COVID-19: Recovery Planning

Oral Answers to Questions — The Executive Office – in the Northern Ireland Assembly at 2:00 pm on 16 November 2020.

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Photo of Órlaithí Flynn Órlaithí Flynn Sinn Féin 2:00, 16 November 2020

1. Ms Flynn asked the First Minister and deputy First Minister what assurances they can give that the emotional and financial needs of individuals and families will be at the centre of COVID-19 recovery planning. (AQO 1082/17-22)

Photo of Clare Bailey Clare Bailey Green

7. Ms Bailey asked the First Minister and deputy First Minister what long-term planned response has been agreed to manage COVID-19 into 2021. (AQO 1088/17-22)

Photo of Jonathan Buckley Jonathan Buckley DUP

11. Mr Buckley asked the First Minister and deputy First Minister for an update on the discussions on COVID-19 at the British-Irish Council (BIC). (AQO 1092/17-22)

Photo of Arlene Foster Arlene Foster DUP

With your permission, Mr Speaker, I will answer questions 1, 7 and 11 together.

The Executive’s response to and recovery from COVID-19 continues to be focused on the health and well-being of our citizens, our economic well-being and revitalising the economy and our societal and community well-being. The Executive are also placing a particular emphasis on people and families, as we know how important that is to everyone. That means that any decisions on the Executive’s next steps will be informed by the impact that they will have on us as individuals, families and the wider communities in which we all live. In addition to the financial support mechanisms provided by the United Kingdom Government, the Executive have put in place a range of targeted local schemes aimed at supporting individuals, families, communities and businesses at this difficult time. Going forward, we are committed to ensuring that support packages meet the needs of those who are in need of help.

Looking into 2021, the Executive have approved a recovery framework that is aimed at progressing a cohesive approach across the whole of government and will deliver an economic, health and societal recovery that has the citizen at its centre. That work will also complement the longer-term Programme for Government that is currently being developed and which we are aiming to have in place by April 2021.

As our recent statement will advise, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on all the member Administrations was central to the discussion at the British-Irish Council summit on 6 November. BIC members shared information on the measures that they have taken both to contain the virus and to mitigate its impacts on health and on their economies. We also recognised the importance of continuing communication as we all work towards economic recovery while living with and managing the continuing threat posed by the virus.

Photo of Órlaithí Flynn Órlaithí Flynn Sinn Féin

I thank the First Minister for her answer. Will she give a commitment that the promotion of positive mental health and the provision of support services for individuals and families who are struggling at the moment will be central to any COVID-19 recovery package?

Photo of Arlene Foster Arlene Foster DUP

The Member will have heard the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) just this morning talk about the fact that mental health was a continuing pressure for us in the Executive. We are very concerned at the impact that it is having immediately and in the medium to long term, so we will have to put in resources, as well as a determination from the Executive, to deal with that very real issue.

Over the weekend, I was contacted by a family friend of someone who, at 41 years of age, felt that she had lost all purpose in her life because she had lost her job and had attempted to take her own life on three occasions. That is a sobering thing to hear, and it is something that we all in the House should be very concerned about. The answer is that, absolutely, we will put in place mechanisms to deal with that. I think that I said last week that I was afraid that we were going to face a mental health tsunami, and that is a fear that I hold. I know that it is shared across the Executive, and it is something that we will have to deal with.

Photo of Clare Bailey Clare Bailey Green

COVID did not create our mental health crisis: it is adding to it. Is there a long-term strategy or acceptance that we need to deal with our mental health problems in Northern Ireland not just now but in the longer term?

Photo of Arlene Foster Arlene Foster DUP

I thank the Member for her question and observation, because it is something that we identified on coming back into the Executive as one of our priorities to deal with. It is why we set up the Executive subcommittee to deal with resilience, well-being and mental health provision, which all Ministers can and do attend. We recognised that before COVID-19 hit, and we now know that it has exacerbated the difficulties that we have. When we meet groups from across Northern Ireland, albeit virtually at present, we are always reminded of the simmering undercurrent of mental health issues that exist across Northern Ireland. It is absolutely something that we recognised as being there before COVID, but COVID has exacerbated the mental health crisis, and we very much need to deal with it.

Photo of Jonathan Buckley Jonathan Buckley DUP

The First Minister will be acutely aware of the devastating impact that COVID-19 has had on our care homes across Northern Ireland. On 12 October, there were 46 care homes with COVID-19 outbreaks, yet, on 12 November, that number had risen extraordinarily to 143, all at a time when hospitality and close-contact services were closed. While we know that testing is one of the best answers to combat the spread, can the First Minister outline what conversations she had with counterparts at the British-Irish Council about ways in which we can ramp up our test and trace capabilities?

Photo of Arlene Foster Arlene Foster DUP

I thank the Member for his question. It is a cause for deep concern to us that the number of outbreaks continues to rise, despite the sterling work of our care home staff. I want to make that very clear.

There is a need for us to have a more robust testing system. The Member may be aware that, in Liverpool, a pilot is ongoing in which mass testing is taking place, and we have had some good feedback from that testing regime. The feedback encourages me that we can do something similar across Northern Ireland. We have a population of 1·8 million, so it is not something that should be beyond us. The Executive Office believes that test, trace and isolate and the capacity to do so in a meaningful way will very much be part of trying to deal with the transmission of the virus.

Photo of Colin McGrath Colin McGrath Social Democratic and Labour Party

Nichola Mallon, on 3 November, got the powers to deliver a scheme for the taxi sector. That scheme opened on 13 November, 10 days later. Can the First Minister, as the leader of the Executive, explain why, after four and a half weeks, many in the business sector are still waiting for a scheme being opened that they can apply to in order to get much-needed finance to give them some form of income?

Photo of Arlene Foster Arlene Foster DUP

Although I welcome the fact that the taxi scheme is now open, it took a considerable time to get there. I say to Members who have been waiting for that funding that we are disappointed that it took such an amount of time to get there but we are pleased that it has got there now.

Like all the schemes that were put in place to deal with what was to be the four-week intervention, the taxi scheme had to be dealt with from scratch. As I understand it, from the date on which the Economy Minister was asked to put it in place, the scheme was up and running and working nine days later, one day less than the Member said. The money is now going out in different tranches. I understand that the Land and Property Services (LPS) scheme, which deals with most of the money that goes out into the community, is moving now as well.

We would always like just to flick the switch and get the money out immediately, but I am sure that Members would ask us questions about due process and public accountability for money if we did not do things properly, and, of course, they are very much entitled to do so. We will do what we can as quickly as we can, but we have to acknowledge that this is public money that we are dealing with.

Photo of Kellie Armstrong Kellie Armstrong Alliance

First Minister, I am delighted to hear that the BIC has been talking, but I am wondering whether there is any coordinated approach being taken to the Christmas holidays and the restrictions that there may be. When we think about young people's mental health and that of families, getting our young people back from universities across the UK is vital at Christmastime.

Photo of Arlene Foster Arlene Foster DUP

I thank the Member for her question. It is something that we discussed with other devolved Administrations and Michael Gove last Wednesday, because we recognise that it is a huge issue not just for young people but for families across the United Kingdom and, indeed, in the Republic of Ireland. We will want to make sure that people can come together at Christmastime. That is an ongoing discussion. It would be wise to have the same restrictions, messaging and communications on that issue so that there is no room for misunderstanding about how people can travel home for Christmas. I know, for example, that some students who finish their course at the beginning of December will be tested and then allowed to go home, and they may have to self-isolate for a period. Those conversations continue. We very much want a coordinated approach across the United Kingdom.

Photo of Jim Allister Jim Allister Traditional Unionist Voice

First Minister, today the Health Minister publicly said that he could unilaterally bring in restrictions. Do you agree that he could? What would be the consequences?

Photo of Arlene Foster Arlene Foster DUP

Well, it depends on whether you read the 1967 Act on its own or whether you read it alongside the Northern Ireland Act 1998, which clearly says that controversial, cross-cutting and financially significant issues will have to come to the Executive. Whilst he could, technically, make that decision, I think that he will be open to judicial review (JR). Let us just say that.

Photo of Alex Maskey Alex Maskey Sinn Féin

Before I move on to the next question I advise Members that I took a number of additional supplementaries on the basis that we had three grouped questions. That would not be the norm.