Diane Forsythe
South Down · Democratic Unionist Party · Northern Ireland
“The Schomberg Society and the staff and pupils of Kilkeel Primary School worked hard alongside the team from Blue Eagle Productions, especially director Rosie McClelland, to deliver a fantastic performance. We saw Northern Ireland's history, heritage and the pupils' great talent shining through.”
“<BR /> <BR />The production was an excellent way to mark that important historic event and for those P7 pupils to bring their time in primary school to a close. It was bittersweet for the year group, as one of their dear classmates was notably missing.”
“As we come to the end of another school term, I pay tribute to some excellent work at Kilkeel Primary School in my constituency, especially by the P7s. I declare an interest, as my son is one of them.”
“Mrs McCabe, the school principal, shared with the children the words of Proverbs chapter 17, verse 17 on how true friends love at all times — through the good times and the hardships of life. I thank Mrs McCabe for her leadership.”
“The Minister will not be surprised by my question on the delay of the accounts certification on SEUPB, as we are in June 2026, 18 months after the end of financial year 2024. Those accounts have still not been certified in both jurisdictions, and a full further financial year has since passed.”
“Minister, you say that you want to avoid unintended consequences for businesses and property owners, but those measures do nothing for existing long-term businesses that are struggling on, already occupy premises and cannot afford to invest in their properties, and there will be consequences for them.”
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“<BR /> <BR />Thirteen months ago, following significant adverse weather, three of our main arterial routes in South Down suffered serious damage. Those were the A2 in Kilkeel at Riverside, the A2 Shore Road in Rostrevor and the B27 Kilkeel Road in Hilltown. When those roads were closed, entire towns and communities around them were cut off, businesses ground to a halt, public transport could not function and the emergency services were severely restricted. The A2 in Kilkeel at Riverside collapsed following years of neglect and underinvestment on that stretch of road. After weeks of closure, it was repaired and reopened, but that begs this question: how many other significant weaknesses are just waiting for serious weather to cause a collapse?”
“Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. I thank the Infrastructure Minister for being here to hear the call for significant roadworks in South Down. <BR /> <BR />South Down is a predominantly rural constituency, and our roads are our critical infrastructure. In their current state, they are failing the people of South Down. Since being elected, I have relentlessly campaigned for significant road improvements across my constituency. With no railway infrastructure and poor bus links, our roads are essential for our connectivity. With substantial businesses located throughout South Down, whilst our main roads are not motorways or dual carriageways, they are our main roads and the only routes by which lorries and large industrial vehicles can travel. Our roads are critical, and they need significant work.”
“I thank the Member for the response to my question. I welcome the fact that the process will be improved, as we have seen former staff of Members in the Building, having long since ceased their employment, and who have been subject to other outside circumstances. Has there been an audit of the passes that have been issued to people who are currently required to be in the Building?”
“I welcome the Minister's comment that she will visit a banking hub in the new year. In Kilkeel in my constituency, we had the first banking hub in Northern Ireland, and another one is opening this week in Newcastle, which is great news. One thing that has often come from the feedback on banking hubs is that they do not give 24-hour access to cash through cash machines. Has the Minister done any work on, or made any commitments to, promoting the inclusion of cash machines to businesses in rural communities?”
“I thank the Minister for his answer. Given the lack of data published by NISRA through the COVID years and right up to 2023, it is a bit disappointing that we have not got a capture of the day trips, staycationing in Northern Ireland and the travel between Northern Ireland and the Republic that went on. Has the Minister has undertaken any work on a review of tourism during the COVID years in order to maximise that sort of tourism potential in Northern Ireland and across Northern Ireland and the Republic?”
“I invite you all to tune in as I say "Fair fa' ye" to everyone.”
“Last week was a busy week, as Ulster-Scots Leid Week was enjoyed by them all. There was great craic for all ages from the Highland Heathers, the Kirknarra School of Highland Dance, our schools and our bands. On Saturday past, Leid Week finished with the first ever Belfast Tartan Day, which coincided with St Andrew's Day. Hundreds of pipers, drummers, drum majors and highland dancers paraded to Belfast City Hall, headed by our Communities Minister, Gordon Lyons MLA. <BR /> <BR />Leid Week was a great success, but it was just one highlight of our community, which thrives all year round. Our local Ulster-Scots radio station, fUSe FM Mourne, runs from next week, 9 December, for two weeks. You can listen in on the fUSe FM Mourne app, online or on 106·2 FM in the Mourne area, as I — a proud Mourne Ulster Scot — will, as always, be a presenter.”
“<BR /> <BR />I was delighted to see the activities and celebration of Ulster-Scots language and culture last week, promoting it and recognising its contribution to the rich and diverse cultural landscape of our wee country. In South Down, a range of events took place to make the week, from the Mountains and Toonlands Mourne exhibition in Newcastle library to an Ulster-Scots language street signage workshop, along with poetry, arts and crafts for the wains in Reivers House, Kilkeel. At my home in Kilkeel, we are privileged to have a strong Ulster-Scots organisation, the Schomberg Society, at the heart of our local Ulster-Scots community. In Reivers House and its newly opened heartland hub, the society provides a base for many Ulster-Scots groups and activities locally.”
“Last week, we celebrated Ulster-Scots Leid Week, when, across Northern Ireland, communities joined in a wide variety of activities, which our Ulster-Scots Agency coordinated, that promoted the Ulster-Scots language. Many events were organised by community groups and councils across Northern Ireland. The last census figures told us that over 190,000 people in the Province now have some ability in the Ulster-Scots language, which is an increase of 8·1% on the 2011 figures. However, Ulster-Scots is far more than just a language. It is our bands, our heritage, our identity and our people. As a proud Ulster Scot who lives in Mourne, which is an Ulster-Scots heartland, the Ulster-Scots language is integral to who I am and to how I interact with my family and community and with all of you.”
“<BR /> <BR />The DUP wants Northern Ireland's fishing industry to be prosperous and sustainable. We have fought hard on many issues and delivered for our fishing industry, and we will continue to work hard for it. We want to see resolution of visa issues for fishing crews, and call on the Minister to support that. We ask him to examine opportunities to provide practical and financial support for fishermen impacted on by rising input costs; to provide funding to redevelop the harbour infrastructure across Kilkeel, Ardglass and Portavogie; and to invest in modern fishing vessels and gear to reduce costs and maximise fishing effort at sea. We want to see food security, not just for food production and the local fishing industry but for the coastal communities that depend on it.”
“The fishing and seafood development programme, first commissioned in 2019, provided a clear direction for new and significant public investment in the harbour infrastructure, including landmark plans to allocate £73 million for a new harbour or Irish Sea marine hub at Kilkeel; £20 million to deepen the approach channel at Ardglass; and £5 million to develop the existing harbour and abandoned buildings at Portavogie. Those costs would be significantly greater now, but the issues are clear. I pass by Kilkeel harbour every day and see the collapsing bridge over the river and the slipway. The lack of investment in recent years is apparent. It is really shows and it is affecting our fishing industry. We are all well aware of the budgetary pressures, but I ask the Minister to, please, outline his plans for investment in the fishing industry.”
“There is, however, huge development potential to grow and expand the sector, to make fishing operations more efficient and to make our harbours more accessible and conducive to exploiting new opportunities such as those that flow from green growth and the blue economy.”
“Challenges include the water depth and length of quays preventing access and preventing new vessels from landing; a lack of ownership of several properties in the harbour estate; overcrowding due to limited port capacity; and weather and tidal patterns restricting access. Although Kilkeel has some of the greatest operational constraints, barriers to growth and innovation exist across the board and are compounded by a comparatively old fishing fleet. <BR /> <BR />Despite clear challenges, the local fishing industry has been incredibly resilient and should be commended. Previous estimates have shown that fishing vessels and seafood processing create an annual turnover of some £135 million and support over 1,500 jobs.”
“I ask the Minister this: why can that not be applied to fishing, too? Can he advise us today of his position on that? <BR /> <BR />Our fishing industry needs its workforce. I put on record that, contrary to some commentary, the Anglo Ireland Fish Producers Organisation (ANIFPO) and NIFPO have taken the lead on proving that crew welfare is a high priority. Such is the seriousness that they place upon the issue, they engaged Human Rights at Sea International (HRASI) to review crew welfare conditions in the fleet. <BR /> <BR />In recent years, concern has been building that the state of the facilities in our harbour estates constrains capacity and leaves Northern Ireland lagging behind other regions when it comes to harnessing new and exciting economic opportunities for the industry.”
“<BR /> <BR />As we know, fishing and immigration issues are governed by our UK Government at Westminster. Unfortunately for us in South Down, we have an MP who does not take his seat at Westminster. I am, however, extremely proud of our DUP MP team, which includes our MP from neighbouring Strangford, Jim Shannon, for standing up at the heart of government for many years and fighting for the fishing industry in Northern Ireland, standing side by side with all of us in the Assembly as it does that. Our representatives will continue to do that. What will the AERA Minister do to represent the Northern Ireland fishing industry on those issues? Is he speaking to the heart of our UK Government on its behalf? As Cathy Mason outlined, seasonal worker visas are being granted for different aspects of farming across the country.”
“It is crucial that we support those who work and live in those areas to become more prosperous, improving the marine environment and building on their reputation as suppliers of high-quality fish produce. <BR /> <BR />The most pressing challenge that faces our fishing industry is with workforce. The industry is struggling to attract local workers, and those who come from overseas to work in the fishing industry have had serious restrictions imposed on their visas. That has been a huge struggle for the industry to overcome, as skilled people who want to work in our fishing industry face serious barriers. The cost of the visas has risen significantly — by tens of thousands of pounds — and looks set to rise further next year. Those costs are disproportionate and unaffordable for the fishing industry.”
“Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. I thank the Member for bringing the topic of fishing to the Assembly. As a fellow South Down MLA, I can say that fishing is a critical industry for our constituency. Northern Ireland's fishing fleet is predominantly based in the three harbours that are managed and maintained by the Northern Ireland Fishery Harbour Authority (NIFHA): Kilkeel and Ardglass in South Down and Portavogie in neighbouring Strangford, which is the constituency represented by my colleagues Michelle McIlveen and Harry Harvey, who are in the Chamber this afternoon. Three quarters of seafood and associated businesses are found in those three harbours. Those harbours are the heartbeat of our coastal communities.”
“I really enjoyed that event in the SSE Arena, and I thank the Minister for hosting it. Following on from that Olympic success, as Minister for sport, does he agree that the Ulster banner includes everyone in Northern Ireland?”
“Does the Minister agree that borrowing powers for the Northern Ireland Housing Executive are a key element, if it is to deliver?”
“That could be any of us: our daughters, our sisters, our mums or our friends. I will always speak up for innocent victims as they go about their business in society, but the truth is that we should not be focused on advising women to take steps to look after their own safety. The focus needs to be on the perpetrators and the violence and problems in our society. We need a change, and we need to end violence against women and girls.”
“Laken managed to phone 911 through the SOS app on her mobile phone. Whilst the 911 staff could not make her out, the recording caught her crying for help. He hung up the call and continued to attack her. The records on Laken's smartwatch show that, when she was attacked, she fought at that spot for 17 minutes. She fought for her life and dignity whilst 911 tried to phone her back and her family were calling her, but he killed her through asphyxiation and blunt force trauma to her head with a rock. That is a devastating loss: a life taken too soon. My heart breaks for Laken's family. <BR /> <BR />Laken Riley, like so many women, took every step and every precaution for her own safety, yet she was attacked and murdered in broad daylight in a public park. That is shocking, yet it is the truth.”
“Like so many of us women, she looked around, assessed the risks and took steps for her safety. Those were steps that she should not have needed to take but did take. She waited until it was broad daylight to go for her run, wore her smartwatch and carried her phone. She set her location on those devices so that it was shared with her friends, told her friends where she was going and texted her mum to say that she was going for her run. She planned her daylight run for a busy public park near her university campus, where lots of people would be walking around. We see that on the CCTV footage. She took every precaution and set off. Minutes into her run, an evil predator, who was hiding in the bushes, attacked her. He pulled her off the trail, viciously assaulted her and attempted to rape her.”
“I rise to mark the 16 Days of Activism, an international movement against gender-based violence that began yesterday on International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. I also mark the UNiTE campaign, which highlights that a woman is killed every 10 minutes. In 2024, that is a horrific and unacceptable fact. I call on every Member to support that campaign and focus on the perpetrators, the evil amongst us and their violent actions. Women do not feel safe in society and we take decisions for our safety every day. <BR /> <BR />In recent weeks, I have been deeply affected by the trial in America of the man who was accused of Laken Riley's murder. Laken was a 22-year-old young woman. She was a nursing student with her whole life ahead of her, and, on 22 February this year, she went for a run, which was her regular exercise.”
“I thank the Minister for his statement. In rural constituencies like my constituency of South Down, emergency services have further to travel in the case of such emergencies, so I welcome the initiative being rooted in schools. I hope that it will make a big difference to our communities. It is great to see it in Northern Ireland, but will the Minister outline the position in some other jurisdictions?”
“I thank the Minister for his statement. A few months back, when the winter fuel payment was cut without any consultation or warning, pensioners across the United Kingdom were absolutely shocked and devastated. The Minister said at that time that he was committed to delivering what he could, and I am pleased to see him here delivering on that promise. That is very welcome to many pensioner households across South Down. On the administration of this, how can we ensure that our constituents' details that are stored on the system are current and up to date to ensure that we are maximising the delivery of the scheme?”
“The Finance Minister should regularly review the rates across the Tribeca Belfast site. Indeed, responses to questions by the leader of the Opposition suggest that LPS is already having some success in ensuring rates reliefs are applied effectively. The full review proposed by the leader of the Opposition is unquantified and raises questions about why any future review or revaluation should be limited to one area when dereliction is a common problem across towns and villages in Northern Ireland. The Finance Minister and colleagues should absolutely engage with landowners and Belfast City Council on their proposals. The Minister should work with the investors and landowners, rather than moving to penalise them. As I said, our amendment seeks to widen the scope of the area included in the motion and notes our concerns.”
“Is the SDLP proposing to apply a tax across Northern Ireland? There are derelict sites in isolated areas in my constituency of South Down for a variety of reasons, and I am concerned that a possible precedent could be set here. The SDLP has called for the introduction of a vacant land tax without any mitigation for consultation or indication of what scale or range of sites it might apply to. The Welsh example suggests that such a policy is problematic to implement. <BR /> <BR />Our amendment expands the motion, noting the opposition to long-term landbanking, but records concern over introducing a new tax and highlights that land affected is both public- and private-sector-owned. A proactive solution, rather than the punitive approach suggested by the Opposition, is required.”
“Delays to urban regeneration are not only unsightly but also have real financial consequences due to the lost rates revenue from vacant properties and reduced footfall. <BR /> <BR />The Finance, Economy and Infrastructure Ministers must encourage investment in Northern Ireland and work to attract developers. The DUP wants to promote continued and timely development in Belfast. However, we are aware that vacancy is a complex issue. A vacant land tax does not represent a silver bullet and risks simplifying the issues involved. It presents many significant questions. For example, would it create a chill factor for investment? What would the impacts be for publicly owned vacant land, which is also a key feature in our city centre? Would it unfairly penalise landowners for delays beyond their control?”
“As someone who commutes to greater Belfast on four days most weeks, I am well placed to speak to the image that is presented to people when they travel along main arterial routes, including the Newtownards Road, Peter's Hill and Sandy Row. They should not see the dilapidation and dereliction en route to our city centre. That is not attractive to residents and tourists or to businesses that are considering investment. It feeds into poor perceptions of community safety. There is a key role for the local council in addressing this, and we welcome the reference to the need for action from Belfast City Council. Ministers, their Departments and other partners, such as the councils, must work together to address dereliction. In particular, we look forward to Minister Muir introducing his dilapidation Bill.”
“However, we fully agree that prolonged dereliction reduces footfall for businesses, reduces community morale, opens the door to antisocial behaviour and raises a number of health and safety issues. <BR /> <BR />The Finance Minister must take action to ensure that land and property that are in prime locations are used to the benefit of the economy and the community. That goes for public and private land, which is something that the motion does not seem to acknowledge. There are significant publicly owned sites in the city that present issues. Our amendment seeks to widen the focus of the motion beyond the city centre.”
“I thank the Opposition for highlighting in the motion the importance of Belfast — the capital city of Northern Ireland. As an MLA for South Down, I usually speak up to champion my part of the country and to showcase the Mourne Mountains, but, today, I am speaking to recognise the significance to us all of those issues in Belfast. The DUP wants to ensure that our capital city is a vibrant place to live, work and do business. We want to see Belfast and its city centre continue to grow and prosper. In recent years, we have welcomed investment to our city, and we want to continue to attract development, business and tourism. We would be wrong to ignore the projects that have benefited from being in Belfast city centre and have been a success.”
“That £20 million could instead have been used to employ more nurses and doctors to support an overburdened health system or to provide additional resources for schools. <BR /> <BR />Our public finances in Northern Ireland are under immense pressure, and we need a fair funding model that is correctly baselined and secured on a long-term and sustainable basis. That has long been a priority for the DUP, and we will continue to work hard to deliver for the people of Northern Ireland through our teams in Westminster, the Executive and the Assembly.”
“Our nurses, doctors, police officers and teachers deserve to receive fair pay and conditions for the vital work that they do. It is wrong that too many of our best public servants are now employed by agencies rather than the public sector. <BR /> <BR />The Labour Government's decision to hike National Insurance contributions will cost our Civil Service an additional £20 million from April 2025. It will cost all employers in Northern Ireland, but that tax change, which was imposed without consultation or consideration of the disproportionate impact on the devolved Administrations, will force our Civil Service to divert critical resources from front-line services to cover those increased costs. It will reduce the funding available for healthcare, education and community services.”
“Once again, I rise to highlight the funding needs in Northern Ireland. In our recent Budget announcement, it was recognised that funding for Northern Ireland should based on need. That campaign has been led by the DUP, particularly our leader, Gavin Robinson MP, for some time. We are pleased to see progress. However, its implementation fails to address the fact that we have fallen substantially behind the rest of the UK over many years in our funding and our baseline is not sufficient. We should not be waiting to apply piecemeal funding through monitoring rounds just to meet our basic public service needs and to keep things operating. <BR /> <BR />The DUP wants pay awards for public-sector staff that keep pace with other parts of the United Kingdom. The disparity is another symptom of the chronic underfunding of our public services here.”
“I thank the deputy First Minister for her answer. I am pleased to take any opportunity to raise the importance of the Ulster-Scots links between Northern Ireland and America, and I believe that J D Vance's being in the White House presents great opportunities. Does the deputy First Minister think that this is a key opportunity to build on Northern Ireland's historical links with America?”
“yet she also highlights the need for Ministers to prioritise their break-even position at year end. With the £791 million of overcommitments being offset by £627 million, that leaves £164 million of a shortfall. That is a significant challenge. Can she clarify which one of these priorities is the most important as she directs Ministers: the prioritisation of pay or the prioritisation of breaking even?”
“I thank the Minister for her statement. In it, she says:”
“That is our focus across government: staying committed to our election manifesto, delivering for working families and delivering on childcare.”
“That is a successful partnership between the Department of Education and the Department of Health that delivers the best early intervention outcomes for children in Northern Ireland. The Education Minister has also expended our preschool provision as a commitment to ensuring fair access to preschool provision for all children across Northern Ireland so that they have the best start in life. We now see 96% of all registered daycare providers set up and registered to provide the childcare subsidy scheme. Significant numbers of childminders and play groups are also included. <BR /> <BR />We want to make further progress to make the childcare sector more sustainable. We have identified a problem and practical measures to help.”
“Delivering more affordable childcare has long been a priority for the DUP. Within seven months of devolution being restored, our Education Minister designed a scheme to slash childcare bills by 15%. The latest figures that I have received show that 13,294 children have been registered for the Northern Ireland childcare subsidy scheme, with parents saving £1 million every month. That is additional money that is remaining in the household budgets of working parents in every part of Northern Ireland. I stood for election to the House in 2022 on the DUP manifesto commitment to help working families and deliver on childcare, and I am proud to see real progress on it. <BR /> <BR />In the range of schemes, the Education Minister delivered on securing the Sure Start provision.”
“<BR /> <BR />The management of human resources in the Civil Service is a shared service function of the Department of Finance. It is the Finance Minister's responsibility to ensure that the practices are improved. The head of the Civil Service has a key role to play in that. Strong leadership is needed, and I urge the Minister to work closely with the head of the Civil Service to address the matter across all Departments. We must collectively demonstrate that lessons have been learned. The DUP will support the establishment of any mechanisms that will appropriately facilitate the change and deliver the learning and improvement that is needed at the heart of the Civil Service.”
“That is very concerning, and, again, a light was shone on that issue in recent months. <BR /> <BR />The progress on the recommendations is highly concerning, and I ask the Finance Minister to explain further in her response to the debate why the inquiry's concerns are unlikely to be addressed. <BR /> <BR />What has changed in the Northern Ireland Civil Service? Why was it not a priority in 2020 to deliver on the significant findings and recommendations for urgent reform? Why are some recommendations being disregarded now? The inquiry and the recommendations are incredibly important to rebuilding public confidence in how our Senior Civil Service does business. What sort of message does it give to the public that, four years on, the changes have not been made, and it looks as though some may never be made?”
“The fact that that has not been rolled out is difficult to understand. Why would you not want to train all staff on what is commercially sensitive? As we all know, anyone at any level of an organisation could come into contact with commercially sensitive information at any time. <BR /> <BR />Another recommendation was that Departments should conduct their own governance reviews and that the leader should "set the tone" for strong governance. The failure to accept that recommendation is very concerning as well, because I agree with the Audit Office that the leader should set the tone and that strong governance requires self-review. <BR /> <BR />The final recommendation that has not been accepted and is not likely to be fully addressed by the planned actions relates to record-keeping.”
“projects. To me, providing that challenge is a fundamental, critical aspect of any sort of project management. It is difficult to understand why the Department of Finance would not accept that recommendation. <BR /> <BR />Another recommendation is the provision of:”
“It was incredibly disappointing to read its findings that highlighted the fact that some recommendations remain outstanding and that it is unlikely that all the inquiry's recommendations will be fully implemented. Out of 42 recommendations, 26 have been implemented, with a further 11 likely to be implemented in the future, and the planned actions by Departments in relation to five recommendations are noted as being unlikely to fully address the inquiry's concerns. That is extremely disappointing. <BR /> <BR />I will look at the five recommendations, the actions on which are unlikely to fully address the inquiry's concerns. One notes:”
“<BR /> <BR />Addressing those weaknesses is fundamental to good governance. Changing behaviours and practices and overcoming what went before promptly should have been prioritised. Two years ago, when the Northern Ireland Audit Office provided its previous assessment of progress, we made it clear that, in the same way that the political establishment had a duty to deal with failings on its part during the RHI period, the leadership of the Civil Service could not simply abdicate responsibility for addressing its failings. That remains our position. <BR /> <BR />The Northern Ireland Audit Office report was published last month, some four years on from the original report and recommendations.”
“When the RHI inquiry concluded, over four years ago, the Democratic Unionist Party accepted the findings and noted that the recommendations that it contained were a "critical staging post" towards fixing systemic problems identified. Whilst it was right that there was accountability at a political level, the RHI report identified a catalogue of errors and opportunities that were missed by many people at many different times. It referenced criticisms that cover almost every aspect of governance by officials. The list includes: accuracy of documents, misleading ministerial advice, skills mismatches between staff, continuity of staff, lack of commercial awareness, a poor culture of record-keeping, questionable financial literacy and many more issues. The recommendations were sensible and self-explanatory.”
“I thank the Minister for his statement. It is very welcome at this time of financial pressure across Northern Ireland, and I welcome the fact that the money can be used in this way. <BR /> <BR />I will ask two questions, if I may. I am interested to know what will be coming in the direction of Newry, Mourne and Down District Council. To follow that, I am also interested to know what the process will be when councils make their proposals and the proposals come back to the Minister for assessment. How will we ensure that the community and voluntary sector and faith-based organisations have a fair shot across each council district?”
“I thank the Minister for her response. The increase to the minimum wage will have a significant impact on workers in the childcare sector who are on lower pay. A huge concern that is coming from the sector is that the increase will have to be passed on to parents, so it would be great to see some sort of relief and an assurance that that £2 million will meet demands.”
“I thank the Minister for coming here today to speak to this. Crimes of a sexual nature are some of the most heinous crimes, and my thoughts are very firmly with the women who were victims of those attacks. As we know, those types of crimes are significantly underreported and have low conviction rates due to the struggle to get through the process. Those victims are to be commended for coming forward and working with the police. To reassure women, can the Minister outline the supports that will be in place for those victims as they progress through the justice system in the wake of those attacks?”