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 am sure that the commissioner will have something to say about your commentary. I very much welcome the commissioner to his post and wish him well in it. Ádh mór”
“Sorry, my translation thing was not working. <BR /> <BR />We wanted to give Katy a chance to bed in before putting in place the other board members. They will take up their roles in the next number of weeks. I am looking for their names. Brian Dougherty, Ellen Finlay, Stephen Moore, Dr Callie Persic and Dr Jacqueline Witherow have all been appointed and will assume their roles on 3 December, which is just around the corner. They will very much add to the director, who is now in post. It is important that she gets a chance to put her feet under the table and then welcome the new board members. Together they will design the programme of work.”
“The Office of Identity and Cultural Expression will create the opportunity to build on what is there through focusing on new work programmes, but it will also genuinely help build the new society that we all desperately want to achieve together. With the director and the two commissioners now in place, the work that they can do together will bear fruit in the years to come.”
“Yes. As I referenced in my answer to the original question, so much incredible work happens out there. We all see it in our backyards and in our constituencies. Such a huge amount of work is being done to promote inclusion and social cohesion at grassroots level. We need to draw all of that out. We need to focus on the positivity and build on it, be that in community centres, sports clubs, sports spaces or other places where people come together to share experiences. We have a richness of diversity, and we need to get to a position in which we talk about how we celebrate our diversity and respect our differences.”
“If only your question was genuinely about respect, but, of course, it is not. The Public Prosecution Service (PPS) has made its views known, and I respect its position.”
“I agree with the Member: it has to be much more than symbolism. This is a crucial juncture at which we can have a new departure, particularly in relation to social cohesion and the problems that we have witnessed across society, especially in the past year. It is an opportunity not to be missed, and we need to measure progress as we go. We are committed to working with Katy and the board team on that. The clear aims of the office are set out in the legislation, but, for me, it is about how the Office of Identity and Cultural Expression and the other two offices can work in a complementary fashion but also distinctly. There is a real opportunity for the office to be shaped to promote respect, inclusion, social cohesion and reconciliation among all our national and cultural identities.”
“We are delighted that Dr Katy Radford formally started in her role as director of the Office of Identity and Cultural Expression on 13 November. Other members of the board are due to take up post on 3 December. Over the coming months, the office will seek to develop a work programme in line with the aims and functions set out in the Identity and Language Act 2022. The aim will be the promotion of cultural pluralism, respect for diversity, social cohesion and reconciliation and to support and promote the celebration of our cultural and linguistic heritage. We are confident that we have the right people in place to deliver those objectives and are committed to supporting the office in its efforts. We will be able to provide further details to Members on the work of the office as it progresses.”
“You are right: whilst the North/South bodies are not currently subject to freedom of information legislation in either jurisdiction, they follow a code of practice that reflects similar principles regarding access to information. The code is undergoing a review in order to ensure that it remains up to date, particularly given changes to legislation. We will have to come back to that and consider the outcome of the review at a future meeting.”
“Thank you for that. Over the weekend, at the Irish Labour Party conference, Ivana Bacik spoke about the need for clarification and for the Irish Government to prepare. There is an exciting and energetic debate under way, and more people are offering up their view. That is a good thing and a healthy thing, and I absolutely encourage it. The practicalities of all-island cooperation and the North/South Ministerial Council demonstrate how we can practically improve people's lives by working together. As we approach the 30th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement, now is the time for clarification to be provided so that we know the parameters within which we will be working.”
“The Taoiseach advised us that he is keen to work with us to identify and develop other areas that fall under the remit of the Shared Island initiative. As the Member will know, there have been a lot of really positive developments. Casement Park was one of the projects that have benefited. We have also seen cooperation across a raft of areas, whether it be in education, agriculture, bioeconomy demonstrations and cooperation between our enterprise agencies. I spoke at the TCI global conference, which involved Enterprise Ireland, Invest NI and InterTradeIreland coming together and looking towards collaboration and growing our economy. Those are really positive developments, and I want to see a lot more of them.”
“I know that the Member has taken a particular interest in that. I, too, would like to see a service across the island because there is a dearth of services North and South. Unfortunately, some people have to travel to England to get treatment, so it makes good common sense. I have no doubt that it was discussed within the health remit. There are sectoral meetings for each area, whether it be health, infrastructure, education, agriculture or food, so I have no doubt that it was discussed in that meeting.”
“Thank you for that. I know that healthcare is of enormous importance for the wider north-west because of the distance from so many other services. At the end of last month, the Oireachtas Joint Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement continued to roll with the theme of all-island healthcare, which is very welcome, and Professor Heenan stated that cooperation was not enough and we needed a collaboration of resources and agreed outcomes. I absolutely concur with that statement. How we can work together and deliver better outcomes for people is a challenge for everybody. We should not limit our ambitions when it comes to improving people's lives. With regard to healthcare more generally, an all-island model of healthcare would absolutely lead to better outcomes for individuals.”
“There are many practical areas as well. During storm Éowyn, we needed to lean into each other to support each other through that. Undoubtedly, those are areas where we can practically work together. It is also about having the vision to do more. I think that that is what all our Ministers are there trying to do. Across all the areas where we have been able to cooperate — health issues, infrastructure issues — it leads to improvements in people's lives. Ultimately, that is what it is all about.”
“Yes, it is just good sense. It is just common sense for us to cooperate where we can. When we look at our public services in the North, which have been starved for so many years because of austerity decisions taken in London and are on their knees, we see that we need to continue to do what we can to improve things.”
“Thank you. That is on the point that I am underlining. Underneath the plenary meeting, across the sectoral meetings, such a large volume of work is happening, whether that be on ending violence against women and girls, infrastructure investment or business and trade — all the areas of cooperation — for the benefit of people here. We need to continue to grow that, because we live on a small island, and we have so many synergies across those areas. We have two health services and two education systems back to back: let us do something better for people. We can do that through more cooperation and by joining up our services.”
“You will know a lot about the North/South interconnector, given that your Minister took the decision when she was in post. Let us not play games; let us be serious about growing areas of North/South cooperation. What I highlighted in my report reflects the high-level engagement that we had, but, underneath the layer of the North/South institutional plenary meeting, there are so many levels of work across each sector — health, education and infrastructure — that are all reported on in the Chamber, and everybody has a chance to discuss them. We can see real progress in areas of North/South cooperation. There is an awful lot more on which we can engage, and there is willingness to do so.”
“The potential for a successor programme to PEACE PLUS was discussed at the meeting and at the summit between the Taoiseach and the British Prime Minister in March. They publicly said that they had agreed in principle to a successor programme, but I agree with the Member that we need to influence how that is shaped. We discussed that at the meeting. It will be a matter for ongoing engagement between the Department of Finance and its counterpart in the Twenty-six Counties. There is a lot of work to be done on translating what is, at the moment, a somewhat high-level agreement into detail. We may have a road to travel in shaping that, but we want to make sure that it delivers maximum benefit for people here and that we see the excellent work that went into the previous programme continue.”
“Yes, I absolutely do. We talk about the many challenges that we have in our economy, but, equally, we have many opportunities. Dual market access is one such opportunity. The fact that it gives us access to more than 500 million customers and a market worth almost £6 trillion shows us that we must reach for and grab it. It will benefit our domestic exporters. It will also be a unique selling point, which is certainly the message that we give when we engage with ambassadors and international visitors and companies. When we meet them, we talk about the fact that we have dual market access, and we continue to highlight that as our unique selling point. More people will be more interested in investing in this place as a direct result of it.”
“Yes, I can give the Member that assurance. We introduced the issue on to the agenda of the North/South Ministerial Council some time ago. We are committed to collaboration, and we all recognise that we have a similar problem right across the island. The preventative work is absolutely necessary, however. I genuinely believe that there is a great willingness to cooperate. The relevant Ministers have been tasked with working together to look at potential initiatives, not least by looking at the Shared Island unit for a funding model that will allow us to explore a coordinated approach to dealing with some of the preventative work. Our officials, working alongside officials in Dublin, will explore the issue further and hopefully make even more progress in the time ahead.”
“That is their very role. I can write to the Member to provide him with the detail on how the process was conducted. I do not have that information here with me. The Irish Government nominated the four directors, because there were vacancies to fill. They are Ruth Andrews, Stephen McNally, Des Annett and Pat O'Leary. Full details about those individuals and their appointment are all on the website.”
“Very good. I can absolutely assure the Member that, unfortunately, the reality, for now, is that we have two jurisdictions on the island. That is something that I hope to change, however. I hope that others, perhaps those on this side of the House, will assist us in doing that. We have been very clear that it is preferable for the cables for the North/South interconnector to be underground. We have gone through all the legal processes in the North, but there are two jurisdictions, and that has led to two different scenarios. The situation is not of our making. Unfortunately, it is the political reality for now, but I hope to change that.”
“It must be built, because of what it will mean for improving safety, regional balance, connectivity and our communities in rural areas.”
“I thank the Member for his question. I absolutely concur that the A5 remains an Executive priority. We must see the A5 built. We know that we have faced legal challenges and setbacks, but, given the number of lives lost on that road, building it is a safety issue. Think about what happened over the weekend on another stretch of road, where there was the tragedy of five young people losing their lives. We therefore have to get the A5 built. The Minister for Infrastructure is absolutely determined to see it built, and she is going through the appeal process now. I hope that the appeal will be successful. We have to build the A5, however, and we are not going to let up. The situation has been going on for far too long. The A5 is a strategic project for the Executive.”
“As the Member knows, that is an issue that has been going on for some time, and we want to get a resolution. We need to get the interconnector built. That has always been our view. We know the challenges, including the legal challenges, that have occurred along that journey. We continue to discuss the issue at North/South Ministerial Council level. The Member referred to the paragraph in the statement in which I mention how we discussed emergency planning, not least for storms. There are lots of opportunities for cooperation in that way, and we will continue to pursue them.”
“Yes, I noted those figures, which were released towards the end of last week. They are a strong, positive endorsement and show that there is a huge demand from Irish citizens who live in the North for access to an Irish passport office. The figures further underline the case that I would make personally — a view shared by many — for the need to have an Irish passport office here in the North. I ask the Irish Government to take heed of the fact that so many people want to have an Irish passport and to provide that service. I continue to raise that issue at every turn with the Irish Government.”
“We had a good discussion about growing our economy. That included discussing the opportunities that we have but also the challenges, not least those that exist due to the fact that we are caught in the middle of a trade war. Regardless of whether the tariffs are at a UK level or EU level, my interest is in ensuring that we grow our economy. We have huge opportunity to grow our all-island economy. I touched briefly in the statement on the figures from which you can see the economic growth and the value of all-island trade. That will continue to grow, so it is important that we fight our corner. I do so at every turn.”
“It is important that every organisation has its corporate plan, but also that that plan is laid out publicly so that everybody has a chance to scrutinise it, and that the organisation can stand over it. Openness and transparency is key. I have no doubt that all the reports that we discussed at the meeting will be public for everybody to scrutinise, be that on the Loughs Agency website or that of an Foras Teanga or any of the other bodies.”
“In the paper, I set out updates on where we are across a wide range of areas of cooperation. The many varied areas of cooperation continue to go from strength to strength and include issues that we are looking at on a practical basis, be that the strategic railway review; the A5; mother-and-baby institutions; or working on ending violence against women and girls. I set out, clearly, the wide range of areas of cooperation, and I genuinely believe that there is a strong appetite among Ministers to continue to build on that into the future. I have no doubt that they will continue to do so.”
“Ministers then approved an indicative schedule for future NSMC sectoral meetings, meetings in institutional format and the next plenary meeting in June 2026.”
“<BR /> <BR />We then moved on to have a very good discussion on ending violence against women and girls, recognising the unacceptably high levels of gender-based violence and violence against women and girls that are prevalent across both jurisdictions. The Council agreed that there is an opportunity for more potential collaboration on initiatives with a protection focus, including child protection in the context of gender-based violence. Ministers also agreed that there is an opportunity for joint working on prevention-focused interventions through all-island awareness-raising initiatives. The Council recognised that human trafficking for sexual exploitation is a significant issue in both jurisdictions and that it also has a cross-border dimension and agreed that there is opportunity for cooperation in that area.”
“<BR /> <BR />Ministers welcomed the significant stakeholder engagement undertaken by the Government of Ireland to aid the advancement of their Programme for Government commitment to establish air connectivity between Dublin Airport and City of Derry Airport, with a view to publishing a market-sounding exercise this year and having ongoing interaction with their Executive counterparts on the approach. <BR /> <BR />The Council welcomed the progress on the implementation of the PEACE PLUS programme and the discussions with relevant stakeholders on a successor to the current PEACE PLUS programme.”
“<BR /> <BR />Ministers noted the progress that has been made on the Ulster University Magee expansion project and welcomed the submission of the formal planning application for the construction of a new teaching block. The Council welcomed the progress that has been made on the delivery of collaborative research and innovation programmes. <BR /> <BR />The NSMC welcomed the official opening of the Carlingford lough greenway, noted the progression to phase 3 for the Sligo to Enniskillen greenway and recognised the continued cross-border collaboration on other greenway projects, including the Ulster canal greenway.”
“<BR /> <BR />We then discussed infrastructure and investment cooperation and noted the decision of the Department for Infrastructure to appeal the judgement against the A5 western transport corridor, with the appeal scheduled to be heard in December. Ministers noted that Waterways Ireland continues to progress phase 3 of the Ulster canal restoration project and that the Narrow Water bridge main construction project is proceeding to schedule. The NSMC noted the continued collaboration to progress the all-Ireland strategic rail review's recommendations and welcomed the increase in passenger numbers through the hourly service introduced on the Belfast to Dublin corridor.”
“The NSMC agreed that both Administrations will remain in close contact during the upcoming winter storm season, given the significant impact that both jurisdictions experienced during storm Éowyn and the support that was provided on a cross-jurisdictional basis. <BR /> <BR />The Council then received a progress report from the joint secretaries. It noted that engagement on a wide range of policy areas continued across all NSMC areas of cooperation and that NSMC meetings continued across all sectors and were in the process of being arranged for the autumn/winter period. The Council further noted that Ministers at the relevant sectoral meetings have discussed climate change and loss of biodiversity.”
“The NSMC welcomed the regular and ongoing collaboration between officials in both jurisdictions on civil contingencies, resilience and emergency preparedness. The Council agreed to enhance strategic cooperation between the office of emergency planning in the Department of Defence and the civil contingencies division in the Executive Office. <BR /> <BR />Ministers welcomed the developing collaboration between the National Directorate for Fire and Emergency Management and the Fire and Rescue Service, including on investment, cooperation and collaboration on the training facilities and capacity of both services. The Council welcomed the ongoing engagement between system operators to coordinate mitigations and supports in the event of power-system emergencies in the single electricity market.”
“Ministers recalled that, in what remains an evolving international trading environment, the two Administrations will remain engaged with one another on business and trade matters. The Council also recalled that, where appropriate, the NSMC sectors should continue to consider how agreed collaborative approaches can contribute to the promotion of economic growth. Ministers noted that the most recent combined figures for trade in goods and services between the two jurisdictions showed a total value of £12·4 billion or €14·3 billion. The Council welcomed the hosting of the twenty-eighth TCI global conference on 14 to 16 October by InterTradeIreland in partnership with Invest NI and Enterprise Ireland. <BR /> <BR />The next topic of discussion was emergency planning and preparedness.”
“The Council then approved the appointment of four directors to the board of Tourism Ireland. <BR /> <BR />The meeting closed with the NSMC agreeing to meet again in institutional format in spring 2026. <BR /> <BR />Following the institutional meeting, the thirtieth plenary meeting of the NSMC took place. The deputy First Minister and I again led the Executive delegation, and Taoiseach Micheál Martin led the Irish Government delegation and chaired the meeting. <BR /> <BR />The first item on the agenda related to business and trade matters. The Council had an exchange of views on international and domestic business and trade developments since the previous plenary meeting, including on the UK-US and EU-US trade deals.”
“The NSMC noted the progress on the strategic partnership between the British Government and the European Union that sets out a joint commitment to deepen cooperation. Ministers noted that cooperation between the jurisdictions will continue in the context of the evolving nature of relations and will be monitored to keep the NSMC apprised of relevant developments. The Council recognised the importance of continued investment in the PEACE PLUS programme and welcomed the PEACE PLUS project, Developing Irish Sea Cooperation, known as "DISC", being delivered with partners in both jurisdictions. <BR /> <BR />The next item was a technical matter relating to the pensions for those employed in the North/South bodies. The NSMC approved amendments to the pension schemes that will apply to the North/South implementation bodies and Tourism Ireland.”
“Ministers welcomed the continuing opportunities for developing mutually beneficial cooperation, including through the PEACE PLUS programme and work to develop a successor programme and through the Shared Island initiative. <BR /> <BR />The Council then considered matters relating to the North/South implementation bodies and noted that the freedom of information code of practice is in the process of being reviewed to ensure that it remains aligned with principles regarding access to information across both jurisdictions. Ministers also agreed that an exercise be undertaken to collectively review the grading of the CEO posts of the North/South bodies. <BR /> <BR />The Council then discussed developments in the wider policy environment.”
“<BR /> <BR />The first item of business was an update from the joint secretaries on actions since the last meeting, and the Council welcomed the engagement that continues across all NSMC sectors on areas of importance to both Administrations. Ministers noted that work is under way across the North/South bodies and their sponsor Departments to develop three-year corporate plans that will set the strategic direction of the bodies over the years ahead. The NSMC welcomed the fact that the next all-island disaster risk reduction conference will take place in early 2026 and practitioners from both jurisdictions will attend and participate.”
“In compliance with section 52C(2) of the Northern Ireland Act 1998, I make the following statement on the fourteenth institutional meeting of the North/South Ministerial Council (NSMC) and the thirtieth plenary meeting of the North/South Ministerial Council, both of which were held at Farmleigh House in Dublin on 17 October 2025. The deputy First Minister and I agreed that I would provide the report. <BR /> <BR />I begin with the institutional meeting. The deputy First Minister and I represented the Executive and chaired the institutional meeting. Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade Simon Harris TD represented the Irish Government.”
“If we are going to talk about the past, we must do so honestly. It is important that we recognise that many people out there caused hurt in our society. You cannot cherry-pick. You do not get to pick who, you think, is and is not a victim. There were many injustices in the past. There were many people involved, including the British state, loyalists who donned the Ulster beret — your party would know a lot about that — those who ran weapons and state agents. Let us not be selective. Let us honestly find a way to recognise that there are different experiences and different narratives of the past. That is the first step towards reconciliation. Let us use all our efforts to build for a better future. That is what I am focused on. I believe that the majority of people in this society are also focused on that.”
“The Member asked me a similar question a number of years ago, and I invited her to come and have a conversation with me. <BR /> <BR />Let us sit down and talk about the past. That is the way in which we heal and try to move forward. My door is open to you at all times to come and sit down and have a conversation. I will never ask anybody to move on, but, if we are to move forward, we need to have an honest conversation about the fact that there were so many injustices and that so much hurt was caused across our society on all sides. Many lives have been trespassed against. Let us try to find a way in which to heal. I am more than happy to sit down with you to discuss that even further.”
“I will certainly work with other Ministers to try to build that inclusive society. I want us to work across the Executive to expand, support and celebrate cultural diversity, which is a very positive thing in any society. We need to create opportunities for all our people to learn and engage with their history, identity, culture, language and other things that are important to them.”
“Yes. It is about having an inclusive society, about building a place in which everybody is comfortable and about ensuring that the energetic revival of the Irish language continues at pace. Those are things that I very much welcome and encourage. No one has anything to fear from the growth of the Irish language right across our community. It is about respect, inclusivity, parity of esteem and our culture and identity. It is very much about whom we are. The Irish language also very much enhances our society. <BR /> <BR />We should therefore embrace the fact that we have a rich cultural tapestry here. No one has anything to fear from the identity, culture and beliefs of others. They are something that we should celebrate. We should work day and night to try to create that type of society.”
“across public services and in everyday life. As the junior Minister said earlier, the language continues to flourish at the heart of communities and community life right across the North, including in schools and youth centres. In general, it is about enriching people's lives. Many people, like the junior Minister, have been reared and educated through the medium of Irish. It is therefore important that those people notice the language visibly around them. It is also important that they have a commissioner who will stand up for them. The appointment of the commissioners is imminent.”
“The announcement earlier this year that two commissioners, including an Irish language commissioner, will be appointed in the North represents a huge step forward. The Irish language commissioner will play a central role in promoting Gaeilge”
“Yes, because they are whom it is all about. Victims and families have been waiting for far too long — some have waited for longer than five decades — for access to truth and justice. We have to have in place a process that commands confidence, that is human rights-compliant and that will enjoy the support of many victims and survivors. Any process has to earn people's respect and confidence and then retain that respect and confidence. All of that will be tested in the weeks, months and years ahead.”
“That will now be firmly at the discretion of the British Secretary of State, and I do not see how that sits well in having a process that people can have confidence in. In addition, the bar for the re-establishment of inquests appears to be so high that very few will be reopened. <BR /> <BR />Those are all concerns at this stage. We are still working our way through the framework. The glaring omission from what has been published so far is that of the Sean Brown public inquiry. The High Court has ruled five times that there must be a public inquiry, but the British Government seem to be deaf to those legal calls. We are not going to give up on that. We will continue to push the case and stand with the family.”
“As I said earlier, the success of any legacy arrangement is predicated on the confidence of victims and survivors. The British Government's publication of the new Bill will begin to test the credibility of their approach with regard to the framework and how it is translated into text. <BR /> <BR />Perhaps, the deputy First Minister and I will not have the same opinion, but, certainly, in my opinion, the inclusion of a clause to change the law and block compensation for former internees is an act of bad faith. That approach was ruled unlawful in 2020, yet here we have the British Government reintroducing it. I am also concerned about the national security veto. What will that mean for people getting access to information?”