Official Report (Hansard) Monday 6 October 2014 Volume 98, No 1 Session 2014-2015 Contents Assembly Business George Savage ................................................................................................................................. 1 Retirement of the Speaker, William Hay MLA ................................................................................... 6 Committee Business Committee Membership .................................................................................................................... 7 Executive Committee Business Education Bill: First Stage ................................................................................................................. 8 Private Members' Business National Crime Agency ...................................................................................................................... 8 Oral Answers to Questions Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister ......................................................................... 24 Culture, Arts and Leisure ................................................................................................................... 33 Assembly Business ……………………………………………………………………………………….. 42 Private Members' Business National Crime Agency (Continued) .................................................................................................. 43 Deep Geothermal Energy .................................................................................................................. 45 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) McAleer, Declan (West Tyrone) Allister, Jim (North Antrim) 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) McCorley, Ms Rosaleen (West Belfast) Bradley, Dominic (Newry and Armagh) McCrea, Basil (Lagan Valley) Bradley, Ms Paula (North Belfast) McCrea, Ian (Mid Ulster) Brady, Mickey (Newry and Armagh) McDonnell, Alasdair (South Belfast) Buchanan, Thomas (West Tyrone) McElduff, Barry (West Tyrone) Byrne, Joe (West Tyrone) McGahan, Ms Bronwyn (Fermanagh and South Tyrone) Cameron, Mrs Pam (South Antrim) 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) McKinney, Fearghal (South Belfast) Dickson, Stewart (East Antrim) McLaughlin, Ms Maeve (Foyle) Dobson, Mrs Jo-Anne (Upper Bann) McLaughlin, Mitchel (South Antrim) Douglas, Sammy (East Belfast) McMullan, Oliver (East Antrim) Dunne, Gordon (North Down) McNarry, David (Strangford) Durkan, Mark (Foyle) McQuillan, Adrian (East Londonderry) Easton, Alex (North Down) Maginness, Alban (North Belfast) Eastwood, Colum (Foyle) Maskey, Alex (South Belfast) Elliott, Tom (Fermanagh and South Tyrone) Milne, Ian (Mid Ulster) Farry, Stephen (North Down) Morrow, The Lord (Fermanagh and South Tyrone) Fearon, Ms Megan (Newry and Armagh) Moutray, Stephen (Upper Bann) 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) Girvan, Paul (South Antrim) O'Neill, Mrs Michelle (Mid Ulster) Givan, Paul (Lagan Valley) Overend, Mrs Sandra (Mid Ulster) Hale, Mrs Brenda (Lagan Valley) Poots, Edwin (Lagan Valley) Hamilton, Simon (Strangford) Ramsey, Pat (Foyle) Hay, William (Speaker) Ramsey, Ms Sue (West Belfast) Hazzard, Chris (South Down) Robinson, George (East Londonderry) Hilditch, David (East Antrim) Robinson, Peter (East Belfast) Humphrey, William (North Belfast) Rogers, Seán (South Down) Hussey, Ross (West Tyrone) Ross, Alastair (East Antrim) Irwin, William (Newry and Armagh) Ruane, Ms Caitríona (South Down) Kelly, Mrs Dolores (Upper Bann) Sheehan, Pat (West Belfast) Kelly, Gerry (North Belfast) Spratt, Jimmy (South Belfast) Kennedy, Danny (Newry and Armagh) Storey, Mervyn (North Antrim) Kinahan, Danny (South Antrim) Sugden, Ms Claire (East Londonderry) Lo, Ms Anna (South Belfast) Swann, Robin (North Antrim) Lunn, Trevor (Lagan Valley) Weir, Peter (North Down) Lynch, Seán (Fermanagh and South Tyrone) Wells, Jim (South Down) Lyttle, Chris (East Belfast) Wilson, Sammy (East Antrim) Northern Ireland Assembly Monday 6 October 2014 The Assembly met at 12.00 noon (Mr Principal Deputy Speaker [Mr Mitchel McLaughlin] in the Chair). Members observed two minutes' silence. take some comfort from the fact that we are Assembly Business paying tribute to George in the Chamber today. George Savage George Savage was an Ulster Unionist stalwart, a man who loyally and faithfully represented the Mr Principal Deputy Speaker: Members will party in the upper Bann area for decades. He have been saddened to learn of the passing of was a long-standing member of Craigavon George Savage, a former Assembly Member Borough Council and was twice elected mayor, for Upper Bann. I had the pleasure of knowing serving as first citizen in the mid-1980s and George from working together during the first again in 2005-06. mandate from 1998 and subsequently on his return to the House in 2007. He was quiet and He also served two terms as an MLA here at unassuming and did not seek the spotlight but Stormont. He was elected first in 1998 and worked behind the scenes diligently on behalf again in 2007. The first time, of course, was of those he represented. He was a the original mandate of this Assembly, when he fundamentally pleasant and decent man, and joined a brave and courageous team at you could always do business with him, even Stormont, trying to make it work. on difficult issues. I think that that has been reflected in the warm tributes that have been He also found time to put on the uniform and paid to him since his passing from across the serve in the Ulster Defence Regiment during political spectrum in the House. some of the darkest days of our Troubles. Those are the facts. Behind facts, of course, I want to take this opportunity to extend my lies the person. George Savage was, indeed, personal condolences to his family circle and to an Ulster Unionist to his backbone and a proud all his party colleagues on their sad loss. As we Orangeman. A farmer by profession, he have done on such occasions in the past, I will became a knowledgeable member of the call a representative from each of the parties to Agriculture Committee. George was also a speak for up to three minutes to pay tribute to tireless worker for his constituents and was held our late friend and colleague. I will allow in high esteem by political friend and foe alike. around 30 minutes for tributes and, if there is He was described by the SDLP's Dolores Kelly enough time remaining after all the parties have as a decent, hard-working and well-respected spoken, I may be able to call other Members man, and by John Dallat as a gentleman who who rise in their places to say a few words. gave his full commitment to making the The House will now pay its respects. Assembly work. Many Assembly staff with no connection to party politics have gone out of Mr Nesbitt: Two Saturdays ago, I was their way, in recent days, to make clear their honoured to attend Craigavon Civic Centre for sadness at the news of his passing. the installation dinner for the current mayor, Colin McCusker. I was struck by the number of I cannot help but pause, at this point, to reflect people, from all parties, who remarked on how that George was one of the original 28 Ulster sad it was that illness had prevented George Unionist MLAs elected in 1998 to Parliament Savage from attending that evening's Buildings to try to give meaning to the Belfast celebration. Those were timely remarks. Agreement. It is a sad and sobering thought George's funeral took place on Friday in that he is the sixth member of that team to pass Donaghcloney, and I know that the family was away. This year, alone, we have bade farewell comforted by the very large number of people, to David McClarty, Sir John Gorman and Sam representing all sectors of our society, who Foster, following the early losses of Tom attended that day. It will be a tough week for Benson and junior Minister James Leslie. Now, Joy and the family, and I hope that they will sadly, it is the turn of George Savage. Our thoughts are with his family and many friends. 1 Monday 6 October 2014 He will be greatly missed in Upper Bann and it would have been perceived to be difficult to much further afield. engage or make friends with a unionist, but, in George's case, it was not. George and I come Mr Moutray: I count it a great privilege to be from opposite