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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“What changes does the Minister propose to enable the new policy implementation?”
“That is why we do not see any costed and time-bound actions or targets as part of the draft road maintenance strategy. <BR /> <BR />Climate change is leading to more frequent and extreme weather, and that will only increase the challenges for our infrastructure. We have wetter winters: last month was the wettest January in 194 years, and close to 200% of February's rain has already fallen and we are only halfway through the month. The rain has exacerbated the problem of road repairs. I worry how the Department will cope with the changes in our weather patterns. <BR /> <BR />I ask the Minister what she intends to do differently to manage within her funding allocation in the future. How will the success of the policy be measured? How will she fund better-quality repairs while maintaining the current level of service?”
“Successive Ministers have avoided decisions to make the fundamental changes that would have allowed them to maintain our roads to a better standard, sort out our significant waste water and flooding issues, improve our public transport and provide for active travel. The list goes on. <BR /> <BR />How to spend and raise money and what to fund are all fundamental policy decisions. I welcome in principle the new draft road maintenance strategy. It proposes a much more efficient and effective way of carrying out road repairs than current practice. I am sure that it represents best practice. However, unless the Minister can provide the funding required to implement the draft road maintenance strategy, that strategy, like others, will fall short of delivery.”
“DFI's opening capital budget in this year was the greatest in the history of devolution. It is up to the Infrastructure Minister to manage her Department within that very substantial funding envelope. If she needs more money to do so, it is up to her to make the necessary policy decisions. The fact remains that successive Infrastructure Ministers have indeed chosen the policy of limited service. They have chosen where to allocate their block grant in the many different areas of their Department. They know that none of those areas is funded to the requirement needed to make a tangible difference.”
“The motion refers to the Department's policy of limited service in repairing only the highest priority defects, and it carries out only a minimal patch job at that. That is not an efficient or effective way of maintaining or repairing roads. Making repairs to only the most severe defects means that the road surface is left to deteriorate instead of its being repaired and that the public see no discernible improvement. Indeed, I cannot imagine that it is a policy or strategy that the Minister or those carrying out the repairs would choose. <BR /> <BR />The Minister will make the case, as her predecessor has done, that it is the result of having her hand forced due to underfunding by the British Government, but the Department for Infrastructure already receives the highest capital budget in the Executive.”
“One pound of every five spent on road maintenance goes into small-scale patching, but those repairs never last. Additionally, the Department has spent almost £33 million on public liability claims in the past five years. The number of claims has doubled in that time.”
“I acknowledge the remark, but I will stick to the motion at hand about the state of the roads, thank you, Mr Buchanan. <BR /> <BR />It is hard to disagree with the motion. It is not because there is not money going towards the roads; in fact, huge sums are being spent on road maintenance every year, but they do not translate into better outcomes.”
“During the course of a rumbustious debate in the Chamber, the Alliance Party will very often be referenced as being this or that, none of which I will credit or repeat. One such reference, however, is that we are simply a middle-of-the-road party. Dare I say that many of us are middle of the road at the minute, given the state of the roads. It is hard to disagree with the basic concept of the motion and the case that it makes about the state of our roads. It is a major constituency issue for every Member”
“<BR /> <BR />We need to increase the workforce capacity in the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service, finalise the ambulance handover protocol for Northern Ireland, improve measures to ensure better flow of patients through A&E departments and out of our hospitals, and improve capacity in our communities and care system.”
“In the Mournes, there were four months in which response times of over one hour were recorded. One of those was two hours and 34 minutes, and another was three hours and 15 minutes. <BR /> <BR />A category 1 call is defined as dealing with a life-threatening condition, such as cardiac arrest, severe bleeding, unconsciousness, convulsions and fitting. When those are taken into consideration, the waiting times are extremely concerning, not just for the casualty but for those who are generally attending to them. As is so often the case when there is an issue in the statutory sector, the voluntary and community sector steps in. In that regard, I must mention agencies such as Slieve Croob Community First Responders, Mourne Mountain Rescue Team and the RNLI, which very often attends to a casualty if the Ambulance Service cannot.”
“In the Mournes district electoral area (DEA), there was no calendar month in which an average response time was recorded that was within the 15-minute target, and, in Slieve Croob, there was only one month in which the average response time was within 15 minutes. The Mournes and Slieve Croob are rural in nature, but, even in Downpatrick DEA, where the county town lies, there were only two months in which response times were within the 15-minute target. For one of those months, the time was 14 minutes and 59 seconds. Crotlieve had seven months in which the average response time was over the 15-minute target. <BR /> <BR />Those were just the average response times to category 1 calls. The maximum response times are extremely worrying. A response time of four hours and 38 minutes was recorded in Slieve Croob.”
“In the first instance, I pay the utmost respect and give thanks to the Ambulance Service. Its staff are highly trained men and women who answer the call to a ream of incidents across the country, often coming across the most challenging and distressing of incidents. The figures that I will highlight do not reflect on their commitment or their work but rather on the wider systemic issues facing our health service. Too often, those staff spend their time dealing with the challenges of handovers at hospitals, rather than responding to calls in the community. <BR /> <BR />The Northern Ireland Ambulance Service has set a target of responding to category 1 calls within an average of eight minutes and responding to 90% of calls within 15 minutes. Those targets are regularly missed across South Down.”
“Will the Minister provide an update on the negotiations that have been taken place with Treasury for part of the money to be made available in Northern Ireland?”
“Thank you, Minister. You gave us a wee update on Ireland's Ancient East. Is there any likelihood that that brand might be developed or reviewed before the completion of the Narrow Water bridge, and is there scope for some sort of joint promotion? You might be in the Cooley peninsula, looking across at Warrenpoint or even heading up to Slieve Gullion.”
“I have raised before the issue that the A roads in Newry, Mourne and Down are some of the worst for potholes. Just the other day, I was contacted by a distraught constituent whose daughter had burst her vehicle's tyre on a pothole on the A2 outside Rostrevor. The B8 Hilltown Road is so appalling that people take long detours to avoid it, and those who cannot avoid it have to slow down significantly. A colleague of Mr Buckley was even in touch about Millvale Road in Ballyward being washed away — it is now closed. Minister, when will you sort out the roads in South Down?”
“Minister, you will be well aware of the floods that occurred in Downpatrick in 2023. Since Reval2026 was paused, I have been contacted by businesses in the town. They were offered a discount as part of the revaluation of the rates on account of being flooded, but that has since been lost. What can you do for the business owners who still have to deal with the impact of flooding?”
“Thank you, Minister. You will be aware that the Assembly legislated for a licensing authority for outdoor activity providers nearly 20 years ago but that that has never been implemented. Tollymore National Outdoor Centre, which provided training for many who look after children and young people in the outdoor environment, has been closed for a year. Do you agree that the benefits of outdoor residential education have been treated as an afterthought and that legislation similar to the Scottish Bill is required to ensure that all children can access such transformative experiences?”
“Minister, I agree with the sentiment of graduated driving licences and Northern Ireland being the first to introduce the measure and legislation. Can you elaborate on the evidence for the legislation and/or best practice from around the world that was used to inform the GDL measures being introduced?”
“We see an increase in Islamophobia and antisemitic behaviours across our society. Today, on Holocaust Memorial Day, I remember those who were persecuted by virtue of their faith, cultural background, disability or sexuality. I reaffirm my desire to make physical the metaphorical structures that I may never use for those who need shelter in our society. Let us never find ourselves in the middle of those columns.”
“I have often reflected on that darkness; the feeling of oppression; and being unable to see a way out, whether that be up, down, left or right. I also think of the gentle slope that took me to that point and the gentle, unthinking walk that led me to the centre. Before I knew it, I was in the middle of it. <BR /> <BR />I attended an event last week, hosted by Open Doors. It was very moving. I am lucky that I can attend my place of worship freely every week. I am lucky that my faith does not come with repressions such as those that others have faced. Freedom from and freedom of religion are important pillars of our liberal democracy. In the fractious world that we live in, we see systems being challenged. Let us not forget the mistakes and horrors of our past.”
“Every column is of the same dimensions — approximately 3 feet by 7 feet — but they range in height, starting quite low at only 8 or 9 inches off the ground. When you start to wander amongst them and look across them, while they are still quite low, the columns do not seem to be of different heights going towards the centre. There is a slight slope to the ground, however, which drops the visitor towards the centre. As you start to walk in, the columns start to get taller, and, before you know it, they are 10 to 15 feet high, towering over you. Light struggles to get in at that point, and, while the columns are of a fairly uniform grid pattern, such an oppressive feeling is created; it is like a maze to get out of.”
“I rise to speak on Holocaust Memorial Day. I think back to a city break that I took to Berlin in 2018 with my wife. I cannot remember whether a visit was something that we had planned to do or whether we just came across it as we were wandering through Berlin, but we found ourselves at the memorial to the murdered Jews of Europe beside Pariser Platz. For those who have not been, I say that it is a collection of 2,711 columns.”
“Many businesses are directly competing with counterparts in the Republic of Ireland. What steps has the Minister taken to ensure that the challenging environment faced by those businesses is properly reflected during the revaluation process?”
“What investigations have the Minister and his Department carried out to measure the impact that the 64% reduction in the local growth fund will have on the Department's access to employment objectives?”
“Thank you, Minister. How will the roll-out of Farming with Nature support farmers to look after nature and our environment?”
“Sorry, Mr Speaker. Given that the Member is behind me, it is a bit counter-intuitive. <BR /> <BR />The issue is about shared spaces. As much as I love the hipster "Stop DUP sellout" posters that the TUV likes to put up, the point is that they are another form of subliminal political messaging. Such messaging happens constantly in this society, and there needs to be a process by which it is addressed.”
“As I said to the other Member, as much as I —.”
“— who may have a different cultural — sorry, Speaker?”
“I want to live in a society in which we have tolerance for those —”
“Does the Member want to intervene as well?”
“Anyway. We cannot dodge the fact that there is no process. Where there is no process, there is misunderstanding. That is a common thread through this. My colleague Ms Bradshaw has long advocated for and will introduce legislation on the display of flags and emblems. What that calls for is not complicated. What Ms Bradshaw, the Alliance Party and many people in Northern Ireland are calling for is clarity through legislation. Clarity will bring consistency and a plan for dealing with displays where the required process has not been followed.”
“I agree that that is an aspect of it. However, in Northern Ireland, nothing is ever simple, and it points to wider issues at hand. The issues of ownership, public property and permission are all tied into the debate.”
“Every year, without fail, I and, I am sure, many others will be contacted about the erection of flags on lamp posts. Coincidentally, lamp posts are also property for which the Minister for Infrastructure has some remit. <BR /> <BR />I have cycled the land border. It took me three and a half days to do so. Along the way, I lost count of the overt expressions of political aspiration. That is the way of this country.”
“I have quite a high tolerance for political and cultural messaging. For me, toleration is integral to a pluralistic liberal democracy. However, when the countryside is saturated with subtle political messaging all year round, even my tolerance can be exceeded. <BR /> <BR />The key question is whether we, as a society, should continue to allow things to be displayed in a public space without having gone through a defined process. That applies equally, whether the object in question is a Sinn Féin billboard, a "Go slow" sign with political branding, a sign saying, "No Irish Sea border" or the flag of whichever constitutional jurisdiction you hold dear. The motion mentions that the failure to remove the billboard is contrary to how other businesses and individuals are treated, and I cannot disagree.”
“On seeing its size and location, a layperson would conclude that planning permission would be required for something like that, but, in this instance and many others, it has not been sought. Communication and answers on the matter have been sought from the Department and the Minister via the Infrastructure Committee. However, to put it at its most generous, the responses received have not been overly transparent or conclusive. <BR /> <BR />I have no problem with the issue that is currently highlighted on the billboard: it is a Christmas message to the children of Palestine. Previously, it was a call for a united Ireland that bore a Sinn Féin logo. It has also been adjusted by a satirist who wished to express support for Northern Ireland. You would need to have a bit of a sense of humour.”
“I also know that the DUP would like to have the matter debated as a single-ticket item: an opportunity for a proxy culture skirmish as well as an attempt to create space between it and its partners in the Executive. However, the scrutiny must go right across Northern Ireland in relation to the erection of paraphernalia on public property. <BR /> <BR />There are nuances to the motion, but, in its genesis, it is simple: is prior consent required from the relevant statutory authority before something is publicly erected? It is that simple. The law is clear that permission is required before the erection of any form of advertising. I had cause to drive past the billboard in question the other day: it is quite the size and quite the structure.”
“Furthermore, matters of cultural, political and constitutional expression are constants that many in our society hold dear, and I do not want to belittle those things. However, we could be talking about roads, planning, waste water infrastructure, flooding or climate change, all of which are serious issues for the Infrastructure Department. Instead, we are talking about a billboard at the Egyptian Arch in Newry. When the issue is stacked against some of those other topics, it is not hard to find it somewhat trivial. <BR /> <BR />I acknowledge that a matter such as this garners greater scrutiny when the Minister's Department holds the remit for certain aspects: planning, land and railways.”
“Following Mr Wilson's maiden speech, I welcome him to the Chamber. <BR /> <BR />The subject matter of the motion has been raised at the Committee for Infrastructure intermittently now for the past number of months. While I thank Mr Martin, Chair of the Infrastructure Committee, for tabling the motion, I cast my mind back to one of his utterances about not wanting to make the matter a political football. In rugby parlance, the garryowen has been launched to test the opposition full back, and, in football terms, the high ball has gone in to the full forward. Everyone is hoping for a clean catch at best or a lucky bounce at worst. <BR /> <BR />The matter is both serious and trivial. It is serious in that it is a matter of law and policy and to breach those things is serious.”
“Thank you, Minister. How does that fit into the wider package of measures that you have brought and will bring forward to combat abusive behaviours online and in the digital sphere?”
“Thank you, Minister. As someone who likes to wander through woods and glades, I ask you to give an update on tree planting.”
“I thank the Minister for her statement. What work has she done on developing blueways in Northern Ireland, and how will that work have an effect on tourism and the marketing of Northern Ireland as a destination?”
“Minister, developer contributions are a key part of the three-pronged approach of your proposals to address waste water capacity, but some of their feedback in the consultation was critical. What conclusions has the Department reached, and is there a timeline for how those will be progressed?”
“I do not disagree that there are protocols in place, but the emotional strain when it rains affects people, as has been said. When people ask to see said protocols, they are not there, and that is to what I was referring. Yes, there are protocols in place, but sometimes they are not written down, so having them written down would help some members of the public with their emotional well-being.”
“Thank you, Minister, for giving way. My point is that the protocols are not written down or easily available to members of the public.”
“Severe weather will only get worse, so it is important that we are as prepared as possible. I have heard noises from the Department that it is hopeful that a flood forecasting centre can be set up in the not-too-distant future. I would like to hear an update on that. We have heard about climate adaptability, but there is also climate preparedness, which is how we deal with infrastructure in the context of increasingly severe weather events.”
“That said, many thanks must be given to the DFI front-line workers and the groups that were mentioned who responded to the flooding issues in the town. <BR /> <BR />Another issue that has been raised with me is the lack of written protocols. NI Water and DFI do not appear to have formal, written protocols for situations in which there is a risk of flooding. The response is more likely to be the result of an established work habit. That works OK for now, but there is a real worry that, if an engineer who is in charge moves on, all that muscle memory will be lost. There is a feeling that a formal, written protocol would give the affected communities a lot more confidence in the process. <BR /> <BR />I say again that what we are seeing is climate change in action.”
“Regardless of the causes of that, although the science points in a particular way, storms of increasing energy are affecting us, be that through wind or rain. <BR /> <BR />There is also frustration among the public at inconsistent communication. The flood resilience group in Newcastle has been referenced. While it is appreciative to a point, it feels despondent at times at how the Department communicates with it. That is particularly significant because, although DFI promotes such groups as being the main line of defence against flooding, at times it provides them with little support. The Newcastle group is considering its future role. It wants to be and must be more than just guardians of a container of sandbags.”
“In the Infrastructure Committee, we have been looking at the future of that grant as part of the Water, Sustainable Drainage and Flood Management Bill. One thing that witnesses have raised a lot is the need for wider eligibility criteria so that commercial and rental properties can also be protected. That would be helpful for traders in Downpatrick. <BR /> <BR />Kilkeel and Killowen have seen prolonged disruption due to the physical degradation of roads. The road between Annalong and Newcastle is regularly closed after heavy rain, due to localised flooding. I have wondered about the effect of gravity there: you have cliffs on one side and hills on the other, yet the water sometimes still does not seem to drain away. <BR /> <BR />All those issues are exacerbated by climate change.”
“In the meantime, there has been a lack of interim measures. Just before Christmas, the Market Place car park partially flooded. There had been a period of wet weather, but it was nothing unusual for Northern Ireland. The fields along the Ballydugan Road were saturated, and then came a yellow rain warning. I witnessed a car park being flooded by 6 to 9 inches of water. Without interim or permanent solutions, Downpatrick is only a few days of rain and a high tide away from flooding again. <BR /> <BR />We have seen the repeated flooding of residential properties in Newcastle. The homeowner flood protection grant has helped to protect properties in Newcastle and is appreciated, although the delivery of it could have been faster.”
“Business groups in Downpatrick are keen to see more investment in the town, which is still reeling from the effects of the recent flooding. There has been frustration with the Infrastructure Department's response. A flood alleviation scheme has been promised, but that will take years to deliver, and it is still unclear whether funding will become available and work will start any time soon. Indeed, given the Budget situation, I worry, as do many in Downpatrick, about the timelines for that delivery.”