SDLP SOUTH BELFAST CONSTITUENCY REPORT FEARGHAL MCKINNEY CLAIRE HANNA Dear Constituent, As MLAs we are working to promote a thriving South Belfast by focusing on social and economic justice. In this report we are pleased to detail the FOR A work we are carrying out on your behalf in the Northern Ireland Assembly. Our constituency teams are here to ensure you get the best out of public THRIVING, services and that those services deliver for you. You are consistently telling us that the issues which matter most to you include health, SAFE AND education and the economy, and we have made these our priority at Stormont, through debates, questions and representations to ministers. SHARED We also want Stormont to be much more accessible to you and through our offices would be delighted to facilitate a tour for your family, school or community group. We would be very happy to welcome you and SOUTH discuss your issues face to face. Please do not hesitate to get in touch about any issue of concern to you, BELFAST Claire Hanna & Fearghal McKinney WORKING FOR YOU If you need help or advice on voting or registering to vote please contact us using the information on the reverse of this report. FEARGHAL MCKINNEY was selected to be an MLA for South Belfast issue. That is why I have tabled an amendment PRIMARY SCHOOL PLACES in September 2013. I have since joined the at Stormont to ban smoking in cars with children. There is an increasing demand for primary IEnterprise and Health Committees and have school places in South Belfast as more homes been energetic in both. Among the health issues Amendment on ban on Smoking in Cars are being built and people move into the area. raised in debate, committee and questions with Children: I have raised this issue to try and avoid the have been cancer drugs and services, autism ‘‘Prohibition: use of nicotine products in disappointment many families face when they services, mental health provision and older enclosed vehicles. cannot get a place close to home and have people’s services in South Belfast. In CETI, I 4A–(1) The Department may by regulations to send their children to a school outside their have pursued job creation, connectivity and make provisions prohibiting the use of nicotine locality. This issue has also been raised in infrastructure, both in the constituency and products in an enclosed vehicle at a time when relation to nursery provision and I will continue elsewhere. In particular, I have also championed a person aged under 18 to push for greater provision. the health and economic potential of expanding is in the vehicle. the Cancer Centre in South Belfast. AUTISM SERVICES RAISING YOUR CONCERNS In September, I brought a motion to the floor of OLDER PEOPLE’S CARE You have asked me to raise in the Assembly the Assembly on the inadequacy of services Through engaging with the community and your concerns about significant challenges in for children with autism and other special listening to patients, carers and families, your community, including: health, education, educational needs and called for proper concerns have been raised over how older nursery provision, jobs and infrastructure. I have investment in these services to ensure these people are cared for in their homes, hospitals previously raised these issues at Stormont and children have the best possible start to life. and care homes. These are issues I have asked for ministers and departments to address The increase in the number of children who raised in the Assembly, through questions, and them and will continue to do so. have autism and other additional needs has not the Health Committee in particular, and I have been accompanied by the necessary funding stressed the need for a properly resourced increase in order to bolster services to be better home care service, backed up by a home help able to deal with waiting times for diagnosis and and meals on wheels service, to ensure that to give families the proper support they need. our older people get the best possible quality and standard of care in their own home. I have After meeting with a number of constituents tabled a motion for debate in the Assembly and support groups in South Belfast, I became calling for investment in older people’s health aware of the massive waiting lists for diagnosis services. I have also highlighted an issue raised for autism and statementing. in the Assembly many times about the strategic A shocking 1400 children are on a growing need to frame older people’s services. waiting list, many waiting over 6 months to be seen. This is unacceptable for some of the BAN ON SMOKING IN CARS most vulnerable children in society and that is WITH CHILDREN why I tabled a 2300 strong public petition from This Assembly has made great advances with constituents to both the Health and Education regard to changing societal attitudes and culture Minister calling for urgent action. in relation to smoking. We had the hugely successful smoking ban in public places and public vehicles introduced in 2007 and few could have realised the enormous success this would be. Now we need to take this further to protect some of the most vulnerable children in society from passive smoke in cars. The Department of Health’s statistics show that 15% of adults smoke with their children present in their car. Research has also shown that passive smoke is detrimental for children’s health, causing many different illnesses. England has already brought in a ban while Scotland, Wales and the Republic have legislated on the CLAIRE HANNA was selected as SDLP South Belfast MLA MAKING THE CASE FOR and other services required for their social and in June 2015. During my short time in the economic integration. It is important that we play Assembly I have been working to support a RATES REFORM a role in one of the major humanitarian crises I In November I tabled an Assembly Adjournment strong and balanced economy and a genuinely of our time and facilitate these families as they shared future for Northern Ireland, with a focus Debate on the need for reform of small rebuild their lives and allow them to make a on education and the arts, while resolving a business rates, and have responded to the positive contribution here, as many other new variety of constituency issues for residents. Finance Minister’s consultation on this issue. communities have done. NI’s economic recovery and growth is being SUPPORTING WORKING suffocated by high rates: banks are not lending, FLOODING employment opportunities are being lost and Flooding and fear of flooding continue to be FAMILIES entrepreneurship is being stifled - the numerous Finding and affording quality, convenient major quality of life issues for many households ‘To Let’ signs on South Belfast’s shopping in South Belfast and are something I have childcare is one of the biggest difficulties families streets are testament to this. in South Belfast tell me they face. I was pleased worked on extensively in the Assembly. As well to use my maiden speech in the Assembly to During the debate I made a number of as pushing for improvements to local water highlight the need for a childcare strategy to proposals for revenue raising and improvements infrastructure and our broader approach to bring Northern Ireland in line with the increased to the rating scheme, highlighting the folly of development and drainage, I have proposed pre-school childcare entitlement for three and lobbying for a lowering of corporation tax rate at practical measures to reduce the impact of four-year-olds in England. More affordable the same time as placing an unsustainable rates flooding until engineering solutions are in place. childcare would have a transformative impact burden on existing indigenous businesses, and I have lobbied the Minister for Agriculture to on those trying to balance home and work life, the vast disparities in rates bills here and those accelerate implementation of the “Flood Re” on educational outcomes, on equality in the of comparable businesses in Britain or the scheme to help households without insurance workplace, and of the net economic return that Republic of Ireland. A copy of my consultation cover or facing enormous excess fees due to comes from more parents in the labour market. response is available on my website. repeat flooding. I have also been pushing for the release of a Homeowner Protection Scheme Many parents will want to work part time INTEGRATING SYRIAN and flexibly and I will continue to put pressure of financial support for physical defence on OFMdFM to implement policy which REFUGEES modifications that improve resistance to encourages employers to make this viable. In December Northern Ireland welcomed a flooding. I am advised that both these schemes Details of our costed proposals are available on small number of Syrian families as part of a are due to be available in early 2016. my website: www.clairehanna.org response to the global refugee crisis, several of whom will ultimately settle in South Belfast. As Chair of the Assembly’s All Party Group on International Development I worked with MLAs across the political spectrum to advocate for a properly planned and funded Refugee WIDENING Integration Strategy. Speaking in an Assembly debate in October, and in follow up questions ACCESS TO to OFMdFM, I stressed the importance of implementing measures which will ensure every new arrival does not have to ‘reinvent the PART - TIME wheel’ in accessing legal, health, education HIGHER EDUCATION I was delighted to speak in support of an Assembly motion about promoting part-time higher education.