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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“As I said to the Member and others yesterday, we are all disappointed by the setback for the A5. The project has been far too long in the making and has been mired in legal controversy the whole way through. I want us to get to the end point where the road is built. The Infrastructure Minister has said that she actively looking at the legal advice that she has been given. There is an urgency to this: we must have the A5 built, and we must have other capital projects built. The ruling will have implications for other Departments. I am committed to working around the Executive table to find a solution.”
“No, I do not. It is important that we await the Equality Commission's deliberations on the impact of the ruling on equality legislation here. We are all governed by that legislation, so it will be more prudent to wait for the Equality Commission's guidance in order that we are consistent across the board. Again, I make the point that this is not something to be gleeful about. It is sensitive and emotive. I would like us to have real clarity on it so that Departments can bring forward guidance that is consistent across them all and so that we do not have a piecemeal approach.”
“The Supreme Court ruling on 16 April was that the definition of "man", "woman" and "sex" referred to biological sex in the context of the Equality Act 2010. Obviously, there are considerations as to what that means for individual Departments here. The Equality Commission has set out the view that it needs legal clarification from the courts. We have to await that clarification, whether you like it or not. As in all these things, let us understand the complexity of the issue, and let us also understand that we need to be sensitive.”
“<BR /> <BR />This is about empowering communities and challenging the dangerous misperceptions that exist about violence against women and girls. Earlier, I cited really good examples of that. In my local GAA club, Clonoe young women's group got together and brought forward a brilliant initiative at a local level for a cohort of 16- and 17-year-olds. They designed something, and we were able to support that. That, to me, gets right into the heart of a community, and that is how we will be successful.”
“In my answers to other Members earlier, I said that I believe that the change fund is making a difference. We can see that in the roll-out of our strategy to end violence against women and girls. I want to continue to learn from that in order to see what works well. If it works across the piece, let us pick it up and run with it. Where it does not work, we will not do that piece of work any more. I want to continue to fund women's organisations to do the work that they have been doing for years at a massively underfunded rate. They are invaluable at the front line in reaching women and families who are affected by abuse. Crucially, however, their focus is on addressing the root causes of misogyny that lead to abuse and violence. Investing in grass-roots organisations will allow us to make inroads into that area.”
“<BR /> <BR />I accept that it is not unique to us, but we have an embedded problem. I do not accept that we cannot turn it around. I believe that we can turn it around, but it will take all of us facing the same way and all of us standing by. It will take all the work that we are doing through campaigns, such as Active Bystander, and calling it out for what it is. Call out misogyny when you see it, and do not allow others to be part of it. We all say from the Chamber that we will continue to commit to working on that.”
“Yes. Thank you for that. The fact that so many Members are raising that issue shows me that people in the Chamber care about ending violence against women and girls. As many people have said in recent days, Sarah Montgomery had her whole life ahead of her. She was a beautiful 27-year-old woman who had two children and another on the way. That tragedy is unimaginable for so many people. She is another woman in our society who has had her life robbed from her in the most grotesque and barbaric fashion. Every woman who is lost is not another statistic or another number in our appalling total; she is a mother, a sister, a daughter, a friend and an aunt. Her life has just been taken from her, and we need to do everything that we can to address the issue that we have.”
“— there are no solutions, no credible proposals and no ideas from the funded and resourced Opposition. Let me tell you something else: I am not interested in the blame game. I am more interested in trying to deliver for people and in working with others around the Executive table to try to make a positive difference to people's lives. I will continue to do that. You can make a choice about how you conduct yourself.”
“I have heard the Member at this all day. He talks flippantly about an end-of-term report. Well, let me tell you about your end-of-term report. I have heard three things from the now funded and resourced Opposition. I repeat: the funded and resourced Opposition. The three things that I have heard are negativity, negativity and negativity. Whilst the rest of us are getting on —”
“There is no doubt that the Executive, and every Minister, face enormous challenges as a result of years of underfunding, austerity Budgets and crushed public services. Every Minister at that Executive table is there to do their best and to try to work, through a collective effort, to address the challenges that we face. Will we do everything immediately? No, we will not. Can we lay strong foundations upon which to build? Yes, we can, and I believe that that is what we have done in the first year. I am certainly committed to doing that. I am determined to try our very best to deliver for people, and I think that we have made good strides forward. However, we will absolutely always have more to do. That is the job of government. We are here to govern and to try to deliver for people.”
“We are actively looking at what the right research could be, because it needs to inform and improve our strategy. We have built a yearly review into our strategy, so we are not that far off that review's taking place. That will allow us to assess the things that have worked well and the things that we need to do more of, including the research piece. If there is anything else that I can provide to you in writing, I will do so. If not, we will be talking about the one-year review of the strategy in a few short months, and I am sure that the research piece will be a feature of that.”
“Again, I concur with the Member: this is always about male violence against women, and we have to call it out for what it is. I welcome some of the work that we have done in the area through the active bystander programme, which is targeted at young men. That is about not standing by and letting a comment go in any social setting, whether it is a gym, a sporting event or a workplace. That campaign has been important.”
“That means tackling it at a local level. By working at a higher level through our work with the regional groups and at a local level through the community groups we can be successful.”
“I concur with the Member and offer my support to the community that he represents. I am sure that everybody is shocked by the events of the weekend. <BR /> <BR />I talked about some examples of things that we have done with the regional change fund. We also have a local change fund, which goes into the heart of communities. We have allocated over £2 million across councils, which should reach into every community to help support community networks and infrastructure that already exists in the different council areas. We provided £1·4 million for a small grant scheme for grassroots groups. I already see examples of those groups in my area, with small rural women's groups coming together, bidding for funding from that scheme and doing some of that work. <BR /> <BR />As I said, we have to tackle the issue at its roots.”
“YouthAction also works with young people aged 14 to 25 to help them build their confidence, knowledge and understanding to make informed decisions about their lives in a way that will help to address violence against women and girls in the wider community. We also have the White Ribbon campaign, which we all support regularly. That campaign will now have an opportunity to develop and bring its 'Listen, Learn, Lead' programme into more schools, workplaces and community settings. That is all vital work because, as we all know, tackling violence against women and girls is about intervention, prevention and that early work. It is about trying to create a society in which women and girls feel safe and are safe everywhere.”
“I concur with the Member. Many of us expressed our sadness and shock yesterday at the death of Sarah Montgomery. I cannot imagine what her family are going through. She was a young mummy who was expecting her next child and had her whole life ahead of her, and she was taken from her family in the most devastating way. That underlines for me how important the work is and how important it is for us to have a whole-society approach to tackling violence against women and girls. We have to get into the weeds of this, and it will take everybody working together to do so. <BR /> <BR />Some of the projects that we have been able to develop are making a difference. I will cite a couple of examples. Nexus is delivering healthy and respectful relationship education to young people, which is a crucial part of the work.”
“The need for longer-term connections and coordination in tackling this damaging issue is acute. <BR /> <BR />All that information paints a positive picture of what we have been able to achieve to date. There is, however, no doubt that there is much more work to be done. We are off to a strong start, but collectively we need to keep moving in the right direction together.”
“All 11 councils have now opened a local change fund for 2025-26. That is very much about getting right into the grassroots of community and voluntary organisations to help them prevent and respond to violence against women and girls. <BR /> <BR />We also have the regional change fund, which has provided £1·2 million to strengthen programmes run by regional community and voluntary organisations with ending violence against women and girls expertise. Activity highlights include campaigns and social media activities. The feedback is that those have been widely viewed, which we, obviously, very much welcome. We are also aware that six new staff members were recruited for the regional change fund projects. The funding has ensured that important connections have been established to act as the basis for longer-term connections.”
“The Executive Office has committed £3·2 million of funding until March 2026 to support EVAWG at a local and regional level. The impact of that funding will need to be evaluated across the period, but early analysis shows a really positive impact to date. For example, from January to March this year, £655,000 of Momentum funding was provided to local councils to enable them to build awareness of the issue and of the local change fund. Councils held over 225 events and reached over 7,300 participants. The results of the survey that was carried out showed that 88% of those who participated had an increased knowledge of violence against women and girls; 81% had increased knowledge of healthy relationships; and 85% had more confidence in helping to end violence against women and girls.”
“That will involve working with our local government colleagues, because our councillors are well connected and know the community that they represent. I want us to continue to do everything that we can in that area.”
“It is disappointing that they are getting that funding only now, given that it is almost a year since that suffering was inflicted on them. Obviously, there has been an issue in how that funding has been administered. I am happy to raise that with officials, not that that will help anybody retrospectively. If anybody finds themselves in that situation again, we, of course, need to get support to them quickly. One of the things that we are doing is working with the Red Cross to support individuals who have been impacted. We will announce more about that in the coming days. <BR /> <BR />In the aftermath of such things, we have to deal with the immediate issue, calm things down and deal with it from a policing and justice point of view. In the longer term, we all have to stand firm against racism and have the right plans in place.”
“I will ensure that that is the case. We rely on groups making applications in good faith and officials assessing them accordingly. There is no evidence to suggest that we fund any groups that are involved in paramilitary activity. If there were, I would have something to say about that.”
“I am sad to hear that that is some people's experience. We met the racial equality group last week and had good engagement with it on what we have done and what we intend to do. We want to continue to work with it, particularly as we develop the race relations strategy post 2025. We will introduce racial equality legislation later in the year. <BR /> <BR />We took a lot of the learning from what happened last summer and applied it to what happened recently. That was important. The additional funding is only one element. Quick condemnation of attacks when they occur is also important, as are the role of social media, a strong justice response and all of us standing firm against racism. <BR /> <BR />When it comes to funding for groups, I have no truck with any group getting a penny of funding if it is involved in paramilitary activity.”
“That mechanism will allow us to get funding out very quickly, but it will also allow us to analyse whether the funding for the project that is bid for will make a meaningful difference. There is no one better placed to do that than our councils, because our councillors are well connected in their communities and should be able to assist in identifying where the funding needs to go. It will be case by case, as opposed to a blanket approach, so, hopefully, the funding will be more targeted.”
“Thanks for that. It is something that we considered a lot. We could take a blanket approach and give the same funding to every council, or we can invite applications for projects that, we assess, will meet need in areas that have been identified as areas of challenge. <BR /> <BR />We have announced that funding just today. It will be administered through the existing district council good relations programme, because that is a ready-made programme that will allow us to get the funding out more quickly. There will be a facility for council areas to access up to £20,000 each for delivering programmes on the ground that can be done very quickly. An option will be to redirect any unused expenditure to other potential areas of concern that are identified.”
“That is actively under consideration. We are looking at what the next phase will look like. We can all point to the successful impact that the initiative has had on many communities. We are looking at geographical areas and at the types of projects that we can support. There is no doubt in my mind, however, that any work that we have undertaken to review the impact of the work that we have done up to this point has been positive, so I look forward to getting to the point at which we are able to announce the next stage of the programme.”
“<BR /> <BR />I say to the people on whom the attacks have had an impact and who are living in fear because of racist hatred and threats that they are not alone. We see them; we hear them; and we will stand with them and do everything that we can to face down racist thuggery.”
“I think that everybody in the Chamber would call out what we saw in recent weeks for what it was: raw and unadulterated racism on our streets. That has no place in our community and must be faced down wherever it raises its ugly head. I know that that is a view that we share. <BR /> <BR />Behind all the attacks, however, are families, young mothers and children being attacked in their own home. We need to send a clear and cohesive message from the Chamber that those who are involved in racism will not win and that we will not tolerate racism in our society: not today, not tomorrow, not ever. It is vital that all who are responsible for that type of hate be brought before the courts and held accountable for their actions.”
“The Minister of Justice is progressing legislative provisions to strengthen sanctions for offenders and to provide greater protection for victims of race hate crimes.”
“Alongside a review of the Together: Building a United Community (T:BUC) strategy, we have commenced work on the development of a new strategic approach to racial equality post 2025. I expect a key focus of that to be on tackling racism and hate. We have taken knowledge from other programmes that deal with societal issues. Our focus is on identifying preventative actions and effective interventions to change attitudes and behaviours. <BR /> <BR />The current racial equality strategy includes a commitment to work with the Department of Justice, which leads on the issue, to develop our approach to tackling race hate crime. As a result, the racial equality subgroup established a hate crime legislation and access to justice working group that will work closely with DOJ in advising on any future actions for inclusion in the programme.”
“Therefore, we have, today, approved an additional allocation of £220,000 to be distributed urgently to our councils to address issues around racial and social cohesion.”
“First and foremost, our thoughts and support are with those who were affected by the recent disorder. The Executive unequivocally condemn the violence that we have witnessed, and we, again, call for calm across our communities. As recent events have shown, hate crime has a devastating impact on victims, their families and our society, and we recognise the importance of early intervention and tackling the drivers for hate. To support that, TEO provides funding of over £7 million to local organisations and councils to support cohesion and integration, address good relations issues and reduce the potential for young people to engage in negative or antisocial behaviour. <BR /> <BR />We recognise the valuable role that our councils can and do play in providing local solutions to good relations issues.”
“It is not about replacing people but about how we enhance the way in which we deliver services. It is something that I want to do now, when we are looking at our digital maturity assessment. That is looking across every Department to see what their level of readiness is and to assess their ability to deliver transformative public services. We must work with the workforce, we must work with the union representatives and we must make sure that we design this together so that it is complementary to, as opposed to a replacement for, the human.”
“That is why, in talking to our new Chief Scientific and Technology Adviser, we realised that the potential to be grasped from establishing an office of AI and digital was something that we needed to move forward with. I think that it will put us at the forefront of AI innovation. It will take some time, of course, but I think that it will be a key driver in improving communication, delivery and innovation right across the public sector. We have to do things better, more efficiently and more appropriately to reach the wider public. I think that it will be a continuing, live conversation as we develop this even further.”
“Thanks for that. At the heart of our Programme for Government is the need to transform our public services, and the Member will know that our whole focus is around how we can drive that transformation and how we can support innovation, creativity and efficiency as building blocks for social and economic growth. There is no doubt that the world of AI is ever evolving. It is very much something that is changing, but we are trying to get ahead of the curve in harnessing that technology for our public services, particularly for our transformation journey. Standing still is not an option. <BR /> <BR />We discussed this issue at length at the British-Irish Council just a short number of weeks ago.”
“We need to build in all the checks and balances whilst also advancing this area, and I believe that it will lead to transformative public services.”
“It is really important because I believe that AI and digital transformation are necessary for our delivery of public services. I think that they will allow us to deliver better public services in a way that, perhaps, will be more convenient to many in our population, but that must be equitable across society. At the heart of the development of what our own AI inclusion strategy looks like, there are varying levels of advancement across Departments. We are trying to get a handle on that right across the board. First, it needs to be inclusive, and, secondly and very importantly, we have to be able to stand over the ethics around the use of AI. For a lot of people, this is a new field. For me, it is a necessary part of delivering good public services.”
“The new office will serve as a central hub to share and manage risks and opportunities across Departments. It will also ensure that the needs of all section 75 groups are fully considered.”
“We are committed to ensuring that digital transformation is deployed responsibly and with appropriate governance, transparency and accessibility at the heart of the reform. It needs to be about enhancing inclusion rather than intensifying existing inequalities. A digital maturity assessment is due to conclude at the end of June 2025. That will help Departments to better understand where they are on their digital journeys, identify any gaps and drive a smarter and more inclusive transformation of services. The office of AI and digital was launched on 11 June, and the next phase of that work will be the development of an action plan to identify key challenges and opportunities associated with the adoption of AI across the public sector. Importantly, we will be working to ensure that the needs of our most vulnerable groups are met.”
“We very much welcome the fact that another great sporting event is coming to our island. I have no doubt that our office has engaged on that, but I do not have that detail. I am very happy to respond to the Minister and let him know what contact our office has had about that upcoming event.”
“We have to continually keep under review the role played by all our offices. I certainly want to do that as part of our international strategy. For me, the role of any of our offices is threefold. It has to be about diplomacy, advancing diplomatic relationships and building relationships. That is important if we are to get business done. It is about developing economic and trade interest, including our current investments. It is about maintaining those relationships and also looking for new opportunities. It is about developing new partnerships in trade etc, particularly given the challenging times that we live in. All our offices must tick all those boxes in what they do. If that were not the case, I would want to review that. The international strategy will give us an opportunity to do that as well.”
“Recent figures show that we have had 241,000 overnight visits by people from North America, which makes a contribution of about £88 million to our economy. We want to keep grabbing all of those opportunities. There are also long-standing cultural relationships between this island and the US. Next year is the 250th anniversary of the declaration, and that will create another opportunity.”
“Yes, I believe that we should continue to engage in that way. That has always been my approach. That is why we were in North Carolina recently and why the deputy First Minister went to Washington. We have to take all opportunities to grow our economy, not least the opportunity that the North American market provides to us. America is the world's largest economy after all, so we must tap into it. We regularly do work across there with Invest NI and our local businesses to open up opportunities. The North Carolina partnership is a good example of something that is working really well for our Chamber of Commerce and Industry. We will, hopefully, have a return visit. <BR /> <BR />The Open is, again, a great example of our tourism potential.”
“That in itself is a huge opportunity, because it is a global platform. We will get to showcase this place as a lovely part of the world, and I think of all the business interest among those who will visit. It is a huge opportunity for us, and we must grab all such opportunities, particularly in these uncertain times.”
“Yes. Thanks for that. As I said and as the Member noted, the increasingly volatile world that we live in — a lot of global uncertainty; the tariff wars that do not benefit us at all — presents real challenges, worry and uncertainty for businesses. If we know anything about business, it is that it likes certainty and to be able to plan for the future. We have to continually monitor the situation that we find ourselves in. I can assure the Member, however, that, as I said in answer to the previous question, our focus is on attracting investment; growing our economy; protecting our local jobs; using the offices that we have, be they in Washington, Beijing or Brussels; and working collectively with Invest NI on the shared ambition to create opportunities. In a few short weeks, we will host the Open.”
“Thanks for that. We need to take every opportunity, particularly in the ever-changing global climate that we now live in. We will definitely consider expanding our reach as part of our international strategy. We have to continually look towards new markets and new opportunities. Our businesses are innovative — they are always looking for solutions — and, with Invest NI working in partnership with our Department and our bureaux, whether in Washington, Brussels or China, we will look for every opportunity. <BR /> <BR />We are always more than happy to hear from local businesses that may be attending trade fairs across the world and looking for new markets. Engaging with those markets is where Invest NI really kicks in. If the Member wishes to raise something on any particular business interests, I ask him to please get in touch.”
“It is supporting planning for inward visits in the autumn by the Education, Justice and Agriculture Departments, with the intention of sharing best practice and policy and of learning from experience in the US and Canada.”
“<BR /> <BR />The deputy First Minister subsequently visited Washington for St Patrick's Day and met the president of the United States, the new US ambassadors to the UK and Ireland, members of Congress and other key figures to discuss tariffs, the importance of a special envoy and to showcase the Open. The bureau hosted a St Patrick's Day breakfast, creating a unique networking opportunity for 250 key influencers from here and across the US. That included having the Claret Jug in DC to promote the Open, which attracted media attention across the US. <BR /> <BR />The bureau has supported a number of inward and outward visits, including helping the Communities Minister to establish opportunities around the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.”
“The deputy First Minister and I have experienced at first hand the important work of the bureau in the US and Canada. The team of five staff works closely with Invest NI, Tourism Ireland and a range of partners, including universities, to support the Programme for Government by highlighting the opportunity that we present as a great place to work, study and invest in and to visit. <BR /> <BR />The bureau's team supported our visit to North Carolina in March with the Chamber of Commerce to open new markets and assess potential business customers in med tech, clean tech and software. We were able to learn from one of the top US models for establishing a research and innovation ecosystem, and we invited key state officials to lead a return inward visit.”
“Sound bites will not build the A5. A Minister who is absolutely committed to the project and to getting it over the line will build the A5. I am absolutely committed to ensuring that that is the case.”