Peter McReynolds
East Belfast · Alliance Party · Northern Ireland
“I start by sharing my condolences and those of my party colleagues to the family of Kourtney McCormick on her tragic passing. <BR /> <BR />I welcome the important next step in the introduction of the graduated driver licensing scheme as Alliance spokesperson for Infrastructure, a Policing Board member and chair of the all-party group on r…”
“<BR /> <BR />I commend those from the driving instructor industry, the DVA and those in the Northern Ireland Road Safety Partnership for all their work in preparing for the smooth introduction of the GDL measures. They have been proactive and thorough in ensuring that they understand what is expected of them to make GDL a success story.”
“We have already had 33 road deaths this year alone, and more than 150 since 2024. It is clear that more needs to be done to improve road safety.”
“The revised restrictions will include a mandatory minimum learning period of six months; a programme of training; a logbook; passenger restrictions; new R-plates; the extension of the post-test period to 24 months; and removal of the 45 mph speed limit on motorways.”
“First Minister, the Institute of Directors and the Construction Employers Federation are still calling for the establishment of an independent, expert-led infrastructure commission some five years after it appeared on page 27 of the previous Executive's COVID recovery plan, to which you were a co-signatory.”
“<BR /> <BR />East Belfast and Northern Ireland as a whole have huge potential for aviation development, and the master plan is just one part of a larger move towards sustainable and environmentally friendly travel.”
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“Two seconds. Sadly, we are seeing it at the moment. We hear condemnation of vigilantes one minute and about legitimate concerns, which are based on misinformation, the next. We need to see political leadership driving change so that everyone celebrates tradition without putting themselves and, crucially, others in danger. There is so much potential for bonfires to be part of safe, family-friendly cultural events, but, without regulation, we limit that potential. Money could be spent on enhancing regulated events and driving tourism. Instead, it is needed for repairs and for the use of public services' time to respond to emergencies created by unregulated events. I say that not to erode culture but to ensure safety when celebrating culture.”
“My constituency of East Belfast received seven beacons through funding from Belfast City Council. <BR /> <BR />As I said, bonfires can be inclusive, safe cultural celebrations, but, without regulation, very real dangers are becoming more and more prevalent. Only three years ago, we saw a young father fall to his death from a bonfire. This year, in East Belfast, we saw a man sustaining severe and life-changing burns during the lighting of a bonfire. Regulations on health and safety, cultural expression and protecting the environment should not be demonised because of a lack of political leadership, which ignores the society that we should all want to create here and turns a blind eye to illegality.”
“The same happens with some bonfires in Northern Ireland that appear on land without permission, contain harmful materials or are too close to residential properties, creating the lunacy of the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service having to hose down buildings, as we have just heard from Mrs Dillon. <BR /> <BR />Bonfires can be positive. They can be a cultural celebration that welcomes all. They can be inclusive. Earlier in the month, the Chief Constable opened his statement to the Northern Ireland Policing Board by praising the effort, commitment and flexibility of his officers as they policed over 300 bonfires across Northern Ireland, with, sadly, 16 causing significant concern. We have seen the positives from adapting Eleventh night celebrations into environmentally and family-friendly events through the beacon programme.”
“I welcome today's motion and thank the Members who tabled it for debate. I have been involved in politics since 2013 and elected in some capacity since 2017. A phrase that I first heard when I was Deputy Lord Mayor of Belfast was how we in Northern Ireland had "normalised the abnormal" across society here, and I fear that we are hearing some of that in today's debate. <BR /> <BR />Every year, without fail, the same problems arise with illegally erected flags on lamp posts demarcating territory and worrying residents, because no one knows who put them up or why, for how long they will be up or when they will be coming down.”
“Thank you, Minister, for your kind words. Thank you also for your response. I certainly share your views on the abhorrent scenes that we are seeing from East Belfast on social media. Racism and so-called vigilantism have no place in Northern Ireland's future. Minister, what is your assessment of the importance of a cross-departmental and whole-society approach to tackling hate crime?”
“I thank the Minister for her response. I have been recently updated on the graduated licence scheme, strengthening drink-driving legislation and drug-driving legislation, both of which you have just mentioned, and an increase in fines for speeding. Minister, will you say in response now or maybe in writing — that is totally fine — where we are with each of those measures and whether they will be introduced by the end of the mandate?”
“Meanwhile, adults living with or potentially living with ADHD will suffer by facing high costs for access to transformative medication, lengthy waiting list times, damaged relationships, missed opportunities to use ADHD for the better, self-medication through alcohol and substance abuse, chronic disorganisation and poor mental health. <BR /> <BR />I was delighted to open the new ADD-NI office in south Belfast earlier this year, and I am proud to have my name on the wall there for having done so. However, I am about results, and I will continue to raise how ADHD and the lack of commissioned services here destroy families and lives across Northern Ireland. I call for the urgent publication of the report and for the commissioning of ADHD services in Northern Ireland.”
“I was then told that it would be finished by the start of September. I fully appreciate the work involved in creating a meaningful and purposeful report, but people who live with ADHD have been overlooked for too long and have waited for too long, living in crisis and despair. It is likely that we have already missed two to three generations of struggling young people who are now struggling adults. <BR /> <BR />My petition was launched in April 2024. We are now midway through September 2025 and have still heard nothing officially or unofficially. That is nearly a year and a half. I do not want to prejudge what the report will say, but I fear that I could write the conclusion: "I'd love to do it, but it's too expensive, and you all voted for the Budget".”
“As an East Belfast MLA and chair of the all-party group on ADHD, I ask where the report on commissioning adult ADHD services in Northern Ireland is. In March 2024, thousands of people signed my petition calling on the Health Minister to urgently commission those essential services here. My inbox has become flooded with the concerns and anxieties of those living with and potentially living with the condition, who, crucially, are unable to access a diagnosis or treatments, because we do not have commissioned services. <BR /> <BR />Since then, I have persisted and fought to meet the Minister in his office alongside ADD-NI. I was told in the Chamber that the report would be completed by the end of the financial year. I was then told that it would be finished by the start of the summer.”
“Minister, can you elaborate on the work being carried out to address PSNI workforce shortages and budgetary pressures due to ill-health absence and overtime?”
“In light of yesterday's decision, are you confident that the applied methodology produced robust assessment and conclusions to meet the needs of the A5?”
“I thank the Minister for her statement. In the past week, the Fiscal Council has stated that Northern Ireland Water's funding model is neither fit for purpose nor sustainable. At the same time, human waste is going into Belfast lough because of our old infrastructure. Today, it has been laid bare that Northern Ireland Water is struggling to live within the budget that your Department allocates it to manage, treat and deliver water across Northern Ireland. Do you acknowledge that those problems will continue if we do not address the elephant in the room and fund Northern Ireland Water in a more sustainable way and in line with the Utility Regulator?”
“Given how it will improve air quality, reduce congestion and tackle climate change, will the Minister provide assurances that the project will be delivered as soon as possible and without undue delay?”
“What engagement is taking place between the Minister's Department and the Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration in Ireland on best practice support for victims and witnesses?”
“Thank you, Minister. I am grateful to hear that you met the unions this morning. An important part of all that is skills. What update can you give the House today on how your Department is helping to deliver the skills that Spirit AeroSystems needs to fulfil its work and grow as a business and a globally recognised brand?”
“I thank the Minister for her response. Minister, it is your Department's responsibility to ensure that we reach 80% of electricity from renewables by 2030. Can you assure the House that changes to the role or remit of the Utility Regulator will support the delivery of "80 by 30"?”
“It is so important that everyone has access to safe and adequate housing, whether that is via a social home or affordable housing, to make homeownership more achievable for individuals and families who want to take that next step. I thank the Member again for having secured the Adjournment debate today.”
“<BR /> <BR />The situation has worsened since we last had an East Belfast Adjournment debate in the Chamber, on the stalled waste water project, Living with Water in Belfast, and the knock-on effect that it will have on the construction of current and future properties across all types of housing. A lack of new builds has an immediate impact on people who are experiencing housing stress but also elevates the need for other types of housing. I would be grateful to hear from the Minister, in his response, what recent conversations have taken place with the Infrastructure Minister on that point and the impact that the lack of support from Northern Ireland Water is having on housing stress across East Belfast and wider Northern Ireland. <BR /> <BR />Housing is fundamental, deeply personal for everyone and a highly emotive issue.”
“It is a chronic and recurring theme, and updates from the Minister on that would also be appreciated. <BR /> <BR />When it comes to new builds to address housing stress, as Ms Bunting mentioned earlier, only 46 social housing units were completed in East Belfast during the last financial year, whilst 239 units are under construction and 293 units are due to start construction. We are still trying to catch our tail with the level of demand in East Belfast, and that has led to creative approaches being taken by the East Belfast Mission and Hosford Community Homes. I was delighted to hear updates on their work last Friday alongside Ms Bunting, the High Sheriff of Belfast, Fiona McAteer, and Councillor Sammy Douglas.”
“<BR /> <BR />I also regularly hear of adult children who have to live with their parents, often with children of their own, as there is nowhere safe for them to go because hostels and emergency accommodations are not suitable for parents or young children. I have dealt with cases where the stress of having so many people crammed into one household has an immediate impact on everyone living there and can lead to fractured family dynamics. For example, in a recent case that arrived in my office, there had been violent interactions between family members because the living situation caused so much tension within that confined space. I also have several homelessness cases for single males, as they score very low on points eligibility, and I know personally of friends over the years who have experienced that.”
“The loss of a home from the private rented market is one of the most-cited reasons for people experiencing hidden homelessness, when individuals and families are forced to sofa-surf and may not be known to the Housing Executive. Additionally, high rents are leaving private rented tenants vulnerable to homelessness, with around one in eight private renters presenting as homeless to the Housing Executive since 2018 citing problems in affording their rent. We must do more to secure tenancies in rented accommodation. I appreciate that that is not immediately within the gift of the Communities Minister, but I would appreciate a response to the point and an update on the work that he is undertaking within his Department.”
“That means individuals, families and children living in uncertainty and insecurity. Taking that to the extreme, I took part in a sponsored sleep-out last year with MACS NI, about which I have spoken before in the Chamber. I obtained a glimpse of the reality of homelessness in inner East Belfast, located at Banana Block, just down the road from here. I experienced the judgement and stigma that come with homelessness and the wider, cumulative effect that not having a good night's sleep has on you the next morning. <BR /> <BR />I will turn to the wider impact that the lack of housing and social housing has on our constituents. My office regularly hears about tenants being served notices to quit by their landlord. They cannot afford to rent elsewhere on the private market because of the cost.”
“I rise to speak on the importance of social and affordable housing in East Belfast. I thank Ms Bunting for securing the debate, the Communities Minister for being here to listen to us, and the Housing Executive and the many housing associations that operate in East Belfast for providing the basic human right to a safe and comfortable home. <BR /> <BR />Each week, I sit down with staff in my constituency office to discuss themes and emerging issues. Without a shadow of a doubt, housing and housing stress is the number-one recurring issue that they deal with daily. I pay tribute to my staff for the work that they do for me each week. <BR /> <BR />In East Belfast, 3,700 people are currently on the social housing waiting list, yet, in 2024, only 655 people were allocated a social home. The demand is nearly six times the availability.”
“To date, how have projects funded by the carrier bag levy benefited the environment?”
“I thank the Minister for her statement. I will build on what we have just heard on EV infrastructure: how does the 75% increase that the Minister mentioned compare with the other islands? What ideas were discussed for how we could improve EV infrastructure in Northern Ireland on the basis of the best experiences of the other jurisdictions and experiences as a whole?”
“Minister, what is your assessment of the extent to which the PSNI's requirement to deal with legacy investigations impacts on the delivery of contemporary policing and justice priorities?”
“The Infrastructure Minister is present for the debate, and I am keen to hear her thoughts and views on that during her contribution. In 2023, when the Assembly was collapsed, sadly, we saw the highest number of fatalities for some years, but that was also the year in which the least amount of money was spent on road safety education. <BR /> <BR />There is no easy answer to road safety. Instead, consistent hard work across Departments and sustained investment in education and enforcement will ensure that all drivers know about the impact that they can have and how lack of attention can change their life and the life of a family in an instant. Let us, as an Assembly, work together to ensure that our roads are safe, children are protected and we see no more needless deaths on our roads.”
“<BR /> <BR />I have also been fortunate to speak regularly to the secretariat of the all-party group and to Davy Jackson from the charity Road Safe NI, who works tirelessly to educate young people about the dangers on our roads and who advocates greater education, awareness and acknowledgement of the fact that driving a vehicle is a serious matter that requires vigilance, care and responsibility. That is why there are so many measures outside legislation that are crucial to reducing deaths on our roads. <BR /> <BR />If you want to achieve the road to zero, education and enforcement must be everywhere. Drivers must always be aware of the significant consequences of the way in which they drive. The trend in the statistics suggests that the most effective way to reduce road deaths is to increase spending on education.”
“We are happy to support the will of the Assembly and support the Infrastructure and Education Ministers to ensure that no child is killed on our roads while they are simply going to or from school. At the most recent meeting of our all-party group on road safety, I was fortunate to receive an update from Chief Superintendent Sam Donaldson, as I have done before as a Policing Board member. He speaks regularly about the "fatal five" causes of fatalities on our roads. The all-party group will be fortunate to have him back later this year to hear about the PSNI's work on keeping us all safe on the roads. He also speaks regularly about the 3 Es: engineering; education; and enforcement.”
“I will speak to the motion as a member of the Infrastructure Committee, a member of the Policing Board and the chair of the all-party group on road safety. I thank the motion's sponsors and those who tabled the amendments. <BR /> <BR />I start by acknowledging the family of Caitlin-Rose McMullan, who tragically lost her life earlier this year in circumstances that the motion and amendments seek to prevent happening again. I also pay tribute to the family of Caitlin Hogg, who lost their daughter in 2022 in similar circumstances, and the O'Neill family, whose son and daughter were, sadly, struck by a bus. I thank them all for joining us for the debate, and for their time before the debate. <BR /> <BR />We like parts of each of the amendments and the motion.”
“I have asked for the reports multiple times at the Infrastructure Committee, but they are kept internal and are unavailable for scrutiny. <BR /> <BR />The Department for Infrastructure can no longer bury its head in its hands on the matter. It is not just us in Alliance calling out the chaos: last week, the Office for Environmental Protection called it out in the AERA Committee. The Department can no longer ignore the role that NI Water plays in an ecological crisis that we can, once again, see with our very eyes in Lough Neagh and other waterways in Northern Ireland.”
“The solutions being proposed and explored by the Minister for Infrastructure will barely touch the surface of what we need to deliver a world-class water service for everyone across Northern Ireland. As with all major engineering projects, long-term strategic planning and the ability to borrow what is needed are required to deliver clean water and stop polluting Lough Neagh and other environmental assets. <BR /> <BR />Northern Ireland Water is an outlier in comparison with water utilities across the world, and the fact remains that no other country provides water services like we do. I call on the Minister for Infrastructure and her Department to publish the reports that have been prepared over the years on the efficacy of the funding model.”
“As an infrastructure spokesperson for the Alliance Party, I am fully aware of the role of the statement of regulatory principles and intent (SORPI) in adding to the pollution of the lough, an arrangement that puts Northern Ireland Water into a separate regulatory regime from others and lets it off the hook for polluting our waterways. That said, 24% of nutrients found in Lough Neagh originated in waste water. The discharge of untreated sewage by Northern Ireland Water is currently allowed under the SORPI arrangements, with minimal punishment in place. However, while I am content to criticise Northern Ireland Water, we must recognise that it discharges so much untreated sewage because of years of inadequate capital budgets from the Department, and its hands are tied behind its back.”
“I wish to speak about the reappearance of blue-green algae in Lough Neagh. It was the subject of one of the first motions that I spoke on in the Chamber last year, and it is something for which there is no silver bullet. Instead, it is for all of us in the Chamber and Departments working cross-departmentally to restore Lough Neagh to a clean and environmentally sound waterbody. <BR /> <BR />The Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs has rightly put his shoulder to the wheel on the challenges that he faces to correct the pollution at Lough Neagh, but he cannot do that alone.”
“<BR /> <BR />As Members will know, and as the Chair of the Infrastructure Committee just said, last year we debated the mobile action plan and improving rural connectivity. It is only fair and reasonable that the particular needs in West Belfast are taken into consideration and worked on to improve connectivity, productivity, innovation and growth in the area. I am delighted that the Economy Minister has joined us for the debate today. I look forward to hearing what her Department has been doing and what it will do to address those issues in West Belfast.”
“The issues that are being experienced have been well documented today. It is a disgrace that many of the reception complaints are down to 5G masts being physically damaged by, as Mr Sheehan said, the "tinfoil hat brigade", as was the case last year. I read the statistics for such actions in advance of today's debate. Those actions are not only reckless, contributing to what we are talking about today, but a waste of police and fire service time. From an Alliance perspective, they directly impact on phone service and connectivity in the surrounding community. People and businesses are struggling to connect to telephone and internet services, sometimes for months at a time, but it is only a matter of time before somebody is seriously hurt.”
“Thank you, Madam Principal Deputy Speaker. I welcome the opportunity to speak about improving mobile phone coverage in West Belfast. I thank the Member for securing the debate. I am aware that her party has done a lot of local campaigning on the issue, and rightly so. I was chatting to David Honeyford — he joins me today as our economy spokesperson — about it just last week, and he was citing the regular black spots that he encounters when driving from Lisburn to Belfast.”
“No, I will not. <BR /> <BR />We need debate here to take place on the basis of evidence, of which I have seen and heard none today, rather than ideology. That is how we improve the working of the Assembly, the Executive and our public services. That is how we better integrate people who have chosen to settle in Northern Ireland and how we avoid a repeat of the violence that we saw on our streets last year. <BR /> <BR />Alliance opposes the motion on the basis of human rights, the rule of law and evidence-based policymaking, and we support the Opposition's amendment. Let us set the bar higher on the standards that the Assembly should reach for. Let us be an Assembly for all and show leadership on these issues based on human rights, equality and a Northern Ireland for all rather than on dog-whistle politics for social media clips.”
“<BR /> <BR />Moreover, if the Members who tabled the motion are so concerned about HMO policy, have they spoken to their colleagues in local government who have operational responsibility for and licensing powers over them? Have they spoken to the Communities Minister, who sits on their Benches and has responsibility? <BR /> <BR />I enjoyed Mr Buckley's contribution, as he has come on board with having stable and "sensible government". I am glad that he is now supportive of reforming the institutions and giving Northern Ireland the stable and un-collapsed government that people here deserve, all year round.”
“<BR /> <BR />Today's motion raises concerns and issues about education, health and dentistry, but let us get real here: those issues are not because of so-called illegal immigration or asylum seekers. They are a consequence of the Assembly's dysfunction. One minute, we are outraged that we cannot have nice things because of our inconsistent politics, and, the next, we collapse the place as a bargaining tactic. I have seen HMOs work well, and I have seen them work not so well, but it is a stretch to suggest that amending the strategic planning policy statement will reduce pressure on our systems across Northern Ireland when the numbers are miniscule by comparison.”
“Today's disjointed and confused motion tries to do the same thing. <BR /> <BR />I think of friends and colleagues, who have a different skin colour or accent from me, who, last summer, were fearful for their safety while walking on our streets. I think of someone else whose partner had stones thrown at her as she left work at a hospital in south Belfast. I distinctly remember the update that we received at the Policing Board on violence in Larne and healthcare workers living in fear after attacks on their homes. There are numerous other disgraceful examples from the past year, which Amnesty International recently labelled as "a year of hate", with 1,300 hate incidents reported during that time. Some of those people will hear today's debate and experience that fear and trauma all over again.”
“Last August, the Assembly was recalled because so-called protesters were emboldened enough to walk through Belfast and other areas of Northern Ireland attacking our infrastructure, disturbing the peace, attacking businesses and putting £2 million of additional pressure on our Police Service. Around that time, in the Chamber, we heard of "legitimate concerns" about immigration, with the use of deliberate and divisive rhetoric that ignores the systemic and structural pressures on our public services. Members in the Chamber who have contributed to those pressures in the past through inaction and collapsing the Assembly then lay the blame on people who come here from other countries because they are fleeing persecution or war or are, as we have heard, simply seeking a better life.”
“Additionally, the cycle lanes that we have are not protected, thus endangering the safety of those who choose to cycle. Safe and accessible active travel infrastructure is vital in order to ensure a clean, sustainable transport system that works for everyone. <BR /> <BR />To paraphrase Bill Hicks, possibly for the first time in the Chamber, "Is there a point to any of what I have just said? I think that there is". Today's Budget is a step forward, but it is not enough. Infrastructure also needs political stability from us all — it is not just about money — multi-annual budgets and informed decision-making. Only then will we see better connectivity, health and environmental protections in the future.”
“I have heard first-hand that there is a strong chance that plans for a night-time bus service in Belfast will not come to fruition because of a funding shortfall. The Budget document itself states that the capital budget outcome will not facilitate the high level of investment that the Department initially identified, which will result in delays on progress being made with some key schemes. <BR /> <BR />A similar level of investment in active travel is necessary, yet we have seen the glacial delivery of the Belfast cycle network. Thankfully, delivery is picking up speed. I have been fortunate to call down to consultations on schemes in East Belfast. We need to pick up the pace, however. There are arterial routes in and out of the city centre that do not have a viable cycle alternative that is safe for cyclists to use.”
“Ensuring that Northern Ireland Water has sufficient baseline funding to enable the continuation of water and waste water services is one of the Assembly's highest priorities. Without decisive action from the Minister for Infrastructure on a way forward that can plug the gap between what DFI can allocate and what Northern Ireland Water needs, the threat to our environment, to public health and to our economy will remain. <BR /> <BR />I will now turn to the funding of Translink. Public transport will play a key role in the realisation of net zero emissions by 2050, especially as surface transport is our second-largest emitting sector. Translink has similar concerns that running out of money may be a risk, especially given the increase in employers' National Insurance contributions.”
“The appointment of forensic accountants to investigate resource overspend was a scenario mentioned back in February when Northern Ireland Water informed the Infrastructure Committee that there was not enough money to keep the business running in 2024-25. Whilst I agree with the Minister's remedial actions, the budget allocated to Northern Ireland Water was not adequate to begin with. We face a potentially worse picture next year, when resource and capital costs are due to rise significantly. Compared with an assessed capital need of £549 million, indicative allocations show that Northern Ireland Water will be underfunded in the next financial year well beyond the £3 million overspend that triggered that forensic accounting intervention.”
“Passing the Budget will give stability and clarity to our public services, but all Departments will be required to operate in a difficult financial landscape in the year ahead, as we have heard so many times today. <BR /> <BR />The Department for Infrastructure is no exception, and I recognise that, whilst DFI's resource and capital budgets have increased by 13·9% and 12% respectively compared with last year, there are still significant challenges for the adequate baseline funding of Northern Ireland Water, Translink and other departmental functions. <BR /> <BR />The financial challenge for Northern Ireland Water is well rehearsed in the Chamber and in the Infrastructure Committee.”
“<BR /> <BR />I have said this before, but, in my opinion, the Infrastructure Department does not get the respect or consistent funding that it deserves, with short-term politics leading to costly delays in the short term and long term. Years of instability and collapse have also made things worse over the past number of years. That is why we must work collectively as an Assembly to introduce multi-year Budgets and establish an independent, expert-led infrastructure commission to protect and direct investment in major capital projects under the guidance of engineering experts. <BR /> <BR />The decisions made by the Infrastructure Minister are fundamental to the majority of aims listed in the Programme for Government. Water, transport and planning are key to building homes, protecting the environment and economic growth.”
“As infrastructure spokesperson for the Alliance Party, I rise to support the Budget and to highlight the reasons why infrastructure is so strategically important for many of our ambitions as an Assembly. <BR /> <BR />Since restoration last year, my role has given me the opportunity to speak with engineers, builders, planners and developers, and it has shown me just how significant a role the Department for Infrastructure plays in all our lives each and every day. A successful, thriving economy, cohesive communities and healthy and happy people are all underpinned by foundations that are fit for purpose, and, if we can get the basics right in planning, water and transport, we can achieve more for Northern Ireland and the people who elect us to this place.”
“However, by redoubling our efforts and having updates from the Minister, including this evening's, we can, hopefully, finally move the project along and add key improvements to the west, all while improving connectivity and saving lives in the future as we strive to ensure that communities from Derry to Strabane and from Omagh to Aughnacloy are never left behind again. I look forward to an update from the Minister this evening.”