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 23 of 113.
“The Council welcomed the fact that the challenges of climate change and biodiversity loss had been discussed at all meetings and looked forward to a further update at a plenary meeting later that day. <BR /> <BR />The NSMC welcomed the fact that outstanding corporate governance decisions for the North/South bodies were being taken and noted that work is under way to finalise the 2025 business plans and budgets. Plans to mark the twenty-fifth year since the establishment of the NSMC and the North/South implementation bodies later in the year were also noted. <BR /> <BR />The next item on the institutional agenda was disaster risk reduction and emergency planning. During that item, Professor Caroline McMullan of Dublin City University gave a presentation on public safety messaging in border communities.”
“In compliance with section 52C of the Northern Ireland Act 1998, I wish to update the House on the thirteenth institutional meeting and twenty-eighth plenary meeting of the North/South Ministerial Council (NSMC). The meetings were held in Dublin Castle on 13 September 2024, and the deputy First Minister and I have agreed that I will provide the reports. <BR /> <BR />The first element of the statement relates to the institutional meeting, at which the deputy First Minister and I represented the Executive. The Tánaiste and the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Micheál Martin TD, represented the Irish Government, and the meeting was chaired by the Tánaiste. <BR /> <BR />The institutional meeting began with an update from the joint secretaries during which we noted that meetings had been held in all 12 of the NSMC sectors since April this year.”
“<BR /> <BR />On a separate matter, yesterday, 21 October, a Sinn Féin employee who worked in the Assembly made the party Chief Whip aware of their involvement in an incident regarding a portrait in Belfast City Hall. That took place on Saturday 19 October. The employee was immediately suspended, and we notified the PSNI. The employee has now resigned from their employment and party membership.”
“Yesterday, I was asked about the age of the young person who was sent inappropriate text messages by a Sinn Féin representative. It was my understanding that the young person was 17 years of age, based on the information at application to join the party. That information was wrong. Over the weekend, the young person made it clear that he was in fact 16 at the time, and I fully accept this. I want to put it on record that he was in fact 16 years of age when these inappropriate texts were sent. <BR /> <BR />What happened to this young person was wrong. Niall Ó Donnghaile's behaviour was unacceptable and entirely inappropriate, and no young person should have experienced that. As I said yesterday, I am absolutely so sorry for the hurt caused by the statement that was issued following his resignation.”
“I have tried to answer that in terms of the individual's mental health and the sensitivities around that. I have tried to answer the question for you.”
“It was a statement on the role that he held and the different positions that he served in. It also wished him well with his health.”
“I do not agree with the assertion that it was "glowing"; it was a statement on the role that he held —.”
“I am not aware whether we were invited. I look at every invitation favourably. As the Member will know, I spend my days, evenings and weekends out and about, engaging with excellent projects. I do not know whether we were invited. I do not remember declining an invitation to attend. As I said previously, we need to be clear about what we fund and do not fund. I made a distinction at that time, as the Member is acutely aware.”
“Of course. As the junior Minister said, there are so many excellent projects out there that really improve community relations. No doubt the museum plays its part in that. That goes without saying.”
“I assure the Member that regional balance — creating more jobs and ensuring that everybody gets their share of them — is an absolutely laudable policy choice that, I know, we will continue to pursue.”
“Yes. I talked earlier about growing our economy and its benefits and selling points. The fact that we are focused very much on regional balance and ensuring that we have a fair economy is a strong point to make. I welcome the fact that the Economy Minister has put forward proposals to ensure that there is regional balance across the board. They are a game-changer. <BR /> <BR />Everybody must enjoy the prosperity that we create. We can do a lot more in that regard, but the legislation that has been introduced and recent developments such as the A5 project going ahead speak to regional balance and an improved picture whereby we ensure that there is fairness across the board.”
“We are working our way through that. It comes to an end in the early part of next year. We are keen to get to the juncture where we work with the Irish Government, because, obviously, they are a major funder. We want to build on the good progress that has been made to this point. Nobody can dispute that the north-west development fund has been effective, but there is a lot of scope for us to build on it. We need to communicate and are communicating with the Irish Government on what the next iteration looks like.”
“First, the Education Minister will need to contact me to raise any concerns that he has. We can see where it goes from there. Having not been over the policy remit, I cannot comment in more detail.”
“That is a policy responsibility for the Department of Education, so the Education Minister will be best placed to answer that question. He has not, I believe, asked for support on it, but I would need to double-check to be sure. Obviously, the policy responsibility falls to the Education Minister.”
“We have already demonstrated that that is what we are absolutely committed to doing, when you look at what we have been able to do. Our draft Programme for Government is out for consultation. We have had the first-year legislative programme. We have made advances in childcare. We have made advances across a raft of areas on which we can be collectively proud that we are making progress. Of course, there is a large volume of work to get through. It is important that we get the right strategies and policies in place. It is important that we demonstrate to the public the value of local institutions delivering for them. That is my resolve and, no doubt, that of the deputy First Minister in the Executive Office. We will always come to the House to talk to Members about all the areas that we cover.”
“I assure the Member that there will be plenty of disagreements between me and the deputy First Minister: that is the cut and thrust of politics. There may be a different policy emphasis at different times, but we are working our way through those issues. There are times when we have differences in approach, but, given the "jointery" of the office, we try to find a way to work through those. Where we have come up against any difficulties, we have been able to manage our way through those. I have no doubt that we will have many a challenge in the time ahead, but we will continue to work our way through them.”
“Again, we are on the public record as having said that the party received legal advice that naming the individual would not have been appropriate, given that no criminal charges were brought against him. However, we also stated clearly that he was dealing with a severe mental health crisis and was deemed to be medically unfit by his doctor. Therefore, there were concerns about the individual's mental health. Again, we have said that clearly on a number of occasions.”
“As we said at the weekend in terms of the young fella himself, Mary Lou McDonald clearly stated on the public record that any commentary that she made was never designed to cause additional distress to the young person, and that remains our position. <BR /> <BR />It is so, so important that people do not play games with people's lives here. This is so, so delicate in terms of the young individual. It is important that I am open and transparent, as we have endeavoured to be. It is important that people do not play games, please, with people's lives whenever they come to talk about this subject.”
“There is a danger of just repeating and repeating. We have answered this question very clearly. All child protection protocols were followed. All child protection protocols were followed, with the immediate referral to the PSNI and social services. The protection of the young person was our primary concern, as it always would be. Mr Ó Donnghaile was held accountable and faced serious consequences — rightly so — for his inappropriate and unacceptable behaviour. As I said earlier, I am deeply sorry that that young person went through that experience. It is totally unacceptable by anybody's standards.”
“Since the Executive were restored, I and other Ministers have used every opportunity to urge the British Government to fairly fund the Executive so that we can, in turn, support our local economy and our public services. We know that, prior to the election, we were dealing with 14 years of cuts and chaos under the Tories that, combined with Brexit, put immense pressure on farmers and rural communities. Without that investment, the survival of our rural economies and livelihoods will certainly be at risk. These payments to farmers are under the direct control of the British Government. As I said, we will continue to take every opportunity to press for fair funding for farming and to ensure that that is put in place immediately. As a matter of fact, we raised that with Keir Starmer when we met him on Friday of last week.”
“Yes. Absolutely. I thank the Member for his question and for being vocal on the issue, as are other Members of the House. Farmers were told that the funding would be replaced pound for pound, and they are still not sure where they stand. The cut to farm support, particularly for small family farms, will have a negative impact on our local farmers and our agri-economy. Since Brexit, our agricultural community has faced significant uncertainty, first with the loss of the single farm payment under the EU common agricultural policy (CAP) and now with the cut to the basic payment scheme. The scheme is a lifeline for farmers, and it must be protected. I assure the Member that we have raised the matter at British Government level and will continue to do so.”
“There are mechanisms in place — this is one of them — for Members to ask me questions. I am being as open and transparent as I can be, and we have answered the questions that have been posed by Members here and in the Assembly Committee and, likewise, in the Dáil. <BR /> <BR />I take the opportunity to make a plea to all political parties that we are all part of society, everybody needs to do their due diligence and everybody needs to be very sure-footed in their child protection policies. I will bring that approach to our party. I am confident that we followed the child protection policies as we needed to, but I encourage that across the board. Let us all question ourselves: is everybody fit for purpose? If we are all serious about safeguarding, that is the remit that falls to every one of us.”
“As I said when I answered questions in the House, I want to be open and transparent and answer the questions that are posed to me, and I have endeavoured to do so. It is important that I repeat my assurances that safeguarding is of the utmost importance to me, and I have said that in the Chamber over the last number of weeks as a mother, a grandparent and a Minister of government. I am absolutely committed to ensuring that we uphold the best possible standards that we can. <BR /> <BR />I have set out what we will do internally and the personal responsibilities in terms of our party. I have said clearly that we will overhaul our systems and structures, but I also recommend that the public judge me on the actions I take as First Minister to fulfil all my responsibilities to support victims and survivors.”
“We are moving at pace, and, hopefully, it will be by the end of the year.”
“There has perhaps been a bit of confusion about what was presented by officials in terms of the first 100 days, but it was not a work programme set out by me and the deputy First Minister. Suffice to say that, when the legislation was brought forward, Ministers were not in place, so a lot of work was happening in their absence. It is important that we get it right, and that is why we have revised the timeline for laying the regulations. It is complex, and we need to make sure we get it right. We restated our commitment to bringing it forward as part of the environmental improvement plan.”
“The Committee for the Executive Office will also consider them in due course. The appointment of the climate commissioner will follow once the Assembly procedures are complete and the regulations are in place. Although there is no date stated in the Act for when a climate commissioner should be appointed, once the regulations have been approved, we will move as quickly as possible to see that that appointment is swiftly made.”
“Establishing the office of climate commissioner here is a key requirement of the Climate Change Act 2022 that falls to this Department. When established, it will be an important element of our support to transition to net zero. Prior to February 2024, officials took forward significant development work on the options for the commissioner, including how they will complement existing advisory bodies, and began drafting the required regulations. In recent weeks, the deputy First Minister and I have agreed that the necessary procedures should be undertaken to have the regulations laid and made in the Assembly as soon as possible. That will be an important first step in establishing the office of the commissioner. Our officials are undertaking the work required to have the regulations laid and made.”
“I believe that I was asked that question at the Committee and that my answer was yes. There is no stepping away from that. I have answered the question before and am happy to do so again for you.”
“I intend to go before the Committee, but the matter of timing is one that I need to work out with the Committee. It has invited me to come back this Wednesday, but I am acutely aware that it has asked for legal advice. Let us get that, but I am more than happy to answer questions from the Committee.”
“Yes. I accept that. We want to move it on as quickly as possible. Given the enormity of the policy decisions and their emotive nature, we need to work our way through them as quickly as possible. We will continue to engage with victims and survivors throughout, which is also very important. As we have said, by the end of the year, we want to have got to a juncture where we have considered in full and discussed with Executive colleagues the policy positions that we may take. We will come back to the House, obviously, for scrutiny and for conversation with Members.”
“Once the draft Bill is agreed by the Executive, it will be introduced in the Assembly to be fully considered. In parallel, we continue to establish the practical requirements for the inquiry and redress service. We remain committed, along with many Members of the House, to helping people and their loved ones to get the answers and the support that they deserve.”
“The public consultation on the proposals for a public inquiry and a redress scheme closed on 19 September. We thank all those who responded and attended one of the 16 public events. In total, 269 responses were received, and we are committed to publishing an analysis of them in the coming weeks. Whilst we need time to consider the responses in full, there are many areas of broad agreement where positive amendments can be made. However, there remain many sensitive policy issues that will require discussion with Executive colleagues before any final decision can be taken. It will also be important for us to engage with and listen to victims and survivors in this period. <BR /> <BR />We aim to do the majority of the work before the end of 2024.”
“With your permission again, Mr Speaker, junior Minister Reilly will answer that question.”
“With your permission, Mr Speaker, junior Minister Reilly will answer that question.”
“They are economic generators and, crucially, will drive investment and increase numbers of jobs. The need for the pause to be lifted and for them to get on with putting the funding back in place was certainly one of the areas that we raised. We are hopeful of having some indication in that regard at the end of the month with the Chancellor's statement. Hopefully, that will shed some more light on the pathway for those deals to be resumed.”
“Yes, while we were in Edinburgh, the deputy First Minister and I had the opportunity to meet Keir Starmer privately in advance of the meeting with the First Ministers of Scotland and Wales. We raised the issue of funding for city deals. We absolutely underlined and stressed the importance of urgently securing the funding for those city deals that remain paused, the Mid South West and the Causeway Coast and Glens deals. The British Government's refusal to honour their commitment to the Mid South West and Causeway Coast and Glens city deals is inexcusable. We really wanted to underline their importance. If Keir Starmer is on his feet speaking about economic growth, that needs to be felt across the board. We cannot have a disparity in these deals.”
“We are happy to report, as I have just done by answering the question. However, this falls outside the normal structures of reporting to the Assembly. We need to take advice with regard to that. However, we are very happy to inform the House that we saw it as a good opportunity to engage and discuss investment, shared challenges and shared opportunities. We look forward to building on the work that has now commenced with this new structure, but it is not a substitute for other formal structures of intergovernmental engagement, including, for example, the British-Irish Council or the East-West Council structures.”
“The council received an update on the industrial strategy green paper, 'Invest 2035', and we discussed opportunities for attracting long-term inward investment. Council members confirmed their commitment to working together to maximise investment and support economic growth. It is envisaged that the council will meet again in spring next year.”
“We attended the inaugural meeting of the Council of Nations and Regions in Edinburgh on Friday 11 October 2024. The council has been established to bring together Governments and authorities with devolved responsibilities to determine actions for tackling some of the biggest and most cross-cutting challenges that we face. <BR /> <BR />The meeting was chaired by the British Prime Minister, Keir Starmer. Also attending were the First Ministers of Scotland and Wales, the Mayor of London and the mayors of combined authorities and combined county authorities. This first meeting focused on economic growth and inward investment. The theme was chosen in the light of the international investment summit which was then held in London on 14 October and which the deputy First Minister and I also attended.”
“I am always more than happy to answer questions that are genuinely about safeguarding, because it is so important that we get this right. I have clarified my position in relation to engaging with Fearghal McKinney and the British Heart Foundation. The Member knows that only too well, so he is just standing on his feet to make a party political statement, as opposed to being genuine and asking questions that are legitimate for me to answer, which, I think, I endeavour to do in this House.”
“I am very happy to engage with the Committee. I know that the Committee is seeking legal advice. I look forward to seeing that. I am happy to clarify the record in terms of the questions that were put to me.”
“I repeat that all child protection protocols were followed, with an immediate referral to the PSNI and also to social services. The protection of the young person was absolutely our primary concern. Niall Ó Donnghaile was held accountable and faced serious consequences for his totally unacceptable and inappropriate behaviour. I am deeply sorry and angry that that young person had to endure any of that inappropriateness or unacceptable behaviour. I confirm that, according to our records, the young person was, in fact, 17. That is the record that we have in our membership files.”
“<BR /> <BR />Our seven-year strategic framework and our first delivery plan, which were launched last month, will work to end this scourge on society, but, as the Member will know, at the heart of that plan is the preventative work and the education piece that must be carried through. This will take some time, but it is the beginning of what may well be a generational journey where the end point must be the building of a society where women and girls live free from all forms of violence, abuse and harm. Together, we must make that work happen.”
“Thank you for that. I commend the Member for the statement that she made earlier. Of course, we all send our heartfelt condolences to the families of each and every one of those women who have lost their lives because of violence against women and girls. Twenty-four women have been murdered since 2020. They were daughters, mothers, sisters and friends, and those figures absolutely speak to an epidemic of violence against women and girls. Let me outline again today the message that we delivered when we launched our strategy: words are not enough. Now is past the time for talking, and that is why ending violence against women and girls has been a day-1 priority for me and for the deputy First Minister and why it is a priority in the draft Programme for Government.”
“On 13 September, in line with our child protection guidelines, and given that the complainant was under the age of 18, Niall Ó Donnghaile was suspended from the party and the issue was referred to the PSNI and social services in the North to investigate. At that point, I was made aware.”
“<BR /> <BR />We have secured the Executive's endorsement of a new strategy for victims and survivors of the Troubles conflict and the new strategic framework for ending violence against women and girls. That framework was developed through co-design with the input of the community and voluntary sector, including the most valuable participation of women who have lived experience. In support of that, the junior Ministers visited grassroots women's organisations and met victims and survivors of violence. They have also met victims and survivors of historical clerical child abuse to discuss ongoing research and to attend an event to recognise the work of the regional trauma network. Across all those areas of work, we will continue to focus on delivering for some of the most vulnerable people in our society.”
“We are fully committed to protecting all children from harm and ensuring the highest standards of safeguarding and child protection. All staff in our Department must adhere to the NI Civil Service (NICS) child protection policy and guidance, and established procedures are in place for reporting concerns and disclosures. <BR /> <BR />We are also committed to continuing our important work with victims and survivors. Since February, we have engaged with the Commissioner for Survivors of Institutional Childhood Abuse, and we will shortly meet victims and survivors groups to discuss the issues that matter to them. We met those affected by mother-and-baby institutions, Magdalene laundries and workhouses before the launch of the public consultation, and we are also committed to direct ongoing engagement as the process continues.”
“<BR /> <BR />We need to do everything that we can to exploit our dual market access and make the case, so, as First Minister and deputy First Minister, along with Executive colleagues and the Economy Minister, we will continue to repeat the message that we are open for business, that we have political stability and that we want you to come and invest here. That will align with the work that is being done within the Minister for the Economy's remit and also with what the deputy First Minister and I will do through diplomacy — by going out and making contact with people and following through on the investment opportunities. I think that we can be very optimistic about growing the economy.”
“The conference gave us an opportunity to set out our stall. I mentioned some of the selling points that we have, such as our strategic location. Dual market access is a unique selling point now and will attract investors. Look at some of the stats on our economic performance. In the past year, manufacturing exports to the EU grew by 14%. That is in comparison with what happened in England, Wales and Scotland. We have made some good progress there. Sales to Britain have increased and were up by 17% in 2022. Cross-border trade has more than doubled over the past five years.”
“I look forward to having even more of those connections in the time ahead, because we have already been able to follow up on some of the opportunities that were identified at the investment conference, not least when it comes to Studio Ulster and the opportunities that we will have for that next year with the big announcement.”