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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“As I indicated, the recommendations were put out to third parties and independent expertise in order for them to provide us with due diligence. A further check was done that went beyond what officials and civil servants would have done. That course of work was carried out. The precautionary principle was applied to all of it, and we therefore did not arrive at the decision quickly, or, indeed, easily. <BR /> <BR />The work was started before my time, and I deliberately became involved only at its conclusion. Given the sensitivities around it, I did not want to encourage people one way or the other in coming to their recommendations. I wanted an independent recommendation, so I was always going to take the decision on the basis of the independence of the people who were acting on behalf of the Department.”
“He may not like those views, but they are arrived at on the best basis possible.”
“I am sorry that the Member may want to hype things up. A process was commenced as the result of an application. That process was conducted properly and correctly. At its conclusion, I was presented with the documentation. I sought no documentation throughout the process. I sought not to have any influence on the process. I merely allowed the process to be carried out to its conclusion, and I was then presented with options. <BR /> <BR />What was identified and recommended to me by the officials and the experts was clear. The Member may not like what they have recommended. Indeed, I may not like what they have recommended, but I have to give consideration to experts when they are asked to do a piece of work, and I have to take full cognisance of the views expressed by them.”
“I remind the Member that one of the issues in front of us today is the price of gas, which has skyrocketed because there is a lack of stored gas. The Member may not be so concerned that people in his constituency — people who are on the breadline — are paying gas prices and, indeed, electricity prices that are 30% and 40% higher than in previous years. His resistance to having storage, thus leaving it to Vladimir Putin to turn gas on and off as and when it suits him, putting the Member's constituents' prices up on the back of that, is a matter for him.”
“Whether the project is financially viable is a matter for the people who are developing it. My Department was asked about its environmental acceptability. All the people who were involved in that took their decision on the basis of whether that could be achieved, and they then made their recommendations to me on that basis. That is how that came about. It is not a result of anything other than that. Therefore, whilst I recognise that the decision will not be popular, I also recognise that I need to take cognisance of the material that was put in front of me by independent officials and, indeed, by experts in that issue.”
“At that stage, the impacts of decommissioning would be considered, and potential environmental impacts would be given full consideration.”
“Islandmagee Energy Ltd is responsible for the safe decommissioning of the gas storage caverns at the end of the project's life and ensuring that arrangements are made in respect of any residual liabilities. The lease from the landowner, the Crown Estate, will require that an acceptable abandonment programme that is applicable to the works, including the arrangements for residual liabilities, is provided. The Crown Estate has indicated that works cannot commence below mean high water spring tide level until the issue is resolved. DAERA has included that information on the marine licence. DAERA will continue to engage with the Crown Estate to ensure that all conditions are satisfied. The company may require a new marine licence from DAERA to undertake the physical aspect of the decommissioning activity.”
“The chapters on avian and marine biodiversity, underwater noise and cumulative effects were updated in 2018-19, as was the brine dispersion model and accompanying third-party audit. That material has been made available to the public on the DAERA website.”
“At no time did I take anything to do with or interfere with any of the actual assessments that took place. I waited patiently, allowed civil servants and people with expertise, on their behalf, to carry out all those investigations, and I made a decision that was based on what was recommended to me by those officials. A number of in-depth assessments were made on the potential impacts of the project on the environment, including a detailed habitats regulations assessment (HRA), completed by DAERA, which considers the potential impacts of the project on the national site network and also the Portmuck area of special scientific interest (ASSI), Gobbins ASSI and Larne lough ASSI. The HRA was also reviewed by an independent third party. An environmental statement was prepared by the applicant.”
“With your permission, Mr Speaker, I will answer questions 2 and 9 together. I am satisfied that all material considerations have been assessed by officials for the marine licence application, reviews of the discharge consent and abstraction licence for the proposed Islandmagee gas storage development. Therefore, I do not intend to review the decisions on the matter. Final licences were issued to the applicant on 5 November 2021. I am content that adequate mitigation has been identified to minimise the impacts of the project and has been incorporated into the conditions of the marine licence, discharge consent and abstraction licence, which will augment the existing mitigation in the planning permission.”
“If Members have the opportunity to look at some of this, they will be pleasantly surprised and pleased at just how good we are at tracing all goods from the factory, during transit right through to their destination. If we ever get to the point of having an agreement with the European Union — I hope that, at some stage, the EU will be sensible about how best we can protect its single market — it will be able to identify the logistics work that is being done that will greatly assist in that.”
“Yes, we have. Clearly, a lot of goods are coming through Northern Ireland's seaports as opposed to Dublin seaport because it is easier to get into the island of Ireland in that way. There has been a dislocation and less use of the land bridge to go to the Continent. <BR /> <BR />Our logistics firms have been doing some tremendous work on food security and food traceability. I believe that that work covers a lot of the issues that were talked about pre Brexit regarding tracing food from source right through to sale and everything in between. Ultimately, in due course, the standard of work will be used as a template right across the world.”
“I assure the Member that, when it comes to selling goods, I will take pounds sterling, euros, dollars, yen or whatever it happens to be, and I will work with whoever wishes to acquire Northern Ireland's very well produced goods to make it as easy as possible for them to acquire those goods.”
“I have engaged with my senior civil servants to indicate that they should be looking at the Command Paper that was produced in July as a means of moving forward on this issue. Trading barriers are not to our benefit, and the deployment of highly qualified veterinary staff and environmental health staff in that role takes them away from other important roles. Unnecessary checks should not be carried out at Northern Ireland seaports because of our juxtaposition to Great Britain. Therefore, that action needs to be addressed. <BR /> <BR />I remind the Member, even though he knows very well, that a different set of circumstances relating to live animals pre-existed Brexit and the protocol, and we need to take full cognisance of that as well.”
“Our exports have also increased to Great Britain, and therefore exports are going quite well. One reason why exports from Northern Ireland to the Republic of Ireland have increased is due to the difficulties that the Republic of Ireland has with importation from Great Britain. We do not want to be in a similar circumstance in which Northern Ireland has those difficulties with importation from Great Britain. We already have issues there, and it is not in the benefit of any of our constituents to have unnecessary trade barriers imposed between our main trading partner, Great Britain, and Northern Ireland. Therefore, businesses across Northern Ireland and across the community are saying to us that we need to remove those barriers. I hope that the Members opposite will join and assist us in supporting the removal of such barriers.”
“I am aware of statistical reports that show large increases in food exports between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland compared with 2020. Caution needs to be applied to comparisons with 2020 given the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and its disruption to trade. The increase in trade with the Republic of Ireland is not surprising given the trade barriers that have been put in place between Great Britain and Northern Ireland, with the resulting disruption causing businesses difficulties in trading with, by far, our biggest market and having to seek alternative customers. Hence, I continue to seek the removal of all trade barriers within the United Kingdom for goods that are used in Northern Ireland.”
“<BR /> <BR />We must — all of us — ensure that we support our rural dwellers and, in doing so, support the agriculture community, which has contributed so much over the years to jobs, well-being and, indeed, the health of our environment. It has so much more to contribute. Farmers are not the environment's enemy but its friend. We should therefore not be the enemy of farmers.”
“Yes. I welcome the Member's seeking a just transition, and I hope he will help us to ensure that there is a just transition and will not be persuaded to do something different by people who do not understand agriculture. <BR /> <BR />On afforestation, we are looking at how we can support people to plant riparian boundaries and to plant out woodlands in areas that are not used as much on the farm so that the woodlands will have the least impact on the farm's production. There will also be opportunities for people to make the switch from food production to forestry, and we have supported people who have done that. It is about working with people in the agriculture sector to ensure that they get the right fit for what they do.”
“The "Great Ulster Forest" was never perceived to be one wood or one forest; it was to be a series of wooded areas across Northern Ireland. Of course, the work we have commenced on tree planting will greatly assist us in delivering on that NDNA commitment, and, indeed, we are working on it.”
“It is now a policy direction, and I hope that whoever holds the office in future decades will carry on with it.”
“The issues at Woodburn predate my period as Minister. I would welcome any correspondence the Member might wish to contact me with. At this point, I have not received anything from him about Woodburn. <BR /> <BR />We have set out our target of 18 million additional trees being planted in forests across Northern Ireland. That is no small thing. Organisations are working extremely well with us. One of them is Northern Ireland Water, which may be criticised for other things, but, for what it is doing in planting trees and on renewable energy, I have to give it high praise, because its work is tremendous. <BR /> <BR />We have a course of work on forests. Over my period as Minister for the environment, we have invested considerable additional money in more trees and in the Forest Service.”
“Yes. One of the things that will happen is that some of the coniferous trees in the woodland will be removed and broadleaf indigenous trees planted. That will lead to not just new planting but an enhancement of the existing woodland there. There is significant work to be done to ensure that it will be a quality facility and a quality woodland that will be around not for the next 20 years but for many hundreds of years.”
“The idea was brought to me, and I suggested it to the chief executive of the Forest Service, John Joe O'Boyle — a citizen of the glens, by the way — who embraced it and took it forward. It was taken forward and led by the Department. All of the other organisations were brought in to assist with the project, and we were grateful to all those who participated. It was great to see the schoolchildren from Seaview Integrated Primary School planting a tree alongside the one that I planted. That was a demonstration of good cross-community working in that area to do something that will be of real benefit to the area. Having all the players involved would be critical for any other area that might want to take forward such a scheme.”
“Glenarm Castle currently receives about 100,000 visitors, and the forest is open for people to visit. When we take a run up the coast road, I would say, a lot of us have the habit of just driving through Glenarm, not realising that it is an absolute pearl of a location to stop at. I hope that the initiative will be a major incentive for Glenarm to be a go-to destination, not a drive-through destination, and that many hundreds of thousands of people will use that facility, not just 100,000.”
“We have had a decent response from the councils, or some councils. I believe that Belfast City Council, for example, wants to plant one million trees, which would be hugely beneficial for the lungs of the city. I am supportive of the work of the councils. When it comes to streetscapes, DFI is obviously the lead Department, but, if there is anything that I can do to assist with such schemes, I will be happy to do it. Tree-lined streets really set a city off. The more of those we can have in Belfast or any other city, the better.”
“This is the first. We are capable of applying for more. It is not an easy thing to achieve, and a considerable amount of work therefore has to be done to ensure that we are successful. We have been successful with this one, and I am happy that that is the case. We will look positively at whether we can identify other places that may be suitable and then work with the royal household to bring forward further Queen's Commonwealth Canopy projects in Northern Ireland.”
“Absolutely. His Royal Highness Prince Charles got a lot of criticism in the 1980s, but he was way ahead of his time on a series of issues. More recently, Prince William and Princess Kate led on the event that recognised things that people were doing to help our environment, and I was delighted that local people were identified for their work on renewable energies. We can be well placed, whether through tree planting, renewable energies or a series of other things, to do the right thing on the environment in order to ensure that we leave this world that we entered in a better state environmentally. That is a real goal for all of us.”
“This is another boost for us, and having a forest here that has Queen's Commonwealth Canopy recognition enables us, as part of the Commonwealth, on the one hand, to demonstrate our thanks for the work of Her Majesty and, on the other hand, to do something for the future. That is why we are planting trees from which all our community can benefit.”
“Forests can become monocultures and not assist biodiversity, and that is why we need things that will help develop biodiversity. As we seek to tackle climate change, it is important that we ensure that biodiversity goes hand in hand with that and that we have a wide range of biodiversity. For example, Northern Ireland has far more hedgerows than probably anywhere else in the world — it certainly has the most across these islands — and that is a major asset to our biodiversity and for birds and other wildlife. It is something that we promote. <BR /> <BR />We have set a target of planting 18 million trees by 2030, and we have made a significant start on that. It is getting real traction out there and is being responded to positively.”
“That significant summit aims to accelerate action towards the goals of the Paris agreement and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. <BR /> <BR />The purpose of the statement is to recognise, rightly, the recent accreditation of Glenarm Forest as Northern Ireland's first QCC project. I am delighted for Northern Ireland that Glenarm Forest has joined the QCC network to conserve and protect forests for the benefit of communities and future generations. It creates a physical and lasting legacy of the Queen's leadership of the Commonwealth.”
“I acknowledge the work and support of those involved in achieving this accolade, in particular, Glenarm estate, Mid and East Antrim Borough Council, local community groups, staff and students from Seaview Integrated Primary School and the Glenarm QCC forest working group. The QCC forest project will help to raise awareness of the importance of forests to society and encourage landowners to plant woodlands in line with my Department's Forests for Our Future programme to plant 18 million trees by 2030. <BR /> <BR />The announcement of this achievement for Northern Ireland, highlighting the importance of conserving and protecting forests on a global scale, is particularly timely, with the UK hosting the twenty-sixth UN climate change Conference of the Parties (COP26) in Glasgow from 31 October to 12 November 2021.”
“The estate is steeped in a wealth of history, culture and heritage and attracts 100,000 visitors annually from all over the world. At the event, invited guests were able to savour the significance of the accreditation and the wonderful forest setting. The accreditation of the QCC initiative at Glenarm Forest is a result of innovative collaboration and partnership working between DAERA's Forest Service and Glenarm estate, with substantial contributions from a wide range of external and internal stakeholders. <BR /> <BR />As I mentioned, QCC forests are dedicated to conservation for communities and future generations. I very much welcome the participation of local people in developing the project.”
“<BR /> <BR />Being part of the QCC requires a clear commitment to forest conservation objectives. The accreditation recognises that Glenarm Forest is now dedicated to sustainable forestry and its role in contributing to people's well-being and the enjoyment of the community now and for the generations to come. The accreditation of Glenarm Forest as a QCC forest is an ambitious 350-hectare initiative that will result in an increased opportunity to link people with the forest, create woodlands and promote the sustainability of woodlands for social, environmental and recreational tourism that will act as a catalyst for economic benefits for the area. <BR /> <BR />Glenarm Forest is ideally situated in the wider Glenarm Castle estate with its rich cultural history and historic woodland.”
“Thank you, Mr Principal Deputy Speaker, for the opportunity to talk to the House about the recent accreditation of Glenarm Forest as Northern Ireland's first Queen's Commonwealth Canopy (QCC) project, in which Northern Ireland will join a pan-Commonwealth network committed to saving one of the world's most important natural habitats: forests. <BR /> <BR />The QCC is a unique global network of sustainable forest conservation projects that involves all 54 countries of the Commonwealth in conserving and protecting forests for future generations. I am delighted to announce the successful accreditation of Glenarm Forest as Northern Ireland's first QCC project, which I had the privilege to launch on 25 October 2021 at Glenarm Forest. I also had the privilege of planting an oak tree there after a stiff walk up one of the glens.”
“— I am very happy to support immigration on the basis of need.”
“We can go to the world market to address the labour shortages that have been identified. Although I am totally opposed to uncontrolled immigration, which is one of the reasons that I supported Brexit —”
“When complete, Skills for a 10X Economy will help to ensure that Northern Ireland's citizens and business community have access to the modern, economically active and relevant skills that will empower them to reach their full potential, improving Northern Ireland's competitiveness on a global stage. <BR /> <BR />I would like to make it clear that the Economy Minister and I welcome the contribution that migrants from the EU and further afield have made, and will continue to make, to the economy and to wider society. I am delighted that so many EU nationals have applied to the EU Settlement Scheme in Northern Ireland and that they will continue to be based here. <BR /> <BR />I conclude by saying that, when it comes to all of this, not being in the European Union gives us a solution that the Republic of Ireland, Italy and others do not have.”
“So, if there is a problem with what went on in the past, she will find that it exists with her party and two other parties, but not the Democratic Unionist Party in that instance. <BR /> <BR />I can assure all Members that, while immigration is an excepted matter, the Economy Minister and I will continue to press the UK Government to introduce the changes that we need in order for immigration policy to work for the Northern Ireland economy. More broadly, in order to modernise our skills system, a consultation on a new skills strategy, Skills for a 10X Economy, concluded in mid-August, and officials are working across government and with key stakeholders to develop the final strategy, which reflects consultation responses.”
“<BR /> <BR />I know that Ms McLaughlin, for example, wants to blame the DUP for the issues around skills. Again, she is relatively new to the Assembly, but she has been here long enough to understand that what she says has to bear up to facts. She talked about the DUP being in charge of skills for some 14 years. Well, the Department for Employment and Learning was responsible for skills until 2016 when it ceased to be, and that remit was transferred to the Department for the Economy. The DUP has had roughly two and a half years in the Department for the Economy since then because Sinn Féin thought that it was a good idea not to have an Assembly for three years. Prior to that, the Department for Employment and Learning was looked after by the SDLP in the first instance, the Ulster Unionist Party and the Alliance Party.”
“The Home Office continues to promote the employment of the domestic workforce and investment in economic development and training as a solution to the UK's labour supply problems. While I support that aspiration, I also understand that, for the haulage and food sectors, that cannot be implemented immediately and a phased approach is more likely to succeed. I recognise that we have an assured skills academy and that, currently, HGV skills academies are being delivered by Belfast City Council and Mid and East Antrim Borough Council, with a number of other councils seeking to use the model in order to offer their own HGV training. It would be really helpful if the Department for Infrastructure were able to move a bit faster to assist with examinations for HGV drivers.”
“Therefore, the Economy Minister and I have been making representations to the UK Government on the need for derogations for Northern Ireland. We need a shortage occupations list for Northern Ireland, a relaxation of the English language requirement and the flexibility that short-term visas can bring. It is welcome that the UK Government have announced that they will issue 5,000 temporary visas for HGV drivers and 5,500 visas for poultry workers in the run-up to Christmas, but it is clear that that is not enough and will not solve the wider labour supply issues that we face. That will be possible only with further changes to immigration policy. <BR /> <BR />I will turn to skills.”
“It is a relic of the past when agricultural wages were poor. Thankfully, that has gone, and, if the Member knew anything about agriculture, he would know that that is the case. <BR /> <BR />When it comes to Brexit and immigration policy, it is important to note that immigration has not ended. The ending of free movement of people allows the UK to determine who can work in the UK according to the needs of the economy. The points-based immigration system caters for skilled workers, students and a range of other specialist work routes, including routes for global leaders in their field and innovators from all over the world. However, I agree that the immigration system needs changes in order for it to work for Northern Ireland.”
“I love the interventions, to be perfectly honest. So, a shortage of 400,000 drivers in the European Union is an isolated incident. Let us get real here. You have come out of schoolboy politics into the real world, and it does not stack up if you say that a shortage of 400,000 drivers is an isolated incident. <BR /> <BR />The Member mentioned the Agricultural Wages Board. For years, the Assembly has talked about dispensing with needless quangos, and this is a needless quango. We have a minimum wage, but, leaving that to one side, the wages in the agriculture sector are currently well above the minimum wage for most people, and demand is very high. Why do we need a body to say, "You need to give them this amount of wages" when people are earning bigger wages than that in the first instance?”
“Sorry; I will respond to this intervention first. <BR /> <BR />I thank the Member for pointing out the reality that this is not purely about Brexit. The Members opposite have failed miserably in their attempts to spin this. In the Republic of Ireland, the Department responsible is conducting a review of non-EEA work permit systems. The mushroom sector is at breaking point when it comes to labour and continues to experience severe labour shortages. This is in the Republic of Ireland. There is a shortage of skilled, semi-skilled and manual labour for the sector, and that is having a serious effect on the efficiency of businesses and the subsequent viability of the sector. <BR /> <BR />I look forward to hearing some actual thoughts from this Member, instead of —.”
“Remarkably enough, we kill thousands of pigs from the Republic of Ireland every year and process them every week, yet those folks across the way would have us believe that all of the problems exist here and do not exist in the rest of Europe. <BR /> <BR />It is always good to see a fresh face coming into the Assembly. However, it all went so sour so quickly when the fresh-faced Member just regurgitated a speech written by back-room Sinn Féin staff that bore a resemblance not to factuality but to Sinn Féin's spin doctoring.”
“The European Commission had said that the proportion of construction companies reporting that a lack of workers was limiting their activities hit a record 27% in its latest survey. The German Freight Forwarding and Logistics Association has warned of a shortage of more than 60,000 truck drivers and said that it expects that to increase by 15,000 a year. If you do not believe me, surely you will believe the European Commission when it says that. <BR /> <BR />In Ireland, that bastion of good — Sinn Féin thinks that everything is perfect there — the chairman of the IFA national pigs committee, Roy Gallie, is calling on the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment to fast-track work permit applications from outside the European Union. He said that the Irish:”
“In Italy, there is an issue with getting grape pickers — that is not related to the United Kingdom, because not an awful lot of grapes grow here — and tomato pickers. Italy has a plenitude of tomatoes. Again, this is in Italy:”
“The motion tabled by Dr Archibald is worded in such a way that it presents the ruinous policy around Brexit as the cause of all of the problems, and it suggests that these problems exist only in the United Kingdom. Let us deal with the facts as opposed to Sinn Féin spin, of which we have certainly heard plenty today.”
“There is clearly a significant decrease that officials will continue to monitor. There is also a shortage of 60,000 to 76,000 drivers in the UK and, according to the Road Haulage Association, of 4,000 to 5,000 in Northern Ireland. It is important to recognise, however, that that is not only a Great Britain and Northern Ireland problem; for instance, issues around pay and poor working conditions mean that many EU countries face similar HGV driver shortages. The shortage across Europe is estimated at 400,000, with Poland requiring 124,000, Germany between 45,000 and 60,000 and France around 43,000. <BR /> <BR />Where is the superabundance of workers in the European Union to fill those roles that Members have indicated?”
“Over the past few months, the Department for the Economy and my Department have seen a surge in correspondence from concerned stakeholders who are experiencing significant operational problems as a result of labour shortages. The level of concern reported by stakeholders shows no sign of subsiding, and the Economy Minister and I continue to engage with industry and the UK Government with a view to ensuring that the Government's immigration policy reflects the needs of Northern Ireland's economy. <BR /> <BR />Information from industry suggests that there are staffing shortages of up to 35% in certain critical food-processing occupations. According to the labour force survey statistics, migrant workers made up 10% of the total employment in the agri-food sector in 2020, which was down from 20·6% in 2019.”