Results 1-20 of 102 for speaker:William Irwin

Northern Ireland Assembly: Private Members’ Business: Rural Schools (17 Nov 2009)

William Irwin: I thank the Members who tabled the motion. Indeed, one of them represents the Newry and Armagh constituency that I, too, represent. In that constituency, there are many small rural schools that are an immense asset to their communities. The benefits that small rural schools bring to their communities and to the development of children who wish to be schooled in a rural setting are hard to...

Northern Ireland Assembly: Executive Committee Business: Clause 4 (Powers of entry) (17 Nov 2009)

William Irwin: At the outset, I declare an interest as a farmer. The issue of disease in animals is one that fills every farmer with dread. To have one animal in a herd affected means that the entire heard is restricted, and it can take a considerable time to resolve that situation. A number of tests may be involved, as well as a lot of inconvenience for the farmer concerned. With the inconvenience and cost...

Northern Ireland Assembly: Private Members’ Business: EU Fisheries Council (16 Nov 2009)

William Irwin: I have never been aboard a fishing vessel in the Irish Sea, but I have seen the television programme ‘Trawlermen’, which gave a great account of life at sea for the crews of fishing vessels. It is not a job that I would be comfortable doing. As a farmer, the green grass and the country lanes of County Armagh are more my cup of tea than being in a fishing boat on the rough sea....

Northern Ireland Assembly: Enterprise, Trade And Investment: Credit Unions (3 Nov 2009)

William Irwin: Given that credit unions and the Presbyterian Mutual Society are run on a similar basis and given the seriousness of the situation with the Presbyterian Mutual Society and the concern about that in the community, can the Minister provide an update on the current position of that body?

Northern Ireland Assembly: Private Members’ Business: North-west Region (3 Nov 2009)

William Irwin: As a Member who serves Newry and Armagh, I cannot speak for the people of the north-west. However, I can relate to the pressures and the circumstances that affect the whole of Northern Ireland. Businesses and employees in Newry and Armagh are no different to those in any other area. Last week in my constituency, Redrock Engineering Ltd, which is a local firm that employs 80 people, had to...

Northern Ireland Assembly: Education: Pupil Emotional Health and Well-being Programme (2 Nov 2009)

William Irwin: 1. asked the Minister of Education what results have been achieved to date as a result of the pupil emotional health and well-being joint programme with the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety.          ;   (AQO 274/10)

Northern Ireland Assembly: Education: Pupil Emotional Health and Well-being Programme (2 Nov 2009)

William Irwin: Will the Minister elaborate on the implementation of the programme and give some examples of the activities that will be offered to primary and post-primary pupils?

Northern Ireland Assembly: Committee Business: Education Maintenance Allowance (20 Oct 2009)

William Irwin: This is a very complex issue. Discussions and debate on this matter in the Committee for Employment and Learning have shown that there is a clear cross-departmental onus on the Department for Employment and Learning and the Department of Education to clarify which of the recognised alternative education providers are able to attract the education maintenance allowance and which are not....

Northern Ireland Assembly: Committee Business: Childcare for Students in Further  and Higher Education (19 Oct 2009)

William Irwin: I add my congratulations to Robert Coulter on his 80th birthday. I welcome the opportunity to speak in today’s debate. The issue has come to the fore particularly because of the current economic climate, in which families have recent experience of job insecurity. I know of a few people with young families who have opted to return to part-time study to retrain in another sector of work....

Northern Ireland Assembly: Private Members’ Business: Migrant Workers (5 Oct 2009)

William Irwin: I welcome the opportunity to contribute to the debate. I state at the outset my support for the right of migrant workers to come to Northern Ireland for employment and to do so without fear of racial attack. A number of unsavoury incidents and attacks on migrant workers have been reported in the press recently. There have also been inter-racial attacks, including some very serious incidents....

Northern Ireland Assembly: environment: High Hedges Legislation (5 Oct 2009)

William Irwin: 4. asked the Minister of the Environment to outline the timescale for the introduction of the high hedges legislation.        (AQO 153/10)

Northern Ireland Assembly: environment: High Hedges Legislation (5 Oct 2009)

William Irwin: Will such legislation cover all types of trees and hedges?

Northern Ireland Assembly: Private Members’ Business: McClean Conacre Case (28 Sep 2009)

William Irwin: I declare an interest as a landowner. The importance of the McClean ruling in Northern Ireland is serious, given that approximately one third of all the land in the Province is rented as conacre. In my constituency, I can think of scores of families who have farms with significant land let out as conacre. Many of those families have contacted me to express their concerns about the McClean...

Northern Ireland Assembly: Agriculture and Rural Development: Farm Modernisation Programme (21 Sep 2009)

William Irwin: When does the Minister expect the scheme’s second tranche to be opened?

Northern Ireland Assembly: Office of the first minister and deputy first minister: Investment Strategy (21 Sep 2009)

William Irwin: 3. asked the First Minister and deputy First Minister for their assessment on the delivery of the Executive’s investment strategy.    (AQO 48/10)

Northern Ireland Assembly: Office of the first minister and deputy first minister: Investment Strategy (21 Sep 2009)

William Irwin: In the past week, both the SDLP and UUP published documents in relation to the Budget, claiming that there is a £2 billion hole. Does the Minister have any comments to make on that?

Northern Ireland Assembly: Executive Committee Business: Second Stage (15 Sep 2009)

William Irwin: I welcome the opportunity to comment on the important Bill that is before the House. The previous Member to speak mentioned that the Forestry Act (Northern Ireland) 1953 was passed 56 years ago. That was a long time ago, before my time. Northern Ireland’s forests are a cherished part of the landscape. They provide great amenity space for thousands of people each year. The...

Northern Ireland Assembly: Private Members’ Business: Compensation from the Libyan Government (14 Sep 2009)

William Irwin: I welcome the opportunity to contribute to this timely and important debate on the release of the Lockerbie bomber and compensation for the victims of Libyan-sponsored IRA violence. The disgust and betrayal felt by the families of those who were murdered in the Lockerbie bombing, after witnessing the release of al-Megrahi and the fanfare that greeted his arrival in Libya, were felt across the...

Northern Ireland Assembly: Ministerial StatementS: North/South Ministerial Council: Aquaculture and Marine Sectoral Format (14 Sep 2009)

William Irwin: I thank the Minister for her statement. I welcome the recent visit by Arlene Foster to Glenarm fishery. Is DARD doing anything to help that sector in Northern Ireland?

Northern Ireland Assembly: Committee Business: Inquiry into the Way Forward for Apprenticeships (22 Jun 2009)

William Irwin: I welcome the opportunity to contribute to the debate, and I join my Committee colleagues in welcoming the completion of the inquiry and the publication of the report on the Committee’s inquiry into the way forward for apprenticeships. That inquiry focused on two key questions relating to why more employers do not provide apprenticeships and why apprentices lack the profile and status...