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I thank the First Minister and deputy First Minister for the work that they were doing over the weekend. Of course, I associate myself with the remarks that have been made about those who were out on the ground in the teeth of the storm working hard. What action are the First Minister and deputy First Minister taking…
In your statement, there is reference to the specialist requirements for collecting generators. The First Minister said that more generators were coming. Given that the priority should be connections and keeping the necessary expertise for that, is there an opportunity to use the engineers here, or bring in engineers…
Insurance companies should do the right thing and pay out. That is a question that should not have to be answered. It is not acceptable for an insurance company to run for cover when people find themselves in crisis. I send a very strong message from the House that we want all insurance companies to cooperate with the…
I join the First Minister and deputy First Minister in thanking all the front-line workers and volunteers who have been working tirelessly to repair storm damage. First Minister, a lot of damage has been caused to domestic and commercial properties. Some people have told me that they are really struggling to get…
I thank the Member for her important question. I will, absolutely. The easiest electricity connections to restore are those in urban areas. Those are prioritised due to the number of affected "customers", as NIE would describe them, or households that they serve. There will be a number of homes, particularly in rural…
I thank the Executive for their response over the weekend, during this terrible time. In my constituency, it has been good to see steady progress on the restoration of power to homes. However, many of the rural pockets across Mourne, Killowen, Scarva, Loughbrickland and particularly Katesbridge, the coldest point in…
There has been significant damage, and the most recent figure that I read was that 154 schools have reported some level of damage. That, however, can mean everything from damage to ridge tiles to more significant damage. I might have said "up to 20 schools" earlier, but 10 schools did not open today for a combination…
Gabhaim buíochas leis na hAirí as ucht a bhfreagraí. Will the First Minister tell us what work is being undertaken to repair damaged schools to enable them to reopen as soon as possible?
I thank the Member for his question. Over the past number of years, we have faced a significant number of events and crises. As a result, our civil contingency structures were examined in detail, and a number of recommendations were made and actioned. The First Minister and I feel that the structures that are in place…
First Minister, I associate myself with what has gone before. I will mention the community centres that have opened up, such as GAA clubs and church halls. There are so many questions to ask, but I will focus on climate change, because it is likely to mean warmer oceans resulting in more intense storms and more…
I will answer in reverse order. We will have to work out the financial implications. Our priority is to get the work done to get the response out there, and we will then have to deal with the cost. There was, however, no question whatsoever of our not responding in the way in which we have. There will be local…
I thank the Executive for their coordination and all the front-line staff and volunteers for their work over what was a very difficult weekend. My question follows on from what the deputy First Minister said about water. In my constituency, the lack of supply is a real issue. We are now on day 4 without water in a lot…
I thank the Member for her question. Councils have played a critical role in supporting the roll-out of support to communities. That has included the opening of centres, and the Minister for Communities has been working with councils on funding support for that. I am also aware that others — sporting clubs, churches,…
I thank the Ministers for their statement. I add my name to the list of Members putting on record their thanks to all the front-line workers and everybody who has been trying to restore our services and deal with our queries over the weekend. First Minister, what are you doing to work with councils to provide services…
Yes. Some people had a triple whammy: no electricity, no water and no mobile service. I had no mobile service for a while on Friday. It is causing huge challenges for people. I assure you that we are engaging with every agency responsible to get people reconnected as quickly as possible. The storm has caused…
My party adds its thanks to the public servants and, indeed, members of civil society who have been dealing with the issues. First Minister, the question seems to be about what has happened to the mobile telephone networks. Many of us were rightly awakened to the concerns about the alarm that went off across the…
I thank the Member for his question. There were a significant number of obstructions. Well in excess of 2,000 were reported across Northern Ireland, with, according to the latest figures, 100 roads still closed. Trying to clear all of that has required significant work. As with the vulnerable persons cell, an…
Thank you, First Minister, for your statement, and deputy First Minister, for your answers. Obviously, a significant clean-up operation will be required in coming days. What additional support can be provided to councils or DFI to ensure that footpaths and road verge sight lines are cleared of debris, particularly…
The purpose of the cell — the group that is looking at the issue of vulnerability — is to look at everything in the round: exactly what we need and where we need it. In Scotland, the power company has chosen to make the goodwill payment, including supporting people to get accommodation. We have also asked for that…
Thank you, First Minister and deputy First Minister, for your statement. I join others in thanking the front-line support agencies for their efforts over the past few days. I believe that in Scotland, for example, they offer hotel accommodation to people who have not got electricity. As you said, First Minister, it…
I thank the Member for his important question. Coordination is key to many of the issues, because we are dealing with a number of Departments and agencies, all with different responsibilities. The key thing in all of that is to ensure that the communication and coordination are working, and that is why we have set up…
I join you, First Minister, in commending the first responders — NIE staff, engineers and people who were out all weekend helping to get us back to normal after an unprecedented storm. You talked about the team that is operating that involves the Department for Communities. How is that being coordinated centrally? It…
I thank the First Minister and the deputy First Minister for their statement. Can they set out how the Executive are prioritising vulnerable and older people, particularly those who are absolutely reliant on electricity to power medical equipment?
Go raibh maith agat, a Cheann Comhairle. I thank you and your staff for facilitating this important strategic statement on the back of the unprecedented events over the weekend. I apologise to Members that we got the statement delivered to them only in the past short while. We are in live play and are actively…
Like others, I will speak to the events of the past weekend, which continue to leave their mark across Northern Ireland. Thankfully and most importantly, no one was killed or seriously hurt in Northern Ireland during the storm. That is a huge relief and is credit to the swift decisions taken by the Northern Ireland…