Diane Dodds
West Belfast · Democratic Unionist Party · Northern Ireland
“Minister, that is a brilliant segue into the question that I will ask. Just over 5% of women who are now seen within the 14-day target for a suspected breast cancer in Northern Ireland. That has happened since the list was regionalised. I get the fact that cancer cases are rising, but —”
“Minister, for Members and those who are listening to the debate, it is important that you tell us what "actively being considered" means on a day-to-day basis.”
“Thank you, Minister. The Muckamore inquiry report demonstrates a shameful period for our health service, and no one involved can, in any shape or form, come out of this with any kind of credibility.”
“Let me be clear: experimental treatment on children that can have lifelong implications is unconscionable. Children of 11 or 12 are in no position to give clear consent to the use of such drugs, especially when those administering the treatments had them banned because of the lack of evidence on their long-term impacts.”
“Once again, I will speak in the House about puberty blockers and the nationwide trial run by King's College. I now understand that the Government will issue new guidance that will allow such a trial to go ahead.”
“It is now anticipated that more than eight out of 10 couples in which the woman is under 40 will conceive naturally, but that leaves two out of 10 who will need additional interventions. Over a lifespan, that is a fairly substantial number of people.”
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“I first spoke about the scandal of the Southern Trust's screening programme at the start of devolution in 2024, shortly after the trust had recalled 17,500 tests for review. Since then, I have been privileged to speak to many of those who have been impacted on. Today, like others, I want to acknowledge Lynsey Courtney and Erin Harbinson, both of whom were diagnosed with cervical cancer and are no longer with us. Children have been left without mothers, husbands without their wives and parents without their daughters. They need answers. Then there are those who have developed and are living with cervical cancer and have had to endure those very invasive procedures. They have had their lives turned upside down. They have endured worry and stress alongside a difficult diagnosis. They, too, deserve answers, Minister.”
“Women in Northern Ireland deserve full transparency and a cervical screening programme in which they can have full confidence.”
“Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. I thank the Members who tabled the motion. I hope that all parties in the House will support the motion and the amendment. It is important that we have cross-community and cross-party support on the issue. <BR /> <BR />When I speak to those who have been impacted by the cervical screening scandal in the Southern Health and Social Care Trust, they all say the same thing: "This should never happen again". That is why it is important to understand what is happening with the Northern Ireland screening programme that is now run by the Belfast Trust. There is a clear need for transparency and answers in the House for women throughout Northern Ireland. Minister, I hope that you will be able to provide those answers today.”
“Last October, I think, we held a debate on breast cancer referral times and the 14-day target. At that stage, the Western Trust was 80-something per cent within that target, the Southern Trust 10% and the South Eastern Trust 6%. Now, it appears that, instead of offering equality with the creation of a regional list for breast cancer referrals, we are offering everything equally bad. What do you say to the lady who contacted me last week, who, 11 weeks ago, was red-flagged for a referral for breast cancer investigation and still has not seen a consultant?”
“Minister, in four weeks' time, we will really be in the throes of winter pressures, so the plan is late. It is underpinned by very little additional funding. Most importantly, it contains no outline of how you want to deal with delayed discharges. Will a winter pressures plan that does not address the issue of domiciliary care stop people — elderly, frail people — from lying in corridors this winter or lying in hospital beds when they could be at home?”
“Once again, the First Minister cannot condemn the actions of the criminals in the IRA. That is part of the problem here: she talks about an inclusive society, but she does not want to include the innocent victims of terrorism. Do you understand the impact that the eulogising of IRA terrorists has on innocent victims?”
“I fully acknowledge the intent behind getting out that money and the struggle that there is to find new money, but we really need to make sure that it is allocated in a way that best serves the needs of people with very high and complex needs. <BR /> <BR />Minister, post-19 respite provision is one of the most important issues that we will debate in the House. There are many families across Northern Ireland who, during COVID, managed on their own 24/7 and never had any help. Again, I ask that you give the House information on how many respite facilities are now open, including those operating at pre-COVID levels.”
“It would be useful for the House to get a breakdown of how that £13 million is being spent, of how much of the, I think, £2 million was spent in the previous financial year and of the allocations for this financial year. It is fair to say that the people at whom the allocations are aimed were slightly annoyed, because they felt that they did not really address the issues. There have been some changes made to the number of short breaks that are available, but those changes have not addressed the issue of providing breaks for individuals and families who look after young people and children with very high and complex needs. It would therefore be useful to get some information about that £13 million.”
“Minister, in response to a question that I asked earlier this year, you said that around a third of all the money that is allocated for respite went to the Southern Trust. It may be that the Southern Trust supports a wider range of people who require respite, but it would be interesting to get a further breakdown of the figures in order to understand why some of that money cannot be allocated to Woodlawn House, which is a really important facility. <BR /> <BR />On a wider point, which is important, as it is linked to the issue, the Minister allocated £13 million earlier in the year to support families with really high support needs.”
“More worryingly, in a recent update, the Minister said that it was unlikely that eight posts at Woodlawn House would be filled in the near future. That comprises four band 5 nurses and four senior nursing assistants. That is extremely worrying, given the number of cancellations and the shortening of breaks and the impact that that has on families. I really want the Minister to address some of those issues in his response, because I know that some of those families will be listening to the debate and will want to hear something more than, "We are doing our best". <BR /> <BR />I ask that the Minister explain the issues in the Southern Trust. The trust has been more successful than other trusts in introducing a wide range of breaks for families who are in need of respite.”
“Ultimately, if that break from caring is not available, care in the family home can break down, and the ultimate consequence of that is that health services will have to assume responsibility. Having the situation that we face at Woodlawn House is almost unwise. <BR /> <BR />Deborah provided me with some statistics that she had been looking at, and I reviewed them. In March of this year, 24 short breaks were cancelled at Woodlawn House, and another seven were shortened. In the following month, 23 short breaks were cancelled, and the length of stay was reduced for another five. Last month, 10 short breaks were cancelled, with six having the length of stay reduced. The reasons that were given for that were staff shortages, vacancies, sickness, maternity leave and supporting individuals who were doing other training.”
“Thank you to the Member for securing an Adjournment debate on a very important issue. My colleague Deborah Erskine would have liked to have been here to discuss it. Like the previous contributor, I am a Member for Upper Bann, and the facility caters for many of our constituents, including some from as far away as my home town of Banbridge. The facility is widely used by those from across the Southern Trust. <BR /> <BR />The facility also provides a lifeline. I know that the Minister knows that and gets that it is a really important issue, but we need to look after the families who look after people in such challenging circumstances. Families will do their utmost for their loved one, but, sometimes, it is really important that they get that break from caring so that they can do other things for themselves.”
“— and they varied from 102% to 123%. With the closure of community resources —”
“It is about the priority that the Minister puts on mental health and the allocations that he gives to the mental health strategy. It is important to reflect on that today. <BR /> <BR />This reflects the issues that we see. In answer to a question from me earlier this year, the Minister gave me statistics on the occupancy of mental health beds in hospitals. The latest statistics that were available then were from March this year —”
“<BR /> <BR />I also want to look at the problems with the mental health strategy. Last week, we were told about the scaling back of the mental health strategy. The Minister and his predecessor, Minister Swann, said that it would take £1·2 billion to implement the strategy. As far as I can gather from the figures that I have received, the combined total forwarded to the strategy, so far, is around £12 million. That is 1% of what the Minister and his predecessor have said is required. In Northern Ireland, we spend about 7% of our local Health budget on mental health. That is well behind England at 11·4%, Scotland at 9·4% and Wales at 13·3%. Like the previous speaker said, it is not good enough to blame other Ministers or Executive colleagues.”
“As others in the Chamber have done, I rise to express my disappointment at the closure of another community service. While this is specific to Londonderry and the north-west, and, no doubt, will be gravely missed in those areas, it is a symptom of a greater problem across Northern Ireland, where community mental health services are not being treated in a fair and equitable way, or in a way that acknowledges their extreme importance. Before they will enter into a formal medical process, many people with a mental health problem will go to the community resource because they know the person and the organisation. These are important issues and important facilities. Today, we are talking about one in the north-west, but if I talk to other people across Northern Ireland, I will find exactly the same issues.”
“I am sad and angry that nurses are in this position.”
“That means that a hospital at £100 million will have to have millions more spent on it and probably wait another two and a half years before it is open and before any mother or baby can occupy that hospital. The acute mental health hospital is in exactly the same position. You cannot ask for more money without accountability for the money that has been spent. I look forward to hearing the discussion around that. <BR /> <BR />I hope that we have a resolution to this most vexatious of issues. I am sad and I am angry that nurses —”
“There are now more staff in the Department of Health than when we had the Department of Health and the Health and Social Care Board. The money that is spent on administration actually exceeds the amount that we spent when we had those two separate organisations. How on earth can the strategic planning and performance group (SPPG) take up 500 roles in the Department of Health? It is important that we actually consider how we spend health money. <BR /> <BR />Of course, Minister, it is also really important that there is accountability for the money that is spent. We have a new state-of-the-art maternity hospital. You wrote to the Health Committee last week saying that you were content with the options presented by the trust.”
“<BR /> <BR />I had a look at the health service's administrative costs for last year: they totalled almost £600 million.”
“Thank you. <BR /> <BR />Funnily enough, I was just coming to that very point. The Minister needs to price in pay increases at the start of every year, and that should be monitored throughout the year. It is not that we do not know that it is going to happen — we do — so we need to price in those pay increases every year. We know broadly how much they will cost, and it is important to price them in. However — the Minister would be disappointed if I did not say this — we also have to think about how the Department of Health spends money. I cannot imagine where the Executive would be if every Minister sought a ministerial direction for a bill that they want the Executive to pick up. We have to think about how we spend money; that is hugely important.”
“If you let me continue for a minute, I will give way. <BR /> <BR />It is hugely important. I listened with interest to the Sinn Féin contribution, which was quite defensive. It is important that we find a resolution. I hope that the Finance Minister and the Health Minister can work together to resolve this most difficult subject. We should not drag our heels on the core services that we all depend on. <BR /> <BR />I will give way.”
“Healthcare staff need to be properly paid, and that means parity with the rest of the United Kingdom. That is the only way to acknowledge their hard work. I am annoyed, like many nurses and other people are, that healthcare staff feel that they have to go to the extreme of either threatening or taking strike action to bring the matter to a head. That is not acceptable for a service that is such an important part of our community and lives. I respect, acknowledge and uphold everyone's right to strike, but I hope that we can find a solution to the issue and resolve it.”
“As others have said, we owe an enormous amount of gratitude to our healthcare staff — our nurses, our doctors and our hospital workers, who look after and care for us at our most vulnerable times, who save lives every day and who shore up a health service that is at breaking point. I make it my business to regularly contact and visit the largest hospital in my area, Craigavon. I was there this month discussing the potential for further winter pressures and crises. On that day, the longest waiting times were 62 hours for someone who already had a bed, and 42 hours for someone who was waiting to be admitted and, for all that time, was sitting on a chair. <BR /> <BR />There is no doubt that our healthcare staff work in the most difficult of circumstances, but it is not enough for us to clap for the NHS and say how much we appreciate them.”
“Minister, what are your plans for further delivery?”
“— does not have a representative at all in Upper Bann.”
“I notice the laughter and mocking from the SDLP, which —”
“Thank you, Minister. It is good to hear the record of a DUP Minister who is delivering for people across all our constituencies.”
“We are not interested in an imperfect opportunity. The lives of the innocent still cry out for truth and justice.”
“How can we have a reconciled future for Northern Ireland and our children when murder is treated so lightly and murderers are venerated by political parties? Erasing the word "innocent" blurs the distinction between perpetrator and victim. That is the antithesis of justice, and there can be no workable legacy process in which justice is ignored. <BR /> <BR />We will always stand with the victims of terrorist criminals. A legacy process should have victims at its heart, and the suffering of the innocent should not be airbrushed for political expediency. It is essential that it include the opportunity to hear the stories and voices of innocent victims and to learn about their lives, which were so cruelly taken. We are not interested in the airbrushing of history or the manipulation of the lives of innocent people for political gain.”
“<BR /> <BR />The Sinn Féin amendment removes the word "innocent" in reference to the victims of terrorism. Are we surprised? Absolutely not. It is a party that is led by someone who talks about there being no alternative to violence and that constantly eulogises IRA terrorists. Some in the party have suggested that it should embrace the criminals and gangsters of the IRA more fully. There is irony at its heart. <BR /> <BR />We recently saw a host of Sinn Féin tributes to the IRA killer and criminal "Bik" McFarlane, who led the attack on the Bayardo bar on the Shankill Road in which five people were killed and over 60 injured. Around that time, the killer "Bik" McFarlane was being remembered and honoured at an event in the Falls park.”
“On 15 August 1998 at 3.10 pm, a bomb explosion ripped through Omagh. Twenty-nine people and two unborn children were killed. Over 200 people were injured. That bomb was built in the Irish state and driven to Northern Ireland. After a long campaign, the Omagh families were finally granted their inquiry, but the memorandum of understanding between the Irish Government and the Omagh bomb inquiry only masquerades as cooperation. It includes no statutory powers, no guarantee of full disclosure from the Irish authorities and no ability to compel witnesses. It is no wonder that some of the Omagh families are deeply disturbed. That same Government have been given a role by Labour in the legacy process. The PM should not trample so lightly on the blood of innocent victims.”
“Those are all families for whom the truth of collusion with the IRA played a part in their fate. I also acknowledge the families whom the Government of the Republic of Ireland have failed — their own citizens — in their quest for truth and justice. The family of Terence McKeever and of Private Patrick Kelly, who was shot during the rescue of Don Tidey, have raised serious concerns about the lack of a full and proper investigation of their murders by IRA criminals. In a recent 'Belfast Telegraph' article, Private Kelly's son David said:”
“It was a brutal slaying of a young Protestant and loyalist. As Ian drew up to the family home in Killen, just outside Castlederg, his car was sprayed with bullets. The IRA later phoned the house and told his father to go out to the yard and to look at the mess that it had left. It was his son. There has been no expensive Finucane-style inquiry for him; just a heartbroken family still searching for justice. There have been no answers from the Republic's Government, and the Sinn Féin First Minister says that there was no alternative to such wicked murder and loss. No wonder victims are sickened and angry. <BR /> <BR />I could, of course, mention many others who feel that pain, including the Kingsmills families; the family of Lord Justice Gibson and his wife, who were murdered as they crossed the border; and the Hanna family.”
“<BR /> <BR />Over recent months, the Secretary of State and the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom have spent their time consulting the Dublin Government on a framework for Troubles legacy issues, but the record of the Dublin Government on the issue of victims and their access to truth and justice is truly lamentable. They refused to extradite IRA criminals so that they could face justice for their crimes in Northern Ireland, and they have failed to provide answers to those who accuse the Irish security forces of collusion with the IRA. <BR /> <BR />I make no apology today for talking about some of those cases. I have spoken many times in the House of the case of Ian Sproule. His family have long suspected the gardaí of passing information to the IRA that resulted in his murder.”
“Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. Given the events of the past few days, this is a crucial motion, and the Assembly once again has the opportunity to stand with the innocent victims of terrorist violence by supporting it. The DUP will always stand with the innocent victims of terrorism. We record once again our view that there can be no viable process on legacy unless it has access to truth and justice at its heart. Victims of violence have for many years been sidelined, made to feel that they are the pawns of political expediency by successive Governments who have served up prisoner releases and on-the-run letters of comfort. There are even those in the Assembly who have royal pardons in their back pocket.”
“On 22 August, 59 Christians were killed in attacks. On 3 August, 49 Christians were killed. On 25 February, Christians were found killed in a church. On 30 January, churches closed as rebels attempted to take them over. I could go on to list other examples. <BR /> <BR />I want the House to recognise the persecution of Christians, not just in the Democratic Republic of the Congo but worldwide, and acknowledge that it is a real and present issue and that people are entitled to live out their faith in freedom.”
“I rise to highlight the persecution of Christians, particularly those in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Often, the world turns a blind eye to that brutal news. It does not get the same coverage as many other issues and the persecution of many other peoples. Open Doors reports that over 380 million Christians face high levels of persecution and discrimination: one in seven Christians worldwide. <BR /> <BR />In the past month, at least 100 people have been killed by Islamic groups in a series of attacks in the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and a large number of them were of the Christian faith. Over 95% of the population of the Democratic Republic of the Congo are Christian, but levels of Islamic extremist violence have soared over the past year. That is only one of many attacks on Christians over the past year.”
“— this life-saving treatment available here in Northern Ireland for our friends, family and community.”
“<BR /> <BR />We have no difficulty with cross-border cooperation to enable greater ease of access to much-needed treatment, but I make no apology for saying that I want to see and we want to see — I am sure that the Assembly agrees with me —”
“While the Belfast Trust has submitted a business case to the Department for the new regional haematology ward, which will have improved facilities, surely, we should not allow the perfect to be the enemy of progress, and we should try to offer the treatment more proactively and much sooner so that others can benefit from a life-saving treatment. <BR /> <BR />There are significant side effects associated with CAR T-cell therapies, and people who receive the treatment will have to have a multi-professional approach. Again, Minister, we would like you to give us some more information about the clinicians who will do that. We are confident that we have world-leading cancer clinicians in Northern Ireland. We need to give them the tools and permission to get on with providing the standards that we would like to see.”
“It is a living drug that can grow, expand and form memory, and it potentially offers the patient lifelong protection, but it is not provided in Northern Ireland. There are arrangements with the NHS centres in Great Britain to treat patients who require CAR T-cell therapy. Minister, I would be interested if you could tell us how many patients have travelled to England against the number who might have benefited from it in the past. <BR /> <BR />Action 22 of the Northern Ireland cancer strategy was to monitor the viability of providing specialist services such as CAR T-cell therapy in Northern Ireland.”
“First, I thank the Sherry family for being here today and, indeed, for speaking so openly about Catherine's illness and her treatment. I understand that it is an exceptionally brave thing to do. Therefore, we extend our heartfelt sympathy to Fergal, Manus, Tómas, Donal and the wider family circle. <BR /> <BR />As others have said, CAR T-cell therapy is an exciting, recently developed treatment for some blood cancers in children and adults. As I understand it, and this is probably simplistic, T-cells are the blood cells of the immune system that protect the body from foreign invaders. CAR T-cell therapy reprogrammes the body's T-cells to more effectively target and destroy cancer before being infused back into the individual.”
“Minister, it was a pretty catastrophic event, given that the main system and the backup system went wrong, with fairly difficult outworkings. <BR /> <BR />I have been approached by constituents who were in Craigavon Area Hospital on the night of Monday 8 September. They indicated that, on that night, there was also an IT system glitch and that patients saw staff running about and scrambling for pen, paper etc. First, is that accurate? Secondly, do we know the cause of the outage? I hope that the cause was not a computer system that was limping along and then just had a catastrophic failure on 17 September.”
“As we look forward, we wish the church's leadership and membership well and pray that its doors remain open for generations to come. I pay tribute to the parishioners, rectors and volunteers who have faithfully served.”
“Over the centuries, Shankill parish church has played a central role not just in the spiritual life but in the civic fabric of Lurgan and the wider Down and Dromore community. It is a place where generations of families have attended together. Leading up to this significant anniversary, the parish has embarked on an inspiring initiative called "Reimagining Shankill". That visionary strategy seeks to transform the church's surroundings, create level access, reimagine boundary walls and create a welcoming landscape and more open facade, with a view to making that historic church more accessible and inviting for all. <BR /> <BR />Last weekend, the congregation met to give thanks and praise. On Saturday, there was another day of celebration of the unique milestone.”
“I want to recognise in the House a truly remarkable milestone. This month, Shankill parish church in Lurgan celebrates its 300th anniversary. That house of worship has stood on the same location for three centuries. The original church on the site was consecrated in 1725 by Bishop Ralph Lambert. It was built in response to the growth of Lurgan, the congregation's faith and the needs of a vibrant community. The church, despite the Troubles and the decimation that it suffered through terrorist attacks, is a testament to the resilience and devotion of its congregation. <BR /> <BR />The current formation was completed in 1863 and reflects the architectural grandeur and ambition of the era. It was designed then to accommodate 2,000 worshippers and was reputed to be the largest church in Ireland.”
“Few factors impact on women's healthcare more than having a maternity and children's hospital that is unsafe for women and babies and that patients and staff are not allowed into. Will the Minister reassure the House that the Belfast Trust and his Department will continue to explore the issue of financial liability for that scandalous situation — I understand that the cost could be in the region of £9 million — and that there will be no compromise on the issue? Will the Minister also indicate why the review of who is to blame for the debacle over the handover of the maternity hospital has been discontinued?”
“It is delivering vital healthcare to one of the most rural populations in Northern Ireland, and there should be a proper process for, and a proper level of, access to healthcare for all in Fermanagh. That includes sustaining services and outlining what they should be for the hospital, and those services should include emergency general surgery. <BR /> <BR />Minister, you have an opportunity to clarify the situation today. There are many people listening to the debate and waiting to hear about the way forward. I hope that you will take cognisance of rural populations in order to deliver appropriate services that are appropriately staffed. Safe, sustainable services are not an outrageous demand. They are something that our population — in this case, rural communities — deserves and should have.”
“Will the SWAH now receive fair funding from the elective care framework and be able to take its rightful place in the drive to increase elective surgery and to drive down waiting times? All five theatres and 312 beds should be used in the mission to eliminate the scandalous waiting times in Northern Ireland. That matters to all of us. <BR /> <BR />This is an important debate for constituents in Fermanagh, but it is also an important one for all of us in Northern Ireland. The number of consultations that we have ongoing, the interventions that we have made and the clear lack of a process that a community can follow or even feel involved in point almost to a dysfunction in how we operate services for people in Northern Ireland. The South West Acute Hospital is a fabulous facility.”