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.”
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“<BR /> <BR />Every MLA throughout Northern Ireland, most of whom have just left the Chamber, will complain about the lack of road maintenance in their area, but the people in the Ards and North Down Borough Council area have a more justified reason to complain. That is because they are being treated unfairly by the Department for Infrastructure. The area has been underfunded in comparison with other council areas — I will highlight some figures during my speech — and, while we can all have opinions about a great many matters, facts are harder to dispute. I appreciate that the Minister has not been in post particularly long and that her predecessor, Mr O'Dowd, was in post for only about a year, but it is her Department. I am hoping that she will take on board some of the things that I will share.”
“Thank you very much, Mr Deputy Speaker. The way to empty a Chamber in less than a minute is to have a debate on North Down's roads. I am thankful to our SDLP colleagues for joining us for the debate, albeit one of them is going now. <BR /> <BR />Mr Deputy Speaker, thank you for allowing me the opportunity to bring my Adjournment topic to the Chamber. Upon becoming an MLA and setting up my constituency office in Bangor last year, I knew that road maintenance or lack thereof would be a big issue of community concern. What has taken me aback in particular, however, is the level of complaints and the state of our roads.”
“Does the Minister feel that there is a better way in which to reform the welfare state? If so, what steps is he going to take to do that?”
“That has to change in the future. Mary made it: she beat the illness and is now supporting other young girls who are battling their demons in her role as an expert by experience, and she is getting married to Sam in a couple of years. <BR /> <BR />This afternoon, I strongly urge the Health Minister to progress the clinically specific recommendations of the mental health strategy to ensure that people with eating disorders receive the support that they need and the help that they very much deserve.”
“What I am most concerned about is the impact on our children and young people, especially young girls. The impact of social media and the instant accessibility of communication feed into a very unhealthy culture of body image sensitivity and what it means to be seen as attractive to the opposite sex. <BR /> <BR />The issue is personal to me because, for many years, I supported a young girl called Mary Bower, who had the illness. Alongside her mum and wider family, I watched as Mary deteriorated to the point where, due to a severe lack of potassium, she nearly died twice from cardiac arrest. She was sent to centres in England and Scotland, because there was no specialised inpatient or day care suitable for her in Northern Ireland. For a substantial time, the clinical support that she received was patchy at best.”
“A couple of weeks ago, I met Nicola Armstrong, the Northern Ireland lead for Beat Eating Disorders, a charity that is doing great work to shed light on the obstacles faced by those affected by such illnesses. I was struck by how many are affected: one in 50 across the UK. The eating disorders anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa have the highest mortality rates of all psychiatric disorders. Sadly, far too many people living with those illnesses feel misunderstood when describing their situation or are just put off talking about it at all. The stigma is then deepened when we consider how difficult it is for people to access the treatment that they need in Northern Ireland. Currently, no trusts provide intensive community and day treatment services for both children and adults.”
“I very much welcome the statement. I will also reflect that it is so encouraging to see an Education Minister who is passionate about tackling educational underachievement and raising standards in the entire system. When does he expect the curriculum review, which is so clearly tied to the strategy, to report?”
“The earlier that issues are identified, the more cost-effective and, usually, more effective the intervention will be. <BR /> <BR />Today, I urge the Minister to address the crux of the motion and the amendment, which we will support. It is to drive down those numbers, not least to give children in Northern Ireland the best possible start in life. If the Assembly is serious about early intervention, that must start when the baby is in the womb. After the baby is born, the next most critical time is the next 700 days. That is why those visits are important, and I ask the Minister to prioritise that area.”
“The Minister rightly talks about what he calls "shifting left", and I agree that shifting left is the right thing to do, as long as it pushes earlier and faster interventions. <BR /> <BR />The motion is important because the visits that we are talking about today identify speech and language therapy issues. Speech and language therapists can have profound effects, as long as that therapy is introduced early. They can highlight cognitive development issues, and, as the Member opposite mentioned, provide support and help to young mums. Everyone who has spoken so far in the debate, regardless of political party or affiliation, has agreed that the roles are critical. Even if we leave aside the clear benefits to the child and the family, it makes economic sense.”
“Things such as stress, poverty and violence experienced in the home will have, in many cases, lifelong negative health effects on that baby. <BR /> <BR />That is why the debate is so important. Very often, we talk about early intervention. In fact, not a week has gone by since I joined the Assembly when somebody has not talked about early intervention in the Chamber, and it is great and important that we are talking about it today, but this is early intervention. Short of prenatal care, it is one of the pathways that identify the earliest intervention mechanisms, whether it is health visitors — the crux of the motion that we are debating today — or the midwives who visit shortly after birth and, perhaps, at 14 days.”
“This is an issue in which I have been interested for some time, as it links health and education directly. As mentioned by the Member for Lagan Valley, the first 1,000 days are critical. The first 1,000 days are the time in the womb and post birth. Specifically, it refers to the period until a child turns two, and the child's brain capacity and structure are shaped at an exponential rate during that time. Some 80% of brain development is in the first 1,000 days. It is the period when we notice a child's auditory, visual and learning abilities and when their memory and information processing systems are formed. It is worth highlighting the fact that the first 1,000 days have a lifelong effect on the well-being and health of the child as they grow up.”
“I thank the Minister for his answer. Are any of the examples that he highlighted in his answer transferable to Northern Ireland?”
“I congratulate the pupils who took part; the principal, Pamela Rothwell; the teaching staff; and the families behind those pupils, who sacrifice so much in pursuit of excellence. Well done, Ballyholme.”
“The school's gymnasts competed in the Northern Ireland Schools' Acrobatic Gymnastics Championships and were also successful. The under-11 pairs placed second and third in their sections, and one of the under-11 teams of six was awarded first place and will now go on to the British schools championship in Stoke-on-Trent. Finally, last Tuesday, the choir won the Barnardo's National Choir Competition in Birmingham Symphony Hall. Ballyholme was awarded junior winner in the popular music category with its rendition of 'Can't Help Falling in Love'. My wife wanted me to sing a few lines this morning, but I think that that is probably a bridge too far for the Assembly. <BR /> <BR />Those outstanding achievements all happened in the course of a week.”
“I congratulate Ballyholme Primary School in my constituency on winning in four very different events over the past week. That is an incredible achievement across a diverse range of sporting and non-sporting activities. Ballyholme Primary School is my alma mater. I am proud that the school has retained the same values and ethos that I enjoyed whilst I was there, albeit a few years ago. <BR /> <BR />On Saturday, the boys' football team won the Gerry Armstrong Cup at Bangor Football Club. Yes: I am old enough to remember that legendary goal by the big fella for Northern Ireland against Spain in 1982. Then, the 10-and-under and 12-and-under teams both achieved first place in the relay at the Swim Ulster Primary Schools Cup and Championships.”
“The legislation will make a positive impact across all of our communities in Northern Ireland. The Bill, as my friend has mentioned, will ensure that this party fulfils the promise made in our manifesto to deal with the cost of school uniforms and the associated costs. The practical outworking of the legislation will mean that the final financial obstacles to school choice should be removed and that parents will no longer face that trip in the summer to buy next year's school uniform. <BR /> <BR />I thoroughly commend the Bill to the House.”
“That is what the Bill should stop. Never again should any child or family in Northern Ireland face the prospect of having to choose a school on the basis of the cost of its uniform. <BR /> <BR />These are not green or orange issues. They are not nationalist or unionist concerns. All families face them, regardless of their background.”
“Not every Minister could make that claim. I quote the Minister directly:”
“She went on to increase the school uniform grant by 20%, which was as much as the Department of Education budget could bear at the time. After the guidelines were issued, many schools put in place a sensible school uniform policy, and I have experienced that as a parent. As with many other situations in life, however, there are always outliers. Hopefully, the legislation will close the gap. Furthermore, it will mean that schools will have to consult pupils and parents directly on their uniform policy and publish information about it. They will also have to provide a rationale for their policy. <BR /> <BR />Early in the Assembly mandate, the current Education Minister, Paul Givan, said that he would introduce legislation on the issue. It is a credit to him that he has done so, and done so so quickly.”
“Clause 9 addresses the expensive, branded items that can considerably raise the cost of uniforms, especially sportswear, as has been discussed. Other views may be available in the Chamber, but my view is that navy leggings are navy leggings, while white polo shirts are white polo shirts. Parents understand that. As the Bill progresses through its legislative stages, never before will navy leggings and white polo shirts have been discussed in the Assembly so much. <BR /> <BR />My party has led the way on the issue. Four years ago, Peter Weir, the then Minister of Education, urged school principals to be flexible on uniform rules. That work was continued by the next Minister, Michelle McIlveen, who, in 2022, instructed Department of Education officials to implement guidelines requiring schools to make uniforms more affordable for families.”
“I will therefore take my full 45 minutes. <BR /> <BR />Clause 2 addresses the unfair costs that parents have to pay. Clause 8 deals with the definition of those unfair costs. Without going into the legal meaning of the clause, I will say that it is about the conversations that parents have when they go into a shop and find out the cost of a blazer. Clause 7 provides the Department with the ability to direct schools to comply with the guidance. That process can be started by parents or by the ETI's inspection process and will effectively be as a result of non-compliance with the Department's guidance. As Members have said, clause 8 deals with what "unfair costs" means and the vexed question that the Member opposite asked about the limited choice of suppliers.”
“The Bill will ensure that that will never be a worry for parents. As the Minister said, the legislation will place a duty on the Department of Education to create clear guidelines for school uniform policy. The Bill also places a duty on schools to follow that policy. My colleague referenced the findings of the consultation, which, as the Minister mentioned, were overwhelmingly to make school uniforms affordable, comfortable and sustainable. Policy options were available in the consultation document, but the option outlined in the Bill is the one that will develop and deliver the best outcome for parents. <BR /> <BR />Is there a time limit on the debate, Mr Deputy Speaker?”
“I know how she feels, and I echo her comments. <BR /> <BR />I assume that the Bill is supported across the Chamber. I welcome the fact that various issues have been highlighted, because that demonstrates how important this piece of blue paper is. It is legislation. It is what we are meant to be doing in the Chamber. It will have a positive effect for families across the Province. <BR /> <BR />At the moment, boards of governors have the legal right and duty to decide on uniform policy. My party believes that school uniform is important as it provides a sense of identity and should level socio-economic backgrounds and unify a school through dress code. As other Members have said, a school uniform and its associated cost should never be a consideration when parents are deciding on the most appropriate school for their child.”
“I, like others in the House, very much welcome the Bill this evening. I am a parent, so I know at first hand about the cost of school uniforms in general and, particularly, the cost of PE kit for our children. We have three children: two at primary school and one at a post-primary school. We, as a family, are in no doubt that, year-on-year, the cost of uniforms mounts up. Janet Ward, who is a mum and runs the ADHD hub in Newcastle, said that the Bill:”
“Minister, the Queen's Parade scheme and its completion have what you might call "legendary status" for the residents of Bangor. Will the Minister ensure that there is continued local engagement on the development in its final stages?”
“It wants more autonomy for school principals and a reduction in the administrative burden on school leaders that is, increasingly, a part of their job. I therefore urge Members to support our amendment this afternoon.”
“I am sure that that will be extremely welcome for schools throughout Northern Ireland, as it will cover areas such as fixing a broken door or getting a room painted. The obvious benefits are not only in cost but in speed and responsiveness. Every principal to whom I mentioned the motion and our amendment was supportive, especially of powers being delegated to principals in order to see more efficient contracts for the delivery of school maintenance and minor works in Northern Ireland. <BR /> <BR />We all know the pressure that the education budget is under and the difficult choices that the Education Minister has to make in that context. Our party wants more money to be directed at schools.”
“<BR /> <BR />In the Committee, we often hear, "If we trust school leaders to deliver our curriculum in the best way they know how and they also happen to look after the most precious members of our families on a daily basis, surely we can trust them with the ability to purchase some items on behalf of their school". Our amendment simply adds a requirement for the Minister to:”
“<BR /> <BR />There is, however, no doubt that we in the Chamber all want to see greater flexibility for schools in sourcing their goods and services. That will provide them with the ability to access local suppliers to achieve more competitive prices and responsive services. One of the further benefits of streamlining the system is that it will allow EA to specialise its services and resources in delivering better and faster outcomes on the larger capital contracts that require tenders or quotes. It is my understanding that EA is examining those processes, and that will be welcomed, no doubt, by school leaders and provide greater autonomy for low-value works.”
“To be fair to the EA, however, the same principal told me that it is extremely responsive to emergency calls. I have heard other stories about a school's guttering being cleaned at a cost of £4,500. The Member opposite mentioned similar issues. <BR /> <BR />We want to see an improvement. We all have examples — I am sure that we will hear some this afternoon — of schools being able and willing to purchase goods and services relatively cheaply and in the local area. After they have followed EA procurement procedures, however, prices can rise significantly. The Member opposite, in her opening statement, mentioned procurement. As far as I am aware, procurement policy note (PPN) 04/21, which is owned by the Department of Finance, still operates, and the Education Authority has to operate within it.”
“<BR /> <BR />It is worth looking first at the slightly different ways in which schools in the various sectors purchase goods and services. Controlled schools and maintained schools have to comply with EA purchasing procedures for the procurement of works and general goods or services. The process is different for grant-maintained integrated (GMI) schools and those in the voluntary grammar sector, which retain responsibility for the purchasing of school supplies and services and paying the invoice. <BR /> <BR />When preparing for the debate, I spoke to school leaders to hear about their direct experience of the system. One principal told me that they had submitted a request for works that went to the term service contractor (TSC) in October but the request was still outstanding.”
“Perhaps we will all be singing off the same school hymn sheet this afternoon. I thank the Members opposite for bringing the motion to the House for debate. I will address some aspects of the motion. I will then move on to speak to our amendment. I hope, however, that, in broad terms, all Members can support the amendment, which encompasses the motion and simply extends it. <BR /> <BR />Like my colleague opposite, I have heard at first hand about the frustration that school leaders experience when procuring items, particularly low-cost items, for school use. Principals often rightly express their frustration when trying to achieve best value for money for purchases or for repairs to property, lamenting the administrative burdens that go along with doing so.”
“My office spoke to the Northern Ireland Samaritans immediately after the decision, and they said that they were at a total loss. The organisation's life-saving work could not fit in more neatly to the economic concept of invest to save, but that seems to be lost on the Department of Health. The Health Minister must review that decision urgently, look at options and increase the core grant funding, even modestly. No one in the Chamber or beyond can consciously dismiss the severity of the problems now facing that organisation and many others. With their Department of Health funding now culled, the services are at further risk. In a world where mental health services are increasingly in demand, we cannot afford to lose the Samaritans and the life-saving work that they do.”
“They have 600 trained listening volunteers, who delivered more than 30,000 hours of support. Yet, their life-saving efforts have been repeatedly hampered by a chronic deficiency in suitable funding. In the past, the Samaritans would have received a very modest £12,000 from the Department of Health, but that was cut by 50%. In recent times, they have been increasingly forced to rely on the goodwill of the many people who donate to the organisation. As everyone knows, however, it is neither sustainable nor secure to rely wholly on public contributions. <BR /> <BR />Last week, the Samaritans were informed by the Department of Health that they did not secure any core funding grant from the Health Minister. It is worth remembering that the core grant equates to 0·02% of Health's £8·5 billion budget.”
“The Samaritans have been providing essential support and services to people in Northern Ireland since 1961. Their dedicated volunteers support millions of individuals through life-saving conversations. They are the only 24/7 suicide prevention charity working across Ireland and the UK, day and night, 365 days a year. Recently, delegates and volunteers came together in my constituency for a conference to mark the 50th anniversary of the Bangor branch. I am extremely proud to represent a constituency where that transformative work has been going on for so many years, with so many dedicated volunteers. They are real-life heroes. <BR /> <BR />During 2023 alone in Northern Ireland, they answered 100,000 calls and emails, responding to 300 calls a day, equating to a call every four and a half minutes.”
“The largely discredited Stonewall is still funded by the Minister of Finance in a Northern Ireland Assembly. In this party, we know what a woman is, we know how many sexes there are and, seemingly, unlike most other parties in the Chamber, we are wholly committed to protecting women and girls' spaces.”
“I apologise for the unparliamentary and highly provocative language in this next statement. The Women's Rights Network stated that "there are only two sexes" — male and female. People can define themselves how they like, but the logic of demanding that rights follow is precarious. In 2022, an able-bodied trans woman from Norway announced that she had felt disabled since birth. She now defines herself as disabled and spends every day in a wheelchair, even though she does not need one. After that was reported in the press, disabled rights groups in Norway went apoplectic. Yesterday, the 'Scottish Express' was reported to the police for referring to a transgender woman, Dr Beth Upton, as a man during the Sandie Peggie employment tribunal.”
“and its Justice Minister is not sure how many genders there are. <BR /> <BR />Sinn Féin branded the arguments and support for single-sex spaces as disgraceful. The SDLP stated that not everyone fits neatly into male and female and said that it did not agree with the evidence presented. What could be so controversial and contentious that these comments were made in the aftermath by Committee members? I will quote directly from their oral evidence:”
“This morning, I will talk about the Northern Ireland Women's Rights Network, which is a UK organisation committed to defending and bringing clarity to the discourse around sex- and gender-based rights. Its work has been all the more critical in recent years as moves have been made by Governments to alter equality legislation. Some initiatives to promote self-ID in equality law have had an alarming effect on respect for women's spaces and have provoked a backlash across the political spectrum. <BR /> <BR />Last week, the Women's Rights Network attended the Executive Office Committee, but its evidence was highly criticised by three of the political parties present. The Alliance Member for East Antrim said that its remarks would be traumatising for trans people. That is, however, from a party that said that it would:”
“Will the Minister outline why the Department's literacy and numeracy strategy, Count, Read: Succeed, has been withdrawn?”
“It is imperative, therefore, that a long-term financial plan is designed to help and support social enterprises such as Orchardville to carry on the fantastic work that it does, helping some of the most vulnerable in our society. Therefore, I ask the Health Minister to look at measures that will place its funding on a more secure footing and underpin the incredible work that it does.”
“Most notably, the rise in National Insurance contributions, amalgamated with a higher minimum wage threshold, means that Orchardville will now have to find £75,000 to meet the increased costs that those changes will have. It is indefensible to expect it to choose between staff wages and funding. In tandem with the impact of NIC, it has been affected by the reduced funding allocation from the Shared Prosperity Fund, leaving staff unsure about the future due to financial pressures. One-off programmes for Orchardville are simply not sustainable as it is assisting people with disabilities, and many of those people require ongoing support for their employment and skills.”
“Orchardville supports its participants in a range of ways, such as through employability and skills. The team encourages participants to overcome individual barriers to employment and assists them in developing skills to achieve accredited qualifications so that they can pursue secure and paid employment. The organisation is very community-orientated and works to ensure that all its service users are integrated into their local community and forge new friendships through social clubs and weekend activities. It also provides well-being support to participants with problems, such as anxiety, to help them cope better. <BR /> <BR />Despite the amazing efforts of Orchardville in supporting its clients, it has come under increasing financial pressure very recently.”
“The Orchardville Society is an organisation in my constituency that has been providing essential services and support for people with learning disabilities and autism for more than 40 years. Annually, it assists over 600 people from across the country, but, most recently, in December, it launched an extended and expanded service in North Down. Recently, I was delighted to meet the staff and users in their new North Down centre, where I saw at first hand the outstanding work that is being done to transform the lives of those with autism or learning disabilities. <BR /> <BR />The centre in Bangor has quickly become a thriving hub for its participants, welcoming over 100 users every week and projecting an impressive 10,800 attendances annually.”
“Thank you very much, Minister. Industrial land at Balloo South Business Park in Bangor, which is owned by Invest NI, has been left undeveloped for about 10 years. I cannot hold the Minister responsible for that. However, many businesses in North Down want that issue to be progressed. Will the Minister commit to meeting local stakeholders, as she indicated in her answer, including Ards and North Down Borough Council, to take the matter forward?”
“Thank you, Minister, for your answer. My interest is particularly in junior-level football. There are increasing numbers of players in the North Down primary schools. Is the Minister willing to come to North Down to see the level of enthusiasm at the junior level, perhaps kick a ball around and hear some of the coaches talk about the developments?”
“I thank the Member opposite for taking a question. I agree with a lot of what the Member has said, but will he agree that, given the fact that career pathways are mentioned in the motion, having the conversation without direct input from the Department for the Economy devalues the argument and that the Department for the Economy has a key role to play in those career pathways?”
“I thank the Minister for his answer to my colleague's question and to mine. I want to be clear on something, because I was not sure from his answer. Is he saying that he will not introduce a licensing framework for animal welfare establishments in this mandate?”
“Thank you very much. I concur with the Chair of the Education Committee that the 14-19 framework is important, and it was useful to include that in his party's amendment. How am I doing? Twenty seconds. <BR /> <BR />If additional funding is provided to the Minister of Education, we can look at flexibility for the CFF. I encourage and support that. We want to get the maximum money directly into schools, and I ask Members to support our amendment.”
“That is really important. The Department for the Economy holds supply information on where the jobs will be in five to 10 years' time. Economy knows that. Our macroeconomy is always changing, and jobs are always changing, but, hopefully, the collaborative piece that is reflected in our amendment addresses that. Economy knows where we will need future apprentices and future degrees as part of a changing, dynamic workforce. <BR /> <BR />We ask the Minister of Education:”