Edwin Poots
South Belfast · Democratic Unionist Party · Northern Ireland
“I call Mr Eóin Tennyson. Again, this is Mr Tennyson's first opportunity to speak as a private Member, so I remind the House that it is convention that a maiden speech be made without interruption. However, if you choose to express views that provoke an interruption, you are likely to forfeit that protection.”
“Sorry — Ms Armstrong. My apologies. <BR /> <BR />That the Assembly could, in some way, get that money out when it is a UK Government responsibility. The UK Government have distributed it directly in Scotland and Wales, not through the Welsh Parliament and not through the Scottish Parliament.”
“I have not got time; I am sorry. <BR /> <BR />Ursula von der Leyen, who was in the Republic last week, made some of the most ridiculous claims about the British Government, who have supported Ukraine in a way that no other Government in Europe have and who have never engaged in the activity that was suggested by Ursula von der Leyen.”
“Today, a lot of statements have been made but there has not been a lot of fact behind a lot of what has been said. We have Michelle O'Neill, who walked out of her role as Health Minister — not for six months but for three years — and abandoned her position when we had Bengoa and there were all the problems with nursing that led to the str…”
“I need to deal with the issues first. <BR /> <BR />He referred to the Budget that he produced. No party supported that Budget. The Alliance Party did not support it, because it did not cover policing and prisons. Infrastructure did not support it, because it would not allow it to do the basics of what had to be done.”
“We had a circumstance where Sinn Féin repeated, month after month after month, that there were hundreds of millions to give to the public when that did not exist and when, in reality, Minister Murphy was racking up debt that will roll into next year, which will ensure that that will be a difficult financial year.”
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“The uptake of the rural pollinator scheme has been very exciting, as has the innovation displayed in the applications. We have sought to facilitate that. This year, the scheme will have a real focus on education, but, at a later point in the year, I hope to do a further piece of work with communities. The Department will work towards that, but, for now, we are focusing on schools and doing something with the Department of Education, because young people have an enthusiasm for things relating to the environment. What better thing to do than increase the pollinators that exist here. That will be good for the environment, biodiversity and our harvests, be they apples, cereals, or whatever else, because pollinators have a key role to play.”
“Certainly, we are very happy to raise all those issues with the Department of Finance and to deal with them in a positive way in order to ensure that rural communities have a continuation of significant funding so that they can deliver across a range of areas. We need the Department of Finance to recognise rural needs. We need it to recognise environmental issues, in particular, and to put further funding into the like of green growth, so that we can have vibrant rural businesses that will drive the economy forward, which, in turn, will drive forward the local shops, local businesses and the local economy. We want to ensure that we can continue to provide the element of support that helps to put in place the structures that support people living in rural communities.”
“One of the areas that we support is farm families health checks. That has been a hugely successful programme, particularly when it comes to identifying high levels of cholesterol, atrial fibrillation, early heart problems and cancer problems. We all know that identifying disease early is the best way of ensuring that it does not spread and that we can do something about it. <BR /> <BR />Again, I am absolutely open to working with other organisations, including the Department of Health, Translink, the Department for Communities or whoever it happens to be, in order to ensure that we can deliver high-quality services in rural communities. I look forward to seeing the Member's rural pollinator scheme. I hope that there will be no sting when I get there.”
“It is about assisting people to have a series of programmes in rural halls that help people in the community. Those programmes could have something for them to enjoy or to help with their mental health, loneliness or isolation, as well as with many other areas. We want to tackle those issues head-on in order to help rural communities.”
“Yes, I do. One of the important things about the scheme is that it provides a training element, and, in order for people to draw down the grant, they have to avail themselves of that training element. Too often, a lack of capacity has ensured that some communities have not had the same opportunities as others. We need to build that capacity. Therefore, the training element is critical. <BR /> <BR />Hopefully, we can help those communities, which have had a taste of getting some financial support from government for renovation work to their facilities in order to provide disabled access, safe electricity and heating and so forth, through that programme with micro grants for equipment and other support. The requirements will need to be fed through.”
“One of the pilots that we ran was on rural halls, which, as you know, are very often the hub of the community. They support parent and toddler groups. They support older people who want to meet, and that helps to tackle loneliness. They support people by providing classes — aerobics, yoga and all sorts of things — which helps people's mental health. Therefore, investing in rural halls, particularly those that previously had not received financial support, has been a significant benefit to rural communities, and the roll-out of that programme will help to ensure that more people who have been deprived of opportunities that they might have in the city have opportunities in those rural communities to meet, mingle and engage in things that are readily available elsewhere.”
“It enables people who do service jobs and people from an accountancy background, an engineering background and so many other backgrounds to carry out their jobs in those rural communities. That is critical going forward, and it is programmes like that that we need to ensure help sustain rural communities.”
“It is always a concern when we lose talent and ability from our rural communities. Our investment in Project Stratum, which came about purely as a consequence of the DUP deal with the Conservative Government back in 2017, has ensured that connectivity in our rural communities is increasing. As a result of that, more people who have talents and skills but would previously have been forced to go to the city for a job — or, indeed, out of the country — can do that job in that rural community and very often in their own home. That is hugely advantageous. The securing of over £200 million of investment for rural communities enables schoolchildren to, for example, more easily do their homework, which is critical. It also allows people to engage in all their research and work.”
“It is also important to bear in mind that the LAG structure was a requirement of the rural development programme, so, from the point of view of delivering future programmes, we do not want to be restricted to retaining the exact same structures, and we need to ensure that, going forward, our programme is flexible, efficient and responsive, which means making the best use of a range of delivery mechanisms. We also have to be mindful of the need to make best use of the resources that are available to us, which makes it very difficult to justify retaining structures and processes that eat up to one fifth of the available funding that should be going out to communities.”
“I believe that the rural stakeholder oversight committee and its subcommittees are central to ensuring that the best elements of that bottom-up approach are retained. The committee structure that I am putting in place will ensure that key stakeholders in rural communities will be central to helping to shape the way in which future investment is targeted. I do not believe that we are moving away from the bottom-up approach; I would argue that we are embracing the best elements of it in a way that meets the need of future programmes.”
“I have identified the need to learn lessons from engaging local communities through that bottom-up approach. I want to ensure that the best elements of that approach are retained to support rural businesses and the community investment programme in a way that is responsive to the needs of rural businesses and communities.”
“That is where the establishment of the oversight committee and, indeed, its subcommittees is important. They will be responsible for inviting officials from other Departments as and when required to help to inform the committee's work. Other Departments will have to demonstrate the work that they are doing to address the issues for rural communities. <BR /> <BR />I am the Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, but every Minister is responsible for rural communities. Being the Minister for Infrastructure, the Minister of Education or the Minister for whatever Department does not obviate the need to ensure that people in rural communities get a fair crack of the whip.”
“I have to say that, ultimately, that was a positive thing for the education of the children in that there was much more on offer in preparation for secondary education. <BR /> <BR />Those are challenging things. The Minister of Education held this portfolio previously and has a heart for rural communities. I expect that she will have a good listening ear when it comes to the issues.”
“I thank the Member for the question. In Fermanagh and South Tyrone, there is probably a higher proportion of smaller schools than in any other constituency. I have been engaging with the Education Minister to see how we can help to support schools in rural communities. <BR /> <BR />The policy of 105 pupils has been around for a long time. I know that the closure of small schools is very difficult for people. I also know, as a consequence of going to small schools, that pupils do not get a lot of the opportunities that they would get in a larger school. That is the conundrum that we are in. When I was raising my children, their school closed and was amalgamated with four others.”
“In addition to that, connectivity and broadband availability are critical, so everything that we do must ensure that rural communities in Northern Ireland are not left behind and that the opportunities for people in those communities are as good as those for people in our capital.”
“At this stage, I cannot give the Member a definitive answer. It is still being worked through. Hopefully, we will be in a position in March to deliver what the budget will be. It is important that we get a Budget for Northern Ireland first. The Department of Finance brought forward Budget proposals, and those need to be amended. I do not think that they go anywhere near far enough to deliver on commitments around climate change, for example. All of that is important for rural communities, because — let us think about it — many people who live in rural communities do not have access to the gas pipe network, which could be used in the future to deliver hydrogen and biomethane. Many of them have to travel to work, so having carbon-neutral vehicles and a means of ensuring easy access to those vehicles will be critical.”
“We are doing the policy framework to assist them. It is important that, first, it is a financially viable community, and the decisions that we take in the House need to be taken with that in mind.”
“That question is slightly off-topic. I will use not my words but the words of KPMG, which has been recognised for its expertise in those issues. It estimates that, when it comes to family farms — the primary producers — we will lose 13,000 jobs. That is hugely significant for the rural community. In addition to those 13,000 jobs in the primary sector, there would be a knock-on effect on the processing sector, which is largely made up of people from rural areas. If you go to the food factories in Dungannon, Portadown and other places, you will see that the workforce is largely made up of people who live in predominantly rural communities. The impact on jobs in the rural community would run to many tens of thousands. Therefore, it is important that we seek to protect the rural community in many ways.”
“We want to put some focus on how we can deliver the funding more efficiently and ensure that we can take that figure, which is close to 20%, hopefully, down to a much smaller figure — I want to see it in single figures — and, therefore, deliver more money to communities and spend less on administration.”
“At this point, it is too early to give an indication about the budget, because the overall Budget has not yet been resolved. We will bid to the Northern Ireland block grant Budget, which has obviously increased as a consequence of Brexit. We will also bid for PEACE PLUS money; EU farm replacement funding, where appropriate; and green growth funding. When we get beyond the term of the current Parliament, we will take stock of what is available. In addition, the LEADER programme carried administrative costs of almost 20%. That meant that just under £12 million of the £73 million that was available was directed to administrative costs rather than being targeted at rural communities.”
“As we in Northern Ireland seek to address the challenges through our green growth strategy, we must lay the foundations for a more sustainable society, and our rural communities will play a significant role in that. If we get it right, the benefits to our rural communities will be substantial and will, no doubt, make Northern Ireland a place where people want to live, work and be active.”
“<BR /> <BR />The purpose of the statement is to rightly recognise that our rural communities in Northern Ireland are innovative and resilient. I have no doubt that, with the right support and by collaborating with other public authorities, we will showcase the diverse and innovative ways in which the needs of rural communities can be addressed. I am confident that the rural policy framework will help to deliver the best possible outcomes for our rural communities and address many of the challenges that they face. We must look to a post-COVID-19 future and embrace the opportunities that green growth, globalisation and technological innovation present. Given the challenges presented by climate change, a focus on the environment and sustainability will be key in the delivery of future programmes.”
“I recognise the importance of continuing to work in partnership with other public bodies, the private sector and rural stakeholders to ensure the best outcomes for our rural communities. We will therefore work closely with partners in government to champion the needs of rural communities across a range of issues, including housing and other public services. As I mentioned, I am considering where to allocate funding for the next three years as part of the budget process, and that will include allocations for the new programme. Alongside that, my Department will also continue to deliver TRPSI, while aiming to secure additional funding for rural communities through PEACE PLUS, green growth, city and growth deals and other funding opportunities that emerge in the future. No stone will be left unturned.”
“I want to ensure that, for each scheme in the new programme, we use the most efficient and effective delivery mechanism possible. That means that a range of delivery options will be considered as the design of the new schemes progresses. <BR /> <BR />Whilst my Department will continue to deliver a wide range of initiatives to support rural communities in Northern Ireland, it is important to remember that the challenges facing rural communities are not for DAERA alone to address. Under the Rural Needs Act, public authorities have a duty to have due regard to rural needs that should deliver better outcomes for people living in rural areas to help make rural communities more sustainable.”
“To date, they include the website development programme, £0·25 million; the rural tourism collaborative experiences programme, £0·46 million; the rural microbusinesses growth scheme, £0·16 million; the rural social economy investment scheme, £0·4 million; the micro food business investment scheme, £0·2 million; the rural halls refurbishment scheme, £1·07 million; the rural pollinator garden scheme, £1·69 million; the rural digital inclusion scheme, £20,000; and the rural community rescue scheme, £1·9 million. <BR /> <BR />At this stage, it is too early to say how the programme will be delivered. As a result of the work that we have done through LEADER, TRPSI and our pilot schemes, we have experience of successfully delivering for rural communities in a variety of ways.”
“The development of the new programme will be informed by the detailed evaluation of a range of pilot schemes developed by my Department, many of which are well under way. Those pilot schemes were developed to help to test the assumptions of the rural policy framework, and they provided £6·2 million of investment in rural communities in 2021-22. There are nine pilot schemes in total.”
“<BR /> <BR />The rural policy framework has been updated to reflect the issues that were highlighted in the consultation, so I intend to formally launch the new rural policy framework for Northern Ireland next month. After that, my officials will start to develop the new rural business and community investment programme. That will involve designing new schemes and examining delivery structures and methods for the next seven years.”
“I have decided therefore to establish a rural stakeholder oversight committee to ensure the continued involvement of key stakeholders and rural communities in helping to shape future rural investment. I also want to ensure that the way in which the oversight committee operates is kept under review so that it can remain flexible and responsive to the changing needs of our rural society. It is my intention that the oversight committee will be established in the coming months and will be supported by a range of stakeholder sub-committees that will cover a range of themes and issues, including equality, the environment and the thematic pillars of the rural policy framework.”
“I am taking that into account when I decide where to allocate funding for the next three years as part of the current Budget exercise, and that should help to deliver the aims and objectives of the rural policy framework. <BR /> <BR />The need to learn lessons from the LEADER programme, in particular the importance of the bottom-up approach in engaging with local communities, was also highlighted by respondents. Throughout the LEADER programme, the immense contribution of local action groups (LAGs) has been invaluable. I want to ensure that the best elements of that approach are retained to support future schemes in an efficient, effective and flexible way.”
“I intend to reinforce that by working with public authorities to ensure that they adhere to their responsibilities as set out in the Rural Needs Act. <BR /> <BR />Respondents also highlighted the importance and value of partnership working. It is my intention that DAERA will continue to work in partnership with other Departments, councils, community groups and businesses in rural areas to deliver for our rural communities. DAERA already has a strong history of partnership working, and that was evident and effective when it responded to the challenges of the COVID pandemic. <BR /> <BR />Responses to the consultation have also highlighted the challenges that many rural stakeholders face because of short-term financial settlements, reinforcing the need for longer-term financial clarity.”
“It is clear that stakeholders want environmental and sustainability considerations to play an important role in delivering future rural programmes. As we in Northern Ireland seek to address those challenges through our green growth strategy, we must lay the foundations for a more sustainable society in which our rural communities will play a significant role. <BR /> <BR />Social housing provision in rural areas was another area of concern highlighted by respondents. Whilst DAERA has no specific policy remit or responsibility for social housing, as rural champion, I will ensure that my Department engages closely with stakeholders and the Department for Communities to ensure that positive action is taken to help address that issue in rural areas.”
“<BR /> <BR />When the consultation closed in the autumn, it came as no surprise that there was overwhelming support for the framework from the vast majority of those who responded. I thank all of those who took the time and effort to respond to the consultation. I was greatly encouraged by the level of engagement from a wide range of stakeholders and the quality of responses received. We received 105 written responses, seven of which were submitted by rural support networks, representing the views of 915 community and voluntary groups. Respondents raised additional key themes that are helping to shape the framework further; in particular, there was recognition of the changing challenges to rural communities presented by climate change.”
“They will help to create a sustainable rural community where people want to live, work and be active in a sustainable and environmentally responsible way. The thematic pillars were agreed and developed as part of a comprehensive engagement process with rural stakeholders over a two-year period. The five thematic pillars will support initiatives in innovation and entrepreneurship, sustainable tourism, health and well-being, employment and connectivity. The priority areas are supported by work that we are already engaged in. Through that work, we have been able to test our assumptions through a wide range of pilot programmes. Evaluation of the pilot programmes and the lessons learned from their delivery have been used to inform the development of this comprehensive policy framework.”
“My priority is to introduce policies to address those issues, improve urban/rural linkages and provide greater access to jobs, health and well-being, broadband, education and training, social and other opportunities to help sustain and improve the economic and social outputs and sustainability of rural areas. <BR /> <BR />The rural policy framework is the framework against which those policies will be introduced. It is a living document that will support a fair and inclusive rural society where the people who live and work in rural areas will benefit from improved access to services, improved quality of life and greater opportunities from sustainable growth. The rural policy framework focuses on five thematic pillars supported by 19 priorities for intervention.”
“<BR /> <BR />I want to use the rural policy framework, alongside other key policy tools such as the Rural Needs Act and the tackling rural poverty and social isolation (TRPSI) programme, to help address the barriers that prevent rural communities from growing sustainably.”
“It supports my Department's vision of putting sustainability at the heart of a living, working, active landscape that is valued by everyone. It demonstrates our ongoing commitment to ensuring that rural communities flourish and prosper through our continued support of and investment in initiatives that will make a tangible difference to those living and working in rural areas. <BR /> <BR />We must not overlook the fact that over one third of people living in Northern Ireland live in a rural area. To move those communities forward, I want to deliver initiatives that address barriers to sustainable growth and that promote equal access to services. That means dealing with issues such as connectivity, economic development, environmental challenges, poverty, loneliness and isolation in rural areas.”
“Thank you, Mr Principal Deputy Speaker, for the opportunity to make a statement to the Assembly about Northern Ireland’s first ever rural policy framework, following the recent public consultation, which closed on 6 September 2021. <BR /> <BR />For decades, investment in the development of rural areas in Northern Ireland was driven by successive EU programmes. The UK's exit from the EU, however, including its withdrawal from the EU-driven rural development programme (RDP), provides a unique opportunity to develop programmes specifically targeted at addressing the unique challenges faced by people living and working in rural communities throughout Northern Ireland. <BR /> <BR />The rural policy framework provides a basis for us to make the most of that opportunity.”
“Some things will be straightforward for us to do, and we need to apply ourselves to ensure that we deliver on those fronts. As I indicated, I am truly grateful to everyone who has given us the support and assistance to reach this point. I commend the Bill to the House.”
“I thank every Member who has spoken and, indeed, the Committee for its support in carrying the legislation through by permitting its accelerated passage and enabling this important legislation to pass and be put in place. About 98% of the people who responded on the Bill raised issues in support of it. An issue with the animal register was raised, and that work has to be carried on. Work on it has been done between my Department and the Department of Justice, but, in a new mandate, whoever happens to be in DAERA and in Justice needs to carry that work through to its conclusion. <BR /> <BR />It is very important that the Assembly send out the message that we are against animal cruelty and that we want to take key steps that will ensure that we can provide reasonable protections.”
“I am, therefore, delighted that the Bill has reached its Final Stage.”
“That means that dogs brought in by the PSNI from external organisations would be afforded the added protection during the time that they are to carry out duties to assist the police. That would cover situations in which the PSNI uses external search and rescue dogs, for example. The Bill is also drafted in a way that will enable my Department to have power to add to the list of service animals that can be given enhanced legal protection. That provides flexibility for the future. <BR /> <BR />The Bill will amend the 2011 Act to provide enhanced welfare protection to service animals while they are in active duty in Northern Ireland. It will give our service animals the recognition that they deserve for the vital role that they fulfil in society and will ensure that the protection that they receive is on a par with that afforded elsewhere.”
“Similar legislation has been in place in Scotland since 2020. <BR /> <BR />The legislation that applies in the rest of the United Kingdom provides that whether someone who caused harm to a service animal did so because they were protecting a person, property or another animal is to be disregarded when considering whether the harm was unnecessary. We have the opportunity with this Bill to ensure parity with the rest of the United Kingdom and to bestow the same protection on service animals in Northern Ireland. <BR /> <BR />The Bill proposes that the added protection should also be given to service animals that are under the control of persons exercising the power of a police constable and providing a service under the direction of the police.”
“That position came under public scrutiny in 2016 when Finn, a police dog in England, was stabbed while on active duty. Finn's attackers could have been prosecuted for causing unnecessary suffering to an animal. However, taking into account that the attacker might argue that he had harmed Finn because he was protecting himself, the Crown Prosecution Service considered that it would be better to pursue charges for criminal damage. That meant that Finn was treated as a piece of police property. There was considerable public and political discontent about how Finn had been treated. A high-profile public campaign was launched, which culminated in the enactment of the new legislation, known as Finn's law, in 2019. That law provides service animals in England and Wales with enhanced welfare protections while on active duty.”
“I am pleased that the Bill has reached its Final Stage. I am grateful for the overwhelming support that it has received during its passage through the Assembly. The Bill amends the Welfare of Animals Act (Northern Ireland) 2011. As Members will be aware, that Act provides animals with substantial legal protection and makes it an offence to cause them unnecessary suffering. <BR /> <BR />A feature of the Act is the provision that enables someone who is charged with harming an animal to argue that the suffering they inflicted was in self-defence and, therefore, necessary. By invoking that provision, it is possible for a person to claim that no lawbreaking has been committed when they injure a service animal that is acting in the course of its duties.”
“Obviously, we did not have time to introduce a bespoke agriculture Bill in this mandate, but it will be for a future mandate and Minister to make that decision. Obviously, the future agriculture policies for support measures that we have proposed are very much bespoke. Leaving the European Union has given us the opportunity to have a much more flexible and nimble approach to that.”
“I appreciate the work and support of all the environmental NGOs that assist us to improve the environment that we live in.”
“The plastic bag levy has been contributing roughly up to and over £5 million a year thus far. That figure has reduced over the years as the number of bags purchased has reduced, which is a positive thing. I anticipate that there will be an uplift in funding, although further reduction in the use of plastic bags means that it will not immediately be reflected through the uplift in the levy. We will, however, have more to offer. The money raised will go to organisations that are dedicated to making environmental improvements. Every year, we give out significant amounts of money to organisations that do real good: not for lobbying but for them to take practical steps that ensure that they can make the environment a better place.”
“Previously, the levy has not applied to meat packaging because of the potential for blood to run from the meat into other foods, thus causing harm to those foods because the meat has not been kept right. Such things will be looked at to ensure that the public health issue is not ignored. The levy is there, but I hope that people are not spending very much per household. My wish is that the levy will lead to a massive reduction in the use of bags. We have already seen that a massive reduction has taken place thus far. That has stalled, however, so I hope that the increase will kick-start another significant reduction in the use of plastic bags and that, consequently, we will have a better environment in which to live.”
“Very importantly, we launched a pollinator scheme, which was taken up largely by community organisations. Those could have included sports clubs, such as GAA clubs, and local community associations. A wide range of community organisations embraced the pollinator scheme, and, as a consequence of that, we doubled the amount of money that we had initially set aside. We are spending well over £1 million on the scheme because of the success of its uptake. <BR /> <BR />Pollinators are incredibly important to us, so having schemes that will ensure that there are areas dotted across Northern Ireland where pollinators can thrive will translate into significant and meaningful benefits, which will be evidenced in the years to come.”
“<BR /> <BR />So many opportunities exist in that area, and, in some respects, our future agriculture policy — enhancing what we do with our hedgerows, creating more wildlife zones, planting more trees and restoring more peatlands — will help with biodiversity. It is important that we work in conjunction with local authorities to ensure that that support comes from as wide an area as possible. <BR /> <BR />I should say that some councils have put forward really powerful proposals on tree planting. I hope that some others will step up to the plate a bit more and take steps to ensure that we achieve much greater afforestation across this little country than we currently have.”