Peter Robinson
East Belfast · Democratic Unionist Party · Northern Ireland
“Although we do not always fully appreciate it, devolution underpins a level of peace and stability that we enjoy today. After 35 years of stop-go government, devolution, with local people taking the decisions, is once again the norm.”
“Mr Speaker, it is a great pleasure and a huge honour for me, in carrying out my last duty as nominating officer for the Democratic Unionist Party, to nominate my good friend and successor as party leader, Mrs Arlene Foster, to be First Minister of Northern Ireland.”
“We have agreed significant reforms to the way in which government operates, with a reduction in the number of Departments and Assembly Members and the creation of an official opposition.”
“<BR /> <BR />Politics, by its nature, is a combative endeavour and we do not always take time to recognise the role that others play. I differ from some in the House on many issues but, in my long experience in politics, there are very few who are not well motivated and who do not act in the best interests of society as they see it.”
“Every new institution composed of politicians who have known nothing other than being in opposition will have a learning curve while Members mature, develop and adapt to taking responsibility and while the more sensible ones adjust their ambitions to fit the politics of what, with effort, is achievable.”
“Through good times and bad, we have worked together, despite our many differences in background, temperament and outlook. Strangely, we were at our strongest when the threat from outside the political institutions was at its greatest.”
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“Mr Speaker, it is a great pleasure and a huge honour for me, in carrying out my last duty as nominating officer for the Democratic Unionist Party, to nominate my good friend and successor as party leader, Mrs Arlene Foster, to be First Minister of Northern Ireland. I know that I am only permitted to make a formal proposal at this stage, but I want to say that Arlene has been an excellent Minister in each Department in which she has served. She is eminently qualified for the post that she is undertaking, and I am confident that she will continue to take Northern Ireland forward in the years to come. <BR />I have no doubt that she will apply her skill and judgement to great effect as First Minister, and I wish her every success and God's richest blessing as she faces this new challenge.”
“I can assure her that I will not interfere in her work, but, if she ever needs a word of encouragement or advice, I will always be there to offer it. <BR /> <BR />Mr Speaker, consistent with the terms of my letter of last Monday, I hereby resign the office of First Minister, with confidence that the political institutions that we have together created will be here for generations to come. Thank you.”
“Through good times and bad, we have worked together, despite our many differences in background, temperament and outlook. Strangely, we were at our strongest when the threat from outside the political institutions was at its greatest. The collective revulsion across the community and across the Chamber following the murders of Sappers Mark Quinsey and Patrick Azimkar, as well as those of Constables Stephen Carroll and Ronan Kerr, was the surest sign to me that we were never going to go back to the dark days of the past. <BR /> <BR />I thank my party colleagues for the opportunities that they have given me, and I wish all of them well for the future. I am absolutely certain that in Arlene I have a worthy successor.”
“We have agreed significant reforms to the way in which government operates, with a reduction in the number of Departments and Assembly Members and the creation of an official opposition. <BR /> <BR />In politics, there is never a full stop and much remains to be done, but I believe that this is the right moment for me to step aside and hand over the burden and the privilege of office. Dealing with the legacy of the past is a work in progress, and reconciliation will be an ongoing enterprise, but, even there, real progress has been made. The foundations have been laid, and it will be for others to continue building. <BR /> <BR />It would be remiss of me not to thank the deputy First Minister and all those whom I have served alongside in the Executive over these past years.”
“Although we do not always fully appreciate it, devolution underpins a level of peace and stability that we enjoy today. After 35 years of stop-go government, devolution, with local people taking the decisions, is once again the norm. That has allowed us the platform to recast Northern Ireland's international image and bring in more jobs than at any point in our history. Whereas, once, tourists avoided coming here, we now attract people from right across the globe. <BR /> <BR />We not only provided for partnership government but agreed the devolution of policing and justice functions. In recent months, we have resolved the welfare reform issue and put the Assembly's finances back on a stable footing. We have secured the devolution of corporation tax and agreed a rate and a date for commencement.”
“<BR /> <BR />Politics, by its nature, is a combative endeavour and we do not always take time to recognise the role that others play. I differ from some in the House on many issues but, in my long experience in politics, there are very few who are not well motivated and who do not act in the best interests of society as they see it. <BR /> <BR />In whatever capacity they serve, I admire those who devote their lives to public service. When we take a step back, and with the perspective of history, we can see just how far we have come, because we now live in a new era. You have only to look around you to see the progress that there has been, not just in the physical structures that did not exist a decade ago, but in the lives of our people.”
“Every new institution composed of politicians who have known nothing other than being in opposition will have a learning curve while Members mature, develop and adapt to taking responsibility and while the more sensible ones adjust their ambitions to fit the politics of what, with effort, is achievable. <BR /> <BR />Crucially, after centuries of division, we had to outlive the growing pains of learning to work together, fashion shared policies and create a more inclusive society. It is a feature of every societal transformation that some will be displeased at the pace of change, some believing it to be too fast, and others feeling that it is too slow. Yet, so much has been achieved and the platform now exists to do even more.”
“Thank you, Mr Speaker. I am grateful for the opportunity to make this statement. It is typical of the fairness and courtesy that you have demonstrated during your time in office that you provided me with this opportunity and made all the necessary arrangements. I can assure you that I do not intend to trespass on your generosity by speaking for too long. <BR /> <BR />It has been a great privilege to serve the people of Northern Ireland for almost 40 years, with nearly eight of those as First Minister. In this Assembly, we have had our share of trials and ordeals but, through them all, we have emerged much stronger.”
“Yes, obviously, I referenced it in talking about the economic indicators and the prospects for the future. The decision was welcomed by the Secretary of State and the Taoiseach, Enda Kenny, who felt that it would be advantageous and less confusing to the rest of the world if the whole of the island was asking for the same level of corporation tax. I think it was, perhaps, raised by one other Administration; I think Scotland expressed some concern that we might go fishing in their pond for business opportunities. We assured them that we would.”
“Decisions will have to be taken over the next number of weeks by the Executive, but there is no question that the less money that is given to us, the tighter the fiscal circumstances are and the more difficult it is for us to make ends meet, the greater the requirement for efficiencies and the more important it will be to make sure that every pound counts in each Department.”
“As you can imagine, the deputy First Minister and I did raise the issue of the spending review. We raised the fact that very significant cuts are being made to our Budget in real terms and the implications that would have for our Health, Education and other departmental spending. I have to say that we were not alone as an Administration in making those points. We were joined by our colleagues in Scotland and Wales. The spending review obviously fits into our Budget cycle.”
“People have the wrong idea about the refugees if they think that these are people who should be objected to. Far from it. They are people who should be given every degree of support and welcome.”
“Ten or 11 families will be coming into Northern Ireland. They are people who have faced torture in some cases and trauma in others. They are people who are in need of support. They are not the Mediterranean economic migrants. These are people who are genuine refugees. If I know anything about the people of Northern Ireland, it is that they are a charitable and giving people who will extend the hand of welcome. <BR /> <BR />Over the last few days, since the deputy First Minister and I were on television speaking about the issue, I have had several churches and a number of individuals wanting to know how they can put themselves forward to give assistance, support and welcome to these people. I do not think that those who are going to campaign against the presence of refugees will get a very warm hearing from the people of Northern Ireland.”
“I am grateful for the comments about the value of the British-Irish Council. It allows us to deal with issues that are topical and of significance to each of the Administrations. Because of their topicality, the Paris attacks and the refugees situation were obviously discussed. Indeed, that was the longest period of discussion during the summit. Yes, I think that we learned quite a bit about Northern Ireland's position. Scotland has already received refugees and already has experience. Officials here will continue to contact officials in the UK generally, but particularly those in Scotland, who have direct and immediate experience. <BR /> <BR />I can well comment on the so-called rally on Saturday. It needs to be remembered that these are people on whom complete security checks have been carried out.”
“We need to be clear that the Secretary of State hosted this BIC summit. It need not have been the Secretary of State, but we very much welcomed her presence and the fact that she hosted the session. It needs to be said — in discussions, the deputy First Minister and I have recognised this — that there is a distinction: the Taoiseach, Enda Kenny, comes faithfully to every BIC meeting, as did his predecessor, but, in my time, I can recall only one meeting at which the Prime Minister was present. There is, I think, a requirement for all Administrations to recommit to BIC and ensure that they are represented at the very highest level.”
“One has been chaired by the Scottish Government and the other by the UK Government, and they will jointly chair the new sector.”
“It was probably thought to be unnecessary because Ministers, after they come from sectoral meetings, make statements in the House on the individual issues that they are responsible for. There is probably not a lot of value in me repeating what they have already said in statements to the House on the sectoral meetings. However, during the discussion on work sectors, the relevance of some of those sectors was discussed, and a review is being carried out to ensure that the sectors that were chosen, in many cases years ago, are still as relevant today as they were then. In energy, for instance, it was decided that the two work sectors that deal with marine energy and the more normal energy field will be brought together.”
“Our rate of unemployment is 5·9%, which is just less than half the rate in the Republic. We are moving in the right direction, and, as unemployment continues to fall, so, too, will youth unemployment.”
“The Council has visited that area on a number of occasions, noting that there has been progress in the number of young people who are being employed. The rate of youth unemployment is still significantly higher than the rate of overall unemployment. That is a matter that the individual Administrations need to take very seriously. <BR /> <BR />In our Administration, we have taken a number of steps, particularly with the Employment and Learning Minister, in relation to skills and training. Ultimately, it is up to individual companies whom they employ. Very often, people with more experience are chosen rather than people who are youthful, imaginative and have great deal of energy to provide. There is an ongoing role. <BR /> <BR />As unemployment generally reduces, youth unemployment will start to reduce.”
“The UK Government, on behalf of the BIC environment work sector, presented a collaborative paper on natural capital and resources. The paper explored the challenge of safeguarding natural capital, with a particular focus on pollinators, and discussed the value of a strategic and collaborative approach. Minister Durkan responded to the paper on behalf of this Administration. <BR /> <BR />The Council noted the secretariat's mid-year report and agreed a new secretariat business plan for the period 2015-18. Finally, the Council noted that the next BIC summit would be hosted by the Scottish Government in June 2016.”
“All member Administrations reaffirmed the importance that they attach to the British-Irish Council, especially through the valued work undertaken by the work sectors. The Council agreed a number of principles, within the parameters set out in strand three of the 1998 agreement, to reinforce the sectors’ work and ensure that BIC continues to deliver value for all member Administrations.”
“<BR /> <BR />As is now customary at each summit, the Council discussed the current economic situation. All member Administrations outlined their latest economic indicators and the strategies in place to promote growth and to address unemployment. Overall, there was a picture of continued improvements in the respective Administrations. All Administrations reaffirmed the value of the Council’s discussions in this matter. The Council also reviewed the latest youth employment statistics across the member Administrations and welcomed the progress made in this area. <BR /> <BR />The Council discussed the 12 BIC work sectors and noted the positive achievements since the previous summit in June 2015. This included ministerial meetings held by the creative industries and housing work sectors.”
“Council members welcomed the agreement published on 17 November, ‘A Fresh Start: The Stormont Agreement and Implementation Plan’, following 10 weeks of cross-party talks involving the Northern Ireland Executive and the UK and Irish Governments. <BR /> <BR />Council members offered their condolences to the people of France following the recent terrorist attacks in Paris. The Council reflected on the effects of the conflict in Syria, the refugee situation in the Middle East and the impact that it was having in Europe. It noted the efforts across the eight BIC member Administrations and internationally to help those refugees. Specifically, Ministers noted the value of joint working and cooperation between member Administrations on the domestic resettlement of refugees.”
“The Isle of Man Government were led by the Chief Minister, the Hon Allan Bell MHK; the Government of Jersey were led by the Chief Minister, Senator Ian Gorst; and the Government of Guernsey were led by the Chief Minister, Deputy Jonathan Le Tocq. <BR /> <BR />The British-Irish Council was established under the 1998 multiparty agreement, and it plays a unique and important role in developing and furthering the links between its member Administrations. It provides a forum for exchange of information and collaboration on matters of mutual interest and fosters positive, practical relationships across these islands.”
“In accordance with the requirements of the Northern Ireland Act 1998, I wish to make the following statement on the twenty-fifth summit meeting of the British-Irish Council (BIC), which took place in Lancaster House in London on Friday 27 November 2015. The deputy First Minister, the Minister of the Environment and I attended the summit, and they have agreed that I make this statement also on their behalf. <BR /> <BR />The UK Government hosted the summit, and the heads of delegations were welcomed by the Secretary of State, the Rt Hon Theresa Villiers MP. The Irish Government were led by the Taoiseach, Enda Kenny TD; the Scottish Government were led by the First Minister, the Rt Hon Nicola Sturgeon MSP; and the Welsh Government were led by the First Minister, the Rt Hon Carwyn Jones AM.”
“I trust that, whatever mechanism is used to bring that about, it will have that outcome.”
“The Member knows my view on wanting to drive up the number of people who are willing to donate organs in our society. The Minister has already answered for the Department in that matter. There is a letter from clinicians, and I am very much aware that there are dangers when politicians try to tell the medical professionals what is best in their area. The outcome that I want to see is more organ donation. I do not run away from the issues in the Bill. There is some concern that the Bill as it is presently worded may not have the outcomes that are being suggested. Whatever it does, I think that it is incumbent on all of us — I am happy to leave my trust in the Health Minister in this respect — to ensure that we get the very best result for those who do need organs and have them available when they are needed.”
“There are key actions. You will have a task force that will take the drive against paramilitary criminality. You will have a strategy being brought forward by a panel for the total disbandment and the end of all of the structures of paramilitary organisations. You will have a monitoring and assessment body that will be able to look at the progress that is being made, and you will have the very considerable resources being made available, which I referred to earlier and which will help it do the task that it has to undertake. That whole range of issues shows that, with the goodwill of all the parties in the House, we can really make progress and, I trust, have the end of paramilitarism in Northern Ireland once and for all.”
“They do, unquestionably, and I do not think that anybody could take away from that fact. What I find most positive about the section on paramilitarism is that we have agreements that everybody in the House can sign up to. It is about standing together against paramilitarism in all its emanations. It is about having principles that we are all agreed on. We have put down a set of principles that are not just for Ministers to take when they go into office — although they will be part of the ministerial code's Pledge of Office — but for every Member of the Assembly to take.”
“It has not ducked the very critical issues that were causing the Assembly and the Executive to collapse. It has dealt with welfare reform, paramilitarism and budgetary issues and we have found ways to improve the way in which the Assembly and the Executive function. There are issues that are still to be resolved and we have not tried to hide that, but even on those, we made progress. I hope that, in the time to come, we can make still further progress.”
“I thank my friend for his remarks. There will always be people who have genuine misgivings about agreements that are reached, and there will be those who decide before an agreement is ever reached that they have misgivings about it. Even before the agreement was written, some references were being made about how unacceptable it was. However, it is worth pointing out to those people that, ultimately, the electorate in Northern Ireland will judge whether it wants to have wreckers deciding the future of Northern Ireland or whether it wants to invest its future in the hands of those who genuinely want to make a fist of the most difficult circumstances to move Northern Ireland forward. <BR /> <BR />I believe that we have done that in the agreement that has been reached.”
“They will be meaningless if they are not inclusive. There is no advantage in going out to get people's views and to cut off any particular interest simply because it does not accord with the view of someone on the panel that is looking at the issue. The engagements must be inclusive and, if we are to truly benefit from them, we need to respect and understand other people's views. What hope would there be if we wanted to have our own positions respected and understood but were not prepared to give that same degree of respect and understanding to others?”
“I hope that the meetings and engagements that will take place will do so in a positive spirit, where people are indicating how important their positions are rather than trying to live off bringing down somebody else's tradition and background. Let us try to have the best of our two traditions rather than enmity between them.”
“I am grateful for the Member's remarks. Within the agreement and implementation plan, it is agreed that the commission should be set up before March 2016, I think, but that the advertising for it should occur before the end of December. The purpose of that group is to go around Northern Ireland to speak directly to people, open up debate and have a conversation with the people of Northern Ireland about those issues which have dogged society for so long. <BR /> <BR />I think that we need to have a better understanding of the position that we each have. There are deep-seated differences in Northern Ireland about identity, culture and other matters. The way to break down those differences is to ensure that we have an understanding.”
“It is sufficient to say that while the leader of the Ulster Unionist Party was absolutely sure that this would be borrowing and that our children and our children's children would have to pay for decades to come, not one penny of this additional funding is borrowing. It is all money that is available to the Executive and which our children will not have to pay for. What our children would have to pay for is the futility of those who cannot see that the future of Northern Ireland rests on our having a shared future, moving forward together, trying to get stability in Northern Ireland and ensuring that we have an era of peace and prosperity for all those who we represent.”
“This one is a bit of an open goal to kick at, really. I think that I will resist the temptation.”
“It ranges particularly across those issues that will help the PSNI on security and paramilitary matters. It also has the invest-to-save element for fraud and error. The modest figure that has been put down for our savings in that is £150 million. I have to say that the earlier assessments that we had from DSD and DFP were considerably more than that, but time alone will tell what that turns out to be. <BR /> <BR />All in all, this makes a substantial additional element of funding available to the Executive. It allowed us, at our last Executive meeting, to clear the paper that the Finance Minister brought to us on the November monitoring round. It is very clear that, without any difficulty, we will be able to make ends meet this year.”
“On the issue of the finances of the Stormont Agreement and Implementation Plan, we should, first of all, remember that this is our second bite at this cherry because we did get a significant financial package previously. Some people unkindly and wrongly referred to it as being a bit of smoke and mirrors because of the £2 billion spending plan. It was a substantial amount of money and was not all direct funding; it did have that element of borrowing. What some people — those who probably do not have a great deal of financial knowledge — probably did not realise was that, even though it was borrowing, it was immediately making available to us real cash because of the savings in our spending, particularly as a result of the voluntary exit scheme. <BR /> <BR />This new package amounts to around £560 million.”
“I suppose that the reference to three generations is another way of saying, "Peter, you are very old."”
“I am grateful for the comments. It has been somewhat of a surreal experience. It is almost as if one was dead and listening to the obituary, but I am, I hope, still very much alive, and will remain so for some time to come.”
“Unquestionably, it will. Even in the last year, the Big Lottery Fund has, I think, made about 500 awards in Northern Ireland, totalling about £4·5 million. On top of that, it has assisted in granting about 800 organisations in Northern Ireland, ranging from community groups to some of the more strategic partnerships. Most of us will know that there was an intention on the part of the Big Lottery Fund to have a new programme on people in communities at the beginning of next year. If there is a change to the awards that it is permitted to make, it is likely that the people in communities project could be the first victim.”
“I do. My alarm bells went off when I heard the speculation that the Chancellor may move in that direction. Those of us who were active in politics at the time of the introduction of lottery funding, and, probably, many who were not, whatever their view might have been of having the National Lottery, recognised that the key ingredient was additionality and that it should not be used by government as a method of taxation to fund various necessary projects. I agree entirely with the Member, and I am pretty sure that the deputy First Minister and I would be agreeable to making known our views, and, I hope, the views of the House, to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport before any announcement is made.”
“There are no issues that should trip up the Executive in taking the positions necessary to have a sustainable Budget and be able to take decisions on behalf of the people whom we represent.”
“First, I thank the Member for his kind remarks. I agree with his question entirely. Towards the end of last week, I was speaking to a large group of businessmen. While they were full of the issue of the reduction in the level of corporation tax — the date and rate having been set — I told them that by far the most important aspect for business in the agreement that had been reached was the fact that there was to be stability in Northern Ireland. That is key for business decision-making. That is why we are right to call it 'A Fresh Start'. I think that business people know better than most that the environment in which they have to operate is key, so I agree with the Member entirely. I believe that the foundations have been laid in that agreement.”
“A number of Government-to-Government agreements in areas of economic cooperation, education and cultural promotion have been signed. Progress continues to be made in securing market access for our local agricultural products. Over recent months, we have hosted the Australian high commissioner and the ambassadors of Mexico, France and Finland to Northern Ireland. These representational meetings develop important diplomatic relations with other Governments and contribute to our wider international aims.”
“<BR /> <BR />Over the past 10 years, the Washington bureau's nurturing of important relations with senior US Government officials has been integral to Invest Northern Ireland's unprecedented success in attracting US investment into Northern Ireland. The Brussels office continues to influence European policy and legislation on behalf of the Executive. In 2014-15, it hosted seven ministerial visits and some 60 events, with almost 2,500 visitors. To put this in a financial context, the Executive have drawn down £72·7 million of competitive EU funds in the last three years. <BR /> <BR />Our relationship with China is still in its early stages, but we are already starting to see positive results. We recently welcomed three senior Chinese Government Ministers and four economic delegations to Belfast.”
“Mr Speaker, it is not often that the person who is asking a question so early on is not sure whether it will be reached. <BR /> <BR />The promotion of Northern Ireland internationally is a key strategic aim of the Executive's international relations strategy. We recognise the crucial role that enhancing our international credibility plays in securing the Executive's objectives. Our international priorities are focused on developing working relations in the United States, Europe and the People's Republic of China. The three Executive offices in Washington, Brussels and Beijing continue to play a significant role in this international outreach.”
“Mr Speaker, with your permission, I will ask junior Minister Mrs Emma Pengelly to answer that question.”
“I agree with the Member that those involved in such activity would probably have difficulty even reading a strategy. The strategy is for Departments and others to coordinate their efforts to ensure that we, as a community, unite and speak out against such activity. In that context, a strategy is valuable. <BR /> <BR />In terms of toughening the laws, there is a wide range of areas in our society where there is a requirement for severe deterrents. I would be happy for a review of the lengths of sentences and punishments and sanctions on race-hate and other types of hate crime.”
“First, I thank my good friend for her kind comments. <BR /> <BR />As I indicated in my first response, traditionally, people who come from ethnic minorities have fewer and weaker network supports and, from time to time, that means that they have to rely on the crisis fund for support. The crisis fund is, of course, there to give help to those who are destitute. Last year, I believe that the fund distributed about £36,600 and, this year, has £100,000 available to be used. Some have asked whether the crisis fund will be used for Syrian refugees. The answer is that, while technically it could, I think that the provision of the scheme under which they would be coming is such that they should not be destitute and, therefore, would not need to fall back on that fund.”