Every imported question, contribution and motion, with its classification. Unflagged, uncertain and not-yet-analysed records are all included so the analysis can be checked independently.
I welcome the new Minister and wish her all the best. To follow on from what Philip said, there has been talk of compensation schemes from NIE and the telecommunications companies, but it is vital that the compensation comes out of the profits of the companies, not out of the pockets of the householders affected. Will…
Ar an chéad dul síos, déanaim comhghairdeas leis an Aire faoina post nua agus guím ádh mór léi. Minister, given the response that you have given about taking urgent action and encouraging broadband and telecommunication companies to do the same, will you also encourage those companies to compensate customers who have…
I concur with much of what the Member has said. Real inconvenience is being experienced by so many people, and the impact of the lack of connectivity is really significant not just for households but for people, particularly in rural communities, who are trying to do business. As I said, the Department for the Economy…
I congratulate the Minister on her new appointment. Ten days ago, the storm took out five telecoms masts, even threatening critical blue-light communications, yet customers, many of whom are elderly, vulnerable or running businesses, are still without broadband and mobile services with no estimated restoration time.…
I thank the Member for raising that important issue. Mobile and broadband connectivity is absolutely vital to people's ability to communicate with family and friends, access services and run their businesses. The loss of connectivity as a result of storm Éowyn has therefore caused real hardship. Telecommunications are…
The enabling access to justice reform programme seeks to ensure that processes and procedures aid efficiency and incentivise early resolution. The programme looks at supporting ongoing work by the Criminal Justice Board to reduce delay and enable structured early engagement by ensuring that remuneration structures…
Initially, the focus is specifically aimed at encouraging men and boys to consider their attitudes and behaviours towards women and girls and to challenge attitudes and behaviours that women and girls find unacceptable. It is about giving them mechanisms and a safe way in which to do so. The campaign will then evolve…
I completely agree with my colleague, as no one will be surprised to hear. I have prioritised violence against women and girls and domestic and sexual abuse and violence throughout my time as Justice Minister. When I took the proposal to the Executive about wanting to have a strategy to tackle violence against women…
We can always do better. I never want to stand here and say, "Yes, I think it is sufficient". However, good support is in place, whether that is through work in prisons on resilience, the training of new officers or access to the PRRT. If we look at the uptake for that service from serving and former officers, we see…
I thank the Minister for her answer. Does the Minister believe that there is sufficient health and well-being support for officers who have suffered attacks in prison?
Our prisons are incredibly safe places, compared with other similar prisons. If you look at recent reviews of the prisons estate by CJINI, for example, you will see that levels of violence are lower than in comparable establishments elsewhere. However, as the Member, rightly, says, any attack on a prison officer is…
Again, that falls outside my purview. The PSNI's decision to purchase the Kinnegar barracks is now a matter of public record. My understanding is that it has been taken to the board. I suggest that the Member speaks to his colleagues who sit on the board about progress in that regard, and to the Chief Constable…
I thank the Minister for her answer. Will she provide an update, if she is aware of one, on the new PSNI Kinnegar training facility, and what point the process is at?
No, because it is not my decision whether PSNI stations remain open or closed, are refurbished or anything else. The estate strategy is entirely a matter for the Chief Constable, and he is answerable to the board. I cannot provide the reassurance that the Member seeks, because it is not within my purview. I encourage…
Where I can meet demands, or at least offer compromises, I have already sought to do so. I am willing to continue to try to do so. However, some of the demands, such as the immediate change to legal aid, are simply impossible. I will be making it clear to the criminal Bar representatives when I meet them tomorrow, as…
As I noted previously, the demands appear to have evolved over recent days. I believe that I met the demands that were set out in November: publication of the Burgess review report, implementation of an uplift in fees without delay and a timetable for reform. Further requests were received in December, including that…
As the Member demonstrates in his question, many of the issues that will prevent offending are not the responsibility of the Department of Justice. They fall to other Departments, whether that is the Department for the Economy, the Department for Communities or, indeed, other Departments beyond that. It is important,…
Thank you, Minister, for your answer. The question related to the number before the pandemic, not during the pandemic. Can the Minister outline what measures her Department and her Executive colleagues are adopting and implementing to tackle the reasons for offending, including challenges faced around housing,…
There are a number of reasons why there are more women in prison today as opposed to during the pandemic. First of all, there was a concerted effort to remove people from the prison system during the pandemic, and many people have brought cases forward post pandemic that might otherwise have happened during that…
My Department is not in the business of putting people into boxes, nor is it a responsibility of the Department to define the number of gender categories that exist. Our responsibility is to support everyone who comes into contact with the justice system, regardless of their gender, ethnicity, socio-economic status,…
That issue has been raised with me by many people who have been victims of domestic violence and sexual abuse and then find themselves in the family courts after the breakdown of their relationship. I am of the view that permitting media reporting of proceedings concerning children in the family courts would be a…
I thank the Minister for the information provided. Does she agree that reporting on proceedings in the family courts would help to increase transparency in the justice system?