Andrew McMurray
South Down · Alliance Party · Northern Ireland
“Minister, various greenway projects are mentioned in your statement. Those projects are to be welcomed. Recently, Newry, Mourne and Down District Council announced a feasibility study, part-funded by DFI, for a greenway between Warrenpoint, Kilkeel and Newcastle.”
“<BR /> <BR />I hope that the Minister can respond to some of those concerns directly. As I said, Alliance supports the reclassification of trust ports in principle, and we understand that that requires a limiting of the Department's powers. However, I am convinced that we need to have stronger safeguards.”
“Reclassification requires limiting some of the Department's powers, particularly the power to issue directions to trust ports. Several of my constituents have raised that with me as a major concern, and Ms Ennis also referred to it.”
“I will speak first in my role as the Alliance Party's infrastructure spokesperson and then as MLA for South Down. I echo what the Committee Chairperson said about the approach to the Bill. From the outset, it should be said that we support the ports.”
“Kilkeel and Ardglass ports have great potential for ancillary industries, such as the maintenance and security of offshore energy production. I am on the record as repeatedly calling for more investment in those areas and championing the great benefits that the blue-green economy can bring to the fishing ports in my constituency.”
“That will drive the Northern Ireland economy, and it has the potential to aid and drive the economy in South Down. Belfast Harbour would, through its master plan, like to make large-scale investments in renewable energy infrastructure but is currently severely hampered in that regard.”
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“Minister, what options are being considered to ensure that a withdrawal of services never happens again?”
“Minister, various greenway projects are mentioned in your statement. Those projects are to be welcomed. Recently, Newry, Mourne and Down District Council announced a feasibility study, part-funded by DFI, for a greenway between Warrenpoint, Kilkeel and Newcastle. Will you raise that potential project at your next North/South Ministerial Council meeting?”
“I appreciate that you are trying to make progress. I want to clarify what you said about not being aware of any breaches having been raised with the NIEA. Do you agree that, in a sense, the issue is a wider one about how we deal with our waste and about the export of our waste being the solution? I do not want to segue too much, but since it has been raised, is the way that we deal with our waste being exported the way to deal with the Warrenpoint issue?”
“I thank the Member for the answer. Has any additional damage been identified during the current works?”
“Do you intend to review any other rate relief policies in the remainder of the mandate?”
“As Alliance spokesperson on infrastructure, I look forward to scrutinising the Bill in Committee in the coming weeks and months, when the interests of Warrenpoint will be foremost in my mind. However, as has been stated or surmised, the Bill is about looking at outdated controls, not at the complete removal of controls; about Office for National Statistics reclassification; and about being commercially supportive to our ports in order to achieve our renewable energy objectives.”
“The consultation also made reference to a draft code of practice that was developed in 2008 but has not yet been implemented. The code of practice states that trust ports are to be run for the benefit of their stakeholders, and that explicitly includes secondary stakeholders such as local community groups and specific interest groups covering environmental and other matters. Additional transparency measures were included in the draft code of conduct. <BR /> <BR />None of those potential oversight and accountability mechanisms has been included in the Bill. I will be keen to explore that with the Committee during Committee Stage to see what more can be done in that regard.”
“Dover also has a port users group, an important community forum that must be consulted on all significant developments in the port, and the appointment of two community representatives on the board.”
“The consultation referred to the example of Dover, where two members of the board must have special knowledge or experience of the harbour's position in the local community.”
“<BR /> <BR />I hope that the Minister can respond to some of those concerns directly. As I said, Alliance supports the reclassification of trust ports in principle, and we understand that that requires a limiting of the Department's powers. However, I am convinced that we need to have stronger safeguards. Other regions handle these matters better than we do currently, and we want to see the strengthening of accountability to the local community. Alliance called for that and other supports in its response to the Department's review of trust ports last year. The Bill is an opportunity to strengthen oversight and accountability. That opportunity must not be missed. <BR /> <BR />In the consultation, the Department acknowledged that there were areas where it may be possible to strengthen the transparency and accountability of the trust ports.”
“Reclassification requires limiting some of the Department's powers, particularly the power to issue directions to trust ports. Several of my constituents have raised that with me as a major concern, and Ms Ennis also referred to it. <BR /> <BR />The Minister will be aware of the contentious situation at Warrenpoint harbour and the questions that have been asked about her Department's ability to intervene. I have tabled questions for written answer to the Minister in relation to those powers and their implications for Warrenpoint. My constituents are concerned that the Bill removes the Department's power to issue directions to the Warrenpoint Harbour Authority while adding no new duties on the port in respect of transparency, community engagement or environmental planning and compliance.”
“Kilkeel and Ardglass ports have great potential for ancillary industries, such as the maintenance and security of offshore energy production. I am on the record as repeatedly calling for more investment in those areas and championing the great benefits that the blue-green economy can bring to the fishing ports in my constituency. The current classification of trust ports as public corporations dampens economic development, and, as a result, Northern Ireland is at risk of falling further behind in important areas of growth. That is the reality. Reclassification would remove those constraints and open up new opportunities to support the Executive's wider policy objectives with regard to economic growth, tourism and decarbonisation.”
“That will drive the Northern Ireland economy, and it has the potential to aid and drive the economy in South Down. Belfast Harbour would, through its master plan, like to make large-scale investments in renewable energy infrastructure but is currently severely hampered in that regard. We should be in a position to support investment in renewables, but there is no hope of achieving our net zero objectives and obligations, as well as securing our future energy needs, without that kind of investment. We need to put the right regulatory conditions in place in order to remove those unnecessary barriers. <BR /> <BR />Investment in renewable energy by Belfast Harbour could have a trickle-down effect on the ports in my constituency.”
“I will speak first in my role as the Alliance Party's infrastructure spokesperson and then as MLA for South Down. I echo what the Committee Chairperson said about the approach to the Bill. From the outset, it should be said that we support the ports. We are an island nation, and there is only one way that trade will come in, which is through the ports. That is why this is an important Bill to support. <BR /> <BR />I support the principle of the Bill and the goals that it aims to achieve. As has been mentioned, the Bill covers maritime orders and financial regulations, but I will concentrate on the regional economy, as has already been noted, and on accountability, which has also been touched on. Fundamentally, the Bill is about allowing trust ports to invest in key areas of growth.”
“Minister, hateful as it is to hear it, I appreciate the candid nature in which you have given some of the information. I express my solidarity with all of what you have said and with all of our health workers, who contribute so much to the community and society. <BR /> <BR />Minister, will the Department and the trusts report and how will they report any increases in concerns, in absence and in resignations related to the recent incidents? Is there a process between the PSNI, the trusts and the Department should racial abuse be reported by workers?”
“Minister, can you outline the situation regarding NIEA re-consultations by councils on planning applications?”
“Thank you, Minister. You mentioned that this is an area of work that is constantly evolving. Can you provide an update on criminalising the creation or sharing of non-consensual sexually explicit deepfake images?”
“Minister, what are you doing to give rural communities their fair share? People in those communities are, very often, furthest from critical services such as hospitals, and have to travel on some of the worst roads in the country in order to access services?”
“The issue of domiciliary care has been well rehearsed, and we all know what a contribution it makes to society. Only this week, I was discussing with a domiciliary care worker in my constituency the challenges that she faces in trying to manage the issue. What evidence has the Department gathered on the impact of living wage implementation on recruitment and retention of domiciliary care workers and on the vital service that they provide?”
“Minister, can you give us an update on the UK-EU sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) agri-food negotiations? How will any agreement benefit the island of Ireland and, indeed, the whole UK?”
“Thank you, Minister. Will you provide more detail on the five EU-funded initiatives that you referred to?”
“I thank the Minister for her statement. She mentioned €2 million for cross-border greenways: how will that money be spent, how much of it will come up North, and what are the plans to expand greenways on this side of the border, given that, when you look across, you see that the development of those greenways seems to be much further on than ours?”
“I thank the officer's PSNI colleagues, who provided urgent medical treatment at the scene, and those from the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service who further cared for him and took him to hospital. <BR /> <BR />I also thank the members of the public who provided support at the scene. I am sure that that demonstration of support from the community is much appreciated. In fact, I have been in contact with some of the officer's colleagues, so I know from them that the help that was received from the community at the time was very much appreciated by the PSNI in Downpatrick. That speaks to the wider point that what went on in is in no way reflective of people in Downpatrick and is not what they want to see on their streets. <BR /> <BR />Finally, I wish the injured officer and his family well, and I pray that he makes a full recovery.”
“I will also comment on the issue that Mr Clarke raised. I thank him for making his points. <BR /> <BR />I condemn Sunday's shocking attack in Downpatrick on a police officer, who was struck by a stolen vehicle. The officer in question sustained serious injuries that required treatment in hospital, where he remains. An attempted murder investigation is under way. That is, unfortunately, the reality for PSNI officers who put themselves in harm's way every day to keep everyone in the community safe. The officer is someone's son, someone's brother and someone's friend. It could have been any of our relatives or friends. I am sure that I speak for other others when I say that it is wholly unacceptable.”
“The Member is concerned about birds such as the curlew. Does the Member support nature-friendly farming?”
“Does the Member agree that the strategy cannot sit in isolation, solely in the Department for Communities?”
“Thank you, Minister. What work is ongoing to prevent future fires in our natural environment? What actions is the Minister taking to promote the recovery of nature and the environment? Will the Minister meet stakeholders in the Mournes in order to see at first hand some of the effects of the fires?”
“Thank you. You mentioned "a new Ireland" numerous times. I wonder what new bits the Member will endorse: a new flag, a new constitution, a new legislature, new citizenship or admission to the Commonwealth? I wonder which of those will be endorsed by the Member.”
“Thank you, Mr O'Toole. You have mentioned "a new Ireland" a number of times. I am curious to know what that means. Is it a new flag, is it a new constitution, is it new —?”
“In life, we should all try to establish our own traditions. A tradition that I have begun to practise a little more over the years is potato planting. I like to get a few early potatoes planted on St Patrick's Day. I give a shout-out to Byrne’s Nursery. It is nothing huge — just a 20-foot drill — but, as the saying goes, "In with Paddy and out with Billy". With potatoes, it is as much about what you put in as what you take out. Perhaps planting potatoes could be a good metaphor for us all to strive to see the best in all aspects of parades in our society.”
“That seems to be a missed trick, given not just the importance of the symbolism of St Patrick but, as has been stated, the fact that Downpatrick is the town with the biggest tangible link to St Patrick. Celebrating the link to St Patrick should not be confined to just one day; it should be weaved into everything in the town, all year round.”
“I recently visited the centre and was able to ask about its connection with the St Patrick's Day parade and its organisation. The answer was very little, save for some of the traders asking whether they could plug into the electricity supply. If the debate were to go some way to establishing greater links between the St Patrick Centre and the parade, that would be a positive. <BR /> <BR />The parade is the focal point for many people in the town and further afield. Art projects, youth groups and fancy cars all take part in the parade. There is also a gig rig for local musicians. However, over the years that I have known it, there has been a feeling that, as Mr McGrath reflected, all of that is not as well supported as it could be.”
“<BR /> <BR />The St Patrick Centre is situated in the very heart of Downpatrick. It is the only permanent exhibition to Ireland's patron saint. Its conception and origins are found in the late 1990s, when there were dividends from the peace process and funding from the Millennium Commission, the European Commission and the Tourist Board. The St Patrick Centre is currently enjoying its 25th anniversary. Minister, since you are here, I suggest that it might be worth you taking a wee trip to see it some time, if that ever took your fancy. It was established to educate local people and international visitors about the lessons that can be learned from the history of St Patrick. Indeed, many of those lessons are as salient now as they ever were.”
“Given that his ultimate resting place is in the grounds of Down cathedral, no other place in Ireland can claim to have such strong connections to the man who brought Christianity to this island. <BR /> <BR />A bit like the shamrock, there are three elements to St Patrick's Day in Downpatrick: the churches, the St Patrick Centre and the parade. Over the past number of years, I have taken to joining the St Patrick's Day service at Saul Church of Ireland. It is a very well-attended service, and there is usually an overflow from the church into the outside yard. What follows is a parade of sorts, with many of the congregation walking from Saul church to Down cathedral. There is also a 'Picnic in the Pews' event that the cathedral puts on, which is regularly well attended.”
“While I will touch on the Downpatrick parade, there are many more elements to St Patrick's Day in Downpatrick. Of course, nowhere else in Ireland can claim to be as intertwined with the life of St Patrick as Downpatrick itself. He landed at Ringbane in Strangford lough and performed some of Ireland's first Christian baptisms in the spring wells of what is now known as Saul. My father took great pleasure in showing me the spring where it is reputed that he performed his first baptisms. However, a bit like with the cliffs — Ireland lays claim to three sets of the highest sea cliffs in Europe — I think that there are plenty of wells that claim to be the site of the first baptisms by Patrick. However, regardless of the historical veracity, to even metaphorically be the place where Christianity was developed on this island is quite something.”
“I thank the Minister for being here, and I thank Colin McGrath for securing this Adjournment debate on St Patrick's Day in Downpatrick. <BR /> <BR />The most important aspect of St Patrick to me and many others is his confession, which begins:”
“I am still listening to 'Girl from Mars', so thank you, Ash, and thank you for '1977'. I am looking forward to the concert. Cheers, Wiggy.”
“Indeed, they were there the other week, and they are still very supportive of the centre. They have also helped local Downpatrick talent. Charlie Hanlon has supported them at recent gigs, which is really fitting, given the Hanlon family connection to music in Downpatrick. As the big mural in Downpatrick reads:”
“The late David Trimble and John Hume, whose efforts laid some of the foundations for this place, were also there that night. <BR /> <BR />Finally, Ash have been really supportive of both the Northern Ireland and Downpatrick music scenes. The name of one of their '1977' tracks was given to the Oh Yeah Music Centre in Belfast:”
“However, to me, those guys just captured unadulterated, raucous fun and noise, as well as some of the bad habits that went with adolescence, such as the first drags on a Henri Winterman cigar, that were the basis of the album. It was also the first time that I heard people from here in Northern Ireland create music that I listened to and was on radio shows such as 'Mark and Lard' on Radio 1, on TV and in print magazines. <BR /> <BR />As well as that, it was not just the album but the band that were really positive for Northern Ireland. The year 1996 was a time of optimism that culminated in the 1998 Good Friday Agreement. I remember Ash playing the classics from the album '1977' at the "Yes" vote concert in the Waterfront Hall. Another band that were there that evening were U2, which you may have heard of, but I was there for Ash.”
“I acknowledge the 30th anniversary of the release of the album '1977' in May 1996 by the band Ash. Ash are Tim Wheeler, Mark Hamilton and Rick McMurray, who, for the record, is no relation to me. The school friends attended Down High School in Downpatrick, where they recorded the album. For those who know, the album comes sonically screeching in with the sound of a TIE fighter before the track 'Lose Control' and continues right the way through to 'Darkside Lightside' and the hidden track, which, if you know it, is hard to forget. <BR /> <BR />The album received critical acclaim. It reached number one in the album chart and also went platinum.”
“Minister, how will you gauge success? Will it be about the actions around strategies or actual targets relating to reductions in compensation or potholes?”
“I thank the deputy First Minister for her answer. Have all of the Ministers in the Executive Office now agreed on what form that update will take?”
“Only then will we be able to build a picture of what is happening. <BR /> <BR />The objectives of the wildfires action plan from the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs and Minister Muir are prevention, preparedness, response, recovery and enforcement. Only when those objectives are enacted and given time will we really see a difference in our upland landscape.”
“I was sent a video of the rare common lizard, but how will that little lizard — such a rare example of wildlife — survive in our upland areas following the removal of so many invertebrates? When the fires have burnt out, the land may flash up green after a few weeks and people will say, "It's not so bad looking any more. It's all nice and green", but it is just more flammable and combustible material, which makes it even more likely that, when they happen again, the wildfires will race through the land. <BR /> <BR />The fires are deliberate actions. Whether it is somebody deliberately setting a fire or somebody lighting a barbecue or a cigarette, after which negligence takes over, such fires all start with a deliberate action. If we want to see change and prevent such incidents, we must do all that we can to report anything suspicious.”
“Last week, I attended an event titled 'The Mournes: Building a Sustainable Future' that looked at how uplands and the regional asset that is the Mournes can be looked after and at the agencies that do so. It was impossible for me not to reflect on the recent wildfires — the landscape arson — that continued up until the end of last week. We were thankful for the rains that came. <BR /> <BR />It is hard to convey the amount of damage that is being done to our upland areas. In a fire in 2021, over 90% of the invertebrates on Slieve Donard were lost. Five years later, 90% of the invertebrates on that hillside are still lost. The effect that that has had on the wildlife and ecosystems in our upland areas is hard to quantify. There may be a small positive.”
“For the sake of our farmers and our rural communities, we need to set aside narrow party political interests and support the Minister in his endeavours.”
“<BR /> <BR />I welcome the TB stakeholder body that the Minister established on the recommendation of the Chief Veterinary Officer. It has produced a blueprint for tackling bovine TB that includes actions on people, cattle and wildlife; it is important that we tackle all three. I am grateful that the Minister has endorsed the blueprint and is putting in place a TB transformation programme to advance progress as quickly as possible. <BR /> <BR />There is also an innovative pilot, supported by the Shared Island Fund, that adopts a regionalisation approach to tackling TB on a cross-border basis. That makes sense, because diseases such as bovine TB do not respect borders. I hope that the pilot will be a success and that it will continue. <BR /> <BR />It is important that we all work together to tackle the disease.”
“It was not dealt with by the previous Minister, and, as was referenced to me, it has been 30 or 40 years in the making. The mistake of not dealing with the issue led to delays that were further compounded by the DUP's decision to walk away from the Executive and to shut down the Assembly for two years. As with a lot of things, we could be two years further down the road in developing a response to eradicate bovine TB, but we are not. <BR /> <BR />Alliance will remain open-minded and await feedback on wildlife intervention and the associated evidence. However, Minister Muir has learned from his predecessors' mistakes. I am glad that he is approaching the issue with the urgency and rigour that it deserves to ensure that any measures that are brought forward will stand on solid legal ground.”
“As a child, I spent many years on farms and, until other distractions got in the way, loved doing that, so I have nothing but empathy for the farmers who have to deal with the trauma that comes when bovine TB hits one or many of their herd. Some are visibly upset, some more stoic, but all are affected when this happens. Of course, there is a practical cost to the farmers, not least to dairy farmers. They are losing a breed line, losing production and incurring overheads for keeping cattle that could otherwise be sold. The dairy farmer gets it hard. Indeed, the Andersons Centre report highlights the fact that indirect costs can be as high as £96 million. <BR /> <BR />During the week, I spoke to one farmer about bovine TB on his farm. The issue has not arrived in the past two years that the Minister has been in post.”