Official Report (Hansard)
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Official Report (Hansard) Monday 16 April 2012 Volume 74A, No 1 Session 2011-2012 Contents Assembly Business New Assembly Members: Mr Sean Rogers and Mr Christopher Hazzard ..............................................1 Private Members’ Business RMS Titanic Centennial Commemoration ..........................................................................................1 Disappeared Victims ....................................................................................................................17 Oral Answers to Questions Environment .................................................................................................................................27 Social Development ......................................................................................................................32 Private Members’ Business Disappeared Victims (continued) ....................................................................................................38 Written Ministerial Statements Health, Social Services and Public Safety: Paediatric Congenital Cardiac Surgery Services ......... WMS 1 Health, Social Services and Public Safety: Interim Report on Pseudomonas Incidents in Neonatal Units .................................................................................................................. WMS 2 Suggested amendments or corrections will be considered by the Editor. They should be sent to: The Editor of Debates, Room 248, Parliament Buildings, Belfast BT4 3XX. Tel: 028 9052 1135 · e-mail: [email protected] to arrive not later than two weeks after publication of this report. Assembly Members Agnew, Steven (North Down) Lynch, Seán (Fermanagh and South Tyrone) Allister, Jim (North Antrim) Lyttle, Chris (East Belfast) Anderson, Ms Martina (Foyle) McCallister, John (South Down) Anderson, Sydney (Upper Bann) McCann, Fra (West Belfast) Attwood, Alex (West Belfast) McCann, Ms Jennifer (West Belfast) Beggs, Roy (East Antrim) McCarthy, Kieran (Strangford) Bell, Jonathan (Strangford) McCartney, Raymond (Foyle) Boylan, Cathal (Newry and Armagh) McCausland, Nelson (North Belfast) Boyle, Ms Michaela (West Tyrone) McClarty, David (East Londonderry) Bradley, Dominic (Newry and Armagh) McCrea, Basil (Lagan Valley) Bradley, Ms Paula (North Belfast) McCrea, Ian (Mid Ulster) Brady, Mickey (Newry and Armagh) McDevitt, Conall (South Belfast) Brown, Ms Pam (South Antrim) McDonnell, Dr Alasdair (South Belfast) Buchanan, Thomas (West Tyrone) McElduff, Barry (West Tyrone) Byrne, Joe (West Tyrone) McGimpsey, Michael (South Belfast) Campbell, Gregory (East Londonderry) McGlone, Patsy (Mid Ulster) Clarke, Trevor (South Antrim) McGuinness, Martin (Mid Ulster) Cochrane, Mrs Judith (East Belfast) McIlveen, David (North Antrim) Copeland, Michael (East Belfast) McIlveen, Miss Michelle (Strangford) Craig, Jonathan (Lagan Valley) McKay, Daithí (North Antrim) Cree, Leslie (North Down) McKevitt, Mrs Karen (South Down) Dallat, John (East Londonderry) McLaughlin, Mitchel (South Antrim) Dickson, Stewart (East Antrim) McMullan, Oliver (East Antrim) Dobson, Mrs Jo-Anne (Upper Bann) McNarry, David (Strangford) Doherty, Pat (West Tyrone) McQuillan, Adrian (East Londonderry) Douglas, Sammy (East Belfast) Maginness, Alban (North Belfast) Dunne, Gordon (North Down) Maskey, Alex (South Belfast) Durkan, Mark H (Foyle) Maskey, Paul (West Belfast) Easton, Alex (North Down) Molloy, Francie (Mid Ulster) Eastwood, Colum (Foyle) Morrow, The Lord (Fermanagh and South Tyrone) Elliott, Tom (Fermanagh and South Tyrone) Moutray, Stephen (Upper Bann) Farry, Dr Stephen (North Down) Murphy, Conor (Newry and Armagh) Flanagan, Phil (Fermanagh and South Tyrone) Nesbitt, Mike (Strangford) Ford, David (South Antrim) Newton, Robin (East Belfast) Foster, Mrs Arlene (Fermanagh and South Tyrone) Ní Chuilín, Ms Carál (North Belfast) Frew, Paul (North Antrim) Ó hOisín, Cathal (East Londonderry) Gardiner, Samuel (Upper Bann) O’Dowd, John (Upper Bann) Gildernew, Ms Michelle (Fermanagh and South Tyrone) O’Neill, Mrs Michelle (Mid Ulster) Girvan, Paul (South Antrim) Overend, Mrs Sandra (Mid Ulster) Givan, Paul (Lagan Valley) Poots, Edwin (Lagan Valley) Hale, Mrs Brenda (Lagan Valley) Ramsey, Pat (Foyle) Hamilton, Simon (Strangford) Ramsey, Ms Sue (West Belfast) Hay, William (Speaker) Robinson, George (East Londonderry) Hazzard, Christopher (South Down) Robinson, Peter (East Belfast) Hilditch, David (East Antrim) Rogers, Sean (South Down) Humphrey, William (North Belfast) Ross, Alastair (East Antrim) Hussey, Ross (West Tyrone) Ruane, Ms Caitríona (South Down) Irwin, William (Newry and Armagh) Sheehan, Pat (West Belfast) Kelly, Mrs Dolores (Upper Bann) Spratt, Jimmy (South Belfast) Kelly, Gerry (North Belfast) Storey, Mervyn (North Antrim) Kennedy, Danny (Newry and Armagh) Swann, Robin (North Antrim) Kinahan, Danny (South Antrim) Weir, Peter (North Down) Lo, Ms Anna (South Belfast) Wells, Jim (South Down) Lunn, Trevor (Lagan Valley) Wilson, Sammy (East Antrim) Northern Ireland Assembly Monday 16 April 2012 The Assembly met at 12.00 noon (Mr Principal Deputy Speaker [Mr Molloy] in the Chair). Members observed two minutes’ silence. Assembly Business Private Members’ Business New Assembly Members: Mr Sean RMS Titanic Centennial Rogers and Mr Christopher Hazzard Commemoration Mr Principal Deputy Speaker: Before we begin Mr Principal Deputy Speaker: I advise the business, I welcome Members back. I advise House that junior Minister Bell will respond Members that I have been informed by the to the debate on behalf of the Minister of Chief Electoral Officer that Mr Sean Rogers has Enterprise, Trade and Investment, who is abroad been returned as a Member of the Assembly on official business. for the South Down constituency to fill the vacancy resulting from the resignation of Ms The Business Committee has agreed to allow Margaret Ritchie. Mr Rogers signed the Roll up to one hour and 30 minutes for the debate. of Membership and entered his designation in The proposer will have 10 minutes in which to the presence of the Speaker and the Director propose the motion and 10 minutes in which to of Clerking and Reporting on 2 April 2012. Mr make a winding-up speech. All other Members Rogers will now take his seat. who are called to speak will have five minutes. Mr A Maginness: Literally. [Laughter.] Mr Douglas: I beg to move That this Assembly notes the 100th Anniversary of Mr Principal Deputy Speaker: I have also been the maiden voyage of RMS Titanic; acknowledges informed by the Chief Electoral Officer that Mr the innovation and ingenuity of the design and Christopher Hazzard has been returned as a construction of the world’s most famous ship; Member of the Assembly for the South Down welcomes the creation of Titanic Belfast and the constituency to fill the vacancy resulting from commemoration by the Assembly; and calls for any the resignation of Mr Willie Clarke. Mr Hazzard further marking of the anniversary or memorial to signed the Roll of Membership and entered his be solemn and dignified as a tribute to the 1,517 designation in the presence of the Speaker and people who lost their lives on 15 April 1912. the Clerk/Director General this morning. Mr Hazzard will now take his seat. I welcome the opportunity to propose the motion on RMS Titanic, or, to give her her proper title, Royal Mail Ship Titanic. I hope that we will conduct this debate in a spirit of dignity as a tribute to the 1,500 or so people who lost their lives on 15 April 1912. Mr Principal Deputy Speaker, I want to thank the Speaker’s Office for this morning’s Titanic service. It was very dignified, and there was a big turnout. Again, on behalf of the rest of the Members, thank you. We have had a remarkable few weeks of activities and events surrounding the Titanic centennial commemorations. However, it is fitting that the Assembly has the opportunity today to pay its tribute and respects to the 1 Private Members’ Business: Monday 16 April 2012 RMS Titanic Centennial Commemoration Titanic story — a story that will live on for many We built the Thompson dry dock — the biggest years as testament to a rich engineering and dry dock in the world at the time. industrial heritage. Despite the obvious pride and passion that was evidenced at the Belfast Ms P Bradley: I thank the Member for giving way. launch of the Titanic on 2 April 1912, 13 days How significant was the dry dock at that time? later, the ship lay at the bottom of the Atlantic, Mr Douglas: I thank the Member for her question. and over 1,500 people had perished. That pride Certainly, the Thompson dry dock and the pump was badly dented for many years to come. My house were at the leading edge of innovation, late father, who was a red leader in the yard, and we would not have had the Titanic without never talked about the Titanic. I remember my them. We have to remind ourselves that the mother quoting this proverb from the Bible: pump house pumped out 23 million gallons “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit of water in one hour and 10 minutes — what before a fall.” a feat. To think that there was no internet or computer-aided design (CAD) then. What a ship, She felt that we had brought the wrath of God and what a heritage. We built the Thompson upon us by claiming that God himself could not dry dock, which was the biggest dry dock in the sink the Titanic. Over the years, we, like many world at the time, as I said earlier. What vision, families, spoke little of the world’s most famous enterprise and leadership. We have every right ship,