so that they can continue in their careers. Again, I stress that creating better conditions and improving workers' rights show that workers and staff are valued. That provides a win-win for employer and employee, gives a happier workforce and much more productivity, which increases economic output and, therefore, profitability. That is the direction that Alliance wants to see things going in. All the bits associated with that will allow our companies to grow and will protect our workers. I support the motion.”
“Thank you. I absolutely agree. My next sentence was to commend Kate, so that was a timely intervention. I was about to say that Kate has done a huge amount of work on the issue and that Alliance wants to see bespoke childcare provision delivered urgently in this term. That is a very important part of productivity. Carer's leave is another issue. Providing carer's leave and supporting more carers to stay in the labour market is positive for workers, but it also makes sense for business. So, I completely agree. The childcare and the carer's piece would support job retention, job satisfaction and productivity and would cut the costs associated with recruitment and training for businesses. Again, it is a win-win if it can be delivered quickly.”
“<BR /> <BR />While there is always a need to work with our unions to update and improve the rights of workers, we also need to level the debate to note that we already have some incredible companies and employers in Northern Ireland that provide great conditions for their staff. Staff become like family to many of our small businesses, but I agree that that needs to become the norm. With Northern Ireland's economy dominated by small and micro businesses, that is more the case here than elsewhere, and that point needs to be made. Our economic future and the essential growth that is required for output mean that it is essential to increase productivity. One way we can do that is to finally address childcare provision and make it bespoke for this area, so that it works for hard-working families, as well as for businesses.”
“Importantly, it needs to be stressed that, with working conditions, pressures and the services they are expected to deliver, fundamentally, it is simply about valuing our workers and putting value on them. As anyone who has run a business will know, your company is only as good as your employees. You cannot grow beyond their capability. Your employees are and should be your priority. If your workers cannot be positive about the business they work in, why would anybody else? The business products that they deliver and the standard, growth and development of any product that a company has is largely down to the value placed on the workers and the investment that the business has put into their staff, and it gets the return from them. It is of mutual benefit.”
“The image of this part of the island for inward investment has unfortunately been hampered by a lack of stability in the Assembly, and that has haemorrhaged the confidence of those looking in over the last number of years. <BR /> <BR />Creating a new economy that respects workers, has trade unions at its heart and works to improve workers' rights and, importantly, their conditions is essential, as we move forward. As I have said in the Chamber before, life for everybody, including us in here, has challenges, and life is not a straightforward path. We all need protections to improve workers' rights and conditions for people of all backgrounds.”
“I start by acknowledging the tremendous dedication and hard work exhibited by workers across the industries and businesses that have continued to lead and grow our economy amidst Brexit and during the last seven years, when the Assembly has not sat for five of those years. <BR /> <BR />Our economy needs realignment to be able to grow. We need to get better at exporting our products and raising the value of money brought into this part of the world through growing our outputs. To do that, we need more skilled workers. We need to address the issues that hold back the creation and development of those workers and, importantly, their terms and conditions as we move forward.”
“Thank you, Minister. We all want to see support for our grassroots clubs and the availability of capital funding. Previously, I raised with Sport NI and the Minister's Department the issue of creating a grassroots sport fund that would be open to all sports. It would help to empower local clubs and help them to realise their own vision. Will the Minister meet me to discuss that issue and to look in more detail at creating such a fund and at increasing and expanding the funding for grassroots sports?”
“I question whether the business case to build the MOT centres was capable of fully servicing the situation that we are now in and providing the new capacity that we will need. The answer to that will bring in the matter of whether value for money has been achieved. The question then becomes one of why the procurement has been run by DFI and not been done centrally, and, as I said, whether the future has been built into the business case. The more of those questions you ask, the more questions you raise. I hope that I am wrong, but it seems like déjà vu. <BR /> <BR />I wish the Minister well, because I know that he will want to address and tackle the issue. The public need it to be addressed and tackled, and I hope that we can move on with the booking system so that we can get the service when we need it.”
“The fact that those new MOT centres have not opened highlights a potential major procurement issue. We have spent millions on new test centres, and we have not got them. Those centres have been delayed for years, and they are still not open. That prevents current test centres from being refurbished and updated. Maybe the Minister can confirm when the new test centres at Hydebank and Mallusk will finally open. Recently, we were told that it would be in March of this year — this month — and now it is said to be 2025. <BR /> <BR />That raises a load of questions about whether the test centres have been designed and built for the year in which they will open rather than the year in which they were designed. There has obviously been a serious change in the service requirement of the MOT system since then.”
“The number of new cars being sold has been known for years and is announced annually. It is concerning that, as we are building new test centres, we do not even seem to know how many cars are going to need an MOT going forward. How, then, is that business model being put together to deliver the service in the first place? <BR /> <BR />I sit on the Public Accounts Committee, which is chaired by Daniel McCrossan, as do Diane Dodds and Cathal Boylan, who are all here. We argued and debated about what one of the first investigations should be for the Auditor General, and that was to look at a public procurement.”
“I enjoyed sitting with him at the monthly briefings with the permanent secretary at the time. This is an issue that needs to be resolved and brought forward quickly. I hope the Minister is in a position to do that and I wish him well with it. <BR /> <BR />The public does not really need repeated words; we have been hearing that since 2019. They need to see action on this. The kind of frustration throughout the public has been demonstrated and has been said here: it is action that people want to see. Solutions and ideas have been floated, so I am not going to go into those. DFI has said that capacity is the problem and that we are holding on to cars longer, and Peter referenced that earlier. What I find really concerning and surprising is that the Department had not worked that out years ago.”
“<BR /> <BR />As has been said across the House, this is one of the issues that we get loads of calls and stuff about in the constituency office from people who are furious at not being able to get appointments or at receiving fines for not having tax because they cannot get the MOT. Those become issues and become real to people. If we look to delivery, this is an issue where the Assembly needs to start. I hope that if we focus on a few things at the start, this is something that the Minister can resolve quickly. I also appreciate that the Minister has only been in post for a matter of weeks. However, the Minister was in post before the DUP walked out and before the collapse, and he remained Sinn Féin's infrastructure spokesperson during that time.”
“I thank the Minister for joining us. I will start by following on from my colleague Peter McReynolds in acknowledging the great work that goes on by the staff. It has been acknowledged around the House that the staff in our MOT centres work in extremely challenging conditions that are not of their making. We have, potentially, the best record in Europe and across these islands with vehicle safety. When I have taken my car or my wife's car through the process, our MOT staff have always been professional and courteous, and they produce really high standards. I start by putting that on the record.”
“It is an absolute pleasure to be able to work with that team, but, today, I simply want to congratulate the club as a whole, including the coaching staff and the volunteers. Everybody will know the amount of time and effort that volunteers put in to help to run sporting clubs. Today, I especially want to congratulate the players on the achievement of winning that league, and I wish them all the best in the seasons ahead.”
“I want to congratulate Lisburn Rugby Club on winning the qualifying league on Saturday with a bonus-point win over Strabane. The club won the league with a match to go, which is a brilliant achievement. I would probably not be standing in the Chamber were it not for starting out in Lisburn Rugby Club back when my son was in the mini section, and my journey into politics came from working in the community in Lagan Valley and bringing communities together there. <BR /> <BR />The rugby club in Lisburn is going really strong, and there is a really successful ladies' team as well that continues to thrive. I have been working with that team to help with funding for the development of facilities to create a new gym and changing rooms.”
“I am sorry, but an education system that works for only the most academic, where careers advice — this is my experience as a parent — is simply a UCAS form-filling advice centre, needs to be reformed. I appreciate that what I am saying branches between two Ministries, but the issues need to be sorted out with both. I echo the call on the Minister to set ambitious targets for increasing Northern Ireland's apprenticeship offering that is within his control. Our aim must be to create opportunities for everyone to excel, with much more diversity and opportunity for all ages, providing a skilled workforce and using greater apprenticeship opportunities that give us the ability to continue that learning journey.”
“He was with us for so many days per week and then at the tech for two. I will never forget what he said. This kid went to grammar school, and he said, "I've passed my first test". He said that that was the first time he had passed an exam since the 11-plus. That was appalling. That kid was bright. He was a great worker. He was a reliable employee who ended up working for us for six years, but it was not until that point that he felt he was of any worth. He has gone on to have a really good career.”
“He started late and changed courses. He went to a grammar school, and he was not accepted back after his GCSEs to do A levels. He was not offered any careers advice and was, frankly, dumped out by his school. He did not know what he wanted to do, and his mum basically insisted that he went to tech and enrolled on a course. He was on that course for a little while, and he dropped out because it was not what he wanted to do. He started to work for us for a bit, and he was just labouring. However, the condition that he came to work for us was that he got himself onto an apprenticeship at the next opportunity. He was about 19 when he started that apprenticeship. He had been there for a few months, and I will never forget how, after Christmas and the new year, I asked him how he was getting on.”
“It is vital in the value piece of that learning's worth. <BR /> <BR />In my business life, I have employed apprentices, and I declared that interest. I want to tell you about one of those apprentices and explain why we need to change.”
“Key to growing the economy is the value — I stress the word "value" — that we place on technical learning and apprenticeships, alongside every other route of higher academic education. One thing to note is that, in the South, they had regional technical colleges. Those have now been merged and transformed into five technological universities. However, we still rely on the same path. We do the same thing over and over and broadly get the same results year after year. There is a vital role for further education. We need to increase and grow what it offers and to strengthen links with our small businesses and industry to bring that change. Northern Ireland does not have such technical universities. I ask the Minister to investigate and look at that, because there is equal value in technical learning alongside the academic route.”
“The number of businesses wanting to expand in that area is four times that figure. We need fundamental structural change to be able to deliver that, and we need a dedicated skills fund to help expand the apprenticeship provision. Working to help more employers is one practical example of how we can get on a path to delivery. <BR /> <BR />Transformation of apprenticeships and our education system as a whole, rather than just the FE sector, which promotes apprenticeships and skills, is key. Alliance firmly believes that transforming our education system is key to our economy. The two cannot and should not be seen in isolation. You cannot have one without the other. Our historical model of educational need massively needs practical transformation. The attitude that we all have to apprenticeships and to that model was referenced a few times.”
“No problem. Thank you, Principal Deputy Speaker. <BR /> <BR />I declare an interest as a shareholder in a business that has apprentices. I thank the Minister for being here, and I thank everybody for their contribution. I was going to name everybody, but — I echo the Minister's comments — we are all in agreement, and we have had a really good discussion, which is brilliant. I support the motion and our Alliance amendment. <BR /> <BR />We in Alliance want to see major change in and reform of our skills delivery, and we want people of all ages to be given the opportunity to be better and to grow, which will then enable our economy to grow. To do that, we need to help more employers to engage with the apprenticeship and skills programme. Recent figures show that only 8% of businesses offer apprenticeships.”
“We acknowledge the tremendous dedication and hard work exhibited by our public-sector workers, and we urge the Minister of Finance to make a statement to the Assembly once these negotiations have concluded or by the end of the financial year. It is our collective responsibility to ensure that public-sector workers receive the equitable pay that they deserve, and we must act with urgency to make that a reality.”
“The House must ensure that we collectively do all that we can to reform these institutions and bring them up to date with the reality of life in Northern Ireland in 2024.”
“The cost of the Assembly suspension will be felt this year and every year as the gap grows between pay here and in other regions of the UK — as has already been said about pay for nurses and everyone else — and the massive difference that is now emerging between here and the South. Suspension can never happen again. I echo the comments of my colleague Eóin Tennyson about Sinn Féin's just voting against that reform and preventing that from happening again. <BR /> <BR />It is the Alliance Party that has consistently called for structural reform. We continually lead on that debate. Genuinely, we are thankful to the SDLP for joining us on that. We welcome that move. We can work together in that direction. Let us be honest: suspensions of the Assembly have been happening since 1998.”
“<BR /> <BR />When parties here choose to take their ball and walk off the pitch, there are far-reaching consequences. The financial cost is being paid by public-sector workers. I come from business. In business, your employees are your first customers. After all, if they cannot be positive about the business that they work in, why should anybody else? That applies to Departments too. Public-sector workers are their first customers. If you want first-class public services, you need to show the people who provide those services that they are valued. It is obvious, yet incredible, that we think that pay can be regarded as an afterthought.”
“When parties here have walked away and collapsed this place, everything here in the Assembly stops, but when you stop on the escalator that is going down, and you think that you are standing still and pausing the institutions, in reality, life everywhere else goes on. You automatically move backwards. When you eventually try to start up again, you start from further back, while the rest of the world has moved on. That is true of public-sector workers and their pay and also, really importantly — I think that this point needs to be stressed — their working conditions, the pressure that they are put under and have to work in, and the services that they are expected to deliver. Fundamentally, this is about making public-sector workers feel valued.”
“While raising the reform issue there, I made it clear that, in both cases, we have some really talented individuals working in those bodies. Unfortunately, it is not them who are causing the problems; it is the complete lack of leadership, direction and focus. The responsibility for that starts in the Chamber. <BR /> <BR />Life for everyone in society has challenges. Life is not a straightforward path. It takes direction. There is always a turn and a twist, and it takes energy to keep moving forward. I use the analogy of an escalator in one of our shopping centres. All aspects of life can feel like walking up the downward escalator.”
“I echo the comments that have been made. I start by acknowledging the tremendous dedication and hard work that has been exhibited by public-sector workers, especially during the past seven years, when, for five of those, the Assembly did not sit. I come to the debate as the Alliance Party's spokesperson on the economy to support the motion. To grow, the economy needs strong, vibrant public services. Unfortunately, the damage that has been done to public services, the image of this part of the island for inward investment and the lack of stability in this place has haemorrhaged confidence for those looking in. Recently, I have asked the Minister for the Economy and the Minister for Communities about reform for Invest NI and Sport NI respectively. Both of their Departments have a chequered recent past.”
“I thank the Minister for his response. A lot of concern has been raised locally by healthcare staff about morale in the service. It is vital that people work in a place with high morale and that they look forward to going back to work. Will the Minister outline what he is doing to inspire and give positive leadership in order to make sure that health service staff work in a positive environment with high morale?”
“The delivery of the new fleet of Enterprise trains and the announcement that those trains will run hourly is another element that should allow visiting fans who come to this island to travel between Belfast and Dublin very simply and very quickly. That would be a start, and we could at least begin to move towards delivery of this transport policy, meaning that the legacy of the Euros would be felt for generations to come.”
“I thank the Member for the extra minute. I absolutely recognise that Fermanagh has been missed out and that we should be looking to see how doing that can be configured. I take the point about the Glider: it is something that we could use. Rather than a bus service, which is from centre to source, the Glider crosses a town or city, and I have no doubt that that model could be used in the Member's area in Enniskillen. <BR /> <BR />The year 2028 is marked in our diaries, and hosting the Euros gives us the focus of mind to deliver at least the low-hanging fruit of this all-island plan in time for the tournament, and it should focus our minds. The Knockmore line — the proposed circle line — from Lisburn to Antrim that connects the airport should be reopened, and that should happen in time for the Euros.”
“That is something that I feel has been missed and something that the Minister should look at seriously. For example, for my constituency of Lagan Valley, a simple route like the Glider route in Belfast — it can be replicated in other places where train links end — could, in Lisburn, connect the train station to major industry, the health centre, schools and retail centres, thus allowing people to move quickly across the area.”
“<BR /> <BR />Although the review is welcome, it is a pity that it is limited solely to rail and does not include a rapid transit system once people reach each city. That could have been included, as could the development of further linkage systems, such as the expansion of the Glider network in Belfast and looking at having a similar network in other towns and cities, where it would improve the existing network, increase connectivity and encourage economic growth. Again, that would support economic regional rebalancing. <BR /> <BR />It is not just about linking towns and cities but about linking places of learning, places of work and medical centres. It is also about how people, when they arrive somewhere, complete their journey, so let us be ambitious, be confident in our ability and be open to opportunities to grow.”
“The hourly service between Belfast and Dublin is also key to our having a frequent, reliable service that will attract more growth and boost our economy, and that is absolutely vital if we are to change how people travel and are to create modal shift. Connectivity is therefore absolutely key. <BR /> <BR />Ultimately, what I am saying is that public transport is a driver of economic opportunity. I say that not solely in environmental terms, but our climate change commitments for 2030 and beyond are critical, and there is a critical need for the Minister to focus on that modal shift across Northern Ireland. Government investment in transport over a sustained period has been seriously lacking, but I hope that the new Grand Central station development that is under way marks the first phase of delivery and leads to a change of direction.”
“<BR /> <BR />The all-island review, if realised, will help deliver vital strategic economic growth here and, importantly, help encourage further tourism to come north, building on the 70% of our tourists who fly into Dublin Airport. A rail connection at Belfast International Airport is also vital for the connectivity of the business community, for tourism and for my constituents in the village through which the line passes. Given that Dublin Airport is practically at capacity with passenger numbers, there is also an opportunity for both Belfast airports to capture the significant growth in numbers and to realign passenger numbers across the island. That would create an opportunity for new routes and new markets locally.”
“As Alliance economy spokesperson, I welcome the motion and the amendment, and I will speak to the motion from an economic point of view, in terms of delivering connectivity across this island, which is needed to renew and reshape our economy, provide growth and create jobs here in the North of the island. Good connectivity and infrastructure enables the economy to grow, and it sets the platform on which our economic growth can be built. The Belfast to Dublin economic corridor is vital to that expansion, and, as a Member for Lagan Valley, I also want to see that growth happen in my constituency with the development of new economic zones in Blaris and into the Maze/Long Kesh site, which are connected on the island and would support achieving economic regional balance.”
“I thank the Minister for her response. Does she agree that an overly punitive rates increase this year would set back efforts to recoup the money?”
“Such events are a major driver in tourism numbers, and our tourism industry is based around them. I agree with what the Minister said, but what other sporting events or major events such as business conferences can Northern Ireland target to host in the future? Will the Minister seek to bring agreement to the Executive?”
“I thank the Minister for his answer. This is the first opportunity that I have had to wish him well in his new role. <BR /> <BR />This morning, we had the announcement of the €50 million commitment from the Irish Government for Casement Park, which I really welcome. I look forward to future announcements from the UK Government and to finally seeing Casement Park built. Has the Minister had any engagement with the UK Government or the Shared Island unit in the Taoiseach's office specifically around increasing the funding for the subregional football stadia and grassroots sport in general?”
“It has caused hurt in our community, and suspension leaves its own negative legacy. Not only does it damage the public's trust in these institutions, but it makes bringing about change even more difficult and more costly, as we start further back and need to do more to bring us forward. As the Alliance Party, we look forward with hope, but now is the time to draw a line and end the cycle of collapse. We cannot build the economy that we need by starting and stopping this place. We need to see the financial growth, the new jobs and the opportunities that all of us deserve.”
“I am only joking. I jest. I am delighted to agree with that: moving to multi-year Budgets will be essential as we go forward. <BR /> <BR />That brings me to my last point, and I will finish where I started. The last two years of suspension need to be the last suspension. It is essential that, in future years, we have reform and that there are no more collapses of these institutions by either of the largest parties. Every year, we will have opportunities to deliver change and create more prosperity and a prosperous society for all of our people. We all need to be over the detail of how the Budget affects our Departments, not coming in with a rushed Budget every time the Assembly is restored. We have only had a working Assembly for two years out of the past seven years, and this stop-start Assembly has held back our potential.”
“Absolutely, I am happy to agree. I would be scared not to.”
“It is not just about the Department for the Economy: it includes not least DAERA but the Department for Infrastructure and the Department for Communities, which all have a role to play in economic growth.”
“While I am really encouraged by the Economy Minister's statement earlier, in which there was focus on growth in our economy and on tackling productivity, it is really important that, moving forward, the Department for the Economy has an adequate budget allocation that allows and enables reform, specifically in the areas that I have just raised. The reform of Invest NI and empowering the skills programme will require investment in the short term, but, if delivered, gives us the opportunity to deliver success in the longer term. We cannot afford to miss the opportunity that is in front of us now to transform our economy. It is essential that that happens, and we need to take that opportunity. <BR /> <BR />It is also important to stress that the growth of our economy is not limited to one Department.”
“It is easy to make statements and say words, but the real value and the heart of the priority will be where the money is spent. Where the Budget is allocated to is the heart of where we are going. <BR /> <BR />There are significant challenges in our economy this year and into the next, and I want to highlight a few of those. There are issues around energy transition and the reform of Invest NI and the changes that we need to see being brought through there. We need adequate funding for higher education, skills and all-age apprenticeships.”
“Being in the unique position of having access to the GB markets and the EU markets is something that we know about all too well. It has been in every news bulletin over the past while and it has been debated thoroughly here, and people here know about it. However, it is one thing for us to understand this opportunity: it is completely something else for the rest of the world to know about it and for us to be able to exploit the opportunities that we have in the rest of the world. <BR /> <BR />There is also a lot of work that needs to be done to support and encourage our local businesses to realise their potential to export and move outside the Northern Ireland markets and into the EU and the Irish markets. There will need to be significant investment in order to realise that growth. There is truth in the old saying, "Follow the money".”
“We should not lose sight of the fact that it is the business community that creates jobs. It increases the profits that are able to be reinvested in order to bring money into our economy, which creates prosperity. It is essential that we work together to create the conditions and give businesses the best platform — in sporting terms, the pitch for them to play on. We need to create the best platform that they can have to support the business community and allow all sectors to grow. <BR /> <BR />Given the added challenge that most of our businesses are small businesses or microbusinesses, which are spread across the region, I welcome the Minister's comments earlier around the spread of economic investment and talent around Northern Ireland.”