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 />Another considerable pressure in the Department was the pay settlement for further education lecturers, which is something that all members of the Committee were keen to see settled. I think that I speak on behalf of the Committee in welcoming the Minister's work and the Executive's commitment to settling that dispute. <BR /> <BR />The Committee looks forward to the new model for the delivery of further education contributing successfully to the 10X economic strategy and the vision that the Minister has outlined. Finally on the Committee's considerations, we have sought clarity on annually managed expenditure (AME) and on the revised renewable heat incentive (RHI) tariffs and the future of the scheme.”
“The Committee awaits further clarification on a number of matters, and we hope to have that clarification before the next Budget Bill is introduced. <BR /> <BR />The Committee was relieved to note, however, that the opening position for the Department for the Economy's budget lines and its key arm's-length bodies (ALBs) appears to be largely similar to that of last year. The Committee will, of course, be interested in the outcomes of monitoring rounds and the allocation of capital, particularly to the higher education sector. Members welcomed assurances from officials about funding for apprenticeships and skills, despite the long-term lack of clarity on the Shared Prosperity Fund (SPF).”
“Before I begin my remarks as Chair of the Committee for the Economy, I will pay a couple of tributes. Mr Mike Nesbitt has been an excellent and articulate member of our Committee and will be sorely missed when he takes up his new office. I also welcome the return of the Minister for the Economy to his post after his bout of ill health. The Committee looks forward to continuing its enquiries with the Minister. <BR /> <BR />I can advise that officials from the Department for the Economy recently provided an oral evidence session on the 2024-25 Budget. Owing to the compressed timescales and the continuing internal departmental allocation process, however, the Committee struggled somewhat to track changes in spending precisely from 2023 to 2024.”
“A fitting tribute for the 90th anniversary would be the advancement of the new-build primary school at the site, and I know that my colleague Minister Givan continues to advance those proposals. For many years, the school has continued to operate in suboptimal conditions, and it is vital that, in this 90th year and to mark the special anniversary, we deliver a school that is fit for purpose and fits the needs of the entire community of north Belfast. I take the opportunity to congratulate Mrs Latham, the principal, and the staff, parents and pupils for this wonderful achievement, and we look forward to celebrating an even better anniversary at the new school facilities.”
“The school has produced some wonderful people who continue to live, work and dedicate their lives to improving the lives of all those who call north Belfast "home".”
“First, Mr Speaker, I welcome you back to the Chamber. It is good to see you back in good health, sir. <BR /> <BR />I congratulate Seaview Primary School in my constituency of North Belfast, which, last week, celebrated its 90th anniversary, representing 90 years of excellent education provision to the community of lower north Belfast. Communities across north Belfast came together, rightly, to celebrate the school and all that it has achieved in the past 90 years. It was a beacon of hope and a sanctuary of safety for pupils during many of the darkest days in the history of north Belfast.”
“<BR /> <BR />We are very happy to support the motion. Thank you, Mr Boylan and others for tabling it”
“The activities that they engage in can only be described as profiting on the back of hard-pressed householders across Northern Ireland. Today, the clear and very strong message being sent from all corners of the House is that we will not accept their lame excuses; we will not allow our communities to be exploited; and we will stand together to call on the FCA, which claims to be the regulator, to act. However, if that organisation is doing nothing to regulate the industry, what is the point of it in the first place? Mr Allen, others and I have written on numerous occasions to the industry's regulatory body asking it to conduct an investigation, and it has refused to do so. If others will not take action and put a spotlight on this important issue, I know that Members on all sides of the House will continue to raise it.”
“With rates being increased and difficulties being caused by increased costs in the supply chain, this is just another example of how businesses across Northern Ireland are being squeezed. <BR /> <BR />Young drivers who have finally realised their life ambition of passing their driving test are simply unable to receive the insurance that they need. My nephew recently passed his driving test, and his insurance cost three times more than his first Fiat 500, which was 10 years old. It is an unacceptable situation that is repeated in families and households across Northern Ireland. <BR /> <BR />Tomorrow and in the House, it is important that we take every chance that we can to send a clear message to these companies.”
“Those are the simply unacceptable situations that people in our community are being placed in. As Mr McCrossan so eloquently articulated, it is not as if the insurance companies need the additional profit that they are making. <BR /> <BR />I turn now to my role as DUP economy spokesperson. It is clear that businesses across Northern Ireland are being hit by unacceptable rises in insurance renewal prices. On many occasions, those are sent very late in the day, meaning that those businesses have no opportunity to shop around or try to make alternative arrangements. This is at a time when the cost-of-living crisis is already hitting the margins needed to pay their staff.”
“Kindly, they have sent us 55 pages of a rebuke on why certain things are required, but I am sure that members of all shades will take the opportunity, tomorrow, to highlight to them the clear disparity that exists. <BR /> <BR />I turn now to my constituency — and yours, Madam Principal Deputy Speaker. There is clearly an attempt by the insurers to focus their major price hikes on communities that can least afford it. Working-class communities the length and breadth of North Belfast are being given the largest price rises, be that in home insurance, pet insurance or car insurance. I receive correspondence on a monthly, weekly and daily basis from concerned parents who have this simple choice: do they pay their car insurance or home insurance, or meet their rent or mortgage payments?”
“I thank Mr Boylan and colleagues for bringing the motion this evening. It is, as others have said, a very important subject. As it was for Mr McCrossan, so it was for me one of the first issues that I raised in a Member's statement, and I instantaneously received an email from the Association of British Insurers asking whether I had any concerns about its activities. I am delighted that all colleagues on the Economy Committee came together to write to the ABI to request that it come to the Economy Committee. Its representatives will be coming tomorrow to set out their stall and try to defend the unacceptable price hikes that have already been inflicted upon the people of Northern Ireland.”
“I thank the Minister for his statement and his clear focus on trying to meet the housing demand since being appointed. Does he agree that he could go further by looking at allowing the Housing Executive to be able to borrow once again, so that it can return to building its own homes, given that it is best placed to do so? Does the Minister further agree that the demolition of current Housing Executive stock, in which people want to remain, only adds to the current housing crisis?”
“It has an important role to play, and I hope that the Minister will look at some options for what she could do on rates relief. There are ones that may not be so successful —.”
“In part of our city, that blight has sat for years, and, to date, we have not been able to get to grips with changing it. Can you imagine how, if we continued to transform the city by supporting the hospitality sector, that part of the city could be attractive to so many new businesses? <BR /> <BR />We support the Alliance amendment. It brings forward a number of important points that we can look at. Previously, we have targeted rates relief successfully for non-domestic properties. The small business rate relief scheme is a huge support, as is the industrial derating scheme. The focus should be on targeted relief rather than on looking at the devolution of further powers at this stage. <BR /> <BR />I pay tribute to all Members who want to support that vital sector.”
“I now get to speak about two of my favourite subjects: North Belfast and pints. Most DUP people on the Back Benches probably have not spoken about the latter. As someone who is proud to have the Cathedral Quarter in their constituency, I see it as a prime example of how our hospitality, tourism and pub sector can be a game changer for our city and region. The Cathedral Quarter transformed that part of North Belfast, taking away dereliction and attracting five-star hotel accommodation. It has the Duke of York — other bars are available — and many other pubs and restaurants. The so-called Tribeca site sits right beside it, and that is an example of how our city and hospitality sector can be undermined if we do not support them.”
“I thank the leader of the Opposition for tabling the motion. If I had tabled this uncosted motion in my name, I wonder whether I would have ended up on another SDLP graphic condemning me for doing so. I note that, in its motion, the SDLP asks Ministers to bring forward a support package, and they will happily do the job of the Opposition for them once again. <BR /> <BR />This is my first opportunity to speak in the House since Minister Murphy temporarily stood aside. I associate myself and my party with the best wishes to him, and I pay tribute to Minister Hargey and wish her well in her new role. She will be missed on the Finance Committee. She is a formidable and capable politician. I am sure that she will do an excellent job in her new role.”
“<BR /> <BR />It is fitting that, in his last game in charge, he secured for Crusaders, yet again, a European qualification game. In the modern day of transactional football, I do not believe that the dedication that Stephen has given to Crusaders Football Club will ever be repeated. He went from playing for the club to being its most successful manager, becoming a world record holder and an adopted son of north Belfast: Mr Baxter has seen it all. I offer my best wishes to him for a long and happy retirement for all he has done for our north Belfast team.”
“I offer my heartfelt thanks and congratulations and those of the people of north Belfast to Mr Stephen Baxter BEM, as he marks his retirement as manager of Crusaders Football Club, bringing to an end the tenure of the world's longest-serving football manager. <BR /> <BR />Appointed manager in February 2005 at a time of great difficulty for the club, Baxter went on to etch his name into the club's history books in a way that simply seemed unimaginable back then. Nineteen years, 953 games and 12 trophies later, he leaves Seaview as the club's most successful manager of all time. Since taking over at Seaview, Baxter has seen it all and won every trophy in Irish League football, transforming Crusaders Football Club into the successful community-based club that it is today.”
“I thank the First Minister for her update. The First Minister is on record as saying that victims of terrorism deserve truth and justice. Will she outline how the North/South Ministerial Council can be used as a platform to achieve that aim? Will she join the deputy First Minister in calling on the Irish Government to launch a public inquiry into the Omagh atrocity and ensure that those victims of terrorism get the truth and justice they deserve?”
“We need action, and I look forward to hearing from the Minister how he plans to actually tackle ensuring that householders across Northern Ireland are able to transition from fossil fuels and how he intends to support them.”
“There is no point in we in the House saying what we cannot do. We need to be able to articulate to the public what we can do and how we are going to support families and households in doing that. <BR /> <BR />Yes, warm words from across the House are important, but they are meaningless unless we offer an affordable and accessible alternative for households across Northern Ireland. I trust that the Minister will outline in his summing-up how he plans to swiftly bring forward a strategy to enable households to make the transition to renewable energy as a means of heating their homes. Ongoing delay in that will further undermine Northern Ireland's ability to meet the climate change targets that the House set in the previous mandate. <BR /> <BR />We will support the motion, but we need more than words.”
“We need to inject some realism into the debate. There are no current active petroleum licences in Northern Ireland. Saying that a moratorium and legislative ban on an activity that is not happening in Northern Ireland will be the silver bullet to the issues that we face is simply not true. <BR /> <BR />Whether we like it or not, two thirds of homes across Northern Ireland are still heated by oil. That can change only if we support householders to go green in a way that is affordable and accessible. That is where the focus of the motion and, hopefully, the Minister's response, should be. I want to hear, as, I am sure, do hard-pressed households across Northern Ireland, when the Minister will bring forward a support scheme to help those householders make the transition to renewables.”
“As the Member who spoke previously pointed out, Minister Lyons submitted a paper to the Executive. That paper stated:”
“Madam Principal Deputy Speaker, I speak in my role as DUP economy spokesperson. The Committee has not yet considered this matter, so it would not be appropriate for me to speak with any authority on the issue on behalf of the Committee. <BR /> <BR />The DUP supports the motion. I disagree with the previous Member who spoke, although I respect her, in her comments that the DUP has done nothing on this issue since holding the Economy portfolio. Later in her speech, she went on to recognise that Minister Lyons had submitted a paper to the Executive, and she outlined what that paper stated. Given that it was a cross-cutting and controversial issue, it required Executive approval. To build on that, the former Economy Minister Diane Dodds placed a moratorium on the granting of licensing for exploration.”
“I thank the junior Minister for that update. Can she confirm that, as part of its work on the options, the Executive Office will look at the extension of the Urban Villages scheme to cover other parts of North Belfast in order to ensure that all communities continue to benefit from that very welcome investment?”
“That is a testament to the gentleman that Mr Catney is. Although he is no longer in the House, his legacy and the work that he did will continue to live on for many generations. With that, I am very happy to support the draft regulations.”
“The Committee supports the principle and the practice of the provision of free period products, thus reducing the financial burden on women and girls and promoting financial equality and equal participation in civic society. For technical reasons, the rule had to be relaid. The Examiner of Statutory Rules commented on that but did not raise any concerns. That brings to an end my remarks as Committee Chair. <BR /> <BR />As a private Member, I put on record my thanks to and appreciation of the Bill sponsor, Mr Pat Catney, who introduced the Bill in the previous mandate. Pat Catney was an excellent MLA and is much missed from this House. One of the first phone calls that I received on being elected to the Chamber was from Mr Catney, not to be commiserated on his loss but to congratulate me on being elected.”
“I thank the Minister for bringing the draft statutory rule (SR) to the House so quickly. I will speak briefly as Chair of the Economy Committee. The Committee considered the regulations at its meeting on 10 April 2024. As the Minister has indicated, the regulations will specify which premises are to be treated as being those of a specified public body for the purposes of the 2022 Act. They will also set out when those premises are considered to be in use. The Committee welcomed the provisions made under the 2022 Act, which was widely supported across the Chamber at the time and introduces a statutory requirement for free access to period products in education settings and other public buildings.”
“Thank you, Minister. I welcome your commitment to developing a new policy support, but, like you, we on these Benches were elected to help working families. One of the main concerns with those schemes was the low-income threshold, which meant that hard-pressed families across North Belfast were not able to avail themselves of the support. Will the Minister look at raising the income threshold to ensure that working families can avail themselves of the scheme?”
“Given the pressure on providing social homes as a result of a lack of sewerage capacity, will the Minister agree that it is nonsensical to demolish houses in areas of high social housing demand? I am thinking in particular of my ongoing campaign to save Abbotscoole House in Rathcoole in north Belfast, where residents want to remain but the Housing Executive wants to put them out of their home and knock those homes down. Will the Minister commit to supporting my campaign to keep those families in their home?”
“I thank the Minister for his update and his commitment to football. Will he also commit to releasing the subregional stadia funding which, for far too long, has been held to political ransom by previous Ministers?”
“I thank the parents, pupils and leadership at Rathcoole Primary School, who, despite operating in some of the most economically challenged and socially deprived wards in Northern Ireland, continue to deliver educational excellence for our young people and ensure that the future generations of North Belfast have the education and support that they need to truly fulfil their potential.”
“I stand to celebrate the success of Rathcoole Primary School and Nursery Unit at the Families First Awards, which took place on Saturday evening. Rathcoole Primary School was given three separate awards at the event, including a highly commended award in the best principal category for principal Emma Quinn, the school of the year award and the WOW award for a school culture that tries to ensure that its pupils thrive. <BR /> <BR />Rathcoole Primary School has been transformed in recent years. I pay particular tribute to our former Education Minister Michelle McIlveen, who is here today. She invested much time and effort to ensure that Rathcoole Primary School continues to grow and thrive.”
“I thank the Minister for her update. Will she commit to introducing Harper's law here in Northern Ireland?”
“<BR /> <BR />The Minister has made it clear that he has priorities in other places, but, for me, as an MLA for North Belfast, the proud home of the Northern Ireland Children's Hospice, the Minister's focus on other issues should be secondary to this. We need to see the Health Minister urgently make the bid that the Finance Minister has asked for, so that the vulnerable people who receive care and support at the Children's Hospice can do so once again. They are some of the most vulnerable people in our society, and the failure of the Health Minister to make any real progress on the issue should be a matter of shame. I look forward to him rectifying that without further delay.”
“Indeed, in a written reply to my question to the Minister of Finance on 23 February, the Minister made it clear that she had written to the Health Minister requesting that he make a bid for additional funding for the Northern Ireland Children's Hospice. Like me, all reasonable people across Northern Ireland would have expected the Minister of Health to have made such a request. To my surprise, in a written answer from the Finance Minister on the 19th of this month, she confirmed that she had not received a request for additional funding for the Northern Ireland Children's Hospice from the Minister of Health. That is a completely intolerable situation.”
“I rise to raise my concern at the lack of progress in securing funding for the Northern Ireland Children's Hospice. As you are aware, Mr Speaker, in the House, the issue has been the subject of a question for urgent oral answer and of a public petition with over 1,500 signatures from across Northern Ireland and has been raised by the Chair and Deputy Chair of the Health Committee. <BR /> <BR />In a response in the House, the Minister of Health made it clear that he would use his best endeavours to ensure that the cuts would be reversed and that bed capacity would be increased at the Children's Hospice.”
“Before I was elected to the Assembly, I served as a non-executive member of the Housing Executive board, and I made it clear that such an action would simply exacerbate the housing crisis. I hope that the Minister will continue to recognise that tower blocks have an important role to play in North Belfast and that they should be invested in and made to be family homes for the people of North Belfast, who deserve to continue to live in their communities.”
“First, allow the Housing Executive to build houses again in Northern Ireland. North Belfast has eight excellent sites that remain in the Housing Executive's ownership, which, if it had the ability to build houses itself, would go some way to meeting the housing demand in North Belfast. Secondly, continue to extend the building successful communities programme, which has been a success in lower Oldpark and in the Gainsborough/Mountcollyer area, and other parts of North Belfast would benefit from that. Thirdly, the tower block strategy should be abandoned by the Minister. How can we go about telling people that we have a housing crisis in North Belfast but that we are going to knock down 50 or 60 houses at one site without being able to replace them? In my view, that is not acceptable.”
“I remember that, when I was first elected 10 years ago in North Belfast, you could get a house at 80 or 90 points. Now, you are talking about 200 or 220 points, and, for many people, getting to that level is simply impossible. The only route by which people are getting those points is through intimidation points. Those people move in and disrupt communities, and then we have a constant cycle where houses are destroyed and taken out of the social housing stock for many months to be repaired, and the cycle continues. I hope that the Minister will be able to refer to his ongoing review on that issue, because the intimidation points issue simply needs to be looked at. <BR /> <BR />What follows will be a rare of example of me offering the Minister some advice on how he may be able to sort out some of the housing issues in North Belfast.”
“We want to see proper investment in social and affordable housing throughout the constituency. <BR /> <BR />It would be remiss of me not to pay tribute to what I call my second family in North Belfast: the Housing Executive. Sometimes I think that I speak to its staff more than they get to speak to their own families. I pay tribute to them and recognise the Shankill office, the north Belfast office and the Newtownabbey 1 and Newtownabbey 2 offices, which cover North Belfast. They give the utmost professionalism and dedication to their jobs because they care about the communities in North Belfast and want to see our people accessing the homes that they need and deserve. <BR /> <BR />The thing that shows that the housing crisis in North Belfast continues to be exacerbated is the points level at which houses are currently being allocated.”
“Proud communities are being broken up, and people are being forced to move to other parts of the city or to neighbouring boroughs. <BR /> <BR />For me, the Department for Communities is the most important Department in the Executive. That was why I was so delighted that our party chose that Department, because the work that we can do there to change lives and families is unparalleled. Be it the Rathcoole, Oldpark, Glengormley or Ligonel areas, on the Shore Road or in the New Lodge, the issues faced by every person are exactly the same. All they want is to have good-quality, affordable and secure housing for their families. As a modern society, how can we deny them those basic requirements? That is why all of us who represent North Belfast speak with one voice, I think, on this issue.”
“<BR /> <BR />The daily picture in my office, as I have said, is one of three and four generations of a family living in one household. There are people living in rental accommodation that is beyond unacceptable. Unfortunately, when people, particularly single males, come to our offices, we simply have to say to them, "You have no chance of getting a social house allocated to you in North Belfast". That is simply not what we, as elected representatives, want to say to our people. What we cannot do, however, is build up their expectations or hold wrong views that the situation is going to change without there being an intensive investment programme. That is the simple reality that all elected representatives in North Belfast are having to tell people. Young people do not have the option of staying in their homes.”
“Children are forced to live in living rooms on their grandparents' sofas. There are three or four generations of a family in one house. Most disgracefully, we have communities and families being exploited by ruthless landlords. As Carál Ní Chuilín made very clear, we have some private landlord accommodation in an absolutely disgraceful condition across North Belfast, but that accommodation is the only option that a family has. A family will fear reporting a private landlord to the council in order to get environmental health improvements made to the property, because they know what will happen, which is that they will simply get their eviction notice. Another family will be moved into the property, and that family will then have nowhere to go.”
“<BR /> <BR />In May 2022, I unashamedly stood for election in North Belfast on the slogan of "Building back North Belfast" to end the years of dereliction and demolition and to rebuild, regenerate and once again regrow that proud community. What we have seen in recent months is to be welcomed. We have a record number of new social housing schemes, either on-site or now on-programme, but that cannot be the limit of our ambition. What it must be is the baseline for what all representatives for North Belfast want to see, which is access to good-quality, affordable housing for every single person in the constituency, regardless of the community in which they live. <BR /> <BR />My office — like every other in North Belfast, I am sure — is inundated day and daily with families who are at their wits' end.”
“I pay tribute to the Member for securing this important debate. Housing is very close to my heart and to that of all colleagues who represent North Belfast. <BR /> <BR />It is worth putting on record the lack of turnout at the debate from certain political quarters. No doubt they will be on Facebook at other times saying how they and their representatives are fighting the housing cause in North Belfast, yet when they have the opportunity to stand up in the House and fight for the people who elected us, their absence is notable. Rather than fight for people as representatives in this place, Facebook seems to be the way to go for them.”
“I do not think that the attitude or position adopted by the Minister for the Economy, namely, "It is nothing to do with me. This is a matter for negotiation between the sector and employees directly", is acceptable. We cannot on the one hand have Mr Sheehan claim the credit for the Finance Minister giving funding to teachers and then on the other hand have the Economy Minister saying it has nothing to do with him when it comes to settling pay for FE lecturers. They play a vital role in the economy right across Northern Ireland, and the Minister for the Economy needs to show leadership on this issue and get the sector sorted as soon as possible. <BR /> <BR />With that, I bring my remarks to an end. My party will support the motions this afternoon.”
“I am sure that I can say on behalf of the whole House that we hugely recognise the vital role that Education Authority (EA) bus drivers, classroom assistants, catering staff and domestic cleaners play within our schools, and we also recognise the need for them to be funded properly. Perhaps the Minister, in her winding-up speech, can say when she hopes that her Department may be able to approve that business case. It has been hugely disappointing that the Education Authority being unable to say how many members of staff it employs has resulted in this delay. However, we now need to move on and get that pay settlement sorted. <BR /> <BR />In my role as DUP economy spokesperson, I want to raise the issue of FE lecturers' pay.”
“<BR /> <BR />Finally in this role, the Committee recently sought clarity, but the Minister for the Economy was unable to help in respect of enhanced investment zones for Northern Ireland, so I ask whether the Finance Minister, in her winding-up speech, can give us any information on the anticipated package of tax breaks or reliefs that might be available to certain sectors of industry in Northern Ireland. That brings my remarks as Chair of the Committee to a close. <BR /> <BR />I just want to raise a few matters following on from the remarks made by the Member for West Belfast Pat Sheehan in relation to non-teaching staff. We need to see a speedy resolution to that. Yesterday, the Minister of Education stated that an updated business case has been submitted to the Minister of Finance.”