Phillip Brett
North Belfast · Democratic Unionist Party · Northern Ireland
“Paula has been a diligent Chair who has championed the interests of victims and survivors. I personally thank her for her work on the Bill. I pay tribute to Committee members, who also dedicated their time to the Bill, and to our Committee staff.”
“At the outset, I pay tribute to the Member for Fermanagh and South Tyrone for her heartfelt and valuable contribution. As you rightly said, Mr Deputy Speaker, her family will be very proud of the contribution that she has just made. <BR /> <BR />Today marks a truly significant moment.”
“<BR /> <BR />I am therefore delighted to report to the House that a U-turn has been secured. This year, the Twelfth has been promoted through Discover Northern Ireland's social media channels.”
“<BR /> <BR />The Bill will establish a statutory public inquiry alongside a redress scheme, both of which are important. Their establishment recognises that there is a responsibility not only to uncover truth but to acknowledge the profound harm that was caused.”
“I warmly welcome the progress that has been achieved in the promotion of the Twelfth of July and our wider Orange and Ulster-Scots traditions by Tourism Northern Ireland.”
“<BR /> <BR />Today's debate is not about rewriting history but about confronting history honestly. It is about recognising that vulnerable women and children were failed by institutions, by society and by the state.”
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“<BR /> <BR />When the Minister sums up — Members have articulated the difficulties in creating a register — what other aspects can we support the Minister in doing to ensure that preventing animal cruelty continues to be high on the agenda? It is a moral imperative upon us, as legislators, to put in place the strongest possible protections for animals across Northern Ireland, and if the House speaks today with one voice, united on this important issue, we can continue to work together to protect animals, which we all want to do.”
“I was delighted that John and I were able to ban circuses with wild animals from being able to operate on council-owned property, and continued campaigns to ensure that the investment needed in animal welfare protection was at the forefront. That speaks to the issue: it is not a party political issue, but is something on which all Members of all sides of the House are united. In North Belfast, it is an issue that I raise regularly. I pay tribute to one campaigner in my constituency in particular: Ms Krystal Allen, who, every time I canvass or speak to her, asks whether we have managed to get the register in place, because it is such a vital issue.”
“We are all united in that and committed to working with the Minister to try to see how, collectively, the House and the Executive can deliver on that shared goal. As my colleague highlighted earlier, the fact that only 12% of the most extreme cases of animal welfare issues result in a custodial sentence is something that we should all be concerned about, and I am sure that it is something that the Minister continues to raise with his colleague the Justice Minister. <BR /> <BR />Budget pressures face all Departments, but the cut in funding for animal protection officers in our councils, which was highlighted earlier, is clearly an issue of concern. The Member for South Antrim Mr Blair and I proudly served on Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council over 10 years ago, and it was an issue that he and I worked strongly on.”
“As a proud member of the all-party group on animal welfare, I am pleased to make a short contribution to the debate. First and foremost, I pay tribute to my colleague the Member for Strangford Michelle McIlveen not only for tabling this important motion but for being a strong and relentless champion for animal welfare issues in our party, for many years. I thank her for that. I know that the Minister shares our passion in relation to addressing these important issues, and we look forward to hearing his remarks later today. <BR /> <BR />Animal cruelty and those who engage in it are a scourge upon society. I do not think that anyone outside the Chamber, or anywhere, would disagree with what we are trying to achieve: a ban on anyone who has been convicted of animal abuse being allowed to keep a pet or breed a pet.”
“Yesterday, the First Minister once again reiterated the incorrect information that he was not a minor. <BR /> <BR />The First Minister then came to the Chamber in her role as a Back-Bench MLA to give a Member's statement to correct the record, not as First Minister, the capacity in which she was answering questions yesterday. Mr Deputy Speaker, will you rule on whether it is in order for a Minister to correct the record while not in the capacity in which they made the statement? Secondly, what avenues are open to Members to question Ministers on why they wilfully mislead the House?”
“On a point of order, Mr Deputy Speaker. Yesterday, during questions to the First Minister, the First Minister once again said the line that has been proven to be incorrect. At the weekend, the information was clear that the teenager subjected to inappropriate contact by Senator Niall Ó Donnghaile was 16 years of age.”
“I will table further questions to find out whether the Sinn Féin employee was in any way connected to any Member of this House. These are very serious questions that need to be answered, and I and this party will continue to pursue these acts of criminality, violence and utter disgrace.”
“Did any of those leadership figures witness the incident that took place? Will they cooperate with the police investigation? Will they encourage others to cooperate with the PSNI investigation? When did Sinn Féin first become aware of the incident, and why only after our party raised this matter at City Hall and through the media did Sinn Féin then make a statement late last night? Did the Sinn Féin employee explain the rationale for the attack? Why did they single out a portrait of a unionist Lord Mayor? Why did they single out a portrait painted by a member of the Jewish community? Was it in retaliation for the democratic decision taken by members of Belfast City Council to remove the portrait of disgraced Sinn Féin senator Niall Ó Donnghaile?”
“I have given notice that I will raise a point of order after Members' statements. I am disappointed, given the issue that I want to raise, that the First Minister is now walking out of the Chamber. <BR /> <BR />Another day and another Sinn Féin scandal: another day and another police investigation surrounding the behaviour of Sinn Féin employees and members. Let me be abundantly clear: the decision by a Sinn Féin employee and member at the weekend to desecrate the portrait of DUP Lord Mayor Wallace Browne was absolutely disgraceful and poses many questions for Sinn Féin. <BR /> <BR />The event on Saturday evening at which the incident took place was attended by leadership figures of that party.”
“First Minister, I will try that again, because transparency is important. I ask you again: why did you, as deputy leader of Sinn Féin and First Minister designate, allow Niall Ó Donnghaile to remain as one of the most senior members of Sinn Féin and the leader of your party in the Seanad for three months — three months — despite you knowing that he had inappropriately contacted a schoolboy?”
“I thank the junior Minister for her comprehensive update. I agree with her that the impact that Urban Villages has had in North Belfast is significant. Junior Minister, there are other parts of North Belfast that would hugely benefit from a scheme. Is the Executive Office scoping the creation of a further Urban Villages programme across Northern Ireland so that we can ensure that all communities have the right to benefit from that important work?”
“The Department needs to be open and transparent about this policy development. In the absence of that, the Democratic Unionist Party will not vote for the regulations.”
“That will not be achieved by pressing ahead with regulations and revised tariffs that lack clarity or full scrutiny. <BR /> <BR />The Court of Appeal judgement in February 2023 was clear and expressed a clear preference that any settlement on future tariffs should be on a consensual basis. The DUP regrets that that has not happened to date. Ultimately, changes to the RHI regulations must be robust and justifiable. We are clear that Assembly Members should have access to greater detail on how tariffs in the regulations were calculated, including the metrics used by officials and the steps taken to ensure that they are legally defensible. It is our careful assessment, following deliberations, that the proposals should be withdrawn by the Minister to afford space and time for further scrutiny.”
“The RHI inquiry found that documents and advice provided to Ministers were often inaccurate, incomplete or misleading in important aspects. It also cited concerns about skill gaps and questionable financial literacy in some Departments. In that context, it is essential that we take our obligations in scrutinising draft regulations extremely seriously. <BR /> <BR />The Democratic Unionist Party is not satisfied that the Department for the Economy has provided the necessary information to allow Assembly Members to make an informed judgement on whether the proposed tariffs are legally sound, provide a fair and reasonable return for scheme participants or protect the public purse. We want to see an outcome that balances the rights of scheme participants with the requirement to provide effective stewardship of public funds.”
“<BR /> <BR />The Committee noted the importance of the careful consideration of this complex matter relating to RHI tariffs, the value for money in allowing the relevant parties the opportunity to set out their views so as to inform Committee deliberations and departmental assurances that the proposed rule would likely meet legal challenges while providing a fair settlement for good-faith boiler owners and value for taxpayers. <BR /> <BR />Members indicated their dissatisfaction with the absence of detailed answers. However, the Committee agreed that the matter be brought, with the regulations, to the Assembly for debate and wider scrutiny and that any member of the Committee had the ability to oppose the delegated legislation in plenary. <BR /> <BR />I will speak briefly as DUP economics spokesperson and MLA for North Belfast.”
“<BR /> <BR />The Department indicated that the revised tariffs would generate an internal rate of return (IRR) of 12%. It appears that the methodology for calculating that IRR for the revised tariff is either not the same as that adopted when the non-domestic scheme was originally launched or has been greatly affected by relative changes in fuel cost. However, the Department has not specified whether the IRR calculation of the 2012 tariff using the 2024 methodology would or would not have been in excess of state aid rules.”
“The Department indicated that a public interest business case was not made for backdating revised tariffs to cover that period. <BR /> <BR />The revised 2024 tariffs covered by the rule appear to be based on the Cornwall Insight reports that were used in 2023-24, with kerosene prices as the counterfactual, which was then adjusted with the consumer prices index. I must be clear, however, that the Department has not provided detailed clarity on the economic viability of the new tariffs. The Department also declined to provide comparison with GB RHI tariffs, citing complexity and scheme differences and declined to confirm whether any unspent AME could be used for other renewable energy purposes, citing the need for Treasury approval.”
“The Committee considered evidence from the Department on 11 and 25 September 2024 and noted a draft report on the departmental consultation from 2021. The Department advised that the final consultation report would be published when the primary legislation to terminate the scheme was introduced. <BR /> <BR />Members noted that the Department estimated that the revised tariffs would increase the cost of the scheme from £5 million to £15 million per annum. They noted that that was well within the £33 million of annually managed expenditure (AME) that is ring-fenced for renewables. The Committee was thus assured, on that issue, that the proposed tariff increase would not lead to increased liability against the Northern Ireland block grant. As indicated, the proposed revised tariffs apply from 1 November only and not from 2019 to the present.”
“As the Minister indicated in his remarks, the draft rule will amend the Renewable Heat Incentive Scheme Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2012 in order to more than double the tariff for the tier-1 support payments to compliant and accredited small and medium biomass installations. The increases are for heat that is generated from 1 November 2024, and the proposed rule will fix the tariffs until the end of March 2025. Those tariffs will then be adjusted in line with the consumer prices index. It is anticipated that primary legislation will be introduced to terminate the RHI scheme, but that matter is not before the House this afternoon.”
“As the House is aware, the draft statutory rule (SR) deals with the tariffs to be paid to biomass boiler owners under the non-domestic renewable heat incentive (RHI) scheme. In order to enhance its understanding of the regulations, the Committee considered oral and written evidence from the Renewable Heat Association and the Department for the Economy on two occasions. <BR /> <BR />On 25 September 2024, when the Renewable Heat Association gave evidence, Committee members noted that the 2,000 or so good-faith boiler owners were reportedly compliant with audit requirements and with the terms of the RHI scheme.”
“<BR /> <BR />Any Members who are interested can see Isla singing at weekends in Belfast city centre as she raises funds for her next competition. Those competitions take place right across the world. I put on record my congratulations to Isla, and to those in North Belfast, and we look forward to her winning Junior Eurovision next year.”
“during the pandemic to almost representing North Belfast on the world stage in the grand final of Junior Eurovision. That is something of which we can all be hugely proud. <BR /> <BR />Just last week, I had the pleasure of opening a new autism-specific classroom at Seaview Primary School alongside Isla, who, for many years, campaigned for better provision for those living with autism. She has used her singing ability to help her cope with autism and to inspire young people anywhere in Northern Ireland also living with autism by showing them that, despite that, they can continue to achieve their dreams. I pay tribute to her mum, Alana, Seaview Primary School and Integrated College Glengormley. Day and daily, they encourage Isla to achieve her dreams.”
“It is my pleasure to congratulate the phenomenon that is Isla McManus, the 11-year-old from my constituency of North Belfast, who this week made it all the way to the final of Junior Eurovision. Isla, despite her young age, managed to see off hundreds of other young people from across this island to make it to the final, which was on our television screens on Sunday. <BR /> <BR />North Belfast is rightly proud of all that she has achieved, from becoming an internet sensation at the age of eight for her rendition of 'Dance Monkey'”
“It has been a really useful debate. Members have shown their clear commitment to the issue. There is an opportunity for us to send a strong message to the Northern Ireland Children's Hospice, the families, staff and service users that we, as a House, value the vital role that they play. Collectively, we will continue to do all that we can to ensure that the Children's Hospice receives the funding that it deserves.”
“Minister, I do not think that anyone doubts your commitment to the role of Health Minister or your integrity and dedication to the role. Thank you for the work that you do. We may disagree on budget allocations, but I know that, working together, we can continue to promote this important cause. <BR /> <BR />Miss McAllister, a fellow North Belfast representative, alongside her colleagues, put forward a sensible amendment, which we as a party will support. She spoke of the importance of seeing at first hand, when visiting the hospice, the important impact that it has.”
“I agree. Madison does amazing work in highlighting the work of the Northern Ireland Hospice. I think that she has raised almost £60,000, to date. Ms Brownlee, as a representative for East Antrim, is right to continue to champion the work that she does. I thank the Member for doing that. <BR /> <BR />Mr Carroll made clear the ongoing commitment that the health service should have to palliative care. Again, we agree with those remarks. <BR /> <BR />Health Minister, thank you, first, for being here and, secondly, for your commitment to the hospice. When you were appointed to the office, I wrote to you, on a number of occasions, and you committed to visiting the hospice. You will honour that commitment, next month.”
“She spoke eloquently about how it is our duty as elected representatives to champion the cause of the Northern Ireland Hospice. I could not agree with her more. <BR /> <BR />Cara Hunter, rightly, recognised the vital role that the staff of the hospice play. We are blessed to have such excellent staff across Northern Ireland. <BR /> <BR />Mr Gaston spoke of the vital work of fundraisers and, in particular, spoke of the work that is done by his party colleague Alderman Stewart McDonald. Mr Gaston spoke of the fabulous amount that they have raised through their work. I congratulate Stewart and others who continue to fundraise. Mr Gaston even described the Alliance amendment as hugely "sensible". That shows how important the issue is: it brings all parties together to support the work of the hospice.”
“Even the Health Minister, in his remarks, recognised the vital work that they do and spoke of his ongoing and clear commitment to that. It is important that we send a clear message from the House that the work that they do is vital. <BR /> <BR />Órlaithí Flynn, rightly, referenced the impact study that the Northern Ireland Hospice publishes annually. I encourage every Member to read that, if they get the opportunity. It provides the details of the countless families across Northern Ireland whom the hospice supports, and it drills down into the great work that it does. <BR /> <BR />Sian Mulholland, a Member for North Antrim, spoke about the personal circumstances that she and her family have faced and the irreplaceable service that the Northern Ireland Children's Hospice provides.”
“He pointed out the budgetary constraints in the Department of Health — of course, he voted against the Budget, so he is able to make those remarks — and continues to make an important argument for further funding for the Department of Health. <BR /> <BR />Mr McGrath said that he would like to see this commitment from the House but that, in his view, the discussion here would have no tangible outcomes. I respectfully disagree with Mr McGrath. As I said at the start of my contribution, I know that patients, staff and users of the service are watching today's debate because they want to see the House discuss the important role that the hospice plays. We send out a clear message to fundraisers, staff and the public that we value the service.”
“He spoke of his role and the work that he has done, on a personal level, providing palliative care to patients during his professional life as a nurse. I thank you, Mr Donnelly, for the work that you have done, because I know that it is vital for families across Northern Ireland. <BR /> <BR />The Chair of the Health Committee has been a strong champion for the Northern Ireland Children's Hospice and, I know, has been to visit it on a number of occasions. I thank her and the entire Health Committee for the work that they continue to do. <BR /> <BR />Mr Chambers recognised the vital role that the Children's Hospice staff play and the rightful expectation among the public that we continue to support them.”
“Those words stand in stark contrast to some of the information that I have received to date. I encourage the Minister to reflect on the previous Minister's answers as we continue to try to move the situation forward. It is important that we all put our best foot forward and recognise the hospice's important role, but we now need to step up to the mark. <BR /> <BR />Mr Kingston, who ran a marathon recently for the Northern Ireland Hospice, spoke eloquently of the vital role that it plays. I take the opportunity to pay tribute to fundraisers right across Northern Ireland for the vital role that they play, and we encourage them to continue to do that. <BR /> <BR />Mr Donnelly spoke eloquently of the importance of the provision of palliative care for our health service here in Northern Ireland.”
“On 15 March 2024, I was told by the then Health Minister that his officials would meet the Children's Hospice on 3 April and 9 May and would bring forward new funding proposals. On 26 March, I was told by the then Minister for Health that discussions would be ongoing with the Finance Minister to make a bid for additional funding. Responses from the Finance Minister make clear that she had:”
“On average each year, its nursing services carry out 7,000 unique appointments; 725 families from the length and breadth of Northern Ireland receive a visit and support from the Northern Ireland Children's Hospice; and around 100 families feel the benefit of the family counselling service that it runs. <BR /> <BR />I must say that the ongoing discussion on the issue is hugely frustrating, as is the fact that we have not got to a solution or proposals for it. I have tabled a number of questions for written answer on it, and I continue to receive contradictory replies. On 2 February this year, I received a response from the then Minister of Health to say that his officials were working on new funding proposals for the Northern Ireland Children's Hospice.”
“One of my first acts as a councillor was to help ensure, alongside Councillor Billy Webb, that the Children's Hospice was awarded the freedom of the borough by Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council. Billy Webb continues to be an honorary president of the Northern Ireland Children's Hospice, and I pay tribute to him as a North Belfast constituent for the work that he continues to do, day and daily, to raise vital funds for the hospice. <BR /> <BR />It is easy to say that the Northern Ireland Children's Hospice does important work, but, when we look at the numbers detailing the work that it does, we see that there is a family and a patient behind every single story.”
“Thank you very much indeed, Madam Principal Deputy Speaker. I thank the House for a very useful debate. Members from across the House have spoken eloquently about the importance of the hospice service, and I know that many of the staff, patients and, indeed, families who are impacted on by the hospice's work are watching the debate and will be heartened by many of the remarks that have been made. <BR /> <BR />As someone who represents North Belfast, I am immensely proud that the Northern Ireland Children's Hospice is based in our constituency. As Members across the House pointed out, its services and work have an impact on the lives of people right across our Province. The hospice is a very special place. I am delighted to have worked alongside it and to have supported it for many years.”
“I thank the Minister for his update to the House. I know that he has been a long-term campaigner on this important issue. I thank him for all the work that he continues to do. I ask why the Justice Minister herself was unable to come to the House to answer Members' questions.”
“I thank the Minister for his update on that really important work. Does he agree that it shows his commitment and that of our party to ensuring that all education sectors in Northern Ireland are treated equally and have the same representation across the board, which they rightly deserve?”
“On a point of order, Mr Speaker. On Thursday, at the meeting of the Executive Office Committee, a decision was taken unilaterally by the Chair of the Committee to move the Committee into private session. Standing Orders are clear that that is a decision for the Committee as a whole, not a unilateral act by the Chair. Given that, in breach of Standing Orders, permission was not sought and nor was agreement given for that Committee to move into private session and that the public were denied the ability to scrutinise proceedings, will you advise what action the House can take when a Chair of a Committee breaches the clear Standing Orders that are set down before all Members?”
“I thank the Minister for giving way and providing those details. As the Minister may be aware, North Belfast is also covered heavily by the Northern Trust. Does the Minister have any information about vacancies in the Northern Trust, which also covers part of the North Belfast constituency?”
“I thank the Minister for his ongoing commitment to making Northern Ireland work and ensuring that Northern Ireland works for everyone. Can he give any further detail on the location of those jobs, particularly in Belfast? The location of those jobs is important, but many of the inner-city communities and constituents whom I represent, while they play host to the large office blocks, tend not to benefit from the employment opportunities. Will the Minister commit to ensuring that those from less-well-off backgrounds or socio-economically challenged areas have equal opportunity when it comes to those jobs?”
“In the three-year action plan for your Department, Minister, you indicated that you would launch the social enterprise action plan and three-year work plan in September 2024. Can you give me an update as to where that is, as we are now in October?”
“It would have been her job to suspend him, as political parties have no role in the appointment or dismissal of staff. <BR /> <BR />The First Minister was clearly not accurate in her answers to the House yesterday and needs to come forward immediately to correct the record.”
“The First Minister, Michelle O'Neill, will have signed that form in April 2020 when she employed Mr McMonagle on a full-time basis. Jemma Dolan MLA will have signed it in April 2021 and April 2022 when Mr McMonagle was in her full-time employment. How could that form have been signed correctly if it was claimed that he was an MLA support staff worker, when, as the First Minister made clear to the House, he was a Sinn Féin press officer? <BR /> <BR />On the serious issue of misleading the House, the First Minister stated that Sinn Féin suspended Mr McMonagle from its employment. How could Sinn Féin suspend Mr McMonagle when he was not an employee of Sinn Féin? The Assembly record is clear that he was an employee of Jemma Dolan MLA.”
“The rules for MLAs employing staff are very clear. All Members of the House are required to follow part 4 of the Assembly Members (Salaries and Expenses) Determination (Northern Ireland) 2016, as amended by the Assembly Members (Salaries and Expenses) (Amendment) Determination (Northern Ireland) 2020, which makes it clear that staff employed by MLAs cannot engage in party political activity and that our political parties cannot benefit from that funding. If Mr McMonagle was a Sinn Féin press officer as the First Minister claims that he was, while he was being paid as a full-time constituency worker, that would be a clear breach of Assembly rules. <BR /> <BR />Each year, all Members are required to sign the MF12 form, of which Members will be aware. That form clearly states that we, as MLAs, have abided by the determination.”
“Following answers given by the First Minister in the House yesterday being contradicted by information that has been released by the Assembly authorities, I have serious questions that Sinn Féin can no longer duck. Those include questions on the possible misappropriation of public funds; the accuracy of official financial documentation and paperwork submitted to the Assembly; and, indeed, the possibility that the House was misled. <BR /> <BR />On the first question, the misappropriation of public of funds, the First Minister, in the House and in public statements, has consistently described Michael McMonagle as a Sinn Féin press officer. Information released yesterday by the Assembly contradicts that. To quote the Assembly spokesperson:”
“Both Sinn Féin and the media have referred to Mr McMonagle as a Sinn Féin press officer. Details that the Assembly Commission released today show that he was directly employed by MLAs through the office cost allowance. Is it the case, First Minister, that it is a scandal for not only child safeguarding but in the possible misappropriation of public funds by Sinn Féin in using the office cost allowance to employ press officers?”
“I thank the deputy First Minister for her ongoing efforts in respect of victims across Northern Ireland. Does the deputy First Minister agree that all victims in Northern Ireland deserve truth and justice, none more so than Gina Murray? As the deputy First Minister knows, Gina Murray campaigned tirelessly following the sectarian murder of her 13-year-old daughter by the Provisional IRA on the Shankill Road. Gina Murray passed away at the weekend having not seen truth or justice for her daughter. Does the deputy First Minister agree that those who may hold information or who continue to support those who carried out those acts should finally honour her legacy by giving truth and justice to her family?”
“On a point of order, Mr Deputy Speaker. Will you use your offices to raise this issue? Although we have just had 45 minutes of questions for oral answer to the Minister of Health, we have managed only to make it to question number 5 of the listed questions. Members on all sides of the House who have been balloted and are in the Chamber have a rightful expectation that they will have an opportunity to have their question answered. Will you seek to have the Speaker make a ruling on ministerial answers and Members' questions so that we can make progress through the list and all Members who have been elected to the House have an opportunity to question Ministers?”
“Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. I am not quite sure that the Minister answered the listed question as to when Dalriada Urgent Care will reopen. I want to put on the record that it serves some of the most deprived communities in Northern Ireland, which have no access to public transport, either to Antrim Area Hospital or Ballymena. Will the Minister commit in his reconfiguration plans that public transport is an Executive-wide strategy and that those who are least well-off in society should have access to much-needed community support?”
“Members will be aware that it includes Belfast City Council, Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council, Ards and North Down Borough Council and Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council. According to the Minister's figures, labour productivity and the median wage in Ards and North Down are the second lowest, and subregional economic employment rates in Belfast are the second lowest. Clearly, work needs to be done in those. Will the Minister explain to the House why he has chosen BMAP to judge regional balance in the economy?”