Peter Martin
North Down · Democratic Unionist Party · Northern Ireland
“Minister, the Northern Ireland Audit Office report is very critical of your Department on the topic of flood risk. You have just read out some interventions that your Department has made. The report's most substantial criticism is that your Department cannot show that its activities to build flood risk defences:”
“It also seeks to rebalance a level of government control by removing certain powers that the Department currently holds, including direction and control over appointments to board positions. That supports the case for reclassification by ONS.”
“<BR /> <BR />Members were keen to hear directly from young people, who will probably be most affected by GDL, so we consulted the Youth Assembly. The Committee was impressed by the thoughtful and constructive nature of that engagement.”
“<BR /> <BR />I am confident that the Committee will be able to engage positively and work collaboratively with the Department to ensure that the Bill reflects the current areas where reform is required.”
“<BR /> <BR />Having considered all the evidence, the Committee ultimately concluded that it would not be appropriate to proceed until it was fully satisfied that the driving instructor sector believed that the proposed date of 1 October 2026, which the Minister referenced, was realistic and achievable.”
“With your permission, Mr Speaker, it is important to consider the proposal in the context of the wider legislative package that is required to bring GDL into operation, and the Minister referenced that. <BR /> <BR />At the outset, I make it clear that the Committee supports the principle of GDL.”
The complete record
Every one of 893 lines we hold for Peter Martin, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 12 of 18.
“— is incredibly welcome. How will the TPL fund roll out?”
“I thank the Minister for his statement, which is incredibly welcome. In response to the Member for West Tyrone, he reflected that, in broad terms, the sector — I concur with the Minister — is right behind TransformED. <BR /> <BR />There is so much that I could pick up on, but I will touch on the teacher professional learning fund, which, Minister, I understand is £31 million over three years. You will probably agree — the sector would agree with me on this — that TPL in Northern Ireland has been substandard for a while, so that —”
“We talked and talked about it, we wanted to see it, and we got it. It is a complex and important document, so I am not overly surprised that we are still waiting for some detail on it. These are big issues to solve, as every Member has said. <BR /> <BR />I have 15 seconds left. The Education Minister is passionate about making these changes. Our party is wholly committed to standing behind him in making them, because we know that, at the end of every policy, there is a child with a family —”
“It sounds to me as though the costing is being worked on but that key inputs from delivery partners have to be fed in. I do not disagree with the Member, and the Minister may touch on this, but that statement is in the document, and I assume that the costing is being worked on. <BR /> <BR />There are targets. We will not fall out over them. The proposers of the motion would like to see clearer delivery targets. I note that there are hard targets for year 1 in the document already and starting targets for all other themes. I understand that those targets are linear. Perhaps the proposers of the motion would like harder targets: those may come with additional information as the Department works through the detailed costings for the plan. Let us be honest, however: the Education Committee wanted this document.”
“Outstanding. Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. <BR /> <BR />I agree with the Member, but I will give him a line from the end of the document:”
“I will indeed for the Chair of the Education Committee.”
“We know that its cost is just over half a billion pounds. That half a billion pounds is not in the Education Minister's gift. It is not particularly in the Finance Minister's gift, but it is in the Executive's gift. As was made clear and as the Member for West Belfast noted, we have a SEN-first agenda, so I am sure that the Minister in front of me will look for support from other Ministers and Executive parties —.”
“One of the key strategic shifts that we need is to move away from a system that operates on a tactical basis to one that is more strategic in its thinking. Simply put, let us prepare not for next year but for the next 10 years. The Minister, who will, I feel confident, speak for himself on the issue, has already committed to do that. A plan — it was called 'Operational Plan 2', I think — has been designed to ensure that, in future, planning is not emergency planning but future planning. That will break the cycle that Members have mentioned today. <BR /> <BR />As the Member for Lagan Valley said, we need additional special schools. There are eight in programme as part of the Department's new SEN capital agenda. We also have a SEN reform agenda, of which, as I mentioned, I have a copy with me. It is a comprehensive plan.”
“We know that demand has risen significantly in the past number of years, and the EA has responded in the past five years by creating an additional 6,000 SEN places. Expenditure by the Department has increased over the past seven years by 164%, rising to £670 million a year. <BR /> <BR />As I mentioned previously, I recognise that there have been, and remain, significant challenges in the system. That has led to some heartbreaking cases emerging. Members of the Education Committee have sat through some of those stories. There has been an erosion of confidence among teachers, principals, parents and carers in the system's ability to support some of our most vulnerable learners. It would be foolish of me to say anything other than that.”
“<BR /> <BR />To pick up quickly on Mr Carroll's statement, what we actually want is not necessarily for every child to have a classroom assistant, because that may not be the best intervention for every child. There may be better interventions that deliver more support, more help and more positivity in that child's life than one-to-one support will. There are lots of measures, but we have to bear in mind that we want the best for the child. That should be at the core of whatever the policy driver is. <BR /> <BR />It is worth quickly noting a couple of pertinent facts. We know that one in five children in our education system now has a special educational need. That is about 70,000 children across Northern Ireland. About 8% of children subsequently have a statutory assessment.”
“I commend the Member opposite for making a very passionate speech about special educational needs and not making it political. I mean that genuinely, Danny. <BR /> <BR />I welcome the opportunity to speak on the issue today. I start by recognising its sensitivity for many parents in Northern Ireland. I also recognise the amazing work of our special needs teachers, who work under sometimes very challenging circumstances. I also pay tribute to the amazing children, some of whom have those particular needs, and the parents who care for and look after them on a daily basis. I will come back to that later on, but I am sure that everyone in the Chamber recognises that the current system is simply not good enough and does fail some children in Northern Ireland.”
“I thank the Member for that. Is it the Member's view that we would get a better deal, as my colleague has just outlined, under direct rule? I ask because, in the past, given the Irish language and abortion issues, that has not always been the case.”
“My party will continue to work to secure the removal of the framework arrangements and will campaign with all those across the United Kingdom who are determined to see the end of the internal borders and barriers within our own country. Mr Speaker — sorry, Mr Deputy Speaker; I promoted you there — I ask Members to support the motion.”
“If adopted, that would place serious pressure on the Department of Health, GPs and pharmacies and also see serious delays for consumers who wish to purchase medicines. On the Committee, we are waiting to see what the EU does, as we frequently do, before deciding how we will respond. <BR /> <BR />As a key component of the motion, we are asking for the Government to listen to the concerns of businesses here and in GB and to protect consumers and the integrity of our internal market. The remaining challenges cannot be addressed through improvements to the operational framework. No degree of tinkering can remove the overarching need to restore the democratic right of the people of Northern Ireland to make and change their own laws.”
“While the rest of the United Kingdom will operate its own approval-type system from 2026, Northern Ireland will remain bound by EU rules. The result is that cars approved for sale in GB may not be registered here in Northern Ireland. It will mean less choice for families who need to buy a car, higher prices for consumers who are already under pressure and job losses in an industry that sustains over 17,000 individuals and generates £3 billion a year in our economy. I would have thought that those are things that we would be concerned about. In fact, the leader of the Opposition raised the cost-of-living crisis, but he is not even here to listen to this speech. In Committee last year, we heard about EU proposals that could see treatments for conditions such as cold sores and dandruff become prescription-only medicines.”
“The Member should be a barrister. He asked a question to which he knows fine well the answer. I simply suggest to the Member that you perhaps need to come to people on these Benches if you want something done about this. Perhaps the feeling among businesses out there is that, if you go somewhere else, no one will care. It is a wee bit like this debate. <BR /> <BR />The IOD has said that its members are experiencing greater levels of bureaucracy when doing business GB to NI and that it makes it more costly to do so. If it makes it more costly for business, it makes it more costly for the people whom we serve and for consumers. <BR /> <BR />Another industry that will soon face problems, as my party colleague Carla Lockhart pointed out in Parliament last week, is the car industry. Northern Ireland is being placed in an impossible position.”
“<BR /> <BR />We are more than aware that, when we make an online purchase, perhaps on Amazon or eBay — other services are available — we see the dreaded pop-up that says, "Not for postage to Northern Ireland" or, "The seller will not post to Northern Ireland". That affects buying simple items. We also know that data from the Consumer Council supports that contention. In fact, even the recent ushering in of new arrangements around GPSR and business-to-business parcels is creating its own problems. Those consumer issues should be a concern to all of us.”
“The Alliance Party might not agree, either. However, we are entitled to do so, because there are lots of people — not all people — whom we represent who care very passionately about the issue. It is their constitutional right to care about it. That is the tenor that has been outlined. <BR /> <BR />Notwithstanding that, our party has been very clear and continues to be clear about the barriers to trade between Great Britain and Northern Ireland. They are unacceptable, and they undermine our internal market. I have no intention of repeating the points that were made by my colleague from East Belfast; instead, I will, for anyone who happens to be listening to today's debate, give some real-world examples of what this means and what the operation of the protocol means for our constituents.”
“The leader of the Opposition is not here. I cannot remember the exact phrase that he used, but "grow up" was perhaps it. The last time that I was told to grow up was maybe at school, but I am also pretty sure that my wife might have referred to that at some point during our marriage. I want to develop that a wee bit. I listened to the Member opposite, and I listened to the Member for Upper Bann. I have found a bit of the debate quite condescending. If the Members opposite brought a motion before the Assembly on something that they were passionate about, such as a united Ireland, for example, obviously, on this side, we would argue against that, but I do not think that we would demean the very nature of what they were bringing. The debate today has been demeaning. You may not agree with the issue that we are outlining with the framework.”
“I think that the Minister has answered this, but I will give him the chance to be clearer. In answer to the supplementary question from my colleague from Upper Bann, he used the word "surgery". I will rephrase the question: does he agree that any counselling service for gender dysphoric children that the new service will provide will not be gender-affirming?”
“First, I thank the Minister for being in my constituency last week. His visits were excellent, and I know that the boards of governors and the principals very much appreciated them. <BR /> <BR />Minister, in a slight segue, you just referred to the capital list. How many schools in Northern Ireland are on that capital list and what is their status on it?”
“I congratulate the teaching staff on their commitment to the school, I congratulate the support staff — the school has a pastoral ethos — and, to the pupils, I offer massive congratulations: you deserve that recognition for your dedication, resilience and enthusiasm. The recognition in the TES awards is testament to their passion and teamwork and to the hard-working values that define the school's Christian ethos. <BR /> <BR />I wish final congratulations to the principal, Maria Flynn, and all teachers, staff and pupils on reaching that incredible milestone: I wish you every success in the years ahead, and I hope that you build on that fantastic achievement, but, Mr Speaker, school's out for summer.”
“Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. I will do my best. <BR /> <BR />I am delighted to congratulate St Columbanus' College on being named as one of the seven finalists in the secondary school of the year category in the 'Times Educational Supplement' (TES) Schools Awards. That outstanding achievement reflects the dedication, innovation and inclusive spirit at the heart of that exceptional school. Whilst ultimate glory eluded it, simply getting to be one of the final seven schools was a remarkable achievement. <BR /> <BR />I extend my congratulations to principal Maria Flynn, whose leadership steered the school to that remarkable national recognition, and I had better mention Liam Perry, the previous principal, or he will never speak to me again.”
“I certainly hope that the Minister, in his speech, will reflect where we are with the accompanying guidance, which the Chair of the Education Committee referenced. I do not believe that immediate repeal is the path that we should pursue at this time for the reasons that I have highlighted. Instead, we should work to improve training, support and, particularly, guidance in that area.”
“I thank the Chair of the Education Committee for that intervention. I take his point. I fully accept that lessons could be learned from the youth settings. I have no issues with that whatsoever. <BR /> <BR />I pay tribute to our teachers for the amazing job that they do to educate our children in Northern Ireland. They should never fear having to intervene in a classroom situation because, in doing so, they might face legal or criminal action. One simple example of that would be where a teacher blocks a pupil's path if they are trying to leave the school premises without permission and where safeguarding protocols would apply. <BR /> <BR />What we need is guidance on the use of restraint and seclusion that is rights-based, safeguards children and teachers and is workable in a school environment.”
“I agree with both those bodies. <BR /> <BR />It may be interesting to note that the Department for Education in England recently consulted on the use of reasonable force, which is the equivalent of our article 4(1)(c), and the Equality and Human Rights Commission, in responding to the consultation, did not highlight a need for the repeal of the existing legislation in England. <BR /> <BR />Teaching is a challenging and rewarding profession. My party will continue to support —.”
“We felt that our amendment covered the necessary areas without repealing article 4(1)(c). Clearly, as has been mentioned, the other parties had a different view. <BR /> <BR />A range of stakeholders also has concern about the impact that the removal of article 4(1)(c) could have on teaching staff. For example, the Northern Ireland Teachers' Council (NITC) wrote to the Education Committee stating that removal of that article would create a climate of fear around restraint where teachers would be hesitant to intervene even when it was essential. Recently, NASUWT gave evidence and said:”
“and there should be a departmental commitment to data gathering and monitoring to review the special and wider school estate to address, as the Member opposite mentioned —”
“It is worth reading out because it covered the necessary elements that some stakeholders want to see without the repeal of article 4(1)(c). It stated the following:”
“First, I acknowledge the sensitivity of the subject. I am aware that a number of parents and children have had very harrowing experiences of either restraint or seclusion in Northern Ireland. Therefore, it is not my intention to be critical of anyone else's view on the issue this evening. Also, given the nature of the area, whilst we do not support the immediate repeal of article 4(1)(c), it is not our intention to divide the House on the matter this evening. <BR /> <BR />As the Chair mentioned, members of the Education Committee heard significant evidence on the subject, and, in the Committee, I have described some of the real-world examples as "horrendous". However, what is also clear is that those incidents are in no way the norm and are exceptional. As the Chair mentioned, my party tabled an amendment to the motion at Committee.”
“I thank the Minister for his answer and his continued commitment to the project. Minister, over the next six months, say, till the end of this year, what tangible developments might we see in the Marine Gardens project?”
“That is relevant, because the UK signed up to the IHRA definition of antisemitism, as did the Assembly in May 2021, despite Sinn Féin opposition. <BR /> <BR />I remind Sinn Féin and those who also support the motion that 1,200 civilians were raped, murdered, dismembered and burned alive on 7 October. It is worth my stating that, because maybe they are unaware that it happened. I see no reference to it in the motion. Our party will oppose the motion and support the Ulster Unionist Party amendment.”
“I say this to the Member from the Opposition: I would not accuse anyone in the Chamber of antisemitism. The IHRA defines what it is, however. It includes:”
“The motion calls for BDS: boycott, divestment and sanctions. In recent history, we have witnessed the boycotting of Jewish businesses. It started in Nazi Germany in 1933. Five years later, we had Kristallnacht — the Night of Broken Glass — which was an anti-Jewish pogrom in Germany, Austria and the Sudetenland. Two hundred synagogues were destroyed, 7,500 Jewish shops were looted and 30,000 male Jews were sent to concentration camps. Two years later, Auschwitz opened. The motion uses the rather innocuous phrase "to divest from Israeli investments". I say this: never again. <BR /> <BR />I apologise to the Member opposite, as I was not here to hear his speech. He quoted the IHRA definition, which has been talked about. It gives clear examples of antisemitism.”
“We need look no further for the reason behind the horrendous loss of life in Gaza. It was clearly designed and delivered by Hamas.”
“Yes, but why? In 2008, soon after Hamas took control of Gaza, Hamas Interior Minister, Fathi Hammad, delivered a speech on Al-Aqsa TV. He said that the enemies of Allah:”
“Those are not my words but those of Amnesty International, which has been one of the most vocal and ardent critics of Israel in the past 20 years. It is clear and undisputed that Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad store munitions, harbour terrorists and fire rockets from schools, mosques and hospitals in clear violation of the Geneva Convention.”
“I thank the Member for his question. Lots of figures have been placed on the record. I am simply stating a fact that all the casualty figures that have come out of that area are based on information from the Hamas-run Ministry of Health. The BBC uses those figures, as does every aid organisation. You can go with those figures. I am not disputing that the death toll has been appalling, but, if you take the figures that the Members opposite have used, you are believing a proscribed terrorist organisation, and I simply will not do that. <BR /> <BR />I turn to the loss of human life. It has been stated:”
“There are a lot of aspects of the Sinn Féin motion that I wish I had time to deal with, but I will be able to cover only a few. It quotes figures from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). The figures that Sinn Féin uses are taken from the office's briefing paper. First, let me get on the record that there has been an absolutely appalling loss of life in Gaza and Israel — I will come back to that later. Clarity and transparency, however, are important. Those figures that from the OCHA and that were quoted by the Members opposite come directly from the Hamas-run Ministry of Health.”
“Whether it is a matter of training healthcare professionals; ensuring that dietary needs are met in schools; adopting standardised coeliac guidance across the health service; or supporting gluten-free provision in public catering, especially in school lunches, we have the tools and the responsibility to act. In light of that, today I will write to the Health Minister to ask for a meeting with Coeliac UK to discuss the scale of that often undiagnosed disease in Northern Ireland and explore what steps can be taken to raise greater public and clinical awareness of it. The impact of delayed diagnosis is simply too significant to ignore, and we need to ensure that more people receive the support, care and recognition that they urgently need.”
“For example, in Northern Ireland alone, it is estimated that over 10,000 people remain undiagnosed. On average, it takes 13 years for someone with coeliac disease to get a proper diagnosis. That means 13 years of unexplained symptoms, misdiagnoses and a compromised quality of life. The consequences of those delays go far beyond general inconvenience. If untreated, the disease can lead to serious long-term health implications, including osteoporosis, infertility and even certain cancers. It also places a substantial and avoidable burden on our health service through repeated consultations, unnecessary tests and misdirected treatments. <BR /> <BR />Coeliac UK's strategy focuses on earlier diagnosis, increased public awareness and improved provision of gluten-free food.”
“I rise to highlight an issue that affects thousands of people across Northern Ireland, often silently and invisibly: coeliac disease. For those of you who are not aware, people with coeliac disease are often described as simply "gluten-intolerant", which means that they cannot eat anything containing a protein found in wheat, rye and barley. I recently had the opportunity to meet representatives from Coeliac UK to learn more about that serious autoimmune condition. Coeliac UK conducts outstanding research on the disease and is one of the largest funders of such research in the UK. <BR /> <BR />The disease is far more common than people think. It affects approximately one in 100 people, yet, shockingly, only about 36% of those who have the condition have received a diagnosis.”
“I thank the Minister for his answer. Minister, what particular pressures and difficulties does the health service in Northern Ireland face in recruiting consultants across not just haematology but wider specialisms?”
“I also send my condolences to John. I knew that his father was unwell, but I want him to know that I will be thinking and praying about him in the days ahead.”
“That is a rallying call for the establishment of a state of Palestine that goes from the Jordan river to the Mediterranean Sea, erasing the state of Israel and its people. Therefore, we:”
“Iran is designated a state sponsor of terror because of its support for Hezbollah, Hamas, the Taliban and Palestinian Islamic Jihad. It is clear that many Iranians, perhaps the majority, oppose the tyrannical hold that their Government exert on their people. There are plenty of Arab states in the Middle East that will not say so out loud but that quietly welcome any action to degrade Iran's capacity to destabilise their countries through state-sponsored terrorism by Hezbollah and Hamas in particular. <BR /> <BR />Let us remember that Israel is fighting for its very existence. Many of those who oppose Israel seek the complete destruction of the Jewish state and its inhabitants. They scream, "From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free".”
“The path forward requires a commitment from all legitimate and lawful parties to seek solutions that respect the dignity and rights of all the people involved. <BR /> <BR />It is our collective responsibility as elected representatives to oppose the antisemitism and terrorism that threaten not only Israel but the stability of the entire region. It is worth noting that, since the heinous events of 7 October, over 26,000 missiles have been fired at civilian targets in Israel from Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Iran and Yemen. <BR /> <BR />Over the past number of days, Israel has carried out strikes against the Islamic Republic of Iran to degrade its abilities to procure weapons-grade uranium and develop a ballistic missile system that can effectively deliver it.”
“On 7 October 2023, 1,200 Jewish civilians were murdered by Hamas. Since that day, there has been significant loss of human life in the Middle East. It is important to make it crystal clear that the death of every innocent victim is appalling, and we mourn equally every innocent life lost. <BR /> <BR />Along with every other right-thinking person, I want an end to the conflicts, a permanent ceasefire, the return of the Israeli hostages, who are being held against the Geneva Convention, and, ultimately, a peaceful, two-state solution. I acknowledge the importance of dialogue and diplomacy in the midst of conflict, and I welcome the increase in the humanitarian aid coming into the region. Although we fully support Israel's right to defend itself, we advocate efforts to find a lasting peace.”
“I thank the Minister for his answer and ongoing support for controlled schools across Northern Ireland. Does the Minister believe that the new controlled schools unit will deliver greater equity for the 150,000 children in those schools?”
“Will the performance accountability process as it is reviewed look at the wider issue of the trust's complaints process? I had one experience with Belfast Trust when I complained about a clinician. It took the trust a year and half to close that complaint. Will the Minister commit to saying that the performance accountability process will include the trust's current complaints process?”