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Official Report (Hansard) Tuesday 17 April 2012 Volume 74A, No 2 Session 2011-2012 Contents Private Members’ Business Lough Neagh................................................................................................................................45 Kinship Care ................................................................................................................................62 Assembly Business Committee Membership: Committee for the Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister and Committee for Education .....................................................................66 Oral Answers to Questions Agriculture and Rural Development ................................................................................................66 Culture, Arts and Leisure ..............................................................................................................73 Assembly Business ......................................................................................................................79 Private Member’s Business Kinship Care (continued) ...............................................................................................................80 Adjournment Counselling Services: East Belfast ................................................................................................94 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 Tuesday 17 April 2012 The Assembly met at 10.30 am (Mr Speaker in the Chair). Members observed two minutes’ silence. Private Members’ Business feature on the map of Ireland. On every map, you clearly see that blue spot, so it is a very Lough Neagh important location. It is also an important basin that supplies 40% of the water that we drink in Mr Speaker: The Business Committee has this part of the world. agreed to allow up to one hour and 30 minutes The lough plays a significant role in the local for the debate. The proposer of the motion will economy, particularly through commercial have 10 minutes in which to propose and 10 eel fishing, sand extraction and the leisure minutes in which to make a winding-up speech. facilities around it, but it could have greater All other Members who are called to speak will tourist potential in the future. If properly utilised have five minutes. and developed, it could create substantial Mr Molloy: I beg to move investment and much-needed employment opportunities. At present, 300 fishermen travel That this Assembly calls on the Minister of Culture, to Lough Melvin in Fermanagh for its fishing Arts and Leisure and the Minister of Agriculture competition once a year. Think how that could and Rural Development to convene a working be expanded and how fishing and various group to explore and pursue actively the potential for a cross-departmental approach to bring Lough competitions and events could happen across Neagh back into public ownership. the North. Lough Neagh could become the key development there and start to expand fishing Go raibh maith agat, a Cheann Comhairle. and other aspects of tourism. This morning’s motion is very important as far as my constituency is concerned, because When David Burnside was MP for the area, he Lough Neagh surrounds it so much. I thank the raised in Westminster the question of exploiting Business Committee for allowing the opportunity the full potential of Lough Neagh for tourism, for the debate to proceed, and I thank the sports, culture and various things. I would like Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development us to take the same line and develop ideas to for attending to reply. explore that potential. I do not think that anybody should have any concerns about this. We are Although the motion calls for the two Departments talking about a working group that will explore with direct responsibility for Lough Neagh to all the issues that come up. That group will have explore the possibility of bringing it back into public to make a decision and come up with a business ownership, at the end of the day, if the motion programme to see whether this idea is viable. is successful, it will no doubt bring together the various Departments that have responsibilities We are in the probably unique situation of or interests in the Lough Neagh basin so that there being no contest, because the 10th Earl they can get involved and be part of any working of Shaftesbury wanted to sell and approached group that would come into operation. There is the Government about buying the lough. He an important cross-departmental role, as well as a was prepared to sell the rights and the lough to role for the Executive, in exploring this in the future. the Government but was turned down, despite the water company’s recommendation that the The motion calls for the lough to be brought into Government should buy to protect the future public ownership to realise the full potential of water situation here in the North. We have the Lough Neagh for citizens and for the benefit of potential here, because things have changed. the economy. Lough Neagh is the most dominant The tenth and eleventh earls died, and the 45 Tuesday 17 April 2012 Private Members’ Business: Lough Neagh twelfth now owns Lough Neagh. Whether he is and economy, as well as the fishing and all the still approachable and the situation negotiable, I other elements, are developed. am not certain, and that would have to be explored. Pollution is another serious problem. Lough Neagh The development of any activity is at present is a big water bowl, and it collects sewage from curtailed because of the procedures that have a lot of sources. It is important that we improve the to be gone through at Lough Neagh and with the water in Lough Neagh and clear the pollution. Shaftesbury estate. Bringing the lough back into Some say that algae on the lough create flies, public ownership would open up the potential which can be a major problem around the lough to do whatever