Michelle O'Neill
Mid Ulster · Sinn Féin · Northern Ireland
“We are shocked and deeply saddened for both the victim of the horrific incident in north Belfast and the people who have been impacted on by the disorder that we have witnessed since. There is absolutely no justification for racism, violence or intimidation.”
“It is the latest chapter in a political psychodrama. It has been playing out in Westminster for forever and a day but particularly over the past 10 years. Tomorrow is the 10th anniversary of Brexit, which inflicted so much damage to the wider economy. We are now on the verge of having a seventh British Prime Minister in 10 years.”
“We cannot look at things in isolation. Whether it is the refugee integration strategy, the framework or the legislation, all those things need to move together and at pace.”
“I agree with the Member about the ugly language that was used to describe some people in our community. Like the Member, I have met many people from the black and ethnic minority community in recent times. I do that on an ongoing basis, but I did so recently given what happened over the last number of weeks.”
“There is not just one answer to it, as the Member knows. We need to come at it from every angle. That could be a policing response initially, for which additional funding was secured. I agree that this is the third year in a row in which we have had that type of racist behaviour on our streets. Likewise, I would describe it as a pogrom.”
“Building on that progress, the Executive Office is contributing £3·3 million towards the Derry on the North Atlantic Museum, which is due to open in 2027 and will further enhance Ebrington’s role as a heritage and tourism destination. <BR /> <BR />Ebrington is also continuing to develop as a vibrant events space.”
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“I absolutely agree: it has been a catastrophic failure and an unmitigated disaster. The people whose cry was, "Whatever it takes, let's just get it done" should hang their head in shame today. The fact is that we now have a broken Brexit Britain. We have the potential for a Farage or a Boris Johnson-type character to come to the fore. It is absolutely ridiculous. It has been an unmitigated disaster for jobs, businesses and our economy, and has led to a very toxic atmosphere out there in society.”
“Belfast is a place that is vibrant and buzzing. It is a city that is very much on the turn. I think that, if we all row in behind the fleadh, it will leave a lasting social, cultural and economic legacy for all of us. Well done to all those who have put in all the hard yards to get us to this point. I look forward to the summer.”
“Yes, I do. As I said, as well as its immense cultural value, the Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann will bring upwards of 650,000 visitors, which is an absolutely massive number. That is huge on anybody's scale. The fact that they will all be in the city, enjoying the festival, has been predicted to be worth about £60 million to the local economy. That is huge. It will be a massive boost for businesses and tourism and a real chance to showcase Belfast to the rest of the world in the positive light that we want to be seen in.”
“There will be a great legacy for the city because some people will come for the first time, will get to see us and see how warm and welcoming we are and will, no doubt, return.”
“Yes. I have been listening to a lot about it on the radio. The buzz and excitement are starting to build for the fleadh coming to Belfast for the first time. It is a huge opportunity for the city. It will celebrate the best of us and show a really positive image, in direct contrast to what we have seen over recent weeks. The preparations are well under way for what will be a hugely exciting summer, with hundreds of thousands of people coming from all across the island and further afield to celebrate Irish music, culture and heritage. They will get to see the best of Belfast, and I really look forward to that being the case. It will be a massive economic booster as well.”
“That is a misrepresentation. Last week, your party absolutely wrongly deployed the petition of concern on that issue because you are afraid of democracy. You were afraid of that debate being held in the Chamber, where we discussed all those things, including exemptions for serious crime. The fact that you had to browbeat the UUP into getting on board with your petition of concern shows that you were afraid of losing the argument. This is democracy in action. This is where you have the debate. This is where you vote, not hide behind the petition of concern.”
“I am sure that, when the person is appointed, they go through a rigorous public appointment process. No doubt, it was the same for that individual. I will not get into point-scoring from your Benches against the Children's Commissioner. It is not for me to say. Of course, anybody who holds an office needs to be accurate in their reporting and answering of questions.”
“If we are to successfully tackle the levels of violence across our society, it will take everybody facing into that wind together. All of us will have a role to play, whether that is in political life and work, community and civic life or cultural life.”
“Every organisation has its homework to do on cultures and behaviours within its institution. They have a role to play, but we have a wider societal problem, as you have acknowledged. The fact that we have such high levels of violence against women and girls scares the life out of many women. However, the focus of our strategy right now is on the preventative work. That is really important. We have to speak to young boys. We need to shape behaviours and attitudes when they are much younger. We need to work with young people more generally on how they can identify what good, positive relationships look like, as opposed to bad, unhealthy ones. It is about understanding what coercive control looks like. We are focused on a raft of areas of work.”
“We meet many stakeholders, and we will meet anyone who wants to meet us to talk about the problem that we have. The Member is absolutely correct to say that it is an epidemic. We will not be found wanting, because ending violence against women and girls is an Executive Office priority. We have put the funding behind the strategy, which is being rolled out very effectively, I have to say, across all our communities, with excellent projects. Just last week, in partnership with Ulster University, we launched the Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes coercive control campaign. We are up for talking to anyone who has a role to play in speaking to society more widely about the problem that we have.”
“We use all opportunities to raise international breaches of human rights standards with Chinese officials or anybody else with whom we engage. It is really important that we do that when it comes to international engagement. I can therefore assure the Member that that is always the case.”
“I do not have any specific update on that matter. We have a base in Beijing, and we try to look for investment opportunities. If the Member has a specific question, I will be happy to answer it.”
“As I said, that is why we are in a battle for additional funding. We wish that we had much more funding to invest in projects. That is why we need to get an adequate Budget. We need to get our fair share, and that is why we need to continue the discussions. I want us to be able to do more, be that investment in social housing, in childcare, in our health service or in infrastructure across the board, you name it. We have many priorities, but we need to get an adequate Budget. That is where the political battle remains in taking on the Treasury.”
“Given that the Member is not on the Executive, I am surprised by her knowledge of Executive papers, which have to go through a process. I want investment in special educational needs. It was the Minister of Finance who enabled her Minister to bring forward the childcare investment package, because we budgeted for that. I want us to go further and faster to do more to support all our children, but particularly those who have additional needs. I want their families to benefit from our childcare package. We should therefore work together to do all those things. We are engaged in Budget discussions to try to secure additional funding in order to do them.”
“Everybody in the Chamber has a stake in our future, so, together, let us do something better for all our people. Let us find a way in which to ensure that everybody, in all their identities, is respected and valued in a new Ireland within Europe.”
“Yes, of course I do. Those events again underline a simple reality, which is that the people of Ireland cannot continue to have their future determined by political turmoil in London. It is as simple as that. More and more people are alert to that, and the fundamental issue is bigger than any one British Prime Minister. If we look at the track record of the previous six Prime Ministers, each and every one of them behaved in exactly the same way, which resulted in instability and uncertainty. They prioritised internal party political battles over the needs of people. There was Brexit, austerity and other damaging policies time after time, all of which ignored the needs and interests of people here. A future free from those damaging policies is something that we should grasp, work on and plan for together.”
“That is why it is time to take the future into our hands.”
“It is the latest chapter in a political psychodrama. It has been playing out in Westminster for forever and a day but particularly over the past 10 years. Tomorrow is the 10th anniversary of Brexit, which inflicted so much damage to the wider economy. We are now on the verge of having a seventh British Prime Minister in 10 years. I think of the chaos and instability that comes from our fortunes being tied to Westminster and people who will never prioritise the needs or interests of people here, particularly given their track record, which tells you that they prioritise a small number of the English elite over and above everybody else. Regardless of who inherits the keys of Downing Street, the Government will not behave any differently or afford more respect to our public. They will continue to treat us as second-class citizens.”
“To be quite frank, I think that the Opposition are being reckless in providing illustrations as part of the Budget discussion that are not reflective of reality. I believe that the Finance Minister also said that. Whilst you might be happy for us to accept the crumbs from the table and divvy up what we get, I will keep fighting for people here, because we deserve fairness, a good Budget, investment in our public services and support for people to get through the cost-of-living crisis. That is why we are working intensively to get a Budget, but here we go again with the drama of Westminster, and, once again, we will be at the bottom of the priority list. That tells me, you and everybody out there that our future is best served in our own hands. Let us work together on that.”
“What we ask for is fair and right, so, whilst we have this constitutional arrangement, I will engage with whoever replaces Keir Starmer to fight the good fight for the people here.”
“As the Member knows, we are potentially about to get our seventh British Prime Minister in a decade that can be defined only by chaos and by Governments who, whether they were led by the Tories or the Labour Party, care less about the people here, care less about investment in our public services and care less about getting people through the cost-of-living crisis and who care more about prioritising defence over public services and care more about ignoring the interests of people here. As Keir Starmer announces his intention to leave office, he is yet to fulfil a request from the deputy First Minister and me to meet on those very things and discuss how we will support people through the cost-of-living crisis and the fact that we are underfunded compared with Scotland and Wales.”
“Infrastructure commissions tend to focus on future needs rather than the practicalities of delivery in the here and now, so what is the right balance in how we proceed? Again, if we are going to establish another body, that will have to come to the Executive for decision. We have to do the other legs of work in order to inform a final decision.”
“An infrastructure commission is one potential part of that picture. It is one idea that has been advanced and that we have not ruled out. We have asked officials to consider more widely how we can improve the way that we deliver infrastructure projects, and an enabling action plan will be a key element of that.”
“I can say to the Member that we are absolutely committed to ensuring that we can deliver our capital projects better, on time and on budget. We saw some of the difficulties in the past, with projects running way over time, often because of legal challenges and cases. We need to find ways to ensure that we can deliver our projects better.”
“Ultimately, obviously, decisions will be a matter for the Executive.”
“We are determined to improve the process to ensure that more of our capital projects are delivered on time and on budget. Two work streams are under way that will help to shape decision-making on the best way forward. First, TEO and Strategic Investment Board (SIB) officials are continuing to address the recommendations from the recent review of SIB, including the provision of greater strategic support to the Executive. Secondly, the enabling action plan associated with the draft investment strategy is a key element of tackling the underlying issues that contribute to delays in infrastructure delivery. <BR /> <BR />There are a number of actions, including the development of an infrastructure needs assessment. We will use the findings from those work streams as part of our considerations on the best way forward.”
“The investment in the north-west has been substantial over the past number of years, and I look forward to building on that in the time ahead.”
“The progress stands on its own right when it comes to what has been achieved. Then, you just have to look about for how much more you can do to build on that. It is a good news success story. It ticks the box on regional balance and ensures that the north-west gets its fair share of investment. <BR /> <BR />I commend all those involved. It has been a real effort by the public sector and private sector to achieve the investment. The effort is creating such strong conditions for long-term growth and prosperity. We have the city deal, the Inclusive Future Fund and all the different projects, including those that support the City of Derry Airport. Hopefully, we will get a way through on the A5 in the upcoming court case, and we have the completed A6 improvements and the Magee expansion.”
“Building on that progress, the Executive Office is contributing £3·3 million towards the Derry on the North Atlantic Museum, which is due to open in 2027 and will further enhance Ebrington’s role as a heritage and tourism destination. <BR /> <BR />Ebrington is also continuing to develop as a vibrant events space. Following a successful programme of around 40 events last year, work is under way to deliver a further programme of music, sporting and community events over 2026-27. Strong demand is evident, with major performances such as the upcoming Kingfishr concert already sold out and visitor numbers remaining high. In alignment with the Executive’s priority of building a strong, regionally balanced economy, our efforts are focused on strengthening the social, economic and tourism potential of the Ebrington site.”
“Significant progress has been made at the Ebrington site, which has been transformed into an economic and cultural asset for the city and the wider north-west. Executive investment of over £40 million has helped to leverage a further £40 million in private-sector investment. As a result, Ebrington now supports more than 360 jobs, and buildings are now leased or under agreement for lease. That demonstrates the strong demand at the site and the success of developments such as Ebrington Plaza, which provides high-quality office accommodation for employers including Alchemy Technology Services, Ernst & Young, and Danske Bank.”
“So many of the issues that will affect them are shaped here in the Chamber, so the Chamber should be more reflective of the community, whether that is young people or people from the black and ethnic minority community. We are not reflective of wider society, and more effort could be made to ensure that we reflect the community that we serve.”
“Yes, I do, because politics has to deliver for everybody in society. It has to deliver for our young people. They are the future leaders of our society and have every right to have their voices heard in decision-making processes that impact their lives. I have to say that, like many people in the House, I am inspired by so many of the young people whom I get the chance to meet at different events, schools and community centres and in the wider community. It is really important that we focus on empowering our young people. Empowering our young people to vote will encourage a lifetime of political engagement. Certainly, it would strengthen our democracy. With two elections scheduled here in 2027, our focus now must be on ensuring that all 16-year-olds can take part.”
“I cannot comment on your correspondence with the commissioner. However, any information that helps MLAs to make a decision on those important issues is to be welcomed. Where I absolutely disagree with you is on the petition of concern. It was not the way to deal with this issue.”
“Yes. I can concur with that. The role of the Children's Commissioner is to be that champion and to speak up very clearly when they feel that they need to and want to offer their view on any of those particularly sensitive areas. I welcome and encourage that ongoing approach from the Children's Commissioner. Initially, you asked whether the Executive Office would take on the role of sponsor Department. In the discussions that we had with DFC, we were content with the arrangements as they currently sit and with DFC being the sponsor Department. We will continue to engage with the commissioner over the weeks, months and years ahead.”
“Sponsorship responsibility for NICCY continues to rest with the Department for Communities under the existing legislative framework, while the First Minister and deputy First Minister retain the joint appointing role. We are content that the current arrangements remain appropriate.”
“We are the appointing authority for a range of public appointments, including the Police Ombudsman. As legislation currently stands, we have no lawful basis on which to impose the suspension of an office holder who is appointed under the statute unless the statute makes provision. I can say that we have approved plans for legislation to introduce a power to suspend for a number of such appointments. We expect to bring those clauses forward very shortly.”
“Yes, I read that article too. His language was very clear, as you have pointed out. He said that he had no worries about pointing out the facts. The facts are the facts. Certainly, Dr Maguire's findings remain his findings, and I have no difficulty in acknowledging his assessment. He was very clear, particularly on the Loughinisland massacre, which you have raised. When it comes to Dr Maguire's reference to arms importation, I believe that significant public-interest questions still remain unanswered, some of which actually persist to this day on the role of Ulster Resistance in providing weapons for the attack. There are lots more questions about how those weapons were brought in and the fact that they were never decommissioned. There are certainly questions to answer.”
“The Member might not like the answer, but the answer is the answer. All public appointments need to be beyond political interference, and we are very comfortable and content with everything that we did, particularly in the Executive Office. As soon as we became aware of any potential issue in early 2024 through routine and annual security processes, there was, at that stage, no information available that would have triggered formal action under vetting protocols, so we are very comfortable in the action that we took.”
“The Executive Office has provided assurance that all relevant vetting took place.”
“A lot of that will be done really well by our council hubs, because they are very connected to their communities and will understand the needs of certain communities. Whatever we can do, we need to make that space, because we are really good, warm and welcoming people here, and what I saw on our streets in recent weeks does not reflect who we are. I am sure that the Member will concur with that.”
“I agree with the Member about the ugly language that was used to describe some people in our community. Like the Member, I have met many people from the black and ethnic minority community in recent times. I do that on an ongoing basis, but I did so recently given what happened over the last number of weeks. That has affected some nurses who work in our health service. Without their support and without them choosing to be here to work across our health and social care system, we would be in a much more dire place. We are grateful for the contribution that they make to our community. Political leadership starts with the language that we use when it comes to describing our community as a safe and welcoming place. People have to have space to be able to celebrate their culture, and we have to ensure that those are safe spaces.”
“Clearly, events of the last three summers have to be weaved into the middle of that, and we will have to be adaptable to whatever the circumstances are in our community at this moment in time.”
“It is about ensuring regional immigration advice and information for asylum seekers and refugees and also developing and enhancing communication, which is taken forward by the community cohesion group. <BR /> <BR />Work is under way to draft the associated annual report, and I can say to the Member that the priority actions for this year will focus on enhancing inclusive learning ESOL provision; improving data sharing and insight for service planning; strengthening coordination of dispersal and move-on processes; and developing a sustainable standardised support model. Task and finish groups have already been established to take forward those priority actions.”
“We cannot look at things in isolation. Whether it is the refugee integration strategy, the framework or the legislation, all those things need to move together and at pace. The strategy and the associated delivery framework acknowledge the importance of successful integration, particularly given that forced migration has increased significantly globally, with more people seeking sanctuary from war and persecution. Officials have worked with partners to progress priority actions for the strategy during the first year of delivery, which focused on the development of community hubs in council areas, some of which I have just mentioned. It is about taking forward a skills and employment survey, which received over 200 responses, to know more about the skills, qualifications and employment experiences of refugees and asylum seekers.”
“The DUP never miss an opportunity to speak to the gallery. You have asked me that question repeatedly, and my answer will not change. I am sorry for the loss of every life, but I believe that people on your Benches can do likewise.”
“As political leaders, Members of the House have a duty to be mindful of all our public statements and the words we use, particularly in the online space.”
“We cannot say that enough. It is important that the wider community hears the message from elected representatives that we are against racism in all its forms and stand firmly against sectarianism and xenophobia. We tried to convey that message in the initial Executive statement on 10 June, when all Ministers acknowledged the events on the streets had caused significant harm to our communities, spread fear and put innocent lives at risk. The unequivocal collective condemnation was really important. You are right: words are so important at such times and can easily be used to whip up fear, division and tension. In recent weeks, we have seen how quickly the inflammatory language used online can circulate and be picked up by people to inflame already difficult and tense situations.”
“The draft framework for race relations, which has just been subject to a public consultation, sets out four proposed outcomes, which include combating racism and race hate crime. We will carefully analyse the consultation responses to inform the final framework. Additionally, the review of Together: Building a United Community (T:BUC) is informing the development of a refreshed approach to good relations that will have a continued focus on improving inter- and intra-community relations, including impacting on issues such as sectarian and race hate crime.”
“As I have made clear, we condemn in the strongest possible terms the racially motivated violence that we have seen. It is appalling behaviour that has no place in our society, and it must be called out for what it is: hatred, intimidation and utter thuggery. Last week, we issued an Executive statement condemning all forms of racism, sectarianism and hostility towards individuals from different backgrounds. We also stood alongside the Chief Constable to call for calm and to clearly call out the events of last week for what they were. We maintain a zero-tolerance approach to all forms of hate and intimidation, and we are clear that these actions must stop immediately. <BR /> <BR />Our refugee integration strategy reinforces our commitment to challenge prejudice, racism and intimidation.”
“As I said, we are looking at a range of things to assist people here and now. Obviously, we will plan for the future, and some of the areas have been identified. The initial response was from the police, but the responsibility to help people has moved to the Department for Communities, and that includes rehousing people who have been displaced from their homes and supporting them in every way that we can. The deputy First Minister and I met the racial equality subgroup last week, and we have taken up the issues raised at the meeting with the Department to turn around a response. We want to respond to those people and get them settled again as quickly as possible. We will leave no stone unturned to support people during this period.”