Naomi Long
East Belfast · Alliance Party · Northern Ireland
“Underneath the Facebook posts to say that he had passed away, people speculated with such comments as, "Probably high on drugs", "Probably drunk", and, "Typical boy racer". There was all of that speculation. It was hurtful to the family, and it was inaccurate.”
“There are circumstances that we need to consider and be careful of. I was told, for example, that, when the issue of good character references at trial was being looked at in New South Wales — Committee members may wish to look at this for themselves — one of the groups that opposed their removal was representative of domestic abuse victi…”
“It sets out the strategic direction adopted by the Department and key partners to tackle those appalling crimes and protect vulnerable victims of exploitation.”
“The provision seeks to provide protection, via legal advice and representation for complainants, against the use of non-relevant personal material and evidence of previous sexual history being used in the court process.”
“<BR /> <BR />On the wider issue of ensuring that a withdrawal of services never happens again, I think that most of us agree that, although everyone has the right to take industrial action, no one has the right to derail and hold to ransom the entire justice system in that way.”
“Those measures will go some way towards helping to support complainants and enable them to have input into the decision-making process about what records containing their personal and sensitive information are required to be shared with the defence.”
The complete record
Every one of 7,548 lines we hold for Naomi Long, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 21 of 151.
“<BR /> <BR />A pressure of £215 million in 2028-29 sounds like a large figure, and it is, but, as an indication, it represents the entire current budgets of the Prison Service, the Probation Board, the Youth Justice Agency and Forensic Science put together. It is fairly clear that that gap cannot be closed by reducing the number of civil servants with a tweak here and a tweak there. That is a significant shortfall in the available budget, and I would go as far as to say that it would be catastrophic for the justice system in Northern Ireland. <BR /> <BR />Considering the magnitude of the pressures that remain, it is difficult to see how any Department will be able to live within budget, and the limited funding to my Department, which has gone on for a significant period of time, makes that all the more difficult.”
“I recognise that the Executive as a whole will not receive sufficient levels of additional funding during the multi-year Budget period, and I am incredibly conscious of the significant pressures that Departments face and the difficult decisions that we will have to take as an Executive. However, it is extremely disappointing that the proposed Budget allocations will leave my Department facing stabilisation pressures of £101 million in 2026-27, £141 million in 2027-28 and £215 million in 2028-29. That is before exceptional pressures for holiday pay, McCloud and legacy are taken into account.”
“The PSNI and my Department have looked at seizure of vehicles, impoundment and so on, but we have mainly been doing so in the context of the costs that the PSNI carries as a result of having to impound vehicles regularly.”
“Given the late stage of the mandate and the fact that we are now at a point when the introduction of new ideas for legislation is probably beyond the capacity of any Department to take forward in this mandate, it is unlikely that that would come to fruition quickly. There are things that can be done quickly to achieve desistance, and that is why I suggested that the PCSP and Policing Board colleagues may be able to assist. I am happy to continue to engage with the Department for Infrastructure on the basis that that Department is the policy lead and has said that e-scooters are illegal, which means that there is no grey area.”
“The PSNI has worked with those young people, not to dissuade them from having an interest in those vehicles but to educate them about their safe use and the dangers of using them on the open road. <BR /> <BR />Given that that is a particular issue in the Member's constituency, it may be worth contacting the policing and community safety partnership (PCSP) to see if something can be done between the it, the PSNI and, perhaps, even some of the Member's colleagues on the Policing Board, because I know that they, too, have shown an interest in this issue.”
“Campaigns on the use of e-scooters and their legality is a matter for the Department for Infrastructure rather than the Department of Justice. I have, of course, during our regular meetings, had conversations with the PSNI about the concerns that have been expressed to me in this House and elsewhere about the proliferation of e-scooters and the risk that they pose to life. <BR /> <BR />Ultimately, e-scooters are illegal, so, when the police see people using e-scooters on a public thoroughfare, they are at liberty to take action. I suspect that, again, the issue comes down to what resources are available. In some areas where e-scooters have been a systemic problem for some time, the PSNI has done very good work to target groups of young people who are engaged with e-scooters, scrambler bikes and other such vehicles.”
“— simply does not stack up against the evidence.”
“Again, I have to drive this point home: suggesting that our prisons are in chaos is a falsehood. I am not saying that the 'Belfast Telegraph' is engaging in false news and fake news, but I am saying that the Member's portrayal of an incident that took place within the prison as being proof of that prison being in chaos —”
“First, I answered the question and said that I did not believe that my regular meetings, on an almost daily basis, were a matter for airing in the House due to the sensitivities of the conversations and the potential impact on the individuals involved. Nor can I respond to every piece of news that is going to be put in the newspapers or every report that talks about how prison management or prison officers feel at any point in time. To do so would be unwise. I can only go by what I do on a regular basis, which is attend our prisons, remain open and engage, on an almost daily basis, as I said earlier, with the staff, including individual prison officers. I spoke to the director general of prisons as recently as yesterday, if that gives the Member any comfort.”
“However, the painting of our prisons as inherently dangerous places does not reflect the findings of the Criminal Justice Inspection. We have two of the three best-functioning prisons in the UK. That is a transformation from the time when, under devolution, responsibility for prisons was handed over to this place, and we were dealing with some of the most dangerous prisons in Europe. I hope that the Member will reflect on that fact and on the efforts that prison officers make to maintain order and ensure that incidents such as the one he referred to, are kept to an absolute minimum. I certainly respect the work that they do and the compassion that they show as they do that work.”
“I am in contact with my colleagues in the Prison Service on an almost daily basis. I visit the prisons on a regular basis. I do not feel that it is appropriate to, on every occasion, discuss on the Floor what I discuss in those interactions at an operational level, nor is it necessarily the wish of the individual prison officers who have been subjected to assault to have those issues plastered on the pages of newspapers or raised in the House. Therefore I have to act with sensitivity. <BR /> <BR />I recognise that every prison officer who gets up in the morning and puts on a uniform, goes to work in the evening as a night custody officer or gets into a van to transport prisoners does so at significant risk. I never underestimate that. I am grateful to them for the work that they do and the initiative that they show.”
“<BR /> <BR />The recent conference that I attended, which included the like of the Office of the Revenue Commissioners and HMRC, is just one example of how law enforcement comes together on a regular basis to look at how we can shut down those organised crime gangs and ensure that the path that enables them to cause mayhem and destruction is frustrated.”
“The Member will be aware of the work being done around drugs, which is one of the themes, but, through the IGA, we also look at wider issues, such as human trafficking. I had a conversation with Jim O'Callaghan about that issue. <BR /> <BR />It is important to recognise that it does not matter to organised criminals whether they traffic people or goods. They treat them all as simply collateral from which to make money. They have no compassion for the people who receive those goods and, if it is drugs, can end up with serious addictions or worse. Nor do they have any compassion for the people whom they traffic for other reasons of exploitation. It is, therefore, important that there is that good, collaborative working relationship.”
“Through the organised crime task force, there are regular meetings between officials in the PSNI and an Garda Síochána, and those meetings have been very fruitful. As a matter of routine, there is cooperative working not just in border communities but further afield. That is very helpful, because we recognise that many of the issues to which the Member refers are not limited solely to Northern Ireland or the border counties, as there are elements of organised crime that extend way beyond both jurisdictions and into others. It is therefore important that we have the opportunity to work collaboratively and cooperatively. <BR /> <BR />There are a number of initiatives taking place.”
“— for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration and I were recently at a conference that dealt with those issues.”
“<BR /> <BR />The organised crime task force (OCTF) continues to do cross-border work as part of the intergovernmental agreement (IGA). The Minister —”
“It has always been the case that, for as long as a rump of individuals wishes to try to target and attack the PSNI, it will have some capability to do so, albeit that capability may be depleted. We should not be complacent, however. One of the reasons why we see very few such attacks is because of the disruption and suppression undertaken by the PSNI in those communities to ensure that they do not happen. Work is done in those communities to build confidence and trust in the PSNI. I pay tribute to the Minister of Finance, who spoke at length about the good work that the PSNI is doing in Lurgan to reach out to the nationalist and republican communities to work cooperatively with them to ensure that neither they nor the PSNI is put at risk.”
“Thank you for giving me the opportunity to place on record in the House my absolute abhorrence towards those who forced a person, at the point of a gun, to drive a live device through Lurgan, placing everyone in the community from Kilwilkie to the police station at significant risk. The trauma inflicted on the individual, who was trying to make a living by delivering food and was probably on minimum wage, is unimaginable, as is the trauma inflicted on the officers who were at the station when the car arrived there. I commend those officers for their quick thinking and quick response and for keeping people safe while the issue was dealt with. <BR /> <BR />As I have already said publicly, there is nothing to suggest that that represents a significant change in the capacity or intent of the organisations involved.”
“That assessment will be based on the individual facts of cases, including the nature of the offence and the level of risk of further offending towards complainants and others. I do not underestimate the challenge that that presents for the PPS, and it should not be in the pernicious position of making those decisions. I therefore call on all Members to press, as I am doing, the CBA to return to full service as a matter of urgency.”
“I demonstrated that commitment again when I commissioned the accelerated review, dedicating yet more of my already depleted resources to it and appointing two independent leads in an effort to address at pace the remaining issues. The review is due to conclude no later than 27 April, and I hope that it will bring that unwarranted action to an end. <BR /> <BR />In the interim, it is for the Public Prosecution Service (PPS) to determine which cases should proceed while the withdrawal is ongoing. That was a condition of my commencing the review. It is right that those who properly understand the detail and impact of offences and who are directly supporting victims and witnesses assess which cases most need to proceed.”
“Furthermore, I have already repeatedly demonstrated my commitment to resolving what have been ever-changing asks from the CBA.”
“With your permission, Mr Speaker, I wish to answer questions 4, 10 and 15 together. <BR /> <BR />It is incredibly disheartening that I am, once again, updating the Chamber on the Criminal Bar Association (CBA) service withdrawal. The ever-decreasing resources at our disposal should not be focused on mitigating avoidable levels of harm, and neither should we be trying, through derogations, to balance the needs of those who have already suffered immeasurable loss and trauma, but, unfortunately, that is the very real outcome of the CBA decision to continue with its withdrawal. The withdrawal continues to unnecessarily harm victims and witnesses and will cause damage to the system, which we do not have the resources to repair. It is also to no end, as it will not change outcomes.”
“I will support the Policing Board and the Chief Constable in every effort that they make to ensure that this is stamped out and that victims can have full confidence that, when they go to the PSNI, they will be protected and kept safe.”
“It is important that we do everything at every stage, through vetting and barring, how we approach the recruitment process and how internal vetting in the PSNI works as people perhaps move towards more contact with vulnerable victims and witnesses, to ensure that any red flags that are raised in the organisation are taken seriously and followed up competently. That is the very least that people should expect. <BR /> <BR />Having said that, I do not wish to overplay the issue in the context of the PSNI versus other forces around these islands. Very often in hierarchical organisations, which are predominately male in nature, the culture needs to change. It is good that that has been acknowledged by the Chief Constable. That leadership from the top is important.”
“First, I thank the Chief Constable for asking Rachel Langdale to come in and do the review that she did, because that was welcome oversight. The best disinfectant is sunlight. I therefore believe that the openness and transparency with which the Chief Constable has addressed the issue is important. I have no doubt that both Rachel Langdale's report and, indeed, the work being done by the Office of the Police Ombudsman on abuse of position for sexual purposes will cause people to have second thoughts about reporting domestic and sexual abuse to the police. I want to be certain, just as everyone in the House does, that, when a vulnerable victim or witness approaches the police seeking help, they are not inadvertently engaging with another predator.”
“Much like drug rehabilitation therapy, part of the issue is that, unless a person has a desire to change, and unless there is a willingness on their behalf to engage properly and thoroughly with those programmes, it can be very difficult to change patterns of abuse. Many of those in prison come forward as victims of abuse or were, for example, exposed to extreme violence as children. Therefore, part of what we try to do as we go through those desistance programmes is look at how we deal with the trauma that they often carry forward into their adult life and adult relationships and the patterns of behaviour that they learned from those around them as a child and that have led to their being an abuser. Breaking that cycle is not straightforward, but it is something that we invest in.”
“We do a number of things, such as perpetrator programmes. There are opt-in perpetrator programmes for those who, for example, are on remand in the prison system for domestic abuse-related offences. They have the option of taking such a course and engaging in that process. Once people are there as sentenced prisoners, a needs assessment of their rehabilitation is done. A number of desistance programmes are undertaken in prisons. There is one on healthy, happy relationships. Anger management courses are also available to people, and those are often allied with courses on substance misuse, which can trigger some of those incidents. That is happening in prisons. <BR /> <BR />In addition, the Probation Board runs a number of courses for people who have been convicted of domestic abuse offences that are about changing attitudes.”
“I have looked into that, however, and, in the engagement that I have had with officials in the Department of Finance, there has been a view that, given that the courts have discretion to grant access to children and are genuinely supposed to put the needs of the child rather than the demands or desires of the parents first, there is sufficient scope for a similar approach to be taken within the courts, without any substantive change to primary legislation. I am happy to continue to engage with the Minister of Finance on that issue, but it is for the Minister of Finance to do the policy development work on that, rather than for my Department.”
“That has been raised with me and is something that causes many of us concern. In recent months and years, we have seen situations in which one co-parent has taken the life of the other co-parent, leaving their children, in most cases, without a mother. We have seen the distress that is caused to families when that person continues to have parental rights. <BR /> <BR />Ultimately, the family courts make the determination on that, and, when it comes to the area of parental rights and so on, it is for the Department of Finance to introduce any change to family law. That does not lie in the criminal justice sphere, which is where my responsibilities lie.”
“We need to work together as a community and across the community, irrespective of race, religion, creed, sexual orientation or how people identify their gender, to ensure that our women and girls are kept safe and that our young men and boys are educated in a constructive and positive way about what it is to be a good man, because, sadly, whilst women and girls are the focus of the campaign, they are not the problem.”
“There is no short-term solution to tackling the complex issues around that. Addressing abusive attitudes requires sustained, cross-departmental approaches with an emphasis on preventative actions. I am committed to and have consistently been working with others to ensure that we, along with other stakeholders, can tackle the drivers of abuse and violence. Part of that is not allowing our concern about violence against women and girls to be weaponised in a way that makes other minority groups in our society more vulnerable to abuse. <BR /> <BR />This is about tackling a very serious crisis that our society faces.”
“I have introduced a diverse range of measures aimed at addressing sexual offending and coercive control and domestic abuse, and further measures are planned that will, I believe, tackle online and technologically aided abuse. <BR /> <BR />I recognise, however, that legislation alone will not bring an end to the violence and abuse that exists in our society, and I have said that many times in the Chamber. We need a cultural shift in our community. I am absolutely committed to playing my part in protecting women and girls from harm through the law and in recognising new types of harm and creating new offences. Although it is good that we can do this, it is not good enough to be able to tackle violence and take people through the courts whenever harm has occurred. We have to focus on the prevention of that harm.”
“First, I advise the Member not to speak on behalf of all women on this issue — that is the first thing — so I do not know where his saying "more than 50% of the population" comes from. Secondly, what we are doing here is trying to protect vulnerable women and girls from domestic abuse, but my Department is also trying to protect vulnerable men, vulnerable trans people, vulnerable straight people and vulnerable gay people from domestic and sexual abuse. That is what my Department is here to do. We are here to protect every citizen to the best of our ability, defending them against violence against the person or domestic and sexual abuse.”
“Alongside the Department of Health and the Department for Communities, my Department jointly funds the 24-hour domestic abuse helpline delivered by Nexus NI, which will cost £3·2 million over the next seven years. Similarly, whilst our investment of over £0·5 million on remote evidence centres over the past two years is beneficial to all vulnerable or intimidated witnesses, it has disproportionately benefited women and girls.”
“Together, those measures contribute to a legal framework that allows the criminal justice system to deal effectively with sexual offending, of which most victims are women and girls. <BR /> <BR />In the past two financial years, my Department has allocated £1·9 million specifically to ending violence against women and girls. Total spend by my Department and non-departmental public bodies was £0·8 million in the 2024-25 financial year and £1·1 million in 2025-26. We have also committed £8·4 million over a seven-year period, commencing in 2025-26, to ASSIST NI to deliver advocacy services to high-risk and high-impact victims of domestic and sexual abuse.”
“Implementation of the domestic abuse offence, which captures patterns of controlling, coercive and threatening behaviour, as well as associated aggravators, is continuing. A pilot for domestic abuse protection notices and orders is under development. Work has been prioritised to establish revised and improved domestic abuse risk response arrangements. I aim to address a legislative gap by introducing new offences to address the creation of non-consensual sexually explicit deepfake images of adults online, which, again, disproportionately affects women and girls. I recently secured legislative consent to extend several provisions of the UK Government's Crime and Policing Bill to build on sexual offences that were introduced in 2022.”
“Under the EVAWG delivery plan, my Department is working with the PSNI and the Executive Office to deliver the Power to Change public awareness campaign to tackle the underpinning misogynistic behaviours and attitudes that can fuel sexual offending and gender-based violence. The second phase of the campaign, which will launch in May, aims to address rising online misogyny and harmful gender narratives. <BR /> <BR />Much of the wider work of my Department is aimed at addressing sexual offending and domestic abuse and at supporting victims in these cases. Whilst not all domestic and sexual abuse victims are women and girls, and not all violence against women and girls happens in domestic relationships, there is a significant overlap.”
“With your permission, Mr Speaker, I will answer questions 3 and 8 together. I ask you to indulge me with extra time, as it is quite an involved answer. <BR /> <BR />The Department of Justice is responsible for a number of actions in the cross-departmental strategic framework to end violence against women and girls (EVAWG) delivery plan. Ongoing engagement between my officials and the Executive Office, formally under the auspices of the EVAWG programme board and the domestic and sexual abuse strategic oversight board, helps to provide continued alignment and cohesion to promote a comprehensive, cost-effective and joined-up response.”
“We would not have any money beyond what is required for us to meet our contractual obligations.”
“I have been in contact, but no Executive member has yet been asked to agree their allocation, and it is not adequate to meet the needs of the justice system over the next three years. I have been open about that and put the figures on the record. To take a one-year snapshot, at the end of this year, we would be overspent by about £100 million on the basis of simply doing business as usual, which means only essential business, not the other things that may crop up during the mandate. <BR /> <BR />Having just reflected on capital, I will say, if I may, that, as things stand, we would not have the opportunity to invest in modular accommodation for our prisons to expand our current capacity, because we would not be able to fund that from our capital budget on the basis of our capital allocation in the draft Budget.”
“They have to manage those people in confined spaces through difficult periods, particularly at the moment, when there are such high numbers of people in custody. We should not underestimate the challenge that that presents to individual prison officers and to the prison system as a whole, and it is our job to secure the resources to recruit more prison officers, as we have done over recent weeks and months, and secure the capital to invest in the prisons estate so that prisons are able to continue to do the good work that they do.”
“Operational and non-operational staff can also avail themselves of a self-referral facility to confidential counselling through Lena by Inspire workplace services, and staff can access online resources in the Inspire support hub, which provides expert information and advice on mental health, lifestyle and well-being. NIPS also has arrangements with the Police Rehabilitation and Retraining Trust for prison officers for counselling and physiotherapy. Between 1 April 2025 and 31 January 2026, 45·7% of operational prison grade staff reported no sickness absence. <BR /> <BR />It is not an easy job to be a prison officer. In some of our prisons, they deal not only with some of the most dangerous people in society but with some of those with the most complex and challenging needs.”
“First, where officers are assaulted, it is standard policy that the Prison Service will support them in taking those responsible to court. It is not literally a " Be in Jail Free" card, in this case, where people can assault whomever they wish in the Prison Service and expect that not to have consequences. <BR /> <BR />All of our staff can access the wider Northern Ireland Civil Service (NICS) welfare support services, which offer an independent, confidential service to help staff with work stress and personal work-related issues that may affect their ability to work.”
“As with every occasion, he comes to the Chamber with no solutions but simply with his little TikTok planned out in advance.”
“— he can wave the paper all he likes, but my understanding is that, in the Chamber, props are not permitted. Maybe some people need props to make their point, but I am happy to make my point. <BR /> <BR />I listen to our prison officers, and I am regularly in our prisons. Yes, it is a matter of funding, because we now have more prisoners in custody than we have had at any time since the Good Friday Agreement. We have no more accommodation, and that leads to potential crowding on our landings and in our cells, which leads to a more volatile situation. If the Member has a solution to that that does not involve waving around newspaper articles but provides for additional prison officers and additional accommodation, I will be happy to meet him.”
“Thank you. I stopped because I assumed that the Member was not interested in the answer, given that he was interrupting. <BR /> <BR />There are issues with drugs in prisons. However, we have introduced, for example, full body scanning to reduce the amount of illicit material being smuggled into the prison. That is helpful, and we have seen a downturn in the amount of drugs, in particular, in prisons. There is still a market in prisons for prescription medication, and we work hard with the Department of Health and the healthcare in prisons teams to address and manage that. That has been reflected in recent reports. <BR /> <BR />For the Member to stand up and use an appalling incident to try to attack me”
“I am not sure where the Member has been over the past five, six, seven, eight years or, indeed, for much of the rest of his life if he thinks that there is not a problem —”
“<BR /> <BR />Some extensions were made as a result of lack of interest in new recruiting in the last mandate. However, we have had some more interest this time. I encourage any Member who is aware of people in the community who would be interested in working in that role — one that is there to provide independent oversight and monitoring of what happens in our prisons to give prisoners a voice and to see first-hand what is happening in those facilities — to look at the applications to the IMB and get involved. It is not only a challenging role, it is a rewarding one. The IMB members to whom you have been speaking would certainly reflect on their time spent in the prisons as something that they welcomed very much.”
“The work of the IMB is often overlooked. It is a demanding role and, in terms of the spectrum of volunteering that people can be engaged in, volunteering in the IMB in our prisons is probably one of the most challenging. It has proved hard both to recruit people into that role and to retain people, particularly in the first few years of service. However, we have a recruitment campaign under way to recruit new members. It is a regulated position. Therefore, under Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments for Northern Ireland (OCPANI) rules, we need to be careful about extending people's terms. In addition, given the challenge and pressure that it places on the individuals who volunteer in that role, it may not always be wise to continually extend those terms beyond the initial regulated periods.”
“We need to constantly re-evaluate what we can do to support people who do a job that is hidden from view but is, nevertheless, absolutely critical to ensuring that the public are kept safe and that those who are in our custody are able to access rehabilitation and, hopefully, emerge from prison without further reoffending and without creating further victims in the community.”