The Northern Ireland Assembly - Written Answers to Questions: Tuesday 1 February 2000

asked the Office of the First Minister and the Deputy First Minister how many special advisers have been appointed by members of the Executive, including the First Minister; who they are; to list their responsibilities; to list how many are from Northern Ireland, how many are from the rest of the UK, how many are from the Republic of Ireland and how many are from elsewhere; and if he can state whether their employment complies with Northern Ireland’s fair employment legislation.

The First Minister has appointed three special advisers. Mr David Campbell and Mr David Kerr are from Northern Ireland, and Dr Graham Gudgin is originally from England.

The Deputy First Minister has also appointed three special advisers. Mr Colm Larkin and Mr Hugh Logue are originally from Northern Ireland, and Mr Brian Barrington is from Ireland.

The Minister of Education has appointed one special adviser — Mr Aidan McAteer from Belfast.

The Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety has selected Mr Leo Green as a special adviser, but he has not been formally appointed.

The role and duties of special advisers are as outlined in the code of practice on the appointment of special advisers, a copy of which has been placed in the Assembly Library.

The appointment of a special adviser is a matter for each individual Minister as the appointing authority. The First Minister and the Deputy First Minister are satisfied that no fair employment issues arise in relation to the appointments which they made and do not expect that any would arise in relation to those made by other Ministers.

asked the Office of the First Minister and the Deputy First Minister what are the roles and responsibilities of the two recently appointed junior Ministers.

The two Junior Ministers will, subject to the direction of the First Minister/Deputy First Minister, jointly take over the day-to-day administration of

asked the Office of the First Minister and the Deputy First Minister what plans they have to introduce freedom of information legislation in Northern Ireland.

As currently drafted, the Freedom of Information Bill before Parliament at Westminster extends to Northern Ireland. This Bill provides for a statutory right of access to information held by a wide range of public bodies in the transferred field, including Departments, district councils and executive and advisory non-departmental public bodies. However, freedom of information is a transferred matter, and it will be for the Executive Committee to decide whether to introduce separate legislation in Northern Ireland. The Executive Committee is expected to consider freedom of information policy in the near future.

asked the Office of the First Minister and the Deputy First Minister to confirm that the Civic Forum has not met and to provide projected costs for the running of this body once it starts to meet.

The Civic Forum falls within the responsibilities of the Office of the First Minister and the Deputy First Minister.

The Civic Forum has not met. It is due to come into operation within six months of the date of devolution.

No detailed assessment has yet been made of the running costs of the Forum, but £300,000 per annum has been provisionally allocated.

asked the Office of the First Minister and the Deputy First Minister the cost of responding to (a) a written and (b) an oral question to Ministers in the Assembly.

It has not yet been possible to make an analysis of the cost of providing answers to either written or oral Assembly questions, but an exercise to determine the costs incurred in responding to questions will be undertaken in the course of the next 12 months.

asked the Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure if he supports the development of a national stadium and the development of criteria to ensure that its location is accessible to as many people as possible.

The Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure (Mr McGimpsey): I support the need to examine the scope for Northern Ireland to have its own national stadium. There are, however, crucial issues to be addressed, including the potential use of a stadium and securing the significant funding required, both capital and revenue. My Department is investigating the potential for developing a viable scheme, including the scope to harness private-sector support.

The proposal is at an early stage of development, and consideration of a location for a stadium would be premature at the present time. However, accessibility for the public would be a key criterion to be taken into account in reaching any decision on the location of a stadium.

asked the Minister of Education how much European Union Special Support Programme for Peace and Reconciliation (EUSSPPR) funding has been taken up by education bodies; if he can identify for each sector — (a) controlled, (b) maintained, (c) integrated, (d) Irish-medium, (e) voluntary grammar — what sums were applied for and subsequently awarded; and whether he can confirm that these projects met the agreed specific objectives for each project.

The Minister of Education (Mr M McGuinness): The European Union Special Support Programme for Peace and Reconciliation funding allocated to educational bodies from 1995 to 1999 totalled £14·4 million. The sums applied for and awarded were as follows:

Sector	Applied for (£ million)	Awarded (£ million)
a. Controlled	14.2	3.0
b. Maintained	21.5	4.1
c. Integrated	16.4	1.5
d. Irish-medium	8.6	2.0
e. Voluntary Grammar	0.9	0.2

The balance — £3·6 million — was allocated to the five education and library boards for other projects involving pupils from a variety of schools in their areas.

I can confirm from the information available to the Department in respect of those projects which have been completed that they met their agreed specific objectives and that the progress of the other projects is being monitored.

asked the Minister of Finance and Personnel to provide a breakdown of the departmental restructuring budget by Department.

The Minister of Finance and Personnel (Mr Durkan): Further to my answer of 17 January 2000, the information requested for 1999-2000, reflecting the transfer of powers at the beginning of last December, is contained in the following table. The resources are mainly to cover additional administrative costs arising from the creation of the new Departments and other costs associated with devolution. Provision of £2·2 million for the Office of the First Minister and the Deputy First Minister includes provision for the build-up of office support for the implementation of devolution and new expanded functions — for example, Executive Information Service, Executive Committee support, Private Offices, legislation and machinery of government. The provision of £2·9 million for the Department of Finance and Personnel includes centrally borne expenditure for new Government office accommodation, the refurbishment of Parliament Buildings for the Northern Ireland Assembly, the car pool to provide ministerial transport and additional staff to deal with increased work following devolution.

	£ million
Agriculture and Rural Development	0·1
Culture, Arts and Leisure	1·3
Education	0·4
Enterprise, Trade and Investment	0·1
Environment	0·7
Finance and Personnel (inc accommodation)	2·9
Health, Social Services and Public Safety	0·2
Higher and Further Education, Training and Employment	0·4
Regional Development	0·1
Social Development	0·4
Office of the First Minister and the Deputy First Minister	2·2
Total	8·8

asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety if she recognises the damage done to the health of sheep farmers and of meat-plant and hide-plant operatives due to the compulsory use of sheep dip containing organophosphorus chemicals up until 1992.

The Minister for Health, Social Services and Public Safety (Ms de Brún): Up until 1992 there was a legal requirement under the Sheep Scab Order (NI) 1970 for all sheep to be dipped twice annually. Since 1992 compulsory treatment of sheep has been restricted to flocks infected with sheep scab. The 1970 Order requires dipping to be carried out using a licensed or authorised product but does not require the use of an organophosphate containing sheep dip.

The question whether single, prolonged or repeated exposure to low doses of organophosphates (OPs) could have long-term adverse health effects was considered by the Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment (COT). Its report, published in November 1999, concluded that the balance of evidence does not support such exposure having peripheral neuropathy or clinically significant neuropsychological effects. If such effects do occur, the report concluded, they must be relatively uncommon. The report also identified gaps in knowledge and made recommendations regarding research.

Sheep farmers may potentially be exposed to OPs through their use of sheep dip. Animals treated with OP sheep dips cannot be presented for slaughter until the appropriate withdrawal period has been observed. Consequently risks of exposure to OPs among meat-plant operators are likely to be low, and those in people handling hides from which wool has been removed still lower.

Go dtí an bhliain 1992 ba riachtanas dlíthiúil faoin Ordú um Ghalar Scrathach Caorach (TÉ) 1970 é go dtumfaí na caoirigh uile faoi dhó sa bhliain. Ó 1992 is le tréada atá infhabhtaithe leis an ghalar scrathach amháin a bhaineann tumadh éigeantach na gcaorach. Faoi Ordú 1970, ní foláir gur le táirge ceadúnaithe nó údaraithe a dhéanfaí an tumadh ach ní gá go mbainfí úsáid as dip chaorach a bhfuil orgánafosfáit (OP) inti.

Rinne an Coiste um Thocsaineacht na gCeimiceán sa Bhia, i dTáirgí Tomhaltóra agus sa Timpeallacht (CT) iniúchadh ar an cheist seo an bhféadfadh iarmhairtí dochracha fadtéarmacha sláinte a bheith le teagmháil shingil, fhada nó arís is arís eile le dáileoga ísle d’orgánafosfáití (OF). Is é a conclúidíodh ina thuarascáil a foilsíodh i Samhain 1999 ná nach léir ó chothrom na fianaise go dtarlaíonn néarapaite imeallach ná éifeachtaí néarshíceolaíocha a bheadh suntasach go cliniciúil. Ba é a chonclúidigh an tuarascáil dá mbéadh a leithéid d’iarmhairtí, go gcaithfidh siad bheith sách neamhghnách. Shainaithin an tuarascáil fosta bearnaí san eolas agus rinne sí moltaí i dtaca le taighde.

D’fhéadfadh sé go dtiocfadh feirmeoirí caorach i dteagmháil le OFí le linn dóibh bheith ag úsáid dip chaorach. Ní féidir ainmhithe a cóireáladh le dipeanna caorach OF a thabhairt isteach le marú go dtí go mbíonn an tréimhse chuí aistarraingthe istigh. Dá bhrí sin, is dócha gurb íseal an baol atá ann go dtiocfadh oibreoirí monarchana feola i dteagmháil le OFí, agus is ísle fós an baol atá ann do dhaoine a bhíonn ag láimhseáil seithí ar baineadh an olann díobh.

asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety if she will report on the number of people hospitalised as a result of paramilitary violence since she became Minister.

I am unable to report on this matter as the relevant information is not collected by my Department.

Ní thig liom tuairisciú ar an ábhar seo toisc nach mbailíonn mo Roinn an t-eolas ábhartha.

asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety if she will examine the pay of auxiliary staff in the Health Service.

Ancillary staff in the health and personal social services here receive the same levels of pay as ancillary staff in the National Health Service in England, Scotland and Wales. We maintain parity, in pay and terms and conditions of service here, with those decided by the Ancillary Staffs Council in Great Britain. I do not plan to examine the pay of these staff in the near future.

Faigheann na foirne coimhdeacha sna SSSP anseo na leibhéil chéanna pá agus a fhaigheann a macasamhail san NHS i Sasana, in Albain agus sa Bhreatain Bheag. Coinnímid cothroime pá, téarmaí agus coinníollacha oibre anseo lena bhfuil socraithe ag Comhairle na bhFoirne Coimhdeacha sa Bhreatain Mhór. Níl sé ar intinn agam iniúchadh a dhéanamh ar phá na bhfoirne seo sa ghearrthodhchaí.

asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety if she will make a statement on the medical services in the South Tyrone Hospital.

Training recognition for general medicine is to be withdrawn from South Tyrone Hospital by July 2000. Every effort will be made to maintain these services in the hospital after that date. However, in the interests of safety some services may have to be temporarily transferred to other hospitals.

Fá Iúil 2000 bainfear aitheantas oiliúna don ghnáthleigheas ó Ospidéal Dheisceart Thír Eoghan. Déanfar gach iarracht leis na seirbhísí sin a choinneáil san ospidéal i ndiaidh an dáta seo. Mar sin féin, de gheall ar an tsábháilteacht, b’fhéidir go gcaithfí roinnt seirbhísí a bhogadh go sealadach go dtí ospidéil eile.

asked the Minister for Regional Development to clarify what proportion of financial assistance is allocated for road maintenance and improvement in the Ards Borough Council area, compared with other local government authorities.

The Minister for Regional Development (Mr P Robinson): The Department’s budgets for road maintenance and improvements are allocated annually on the basis of need across district council areas and vary from year to year. For the five-year period 1994-99 the average annual expenditure on maintenance in the Ards Borough Council area was approximately £2·5m. This represents 3·0% of the total Roads Service maintenance budget for that period. For the same period the average annual expenditure on road improvements in the Ards Borough Council area was approximately £600,000, representing 3·1% of the total Roads Service budget for improvements during that period.

asked the Minister for Regional Development how the impact upon the ports of Larne, Warrenpoint and Londonderry will be considered in any decision on the sale of Belfast port.

The Department employed ERM, a firm of economic consultants, specifically to advise on the impact of Belfast Harbour Commissioners’ proposals on the other Northern Ireland ports. The views of the other ports and Belfast Harbour Commissioners have also been sought on the matter.

In order to facilitate the decision-making process on the future of the port of Belfast the Department plans to publish a paper shortly on the various options. This will, inter alia, address the potential impact of any sale on the other ports.

asked the Minister for Regional Development what proposals there are for the location of the new sewage-treatment works for the Omagh area, and what criteria will determine its location.

The Water Service has commissioned consultants to conduct an environmental and economic appraisal of the siting of the proposed Omagh waste water treatment works. This evaluation is almost complete, and I expect the report to be presented to me in the near future.

A large number of factors are considered during the site selection process. These include all relevant technical, land, engineering, economic, environmental, planning and local community considerations. I wish to consider all the issues very carefully, as I am aware of the concerns expressed by public representatives and residents about the siting of the proposed works. I hope to be in a position to make an announcement in about two to three months.

asked the Minister for Social Development if he will review the legislation and policy affecting the issue of grants to Housing Executive tenants, with particular regard to the need for repayment of any financial assistance by recipients who reach pension age.

The Minister for Social Development (Mr Dodds): There are no grants paid to Housing Executive tenants by the Housing Executive. However, the Member may have in mind the grants scheme administered by the Housing Executive to encourage improvement in housing conditions in the private sector. This scheme does provide for the repayment of a grant if conditions relating to sale or future occupancy are not complied with. The condition is designed to discourage abuse and speculation in any form.

I have yet to give full consideration to future housing policies, but I intend to examine the potential for greater flexibility in the scheme. However, the presence of conditions which are designed to protect public funds and discourage abuse will also be prime considerations.

asked the Minister for Social Development to review the current Housing Executive criteria for rehousing tenants who have been relocated following complaints from former neighbours.

There are no set criteria for determining relocation on foot of complaints from former neighbours. The Housing Executive is sensitive to the issues involved, and each case is considered on its merits following discussions between the tenant and Housing executive officials, taking account of the nature of the complaint and the type of new accommodation required. In these cases there is usually a need for urgent action.

The Executive’s housing selection scheme has recently been reviewed as part of the development of a common selection scheme for all social housing. The scheme, on which there was wide consultation, does not specify set criteria for dealing with relocation, the preference being to continue to deal with each case on its merits. The scheme does, however, identify a range of circumstances in which former tenants of any social landlord may be included on a disqualification register for a two-year period. In effect, they can be denied access to the waiting list for that period. This can be applied where, for example, the landlord is satisfied, on reasonable grounds, that the applicant has been guilty of serious antisocial behaviour. The scheme is planned for implementation in November this year.