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Minister, I commend you for talking in detail about PSNI operational matters. It is the 30th anniversary of 'Father Ted', and I am glad that you are not saying, as you often do, "That would be an operational matter". There is a real sense among some people that confidence and optimism around the PSNI have declined…
As we have an annual Budget, we review the funding allocations every year. That happens on an ongoing basis. If you look at the allocations that have already been made to PSNI, you will see that, of the £132·3 million of additional allocations to my Department, PSNI has received just over £86 million. That is 65% of…
I thank the Minister for her answer. Given that the Chief Constable has recently voiced concerns that officer numbers are at an all-time low, will the Minister be mindful of that and commit to a review of the PSNI's funding, if the report indicates that there are clear difficulties with service delivery as a direct…
On staffing, there is the business case that I have referred to. I am absolutely committed to seeing the PSNI increase its numbers of officers and staff so that it can conduct the work on behalf of the public that needs to be done. However, it is not just for me to make that commitment: it requires every party in the…
As the Member will be aware, there are a number of arrangements to manage offenders. The multi-agency risk assessment conferencing (MARAC) process, which is for protection, is under review. An intensive piece of work is happening on that. We then have PPANI, in which the PSNI is one of the key agencies, but not the…
Given that the report states that there is an increased risk in managing sexual offenders, will the Minister give credence to undertaking a review of the wider Public Protection Arrangements for Northern Ireland (PPANI) and the police's position within them?
To be clear, the Department of Justice did not allow a gap to open up in funding or in numbers. The PSNI took decisions, for example, not to recruit police officers to replace those who had left. That decision was taken by the PSNI, not imposed upon it by the finances. That has had a knock-on effect, with a…
Given the urgency of the issue, why would the public have confidence that the Justice Department will act swiftly, having allowed that dangerous shortfall to develop? Will the Minister provide a specific timeline for achieving the necessary staffing levels and outline how progress can be monitored?
The Member is, of course, right to say that, of all police duties, that of keeping our children, in particular, safe from predatory adults is key. One of the challenges that the PSNI and other parts of the justice system face is that, whilst crime rates remain relatively low in Northern Ireland, the complexity of…
Minister, this was a worrying report. A particular worry for me was that it revealed significant gaps in the PSNI child internet protection team, contributing to ineffectiveness in investigating child sexual abuse offences and managing dangerous offenders and predators. It is an alarming statistic given the 98%…
I thank the Member for what I think is a very helpful intervention. There are real challenges that the PSNI faces, and those will also be faced by other constabularies right across the UK, particularly now that the British Government's spending trajectory on public services is heading for decline. That is a really…
Thank you, Minister. I recognise that operational responsibilities are a matter for the Chief Constable and the Policing Board. However, this is an issue that raises its head time and time again. Is there something more, even in an advocacy role, that we, as the Northern Ireland Assembly and the Executive, could do to…
At the outset, I thank His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services for its thorough inspection, as well as the PSNI officers and staff, whose professionalism and dedication were rightly acknowledged in the report. The inspection report highlights operational challenges for both the PSNI and…
Go raibh maith agat, a Leas-Cheann Comhairle. "Casement Park will be built on my watch." Who said that? The First Minister said that. Casement Park has not been built. Casement Park was not built in time for the Euros. There is no sign of Casement Park being built. There is no direction on Casement Park. It stands…
Go raibh maith agat, a Leas-Cheann Comhairle. There is no denying that the failure to deliver a number of major capital projects across the North is alarming. It is important that we get to the root cause of why those projects are yet to materialise. Certainly, all of us here must shoulder our share of the…
I thank the deputy First Minister for giving way. That is what I was pointing to in my contribution. It is important that we have the right skills in place and that we get to the nub of the issues. For example, when legal challenges take place, community engagement pieces must be done correctly to avoid the…
I thank the deputy First Minister for giving way. She makes a valid point, specifically about the York Street interchange and the time that many people spend sitting in traffic, but she also highlights the economic impact. A recent fiscal study established that not developing the York Street interchange costs the…
Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. I thank Members for their contributions on this important topic and the proposer of the motion for giving us the opportunity to highlight what we are already doing to improve how we plan and deliver infrastructure and, importantly, the opportunity to reflect on what more needs to be done.…
I thank the Opposition for tabling the motion. I welcome the motion and agree with both parts of it independently, although I am not convinced that one will fully address the other. Alliance has long called for an independent, expert-led infrastructure commission to improve long-term strategic planning. We want the…
Apologies for not being on the speaking list; I do not know what happened. I rise on behalf of the Ulster Unionist Party to join many organisations, including the Construction Employers Federation, the Northern Ireland Business Alliance, the Institution of Civil Engineers and many others in supporting the…
I rise as the Alliance Party's infrastructure spokesperson. I am delighted that we have a day of infrastructure debates in front of us. As Members will know, I have highlighted several times in the Chamber and in Committee that Infrastructure is a Department that does not get the respect that it deserves. When we get…