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I beg to move Thank you, Deputy Speaker. It is my privilege, as the current Chairperson of the Northern Ireland Assembly Women's Caucus, to move the motion. The motion is the second of the mandate to be tabled by the caucus, which is a united, cross-party forum made up of all current women MLAs. It aims to address the…
Thank you very much, Mr Deputy Speaker. That was a really thoughtful debate. It is not the first time that we have debated the north-west today, because it is an Opposition day devoted to the north-west, but it is not the first time that we have talked about cross-border infrastructure and rail, and I doubt that it…
Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. I had better get going, because time seems to be short today. I will run through people's comments broadly, to give a quick overview. At the start of the debate, Mark Durkan referred to the north-west being choked and strangled. That was interesting terminology. He talked about the…
I appreciate the Minister's giving way. I know that Departments are looking at five-year business plans. Hopefully, those will tie in with a multi-year Budget. Is the Minister's Department looking at potential Budget allocations for the implementation of the all-island strategic rail review? I know that some of that…
I thank the Minister for giving way, because I did not get to my point about the all-island strategic rail review during my contribution. I recognise that transport plans are coming forward, but does the Minister not think that it is short-sighted that Fermanagh is not included in those plans to make sure that the…
Thank you, Deputy Speaker. I thank the Members who tabled the motion. Transport infrastructure for the north-west is an important topic. I very much welcome the debate. I am sure that everybody here aspires to and wants to see the delivery of a thriving north-west. Certainly, I am keen to see that. My predecessor,…
I will definitely try to keep my comments brief. I support the north-west transport plan. I would like to see it delivered sooner rather than later. The same goes for the expansion of all-Ireland rail. As a society, we are much too dependent on private cars. We urgently need significant investment to create a clean,…
I welcome the opportunity to speak in the debate, even though I am speaking about the north-west, not the south-west. Hopefully, colleagues can support our amendment. Go to anybody who lives in the west of the Province and you will find that they talk about the lack of investment in our transport network and…
As the Alliance infrastructure spokesperson, I welcome the motion. As someone with strong family links to Strabane, I also thank the Opposition for tabling it. As we have heard, the north-west transport plan has the potential to support social and economic development and the environmental sustainability of the…
D’admhaigh Rialtas na Breataine féin nach bhfuil an Tuaisceart ag fáil leath a sháithe de mhaoiniú leis na glúnta. Má rinne Westminster faillí sa Tuaisceart san am a chuaigh thart, is fíor go ndearna Cnoc an Anfa agus Dáil Éireann araon faillí san iarthuaisceart. Bhí sé thar a bheith deacair cistiú, infheistíocht agus…
Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. Our amendment strengthens the motion. We have discussed many issues today that affect the north-west, and the issue of transport infrastructure is vital in ensuring that we reach our full potential in terms of our economy, our tourism sector and, of course, our connectivity to other…
I beg to move The motion addresses an issue that continues to choke the north-west and strangle opportunities there: the chronic and historic underinvestment in transport infrastructure. The people of Derry, Strabane, Limavady and the Causeway coast deserve a modern, efficient and well-connected transport system that…
Thank you very much, Principal Deputy Speaker. I feared that people would run to the door before I could speak. One of the first things that I will comment on, forbye the seriousness of the issue, is that I was straining a bit to hear what Members were saying. That is a reflection of the fact that we were a little…
Thank you, Principal Deputy Speaker. I support both amendments and the motion. I thank the proposer of the motion for bringing it forward. I agree with my colleague Danny Donnelly about trauma-informed practice, not just in treating addiction but across all services in Northern Ireland. It is very important. If we…
Thank you, Madam Principal Deputy Speaker. I join my colleagues from the north-west in calling for the establishment of a dedicated treatment centre. The Minister highlighted some of the statistics from the Western Trust, but the problem is much larger than the Western Trust area. The area also takes in the Northern…
Does the Minister agree that the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 is outdated, that it needlessly punishes people who use drugs and that its impact on people in Northern Ireland should be reviewed?
I appreciate the Minister's giving way, and I agree with his agreement with me, if that is the right way of phrasing it. Will he comment on the fact that 10,000 people were prosecuted for personal possession of cannabis between 2019 and 2023? Does he think that that is an adequate use of public resources for tackling…
Principal Deputy Speaker, thank you very much. I thank also the proposer of the motion and the Members who moved the two amendments. I do not think that we can ever spend too much time raising awareness of the harms of substance use and putting a focus on all that we can do collectively to try to address this topic.…
I support the motion. We need a fully funded, purpose-built addiction treatment and recovery centre in the north-west. People in areas such as Strabane and Derry have some of the highest levels of poverty, deprivation, housing stress and inequality in these islands. It is worth saying that, despite repeatedly having…
Addiction is a plague on our society. It is the great equaliser that spares no one based on age, gender, social status or background. It is a disease that shatters lives, devastates families and cripples communities. Many in the Chamber know all too well the consequences of addiction. We have seen the heartbreak in…
Thank you very much for calling me. I thank the Opposition for tabling the motion. Any opportunity to discuss and highlight the damages of substance misuse is to be welcomed. Substance misuse, whether of drugs or alcohol, is undoubtedly a serious problem across Northern Ireland. Misuse can destroy lives, and, sadly,…