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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“Colin shared a very personal story about a constituent who really felt abandoned in the middle of the dreadful situation in which they found themselves. Linda is not in her place, but she mentioned how early intervention and support would make a huge difference to patient outcomes. My good colleague Alan Robinson made the excellent point that the situation cannot remain the same. For patients across Northern Ireland who are suffering from those illnesses, it simply has to improve. <BR /> <BR />Gerry mentioned Jeanette and Catherine. In particular, he spoke about Jeanette, who has a diagnosis of FND, having received great support from FND Matters Northern Ireland. The Minister took us through the review and talked about how we had to optimise the configuration for neurology. He said that we can, and simply must, do better.”
“To be clear: we will also support the Alliance amendment. We need implementation of some of the things that were talked about today. My job in winding up is to summarise the debate a little bit, which I will do, if people will indulge me. I thank my colleague Diane for opening up for us. She mentioned waiting times and the particular problems that patients face across Northern Ireland. Danny mentioned the FightForNeuro campaign and the change of culture that has to take place in neurology in Northern Ireland. Philip highlighted the work of NINCA and mentioned Treasa and Bill in particular. Clearly, their story had an impact on him. <BR /> <BR />Alan mentioned the evidence-based review, which did, and does, place patients at the centre.”
“The Minister mentioned the regional review of neurology and the need for more consultants, nurses and allied health professionals. <BR /> <BR />I am conscious that, as MLAs, we often stand here and make speeches — yes, that is undoubtedly part of our job — but let us be honest with people: no one who has spoken in the debate walks in the shoes of someone with Parkinson's disease or MS. We probably do not see at first hand or experience personally the debilitating effects of those dreadful diseases unless we are unfortunate enough to have a parent or relative with one. According to recent research by the Northern Ireland Neurological Charities Alliance, only 22% of those people feel supported by the healthcare system in Northern Ireland. That has to change. <BR /> <BR />I am so glad that, across the board, Members support our motion.”
“Those things are absolutely clear and undisputed. <BR /> <BR />It would be wrong of me, at this point, not to acknowledge the clinicians in the sector. I have spoken to lots of patients and, without exception, they say that their clinical care, when they receive it, is second to none, so I thank the clinicians, who are doing their best. <BR /> <BR />Recently I, like others, met the Northern Ireland Neurological Charities Alliance and Treasa and Bill, whom Mr McGuigan referenced, and I heard about the difficulties that the sector faces. The Minister needs to get to grips with the workforce challenges, particularly in neurology and specialist nursing. As Miss McAllister mentioned, pathways need to be improved. Workforce planning and, in particular, training places are key to that.”
“I thank the Member for his intervention. I worry that it is the Christmas season: I agree with him. We do not have the economies of scale. I accept that as well. We have some of the problems that Mr Carroll has suggested, and, in comparison, the Republic of Ireland spends about one third of what we spend in Northern Ireland on health. Clearly, there is a reason for that: it is a private system. It spends about £5,000 per year per capita. However, you can see where I am generally going with this. In England, they spend less per capita, but they achieve better outcomes. That leads me to conclude that it is not necessarily all about the money; it is about the system. The Minister is right with his shift left idea. Earlier diagnosis and support will not only achieve better outcomes for patients but will be much more cost-effective.”
“However, health spend in England, whilst it varies by region and is a complicated mix, is about £12,000 to £15,000 per person, and yet, in Northern Ireland, we spend £16,000 in a comparable per capita figure.”
“<BR /> <BR />As has been highlighted in the debate, in England, about half of the neurology patients are seen within the 18-week NHS target for treatment, and, in Northern Ireland, as has been mentioned, we have patients who wait for more than five years. When I looked up the NHS statistics, they place it in the negative: they say that it is pretty bad that some patients are waiting for more than 18 weeks. I thought, "My goodness, you want to see what Northern Ireland is like." <BR /> <BR />You could make the argument, and it has been made, that funding for Health is the reason for those excessive waits. However I do not think it fair just to make that case. As has been mentioned, Health receives about 51% of the Budget.”
“Thank you, Madam Principal Deputy Speaker. I will skip past the first sentence, as some Members may have heard it already. I have written to the Minister on a number of occasions. Health is not my area. Previously I was on the Education Committee, and now I am on the Infrastructure Committee. Most of my interest in writing to the Minister is because constituents have approached me, and I have met a number of them who suffer with Parkinson's disease or MS. I imagine that a number of them are watching today. The Minister has written back to me on a number of occasions, and I want to try to be fair to him. The best representation is, "I would like to do more, but I probably need more money." I hope that that is fair comment on what the Minister has said to me.”
“I can sit down again, Madam Principal Deputy Speaker.”
“I can do a range of things, although my wife says that I cannot fill a dishwasher properly.”
“Thank you, Madam Principal Deputy Speaker. The Health Minister will be aware —.”
“Minister, thank you for your statement. I will take you to table 3, which shows capital allocations. I will let you flick towards it while I read my question. <BR /> <BR />Essentially, in the DFI budget's capital allocations, you have fully funded the Glarryford land tribunal, which was an inescapable cost. You have fully funded the "Overplanning" at £34 million, which was an inescapable cost. You then part-funded capital structural maintenance and Northern Ireland drinking water infrastructure. You went on to part-fund a high-priority item with £5 million for fleet replacement. Is it usual not to fund inescapables as far as you can within the envelope while funding a high-priority item ahead of those inescapables?”
“I have spoken so far as DUP lead on infrastructure, but I think that I can get away with saying, as Chair of the Infrastructure Committee, that we will raise the matter with the Minister and see what the Committee can do to get some traction on Caoimhe's law.”
“<BR /> <BR />I pay tribute to Patsy for proposing the motion. As he mentioned, legislation exists in Germany, where photographing or recording an incident or victims is treated as a crime. This party fully supports the introduction of such legislation in Northern Ireland. Perhaps the Christmas spirit has finally descended on this place, because we will send a united message today that capturing or distributing distressing footage of fatal or critical road accidents is disgraceful and should be made illegal. <BR /> <BR />My party supports the motion. We would like to see, as the Justice Minister has just mentioned, quick and firm coordination between Justice and Infrastructure, if the vires lies with it, which seems to be the case. As Chair of the Infrastructure Committee, I will raise the issue with the Infrastructure Minister.”
“That is great; thank you very much. <BR /> <BR />At this point, I pause to thank the Justice Minister and the Infrastructure Minister for meeting a constituent of mine whom I will come to in a second. I lost a constituent called Jaidyn Rice on 8 July. She was just 16 at the time of her death. She had a bright future ahead of her; she wanted to join the army. A man has subsequently been charged with causing death through dangerous driving, causing death while driving without a licence and causing death while driving without insurance. I thank the Justice Minister and the Infrastructure Minister for meeting Elaine and Judith, Jaidyn's mum and grandmother, who are creating a legacy for Jaidyn by trying to protect other pedestrians in the future and keep them safe. What a legacy that would be.”
“I am happy that the Justice Minister is here. Is there a reason that she is here, rather than the Infrastructure Minister, if the Infrastructure Minister holds the vires? I will give her the Floor if she wants.”
“In answer to a question from Cathal Boylan, the Justice Minister — I am happy to give her the Floor if she wishes to respond to this, or she can answer me when she is summing up — said:”
“The young girl was bleeding fairly badly and trapped in the car. We phoned 999; we were the first on the scene. The Fire and Rescue Service and the Ambulance Service came out and so forth. I would never think of photographing or videoing that sort of thing. We need to get the message out that, in that situation, phones are useful for one thing, which is to phone the emergency services. <BR /> <BR />Caoimhe was 23 when she passed away. Her family, as they told their loved ones, were slower than social media, which is so speedy these days, and her name was shared online by strangers. I cannot imagine the pain that that caused the family. I acknowledge Caoimhe's family, who are here today. That singular act is so immeasurably cruel and heartless. <BR /> <BR />I want to clarify one aspect.”
“I send my condolences to all families across Northern Ireland who have been impacted on by road collisions and road traffic accidents. They are simply terrible events for the families who have to go through them, and they often live with the consequences for years to come. As other Members have reflected, immediate coverage and distressing images being shared on a range of online platforms can severely compound their loss. My colleague Paul mentioned an example. As he was talking, I thought about the fact that I have witnessed only one road traffic accident. I was a special adviser to a Minister at the time. It all came back to me as Paul was speaking. We came across a fairly bad RTA that had just happened. A husband and his daughter were in one car, and another car was involved.”
“Minister, what is your plan regarding the report recommendations specifically around providing help to local producers by extending taproom opening hours and the possibility of allowing guest taps in pubs?”
“I have all of 10 seconds, and you can have it.”
“Therefore, to be honest, I am not even sure why the motion refers to writing to the EU Parliament, unless the policy wonks on the other Benches have got it so badly wrong at the drafting stage. <BR /> <BR />Regardless, I will not support the motion, and nor will my party.”
“I do not believe that it is in our best interests to rejoin the EU. I also note that, in their letter to President Metsola, the MEPs who signed the letter even admitted that the granting of observer status would in fact, and I quote directly:”
“<BR /> <BR />I will move on to the letter that spawned the private Member's motion. I think that it did, but there has been some debate on the other side of the House over who exactly is responsible for the motion or whose idea it was. I will not get into that, but I checked who signed the letter, and I found that one of the people was a lady called Lynn Boylan, who is a Sinn Féin MEP. Many in the Chamber will not have heard of that lady, but she was in the news recently for one particular reason, which was that she abstained from a resolution in the European Parliament that called for EU support for Ukraine. After three years of Russia's war and aggression, there was a proposal for a 30-day ceasefire and an expectation that Russia would agree to it and would cease all attacks on Ukraine. Ms Boylan could not even support that.”
“That is very kind. I always welcome the leader of the Opposition's comments. A lot of that is about diversion, and we have heard some of the diversionary arguments. Trade is going down South that we would like to see going to and coming back from GB, and that is a consequence of the operation of the protocol. <BR /> <BR />Germany, of course, is the economic powerhouse of the EU, yet it is suffering and struggling financially. In fact, France has stagnated all the way through 2025 and is struggling still. Data from the World Bank this year confirms that the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the sixth largest economy in the world and is ahead of all eurozone countries except Germany. Therefore, why would we want to leave the strength of the United Kingdom for a united Ireland or, for that matter, to rejoin the EU?”
“I will give way to the leader of the Opposition.”
“<BR /> <BR />It is also worth looking at some of the economics underlying that premise, particularly the economic performance of some big EU countries. Data that the OECD released last week states that UK GDP growth outstripped that of eurozone countries in quarter 1 of 2025. It is particularly noticeable that we will continue to grow faster than Germany through all three quarters of 2025.”
“That is the same nirvana that many in the Chamber suggested when they said, "If only the Assembly was back up and running, everything would be great. All our problems would be solved". I certainly was not in the Assembly — I was not elected at that time — but I remember watching many of the Members who have spoken today going to the gates at Hillsborough saying, "If only we could get this place back up, all our problems will be solved". We all knew then — I certainly did — that that was never going to be the case. It was never going to be the nirvana that people said it would, and telling the electorate that or, in the context of the motion, telling them that rejoining the EU will somehow solve all our problems is simply dishonest.”
“<BR /> <BR />I have said before in this place that many countries in Europe are incredible. They have interesting cultures, many of which I love, and I have very much enjoyed travelling to many of them. However, there is no dichotomy between valuing European countries and culture and being wholly opposed to an economic lock-in with them. The motion suggests that we would be:”
“I am a little surprised by the Member's criticism of, I assume, Members over here for student politics and sneering. Often, when I watch across to the Alliance Benches, I see him laughing at some of our Members when they are speaking. He is angry, and he can be angry if he wants. <BR /> <BR />My colleagues have covered a range of points, and I have no intention of going over them again. The United Kingdom has, contrary to what the motion suggests, a democratic mandate to remain outside the European Union. Therefore, there is no need or requirement for observer status. In fact, EU observer status in the European Parliament would bring with it no right to vote. It would do nothing to address the democratic deficit that we have with the protocol or the deprivation of locally elected representatives' ability to make laws.”
“What engagement is there between the Assembly Commission and Changing Places in order to assess the need for any additional places?”
“I thank the Member for her reply. Have any efficiency savings been considered for translation services, particularly AI?”
“I very much thank the leader of the Opposition for accepting my intervention. He is right; I was in the Department when the report was provided. However, as the Minister outlined, the problems with GTC were not with the staff who inhabited the organisation. The Member may or may not be aware of that. There were specific problems identified in the report that he cited. The Minister used another quote, which the Member did not use. Baker Tilly Mooney Moore said that GTCNI was the "worst-performing board" that it had ever come across. Does the Member accept that the report might have been talking about the board rather than the actual GTCNI organisation and the staff who inhabited it?”
“Thank you very much, and apologies, Principal Deputy Speaker: I think that I called you "Deputy Speaker" at the start of my point of order. <BR /> <BR />The Minister did not answer my question, because, she said, she was not in post at that time. I do not dispute that, but a colleague of hers, the current Finance Minister, was. The Minister took a line with me that —.”
“What did you ask for from the Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs? Why did he not provide it to you?”
“Minister, you referenced the A5 twice in your statement. In paragraph 200 of his judgement on the A5 appeal, Justice McAlinden said the following:”
“I will follow on from my colleague's question. The Minister just highlighted a range of fiscal powers that he would like to see, and he mentioned income tax as one of them. If income tax was devolved, what would he plan to do with that?”
“I thank the Minister for making clear that he will protect the Christian ethos of our schools in Northern Ireland, which, in my view, is a strength of our schools and not a weakness. He will know that a number of principals are concerned about JR87. He has referenced the guidance that his Department is going to issue. Will the Minister advise whether that guidance will cover the curriculum and collective worship aspects?”
“I thank the Minister for his answer. Minister, tragically, my constituent Stephen McCormick lost his beloved wife, Julie, to ovarian cancer. It took two and a half years to diagnose that that is what her symptoms were due to, and she died within one year of diagnosis. However, once she had been diagnosed, the service was exceptional. Ovarian cancer charities and survivors have highlighted the delays in diagnosis and the limited public awareness that exists. Minister, what consideration have you given to shortening the diagnostic pathway for ovarian cancer in order to address delays?”
“I will pick up on the question that my colleague across the way asked. Minister, can you elaborate on why you did not take forward the suggested reforms specifically around the producer's licence, including extended opening hours for taprooms? I think in particular of microbreweries.”
“On a point of order, Madam Principal Deputy Speaker. In the debate before Question Time, some interventions were called but none was taken. I sometimes heard more debate in my old Bangor Grammar School debating society. Do you have a view on Members not taking interventions? Otherwise, we could just come to the Chamber and read out speeches, and there would be no debating at all.”
“I thank the Minister for his answer. I also thank him for coming to see Bangor Cricket Club juniors, who are interested in that funding. How will Sport NI ensure that Olympic legacy funding will be equitably split? Will that split be geographical, be done by region or will it be done by sport?”
“I simply say this: whether it is on customs, food labelling, veterinary meds or the movement of goods, inflicting more EU law on trade flows within the market will simply damage it. I encourage all Members to support our motion this afternoon.”
“In addition, last week, my colleague the deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly met Nick Thomas–Symonds, who leads on the issue for the Government, and directly raised with him the provision of veterinary medicines to Northern Ireland. His Majesty's Government's Ministers need to stand up for the integrity of the UK internal market and the United Kingdom as a whole. <BR /> <BR />I encourage anyone who is watching the debate and is concerned about the impacts of the framework or the workings of the protocol, be they businesses or customers who are simply buying products from GB, to contact us. Members on these Benches will be more than happy to raise those concerns on their behalf. The Government will not be able to resolve the challenges through the full-throated implementation of EU customs.”
“Pet owners are receiving notifications about important medications that they purchase online from GB firms, such as eye gels and ointments, being discontinued. Are we seriously expected to believe that those products represent a clear and present danger to the EU single market? Such a position is ridiculous. I have been contacted by constituents involved in supplier-to-customer relationships who say that they will simply not be able to get those medicines from 31 December. That is unacceptable. They want some answers. I spoke to two veterinary medicine firms in GB — one on Friday and one this morning — about the issue. <BR />The Government must acknowledge that the trade diversion, including veterinary meds, needs to be sorted out. I thank my colleague Carla Lockhart, who has raised the issue at Westminster.”
“Baroness Foster, picking up on comments from my colleague to my left, usefully pointed out that article 16 of the protocol allows His Majesty's Government to take unilateral action to resolve problems if they see a diversion of trade. Surely that should happen. The Committee heard that over 90% of medicines currently supplied are likely to be diverted to Northern Ireland via Dublin rather than GB. It sounds as though the Government are suggesting that they will wait to see how bad this gets before they decide to do something. That is an atrocious position when it comes to animal health. <BR /> <BR />It is also deeply worrying for businesses and pet owners. The Government have to urgently address it.”
“Thank you very much, Madam Principal Deputy Speaker. <BR /> <BR />I agree with my colleague. I can only reflect the correspondence that we get. People have concerns. This is affecting people out there, and it is our job to raise such things in this place and to find solutions to them. That is the most important thing in the debate. <BR /> <BR />Some Members have referred to the evidence received last week by the Scrutiny Committee. My colleague, in opening the debate, reflected the fact that up to 40% of medicines could be discontinued from 1 January 2026. Some reference was made to colleagues who sit on that Committee. In fact, Baroness Ritchie said that it was more or less her view that the Government had, essentially, decided to do nothing until they see how serious the situation becomes in 2026.”
“<BR /> <BR />I will pick up on the issue of veterinary medicines, which has been touched on already, because, over the past week, a number of constituents have contacted me about it, and when I told them about the debate, they asked me to raise the issue. As some Members have already reflected, the grace period for veterinary medicines comes to an end on 31 December.”
“I want to pick up on a few points that have been made already, particularly by Mr Kearney and Mr Tennyson. Mr Tennyson used the phrase "pick at old wounds". Two thirds of their speeches did not address the motion but simply attacked my party. Now, we have different positions, but their speeches did not actually address the motion. Mr Honeyford finds it very funny, but, actually, what we are discussing are the impacts on customers and businesses, which affect people's real lives. To be fair to the leader of the Opposition, while I did not agree with what he said, at least he addressed the motion at hand. Hopefully, with the Bob Dylan reference, he was not suggesting that anyone was 'Knockin' on Heaven's Door'. If he has not got the album 'Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid', I very much recommend it to him as it is one of Dylan's finest.”
“With that slogan in our mind, we also have to keep the focus on how we best facilitate our constituents who want to shop local and go into town to buy a coffee, a bun or some produce. The concept that Mr Butler mentioned of an hour's free parking at the start of the period would be one way of achieving that.”