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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“Last week, I attended an event on heart failure and heart disease organised by the British Heart Foundation (BHF) and Heart Failure Warriors and was made aware of some startling statistics. In the United Kingdom alone, there are 200,000 new diagnoses of heart failure every year, and Northern Ireland accounts for about 22,000 in that figure. People living with heart failure will know that it is a debilitating chronic condition that can severely restrict the lives of those affected. Survival rates for those with heart failure are, in some cases, worse than those for common cancers; in fact, half of people with the condition can die within five years of diagnosis. It is also deeply concerning that there are a presumed 20,000 people with undetected and undiagnosed heart failure, and those people are missing out on crucial early intervention.”
“Minister, your special adviser told you on Sunday 4 August that she was resigning, and you agreed a highly unusual — some would say unprecedented — period of notice of some nine days. Will the Minister provide a reason for such a short period of notice?”
“I echo the words of others in the Chamber in welcoming the announcement. I am sure that school leaders will join us in that. That provision could well be life-saving for many of our children. <BR /> <BR />Will schools that already have a defib in situ, which means that they will not get a new one as part of the roll-out, receive any further support from his Department in that regard?”
“I thank the Minister for her answer. Given her Department's recent allocation from the Executive of an additional £39·3 million, will police officers now get their pay award? How long will it take to see much-needed additional PSNI officers on the ground to relieve the pressure that serving officers are currently under?”
“The NFU, using figures from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), suggested that it could affect as many as 70% of farms in the UK; in fact, DEFRA has now admitted that it was not consulted on the new tax prior to the announcement. <BR /> <BR />The DUP has not wavered in our position that farming is one of the most crucial sectors in Northern Ireland and the wider United Kingdom. We stand shoulder to shoulder with farmers. The DUP's Westminster team, led by Gavin, is working with others to lobby for a reversal of that appalling policy.”
“In Northern Ireland, agriculture is structured uniquely, with a high number of small to medium-sized, family-owned farms. DAERA has estimated that one third of farms in Northern Ireland could suffer under the new tax. It is encouraging to see the work of the Ulster Farmers' Union in opposing the new measures with a particularly vocal campaign that has received public backing. That was reflected last night, when 5,000 people attended a rally organised by the UFU in Lisburn, which reminded us that, if there are no farmers, there is no food. I encourage not only the UFU but the National Farmers' Union (NFU) to step up their protest if the Government will not change the odious policy.”
“That is simply not good enough. As, ironically, the now Prime Minister Keir Starmer said last year:”
“<BR /> <BR />The appalling inheritance tax reforms could instigate the destruction of family farms that have been preserved and maintained for decades and, in some cases, centuries, as family members are forced to sell land and assets to cover the sizeable bill in the wake of a parent's death.”
“Farmers are the backbone of our country. Agriculture contributes an enormous amount to our economy, especially in Northern Ireland, and the recent decisions on changes to inheritance tax and agricultural property relief as part of the autumn Budget have had devastating consequences. The decisions are short-sighted and completely ignore the obvious adverse impact that the changes will have on the sustainability of over 24,000 family farms throughout Northern Ireland. One consequence is that fathers will not be able to pass on family farms to their sons and daughters. <BR /> <BR />Societally, however, as has been said, farming ensures food security for our country: the ability, in a time of crisis, to feed our nation.”
“Does the Member agree, in pursuit of the right childcare policy, that it should be evidence-driven, sectorally driven and parentally driven and that, while time is important, it is not the sole driver in the debate?”
“as referenced in the motion, since the re-establishment of the Assembly. The progress is remarkable, given the Education Minister's constrained budget. The growth will continue if the Executive continue to fund the strategy. Finally, achieving affordable childcare, with a tailored model for Northern Ireland, is probably something that we all want. We want the best model. It cannot be rushed. It must be tailored to this place. Our amendment seeks to achieve that, and, as such, I ask Members to support it.”
“I read both, but it was not clear to me whether the 50% figure was evidence-based, sectorally driven or just an arbitrary figure that Opposition Members had landed on, and perhaps they can mention that in their closing statements. <BR /> <BR />However, in closing, I ask Members to pragmatically accept that significant progress has been made on:”
“Thank you very much, Mr Deputy Speaker. I concur with my colleague. I referenced the evidence-driven model earlier, and it is incredibly important. I will touch on it shortly in my statement. <BR /> <BR />I also ask the proposer of the motion to accept that capital and resource need to be in place, in addition to funding, to facilitate the positive transition that we are all looking to achieve. We have already clearly indicated in our amendment that building the evidence base for the most appropriate model for Northern Ireland is crucial. On the 50% figure my colleague referenced, I believe the figure came from the Opposition's 'A Plan for Change' document and the subsequent 'A Childcare Guarantee' document.”
“In fact, this year, it has brought 22 additional disadvantaged areas in Northern Ireland into the programme on a permanent basis. An additional £473,000 has been added to the Pathway funding. That intervention now supports over 10,000 children who are at risk of educational underachievement, and the total funding stream sits at nearly £4·5 million. We know that many preschool education settings are facing challenges as they support children who are undergoing special needs assessment. Some £1·6 million has been allocated to support children with emerging SEN in the early years. However, more widely, we must be cognisant of the pitfalls of simply demanding fast action on the issue, not least because we need to be aware that the policy driver is the correct one and not just a fast one.”
“The standardisation of the preschool education programme was called for in the 'A Fair Start' report. Some £5 million has already been allocated, and an additional 2,200 full-time places are expected by September 2025 via 107 preschool settings. It should be noted by Members that this is the most significant expansion of early years education in Northern Ireland for decades. It will have a positive impact on thousands of children every year and, as such, the hard work of the Education Minister and his Department should be warmly welcomed. <BR /> <BR />I will quickly mention three other schemes that are in the package we are discussing today. Sure Start, for example, has an additional £3·1 million, and that has allowed a 10% uplift in the programme.”
“Just eight weeks ago, over 11,000 parents were benefiting from the scheme, including 700 in my constituency.”
“<BR /> <BR />I will briefly touch on what has been delivered recently. The Northern Ireland childcare subsidy, which the Member referenced, is easing financial pressures on working households by providing a 15% subsidy towards parents' bills that is paid directly to providers, with parents still being able to claim 20% tax-free childcare on the remaining bill.”
“I thank the Members opposite for tabling this important motion. I do not doubt their sincerity in proposing it. Our amendment reflects the original motion but recognises the significant progress that has been made on the issue since the establishment of the Executive earlier this year. <BR /> <BR />The implementation of the Executive early learning and childcare strategy has been a priority, and work on it is progressing. That work, however, will be informed by emerging survey data and further stakeholder engagement. I will touch on something that the Member for Foyle mentioned. She called for action, effectively, and said that she wanted something, but she did not want the English model. That plays into our debate on the issue, and, at this point, I simply remind Members that we want the right strategy, not a rushed strategy.”
“It is probably the best place to achieve what everyone in the Chamber wants.”
“I am really glad that this Minister is protecting the most vulnerable kids in our schools. I have cited just two things that he has done to make sure that they are protected. <BR /> <BR />A uniform grant has been talked about this afternoon, and I welcome the Minister's commitment to bring forward legislation in that regard. <BR /> <BR />Finally, in the 40 seconds that I have left, I will address our amendment. We are clear that the best place to do this is in the Executive's anti-poverty strategy. I know that Members do not agree with that. However, isolating holiday hunger from food poverty in a wider sense is disjointed. In fact. some Members did talk about that: the Committee Chair talked about joint working between Departments and connected policy. That is what the anti-poverty strategy will seek to do.”
“No? Oh, no. I would have loved to get into fiscal policy with Mr Carroll, but perhaps we can do so over a cup of coffee at some other time. <BR /> <BR />I have two minutes left. I will summarise the arguments that we have discussed. Every Minister has budget choices. Mrs Guy mentioned that, when the Executive were re-established, the Minister did not reinstate this scheme. However, the Minister did reinstate lots of other things. Two such schemes that are very close to my heart are extended schools and nurture funding, which provide amazing interventions for kids who are really challenged in school. As I look around the Chamber, I see that the majority of Members here have Ministers in the Executive. They all have really tough decisions to make about how they use their funding and how it would be most effectively targeted.”
“Do I have an extra minute, Mr Deputy Speaker?”
“I hope that Moy Park already pays corporation tax; I am sure it does. However, that is a kind of —”
“One thing that maybe was not mentioned much was low-income families or the working poor and how we incorporate them into any future measures. <BR /> <BR />Mr Carroll, I think, suggested that Moy Park should pay for holiday hunger.”
“I will not rehearse all the debate around that. <BR /> <BR />I will quickly summarise some things that were said and make some general comments about our amendment. The Member for West Belfast highlighted Mr Baker's work on holiday hunger, and I acknowledge it too. He is passionate about it, and I thank him for that. My friend the Member for Lagan Valley asked about clear movement on this, and that is something that we all want to see. The Minister and our party want to see that, but, again, it led us into the frame of, essentially, how we pay for this, and that is one of the key things that came out this afternoon. <BR /> <BR />Mr Durkan, who has disappeared, warned of the current and future challenges around parents who are facing poverty.”
“Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. I apologise to you for my phone going off. It was on silent, but my 13-year-old daughter has found a way to override that function. If any Member knows how to un-override it, I would really appreciate knowing that. You can see me afterwards. Thanks for that, Lucy. She will be watching this later. <BR /> <BR />As I listened to the debate this afternoon, I was heartened that everyone in the Chamber essentially wants the same thing: movement on food poverty and uniform grants. We agree that those things need to be addressed. I concur with the Minister and Mrs Guy that the debate has been positive. I suppose that the context of that is how we move on the issues. That is where, perhaps, there have been different views, but I certainly welcome the Minister's commitment, especially to legislating on school uniforms.”
“I thank the Member for giving way. He mentioned recently that the anti-poverty strategy was funded. The Alliance amendment:”
“What assurances did the vice chancellor, Paul Bartholomew, provide to the Minister that the Alliance Party's former deputy leader and the former special adviser to the Alliance AERA Minister are truly world-class academics?”
“The Minister has just mentioned that he received assurances from the vice chancellor of Ulster University that an established process was followed and exercised. To quote from the policy that he referenced, the established process can:”
“Forest schools are not only changing the lives of young people; they have worked with over 500 teachers and classroom assistants, all of whom have now qualified as forest school leaders, equipping them with the skill to develop their own projects. I think that there are 13 forest schools in my constituency. <BR /> <BR />This morning, I am incredibly proud to speak in support of Clandeboye Nature Rangers and the work of the Northern Ireland Forest School Association in engaging young people with the amazing environment around them and the direct benefit that that delivers for them.”
“In turn, forest schools in Northern Ireland also play a positive role in shaping a young person's experience of nature, helping them to cultivate imagination and develop creativity. My youngest son and I dug some clay out of our garden last week. We are in the process of fashioning it into a volcano, and we will then cook it in the oven. I suppose that that is the sort of creativity that I am talking about, although I am not completely sure that my wife agrees. The forest school programme works alongside nurseries, schools and universities across Northern Ireland, helping more than 5,000 students to learn about nature.”
“We all know that studies have shown that there are significant benefits in engaging in that sort of activity for physical and emotional health in children. The organisation does an amazing job in re-engaging children with nature.”
“<BR /> <BR />In addition, the rangers hold a variety of training and development opportunities for teachers, schools and the wider community to promote outdoor learning across Northern Ireland.”
“I want to highlight the work of the Clandeboye Nature Rangers in my constituency and the Northern Ireland Forest School Association more generally. The Clandeboye Nature Rangers club was established in 2018. Just like any plant or tree, it started small, with 12 children attending the preschool. Over time, that seed propagated and steadily grew. Now, over 78 families use its facilities weekly. In summer 2024, there were 3,500 children on its programme. In the Clandeboye estate, children can take full advantage of the woodland and explore and investigate the natural environment. They can take part in activities such as arts and crafts using the natural resources around them and participate in den building, campfire cooking and tool making, all of which particularly appeal to me.”
“In light of the Budget the week before last and the changes to employers' National Insurance contributions and the minimum wage, is the Minister considering additional support for the childcare sector generally?”
“I thank the Minister for her answer. Is she cognisant that, if that rate relief is removed, those institutions may be forced to pass on the cost directly to students?”
“At this point, I do not have a supplementary.”
“Question 2. No; question 15. Apologies, Mr Speaker.”
“is erroneous. In fact, the opposite is true. I commend the Education Minister for bringing forward the RAISE programme. I am really heartened. I hope that Members agree that anything that tries to address educational underachievement in Northern Ireland should be welcomed. However, the measurement, as the Member referred to, is simply a more sophisticated way of trying to intervene. <BR /> <BR />Finally, to clear up another misunderstanding, I point out that it is not a schools-based programme; it is a community-informed one. Schools may very well be part of the solution, but not exclusively so. Interventions could include programmes delivered through community groups, churches or youth organisations. I hope and believe that the programme will deliver really positive interventions for our children in Northern Ireland.”
“<BR /> <BR />What RAISE is trying to do, and what we have sometimes done in the past, is simply to attach funding to areas where there is high uptake of free school meals or, as the Member has suggested, areas of economic deprivation, and we have not been sophisticated about how we have tried to target that funding. This programme is simply becoming more sophisticated in getting the intervention to the children who actually really need it. For me, that is incredibly important. <BR /> <BR />The phrase in the motion:”
“They are: free school meals entitlement, which has been referenced; the level of GCSE attainment in schools; pupil absence rates, which are important to educational outcomes; the prevalence of special educational needs; the number of crime and antisocial behaviour incidents in the area; a statistic that measured income deprivation affecting children; and another statistic that measured health deprivation and disability. I challenge the proposers of the motion and the amendment to tell the House which criteria they would leave out if they deemed them to be unworthy of inclusion.”
“I agree with the Member that it is one of the predictors, but it is not the only one. <BR /> <BR />RAISE is a place-based programme. As Members have said, it came out of the 'A Fair Start' report, which was an excellent report from the panel chaired by Noel Purdy. <BR /> <BR />There has already been some chat about the actual criteria that were used. Seven indicators were used for the programme, based on superoutput areas. It is worth reading out the list.”
“It simply says that entitlement to free school meals is not the only indicator of educational achievement. <BR /> <BR />My understanding is that the RAISE —.”
“For boys, having a male teacher as a positive role model can have a significant impact. Another is the home environment in which a child is brought up and the level of engagement by parents in a child's education. Parental aspirations and attitudes also have massive impacts on a child's development and eventual educational achievement. <BR /> <BR />We need to look at the actual data in order to understand what is quite a complex issue. The Community Relations Council published some now fairly historical data, which I used when I was writing my report. Its research found that 73·6% of girls from a Chinese background who were on free school meals, on average, achieved five GCSEs, and that boys in Northern Ireland who were not on free school meals, at that point, were achieving 58·6%. That is an interesting message.”
“I thank the Members opposite for tabling the motion, which allows for debate on this incredibly important issue. Members will know of the passion that I have had for tackling educational underachievement for a number of years. In fact, in 2016, my party was the first of the Executive parties to publish research in that area, with recommendations on how to solve it. At this point, I pay tribute to Dr John Kyle, who also published research when the topic was not being discussed in the House back in 2015. <BR /> <BR />I agree with the proposer that socio-economic background is an important predictor of educational achievement. However, it is not the only one, and that is a substantial problem with how the motion is worded. I will provide some other simple predictors.”
“<BR /> <BR />Giving poppies to our children in Remembrance Week is a yearly ritual in our house. Given the rough and tumble of the playground, they rarely return with them. I will tell Members how I explained to Zach, our youngest, who was six at the time, what the poppy means. It means that you do not forget soldiers who died for you.”
“I know that, for some in the Chamber, the poppy is a divisive symbol, and, as I look across the Benches this morning, I see that some Members are wearing it and some are not. However, the poppy remembers all those who died to afford us the democracy that we enjoy in the Chamber today. Hundreds of thousands of British soldiers died fighting a dictator 80 years ago. As we stood alone in a Europe that had fallen, we said to Hitler, "Not on our watch". <BR /> <BR />For me, there is something unique about the poppy. It does not care whether you vote for the Ulster Unionists or the SDLP or about the colour of your skin. It does not recognise where you worship, whether that is in a synagogue or a chapel. It disregards your sexual orientation and ignores the size of your bank account.”
“It is immortalised in the Kohima epitaph:”
“I will highlight the work of the north Down Royal British Legion (RBL) in organising events across the borough every year to remember the fallen. In particular, I mention Harry Ferran and George Hoy. I also pay tribute to the work of the Groomsport remembrance committee and, in particular, the very faithful and dedicated Alan Hay, who is the power behind the event every year. Alan organises the parade, gets volunteers and liaises with council staff and the RBL to make sure that the event happens. <BR /> <BR />When you ask soldiers who are entering a conflict situation from which they may not return whether they want recognition, medals or promotion, the answer is the same: all they want, if they fall on the field of battle, is to be remembered. That is what this week is all about: remembering the fallen.”
“In your answer to the Member's question, you mentioned how many groups you have not yet been able to meet. Can you outline how many groups you have met in your time in office?”