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Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire as a ráiteas. He will be well aware of the vital role that the GAA plays in communities, particularly in rural communities. Across the North, GAA clubs are often the hub for other cultural activities, over and above just our Gaelic games. They are used for dance events, our music and so…
I thank the Minister for his statement. He will be aware, as will many MLAs, that there are groups that are proficient in the application process. Often, however, there are groups, particularly in rural areas, that do not have the capacity and knowledge to fill out their applications in such a way as to score highly…
Minister, I am interested to find out, as the previous Member mentioned, that it will be a retrospective grant. That was not included in the statement today. Minister, may I ask you about the works going forward? You talked about future-proofing, which is very welcome, but will any criteria be provided for groups to…
I am delighted to see more delivery for our grassroots organisations, but, Minister, I understand that the funding will be paid out retrospectively. How will the Department address the worries of smaller organisations, which may struggle with cash flow if they have to pay up front?
I thank the Minister for the statement. It is vital that we maximise the uptake and impact of any available funding across all our constituencies and communities. What measures will be put in place to ensure fair geographical distribution of the funding — you will not be surprised to hear me raise that, Minister — and…
Thank you very much, Mr Deputy Speaker. I wish to make a statement on the launch of the Northern Ireland community infrastructure fund, which is a major new investment supporting the refurbishment and improvement of community buildings and facilities right across Northern Ireland. In June, I provided a written…
I appreciate the Member's giving way. She is much more courteous with giving her time than the previous contributor. She mentioned the fact that the criminalisation approach alone does not work, and I agree with that. Does she have concerns about the amendment, which mentions: "that there are no safe ways of taking…
Thank you very much, Mr Deputy Speaker. I thank my party colleagues for tabling this important motion and, indeed, those Members who tabled the amendment. I also thank Members from all parties for their contributions and the Minister for taking the time to come along to the debate. Unfortunately, I have seen at first…
Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. Every summer, thousands of people attend festivals and concerts. They go to enjoy music, have fun and make memories. Those events are fantastic and tend to be well run. I think of the Stendhal Festival in my constituency. People go for the music, the beer and the craic. I encourage anyone…
I thank the Minister for giving way. Does he think that, if there were on-site testing facilities and people knew that they were going somewhere where they could get the substance tested and make an informed decision, that could encourage them not to imbibe substances before they went to a festival?
Thank you, Deputy Speaker. I thank those who tabled the motion and the amendment and everybody who has contributed to the debate. Let us pause and think about the human cost of what we are talking about. Clearly, the debate was sparked by events at summer festivals such as Emerge. The investigations are ongoing, so it…
I thank the Member for giving way. I think that he is right to say that when Portugal introduced that regime, the number of deaths and medical incidents did drop significantly, but that was because the new policy was matched by very heavy investment in resources within the community. That investment has dried up, and…
I thank the Member for giving way. He is giving examples from around the rest of the island and in other countries. Has he been following the work of the citizens' assembly in the South on drug use and the issues surrounding it, and does he agree that we should harmonise across the island the outcomes in the…
I thank the Members on the opposite Benches for tabling the motion. It is very important that we discuss the topic, as well as the fact that the state's current zero-tolerance approach to drugs is not working and that the war on drugs has categorically failed. Criminal penalties for drug possession are not working.…
I thank my colleagues for tabling the motion on harm reduction initiatives and the need for rapid drug-testing schemes at festivals and concerts. No drugs are safe in our communities, yet, sadly, too many lives are lost due to drug and alcohol misuse. Harm reduction initiatives such as rapid drug testing can help…
I am glad to have the chance to speak to the motion today, because it is about something that really matters, which is keeping our young people safe. Over the summer, we witnessed some heartbreaking incidents in which young people went out to enjoy themselves at festivals and concerts and some did not come home.…
The Member will be aware that the first round of funding has been distributed. The public-sector transformation board is now examining bids from Departments for the next round of funding. I hope to be in a position to bring the board's recommendations to the Executive later in the autumn.
I am on the record as saying that all the Departments are dealing with a constrained budget, and, as I have just said, Ministers have difficult decisions in front of them. None of the Departments are easy at this time, and the forecast for the next three years is also challenging. However, we are making a difference.…
I thank the Minister for his answer. At a recent briefing by your permanent secretary, he detailed that well over 70% of our public spending is administered through our arm's-length bodies. Is it time for a widespread financial review of our arm's-length bodies in terms of how many there are, the administrative cost…
In fairness, they are not Civil Service Departments. They are ministerial Departments, and, at the head of each Department, is a Minister who is responsible for managing the budget along with their senior civil servants. At this stage, we have a forecast overspend, with pressures across a number of Departments.…