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.”
The complete record
Every one of 5,636 lines we hold for Michelle O'Neill, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 22 of 113.
“Our priority, however, is to make sure that the process is done properly, that due process is followed and that we get to the competition for the commissioners as quickly as possible and get them in place as quickly as possible.”
“It is positive that we are making progress. I look forward to receiving the updated documentation, which will allow us to move to the next step. The Member knows that we have committed to adhering to CPANI's code of practice for the appointments. With that commitment, additional factors have to be taken into consideration in the governance and accountability surrounding the competition. <BR /> <BR />On the timeline, public appointment processes normally take a year to complete from when the initial decisions are taken. In this competition, those decisions were taken in May. In this case, three processes are happening concurrently, which is why a bit more time has been required.”
“The appointment of the commissioners and members of the Office of Identity and Cultural Expression is essential to the implementation of the provisions of the Identity and Language Act 2022 for which TEO is responsible. We are pleased to announce that panels have been established and that all three competition initiation meetings took place recently. That is a significant step in the process. The officials are working to provide us with further advice, which will include the necessary documentation to enable the competitions to be launched. The process will be run in line with the Commissioner for Public Appointment's (CPANI) guidelines.”
“I do not have that detail. That is in the gift of the Department for the Economy; it makes those allocations. The breakdown of that funding does not come directly under our office.”
“That will lead to a tangible difference, particularly when you add it to delivery on issues such as the A5, the commitment to the Strule campus, the Derry and Strabane city deal, the Mid Ulster growth deal and all the other growth deals that we have been able to progress. My firm commitment, which is, I know, shared by many in the House, is that, whether you live in Omagh or Enniskillen, Belfast or Belleek, there needs to be fairness across the board so that everybody gets to share in the prosperity agenda. That is what I am committed to.”
“Thanks for the question. I agree. The draft Programme for Government recognises the whole area of growing our economy as a priority and recognises regional balance as a key component of that and of growing a globally competitive and sustainable economy. Everybody needs to benefit from that. The prize is that everybody is lifted up and feels that they benefit fairly and equitably from economic growth. If we are going to be serious about that, addressing regional imbalance is crucial. I welcome the fact that the Economy Minister, Conor Murphy, has brought forward a plan for that.”
“I can provide more detail to the Member. I think that the last action that we took was to write to every Department, each of which has different areas of work falling within its remit. We asked the Departments to correspond with us to let us know how they intend to take forward those actions. Perhaps there will be a raft of areas of work across the Departments.”
“We had significant engagement throughout the consultation process, for which we are grateful. We are working in earnest to agree the final Programme for Government and bring it back to the House. It is important that we recognise in the Programme for Government that, if we are to be successful in delivering the priorities that we have identified, we must have partnership working that includes our colleagues in local government.”
“Yes, we had direct engagement with SOLACE as we consulted on the Programme for Government. As the Member will know, that has concluded.”
“'Our Plan' is an ambitious agenda for change for everyone who lives here. In order to make that happen, we know that we need to work in partnership. As an Executive, we are committed to working in collaboration across government, the private sector, the wider public sector and the community and voluntary sector. That was discussed with Society of Local Authority Chief Executives (SOLACE) members during the consultation process, and we look forward to building on that work when we finalise the Programme for Government and the Assembly approves it.”
“With your permission, Mr Speaker, junior Minister Reilly will answer that question.”
“Thank you for your question. I have no doubt that, at home, Sé and Daíthí are very keen to know whether Santa is on track. How exciting that it is only 16 days until Christmas. I want you to tell Sé and Daíthí and all the other children out there that things are on track. The deputy First Minister and I have spoken to the North Pole, and we have been assured that the elves are getting ready; the toys are being packed up; Rudolf and the other reindeer are eating their carrots; and Santa wants us to tell all the children to be good for their parents and to be ready for the run-up to Christmas.”
“Therein lies the challenge with which we have to grapple. We have to come to terms with that, but when we collectively come at the new approach of having nine identified priority areas in the draft Programme for Government and monitor our progress as we go, we will have to correct how we will do the transformation work in the delivery unit. At the moment, our officials are working their way through what that work might look like. I hope that the unit will be fully functioning, and that we all understand its function, by April next year, and we will engage with the Committee in particular on that. I know that the Committee will play its role in trying to shape that work.”
“The Committee did not reject any proposal. I am sure that the Member did not set out to be disingenuous. The Committee discussed the forward work programme, which did not have the complete information. All that members of the Committee did was to ask for a bit more time to put the programme together. Let us therefore be factual about what was discussed and decided.”
“That is not really linked to the substantive question, a Cheann Comhairle, but I will answer it, seeing as it has been put to me, if that is OK with you.”
“Yes. That topic comes up frequently. It even came up just last week when we were at the British-Irish Council (BIC) meeting. All jurisdictions talked about it, because everyone is grappling with the same challenges and problems. It is important that we learn lessons from examples of good practice, where they exist. The deputy First Minister and I are keen to ensure that we work with partners, because it is important to draw in expertise from outside, particularly from the private sector, and build a network of local contacts that can help us deliver and transform our public services. I therefore assure the Member that the issue is high on the agenda and that we are very open to learning from good practice elsewhere, if we think it appropriate.”
“<BR /> <BR />A reform and transformation unit was established in the Executive Office in October 2024. The unit is in its infancy, and its work programme is being developed, but staff are already engaged in work to deliver the draft Programme for Government's reform and transformation objective and to support the work of the interim public-sector transformation board. The unit will work across Departments and with partners in other sectors to ensure that the Executive's priorities get the focus and resources that are needed. It will also play a key role in challenging the status quo, drawing in expert advice, and driving and supporting the delivery of much-needed reform. The unit is expected to be fully operational from 1 April 2025.”
“Our public services are under severe pressure. Demand for services continues to rise, alongside growing complexity of need. Funding is constrained, and expectations for faster, digitally enabled, citizen-focused services are higher than ever. If we are to meet the needs of all people in our society, we cannot keep doing things in the same way. We must prioritise our available resources and transform how we deliver our services. The Executive's draft Programme for Government sets an ambitious change agenda and includes a specific reform and transformation priority. The Executive have recognised that we must take immediate action to stabilise and transform our services in order to meet the needs of our citizens, grow our economy and protect our environment for future generations.”
“We talked about Magee, education in the north-west and the school of medicine. We talked about all the things that we believe are vital to ensuring that everybody sees their fair share of prosperity and that that prosperity is spread across the region.”
“The plenary discussed a wide range of the business and trade opportunities facing the island and the value of continuing to share our knowledge, experience and best practice. I touched earlier on the conversations on universities and student mobility. We talked, in particular, about the north-west, regional balance and our plans around that. We talked about higher education in the north-west, because there have been some really good advancements there, and we want to continue to build on them. The volume of work that is being done between our Economy Ministers on promoting the island as a whole as a great place to invest is something that we should welcome.”
“As you said, we were able to make two appointments. We are going through a process that involves all Executive parties that have the ability to nominate. I hope that we can get that done in the immediate future so that we can get those bodies properly populated to get on with doing their work, particularly now that they have been refreshed and everything is up and running again. With the election in the South, there will be some delay in some of the North/South bodies, but it is important that we get back to that as quickly as possible and do our work by making nominations.”
“One of our unique points is that we want strong connectedness across our island and between our islands. It is the same when it comes to trade and our universities. We need to have collaboration, and we will all benefit from that. <BR /> <BR />At the meeting, we welcomed the opportunities that are available because of the association with Horizon Europe. That will bring many benefits. We are keen to boost participation and seize the opportunities that are available through the programme. It is an area that both Economy Ministers on the island will continue to work on.”
“That was not discussed directly at the NSMC, but we are looking at the issue of clerical child abuse. We have research on that area under way, because we committed to doing that some time ago. I am committed to making sure that we bring that forward as quickly as we can and get it right.”
“I really look forward to that investment being felt strongly in communities across the island.”
“We mentioned and focused on the PEACE PLUS programme and welcomed its contribution to peace, prosperity and reconciliation. We know that the implementation of PEACE PLUS is well under way, and the majority of the 22 investment areas have opened for applications. We had some positive, game-changer announcements last week that will make a huge difference. Just look at everything that we will have to drive jobs and growth, stimulate development and regeneration and boost access to services in education. We have a commitment to 25 projects so far, covering youth mental health, shared education, local community peace action plans, victims and survivors and the enhancement of cross-border cooperation. There is so much. We need to continue to build on that.”
“That was an important area of work. The Irish Government continue to deliver a series of conferences on disaster risk reduction. The concept is that they provide practitioners with an opportunity to network to discuss and share best practice, encourage dialogue, share lessons and deepen cooperation to make sure that there are strong partnerships so that, as and when we need to come together, we are able to. <BR /> <BR />Last Friday, the Irish Government hosted a conference that the permanent secretary of our Department attended along with others. It is important that we continue to learn and share lessons and share information and planning to make sure that we are ready to respond in the event that, God forbid, we find ourselves in an emergency situation.”
“I assure you that we will continue to reflect on all the issues that I mentioned to the Chair of the TEO Committee — investigative records, access to records, the impact of social security benefits, memorialisation — and learn from things that have not worked to make sure that we do better.”
“I agree with the Member. There is no doubt that there is a clear and distinct all-island dimension to mother-and-baby institutions, Magdalene laundries and workhouses. We should do everything we can to cooperate and learn from each other. The historical ill-treatment of and discrimination against women and girls is a source of shame across the island. We need to do everything we can to ensure that we are joined up, working together and doing everything we can to provide access to the truth for the many women who were impacted. We will continue to keep it on the agenda of the North/South Ministerial Council meetings in institutional and plenary format.”
“Yes. We have made progress on that, because there was some fear that we would not have a chance to be part of the programme. It comes under the remit of the work of the two Economy Ministers. Perhaps I can provide you with a bit more information on that. We talked about student movement across the island, which is important. There are barriers to student mobility. The two Ministers will continue to work collectively on that, because we all have something to gain from keeping all our students on the island, whether they choose to study in Belfast, Dublin, Cork or Galway. It is important that we maximise the opportunities and keep our home-grown talent on the island. I will reflect, and, if there is any more additional information on ERASMUS+, I will provide the Member with it.”
“We have new leadership in the Economy Department, and that Minister will want to work to all our strengths. We have a unique selling point: it is a selling point that we repeat when we go out to drum up trade and investment. We have unique market access. We have access to two of the biggest markets. Our job as political leaders in the Assembly is to maximise the opportunities to create more jobs and investment and do everything that we can to drum up things that will benefit the people we collectively represent.”
“That is another huge strategic priority for us all. The delivery of the A5 is very much a joined-up effort. I am pleased that, since the meeting, our Infrastructure Minister has been able to announce that he intends to proceed with the construction of the first stretch of the A5 early next year. That is a huge step in the right direction. It is an Executive flagship project, and the Member will know only too well the tragedy of that road. It is a road safety issue and is, ultimately, about saving lives, but it is also about the economic benefit that comes with the construction of the road in improving regional balance, creating jobs, growing the economy and improving journey times for daily users of the route.”
“At times like that, when we need to work together, we need the strongest possible protocols, so I welcome the conversation that we had about advancing that work.”
“It is just good common sense for us to cooperate in that area, particularly on emergency planning and given our experience of coming through COVID and what that meant for people who lived in border counties. In the first part of the meeting, we received a presentation about planning and how people receive messages, particularly in times of disaster, which will really helpfully inform how we might communicate with people in border communities. <BR /> <BR />We had a conversation about officials in the civil contingencies division working with our Southern counterparts working on emergency planning. In the meeting, we reflected on how, when it came to the tragedy and the terrible events in Creeslough, our emergency services were able to assist in what was very much a joined-up effort to respond to a horrible situation.”
“We all look forward to that after many years of campaigning to get to this point.”
“That is, obviously, another strategic project for us, and there is no doubt that it will create and facilitate greater connectivity and mobility. It will also be a great boost to the local economy, which we all very much welcome. The Irish Government are meeting the construction costs via the Shared Island Fund. They are also working closely with the Department for Infrastructure and with Newry, Mourne and Down Council on what is very much a shared project. <BR /> <BR />After all the years of campaigning, is it not great to see the work happening on the ground? All Ministers were pleased to discuss the progress on it. It is great news that, with the project now progressing on schedule, it is expected to be completed by late 2027, with the bridge handover and opening expected in 2028.”
“We will continue to raise those issues at that level, and I assure the Member that, at official level, work is ongoing.”
“Yes. We have raised that issue on a number of occasions, and we took the opportunity to raise it again because of our commonality, particularly as that jurisdiction has come through inquiries and we need to learn lessons about what worked and what did not work, so that we are best informed in supporting people with the horrible, shameful experience of being in Magdalene laundries and workhouses and mother-and-baby institutions. Ministers agreed, as has been agreed at official level, that, as we advance our plans, we will continue to engage to make sure that we learn those lessons. In particular, we need to work closely on investigative records and memorialisation and on social security benefits, which the Member has previously raised, to ensure that no one is disproportionately impacted on because of compensation that they might receive.”
“I think that the Finance Minister was just setting out a factual position and, of course, it does not detract or take away, in any shape or fashion, from those projects going ahead. It is just a matter of profiling. Certainly, at the NSMC, we stressed the importance of communication As an Executive, we want to get to the point where we have a multi-year Budget situation. That should, in turn, allow us to invest in a multi-year way. We obviously have financial rules around how we fund the NSMC bodies and institutions, but I would like to get to a point where we have a multi-year Budget approach in our public services and in our approach to the NSMC bodies.”
“In light of the cross-border nature of those institutions, officials from both Administrations will continue to work closely on issues of commonality. <BR /> <BR />At the end of its meeting, the NSMC approved a schedule of future sectoral meetings, a meeting in institutional format and the next plenary meeting in spring 2025. That concludes the report on the NSMC plenary meeting.”
“The Council specifically welcomed the focus of the Co-Centre for Climate + Biodiversity + Water on science to support fairer transitions to net zero, reversing biodiversity loss and restoring water quality for a sustainable economy. Ministers noted that the co-centre supports the coordinated science efforts in the Executive's Lough Neagh action plan. <BR /> <BR />The Council discussed mother-and-baby institutions, Magdalene laundries and workhouses. The NSMC noted the important progress that is being made by the Executive on mother-and-baby institutions and Magdalene laundries and the Irish Government's implementation of the action plan for survivors and former residents of mother-and-baby institutions and county home institutions.”
“The Council also noted that two research partnerships have been supported under the co-centre programme and that successful recipients of the Shared Island bioeconomy demonstration initiative funding call will be announced in autumn 2024. <BR /> <BR />The NSMC agreed that commitments under New Decade, New Approach should remain on the agenda of relevant meetings and that further updates will be provided to future NSMC plenary meetings. <BR /> <BR />Ministers had a good discussion on the topics of climate change and the loss of biodiversity. Those topics had been considered across all the NSMC sectors, and the cooperation that is under way across both jurisdictions to address those shared challenges was welcomed. The NSMC agreed that the relevant sectors should maintain a focus on those topics at future meetings.”
“<BR /> <BR />The NSMC welcomed the final report and associated environmental assessments of the all-island strategic rail review, which were published by Minister O'Dowd and Minister Ryan in Dundalk on 31 July. Both jurisdictions will continue to work collaboratively to explore the review's recommendations. <BR /> <BR />On higher education in the north-west, it was noted that pre-application planning consultation has commenced on the construction of the new teaching and student services building at Ulster University's Magee campus. Funding commitments from the Department for the Economy for this financial year were also noted.”
“The Council noted that the A5 western transport corridor scheme had been discussed at its transport sectoral meeting on 27 June and that the Minister for Infrastructure will submit further papers for Executive approval of the progression of the A5 project. Ministers welcomed the fact that site works for the Narrow Water bridge project began in May 2024 and that the commencement of construction was marked in June 2024 at an event attended by Ministers from both jurisdictions. <BR /> <BR />Ministers welcomed the fact that phase 2, Clones to Clonfad, of the Ulster canal restoration project had been completed and was officially opened at an event attended by Ministers from both jurisdictions in June 2024. It was noted that a strategy for the completion of phase 3, as a whole, will be finalised by the end of 2024.”
“<BR /> <BR />The next item on the agenda related to the various New Decade, New Approach commitments with a cross-border dimension.”
“<BR /> <BR />Ministers then considered a report from the joint secretaries on the activity that had taken place since the last plenary meeting in April. It was noted that Ministers had met across 12 NSMC work sectors and that institutional meetings had also taken place. Ministers welcomed the engagement between both Administrations on a wide range of policy matters across all of the NSMC areas of cooperation and noted that the NSMC will be updated on progress at future meetings. The NSMC also welcomed the fact that work programmes had been updated to reflect the emerging policy priorities and noted that Ministers had discussed climate change and loss of biodiversity at all meetings. The positive engagement on those shared challenges was welcomed.”
“<BR /> <BR />At the outset of the meeting, the Council extended its congratulations to the athletes from both jurisdictions who had participated in the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The skills, commitment and dedication of those athletes, who were competing at the highest level, was recognised. <BR /> <BR />The Council then had a substantive discussion on business- and trade-related matters. Promoting economic growth in a sustainable and balanced way is a priority for both Administrations, which are committed to supporting businesses and growing trade. Ministers went on to discuss their own plans on how to achieve that. The Council noted that, where appropriate, the NSMC sectors will continue to consider how agreed collaborative approaches will contribute to the promotion of economic growth.”
“The NSMC then appointed two members to the board of Foras na Gaeilge and agreed that appointments will be made to fill the remaining vacancies on that board and on the boards of other North/South implementation bodies at future meetings. <BR /> <BR />At the close of the meeting, the Council agreed to meet again in institutional format in 2025. That concludes the element of the statement that relates to the NSMC institutional meeting. <BR /> <BR />I will now update the House on the NSMC plenary meeting, which was also held on 13 September. At the plenary meeting, the deputy First Minister and I led the Executive delegation, and the Taoiseach led the Irish Government delegation. The meeting was chaired by the Taoiseach.”
“The position will be monitored in both jurisdictions, and the NSMC will be apprised of relevant developments. <BR /> <BR />The Council then discussed a number of matters relating to the North/South bodies. It was noted that the Finance Departments have developed a framework that will allow some flexibility while preserving the use of the funding ratios as the primary funding mechanism for the North/South bodies. The NSMC also noted that the CEO posts of the North/South bodies were last reviewed in 2004 and that the joint secretaries will explore with Finance Departments whether a further review is necessary. Ministers also noted that two amendments to the North/South pension scheme are being developed, and those will be brought to the NSMC for approval when the necessary processes are complete.”
“The British Government's association to the Horizon Europe research programme, which represents an opportunity to advance research, investment and collaboration across the two jurisdictions, was also welcomed. <BR /> <BR />Ministers acknowledged that student mobility is mutually beneficial to both jurisdictions and invited stakeholders to continue to explore options for students. Government funding that enables Northern Ireland students to avail themselves of the ERASMUS+ programme was also welcomed. <BR /> <BR />The Council noted that a general election in Britain and elections to the European Parliament had taken place earlier in 2024 and that cooperation on a North/South basis will continue in the context of the evolving nature of EU-UK relations.”
“The NSMC noted the civil contingency and resilience arrangements in place, including those relating to cross-border health emergency planning and response. The regular and ongoing collaboration between officials in both jurisdictions on civil contingencies, resilience and preparedness was welcomed. Ministers also welcomed the all-island disaster risk reduction conference series, which is organised by the Irish Government, and noted that it had provided an opportunity to encourage networking, promote dialogue, commission research and deepen cooperation on strategic emergency management matters. <BR /> <BR />The Council then considered developments in the wider policy environment. The NSMC reaffirmed its support for the PEACE PLUS programme and welcomed the contribution of the programme to promoting peace, reconciliation and prosperity.”