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 had the privilege as First Minister of attending the funeral of Pope Francis on Saturday. It was a honour to join world leaders to pay our respects to a man who defined the best of human values. It is therefore with great sadness that I today express my deepest condolences following the passing of His Holiness Pope Francis. I extend my sympathies to his family and to the people of his homeland, Argentina; to His Excellency Archbishop Luis Mariano Montemayor, the apostolic nuncio to Ireland; to Archbishop Eamon Martin, Primate of All Ireland; to Church leaders across this island; to the Jesuit community; and to Catholics everywhere who are mourning the loss of their spiritual leader. <BR /> <BR />Pope Francis was a man of deep faith, profound humility and immense courage.”
“We should all commit to working together and acknowledge that climate change is, in fact, a reality, that we are living in those times and that we must do something about it.”
“The deputy First Minister has her personal view on the record. I undertook to bring this forward, in one sense because it is a legal duty, but it is also a moral duty, folks. It is a moral duty: we have to do it. I am absolutely determined to work with others to ensure that that is the case. <BR /> <BR />I thank Members for their contributions throughout the debate. Establishing the body will take a bit of time. We have a bit of a road to go to refine everything, to make sure that we have it up and running and to see how it works and interacts with all the other bodies. We have to do this. We have to protect the world for future generations. Someone mentioned going to school assemblies or talking to young kids: this is about their future. This is about the world that they live in, what it looks like and how it feels for them.”
“After the regulations have been affirmed by the Assembly — I am assuming that, given the number of Members who have indicated that they will vote for them — we will move on to the next step, which is to fully establish the commissioner, to have the office up and running and to allow TEO officials to work on and resolve any outstanding issues in section 50 of the Climate Change Act.”
“<BR /> <BR />Someone asked a question about the role not going out to consultation — I do not think that the Member is in the Chamber now. The definition of what is included in the role of the commissioner's office has been defined in the 2022 legislation. Ordinarily, you would go out to consult in instances such as this, but, because there is limited policy discretion, it was not deemed necessary. However, the functions can be added to in the future by regulation, and perhaps that is something that we will revisit here in the future.”
“It is very much about the role of the commissioner — that is the local lens — and the role that it will play in holding us all to account. It will also complement things that are already happening. A lot of responsibility falls to DAERA under the legislation. We have already seen some progress in some areas. We have the Lough Neagh action plan and the first environmental improvement plan, and DAERA is working towards the just transition commission. The commissioner will have to work in tandem with other agencies, so there will have to be memorandums of understanding on how they work with other bodies, such as Waterways Ireland, the Utility Regulator and the Environment Agency. There is a huge amount to be worked out in the period ahead as we get this up and running.”
“<BR /> <BR />Members referred to the Budget and the amount that a commissioner will cost. As has been said, it will cost round £1 million. That is, more or less, the average cost of setting up any new arm's-length body. That will be money well spent, for all the reasons that many Members eloquently gave today. The cost of doing nothing is much, much higher. That is why it is essential that we get on and do this work. It is going to take a bit more time. Moving the motion on the regulations today is the outworking of the 2022 legislation, but it will take another period of time to get the commissioner up and running and to address some of the outstanding issues that have been identified. <BR /> <BR />This is not about duplication.”
“As I said, I am bringing the legislation on behalf of the joint office — on behalf of the Executive Office. I will pick up on the role of the commissioner. It has already been prescribed in legislation, so that is what the commissioner will have to do. However, there will be more work to be done on that. Some Members have questioned the value of such a commissioner when other places may not have one. The value is that it gives us a local lens. It will be in addition to other things that are already there, so it can only be an advantage to us. Members refer to the fact that there is a Climate Change Committee. That is fine and grand, and we can lean into that, but the local lens will be the additional value that will also allow us to address any particular challenges that we have here.”
“We all have a part to play, every Department has a part to play and every agency has a part to play. The significance of the commissioner is that they will provide independent advice to all Departments on how we should go about meeting our climate change targets in a way that responds to our communities' needs. <BR /> <BR />A number of points were made that asked why we are doing this. We all voted for the legislation. That is why, and it is also necessary that we do this piece of work. The remit of the commissioner was brought forward by Minister Poots, the then AERA Minister. That is what we are voting on today.”
“It is an absolute dereliction of duty by the Members of the DUP to vote against the regulations, particularly given the crises that we face right now. It is illogical — completely illogical. I will go further and concur with some of the language that has been used today, which said that it is a "bizarre" and "peculiar" approach. <BR /> <BR />I am bringing these regulations on behalf of the Executive Office. I want to pick up on some points that Members made during the debate. I re-emphasise the fact that the commissioner will have a crucial role to play in helping us to achieve net zero. In the first instance, the commissioner will hold us all to account and ensure that we all play our part and deliver on the promises that were made. The Chair of the Committee made that point.”
“. Thanks to many of the Members who spoke for their sensible contributions to the debate. In some ways, it is a repeat of the debate that we had in 2022. I want to pick up on some of the points that were raised today. It would be short-sighted of anybody having this debate today not be very conscious of and acutely aware that the Mournes are on fire, that Lough Neagh is in crisis and that flooding is becoming an everyday reality for many people. That is climate crisis in action. That is what is happening all around us, and we have a moral duty and a responsibility to do something and to do something with urgency. This is not a choice. It is an absolute necessity. I thank all those who contributed positively to the debate, and I welcome the fact that many Members indicated that they will vote for the regulations.”
“<BR /> <BR />Climate change is not a concept or a possibility; it is happening right now, and the impacts locally are as real as they are pressing. Once established, we would be the first area on these islands to have its own dedicated Climate Commissioner. They will work together with the other climate advisory bodies that operate here: the Climate Change Committee (CCC), the Office for Environmental Protection (OEP) and the just transition commission to support delivery of the Climate Change Act. That is something that, we hope, Members will get behind today. <BR /> <BR />We thank the Executive Office Committee and the Examiner of Statutory Rules for their prompt scrutiny of the regulations, and we welcome contributions from Members today.”
“The statutory rule is in line with what is allowed for in section 50 of the Act, which is that it will allow TEO to establish an independent office to be known as the "Northern Ireland Climate Commissioner" and to allow the commissioner to have the following functions. The commissioner will oversee and report on the exercise of functions of our Departments under the Act. In particular, the commissioner will be able to provide advice and make recommendations to Departments, undertake commission research and publish reports, advice, recommendations and any other relevant information. The purpose of the statutory rule is, therefore, to implement section 50 of the Climate Change Act and to establish a Climate Commissioner here.”
“. Today, we seek the Assembly's approval for the Northern Ireland Climate Commissioner Regulations 2025. It might be useful for Members if I set out the principal considerations that informed the preparation of the statutory rule (SR). <BR /> <BR />The Executive Office proposes to make a statutory rule under powers conferred by section 50 of the Climate Change Act 2022. When the Act was made in 2022, section 50 was an addition to the Climate Change Bill that was voted on and agreed in the Chamber. Therefore, the regulations are procedural in that they are the legislative tool for completing the establishment of the Climate Commissioner, a requirement that was made in law in 2022. <BR /> <BR />As is required by the Climate Change Act, the statutory rule is subject to the draft affirmative resolution procedure before the Assembly.”
“I am not sure that I picked up the question correctly. If I did not, given the time, I will write to you. <BR /> <BR />One of the beauties of our strategy is the fact that so many partners came together to devise it, including groups that work with young people. I think that that is what you referred to, Andy. I am sorry: I did not hear you properly. I will check Hansard and write to you. <BR /> <BR />I think that you asked about adverse incidents and how we change that. Another beauty of the strategy is that it is agile, which means that we can respond to issues as they arise. If we pick up information that is not reflected in the strategy, we can adapt. If that is not what you asked me about, I will write to you.”
“I am committed to doing that, and I know that Members are also up for doing so.”
“That is a real wake-up call. Together, we have to break the cycle of violence and support those women and girls who refuse to be silenced. All of us in the Chamber have a role to play in doing that and in challenging, confronting and exposing, where we see it, what is called casual, everyday sexism. There is nothing casual about it, and that is why, from day 1, it has been an Executive priority. Our strategy tackles the root causes of that violence and is very much about prevention. As I have said, the strategy will have a positive and lasting impact on wider society here. We have that impact when we work together. All the parties in the Chamber must work with our partners across society and do everything that we can to break down barriers and to challenge sexism and misogyny where they occur.”
“Yes, I will. The Member may have seen at the weekend that Justine McCarthy wrote in 'The Irish Times':”
“On the occasion to which the Member referred, it was about celebrating women in business.”
“Yes, the Women in Business Awards is a great initiative. It is always such a positive event at which to celebrate all that is great about women in business and to celebrate all the innovators right across the business community. I commend Women in Business itself on the work that it does to support women to ensure that they have the skills with which to step forward, be that as an entrepreneur or through working in the social economy, or even for them just to do better in their career. When we look across society, we can see so many positive changes that are evident. In the Chamber, we can point to the number of women in politics as an example of progress. Likewise, around the Executive table, we can point to the number of women there as progress. I see it every day. At all my engagements, I see women leading from the front in all areas.”
“The people here pay their taxes and National Insurance, and, as such, they deserve good public services. We therefore have to continue to make our case to the Treasury in London and ensure that our voice is heard. We have made some progress here, but we still have a long way to go in order to ensure that we have properly funded public services for all the people whom we represent.”
“Dealing with funding levels was one of our day-1 priorities, and every party grouping that is represented in the Chamber certainly signed up to that being the case. The British Government have recognised that we have been underfunded, but we are feeling the detrimental impact of 14 years of Tory austerity, which is now being continued, as a political choice, by the new British Government. Their decisions are impacting on our public services every day and on our ability to deliver transformation in healthcare and education and all the other things that we said that we want to do. We have to continue to make our case, and we have to continue to build the case for why we need a proper funding model. We are asking not for special treatment but for what is appropriate.”
“Targeting the most vulnerable in our society through punitive taxes is clearly a political choice in London, but it does not serve the interests of the people here. I can assure the Member that, yes, we will take every opportunity to raise the issue with the relevant people in London.”
“I have not seen the full detail, but I know that cuts have been announced. We absolutely have to raise that issue with the British Government, and I am sure that the Department for Communities will likewise want to raise issues with them. It is more of the same from the Government in London. They are constantly reaching for people who need our support more than others do. The Government brought in the National Insurance hike that will be so detrimental to our local businesses and cut the winter fuel payment for pensioners, and they are now reaching for people with disabilities and those who are sick and vulnerable in our society. Those are political choices that are being made in London, and they are impacting detrimentally on people's lives here, yet we do not have a say in them.”
“All those things put this place firmly on the map as a great place in which to live, invest and do business. I am wholly committed to that and hope that we can continue to keep working together to maximise all that potential. I have no doubt that we will do so.”
“Yes, I am determined, as is the deputy First Minister and our entire Executive, to continue to promote our wares and sell what we have on that international front. We have great people, a happy population, a talented workforce and a young, strong cohort coming out of our universities. We have a very skilled population base. The story that we tell is a good story and one that resonates well on the international stage. When we look towards the future, growing our economy and our opportunities, we equally look at our challenges. Tariffs are probably up there with those at the moment. <BR /> <BR />We have an enormous opportunity ahead of us to create more jobs and better people's lives because we have unique access to the European and British markets. We have a thriving all-island economy.”
“North Carolina was well worth visiting, and I look forward to other international visits that align with what we are trying to do for our local economy.”
“As I said, it was a real pleasure to visit North Carolina with the Chamber of Commerce and for us to have the opportunity to lead that delegation of local business leaders. We had the chance to set out our stall to some of the world's leading businesses. We took the opportunity to showcase the strength of our economy. We have a very good and positive story to tell. We have an incredibly talented workforce, and we made the case as to why American businesses should invest here. Some of the businesses that travelled in the delegation are world-leading in innovation and the work that they do. It was very much about attracting major investment, creating better jobs here and delivering exciting opportunities for people. That is a priority that we have set out in our Programme for Government.”
“I am content with the decision that I made. I am sure that the deputy First Minister is also content with her decision.”
“<BR /> <BR />As you know, the deputy First Minister then went to Washington and carried out a whole programme of events, again with those messages of this being a great place for investment, with great agility and a small community that can be world-leading in many areas.”
“We very much took that message when the deputy First Minister and I led a Chamber of Commerce delegation to mark the 1st anniversary of the memorandum of understanding with the North Carolina Chamber. That, in itself, was an opportunity for us to promote our vision for our economy and also to say that this is such a fantastic place with such innovators and world-leading businesses. It gave the deputy First Minister and I great pride to lead such a strong delegation of local business people. It gave us an opportunity to extend an invitation to the North Carolina Chamber and its political representatives to come here at some stage, hopefully this year. That will allow us to further the relationships that we have built.”
“As the Member is aware, I did not attend Washington last week for reasons that I have just referenced: the situation in Palestine and the stance of the US Administration. I simply will not turn the other way when I see such a breach of international law and the genocide of the Palestinian people. I tell you all, when people reflect on this period, they will see that there were those who decided to look away and those who did not. I am proud to say that I did not look away. <BR /> <BR />I believe that we can take that principled position but also work to promote our local economy, which I am glad that we were able to do during the recent week. It showcased the North as a great place in which to live, work, invest and study.”
“Yes. I call on the Israeli Government to reinstate and respect the ceasefire that was achieved. However, the international community, including in Britain and Dublin, needs to ensure that all pressure is exerted to avert what is happening right now. Israel cannot just be allowed to continue to breach international law, to annex the Palestinian people and to basically attack them daily. It cannot continue. Where is the international community at this moment when the Palestinians need it?”
“What we witnessed over the course of recent days was another act of genocide on the part of Israel; another act to murder and maim the Palestinian people. I appeal again to the international community for everybody to bring their efforts to the fore. It is time now to act. We need to see a resolution for everybody in the Middle East. We need to see a resolution that is a two-state solution that will give peace to Palestinians and Israelis.”
“Last night's air strikes on Gaza were nothing short of a brutal and inhumane assault on people who are defenceless. These are people with nowhere to go, no roofs over their heads and no food in front of them. Children are trapped in a nightmare with nowhere to run. What we have seen over the course of the past 24 to 48 hours is Israeli bombs raining down again on the people of Palestine. For the love of God, what could ever suggest and who could ever think that that is remotely acceptable? It is a gross failure of leadership and utterly reprehensible that world leaders are standing by. World leaders, including the United States, are standing by and nearly, in some ways, cheerleading what Israel is doing in Palestine.”
“I will not apologise for standing up for people. I will not apologise for working hard on people's behalf. As regards the storm response, I believe that every agency put its shoulder to the wheel. Everybody got on the ground immediately to try to assist. I believe that we gave out the right warnings to try to get people ahead. Of course we were going to make the case for people to have compensation: it was the right thing to do and, if needs be, I would do it again tomorrow. Let us work to ensure that, where lessons are learned, for a future storm, which we know, given the climate, is unfortunately where we will inevitably be, we need to look at how best we can support people in times of crisis. I think that that is what we all want to do.”
“It was right for us to make the good, strong and articulate case for why people needed to have compensation. Unfortunately, that is not how it has transpired. There was a lot of effort, as we said at the time, and a lot of credit needs to go to all our agencies that responded in live play at that time to support people and get them reconnected. There is no doubt that people had their lives disrupted, and it is disappointing that the Utility Regulator could not find its way to providing the compensation that we all articulated was absolutely needed.”
“Equally, we know that there is an awful lot more still to be done across the remainder of the mandate, and we want to continue to build upon what we have been able to achieve for people in the first year. The draft Budget was agreed on 19 December. Consultation on it closed just last week on 13 March. It is now for the Executive to agree their final Budget and work together to develop and agree the detailed policies as we move to delivering the commitments that we all signed up to in the Programme for Government.”
“That enabled the Departments to plan ahead to deliver our joint priorities. Over the past 12 months, the Executive have delivered significant outcomes for workers, families and communities, including public-sector pay, improvements in childcare provision and a strategy to end violence against women and girls, and much more.”
“We are flying through them today. <BR /> <BR />The Executive faced significant challenges in setting a Budget for 2024-25, and the financial position remains very difficult due to the interim fiscal framework. We therefore have insufficient budget, and conversations about that are ongoing. As a consequence of that, all Departments face tough decisions to manage their budgets and live within their funding allocations. <BR /> <BR />This year, we had to agree a 2024-25 Budget ahead of the Programme for Government to make sure that Departments had the certainty needed to run public services.”
“As I said, we recently received information on the specific options. We have to meet our permanent secretary to discuss those. No decisions have been made. We have to discuss them, because, as I have said in the Chamber, we need political agreement on the enormous economic potential of the site; you know that. I know that you agree with that, as do many others here. It could be a game changer for our local economy, so I hope that we can get political agreement and that we can open the site in a way that will bring huge benefits to our local economy.”
“We recognise the immense economic, historical and reconciliation potential of the site and are committed to working with the Maze/Long Kesh (MLK) board to maximise those opportunities for the benefit of all. <BR /> <BR />The board met the TEO permanent secretary on 27 February 2025. We have since received advice from officials on the options for the board and on the immediate priorities. That is under consideration in our office, but no decisions have been made yet on the future of the site.”
“The British Government cannot find money to support those people, but they can find money to arm. That is not the right approach for anybody to take.”
“I stand over my remarks, and I will repeat them today. There is no escaping the fact of Russia's invasion of Ukraine and what it has meant, with the devastation that is left behind. We all witness that every day and want it to end. It is a flagrant breach of international law. The best way to end such things is with diplomacy to create a situation in which we have lasting peace; that is important. I want to see genuine engagement, constructive dialogue and an end to the conflict. I want Ukrainian people to live in their homeland and be happy, peaceful and prosperous. That is, unfortunately, not where we are today. <BR /> <BR />The world is in flux; we are looking at a rearmed Europe; and today we are discussing welfare cuts for people who have disabilities and who are sick.”
“<BR /> <BR />The Department has also facilitated and coordinated support provided by other key Departments, statutory bodies and voluntary and community sector organisations in vital areas such as health, education, benefits and immigration advice. Officials are also in regular contact with the Ukrainians in NI community group.”
“The Executive Office has led an effective and coordinated local humanitarian response to support those arriving here following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. To date, we have welcomed over 3,400 Ukrainian citizens under the visa routes established by Westminster. <BR /> <BR />Our Department has ensured that appropriate safeguarding checks have been undertaken to allow arrivals to be welcomed in the homes of local sponsors and, indeed, to ensure that the sponsors are supported. Each arrival has received a £200 immediate cash support payment, and eligible hosts have received monthly "Thank you" payments. Over £689,000 has been paid in immediate support, and more than £5·1 million has been paid to more than 1,000 hosts.”
“Yes. That is why it is important that the commissioner is in place. I am sure that the deputy First Minister would agree that, when we interviewed Siobhan, we saw that she had real passion for being an advocate for older people. She has a great depth of experience from her previous role, which will really enhance her offering to our older population. <BR /> <BR />The role of the commissioner is quite wide in promoting an awareness of matters that relate to older people and their safeguarding. It includes challenging discrimination and promoting positive attitudes, and I can tell you from my experience of her interview that Siobhan will be energetic on behalf of older people.”
“We are delighted to have appointed Siobhan Casey as Commissioner for Older People. Siobhan will be in post from 7 April 2025. We recognise the role of the commissioner as being vital in safeguarding and promoting the interests of older people here and ensuring that the welfare and rights of the sector are respected and protected and that their voices are heard. We look forward to engaging with the new commissioner as she sets her priorities for the year ahead and champions the rights and needs of older people.”
“That is not related to the question. As I have told you on every occasion that you have asked me that, I am not playing your game. Every time you ask me the question, I will give you the same answer.”
“In the framework, we have built in agility to lend ourselves to those problems as they arise, particularly in relation to expanding on how we will end online harm and technological abuse, including sexually explicit deepfake imagery.”