Danny Kennedy: I beg to move That this Assembly welcomes the announcement, by the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on 7 November 2000, of payments to RUC widows and the fund for injured police officers, retired officers and their families; and calls on the Secretary of State to provide the same level of assistance to Army/UDR/RIR widows, injured Army/UDR/RIR personnel, retired Army/UDR/RIR personnel...
Danny Kennedy: The Armagh/Portadown line is also important. It has not been in operation since the late 1950s. Will the Minister consider costing the reopening of that line?
Danny Kennedy: Given the history of the Alliance Party, and its differences, is the Member entirely confident that all his Colleagues will subscribe to his policy?
Danny Kennedy: On a point of order, Mr Deputy Speaker. I want to establish the purpose of ministerial statements during this debate on the Programme for Government. My simple understanding was that Ministers would. at least be in a position to respond to points raised by Members — not to engage in speculation, or put forward their interpretation of the Ulster Unionist Council — [Interruption]
Danny Kennedy: It is very clearly a point of order, Mr Deputy Speaker. What is the role — [Interruption]
Danny Kennedy: I am grateful for the opportunity to address the Assembly on this subject. The Programme for Government is ambitious, and it remains to be seen whether all that is promised will actually be achieved. Only time will tell. As Chairman of the Education Committee, I would like to bring a number of comments to the attention of the Assembly. This document puts strong emphasis on new TSN at an...
Danny Kennedy: Further to that point of order, Mr Deputy Speaker. I am grateful to Mr Hutchinson for giving way — even though it was not willingly. Mr Deputy Speaker, I am extremely dissatisfied at the conduct of questions to the Minister of Education. We had a total of four questions. Question 1 lasted for nine minutes 52 seconds; question 2 lasted for six minutes 48 seconds; and question 3 lasted for a...
Danny Kennedy: I am not satisfied with the chairing of Question Time. It has been done in a manner in which all Members who took the time and trouble to place on record — [Interruption]
Danny Kennedy: Given the high levels of need experienced by rural schools, what proactive measures — and we have heard much in extremely general terms in the earlier replies — does the Minister intend to take to address this problem?
Danny Kennedy: I was very interested in what the Member said up until his final paragraph — and some of the comparisons he was putting forward. Would he not accept that there is a potential problem in the cost of the Dickson plan and in extending it to other parts of Northern Ireland? In a peculiar sense, it has worked very well, and I accept that because I have some experience of it. It has worked very...
Danny Kennedy: My Committee intends to discuss the issues that have been highlighted with leading academics and to commission research on all possible options before publishing its response. We all welcome this debate, and we must try to ensure that everyone participates and that all views are heard. We must also ensure that we get this right. We have the chance to put in place a system of secondary...
Danny Kennedy: I am grateful for the opportunity to debate this motion. I am a little surprised that the Gallagher Report has been launched. I would certainly have preferred to listen to the representations made, and even heard something from the review body, before the Assembly had taken it in this format. However, I hope the Assembly will have an opportunity later to review progress of this issue. The...
Danny Kennedy: I give a broad welcome to the announcement of additional funding for education contained in the statement. I also welcome the consolidation of Gordon Brown’s announcement in March of additional money for schools, and I want an assurance that it will, as in the rest of the United Kingdom, go straight into the classrooms. There will be broad agreement on this in the Education Committee, and...
Danny Kennedy: 6. asked the Minister of Education when he will fulfil the commitment he gave to the Assembly on 11 September 2000 to establish a mechanism to inform, in advance, the Education Committee of the issues to be discussed at North/South Ministerial Council sectoral meetings. (AQO 67/00)
Danny Kennedy: Let me draw the Minister’s attention to his own words as recorded in Hansard of September 11, page 32: "I have listened carefully to what the Chairman of the Education Committee and Mrs Bell have said, and they have made an important point. I have no difficulty whatsoever about establishing a mechanism to ensure that the Committee is made aware of the outcome of these meetings before we...
Danny Kennedy: 2. asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety what measures she intends to implement to ensure that the treatment of intractable epilepsy in Northern Ireland, using the proven concept of vagal nerve stimulation, is allowed adequate financial resources and staffing, and if she will make a statement. (AQO 41/00)
Danny Kennedy: I am grateful for the answer. I did not understand all of it, particularly the early part. Evidently "epilepsy" is not a word that translates into Irish. I implore the Minister to extend this treatment beyond the Royal Victoria Hospital to other centres of excellence, particularly where that will assist constituents in the Newry and Armagh areas. I ask that urgent consideration be given to...
Danny Kennedy: I am grateful for the opportunity to participate in this important debate. I will restrict myself to the time you have mentioned, Mr Speaker. I am grateful to my Colleagues Mr Beggs and Mr Dodds. This is an extremely timely and important debate in the context of events outside this House, in other parts of the United Kingdom and in the Irish Republic. I am also conscious that this is not a...
Danny Kennedy: Does the Member accept that it is not harmonisation on this island that is required but, as he outlined in his earlier remarks, harmonisation of fuel prices throughout Europe?
Danny Kennedy: I am grateful for the opportunity to ask some questions. The Minister has sold the virtues, whatever they be, of North/South co-operation, yet he steadfastly refuses to co-operate in the investigation of the Omagh bombing and the apprehension of those responsible for it, in spite of knowledge undoubtedly in his possession. He would therefore have to accept that his efforts in North/South...