12,802 of 97,616 records that can be analysed have been assessed so far (13.1%); 84,813 are waiting for analysis and 1 failed and will be retried. Totals and rankings will change as the remaining records are processed, so they do not yet represent the full mandate. How much has been processed
Mr Robbie Butler: Assembly records
All of Mr Robbie Butler’s imported questions, contributions and motions in this mandate, newest first, including those assessed as not qualifying, uncertain or not yet analysed.
I will try to be helpful with this. Sometimes we look at the issues as if they do not cross over. We want the best health service, but it cannot be driven by service collapse. You referenced workforce planning, which is something that I am passionate about and have a little bit of a background in. Do you accept that…
Thank you so much, Madam Principal Deputy Speaker. I am going to read something in that I have not got printed out. There are two images in this Building that have inspired me every time I that I have come in since I became an MLA in 2016, and they are the measure by which I do my politics. One image is of C S Lewis,…
Thank you, Madam Principal Deputy Speaker. Before I address Members' comments, I will say that such regulations are an example of legislation that I like to see come forward for the Assembly to debate. In the many debates on health that we have had over the years, we have talked about how early identification and…
I beg to move Thank you, Madam Principal Deputy Speaker. This morning, I seek the Assembly's approval of the draft regulations, which make important amendments to the Northern Ireland tobacco control enforcement framework as a consequence of the Tobacco and Vapes Act 2026. Members will be aware that smoking remains…
There are a lot of factors at play to explain why we are where we are. The political stagnation that resulted from five years of not having Ministers to drive change in any of our Departments has led to a lot of what is now happening. There is a belief, and it is probably a heartfelt belief, predominantly in the…
I thank the Member for that. I appreciate the question, but I will repeat what I said to the Member on the Benches opposite. It is not just reviews that have led to stagnation but the fact that we did not have Stormont for five years out of the past 10 and the fact that we did not have —.
I thank the Member for those multiple questions. You are being lenient today, Mr Deputy Speaker. I thank Mrs Dillon for her kind words in welcoming me to my role. There is not a lot that I disagree with there, but I remember that we were not here in 2018; in fact, from 2018 until 2023, we lost five years in this…
Thank you. I appreciate that. Congratulations on giving birth at Daisy Hill. It is a fantastic hospital, and I absolutely value its place in the community there. The people of that area are passionate about their hospital and rightly so, and I understand the devastation that will be felt by some of the staff members…
I thank the Member for her question. As she has set out well, how expectant mothers receive the news needs to be handled sensitively. Those who are due within the next few weeks will be able to use Daisy Hill Hospital safely. However, for those who are at 26, 28 or 32 weeks, this will cause concern. That is why it is…
I thank the Member for his words. He is absolutely right to pitch his question in such a way. My commitment is that it is my ambition and that of the Department to retain the maternity service at Daisy Hill. What I cannot do is magic up an obstetrician, unfortunately, much as I would like to. I can say, however, that…
That Dodds sandwich has about six layers. Again, I do not criticise the Member for her questions, because they are all valid. When I have talked to clinicians, I have found that they say different things. The clinicians do not agree on what is best and how things can be configured. However, there was a widespread…
I wish to update the Assembly on an emerging and serious workforce challenge that is affecting inpatient maternity services at Daisy Hill Hospital. By now, Members may have seen the statement that the Southern Health and Social Care Trust issued earlier this afternoon. I will be clear from the outset about the current…
I thank the Member for her question. It was a sad indictment of society when we saw that unrest affect care delivery. I remember listening to the former Health Minister talk about an experience that was relayed to him, and it was one of deep regret. I know, however, that the Department has been constructively engaging…
I absolutely do, and I thank the Member for raising that. During my 10 years here, that has certainly been one of the biggest frustrations for me. Delivery is what this place has to be about. Through that initiative, we have seen tangible delivery that really changes people's lives. Targeted investment is delivering…
I thank the Member for his question. There are clear and encouraging signs that the additional investment is delivering for patients. Waiting times remain unacceptable, however, and, even with the progress made, there is still a considerable distance to travel. Between April and July this year, more than 52,000…
I thank the Member for his persistence on the issue, and he is right to be persistent. I welcome that challenge, because there is a myriad of pressures across the system. We all have our local pressures, so the Member is right to press that issue. I cannot give the Member a definitive date; I can say that there will…
I thank the Member. The Member has been a long-term advocate for the hospices, particularly the Children's Hospice. It remains a priority of mine and of my party. We had our early days meeting at the Children's Hospice, and it was a pleasure to spend time there. It was sombre in some ways, with families navigating…
No. If I were Superman and Batman rolled into one, it would be nice to pull something like that off. I know that the Member is coming from a good place. I have spoken to the permanent secretary about this. We have the ambitious cost-cutting exercise for the next couple of years. A lot of people are pushing that and…
I thank the Member for his question. There is not enough time left in the mandate to do that. I am sure that it has rattled about in the heads of most of us over the years, especially if you have worked on the Health Committee. In my time as Minister, I have not been able to think proactively about that. However, when…
I thank the Member for his question. The women's health action plan was one of the things in the first-day brief that I asked for an urgent update on and early sight of. Women's health has been relegated to a subsection of our policy for far too long. I hope that the women's action plan will be ready and out before…
I thank the Member for his question. Without even looking at my notes, let me say that any delay for anyone who has had a cancer diagnosis is too long. I do not think that I am speaking out of shop when I say that just about everybody in the Chamber will know someone who has been diagnosed with cancer and has heard…
I thank the Member for his question. We are looking at two phases for the Department. Once the final guidance is published, the Department will review it for legal and policy applicability in Northern Ireland in line with the existing process, which is set out in circular 12/22. In advance of that endorsement, the…
I thank the Member for his question. Last Thursday was a good news day for many who are suffering. I have been communicating with a number of women who suffer, and I pay tribute to those who wrote on behalf of those who are suffering. We have to remember that, when you have been diagnosed, as many in this Chamber will…
I thank the Member for his question. The Shared Island Fund was established to support specific projects and initiatives rather than to provide the long-term recurrent funding that would be required to sustain and expand hospital services. It is therefore not an available funding route when considering any future…