Northern Ireland Assembly, 19 November 2024

293 contributions from 60 members. The official report.

Members' Statements

Edwin Poots (DUP, Belfast South)

The usual rules apply.

Cathy Mason (Sinn Féin, South Down)

I extend my warmest congratulations to Downpatrick and County Down Railway on its remarkable success at the recent Social Enterprise NI awards. That distinguished local organisation achieved a double win, securing not one but two prestigious awards, which is a testament to its exceptional contribution to our community and, of course, our heritage.

First, I commend Morgan Young, the railway's operations manager, who was awarded the title of "Emerging Leader of the Year". Morgan's journey is nothing short of inspiring. From beginning as a 14-year-old volunteer to becoming director and operations manager at only 18, he has proven to be a remarkable role model for young people across the North. His dedication to the preservation and operation of steam locomotives and his leadership across the organisation clearly impressed the awards panel and stands as a shining example of youth leadership.

In addition, the railway was awarded the title of "Social Enterprise of the Year". That recognition is especially significant, given the challenges that Downpatrick and County Down Railway has faced over the past year. Severe flooding last year devastated its premises, causing substantial damage and demanding immense resilience and hard work to recover. Despite those setbacks, the railway's volunteers all pulled together, embodying their values of determination, inclusivity and, of course, community service. As the railway celebrates 40 years of service, the award honours not only its historic and social impact but its ethos of accessibility, tradition and community partnership.

I also make special mention of Robert Gardiner, whose dedication to and passion for the railway is uplifting. He truly deserves to be extremely proud of the award. Downpatrick and County Down Railway's achievements showcase the best of the North's social enterprise and reinforce the values of organisations dedicated to social, environmental and community-orientated goals. I am really proud to recognise its outstanding contribution. I am sure that the entire Assembly will join me in celebrating its success.

Harry Harvey (DUP, Strangford)

I draw the House's attention to the tremendous work of Operation Christmas Child, which is led in the UK by Samaritan's Purse.

As we all look forward to the next major event in the calendar, the Christmas season, I acknowledge the mammoth task that is undertaken yearly by the thousands of volunteers who gather shoeboxes and fill them with small gifts for children less fortunate than our own. The excitement that those gift boxes bring to children across the developing world each year cannot be overestimated. The supply of everything from soft toys, puzzles and board games to more useful gifts such as toiletries and personal care items brings the joy of receiving and opening a present to hundreds of thousands of children who otherwise would not get to experience the excitement that Christmas brings.

This year, the target is to reach an extra 260,000 children who might never have received a gift before. Many thousands of drop-off locations are already in full swing across the UK, with volunteers receiving and collating donations from the public. In my constituency, Ballynahinch Baptist Church will be the designated hub, and there will be many others across the Province.

There is a range of different ways in which to support the scheme. People can donate online or make their own shoebox. Many of our local secondary schools do a fantastic job in support of Operation Christmas Child. This Christmas, as we remember the greatest gift ever given — the birth of Jesus and the hope of the gospel — I encourage all Members to support that wonderful cause, be it through donation, promotion or support of those who do so much to ensure that thousands of children across the world, who otherwise would miss out, benefit from the joy of Christmas.

Kate Nicholl (Alliance, Belfast South)

This Thursday marks Carers Rights Day, and the theme this year is "Recognising your rights". The aim is to help carers recognise their rights and help them access the available support. Carers UK estimates that approximately 12,000 people across the UK become unpaid carers for a partner, family member or friend every day. That is a remarkable statistic, but it is probably not a surprise to Members, who, I am sure, know carers or are carers themselves. The importance of unpaid carers in our society cannot be overestimated, yet they are so often undervalued. Each and every day, thousands of people, many of whom have disabilities and health conditions themselves, dedicate themselves to looking after family, friends or loved ones. They do some of the most important and valuable work in our economy.

Although it is important that carers know what their rights are, I am also determined to do what I can in this place to ensure that their rights are enhanced. When the Minister for the Economy launched the consultation on his 'good jobs' employment rights Bill, it was very disappointing that paid carers' leave was omitted from it, particularly given the fact that we debated a motion in March 2024 in which the Assembly supported the provision of paid carers' leave. To those who are juggling unpaid care with work, paid carers' leave is one small way in which we can ensure that our carers can take time off to look after their loved ones. Ahead of Carers Rights Day, I therefore urge the Minister to reconsider the omission of paid carers' leave from the proposals for the 'good jobs' employment rights Bill and ensure that the rights of carers in Northern Ireland are not only maintained but enhanced through legislation. Evidence shows that that would not just benefit carers but help the economy and lower our spending on social security, making it a win-win policy for everyone. Alliance will continue to champion the importance of the issue and to support carers across Northern Ireland.

Diana Armstrong (UUP, Fermanagh and South Tyrone)

Last night, I attended the Ulster Farmers' Union (UFU) rally at the Eikon exhibition centre in Lisburn. Over 6,000 farming folk attended what was a phenomenal show of the strength of opposition to the Chancellor's proposed draconian taxes on farm succession and inheritance. The number of young people in attendance was most noteworthy. They are our future farmers, and we owe it to them to safeguard their future livelihood. They were there to send out a message of confidence in and commitment to their industry but also to share their fears about where the taxation policy is taking us. There were many older farmers present as well. In fact, all generations were represented. That signifies the threat being felt to the industry in Northern Ireland. Simply put, without farmers, there will be no food or protection of the landscape.

Recently, I spoke to a sixth-generation farmer who hopes to see his grandchildren running the family farm. He remarked on how much the industry had changed.

Small family farms require many farmers to engage in off-farm employment to generate sufficient income to cover all the associated costs and investments that are required to ensure that farms comply with farm quality assured schemes, the Red Tractor scheme, health and safety, biosecurity etc. The general public simply do not see that often, but that is what it takes to run a farm.

Farmers feel that the agricultural property relief tax will be the final straw. Future generations will have to sell portions of the land or take on additional borrowings, with associated financial and mental well-being challenges. Is it right that we ask our young farmers to take on that burden of inheritance tax? As someone remarked last night, "When the farmer dies, the Inland Revenue will be at the door chasing the inheritance tax". The words that I took away from last night were "anger", "uncertainty", "disappointment", "apprehension", "dread" and "heartbreak". We cannot allow this threat to future generations of farming.

The Assembly must speak with one voice, oppose the measures and take the message to Westminster that the nation's food security relies on protecting those who work the land for this generation and the next. I applaud the young speakers at last night's rally. Their message must resonate loud and clear: no farmers, no food. The Assembly must speak with one loud voice and oppose the measures.

Colin McGrath (Social Democratic and Labour Party, South Down)

I speak today for the many people across my constituency of South Down and my home town of Downpatrick who have a deep-seated love for the Quoile river and are committed to ensuring that it is preserved for future generations. Those of us who were born in the town or those who have chosen the town as their home will have many memories of time spent at the Quoile river, enjoying walks alongside it, fishing for pike of unparalleled quality and size or even enjoying the scenic views that are so identifiable with our town.

A close-knit community and the county town of Down, Downpatrick has suffered in recent years as Belfast has grown and expanded outwards and other towns have developed their home-grown tourist products. That was evidenced most clearly last year when we witnessed the horrendous floods that hit the town with such brutal and unstoppable force. Those of us who were on the ground that day orchestrated what was initially and largely a community rescue operation, whether that was to help people stuck in cars that were submerged in water or to salvage family-run business stock. The aftermath of the floodwaters reflected, in many ways, Downpatrick at its very best.

There followed many questions as to how the waters rose so quickly and what could be done to prevent it from happening again, yet what we have been treated to is a report that essentially said that the town flooded because of lots of rain. In June, we were told that it would take another eight months to produce a report that may indicate what needs to be done and that, in some instances, any measures may take up to eight to 10 years to be implemented. What state will our county town be in in 2033, if we have to wait that long for things to be done? How many of our home-grown businesses will be around then?

The people of Downpatrick love and know their town. They tell us that the riverbed of the Quoile has been allowed to build up with silt and sediment and that, in instances such as last autumn, the water simply had no place to go. The pipe network around the town must be inspected regularly to ensure that it is fit for purpose. Those are just a few of the measures that will not cost tremendous sums of money or consultancy fees but could help to safeguard the future of Downpatrick. We have seen how Lough Neagh has been allowed to fall to rack and ruin. The people of Downpatrick demand this of the Executive, and the SDLP echoes the call: do not let that happen to our River Quoile.

Alan Robinson (DUP, East Londonderry)

I record my heartiest congratulations to Bovalley Community Association in Limavady, which, on Thursday, was announced as an awardee of the King's Award for voluntary service. The King's Award is the highest civil award given to local volunteer groups across the UK to recognise outstanding work done in their areas.

Bovalley is a group that I have worked closely with since the days when it was based in Anderson Crescent in Limavady. When it outgrew those premises, there was a huge effort to ensure that the good work that the fantastic volunteers were involved in to make life better for those around them was not lost. After extensive lobbying, we secured a former Housing Executive property, and the rest is history. The seeds were planted, and a huge oak tree has grown ever since. Bovalley is a group that can call on over 30 volunteers of all ages who do sterling work across all ages, especially with vulnerable groups that experience poor educational, health or social outcomes.

I thank Bovalley for all that it does.

I congratulate it for that remarkable, headline-grabbing success. I send from the House our warmest best wishes, and I encourage the group to continue doing what it is doing. It has been an incredible journey from small beginnings in which it has done its community incredibly proud. I say this to the group: we appreciate your dedication and we are excited to see what further positive impacts you will bring to the area that you serve so well. I am personally so very proud of all that you do and that you have achieved. Here's to many, many more years of good work and continued success for Bovalley Community Association.

Cathal Boylan (Sinn Féin, Newry and Armagh)

I am immensely proud of Armagh Christian Brothers' School (CBS) and Coláiste Chaitríona, Ard Mhacha

[Translation: St Catherine’s College, Armagh]

and the positive impact that the Irish-medium sector has had on our community. Armagh CBS currently educates 207 pupils in its Irish-medium stream. In March 2024, the school was granted normalisation to increase enrolment to 245 pupils, starting from September 2024. While that recognition of demand is welcome, we know that it will fall short of what is needed in September 2025. To highlight that point, 23 pupils will leave rang a seacht

[Translation: primary 7]

this year. Meanwhile, 69 nursery pupils attend Irish-medium nurseries across Armagh city, all of which are feeder schools for Armagh CBS. Importantly, Armagh CBS is the only primary immersion education provider within an 11-mile radius.

Given those factors, enrolment will continue to grow significantly, underscoring the critical need for appropriate facilities. The Irish-medium stream at Armagh CBS has only six classrooms. One of those is a mobile unit that has reached the end of its life. In April 2024, the school submitted a minor works proposal, seeking two replacement mobile units under the school enhancement programme (SEP). The Department has proposed delivering a double mobile unit to replace the condemned mobile unit and providing an additional seventh classroom. Whilst that is a positive step, it falls short of addressing the real and immediate needs of the Irish-medium stream. Armagh CBS requires nine classrooms to accommodate its growing student population effectively. To meet that demand, it is imperative that Armagh CBS can provide suitable facilities for Irish-medium provision by September 2025. I will be writing to the Minister to urge him to act decisively to provide the nine classrooms that are needed to meet current and projected demand. The community of Armagh has embraced Irish-medium education, and it is only right that the facilities are put in place to nurture that growth.

Peter McReynolds (Alliance, Belfast East)

I rise to speak as chair of the all-party group on ADHD and, again, on behalf of the ADHD community, which is being failed by our health system in one of the most unjust ways that I have seen for some time in my involvement in politics. Since meeting a constituent at the start of this year, who had been told that he would have to wait for eight to 10 years for an assessment for ADHD, I am now learning that that is likely to be a made-up figure, to be honest, because no one actually knows when he will receive it. I will be submitting a petition to you, Mr Speaker, on behalf of thousands across Northern Ireland who are demanding long-overdue action. I have been contacted by a huge volume of people who are shocked that we have no commissioned services here. To make matters worse, we have no record of the number of people who are waiting for a diagnosis, because there is no need to keep those records.

The latest injustice is that some who have gone down the private route for a diagnosis, which is grossly oversubscribed, are being told by their GP that their shared care arrangements are coming to an end and that, if they are lucky, they will have 180 more days of medication and, after that, they will be on their own. That medication is transformative, 95% safe and improves the quality of life of those with the condition. In recent weeks, I have, sadly, received emails and phone calls from people in tears, not wanting to go back to the daily struggle of ADHD without medication. As one person put it to me:

"The clock is now ticking, and I am in despair at the thought of not being able to obtain another shared care arrangement, and I can't afford to pay for private medication."

This will create multiple inequalities, increase the backlog in mental health services and have ramifications across Departments here. Medication is the first avenue of treatment under NICE guidelines, but we now have some GPs putting people in limbo and into chaos. I get the arguments and the need for nuance and I understand the legalities, but, in my head, I rationalise it this way: people with ADHD are having their care removed and their quality of life diminished. What other condition would this happen with? Across the world, ADHD is not being recognised as a major problem, and the medication is transformative. In Northern Ireland, decisions are being made that are making people struggle. I urge GPs who are contemplating the removal of shared care arrangements to please think twice. I urge the Health Minister to rapidly accelerate work that he told me his officials were finalising; to intervene outside of this work, which could take many more years to bear fruit; and to intervene now to help a community that is being pushed to the brink.

Keith Buchanan (DUP, Mid Ulster)

Last week, I raised the issues of social media — its benefits and negatives. This week, I highlight the case of my constituent, Craig Ballentine from Cookstown, who, after travelling to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for a short holiday, has been detained in Dubai after posting on social media. I spoke to Craig on Friday and have offered him and his family support. Initially, when Craig was first detained, he was unable to contact his family. Currently, he has been released from custody but, due to a travel ban, he cannot leave the country and return home. Due to cybercrime laws in the United Arab Emirates, he could face a custodial sentence. He has been transferred from Abu Dhabi to Dubai, where he now awaits either the case against him going to court or charges being dropped.

Craig was not expecting to be detained when he returned to the United Arab Emirates after commenting on an online review about the problems that he had with a former employer. I understand that Craig's former employer had reported him to the UAE authorities as having absconded from work when he did not appear for work, despite Craig's having provided a doctor's certificate as proof of his illness. Craig has found the whole experience to be very traumatising, and his family, understandably, are also worried and stressed. I wish for the issue to be resolved soon and I wish Craig well.

Steve Aiken (UUP, South Antrim)

Today marks a sad anniversary; it is 1,000 days since Putin's invasion of Ukraine. Putin and his military, his paramilitary forces and the proxies that he has employed from Iran, North Korea, Syria and elsewhere have been unable to defeat Ukraine, which is a testament to the Ukrainians' courage, tenacity and ability to fight the most brutal of attacks, launched with a degree of ferocity not seen on this continent since the Second World War. For the Ukrainians, it has become a war of survival. If Ukraine loses, there will be no Ukraine. The fate of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is such an event that can only be imagined, and judging by how Putin has steadily eliminated those who stand against him, it cannot be one that he is looking forward to.

This is not an abstract war far away. As we have seen over the weekend in the Irish Sea and with the cutting of cables in the Baltic, Russia is in conflict with us right now. The term "hybrid war" is one that we must come to terms with and understand, as the Ukrainians have. The battle over social media, the attempts to manipulate the energy supplies, the cyberattacks, the sabotage and the deliberate heightening of tension by the use of useful idiots and fellow travellers voting against support for Ukraine in the European Parliament are just some examples of what is happening right now.

We do not have to wait for Russia to attack: in many ways, it is doing it right now. Freeloading on defence like our Southern neighbours is beyond scandalous. We need to be building up our defences and reinforcing our critical infrastructure as this war continues — a war that extends far beyond the Crimea, the Donbas, the skies over Kyiv and beyond. Defence and security are never cheap, but not investing in defence is the surest way to disaster. Spending 3% of our GDP on defence now is a lot better than having to spend 50% of it in a major war. Equally, to paraphrase that great European statesman, "Give us the tools, and we will finish the job". We should give Ukraine the weapons it needs and, more importantly, the authority to use them to make sure that this horrible war in Ukraine does not last for another 1,000 days. Maybe you will all join me in saying "Slava Ukraini".

Cheryl Brownlee (DUP, East Antrim)

I rise to mark Diabetes Awareness Day, which took place last Thursday, and to reflect on the ongoing challenges faced by individuals and families impacted on by diabetes. This is particularly personal for me as my wee son Lyle was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes this time last year, at only three years old. Lyle's journey into this new world began with signs that we did not recognise as diabetes. We had no family history and no knowledge, and he was only three.

It is critical to look out for extreme thirst, frequent pain, fatigue and weight loss: the four main signs of diabetes. When we got to the Royal, he was in diabetic ketoacidosis, a life-threatening condition. Thanks to the excellent care of the medical team, however, we left the hospital within just 10 days, equipped with the knowledge and confidence to manage that complex condition.

Part of this year's campaign aims to address the stigma around diabetes, highlighting the voices of the diabetes community in order to open conversations about the impact and stigma and to start to change the mindset. Nobody sees it, but it is about being up in the middle of the night with jelly babies to treat a hypo; the stress of doing your weekly food shop; the raised eyebrows when your diabetes technology beeps in the office; and the questions, "Should you be eating that?" and, "Did you eat too many sweeties?".

Diabetes is a complex condition. Oversimplifying what it means to live with diabetes and why it develops can contribute to the harmful stigma. Research found that over 50% of people living with diabetes miss healthcare appointments and that 80% have experienced negative attitudes because of their diabetes.

While it is manageable, it brings a constant pressure. It is a roller coaster of highs and lows as we strive to maintain blood sugar levels within a safe range. Modern technology, such as insulin pumps and continuous glucose monitors, offers remarkable support, but the daily effort is unrelenting, and the fear of complication never fully subsides.

Here in Northern Ireland, we must do more to improve the lives of those living with the condition. That includes better education on the early signs and symptoms of diabetes so that others do not face the same frightening experience. It also means ensuring access to the latest technology and resources, tackling the stigma and supporting organisations such as Diabetes NI that do incredible work for our communities.

Timothy Gaston (Traditional Unionist Voice, North Antrim)

I will start by quoting a song:

"A woman's place is not at home The fight for freedom, it still goes on I took up my gun until freedom's day I pledged to fight for the IRA"

Those are the words of a song by Patricia MacBride, a member of the Northern Ireland Judicial Appointments Commission. Her views are hardly a secret. The appointment of Ms MacBride as a victims' commissioner in 2008 caused outrage when, in her official biography, she described her brother as an "IRA volunteer" who was "killed on active service". Ten years later, on 23 October 2018, Ms MacBride referred to the 10 victims of the Shankill bomb, claiming that the bomber Thomas Begley was a victim in the same way as the people whom he bombed.

In spite of all that, the deputy First Minister thought it appropriate to sign off on Ms MacBride's appointment as a member of the Judicial Appointments Commission. What a shameful betrayal of innocent victims. The assertion of Emma Little-Pengelly on social media that political opinion cannot be a reason to refuse to approve the appointment is a fundamental misunderstanding of the law. Views that endorse or express acceptance of violence and terrorism are not protected political opinion, and — my goodness — I have cited enough evidence of that in this statement. Ms MacBride's defence and glorification of the IRA's terrorism were ample grounds to refuse to approve her appointment to such an important office, and the deputy First Minister should be ashamed of failing to do so.

Peter Martin (DUP, North Down)

Farmers are the backbone of our country. Agriculture contributes an enormous amount to our economy, especially in Northern Ireland, and the recent decisions on changes to inheritance tax and agricultural property relief as part of the autumn Budget have had devastating consequences. The decisions are short-sighted and completely ignore the obvious adverse impact that the changes will have on the sustainability of over 24,000 family farms throughout Northern Ireland. One consequence is that fathers will not be able to pass on family farms to their sons and daughters.

Societally, however, as has been said, farming ensures food security for our country: the ability, in a time of crisis, to feed our nation.

The appalling inheritance tax reforms could instigate the destruction of family farms that have been preserved and maintained for decades and, in some cases, centuries, as family members are forced to sell land and assets to cover the sizeable bill in the wake of a parent's death.

That is simply not good enough. As, ironically, the now Prime Minister Keir Starmer said last year:

"losing a farm is not like losing any other business — it can’t come back."

In Northern Ireland, agriculture is structured uniquely, with a high number of small to medium-sized, family-owned farms. DAERA has estimated that one third of farms in Northern Ireland could suffer under the new tax. It is encouraging to see the work of the Ulster Farmers' Union in opposing the new measures with a particularly vocal campaign that has received public backing. That was reflected last night, when 5,000 people attended a rally organised by the UFU in Lisburn, which reminded us that, if there are no farmers, there is no food. I encourage not only the UFU but the National Farmers' Union (NFU) to step up their protest if the Government will not change the odious policy. The NFU, using figures from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), suggested that it could affect as many as 70% of farms in the UK; in fact, DEFRA has now admitted that it was not consulted on the new tax prior to the announcement.

The DUP has not wavered in our position that farming is one of the most crucial sectors in Northern Ireland and the wider United Kingdom. We stand shoulder to shoulder with farmers. The DUP's Westminster team, led by Gavin, is working with others to lobby for a reversal of that appalling policy.

Edwin Poots (DUP, Belfast South)

I call Maurice Bradley. Mr Bradley, you have a couple of minutes.

Maurice Bradley (DUP, East Londonderry)

Thank you, Mr Speaker. I will be brief.

I congratulate Coleraine-based charity Ashes to Gold, which has been awarded the King’s Award for Voluntary Service 2024. Ashes to Gold is a registered charity that serves the people of the Causeway coast and glens area. Its work is dedicated to promoting positive mental health and supporting those in need. Ashes to Gold provides purposeful activities to individuals in the Causeway coast and glens area who want to increase their confidence, motivation and self-belief while learning new skills.

The King’s Award for Voluntary Service is the highest award a local voluntary group can receive in the UK. It is equivalent to an MBE. The Coleraine charity is one of only 22 groups throughout Northern Ireland to receive the award this year. With over 50 volunteers, including eight counsellors, the Ashes to Gold team donates over 1,500 hours of its time every month to make the lives of those involved in the project much better. I take my hat off to Ashes to Gold, and I congratulate it on that well-deserved award.

Edwin Poots (DUP, Belfast South)

Thank you. That concludes Members' Statements.

Assembly Business

Kate Nicholl (Alliance, Belfast South)

On a point of order, Mr Speaker. Subject to Standing Order 65(1)(c), will the Speaker make a judgement on whether the Communities Minister was guilty of a breach of good order in the Assembly Chamber yesterday when he aggressively told me to sit down while I was seeking clarity on the Alliance Party's position in support of funding of childcare?

Edwin Poots (DUP, Belfast South)

I thank the Member for raising her point of order. Before I get into that, I note that a number of points of order were made yesterday that my office is considering. However, from initial review, there were clearly occasions yesterday when Members fell short of our standards of debate. I will deal with the individual matters once I have completed my consideration of them. For now, I remind all Members and Ministers that the House expects courtesy, good temper, moderation and respect in exchanges between Members. Members know that I like robust debate and for Members to articulate their views powerfully in the Chamber on behalf of their constituents, but you can do that and demonstrate good manners at the same time. I was brought up in a home where the saying was, "Manners maketh the man". They maketh the woman, too, of course; it covers everyone. I expect good manners at all times.

I also remind Members that points of order are for raising procedural points with the Speaker and not for political point-scoring. If a Member has an issue with something said during a debate, the proper response is to seek to make an intervention or respond to it in a later contribution.

I can confirm to the Member who has just spoken that the issue that she raised is one of the issues that I will return to.

Ministerial Statement

Edwin Poots (DUP, Belfast South)

I have received notice from the Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs that he wishes to make a statement.

Andrew Muir (Alliance, North Down)

Thank you, Mr Speaker, for the opportunity to make a statement to the Assembly on my plans to review environmental governance in Northern Ireland.

Environmental governance is about ensuring that the decisions we make about how we protect and enhance our natural and marine environment are effective. They could be decisions on policy and regulation or on resourcing. Crucially, it is also about accountability: making sure that there is proper scrutiny and oversight of those decisions and accountability for the outcomes achieved as a result of their implementation. I am very conscious of the level of interest from Members and the wider public in how we address the increase in the environmental challenges that we face. People care deeply about our natural environment. They worry about the degradation of sites of environmental significance and about biodiversity loss, and they want to see greater protection for our environment and greater accountability.

The blue-green algae blooms that appeared in the summer and last year at Lough Neagh generated real concern and had a real impact, including on those who live along or earn their livelihood on the lough and its connected waterways. They have also been a wake-up call for us all. There has been a realisation that, for generations, we have not been good custodians of our environment and that that needs to change.

The environmental challenges that we face are complex and cannot be addressed in isolation by any one organisation. That is why we are absolutely committed to working with a wide range of voluntary advocate groups and industry representatives to address the challenges and ensure that we protect the environment for everyone who lives here. The implementation of the now-agreed environmental improvement plan (EIP), the Lough Neagh action plan and other policies that my Department is taking forward will make a difference, but there are no quick fixes. Undoubtedly, more could be done with more resources, and I will continue to make the case for investment in our environment. Today, however, is about oversight and accountability. It is about the steps that I am taking to highlight the need for tighter governance and to ensure that we understand the best model by which that can be secured.

Strengthening environmental governance has been and continues to be a key priority of mine since taking up ministerial office in the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs. Like Lough Neagh, it is a complex issue that will not be fixed overnight. Optimal structures and processes need to be in place to enable positive environmental outcomes to be achieved. Prior to the UK leaving the EU, the majority of environmental policy development and implementation in DAERA was linked to transposing a wide range of EU directives into domestic legislation. The Environment Act 2021 brought in a range of environmental measures, including a new legal framework for environmental governance and accountability. Those included the Office for Environmental Protection (OEP) functioning here, the preparation and publication of a statement on environmental principles and the obligation to produce an environmental improvement plan. Any proposals to improve environmental governance therefore need to be set in the context of that changed regulatory landscape.

I will say a little shortly about the component parts of the current landscape, but, first, I will say something about the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA). NIEA is an agency of my Department. It has its own chief executive and accounting officer and has operational flexibility to operate within the legislative and policy parameters that exist, but it is certainly not independent; in fact, it has no separate legislative basis, and the powers and functions that it carries are carried in the name of the Department. That is the reality; it is not a criticism. It is really important that I make it clear that the many calls for a different environmental governance regime and, indeed, my desire to see one are absolutely no reflection on the dedication and commitment that I see every day in the staff of NIEA. They are public servants who continue to work tirelessly to protect and enhance our natural environment whilst regulating the activities that can adversely affect it.

NIEA staff are firmly at the front line of many current, high-profile environmental issues, working to address the ongoing threats to nature and water quality from a range of factors, including climate change, the pollution of our freshwater environment and the continued decline of our biodiversity. Their jobs are demanding and often challenging, and they frequently involve working out of hours and in difficult and sometimes dangerous situations. Any changes that we decide, in time, to introduce to strengthen environmental governance will build on the foundations laid by NIEA staff. I thank them for their commitment and dedication to our environment.

I now turn to the Office for Environmental Protection (OEP). From 2022, we have also seen the extension of the role of the Office for Environmental Protection to include Northern Ireland. As Members will know, the OEP provides an environmental oversight function previously undertaken by the European Commission. It is tasked with holding government to account for the proper implementation of environmental law and has recently issued a number of reports to do exactly that, including one just today. It is important to recognise, however, that taking action against individuals or private businesses remains the responsibility of the NIEA and other enforcement agencies.

Section 50 of the Climate Change Act (Northern Ireland) 2022 requires the Executive Office to establish an independent office to be known as the Northern Ireland Climate Commissioner (NICC). The commissioner's functions are:

"to oversee and report on the operations"

of the Act. When the commissioner's office is established, we will need to work with it to understand the governance role that it might play in our environment and how it will interact with the work of the OEP.

I will explain the background to the creation of an independent environmental protection agency (IEPA). The environmental governance landscape is already complex, and there are a range of options for how it could be improved. That could include the creation of an independent environmental protection agency. Members will be aware of a number of reviews that were carried out in the past on the need for an independent environmental protection agency. The most recent was a 2015 consultation led by the Department of the Environment that sought views from the public and from organisations. The overall response rate of 37 to the 2015 consultation was relatively low, but 26 — 70% — of the respondents were in favour of an independent agency being created. Much has changed since the 2015 consultation, including the formation of DAERA on 8 May 2016, when the Department of the Environment's functions were largely transferred to that Department.

More importantly, perhaps, public understanding of and opinion on environmental issues has changed substantially as a result of increased concerns about environmental degradation and climate change. For a variety of reasons, not least the absence of Ministers and the Assembly, competing priorities and resourcing constraints, there has been little movement on establishing an independent environmental protection agency. That has led to growing concerns and frustrations among a number of groups that feel that more needs to be done. I accept that.

I am therefore committed to bringing forward proposals for improving environmental governance in Northern Ireland. I am keen for such proposals to reflect a thorough exploration of models that would deliver improved and more independent environmental governance than what is currently in place. In order to improve Members' and the public's confidence in our environmental governance arrangements, I want to ensure that that is done right. I therefore do not plan to rush the decisions on such an important and complex matter. There is clearly a need to consider the substantive issues involved in moving to a more robust model of environmental governance, and I am keen to obtain an independent view to ensure that the best possible outcomes can be achieved.

I am therefore pleased to announce that I have appointed an independent panel with appropriate experience and expertise that will oversee a review of current environmental governance arrangements in Northern Ireland and provide recommendations for improvement for my consideration, including on how to enhance scrutiny, accountability and public confidence. They may contain proposals for establishing an independent environmental protection agency in Northern Ireland, including the potential shape, policy and legal responsibility of such an organisation. The estimated cost, deliverability and time frames for implementation of each option will also need to be considered.

The independent panel will lead a call for evidence on improving environmental governance in Northern Ireland and will use information gathered from the process, along with other relevant factors and research, to inform its recommendations. The panel will provide its independent recommendations to the Department on the basis of its assessment and findings, and I will not seek to influence those in any way. A stakeholder reference group will be established to support the work of the panel, and membership of the group will be confirmed in due course.

Members will want to know a bit more about the membership of the panel. Dr Viviane Gravey will chair the panel. She is a senior lecturer in European politics at Queen's University and has considerable knowledge of environmental governance in post-Brexit Northern Ireland. Dr Gravey will be assisted by Diane Ruddock, who has now retired from the National Trust as external affairs manager, and John McCallister, who is a member of the Ulster Farmers' Union (UFU) and provides a wealth of experience of the agriculture industry.

Together, they will use their experience and independent expertise to take forward a short, focused review of environmental governance in Northern Ireland. It will include a brief review of current arrangements in Northern Ireland, which will be supported by the Department’s initial scoping exercise of the environmental governance arrangements that are in place across the UK and Ireland, so that they can take lessons from the various approaches that have been adopted by others; taking forward a call for evidence and engaging with interested parties and stakeholders to understand views and opinions and identify best practice in related work areas from other parts of the UK, Ireland or elsewhere; exploring options to improve environmental governance; and consideration of the linkages and interdependencies between the environmental governance being considered and other functions and business needs in DAERA and other relevant organisations.

Delivering that review will require the independent panel to engage with relevant key stakeholders, including, of course, the OEP, and the process will be confirmed in due course. My officials will support the work of the panel in an administrative capacity. The terms of reference for the panel’s work and how people can engage with it will be published later today. I have asked the panel to produce an interim report by spring 2025, and the review will be completed by summer of next year. Following my consideration of its recommendations, I intend to identify a preferred way forward, which I will take to the Executive so that we can reach agreement on any proposed new arrangements before they are presented to the Assembly.

In taking this forward, I am mindful of the commitment contained in 'New Decade, New Approach':

"The Executive should bring forward a Climate Change Act to give environmental targets a strong legal underpinning. The Executive will establish an Independent Environmental Protection Agency to oversee this work and ensure targets are met."

In closing, as I have said many times, there are no quick fixes for the significant environmental challenges that we face today, and environmental governance is no different. However, rest assured that I am fully committed to strengthening environmental governance in Northern Ireland and, by doing so, improving public confidence in our governance arrangements and, ultimately, reducing our environmental degradation. I hope that this announcement will be welcomed by Members, as its outworking will provide up-to-date and robust evidence to support the preferred option. That will allow us to progress this work with credibility and confidence. I will, of course, update Members when the environmental governance review has concluded and following Executive consideration.

Patsy McGlone (Social Democratic and Labour Party, Mid Ulster)

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire as a ráiteas.

[Translation: I thank the Minister for his statement.]

This issue, particularly environmental improvement protection and an agency to provide that, has been talked to death in the Assembly. The Minister's party and my party have committed to it. I am a bit puzzled by paragraph 30, which states that the panel's recommendations:

"may include proposals for establishing an IEPA in Northern Ireland".

Is that a mistake, or is it a commitment to a "will", a "shall", a "but" or a "maybe"?

Andrew Muir (Alliance, North Down)

I thank the Member for his question. I believe in an independent environmental protection agency, and I am on the record in that regard. This is about a genuine attempt to improve environmental governance in Northern Ireland. I am setting up an independent panel so that we can look at how we can improve environmental governance. I am open to whatever recommendations it comes back with. I will be surprised if it does not come back with a recommendation for an independent environmental protection agency, and, if it does, it may be considered. Let me be clear: the review is a genuine attempt to move this forward. Once the report comes back, I will give it due consideration and bring it swiftly to the Executive and then to the Assembly.

Robbie Butler (UUP, Lagan Valley)

I welcome the Minister's announcement. Indeed, it is very much in keeping with the Ulster Unionist Party's proposal of about six months ago when my predecessor, Tom Elliott, whilst in support of the creation of a review, asked for an estimation of governance. I appreciate that.

The Minister talked about the stakeholder group. Will he assure us that under-represented groups, such as the disabled and children and young people, who have previously been neglected in government policy, will be consulted on the establishment of the panel and its membership?

Andrew Muir (Alliance, North Down)

The stakeholder reference group still has to be established. We will want to make sure that relevant views are considered as part of that, and the panel has already defined a number of groups with whom it will want to engage. Of course, the panel will be open to further engagement.

Nicola Brogan (Sinn Féin, West Tyrone)

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire fosta.

[Translation: I thank the Minister also.]

Assuming that the independent panel that has been announced today leads to the creation of the independent environmental protection agency, we will then have the IEPA, the Environment Agency, the future climate commissioner and the Office for Environmental Protection. How would the creation of an IEPA, if that is what the review leads to, affect the role of the OEP and those other organisations?

Andrew Muir (Alliance, North Down)

The Member touched upon the important issue of the complexity of the landscape that we are in. We have the Office for Environmental Protection, the NIEA, the climate commissioner, who will come on board, and the just transition commission. That is why it is important that we give that matter careful consideration.

Many people come to me and say that they want an independent environmental protection agency. My support for that is clearly on the record. What I have not heard, however, is exactly what its functions should be, what it should do and how it would fit into the way forward for the environmental governance landscape. That is the key issue, and I am establishing the panel so that we can consider the landscape that we are in and where we want to take things.

I hear the concerns around that, and that is why I am taking action on it. I hope that people will see it for what it is, which is a genuine attempt to try to improve environmental governance in Northern Ireland. I could have come to the Assembly and said that I am setting up an independent environmental protection agency tomorrow, but what about the details of it? What would its powers be? How would it be funded? Where would the accountability measures for it be? It is also important that we engage with society on those issues so that we can bring forward very clear proposals that would have the support of society in Northern Ireland, because we need to work together on those issues.

Michelle McIlveen (DUP, Strangford)

Whether it is the NIEA or an independent environmental protection agency, it is imperative that a body be appropriately funded and staffed. Will the panel look at the performance of NIEA in the correct context while recognising underfunding? What process was undertaken to identify and appoint the panel? Is it not somewhat disingenuous to suggest that the recommendations "may contain proposals", when two of the panel have already stated their desire for an independent environmental protection agency?

Andrew Muir (Alliance, North Down)

I decided to ask the individuals to serve on the panel. I believe that they bring appropriate expertise on academia, the environment and agriculture. I think that they will do a very good job, and I am grateful to them for stepping forward to serve. The NIEA is part of my Department. I am proud of the work that it does, and capable individuals work there.

Part of the issue in any consideration of an independent environmental protection agency is resourcing. That is crucial, because it also feeds into the structure of the organisation. You could set up an independent body, but, essentially, the funding could then be determined as part of Budget rounds and stuff like that. That could also be a consideration when thinking about its effectiveness. That is why we need proper consideration of how anything will be resourced. That is for the panel to engage with people on and to consider.

John Blair (Alliance, South Antrim)

I thank the Minister for the statement and for the progress that has been made on the review of environmental governance. What difference does the Minister think that an independent environmental protection agency, or a similar body, might make in preventing environmentally damaging scenes such as those that we see recurring at Lough Neagh?

Andrew Muir (Alliance, North Down)

A number of issues can be teased out from that. One is public trust and confidence. That is where the independence point arises in how the body would be structured and how you would ensure that it genuinely was independent. Some people may say to me that other bodies across the UK, Ireland and Europe are independent, yet they are under the direction of Ministers, so when you tease it out a bit more, you find that the consideration of the issue is a bit more detailed.

The other point relates to the body's ability to take action to deal with environmental issues and being able to have the confidence to speak out on the issues of the day. The chair of the Office for Environmental Protection was on the radio this morning debating the water quality report, and that was a constructive contribution to the issue.

I come here, as the Minister, looking for increased and strengthened environmental governance. I do not shy away from it, and that is why it is important that it is done.

Áine Murphy (Sinn Féin, Fermanagh and South Tyrone)

I thank the Minister for his statement. Minister, will you explain how the members of the independent panel were chosen? What exactly were the processes in the appointments or the applications?

Andrew Muir (Alliance, North Down)

In considering members for the panel, we had to look at the different expertise that was required. It was not a public appointment process, because it is a very short, focused piece of work that requires expertise. Those were the people whom I appointed, and I believe that they will do an excellent job.

Andrew McMurray (Alliance, South Down)

How does the regulatory regime that has been in place for Northern Ireland Water since its foundation in 2007 fit as part of this review?

Andrew Muir (Alliance, North Down)

I am taking that forward separately, because one can walk and chew gum at the same time. I have asked officials to review the statement of regulatory principles and intent (SORPI), which has been the arrangement in place for NI Water since 2007, when it was founded. I am on the record as saying that I do not believe that that statement is fit for purpose and that we need to call time on SORPI. I want to move to a situation where, in a regulatory context, NI Water is treated like any other polluter in Northern Ireland, and I am working on that as well.

Colm Gildernew (Sinn Féin, Fermanagh and South Tyrone)

I welcome the Minister's statement, particularly around the issues of scrutiny, accountability and public confidence, given the matters that he and I have previously discussed in my constituency. Is he able to assure us that the new arrangements will ensure that communities can access those helplines as and when they are needed and that a robust and timely response will be available to them?

Andrew Muir (Alliance, North Down)

The Member touches on the importance of setting up the panel. That is why I am taking this approach so that the public can engage with the panel and have their views heard. I am keen to do that, because this is a genuine attempt to ensure that people's issues are heard and that their desires for improving environmental governance can shape the way forward. I am genuinely committed to doing that and I am making a real attempt to try to move the issue forward.

Declan McAleer (Sinn Féin, West Tyrone)

Minister, the statement referenced the NIEA. Without pre-empting the outcome of the inquiry that you are setting up, how do you envisage that NIEA will interface or sit alongside the new proposed IEPA?

Andrew Muir (Alliance, North Down)

It will be for the panel to come back with recommendations. Members will know that NIEA performs various functions. I am very conscious of the good work that NIEA does, and I expressed my thanks to its officials in my statement because I am very grateful for the excellent job that they do. However, we need to consider what any future arrangements will involve and how that will interface with NIEA. The panel will tease that out in the time ahead. I am not going to prescribe exactly how I feel that NIEA should perform, because there are other environmental governance functions in Northern Ireland beyond NIEA that we will want to consider.

Trevor Clarke (DUP, South Antrim)

Minister, in your statement, you clearly commend the work of NIEA. However, is bringing in an independent agency not a duplication and does it not increase bureaucracy? Were you listening last night to the farmers' views of your environmental statistics so far?

Andrew Muir (Alliance, North Down)

It is not a duplication: it is a genuine attempt to ensure that there is not duplication and that we consider a better way forward. I am listening to people, and I get the concerns around environmental issues in Northern Ireland. Farmers are the custodians of our countryside, and they are doing an excellent job. There are many examples of that across Northern Ireland. We all know that we need to do better, and that is what this is about: it is about trying to do things together. We would do well to listen a bit more in Northern Ireland, and this is an attempt to do that.

Sian Mulholland (Alliance, North Antrim)

Minister, like me, you are a champion for young people's voices. How will the panel engage with young people, and who else do you envision the panel engaging with?

Andrew Muir (Alliance, North Down)

The list of organisations that the panel will engage with will include youth groups in Northern Ireland, such as, for example, the Northern Ireland Youth Forum and the Young Farmers' Clubs of Ulster. It is important that young people's voices are heard in relation to this, and that is what the panel will be doing in the time ahead.

Matthew O'Toole (Social Democratic and Labour Party, Belfast South)

Minister, I was startled by this statement. In the past 20 years, we have had, I think, four reviews of environmental governance and, in that time, we have seen Europe's worst environmental crime at Mobuoy and one of the most startling examples of environmental degradation at Lough Neagh. Your party's 2022 manifesto said that you would set up an independent environmental protection agency. It did not say that you would set up a panel or consult on whether to set up an environmental protection agency: it said that you would set up such an agency. Are you running scared from actually delivering on environmental protection, and is it not the case that if this panel reviews on, maybe, whether to set up an environmental protection agency by next summer, there is no chance whatsoever of it passing into law by the end of this mandate?

Andrew Muir (Alliance, North Down)

That is entirely untrue, Matthew, and you know that. You know that I am firmly committed to the environment in Northern Ireland. You know that I stand very strongly in support of our manifesto. However, I face significant challenges in this job, one of which is about how to bring people with us and improve our environment together. That is what I am firmly committed to doing. This is a very strong statement from me about working with people and trying to improve environmental governance in Northern Ireland.

I am on the record as having said, time and again, that I believe in having an independent environmental protection agency. That is my belief and my view. I am looking to improve environmental governance in Northern Ireland in the time ahead. By appointing an experienced and respected panel, I have taken the issue to another level: it is about doing it. With the greatest respect, I say that the SDLP reviewed that previously, and it went nowhere. I am trying to take it somewhere.

Peter McReynolds (Alliance, Belfast East)

I thank the Minister for his statement and his commitment to the environment. What impact will improved environmental governance have on the tackling of illegal dumping and fly-tipping?

Andrew Muir (Alliance, North Down)

A key issue is how we work together, particularly in central government and local government, to address those issues. It is key that we look at that. The next step of the review of environmental governance will give us the opportunity to do that. From looking at previous reviews, it is apparent that there is a need for collaboration on those issues. The current review will, hopefully, provide a way forward whereby we will have an improved way of dealing with the issues that the Member has outlined.

Mark Durkan (Social Democratic and Labour Party, Foyle)

I thank the Minister for another marathon statement, but, sadly, it seems that we are running round in circles a bit.

The Minister is aware that I am working on a Member's Bill that includes provision for the establishment of an independent environment agency. I was half hoping that the Minister would beat me to it, but, from his statement, it appears that that is unlikely to be the case.

The Minister referred to a review carried out by the SDLP. Does the Minister accept that, at the time of that review, the majority of Ministers in the Executive were opposed to the establishment of an independent environmental protection agency, whereas now there is a majority in the Executive and in the Assembly that has repeatedly voted in favour of the establishment of an IEPA?

Andrew Muir (Alliance, North Down)

I am aware of the Member's Bill and am working to engage constructively with the Member on it. There are lots of good elements in the Bill, and we talked about those recently. I believe that we can work towards introducing the Bill in this mandate. As the Member knows, we have a multi-party Executive. It is an arranged marriage that has brought us together, and I need to bring people in the Executive with us. I am committed to doing that, not to grandstanding on the issue.

William Irwin (DUP, Newry and Armagh)

I thank the Minister for his statement. The Minister will be aware from last night's rally of the strength of feeling among farmers about the issue of planning and the Northern Ireland Environment Agency. There are 200 applications in the system, many of which are for replacement buildings on farms. Has the Minister found or is he trying to find a solution to the situation?

Andrew Muir (Alliance, North Down)

The Member outlines the issue of air quality and ammonia in Northern Ireland and how my Department, as a statutory consultee, is replying to the relevant planning authorities on that. I am aware of those concerns.

When I took on this ministerial office in February, I inherited a number of challenges, one of which is the issue that the Member has outlined. I grasped the issue and have been convening ministerial round tables to consider a better way forward. I am chairing those round tables. We had a meeting last week, and we will have a meeting in January, which will be to consider, primarily, the issue of replacement buildings.

I am committed to finding a better way forward, because the current system is not working for our environment or for farmers in Northern Ireland. I am determined that we chart a better course in tackling those issues, which will probably be aired further in the Chamber today, given some of the motions in the Order Paper. We need to find a way forward, and we need to be conscious of the legal framework and the recently published report of the Office for Environmental Protection.

Justin McNulty (Social Democratic and Labour Party, Newry and Armagh)

Minister, thank you for your statement. You called attention to the commitment in 'New Decade, New Approach' to the Executive establishing an independent environmental protection agency, but you seemed to then recoil from that position: mixed messaging. What if the independent panel cannot reach an agreed position on the establishment of an independent EPA? What then?

Andrew Muir (Alliance, North Down)

Ultimately, that sits with me. It is for me to bring decisions to the Executive and then to the Assembly. I have commissioned the process to move this forward, but it will come back to me and will be for me to determine a way forward. The Member is aware of the wording of the New Decade, New Approach commitment. It relates to climate change legislation, which is something that I also seek to progress.

There has been no mixed messaging from me. I am very clear that I believe in having stronger environmental governance. I also believe in an independent environmental protection agency. What is more, I am determined to do something constructive about it.

Timothy Gaston (Traditional Unionist Voice, North Antrim)

Minister, in a previous answer to me, you advised the House that 24% of excess phosphorous entering the water environment in Northern Ireland is from waste water treatment works, yet your statement does not even mention the Department for Infrastructure or Northern Ireland Water. After your experience last night, Minister, why have you not learned that, as Minister of Agriculture, you should not be afraid to speak up for farmers and point the finger at the ministerial colleagues who are contributing to the environmental problems?

Andrew Muir (Alliance, North Down)

I am the Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, and I am focused on the entire remit of my Department. I have consistently been on the record about the arrangement with Northern Ireland Water, known as "SORPI", which puts Northern Ireland Water in a separate regulatory regime compared with others. I have made clear the need to call time on that. It is not fit for purpose, and I have asked officials to review it. It is not acceptable that NI Water is treated differently as a polluter compared with everyone else, and I am working to address that.

Deborah Erskine (DUP, Fermanagh and South Tyrone)

I thank the Minister. He will know that Northern Ireland Water has special dispensation; in fact, we do not know the full scale of the pollution. We know that 40% of storm overflows already fail the standard and, indeed, that 1,200 overflows are still to be assessed. When, exactly, will we see details of what his Department will do about SORPI? Time is ticking on this really important issue. Farmers are not always to blame. It is important that we deal with the problems in our Government on the issue.

Andrew Muir (Alliance, North Down)

I have tasked officials to review SORPI. I understand that that review will be concluded by the end of the year, and I will then take it forward. I will be looking for the support of Members. For me to be able to remove the separate regulatory regime for Northern Ireland Water, I will need support from Members in the Assembly. I am very clear that NI Water pumping sewage into our rivers, lakes and loughs is not acceptable, and it needs to end.

Edwin Poots (DUP, Belfast South)

That concludes questions to the Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs.

Assembly Business

Gordon Lyons (DUP, East Antrim)

On a point of order, Mr Speaker. Further to points of order made earlier, is it in order for me to say that I understand that concerns have been expressed about comments that I made as I was leaving the Chamber yesterday? I believe in the cut and thrust of debate. I believe that we need to robustly challenge each other in the Chamber. I can give it, and I can take it, but I understand that there are those in the Chamber whom I have, perhaps, sincerely offended, and I am more than content to apologise for that. We need to continue that robust debate, but I understand the concerns that some have expressed today.

Edwin Poots (DUP, Belfast South)

I thank the Member for making that point of order.

We now move to a statement from the Minister for Communities. Members may take their ease while the Deputy Speaker takes the Chair.

(Mr Deputy Speaker [Mr Blair] in the Chair)

Ministerial Statement

John Blair (Alliance, South Antrim)

The Speaker has received notice from the Minister for Communities that he wishes to make a statement. Before I call the Minister, I again remind Members that questions must be concise. This is not an opportunity for debate or long introductions.

Gordon Lyons (DUP, East Antrim)

I wish to update the Assembly regarding winter fuel payments in Northern Ireland.

Being in government is about making choices. Sometimes, we have to take difficult decisions in the best interests of the people we serve. The Labour Government have sought to portray the decision on the winter fuel payment as difficult but necessary: I could not disagree more. I have previously set out my opposition to their move, and I will continue to make the case for full reinstatement. It was not in the Labour Party manifesto; it was not even mooted by them beforehand. Secondly, I do not believe that there will be a significant financial saving, and, finally but most importantly, I believe that it will be detrimental to the health and well-being of many of our people, especially those who just fall short of qualifying for pension credit.

As we all know, winter brings many challenges. For our older people, staying warm and healthy during the colder months is particularly important. Energy costs are not just a financial issue; they affect people's comfort, health and quality of life. The decision by the Labour Government to remove the winter fuel payment from pensioners who are not on pension credit or other means-tested benefits has left many of our people feeling anxious about how they will manage their energy bills this winter. The decision has had a significant impact, and I recognise the need to act quickly to provide relief.

In my statement to the Assembly on 10 September, I advised that I had asked Executive colleagues to ring-fence any Barnett consequentials for cost-of-living support this winter. That request was to enable me to do whatever I could to alleviate the worst consequences of the winter fuel payment changes announced by the Labour Government. I have kept my promise. I am pleased to announce that I have secured £17 million to help mitigate those winter fuel payment changes. I thank my Executive colleagues for supporting my bid for that funding.

My goal is simple: to ensure that every pensioner in Northern Ireland has some support to stay warm and safe during the winter. We understand that the costs of fuel and energy are a burden on many households, particularly those on fixed incomes, as is the case with our pensioners. On the basis of the available funding, I asked my officials to explore options to help and support the pensioners impacted by the loss of the winter fuel payment. Following careful examination of each of those options, I can confirm that a one-off winter fuel payment of £100 will be paid to all pensioner households affected by the Labour Government's decision. I believe that that initiative reflects my commitment to fairness, compassion and responsibility towards our older population.

My officials are now working at pace to prepare and bring forward the necessary legislation to finalise arrangements. The payment will be made available to all pensioner households that have had their winter fuel payments removed. There will be no application process, as we will automatically identify eligible individuals through existing records. That approach will ensure a smooth and efficient distribution of payments without the additional burden of application forms or red tape. The payment will be made before the end of March 2025. However, I am working closely with officials to deliver it as soon as possible.

As previously stated, it is extremely important that people ensure that they are receiving all the benefits that they are entitled to. Recent pension credit promotional activities by my Department have been successful, and the number of pension credit applications has increased significantly. During the period of August to October 2024, 3,026 pension credit applications were received. That is an increase of around 56% on the number of applications received in the corresponding period last year, during which there were 1,941 applications for pension credit.

Furthermore, last week I announced an uptake in additional benefits of £62 million in 2023-24 through my Department's Make the Call service, £21 million of which went to pensioners. That free and confidential service puts people in touch with support that they may be entitled to but have not been claiming. Pension credit in particular can provide access to a range of other supports and benefits, which can be a lifeline for our older generations. I want to ensure that all available support and entitlements go directly to those who need them, so I encourage everyone to make the call.

There is also good progress being made on the fuel poverty strategy, which has the vision of a warm, healthy home for everyone. I look forward to launching the consultation in the next number of weeks. The actions from the strategy will eventually deliver future benefits for the people of Northern Ireland, but we are all acutely aware of the energy well-being needs of today. That is why I hope that the additional support will be welcomed by the pensioner households affected by Labour's decision. I have heard the stories from those who are worried about what the cut has meant for them. Although I may not be in a position to reinstate fully that which has been removed, I pledged to the House that I would do what I can to help, and that is what I have done today. I hope that the announcement brings some comfort to those who were most affected. I commend the statement to the House.

Daniel McCrossan (Social Democratic and Labour Party, West Tyrone)

Minister, March 2025 helps no one today. You know fully about the struggles that people face. Today, £100 buys 150 litres of heating oil. That really does not go far enough to help those who are struggling. Will you clarify for the House whether the support is per household or per pensioner?

Gordon Lyons (DUP, East Antrim)

If he had listened to my statement, the Member would have heard that it is for pensioner households. All that we get is criticism from the Opposition. It is not the constructive opposition that we were promised but just negativity.

The Labour Government, of whom the SDLP is a sister party, removed in its entirety 80% of the funding that was available for winter fuel payments, which meant that 80% of pensioners were going to lose out because of that decision. I stood here and said that I would do what I could with what I had. I bid for the funding and secured it, and I am getting that funding out to people across Northern Ireland.

I have been clear that it is not what I would like to be doing. I would like the payment to be fully reinstated, but I am doing what I can. I would be interested in hearing what, if Mr McCrossan were in my position, he would have done differently. I believe that we have put the best solution that we could in place to provide some comfort to those who are in need. He is shaking his head. I would love to hear his alternative, but, of course, he does not have one.

Colm Gildernew (Sinn Féin, Fermanagh and South Tyrone)

Minister, I very much welcome this morning's statement, which confirms that £17 million will be allocated to all the households that lost their winter fuel payment. The Labour Government's decision to remove that vital payment from so many pensioners was cruel and callous, and they should reverse it immediately.

While it is welcome, it is only a one-off payment and does not fully replace the payment that was taken away by the British Government. Minister, will you bid for any further funding that may become available in order to top up the scheme? How will you ensure that pensioners are protected in the longer term?

Gordon Lyons (DUP, East Antrim)

The Member asks a couple of questions. First, as I outlined in my statement, it is a one-off payment for this year, because that is the money that I currently have available. I, of course, hope to be in a position to extend the household support fund. I emphasise, however, that, although the payment is not a permanent one — we are not in a position to do that — we are doing what we can to help.

The Member raised the important issue of longer-term support. I will go out to consultation shortly on a fuel poverty strategy. We will have the anti-poverty strategy in the new year as well. There are many issues to do with fuel poverty that need to be addressed. That is where the funding can have the greatest impact for the longest period. I look forward to going out to consultation and getting responses, but it is important that, in the meantime, we give whatever help we can, which is what I am doing.

Deborah Erskine (DUP, Fermanagh and South Tyrone)

I thank the Minister for his statement. It will be really welcome in my constituency of Fermanagh and South Tyrone. The Minister has put in place extra help for debt services, and he has now put in place fuel support for pensioners. Will he tell me whether, rather than just saying that the payment needed to be fully restored for constituents, any other party came to him with a concrete plan? Will he provide a breakdown of exactly what the payment will mean for constituents across Northern Ireland?

Gordon Lyons (DUP, East Antrim)

I am tempted to say that, if the Member thinks that the Opposition or other parties will come forward with alternative proposals, perhaps she is being a little naive. She will be aware that lots of people like to sit on the other side of the Chamber and pontificate about what they would like to see, but they have no concrete plan to deliver it and no idea of where it would come from.

The payment will assist almost a quarter of a million pensioners. Those are people who live in households that would otherwise have lost out. It is not everything that we would like to be in a position to give, but it is some help that will be available for them.

Sian Mulholland (Alliance, North Antrim)

I wonder why the Minister felt it appropriate to give notice of his statement to an east Antrim Facebook group before the House was notified, which contravenes Standing Order 18B. Maybe the Minister could clarify why he did that.

My question is this: was any consideration given to alternative approaches to the flat-rate payment, such as a targeted system that takes into account varying levels of need among pensioners to ensure that the funding achieves maximum impact?

Gordon Lyons (DUP, East Antrim)

First, in any online post or comment that I made prior to my statement today, I said that I would be coming forward with a proposal. I did not indicate in those posts —.

Sian Mulholland (Alliance, North Antrim)

You said:

"Tomorrow I will be making a ... statement".

Gordon Lyons (DUP, East Antrim)

Yes. I said that I intended to make a statement to the House. Is it in any way inappropriate for me to indicate that I will make a statement to the House? No, it is not. In fact, I know that that is not the case because I spoke directly to the Speaker and told him that I intended to make a statement. I asked him whether he had an issue with my publicising the fact that I was going to make a statement to make people aware, and he said no. The Member is shaking her head, but I spoke to the Speaker and got that assurance. She is still shaking her head: maybe she had conversations with the Speaker that I know nothing about. I gave no detail of the information in my statement or about the extra £100 that will go to households that did not previously get it.

The reason why it is a flat-rate payment that will go to all pensioners is that we have limited tools at our disposal in how we allocate the funding in Northern Ireland. We are using the existing Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) systems. They are in place, and we have permission to use them for this year. It is right and appropriate that we do this as quickly as possible.

I did not want to get us into a position where we had an application process and people had to fill in forms or that our older people had to go online or get someone to help them. We would then have needed to use very many man-hours of Department officials' time to deliver the payment. I wanted the support to go out as simply and straightforwardly as possible. That is why we have done what we have done.

Andy Allen (UUP, Belfast East)

I join colleagues in welcoming the positive announcement by the Minister. I recognise the action. My party and I have engaged with him positively on those measures and others, and I am sure that he will recognise that.

The Minister highlighted the increased uptake in applications for pension credit. Will he provide more information on the number of those that will result in a positive award, how many will fall within backdating processes and how the policy aligns with his ambitions for the fuel poverty strategy?

Gordon Lyons (DUP, East Antrim)

Additional applications have been made for pension credit. Obviously, those need to go through the system, and it will take a little time before we have the information about the number of people who were successful. Those who are entitled to pension credit will not only see its full restoration but have the ability to avail themselves of many other benefits.

The objective of the fuel poverty strategy is to make sure that everyone lives in a warm home. The emergency fuel support certainly aligns with that strategy, which I hope to be able to put in place after consultation, in that it will ensure that people have more resource specifically to pay for their fuel needs.

Ciara Ferguson (Sinn Féin, Foyle)

I, too, very much welcome the Minister's announcement of the £17 million in funding and the one-off winter fuel payment of £100 for all pensioners who have been affected. Does the Minister plan to address any potential gaps in support for pensioners who may not meet the eligibility criteria or those who may receive £100 but still struggle? Is there any slippage in that £17 million that can be set aside for those pensioners?

Gordon Lyons (DUP, East Antrim)

We expect the full £17 million to be used for the winter fuel payment for those who will lose out, but, again, I take the opportunity to encourage people to use the Make the Call service. We have had a fantastic response to that. Millions and millions of pounds of additional benefit are being delivered to people across Northern Ireland, simply because they are now applying for and getting the benefits that they are entitled to. I encourage the Member and others to, in the first instance, get people to use that service.

Jonathan Buckley (DUP, Upper Bann)

Minister, I welcome the statement. It is hugely welcome that this is the first devolved region to attempt to deal with the deceit, hurt and lies of the Labour Party's decision to remove the winter fuel payment from millions of pensioners across the United Kingdom. What has been the attitude of the Labour Party to date in his conversations with it about potential recurring funding or reinstatement of the fund? Does the Minister believe that, in the coming years, we will see an overturning of the policy?

Gordon Lyons (DUP, East Antrim)

As the Member knows, I am extremely concerned about this and the impacts that it will have. That is why I have raised it at every level that I have been able to as a Minister. I have spoken to Ministers in the Northern Ireland Office and to DWP, and, together with Executive colleagues, we have written to the Prime Minister. I would characterise the response as disappointing. It is disappointing because they do not seem to understand the plight of older people in Northern Ireland, and it is disappointing that so many continue to parrot the line that this is somehow a way in which we give lots of money to millionaires when the vast majority of people, of course, do not find themselves in that category.

The Member asked what, I think, the prospects are of them changing course on the policy. I am not sure, but I certainly think that they should. I do not think that it will save them any money at all; in fact, it might cost more, because you will have more people moving on to pension credit who will get not only the winter fuel payment but all the other benefits that they may be entitled to. It is an ill-thought-out policy and, I have to say, very disappointing. It is not dissimilar to issues that we were talking about last night in relation to the changes to agricultural relief with regard to inheritance tax. They are ill-thought-out policies that will have a detrimental impact on some of those who need our support and help.

Stewart Dickson (Alliance, East Antrim)

Thank you, Minister, for your statement. It is certainly welcome, particularly as you say that it will assist those who fall short of qualifying for pension credit. What action are you taking to tackle the broad issue of fuel poverty? Bearing in mind that giving £100 to pensioners in Northern Ireland, including those who do not actually need that payment, is a scattergun approach, when will you tackle fuel poverty, Minister?

Gordon Lyons (DUP, East Antrim)

First of all, we have a draft fuel poverty strategy that will go out to consultation in the next number of weeks. It is important that we set a longer-term plan for how we deal with some of the issues. I strongly disagree with what the Member said about a "scattergun approach". The vast majority of people who will avail themselves of the additional support will need it, and I would rather be in a position where we give it to everybody and some who do not need get it than be in a position where many people who need it do not get it at all. It is important that we provide that support.

I got extra funding as a Barnett consequential. I bid for that, and it came for the household support fund, which is there to help the households that will be struggling this winter. It is entirely appropriate that we put it towards those who find themselves less well off compared with last year. However, of course, we need to have longer-term plans in place, and that is exactly what I will do with the fuel poverty strategy.

Maolíosa McHugh (Sinn Féin, West Tyrone)

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire as a ráiteas.

[Translation: I thank the Minister for his statement.]

I welcome the statement, as my colleagues have. Minister, you did not consult the Communities Committee before giving the statement: why?

Gordon Lyons (DUP, East Antrim)

I have corresponded with the Committee, of course, and we have talked through this at previous meetings. There is limited scope for us, and there was really limited debate for us to have about it. There were not many good options for us and not many good options available for the distribution of the payment, but it was my prerogative as Minister to go forward and find a way as quickly as possible to help those who are in need. That is what I have done.

Diane Forsythe (DUP, South Down)

I thank the Minister for his statement. A few months back, when the winter fuel payment was cut without any consultation or warning, pensioners across the United Kingdom were absolutely shocked and devastated. The Minister said at that time that he was committed to delivering what he could, and I am pleased to see him here delivering on that promise. That is very welcome to many pensioner households across South Down. On the administration of this, how can we ensure that our constituents' details that are stored on the system are current and up to date to ensure that we are maximising the delivery of the scheme?

Gordon Lyons (DUP, East Antrim)

First, if someone was in receipt of a payment before, they will continue to be in receipt of that payment, because we still have the details in the DWP system that we are using. However, as always, there are those who feel that they may miss out or that there have been some issues that mean that they have not got the support that they thought they were otherwise going to get, so, of course, there will be support from my Department to make sure that we can help those who fall through there. I want to make sure that we do have that support available and that people do not feel that they are lost and do not know where they can go if there is an issue.

Brian Kingston (DUP, Belfast North)

I thank the Minister for this very welcome announcement, and I commend him for it. We all share concerns that increasing numbers of older people are being targeted by scammers, so can the Minister confirm that his Department will not be sending any correspondence or requests for bank account details or other personal information to senior citizens to enable this payment?

Gordon Lyons (DUP, East Antrim)

Yes, absolutely. I want to confirm that and be very clear, and I would appreciate it if Members could share that information as well. My Department will never ask for bank details or personal information by phone, by text or by email, and we have updated the benefit-related pages on nidirect to make that clear. If anyone does get such a message, it will be a scam, and you should report any suspicious emails or text messages that are asking for your bank details.

Kellie Armstrong (Alliance, Strangford)

Thank you very much, Minister. I hope that, when you said earlier that plenty of man-hours would be spent on this, you meant that plenty of woman-hours would be spent too.

Minister, if the Committee for Communities had had the opportunity to discuss this with you, one of the things that we would like to have done would have been to ensure that you have enough support. Of the £17 million, is a portion going to be withheld for your Department to administer the scheme? Can you explain how the computing system will work to identify the people who are not on pension credit?

Gordon Lyons (DUP, East Antrim)

First, thankfully, very few man-hours or woman-hours will need to be used on this, because we will be using a system that is already in place. That takes me to the second part of the Member's question, which is in relation to how this is processed. Essentially, there is the data set of everybody who was previously getting it. Those who are on pension credit will have been taken out, so we will be using the remainder to process this. It will take some time, because we are using the DWP system, and we need to get in there. DWP has given us permission to do that and said that it will deliver this. We need to get a slot to get in there because, obviously, the IT systems are used for various different changes, including the current winter fuel payment changes that will be taking place in the rest of the UK. As I said, I hope that that will happen as soon as possible. I will continue to put the pressure on to ensure that those who are in need get this as soon as possible.

Mark Durkan (Social Democratic and Labour Party, Foyle)

I welcome the statement from the Minister. This is good news, but, for poor pensioners who were getting £200 or £300 and who are now getting £100, and maybe not until the end of March, it will be too little and it will be too late. I am not sure whether the Minister wants to have to come back and make another apology to the House, but the SDLP Opposition have been in touch with the Department, making proposals around the extension of the warm homes discount scheme and, indeed, means testing.

I will come to my question, Minister. When can we expect to see the publication of the anti-poverty strategy, yet another of the Minister's priorities, which has been "coming soon" since he took office 10 months ago?

Gordon Lyons (DUP, East Antrim)

Let me say this about the anti-poverty strategy: it has been a requirement, under the 1998 Act, for coming onto 26 years to deliver an anti-poverty strategy. None of the previous Ministers has been in a position to do that. As I have already confirmed and am happy to confirm again, that will be brought to the Executive in January. It has been a priority for me. I have been making progress on it. I want to make sure that it is fit for purpose. I want to make sure that I have buy-in from Executive colleagues, which is why I have set up an interdepartmental working group so that we can make progress on those issues and tackle the root causes of poverty and not just deal with the symptoms. As I have said, it will be brought forward, and I look forward to delivering, once more, in this Department.

A Member

Hear, hear.

Philip McGuigan (Sinn Féin, North Antrim)

How will the Minister's Department report on the impact and outcomes of the funding to ensure accountability?

Gordon Lyons (DUP, East Antrim)

This is a continuation of what was previously in place, albeit at a lower level. It is a one-off payment, and I think that we can all agree that it will be of value and worth because it is going to those who have otherwise been forgotten by the Labour Government.

Cheryl Brownlee (DUP, East Antrim)

I thank the Minister for his statement. This is significant news that will be very much welcomed by our constituents in East Antrim. We have touched on the PAC's report 'Child Poverty in Northern Ireland', which was launched this month and called for a new anti-poverty strategy. I very much welcome the Minister's commitment to that. Will the Minister detail what actions his Department is taking to address the root causes of poverty in society and how we can support the most vulnerable in our society?

Gordon Lyons (DUP, East Antrim)

Yes, absolutely. Again, I am happy to confirm to the House that good progress has been made on that. We need to tackle poverty in a number of ways. We need to make sure that we prevent people from falling into poverty, that we help those experiencing poverty and that we find a way to get people out of poverty. Those will be the three pillars of the strategy. It is about making sure that we break down the barriers to employment and that, for those who cannot get employment or older people in society, we have a safety net that means that they can live comfortable and warm lives.

Andrew McMurray (Alliance, South Down)

Thank you, Minister. What safeguards does the Minister have in place to ensure that no eligible pensioners are missed in the automatic roll-out?

Gordon Lyons (DUP, East Antrim)

We will be using the database that was used in the past, which, we believe, will cover everybody who is entitled. However, if there are any issues, as I said in the answer to a previous question, we will provide support to ensure that people can get in contact with us if there are any problems.

Pat Sheehan (Sinn Féin, Belfast West)

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire as a ráiteas.

[Translation: I thank the Minister for his statement.]

Will the Minister explain why he has prioritised a one-off payment rather than alternative forms of ongoing support for pensioners, particularly in the absence of a fuel poverty strategy?

Gordon Lyons (DUP, East Antrim)

I would have hoped that the Member would welcome £100 for all those who lost out as a result of the Labour Government's changes. Why did I prioritise this? It is because I bid for and secured funding on the basis that it would be used to help those who had otherwise lost out. That money was ring-fenced from the Finance Minister to me for that purpose. I was not able to use it for anything else, because it was there to ameliorate some of the impacts of the winter fuel payment cut. It is fairly straightforward, I would have thought.

Maurice Bradley (DUP, East Londonderry)

I thank the Minister for his statement. He has already answered most of my queries. It underscores the need for pensioners to review their benefit entitlements to ensure that they receive the support available to them. Has the Minister engaged with any Department other than DWP to ensure that nobody misses out on the one-off payment?

Gordon Lyons (DUP, East Antrim)

Certainty, most of my engagement with UK Departments has been with DWP. However, on the wider issue of the winter fuel payment and the need for its reinstatement, I have raised that at every opportunity with every UK Minister who has any responsibility in the area. It is a one-off payment, but I hope that the Government will reconsider their decision, see sense and restore that funding. The decision that they have made will end up costing them more. I encourage others in the House to make that case to the Government so that we can help those who are in need.

Alan Chambers (UUP, North Down)

As a proud pensioner, I have to declare an interest in the topic. What role did third-party stakeholders, such as charities, community organisations and pensioners advocacy groups, play in helping him to shape the policy?

Gordon Lyons (DUP, East Antrim)

I am more than happy to have delivered for Mr Chambers and, more importantly, for many other people across Northern Ireland. On the engagement that I have had, many people contacted me to encourage me to take action like that which I am taking today. That will, I think, be welcomed.

I know that there are questions about the universal nature of the payment, but we have to understand the processes, tools and levers that were available to us; they were limited. I wish that we were in a position simply to give the resource to those who are most in need, but, unfortunately, we have to take this approach. The organisations that the Member refers to will understand and recognise that action of a universal nature was needed because there was simply no alternative. I send a message to those who find that they do not need the funding that they have been given. I encourage them — I am sure that the Member agrees, as he is nodding — to consider giving that support to the fantastic charities and organisations that help those who are in need. I hope that the Member will consider that.

Gary Middleton (DUP, Foyle)

I thank the Minister for his statement, which will be very much welcomed by pensioners in the Foyle constituency. It is important that we send a clear and consistent message about how the payments will be received. Will the Minister remind the House of the eligibility criteria for the Government's current winter fuel payment scheme? Will an application process be required for his one-off payment?

Gordon Lyons (DUP, East Antrim)

As many Members will be aware, changes made by the Labour Government restricted those who would receive the winter fuel payment to the category of pensioners in receipt a benefit, such as pension credit. I have decided that those who previously got the payment but are no longer eligible will get support of £100 that will be paid directly into the bank account that receives their pension. I am pleased to confirm that there will be no application process. When it comes to email and other types of scam, do not send your personal information. You will not be requested to fill out a form or do anything like that — it will be automatic. I want to make sure that that message hits home today, because I do not want the payment to be used as an opportunity for anyone to take advantage of our older citizens.

Danny Donnelly (Alliance, East Antrim)

I thank the Minister for his statement. We are all aware that, under the previous UK scheme, households that did not need the winter fuel payment received it anyway, as the Minister mentioned, rather than its being targeted at real need. What is his assessment of the concern that his approach simply replicates the issues with the previous scheme but with everyone receiving less?

Gordon Lyons (DUP, East Antrim)

I understand that. I recognise that many people who do not need the payment — it will not be essential for them — will get it, but I was in the position of having to decide what to do with the money that I had secured. First, it was right to bid for the money from the household support fund. It was appropriate to use that for older people. The question then became, "How do I distribute that money?". Doing it on the basis of what we have and the decision that I have announced today makes it universal. Using the IT system is the only way for us to get the money out quickly, without going through an application process and needing people in the Department to manually process it. Very few options were available to me to get that money out, but, as I said, I would rather find myself in the position of giving some money to those who do not need it than see those who do need it get nothing at all.

Sinéad McLaughlin (Social Democratic and Labour Party, Foyle)

Minister, thank you for your statement. Many pensioners in my constituency and throughout Northern Ireland will really welcome the one-off £100 payment. My household will get it, but I do not need it. I would like to regift it as part of a process set up by your Department so that the money can go to the charities that are trying to tackle fuel poverty throughout Northern Ireland, such as Bryson House and others. Will you set up a system whereby those who, like me — sorry, my household — do not need the money, can send it back to be targeted to those who need it? Surely, that would be a better way to do it. It would not be a very complicated process to tell households, "If you do not want this money, you can send it back to the Department, and we will ring-fence it and give it to the appropriate charities that are dealing with fuel poverty on the ground".

Gordon Lyons (DUP, East Antrim)

I sense a thawing of relations between Sinéad McLaughlin and I.

Sinéad McLaughlin (Social Democratic and Labour Party, Foyle)

I do not think so.

Gordon Lyons (DUP, East Antrim)

Oh. She does not think so.

[Laughter.]

I spoke too soon.

Regardless, I welcome it that she supports the action that I have taken today. I was going to say to her that I did not think that it was possible for her to be in receipt of the winter fuel payment, but I will not make any comment after what she just said.

I understand her concern. I welcome the fact that there will be people like her who want to give that resource —.

Sinéad McLaughlin (Social Democratic and Labour Party, Foyle)

My household.

Gordon Lyons (DUP, East Antrim)

I apologise. There will be people like her who want to give to someone else the resource that would have gone to their household. That would create an additional layer of bureaucracy in my Department, and the process of determining who is best placed to do that would be significant. There would be all sorts of procurement and bidding issues as well. In the short period of time that we have, I ask that those households use their discretion to decide where the resource should go to help those who are in most need. The Member mentioned one organisation. That would be the quickest, simplest and most straightforward thing to do.

Trevor Clarke (DUP, South Antrim)

I thank the Minister for his statement and congratulate him for bringing forward the scheme. I have listened to some of the questions and heard some of those who will receive the payment coming up with all sorts of ideas because they do not want it. Of course, they are in the privileged position of not requiring it, but many people do require it. Is there a danger that some of the ideas from some of those in the Chamber who may receive the payment would lead to some of the money being used to implement the scheme instead of going to pensioners? There would be a cost to changing the scheme. Surely, Minister, that is why you made the decision to have a quick roll-out. Some may criticise that, but their MPs were happy to support it at Westminster. Your approach is the best option.

Gordon Lyons (DUP, East Antrim)

Yes, I can confirm that it absolutely is. I have scars from the experiences that we had during COVID. It is not easy to draft papers and put together a scheme, with an application and verification process. Getting such a scheme out would not only take more time but more work and more staff, which would cost more money and leave less money for those who need it. If anyone else had been in the position that I find myself in today, they would have taken the same route. If our desire is to help those who are most in need to get the support that they require as quickly as possible, this is the best way to do it. I did not want to go down the route of application processes, appeals and all the extra work that would need to be done as a result. It was my decision on the advice of officials in the Department. I know that we will face challenges. Some will get the payment despite their not needing it, and the amount may not be enough for others, but I want as much of the money that I have secured as possible to go to those who actually need it. That is what I have delivered today.

Some Members

Hear, hear.

Timothy Gaston (Traditional Unionist Voice, North Antrim)

Minister, I welcome your statement in response to the assault by the Labour Party against some of the most vulnerable in our society, who depend on the winter fuel payment. You have confirmed that the new payment will be paid through the DWP system. If the payment does not arrive, should people contact DWP or the Department for Communities? Will those who would have newly qualified this year for the winter fuel payment now qualify to receive the £100, since the policy has changed?

Gordon Lyons (DUP, East Antrim)

Yes is the answer to the last question. The payment includes everybody over the age of 66. We will provide the necessary assistance to those who find themselves in a position in which they had expected to get the payment but did not get it.

John Blair (Alliance, South Antrim)

Before we move on, I remind Members that they must be in the Chamber for the statement if they expect to be called for a question. That concludes questions on the statement.

Executive Committee Business

Gordon Lyons (DUP, East Antrim)

I beg to move

That the draft Electrical Safety Standards for Private Tenancies Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2024 be approved.

John Blair (Alliance, South Antrim)

The Business Committee has agreed that there should be no time limit on the debate.

Gordon Lyons (DUP, East Antrim)

The draft Electrical Safety Standards for Private Tenancies Regulations 2024 aim to remove danger to life and to reduce the risk of injury and damage to property. The regulations therefore introduce five-yearly certified electrical safety checks of a private rental property's hardwired electrical installation by a qualified electrician. Northern Ireland census data shows that, over the past 40 years, the percentage of households that privately rent has nearly doubled. Today, over 300,000 people live in over 130,000 privately rented households. As Members would expect, growth in the sector has been matched by increasing diversity in its tenant characteristics. There are now more families with children in the private rented sector than in the social sector. There are also around 27,000 people living in the sector who have disabilities, while nearly 18,000 tenants are aged 65 or over.

It is imperative that we remind ourselves why the regulations are important. 'Recharge', a report by Electrical Safety First (ESF), estimates that nearly 60% of all accidental fires in Northern Ireland homes are caused by electrical faults. It also highlights the fact that events are particularly traumatic for those in higher-risk groups as a result of, for example, their age or their having a disability. Compared with that in the rest of the United Kingdom, there is currently limited electrical safety protection for private tenants in Northern Ireland. The Scottish Government, for example, required private rental properties to have mandatory five-yearly electrical checks from 2015. A similar requirement was introduced in England in June 2020, and Wales followed suit in 2022. In Northern Ireland, although private rental landlords must undertake an annual safety check of gas boilers, there is no mandatory legislative requirement for them to check a rental property's electrical system. Currently, it is recommended only that landlords ensure that electrical fixed-wiring installations remain safe to use.

I therefore think that Members will agree that it makes sense that, as a safeguard for tenants, we move to legislate to introduce five-yearly electrical safety checks of a private rental property's hardwired electrical installation. Given the technical content, the regulations have been developed by my Department with assistance from an expert advisory panel. The panel included representatives from Electrical Safety First, the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS), council enforcement divisions and the Department of Finance's construction division.

The electrical installation must meet the required standards specified under the regulations, and landlords must provide a copy of the electrician's report to their tenant and, on request, to the council. The inspection will investigate key issues, including whether any part of the electrical installation is overloaded, whether there are any potential electric shock risks and fire hazards and whether there is any defective electrical work. Following the inspection, the landlord will be given a report from the electrician. The report will explain the outcome of the inspection and state whether any further investigative or remedial work needs to be undertaken. Where the inspection report details that remedial action needs to be taken to fix any identified faults, that work must be completed within the time frame specified in the electrician's report. Written confirmation must then be obtained from the electrician when the fault has been dealt with. As with the other parts of the Private Tenancies (Northern Ireland) Order 2006, councils will be responsible for the associated enforcement action.

The regulations were subject to a 12-week consultation that ran from September 2023. The estimated financial impact on landlords was highlighted in the regulatory impact assessment and was drawn to stakeholders' attention during the consultation period. The financial impact was assessed as not being overly onerous on the sector, on the basis of the cost of five-yearly inspection being in and around £200. Remedial action would attract an additional cost, but that needs to be viewed in the broader context of tenant safety and the reduction of damage to a rental property due to an electrical fault.

During the consultation, no major issues emerged that required substantive change to the regulations or the associated guidance notes. The two main points that were raised and accepted with the agreement of the advisory panel related to the need for an appropriate lead-in time for compliance to take account of the supply of electricians to complete the inspections and an early communication strategy to raise awareness among key stakeholders of the legislative change and the requirements outlined in the regulations. Both points were taken on board in setting operational time frames, and my Department has been proactive in raising awareness of the potential legislative change. Furthermore, the regulations will be accompanied by easy-to-read guidance notes that explain the inspection and reporting regime in a step-by-step process.

The measures are proportionate, common-sense changes that will further improve health and safety for people living in the private rented sector. They will protect life and reduce the risk of serious injury. The changes are good news for tenants, landlords, the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service and the health service. Most importantly, they are good news for preventing avoidable fatalities. I commend them to the House.

Colm Gildernew (Sinn Féin, Fermanagh and South Tyrone)

I declare an interest: I own a residential property from which I receive a rental income.

As Chair of the Committee for Communities, I support the introduction of the draft Electrical Safety Standards for Private Tenancies Regulations (NI) 2024. The regulations represent a critical step forward in ensuring the safety and well-being of tenants in the private rented sector here. After thorough examination of the regulations, the Committee was content to endorse them and the protections that they seek to implement.

The Committee, at its meeting on 20 June 2024, was briefed by Electrical Safety First on the need for legislation to address a pressing need. Committee members were told that 58% of accidental house fires are caused by electricity, with such incidents imposing an annual cost of £47·1 million on the public purse. The group advised the Committee that enhancing safeguards is crucial to ensuring people's safety and well-being in our ever-increasingly electricity-dependent lives, describing the range and quantity of devices that we all have plugged in and charging at home daily.

The regulations will include mandatory five-yearly inspections, meaning that landlords must ensure that the hard-wired electrical installations in rental properties are inspected by a qualified electrician at least every five years; tenant protections, in that tenants will receive reports within 28 days of inspections, ensuring transparency and accountability; enforcement mechanisms to ensure that local councils are empowered to issue remedial notices and, where necessary, undertake urgent remedial work to address violations; and penalties for non-compliance, whereby landlords failing to comply may face fines of up to £5,000 or fixed penalty notices.

Electrical Safety First further advised the Committee that, in order to safeguard all tenants regardless of tenure, it is crucial to implement electrical safety checks every five years and that that should involve a thorough inspection, conducted by a trained, qualified and skilled electrician, accompanied by an electrical installation condition report. Any identified faults should be promptly rectified within the specified time frame.

Following the briefing, the Committee wrote to the Department requesting an update on the status of the regulations on electrical safety in the private rental sector that were coming forward under the Private Tenancies (NI) Act 2022. From the response received, Committee members were pleased to note that Electrical Safety First has been active in advising on the content of the regulations and that it has a representative on the expert advisory panel, mentioned by the Minister, that the Department set up to inform the development of regulations on alarms and electrical safety being made under the Act.

Committee members were, therefore, pleased to note that the draft regulations conformed to the requirements specified in the Electrical Safety First briefing paper on the mandatory five-year certificate, the requirement for qualified electricians and clear time frames for remedial actions. The Committee also welcomes the fact, as, I am sure, do all Members, that the legislative intent is to reduce the risk of injury death caused by an electrical fault and to ensure that rental properties meet the required safety standards. By introducing the regulations here, we will catch up with protections that are already in place in Scotland, Wales and England and have prioritised tenant safety.

The Committee wrote to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) following the Electrical Safety First briefing. The HSE highlighted to us the importance of preventative maintenance programmes, including the regular inspection and testing of equipment. It feels that those measures would align with the regulations' intent to enhance safety standards and minimise risks.

The Department has advised the Committee that the regulations will apply only to the private rental sector and not to the social sector, which encompasses housing associations and the Housing Executive. The Committee was advised that departmental officials are reviewing the decent homes standard that currently applies to social housing, including Housing Executive and housing association stock. The Committee strongly urges the Department to continue that work at pace, as we need to ensure that all housing is subject to high standards of electrical safety.

I move now to the implementation. The Committee feels that the phased introduction applicable to new tenancies from April 2025 and all tenancies by December 2025 strikes a practical balance, allowing landlords sufficient time to comply while ensuring the swift implementation of safety measures. The Committee commends the Department for committing to the development of accessible guidance notes to assist landlords and tenants in understanding their responsibilities.

The regulations are not merely about compliance; they are about safeguarding lives and ensuring that every tenant in the private rental sector in the North has the right to live in a safe and secure home with standards that reflect the dignity and protection that every individual deserves.

On behalf of the Committee for Communities, I recommend that the Assembly approve the draft Electrical Safety Standards for Private Tenancies Regulations (NI) 2024.

Brian Kingston (DUP, Belfast North)

I rise as a DUP member of the Committee for Communities, along with my colleague Maurice Bradley. We welcome the fact that the Minister has brought forward the regulations to raise electrical safety standards for tenants in private rental accommodation. That is supported by the Committee, as our Chair said.

The Committee received representation from the Electrical Safety First charity, which is dedicated to reducing the number of deaths and injuries caused by electricity across the UK. It highlighted the fact that 58% of accidental house fires in Northern Ireland are caused by electricity. We are all becoming more dependent on electrical power for our homes, and, as with all power sources, there are safety risks, if proper standards and regulations are not followed.

The new regulations will require landlords to get their electrical installations checked and approved every five years by a registered electrician. That requirement will be added to the Private Tenancies Act (Northern Ireland) 2022, and the certificates will be available to the tenant and, on request, the local council. Beyond the scope of the regulations, we are told that most or all housing associations already carry out five-year checks; indeed, owner-occupiers should be reminded to arrange periodic checks on their electrical installations and not just to have them carried out as part of a condition report when a home is being purchased.

We welcome the regulations in the interests of tenant safety in the private rented sector.

Kellie Armstrong (Alliance, Strangford)

I thank the Minister. I rise as a member of the Committee for Communities and as Alliance housing spokesperson.

In the initial briefing provided to the Committee for Communities by Mark O'Donnell, deputy secretary with responsibility for housing and sustainability, he confirmed that the Department would bring forward regulations for fire and electrical safety in the private rented sector. That comes as an outlier of sections 8 and 9 of the Private Tenancies Act.We put the requirement into legislation in the last mandate as part of the Private Tenancies Act. It is one of the improvement standards that the Assembly agreed to protect our private renters.

The purpose of the regulations is to introduce the requirement for private rented landlords to have the hardwired electrical installation of a rental property inspected and tested by a qualified electrician at intervals of not less than five years. During consideration, the Committee requested clarification from the Department of whether the guidance would include a requirement for specific qualifications for electricians to carry out the work. A departmental reply on 11 October noted:

"The associated guidance ... is currently with the departmental design team for formatting in advance of laying the Regulations under the draft affirmative Assembly procedure."

The reply further notes:

"the guidance ... references the definition of a competent person within the Regulations and expands further on that statement by clarifying that an electrician needs to be registered with a recognised electrical trade body."

The Department's reply noted that:

"further advice is provided on how to establish the electrician is of a competent standard"

— but that, rightly —

"it would be inappropriate to promote one trade body over another, or create an adverse effect in restricting electrician supply".

I hope that the Minister can clarify that the regulations will state the minimum qualification that will be required for electricians to carry out the work in private rented homes. I ask the Minister if he can lay the guidance in the Assembly Library and supply a copy to the Landlords Association for Northern Ireland (LANI), which I welcomed and met last Friday. I appreciate that some landlords have said that it will add to their costs. However, most good private landlords, as confirmed by LANI, already carry out regular checks and maintenance on electrics in their properties. The introduction of the regulation causes them no issue or additional cost.

I look forward to seeing the easy-read guidance. Alliance supports the regulations.

Mark Durkan (Social Democratic and Labour Party, Foyle)

I am getting flashbacks to my time on the Communities Committee as we scrutinised and prepared for the Private Tenancies Bill. Hopefully, Members will be patient with me. I am a wee bit cloudy on some of it.

I rise to welcome these proportionate and common-sense measures, which will save lives and, certainly, reduce risk. The Chair of the Committee and someone else talked about the extension of the standards to the social sector, albeit that many housing associations already carry out such checks as a matter of good practice. When the Minister makes his winding-up speech, can he clarify whether temporary accommodation approved and used by the Housing Executive is subject to the rigours of this legislation or any rigours at all, especially given the often vulnerable tenants and short-term tenancies that exist there? We have become aware of some properties being used for the purpose of temporary accommodation, the demand for which has grown exponentially, that are certainly substandard. People are being put at risk when they are put into those properties.

We will certainly support the regulations.

Robbie Butler (UUP, Lagan Valley)

I do not sit on the Communities Committee. However, I find it a really worthwhile announcement by the Minister. As a party, we welcome and support the change. It is something that, given my background in the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service, I am particularly passionate about. I met some of the electrical safety groups previously in different mandates about coming to this point. It is all good news today, because it will bring a different level of safety and regulation to tenants in those properties.

I am surprised to hear the figure of around 58% that the Fire and Rescue Service has indicated for electrical fires. However, there is no doubt that one of the things we could do better is to educate young people in regard to that. One thing that I learned is that every electrical appliance that has ever been created has an element of a fault in it; there is no such thing as a perfect electrical item. Every item that you have — this is a word of warning to you guys, if you are charging your phones at night, for instance, and all of those things — carries a risk. Mr Kingston usefully pointed out that we probably use more electricity than we ever did. We need to think about the load that people are putting on houses when they charge their cars.

I have a question for the Minister, if he does not mind. The regulations probably do not extend to Airbnbs, but, with more and more people using those for nights and weekends away, particularly in this country, could that be looked at as an extension to the regulations?

John Blair (Alliance, South Antrim)

I call the Minister for Communities to conclude and make his winding-up speech on the motion.

Gordon Lyons (DUP, East Antrim)

Thank you very much, Mr Deputy Speaker. I am pleased with the consensus of support in the Assembly for these important regulations. I thank the Committee for Communities for its support and the positive way in which it has dealt with progressing the regulations. I will briefly address a few points that were raised.

In response to Kellie Armstrong's point, I confirm that electricians will have to be qualified to a certain standard, which is up to the eighteenth edition of the rules that are currently in place. LANI, which is on our stakeholder list, will be notified.

Mr Durkan raised the issue of temporary accommodation. That is counted as a single let that is operated under a licence rather than a private tenancy. However, the Housing Executive has advised that it will endeavour to mirror the requirements in the regulations for single-let properties.

Mr Butler asked about Airbnbs. I do not wish to pass the buck on that one, but that is the responsibility of the Department for the Economy, so, perhaps, he could address his query to Minister Murphy. I thank Mr Butler for his reminder about the faults that exist in all of our electronic devices. We will all sleep a little less soundly tonight, knowing that that is the case, but it reminds us of the importance of making sure that we have sufficient regulations in place to deal with such issues. Ultimately, we want to cut down on the risk. It will always be there, but we will do what we can to make it safer.

It is essential that private rental tenants in Northern Ireland are offered the same protections from electrical risks as their counterparts in other jurisdictions. In legislating for mandatory five-year safety checks of a property's hardwired electrical installation, I have done just that. Anyone who rents out a property is responsible for the safety and suitability of that property, and many of the incidents that we have seen or heard of in the news could have been prevented by minor investment in health and safety measures.

I am grateful to the Committee for Communities and the House for their support, and I urge the House to support the regulations.

Question put and agreed to.

Resolved:

That the draft Electrical Safety Standards for Private Tenancies Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2024 be approved.

John Blair (Alliance, South Antrim)

I invite Members to take their ease before we move to the next item.

(Mr Deputy Speaker [Dr Aiken] in the Chair)

Private Members' Business

Declan McAleer (Sinn Féin, West Tyrone)

I beg to move

That this Assembly acknowledges that bovine TB (bTB) remains a serious threat to farming and recognises the significant impact it has on farmers; affirms the importance of agriculture and food production to our economy and society; notes the work of the TB Eradication Partnership and its efforts to address bTB; and calls on the Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs to urgently bring forward a comprehensive and holistic bTB strategy, with a focus on specific science-based strategies proven to reduce bTB.

Steve Aiken (UUP, South Antrim)

The Business Committee has agreed to allow up to one hour and 30 minutes for the debate. The proposer of the motion will have 10 minutes to propose and 10 minutes in which to make a winding-up speech. As an amendment has been selected and is published on the Marshalled List, the Business Committee has agreed that 15 minutes will be added to the total time for the debate. Declan, please open the debate.

Declan McAleer (Sinn Féin, West Tyrone)

Go raibh maith agat, a Leas-Cheann Comhairle.

[Translation: Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker.]

I welcome the opportunity to address an issue that is of immense importance to the agriculture community and has a far-reaching impact that affects farmers, families, our rural economy and, ultimately, food security. The motion acknowledges that bovine tuberculosis remains a serious and persistent threat to farming in the North. Not only does the disease present an animal health crisis but it represents a matter of economic and social importance that impacts on our communities in profound ways.

I emphasise the urgency of the motion and the need for DAERA to act decisively. Bovine TB is a highly infectious disease that has devastating consequences for livestock. It creates significant economic and emotional challenges for farmers, which include the cost of testing, cattle losses, movement restrictions and ongoing uncertainty. Recent figures show that bTB-related compensation costs run into millions of pounds annually. That is an unsustainable burden. Farmers are central to the issue and deserve our respect and support. Agriculture is the backbone of the rural North, and our farmers' dedication ensures food security and resilience. Those farmers bear the brunt of bTB's impact and will lead the efforts to eradicate it, however, and, for them to succeed, they need clear support and strong guidance from us: their representatives.

One organisation that has been crucial to addressing the crisis is the TB Eradication Partnership. It deserves our gratitude and commendation for its work and its commitment to tackling the disease. The TB Eradication Partnership has undertaken essential work to identify, assess and address the spread of bTB. It has done so with dedication and through collaboration. Despite our collective efforts, we are still faced with a high prevalence of bTB across the region. We need a strategy that brings lasting results and that integrates scientific evidence with a holistic approach to eradication.

That brings us to the core of the motion, which is a call on the AERA Minister to bring forward a comprehensive and holistic bovine TB strategy. Effective strategies must be backed by science and rooted in an evidence-based understanding of disease transmission and control. Tackling bTB requires a well-rounded approach that addresses multiple factors including wildlife control, cattle management, biosecurity and testing. Only through a multi-pronged strategy can we expect to achieve a lasting reduction in bTB rates and, ultimately, eradicate the disease from our herds.

Evidence from across the globe shows that effective bTB control requires targeted wildlife intervention alongside robust cattle management practices. In England, the badger control policy reduced bovine TB incidence in herds by 56% in intervention areas, while field trials in the South of Ireland have shown clear evidence that proactive badger removal leads to infections in cattle declining significantly. Similarly, New Zealand and Australia achieved bTB eradication through wildlife management targeting reservoirs such as brush-tailed possums, combined with stringent cattle testing and movement controls. Those successes underline a critical point, which is that tackling wildlife reservoirs is not optional if we are serious about eradicating bTB. Without addressing the upstream driver of infection, farmers and rural communities will continue to bear the cost of ineffective disease control.

As policymakers, we must act decisively to implement evidence-based and targeted interventions to protect our agriculture industry, safeguard animal health and secure the livelihoods of our farming families. Wildlife management therefore is a key component of any effective strategy. Let me be clear: wildlife control must be done in a way that is humane, scientifically justified and ethically managed. Our goal should be to protect the health of our cattle and the integrity of our natural environment. Bovine TB does not recognise borders, and its impact is felt across the entire island of Ireland, which highlights the need for a coordinated approach to tackle the disease on both sides of the border.

Research from the North shows that 21·3% of roadkill badgers that were tested were infected with bTB. That figure, although alarming, is likely to be an underestimate due to the limitations of post-mortem testing. To put it in perspective, it is over 20 times higher than the rate in our cattle population. As a wildlife reservoir, badgers perpetuate the cycle of infection, making it impossible to eliminate bTB from our herds through cattle-focused measures alone.

Experience in countries with limited wildlife reservoirs shows that rigorous testing, biosecurity and cattle movement controls can achieve disease eradication. However, in the North, Britain and the South of Ireland, where badgers are a significant reservoir of bTB, such measures alone have proven to be insufficient. That stark reality highlights the need for targeted, science-driven wildlife interventions to break the chain of infection.

Our farmers, livestock and rural communities bear the burden of the disease. If we are serious about protecting their livelihoods and eradicating bTB, we must confront the issue with evidence-based policies that prioritise animal health and public confidence. Let the Assembly commit to comprehensive solutions that address all sources of infection, including wildlife, to secure the future of agriculture here.

I cannot stress enough that the time for action is now. We cannot afford to delay the implementation of a comprehensive bTB strategy. The financial, emotional and social costs of the disease have been carried by the farming community for far too long. The motion serves as a reminder that, while we have made efforts in the past, our work is far from over. We must commit to seeing this through, and to giving our farmers the tools, resources and support that they need to overcome the challenge. By supporting the motion, we can affirm our commitment to the future of agriculture here. We are committing to the well-being of our farmers, the resilience of our rural economy and the health of our livestock. Let us work together, across party lines, to ensure that a strategy is developed and implemented swiftly. Let us make it clear that we will not rest until bTB is a problem of the past, our farms are free from the grip of the disease and our farming community feels the full support and strength of the Assembly.

I commend the motion.

Steve Aiken (UUP, South Antrim)

The Business Committee has arranged to meet at 1.00 pm. I propose, therefore, by leave of the Assembly, to suspend the sitting until 2.00 pm. The debate will continue after Question Time, when the first Member to be called will be Michelle McIlveen to move the amendment.

The debate stood suspended.

The sitting was suspended at 12.52 pm.

On resuming (Mr Speaker in the Chair) —

Oral Answers to Questions — Justice

Peter Martin (DUP, North Down)

1. Mr Martin asked the Minister of Justice whether the PSNI will be provided with adequate capital budget to fulfil its plans following the acquisition of the former Kinnegar army base, Holywood. (AQO 1154/22-27)

Naomi Long (Alliance, Belfast East)

The management of the PSNI estate, including acquisitions, is entirely an operational matter for the Chief Constable, who is accountable to the Northern Ireland Policing Board (NIPB). I will, however, continue to work with the Chief Constable, my Executive colleagues and the Department of Finance to ensure that we have a police service that is properly resourced in all aspects for the challenges that it faces.

Peter Martin (DUP, North Down)

I thank the Minister for her answer. Given her Department's recent allocation from the Executive of an additional £39·3 million, will police officers now get their pay award? How long will it take to see much-needed additional PSNI officers on the ground to relieve the pressure that serving officers are currently under?

Naomi Long (Alliance, Belfast East)

I am not sure how that question relates to the estates strategy for the PSNI, but, nevertheless, I am happy to answer it.

The recent additional funding allocation of £39·3 million to my Department includes £36·7 million that has been allocated to the PSNI. The Member will be aware that the Chief Constable has welcomed that allocation, as it meets in full the pressures that the PSNI identified to sustain policing in this financial year. It is now for the PSNI to produce a business case for that, but I have given my approval to the recommendations of the Police Remuneration Review Body (PRRB).

Doug Beattie (UUP, Upper Bann)

During COVID, the Department of Justice necessarily had to spend £4 million on a mass mortuary on the Kinnegar site. Upon the sale of Kinnegar, was there any clawback for the Department of Justice for that investment?

Naomi Long (Alliance, Belfast East)

The investment in that particular piece of work is not something that would be clawed back from the sale of the site. The structure has already been dismantled. As you know, we were able to use the site at the behest of the MOD, so no clawback is involved.

Cathy Mason (Sinn Féin, South Down)

2. Mrs Mason asked the Minister of Justice to provide an update on her Department's work to implement the Gillen review 'Report into the law and procedures in serious sexual offences in Northern Ireland' to support children and young people through the justice system. (AQO 1155/22-27)

Naomi Long (Alliance, Belfast East)

My Department continues to oversee a multi-agency programme of work to implement the Gillen review's recommendations. That work includes progress against a range of recommendations intended to support child victims of serious sexual offences, including the ongoing delivery of a judge-led voluntary protocol to expedite serious sexual offence cases involving child witnesses under 13 years of age in Belfast Crown Court and Antrim Crown Court. An evaluation of the protocol cases in 2023 found that there was a 70% reduction in the average time taken between reporting the crime and court disposal. The principles of the protocol have been extended to similar cases for children aged under 16 across all court areas. Sexual offences legal adviser (SOLA) services have been provided successfully, giving free legal advice and support to more than 2,000 adult complainants in serious sexual offence cases. Those services will shortly be extended to child complainants. My officials have engaged with stakeholders, including children and young people, to develop the child SOLA scheme, which will provide general and specific legal advice on their case and ensure that their interests and wishes are communicated to the court.

Remote evidence centres (RECs) have been established in Belfast and Craigavon to provide a safe, comfortable space away from the court building for vulnerable witnesses, including children, to give their best evidence by video link. So far this year, 317 witnesses, including 133 children, have attended, or are scheduled to attend, an REC to give evidence. All achieving best evidence (ABE) interviews with child victims of sexual offences are now conducted by a specialist ABE cadre with expertise in that area.

The Minister of Health and I are also committed to considering the development of a Barnahus-style model for Northern Ireland to provide a multidisciplinary and rights-based response for child victims and witnesses of violence.

My Department also continues to provide funding to support services for child victims of sexual crime. That includes funding for Victim Support NI to deliver the children's independent sexual violence advocate (ChISVA) service and the NSPCC young witness service, which supports young victims and witnesses who are called to give evidence. We also contribute funding to the ASSIST NI advocacy service, which is dedicated to providing support to all victims of domestic and sexual abuse.

Cathy Mason (Sinn Féin, South Down)

I thank the Minister for her comprehensive answer. It is widely accepted that establishing, as she mentioned, one child-friendly setting, where children do not have to repeat their story constantly, provides better support for child victims of sexual abuse. The Minister mentioned the Barnahus scheme. Will she give us more of an overview of what her Department's plans are to establish such a scheme? We know that it has been very successful in the South.

Naomi Long (Alliance, Belfast East)

We are very committed to looking at the Barnahus-style model for Northern Ireland. There is a successful model in Iceland, there is one in Scotland, and there is now one in the South. It is something that we want to do. The joint working group completed some benchmarking of current relevant services against the Barnahus quality standards. The group gained some useful information from several study visits that it made. The next stage is that we will use those findings to develop high-level options and commence analysis of costings.

Connie Egan (Alliance, North Down)

When will we see the full roll-out of the under-13 protocol?

Naomi Long (Alliance, Belfast East)

That is, ultimately, a matter for the judiciary, in that it is a judicial-led protocol, but the fact that it has now been extended to under-16s across the board augurs well for our seeing it more widely extended. We would certainly support that. Importantly, there are other ways in which we can assist child victims, particularly younger child victims. As I said, we intend to do some work with child SOLAs and to extend the REC programme, but there are other pieces of work that we are committed to taking forward, including a trial of pre-recorded witness statements and evidence.

Colin Crawford (UUP, North Antrim)

In reply to a recent question for written answer, the Minister admitted that her Department does not keep records of young people who have received support after their case has concluded. Will the Minister commit to changing that so that information is captured to enable us to better understand the whole process for young victims and witnesses?

Naomi Long (Alliance, Belfast East)

It is not for the Department of Justice to maintain a record of people once they have exited the justice system, which is the last point of contact for which we are responsible; they then move into services that are provided by the Department of Health. It is important that we recognise that, once people have gone through the justice system and completed that journey, they move into those other services. It is something, however, that I would be happy to raise with the Department of Health.

Matthew O'Toole (Social Democratic and Labour Party, Belfast South)

Minister, in response to a question for written answer from me, you said that you were committed to proceeding with the reform of the reasonable belief defence in rape cases, as per the Gillen review. Specifically, will the reform that you are looking at include a change to the way in which a jury can ascertain in a court proceeding how and whether the defendant specifically sought consent?

Naomi Long (Alliance, Belfast East)

I hope to address that during this mandate, but it is a sensitive and complex legal issue on which we will need to take significant advice. We are keen to consider including it in the final Bill that we intend to introduce in the mandate.

Andrew McMurray (Alliance, South Down)

3. Mr McMurray asked the Minister of Justice for an update on her Department's proposals to the interim public-sector transformation board. (AQO 1156/22-27)

Naomi Long (Alliance, Belfast East)

I was pleased to present five innovative and transformative bids from my Department to the interim public-sector transformation board. Following consideration by the interim board, I welcome the fact that three of those bids have moved forward for further consideration. The bids relate to three key areas: speeding up and transforming the criminal justice system; reducing reoffending and prison population initiatives; and electronic monitoring for those on bail or on licence. All three bids present innovative and transformative solutions to some of the challenges that face the justice system. Although the timescale for notifying the outcome of the stage 2 assessment has not been confirmed yet, I understand that the interim board will provide advice to the Finance Minister and that recommendations will then be made to the Executive. I look forward to the consideration of the recommendations at the Executive.

Andrew McMurray (Alliance, South Down)

I thank the Minister. Will she provide further detail on the three bids that have been selected for further consideration?

Naomi Long (Alliance, Belfast East)

Yes, I am very pleased to provide some insight into the bids that have made it through for further consideration by the interim board. We made a bid, which has been supported by the Criminal Justice Board, to speed up the transformation of the criminal justice system. That bid is in partnership with the Public Prosecution Service and will, among other things, reduce demand through providing a proportionate response to offending, including increasing non-court disposals. It will invest in early engagement across the justice system, including between police and prosecution, and prosecution and defence, to maximise efficiencies. The bid will also seek to utilise and exploit technology to support transformation.

Our bid to reduce reoffending, alongside measures to address the prison population, involves the Department for Communities. It includes provision for investments in a bail support scheme to divert people from custody, the roll-out of enhanced combination orders through the Probation Board as an alternative to short prison sentences and a review of the Prison Service framework for delivering rehabilitation.

Finally, we have a bid to create a multidisciplinary team to examine the technical and policy implications of implementing GPS location monitoring for those on bail or licence to be fitted with an electronic tag as part of their release conditions.

All three bids present innovative and transformative solutions to the challenges facing the justice system. I am wholly convinced that, should we receive funding through those bids, it will afford us opportunities to improve effectiveness and efficiency and to meet the increased and changing demands on the system, providing stability for the future.

Mark Durkan (Social Democratic and Labour Party, Foyle)

4. Mr Durkan asked the Minister of Justice for her assessment of the Chief Constable's ambition to bring police officer numbers to 7,000 within the next three years. (AQO 1157/22-27)

Sinéad McLaughlin (Social Democratic and Labour Party, Foyle)

8. Ms McLaughlin asked the Minister of Justice for her assessment of the PSNI's response to the Programme for Government outlining that policing numbers are the single most important issue the Executive need to address this year. (AQO 1161/22-27)

Naomi Long (Alliance, Belfast East)

With your permission, Mr Speaker, I will take questions 4 and 8 together.

I share the Chief Constable's ambition to increase police officer numbers. However, the reality is that police officer numbers cannot increase without additional funding, which I have been actively working to secure through the appropriate channels. My officials have been working closely and constructively with the Chief Constable and his team to support the PSNI on the development of a plan to recover police officer numbers and to enable a case to be made to the Department of Finance for additional funding.

I acknowledge that the Chief Constable expressed disappointment that the draft Programme for Government does not adequately reflect the issues that face policing here and that he wants to see the commitments strengthened. I assure Members that I will continue to support the Chief Constable where I can while respecting his operational independence.

Mark Durkan (Social Democratic and Labour Party, Foyle)

I thank the Minister for her answer. She has often asserted her respect for the Chief Constable's operational independence, and I am glad to hear her support for his operational ambitions. Will the Minister tell us how she will put forward the argument to her Executive colleagues about the importance of funding the police to allow them to grow to the numbers to which the Chief Constable aspires?

Naomi Long (Alliance, Belfast East)

In the first instance, it is not about the numbers that the Chief Constable aspires to. We are undertaking a separate work stream in parallel with stabilisation processes to identify what the right size of the Police Service should be. We will work with the Chief Constable and others on that. However, the issue is about what we can do in this mandate. We have only three years left, and there is limited capacity in the training school. Therefore, we are trying to add roughly 150 officers to the PSNI each year. Funding for that will come through a business case, in which we will set out the cost to society if we do not achieve that objective. That would take us up to just shy of 7,000 officers, which is the target figure that we agreed for that phase. It will, however, require the support of my Executive colleagues, including the Minister of Finance, to get that business case through.

Edwin Poots (DUP, Belfast South)

Ms McLaughlin is not in her place.

Peter McReynolds (Alliance, Belfast East)

Minister, if the funding allocation for policing falls short of what is required to facilitate further recruitment, what additional work will you do with the Chief Constable on the stabilisation of policing?

Naomi Long (Alliance, Belfast East)

One of the key things for stabilisation is ensuring that we stave off the attrition and loss of officers to other parts of these islands. The recent allocation allowed the PSNI to, first and foremost, clear what was left of its in-year pressures, but it will also put us in a position from which we will be able to, as I have already done, indicate our support for the PRRB pay recommendations. That is important. If we do not pay our officers, they will go elsewhere to jobs that are perhaps more straightforward and less stressful. That is the first stage of the stabilisation process.

As I said, the second stage is looking at getting money for the business case so that we can deliver more officers into the service. The Executive — certainly, the Executive parties have done this — have expressed their desire to see that happen. I am confident that it will be taken seriously as a bid going forward. The third strand is looking at what shape the overall numbers in the Police Service should take in the years ahead. The report that the Chief Constable commissioned reckoned that it was somewhere between

[Inaudible]

and that 7,200 was about the right number. We are now looking to see how we can get to that and maintain it.

Danny Donnelly (Alliance, East Antrim)

5. Mr Donnelly asked the Minister of Justice for an update on improvements she intends to make to the multi-agency risk assessment conference process. (AQO 1158/22-27)

Naomi Long (Alliance, Belfast East)

I am committed to ensuring that the risk that is posed to victims of domestic abuse is assessed and managed as effectively as possible. Members will be aware that Leonard Consultancy conducted an independent review of the multi-agency risk assessment conference (MARAC) arrangements on behalf of all strategic partners involved. The review examined MARAC's operational effectiveness and identified potential learning and opportunities for improved effectiveness.

My Department has now established a dedicated multi-agency working group to consider and respond to that review's findings, with a view to strengthening the responses to and protections for victims of domestic abuse. The group's key objectives are to identify costed recommendations for new multi-agency risk assessment arrangements and supporting processes; improve risk assessment and management in order to increase the safety of victims of domestic abuse; and reduce the risk posed by perpetrators of domestic abuse. The working group plans to hold a series of facilitated workshops to work through and agree recommended changes for how new arrangements should operate.

Through those workshops, members will consider how to build in a "person of concern" focus in order to ensure that new arrangements will focus not only on reducing the risk to the victim but on reducing the risk from the person of concern. I am confident that this work will result in a robust multi-agency arrangement that will make a material difference to the safety of high-risk victims of domestic abuse.

Danny Donnelly (Alliance, East Antrim)

Thanks to the Minister for that answer. Is the Minister considering more immediate interventions for high-risk victims?

Naomi Long (Alliance, Belfast East)

As part of the work that we are undertaking, we are exploring the potential to pilot arrangements for a daily risk assessment meeting (DRAM) that would operate in support of MARAC in the first instance but would look at more immediate interventions for high-risk victims. We are also exploring how to pilot the arrangements in a single health and social care trust area, building on already established partnerships between trusts and the PSNI. We hope to launch that pilot in January and run it until the end of the financial year 2025-26, with an evaluation to follow.

Ciara Ferguson (Sinn Féin, Foyle)

In relation to MARAC, what consideration will be given to a child or children of victims of domestic abuse?

Naomi Long (Alliance, Belfast East)

It is important that, when we look at those who are at risk, we consider the impact on children. As you are aware, in the domestic abuse offences, there are statutory aggravators that take account of children being aware of, having had sight of or hearing domestic abuse taking place. It is important that, when we look, for example, at that person of concern, who is essentially the person about whose violent behaviours we are concerned, we remember that that person of concern will have links to other people, including children, as well as the main intimate partner, who may be the subject of their domestic violence. That will be taken into account.

Maurice Bradley (DUP, East Londonderry)

6. Mr Bradley asked the Minister of Justice to outline the number of prisoners without a permanent home address who were released from a custodial sentence in the past year. (AQO 1159/22-27)

Naomi Long (Alliance, Belfast East)

The provision of stable accommodation for those on release from prison is a critical factor in ensuring desistance from reoffending and resettlement into the community. Whilst responsibility for the allocation of housing sits solely with the Department for Communities and the Northern Ireland Housing Executive, the Northern Ireland Prison Service takes a proactive approach to preventing homelessness by ensuring that everyone coming into custody is assessed and those with accommodation needs are given appropriate support. A number of initiatives are in place with statutory and voluntary and community sector partners to mitigate the risk of homelessness for those leaving prison. Despite those measures, 265 prisoners were released from a custodial sentence without a permanent forwarding home address between 1 November 2023 and 31 October 2024.

Maurice Bradley (DUP, East Londonderry)

I thank the Minister for her answer. Minister, has your Department had discussions about enhanced pre-release housing assessments, strengthening partnerships between prisons, councils and homelessness charities or introducing a mandatory post-release housing plan? What regular audits and reviews of prisoner reintegration strategies have taken place thus far, considering the immense stress on housing throughout Northern Ireland at present?

Naomi Long (Alliance, Belfast East)

Initiatives are in place to mitigate the risk of homelessness, but, to be clear, when somebody leaves prison, they leave the care of the prison system and the Department of Justice. We cannot, for example, retain people in custody or deprive them of their liberty at the end of their sentence on the basis that they have nowhere to go.

Prisoners will often not share the information with us. Many have not given us a forwarding address. They are not obliged to, once they have discharged their sentence. It is widely acknowledged that there is a lack of suitable social and affordable housing, and that is felt acutely by those who are leaving prison. A protocol for the management of accommodation and the related support needs of people in custody was published by the Housing Executive in December 2023 and sets out a collaborative approach to addressing accommodation needs by the Housing Executive, Housing Rights, the Probation Board and the Prison Service.

The Prison Service has also put in place initiatives to mitigate the risk of homelessness for those leaving prison. They include an assessment of prisoner needs on committal, which includes their housing arrangements and enables staff to put in place interventions, for example, to prevent someone on a short sentence losing their tenancy. The introduction of housing advisers in Maghaberry provides early intervention on housing needs and allows decisions on accommodation to take cognisance of other resettlement factors, including health and employability. There is also the use of approved premises to enable appropriate support and supervision arrangements to be put in place for high-risk offenders who are subject to public protection arrangements in Northern Ireland and the introduction of a partnership project between Hydebank Wood Secure College and Belfast City Council's Complex Lives, looking at how better information sharing at committal and release could support the females most at risk of chronic homelessness.

It is not an issue that is only or even primarily for the Department of Justice. We are willing to play our role in a collaborative effort with other Departments to ensure that we do better by those who leave custody. We know that having a home is one of the main reasons why people desist from offending.

Linda Dillon (Sinn Féin, Mid Ulster)

Minister, you will be well aware that many of those who are homeless on leaving prison are homeless because of addiction and mental health issues, so what are you doing to ensure that those prisoners, when they are sentenced and are in prison, get the assistance and intervention that they need around mental health and addiction? Can we be given reassurance that every sentenced prisoner with those issues gets the intervention and help that they need?

Naomi Long (Alliance, Belfast East)

Every prisoner who is committed to our care, whether on sentence or on remand, will be asked questions and can share information with us, up to the point that they wish to do so, about any historical issues with their mental health or with addiction. There are therapeutic services, but they are provided not by the Prison Service but by the South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust, as is all of the healthcare for prisoners. There are other interventions that are made in the prison setting to deal with addiction, with the trauma that often predates the addiction and with mental health issues and to provide the correct support. The key to this is to ensure that that through-the-door support continues and that there is continuity of provision in the community. Unfortunately, as many Members will recognise from working with their constituents, it is the lack of community-based interventions around addiction and mental health that is often the stumbling block for people on release from prison rather than the absence of those supports in the prison.

Stewart Dickson (Alliance, East Antrim)

Minister, will you agree that your Department and the Northern Ireland Prison Service have made a major contribution to assisting those leaving prison with their housing by changing the day of their release during the week? Do you agree that providing stable housing helps to stop reoffending?

Naomi Long (Alliance, Belfast East)

Absolutely. If people have housing, employment and family support, they are much less likely to offend in the first place and, indeed, to reoffend, so it is a huge part of the work that we do on rehabilitation. On bail and remand reviews, that is a decision that was taken by the Lady Chief Justice when we had discussions with her in respect of the vulnerability of people being released, often on a Friday afternoon, when mainstream services have ceased for the week, leaving them to cope over the weekend without that support. That initiative that she has piloted by moving those reviews to earlier points in the week so that, when people are released from custody, they have access to those services is hugely beneficial. It at least gives people an opportunity, when they are released into the community again, to make the best start possible.

Gary Middleton (DUP, Foyle)

7. Mr Middleton asked the Minister of Justice to outline what steps her Department is taking to help eradicate violence against women and girls. (AQO 1160/22-27)

Cara Hunter (Social Democratic and Labour Party, East Londonderry)

12. Ms Hunter asked the Minister of Justice to outline how resources will be deployed to address the increase in violent and sexual attacks against women and girls over the past year. (AQO 1165/22-27)

Naomi Long (Alliance, Belfast East)

Mr Speaker, with your permission, I will answer questions 7 and 12 together.

I condemn all acts of violence that endanger the safety and well-being of women and girls. In recent times, we have seen an increase in reported violence, including attacks in the Derry City and Strabane District Council area. My Department is continuing to work collaboratively with other key Departments to help eradicate violence against women and girls. That includes work under the domestic and sexual abuse (DSA) strategy, which is led by my Department and the Department of Health and builds on new offences and measures that I introduced in the last mandate to tackle domestic abuse, non-fatal strangulation and stalking that are actively helping to keep women and girls safer.

We know that women and girls are not exclusively affected by domestic and sexual abuse, but they are disproportionately so. Therefore, the measures to address domestic and sexual abuse under the strategy will also directly contribute to the broader goals of ending violence against women and girls. The delivery of the outcomes and objectives under the strategy is supported by a three-year action plan that sets out a range of specific actions that are intended to create a lasting change. For the 2024-25 financial year, a ring-fenced budget of £1·62 million has been prioritised from the Department of Justice’s core budget to support the delivery of cross-departmental work to tackle domestic and sexual abuse.

Gary Middleton (DUP, Foyle)

I thank the Minister for her response. What measures is she taking, as Minister of Justice, to increase the confidence of women and girls in the justice system and ensure that they get proper access to support?

Naomi Long (Alliance, Belfast East)

Most of the support for victims is provided via other Departments in collaboration with my Department. However, there is a range of cross-departmental priorities where we have allocated funding, including the ASSIST advocacy service; advocacy for the families of victims of domestic homicide; training for law enforcement and other front-line professionals; support for domestic homicide reviews; interventions such as Operation Encompass; and the development of educational resources within the CCEA hub, all to support the prevention of domestic and sexual abuse. Funding in that area is also coming from the Executive Office for the Executive's strategy for ending violence against women and girls.

From my perspective, building confidence is about ensuring that people get the service that they need when they need it and that, if they do not get the service that they need when they need it, they know the routes to complain about that. It is important that people are familiar with the Victim Charter and the Witness Charter; understand their entitlements and rights; and feel confident enough to exercise those, even at a point of crisis.

Cara Hunter (Social Democratic and Labour Party, East Londonderry)

I thank the Minister for her answer. Understandably, women across the north-west still feel unsafe. There has been a community response, including self-defence classes in Limavady, which is brilliant. Since those attacks just weeks ago, has the Minister engaged with the policing and community safety partnership (PCSP) for Derry and the wider north-west?

Naomi Long (Alliance, Belfast East)

Yes. The Department has engaged with the PCSP on additional funding and how it spends the money that it has at the moment. I am aware, for example, that the PSNI has increased patrols and that the PCSP has additional measures in place, whereby people can get alarms to carry with them for additional reassurance. There are challenges, and it is not an easy issue. Ultimately, my Department mainly leads on the issue of policy, and there are no quick policy fixes to violence against women and girls.

On the operational side, delivery of service generally falls to arm's-length bodies over which I do not have direct authority and control. However, it is important to say that we have engaged with the local community, the PCSP and the PSNI to ensure that they have the resources available to do the work that they need to do in that context.

It is also important to say that, if people remain fearful and afraid, that is unacceptable. We need to change the culture in this place and in other places where it is acceptable to be aggressive, violent or abusive towards women. Until we get that right in the House and everywhere else, we will not see a sea change in how women are treated on our streets.

Michelle Guy (Alliance, Lagan Valley)

How is the Minister targeting or focusing on the perpetrators of abuse against women and girls?

Naomi Long (Alliance, Belfast East)

There are programmes that allow perpetrators, either through self-referral or police referral, to engage directly with us. For some time, the Department has funded the Promoting Positive Relationships programme, which is run by the Probation Board for Northern Ireland. It aims to provide men who are alleged to have been abusive in their intimate relationships and whose children have been assessed by social services as being at risk with an opportunity to engage in intervention involving an integrated group work programme. The purpose of that programme is to develop their knowledge and skills so that they can have healthy, non-abusive relationships.

As part of the new DSA strategy, the Department is undertaking work to look at costed options to enhance measures to address such behaviours. The White Ribbon campaign has come to Hydebank Wood to work with our young men and women to challenge attitudes. We have had a number of partnerships, but it is important that, at all times, we recognise the power of peer intervention. In Hydebank Wood, we focused on how young men would react, if they saw peers behaving in a way that, they thought, was unacceptable. We can all learn from that, so that, when we see someone behaving in a way that is aggressive and unacceptable, we are not afraid to speak out and stand up for a person who may be fearful.

Diana Armstrong (UUP, Fermanagh and South Tyrone)

Will the Minister outline how many times her Department has engaged with the Director of Public Prosecutions when sentences for violence against women and girls have been too lenient and how many sentences that applies to?

Naomi Long (Alliance, Belfast East)

First, it would not be appropriate for me or my Department to engage directly with the Director of Public Prosecutions or the judiciary on any specific sentence, because they are completely impartial and independent of the Department and it is right that they should be. However, at the criminal justice board, for example, we discuss sentence leniency and the perception that that creates in the community and the fact that people often feel frustrated that, having managed to get someone convicted for a serious offence, they find that the sentence does not appear to match the crime. We have that conversation.

There are already powers for the Director of Public Prosecutions to appeal against a sentence on the basis of leniency.

Those powers are slightly convoluted and complex, so something that I hope to do in one of my Bills in this mandate is simplify and expand the list of sentences that can be appealed for leniency in order to make that process much easier.

Edwin Poots (DUP, Belfast South)

We move to topical questions.

Justin McNulty (Social Democratic and Labour Party, Newry and Armagh)

T1. Mr McNulty asked the Minister of Justice, given that, frighteningly, between 2004 and 2021, 103 murders with a domestic abuse motivation were committed here and it is estimated that more than two thirds of women and 50% of men who suffer domestic violence from a partner do not report it to the police, what steps she will take, in conjunction with the Minister of Health and the Minister for Communities, to enhance the provision of refuges, improve crisis intervention support and recovery services and enhance access to justice for people who are fleeing abusive and violent relationships. (AQT 771/22-27)

Naomi Long (Alliance, Belfast East)

First, I share the Member's concern about the rising number of domestic-related homicides in Northern Ireland. That is one reason why we have introduced domestic homicide reviews. The learning from those reviews will, I believe, be instructive in ensuring that our partners who respond at an operational level are able to do so better and to constantly refine and improve their performance in protecting the public.

I came here from an event to mark International Men's Day, and it is important to acknowledge the number of male victims of domestic and sexual abuse, who often struggle, due to the stigma around admitting that they are victims of abuse and the difficulty of accessing services. One of the pieces of work that we are funding the Commissioner Designate for Victims of Crime to undertake is an assessment of the services that are available, with identification of the gaps in service, so that we can better provide those services to the people who need them most. It is important to recognise that domestic and sexual abuse is no respecter of race, gender, age, colour or creed. We need to recognise that many abuse victims who live with that pain never disclose it to anyone. I thank the men who disclosed it for the research that was produced, because that has been hugely helpful in guiding what the Minister of Health and I will be able to take forward as a programme in response.

Justin McNulty (Social Democratic and Labour Party, Newry and Armagh)

I thank the Minister for her answer. Minister, Criminal Justice Inspection has identified the "fragmented" approach across the justice system as a barrier to access to justice. How will your Department ensure better working relationships between organisations across the justice system in order to create a unified approach that keeps victims' needs central and ensures that the system supports and protects them?

Naomi Long (Alliance, Belfast East)

One thing that I have done is ensure that the Commissioner Designate for Victims of Crime can attend the quarterly meetings of the Criminal Justice Board so that, as we discuss the changes that we wish to make to the justice system to improve access, speed up justice and introduce new protocols, we ensure that victims are not peripheral but at the heart of what we do.

Relationships in the justice organisations are less of an issue, perhaps, than some of the barriers that we face through discontinuity in our IT systems and other practical measures. There is also an independence issue that limits what the Department can do beyond encouraging and incentivising that cooperation. I find those who sit around the table at the Criminal Justice Board to be fully committed to making the journey for victims as seamless as possible. Where that does not happen and someone comes along with a complaint that they feel that they have been ill served by the justice system, I ask Members to do this: make them familiar with the Victim Charter and the Witness Charter, and, if you feel that they have been let down, make a complaint.

David Brooks (DUP, Belfast East)

T2. Mr Brooks asked the Minister of Justice, after noting the new research report by the Commissioner Designate for Victims of Crime and Queen's University Belfast that was published this morning, which, importantly, shines a light on male victims of domestic violence, given that, in focusing, rightly, on violence against women and girls, who are disproportionately affected by the issue of domestic violence, third-sector organisations have been key in supporting women, what engagement she has had with similar organisations that support men through domestic violence cases. (AQT 772/22-27)

Naomi Long (Alliance, Belfast East)

We have good engagement, through our domestic and sexual abuse expert panel, with organisations that support male and female victims of violence. We also take other opportunities to engage with them throughout the year.

The Men's Advisory Project (MAP) is a really good example of an organisation that speaks up for and supports men who find themselves in that particular situation. An important issue that has arisen as a result of the research is that a light has been shone on just how few men report domestic abuse. Although 31% of victims of domestic abuse last year were male, we know that only around 50% of them reported it. Sadly, fewer still are willing to make a report to the police and the authorities in order to pursue justice.

I understand the frustrations that people have. Getting justice can be daunting and complex, but it is important, because until we hold those who are responsible to account, we will not see a sea change in attitudes and culture.

David Brooks (DUP, Belfast East)

I understand from the report that a lack of refuges and a lack of access to family may be barriers to men's coming forward. That does not all fall within your remit, Minister, so do you plan to have conversations with other Ministers to see how men can be supported across the Executive?

Naomi Long (Alliance, Belfast East)

It is not just something that I plan to do but something that I have been doing. At a constituency level, I wrote to the Minister for Communities about the fact that non-resident parents, even if they have shared custody, are entitled to housing benefit for only one additional room in their house by dispensation. If they have three children, all of different sexes, where are they all supposed to go in the one room? It therefore denies men the right to take up their shared custody arrangements as they ought to. There are real issues with our processes and procedures, which need to be more nuanced. The issue for the Housing Executive is that the same people cannot be counted twice. Unfortunately, that needs to happen in blended and separated households if relationships are to be maintained.

We are trying to work our way through such issues. They are not easy to resolve, but it is important that they be resolved. My Department will introduce a small grants scheme in the next few weeks. I encourage organisations that work in that particular space to make an application. Whether it is to do studies on prevalence or to provide front-line support to people, it is something that we are very open to funding.

Michelle Guy (Alliance, Lagan Valley)

T3. Mrs Guy asked the Minister of Justice to outline the current Northern Ireland prison population. (AQT 773/22-27)

Naomi Long (Alliance, Belfast East)

On 1 November 2021, the Northern Ireland prison population was 1,559. On 1 November 2024, it was 1,925, which is an increase of 24%. Although the population position has not become precarious as quickly as we had expected, it remains highly challenging and very finely balanced. Pressures continue to be felt most acutely in Maghaberry prison, where over 450 prisoners share cells daily.

Michelle Guy (Alliance, Lagan Valley)

How are those numbers affecting resource pressures in the Prison Service?

Naomi Long (Alliance, Belfast East)

My focus and that of the director general is on ensuring that the Prison Service has the resources that it needs to ensure that it can focus on its key priorities, which are keeping people in custody safe and secure, keeping those who work in that environment safe and secure and supporting individuals in their rehabilitation and resettlement after they are released from prison. That is why I approved an increase in officer numbers across the Prison Service by 75.

Earlier this month, the Prison Service launched a new recruitment campaign with the intention of employing more than 100 new prison officers. It is important that our prisons be properly resourced, because, without the ability to make interventions, provide education and challenge offending behaviour, we will release people back into the community who have not been rehabilitated and not changed their attitudes or behaviours, and that will lead to more victims. It is a wise investment, and it is one that we need to make.