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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“<BR /> <BR />In summary, the regulation relates to a comparatively small and defined area of trade and business. Its impact in any direction should, therefore, not be overstated. However, in the event that the regulation is not adopted, we expect the impact on trade to be negative from the perspective both of internal trade and of trade between us and the EU. There is a risk that local businesses trading with the EU could be placed at a disadvantage relative to businesses in the South, which would automatically be able to take advantage of the greater flexibility provided by this EU law when marketing their products across the EU. <BR /> <BR />We jointly tabled the motion to allow the Assembly to debate and vote on the addition of the regulation to the Windsor framework.”
“DEFRA has explained that the potential impact of not adopting the regulation is that local businesses could be placed at a disadvantage relative to competitors in the South of Ireland, who would automatically be able to take advantage of the greater flexibility provided by this EU law when marketing their products across the EU. <BR /> <BR />DEFRA also draws our attention to the fact that no concerns were raised about the regulation during its engagement with relevant organic certification bodies, pet food trade associations and manufacturers here. It also highlights the fact that the majority of producers of organic pet food in Britain already comply with the requirements of the regulation in order to produce goods that can be sold in the British and EU markets.”
“In the explanatory memorandum, DEFRA also explains that, if the regulation were to apply here, its position is that it should not apply to pet food moving here under the NI retail movement scheme, as existing arrangements with the EU allow for the recognition of comparable rules in that regard. It notes that the position would be subject to engagement with the European Commission. <BR /> <BR />The explanatory memorandum outlines business impacts, identifying that local producers may benefit from the more flexible approach to classifying organic pet food products set out in the regulation, which brings the EU regulatory framework in line with the rules applied in Britain and would have the effect of creating a common production standard.”
“That is because, prior to the regulation, pet food produced here needed to be made with 100% organic ingredients, whereas the requirement for producers in Britain mandated only 95% organic ingredients. The explanatory memorandum emphasises the Government's position that we should continue to have unfettered access to the UK internal market and notes that, if adopted, the regulation will enable producers here to use a single standard when producing and marketing organic pet food, removing the need for them to apply more stringent standards than their competitors in Britain. That view is reinforced in the explanatory memorandum, where DEFRA notes that it does not expect:”
“<BR /> <BR />The explanatory memorandum explains that the regulation would extend the same labelling requirements to organic pet food as currently exist for other organic food. That means that pet food will need to be produced with at least 95% organic agricultural ingredients if it is to be labelled as organic. It is highlighted that producers here currently have to comply with more stringent regulations in order to ensure that their pet food can be marketed as organic and identifies the challenges due to the lack of availability of appropriate organic ingredients. <BR /> <BR />The British Government advise that, if introduced here, the regulation would bring our production requirements for organic pet food into alignment with production requirements in Britain.”
“The notification was accompanied by an explanatory memorandum drafted by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA). The Speaker has shared the notification and the explanatory memorandum with the Assembly. <BR /> <BR />The regulation was adopted by the EU on 9 October 2023. It entered into force on 30 October 2023, and the new provisions will be applicable from 1 May 2024. The regulation extends the labelling and production requirements that are in place for organic food for human consumption and livestock feed to organic pet food. The EU is seeking to apply the measure using the process set out in article 13(4) of the Windsor framework. It will apply here only if agreed at the EU-UK Joint Committee.”
“<BR /> <BR />The deputy First Minister and I jointly tabled the applicability motion that regulation 2023/2419 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 October 2023 on the labelling of organic pet food be added to the Windsor framework, within the Joint Committee, in accordance with article 13(4) of that framework. On 28 March, the Speaker informed the Executive Office that notification of a new EU act had been received from the British Government's Windsor framework task force. The new act — regulation 2023/2419 of the European Parliament and of the Council — relates to the labelling of organic pet food products and is subject to the applicability motion process set out in the Windsor Framework (Democratic Scrutiny) Regulations 2024.”
“Before I start, I offer my condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of Stephen Grimason at this very difficult time. There is no doubt that Stephen made a huge contribution to journalism and was front and centre of some of the biggest moments in our political history, including the signing of the Good Friday Agreement. He was a much respected director of communications for our Executive, and he will, no doubt, be missed by all those who knew and loved him. I wanted to put that on record on behalf of the Assembly.”
“The scale of the investment that is needed in the site is large, but the options for funding that, based on the plans that are put on the table, will inform the conversation for moving forward. <BR /> <BR />I will leave Members with this thought: we have such a great opportunity at the site, and we are determined to take that opportunity and maximise it for the benefit of all. That is our collective objective, and I look forward to working with all interested Members and with the corporation board to ensure that we make it happen.”
“<BR /> <BR />As the site owner, the development corporation has a duty to maintain the listed and retained buildings, which include the former prison complex and the World War II hangars. A programme of continual maintenance is in place, which includes regular condition surveys and the provision of expert advice. <BR /> <BR />The work that is being done is welcome, but we should all be focused on the potential. The deputy First Minister and I will meet the board in the very near future to take stock of the current position and hear its thoughts on the development of the road map for the site. That will inform how we proceed: our next step, what we reach for next and how we will tap into the potential.”
“I assure the Member who secured the debate that work is being undertaken by the new board and that it is actively looking at how the site might be developed. Plans evolve with the passage of time, and I look forward to the board, in due course, providing us — myself and Emma, the deputy First Minister — with the plans for how it sees the work going forward. The board will provide us with advice and options on how to proceed. As part of that process, the board will also consider the infrastructure that is needed to support those development plans, because there are, obviously, a lot of issues that we will have to deal with, not least the connection to the primary road network and the transport infrastructure, which are prime examples of the things that we will have to invest in.”
“The Ulster Aviation Society is one of our top-rated attractions given its number of visitors. Progress has been made on public access to the collection and the hangars. That has all been a good development. The Air Ambulance, such a vital emergency service that we are all very proud of, also operates from the site. <BR /> <BR />It boils down to the fact that, given its location and size, full regeneration of the site will be a catalyst for attracting investment and creating jobs. That can be to the benefit of everybody in this society — everybody whom we, collectively, serve — and that is what I want us to work towards.”
“The catalyst that it can be for development, jobs and investment, and the positive impact that it can bring to local communities, have to be maximised, and we are determined to make sure that that happens. <BR /> <BR />Many Members reflected on the fact that there has been a lot of development on the site. Obviously, there is much more to come. The Balmoral show, which will open again on 15 May, is a hugely popular event that brings much to the site. Thousands of people come to it from all over, and, as someone said, that is not just those from an agricultural and farming background. It goes wider than that and is a fantastic day out for people. That one event showcases all that is good about our agri-food industry and the high-quality food and drink offerings that we have here.”
“I agree — it is time to do this, time to make it happen and time to make the site an enormous catalyst for investment and all that we can achieve. Let us make that our common ground and something to build on from today's debate. <BR /> <BR />Everybody has referenced the amazing strategic potential that the site offers. Some have referred to the fact that it is 347 acres — twice the size of the Titanic Quarter — with around 1 million people living within 30 minutes of it. Again, that speaks to the potential and the opportunity that we have. Members have also said that it has such a strategic location, on a key transport corridor, for access to our airports and ports. That gives the whole site an unparalleled competitive advantage.”
“I thank the Member for bringing the Adjournment debate and I acknowledge the passionate contributions on the common ground that we all share, which is that this is an opportunity that we must grasp with both hands. Different Members, particularly those who represent the constituency, talked about their family connections and lived experiences. Those things are all important, but, equally, everybody has recognised that this goes much wider than Lisburn or the Lagan Valley constituency. It is a site that has enormous economic, historic and reconciliation opportunities. Those are the things that we have to look to for common ground. To pick up on a phrase that was used, it is time to change the record.”
“Go raibh maith agat, a Leas-Cheann Comhairle.”
“That was not discussed today, but I am happy to ensure that you get a written response if that has been raised. You might want to write to the office to highlight what the challenge is, and I will be happy to get us to look at it.”
“The Member will have a keen interest in this, given his proximity to it. The question of how we are going to make progress was raised again today. There will be a full report to the Assembly on the outworking of what we did today. Today's meeting was about taking stock of where we are and then what the imminent plans are. There will be further sectoral meetings to get into the in-depth detail around the next stage of the Ulster canal. There was huge enthusiasm to make sure that we fulfil the commitments that were made previously and that we advance the project and move on to the next stage.”
“It is important that we work our way through that in a pragmatic sense and that we take the needs of business into account. If Brexit is going to tell us anything, it is that, if we do not listen to the needs of people in industry who are challenged every day by the implications of the outworking of all that, we are not learning lessons. I would like to think that we can take a very pragmatic approach to how we move forward. Will we always agree? That is yet to be tested, but let us work our way through it, with the intention of trying to do the right thing by the business community, which we are all trying to help prosper and grow. Ultimately, that helps our whole economy and our people to prosper.”
“As the Member knows, we now have a Committee established, the remit of which will be to scrutinise all that work. It comes to us first, and we have a decision to make, and then it can come to the Floor of the House. This is a new arrangement for us all, and we are working our way through it. We have had two such debates in the Assembly so far. It is important that we work our way through those matters as they come before us, but we do not want to tie ourselves up constantly on those issues. Clearly, however, where there are issues of significance that we want to discuss, we have the forum now and should use it to discuss them.”
“Yes. I have said that we will prioritise Lough Neagh, but there are individual responsibilities that will fall to all our colleagues around the Executive table. We will let them bring their expertise and their skill set and their Executive papers, and we will not be found wanting in supporting us all to do whatever we can to arrest the current situation. The report has been published, and we know what the challenges are. The big challenge will be how we turn that around and fix the problem, given the financial constraints that we are under. That is why the financial argument is still, crucially, the number-one argument for us.”
“<BR /> <BR />I hope that that gives some assurances that, whilst we move towards the environmental improvement plans that the AERA Minister will be bringing to the Executive and a Lough Neagh-specific plan — that will be for him to talk about in his own right — that is the volume of work that we are undertaking. Furthermore, previous to this morning's meeting of the North/South Ministerial Council, the deputy First Minister and I had a conversation, which we then brought into the meeting, about the need to share innovation, research and experience around what is happening in Lough Neagh. As a result, there was an agreement to advance that piece of work. Perhaps something very good will come from that to identify the problems and to share research, innovation and knowledge, which will be crucial.”
“I thank the Member for her question. As she knows, the Executive have said that Lough Neagh is one of our priorities. We also know that, unfortunately, there is no quick fix. There will need to be investment and short, medium and longer-term plans. The fact that the deputy First Minister, the AERA Minister and I went on site last week to meet representatives of the Lough Neagh Partnership demonstrated the Executive's commitment to collectively take on the problems that we have. That situation will fall not to one Department but to many Departments, whether it is to do with waste water infrastructure, agricultural run-off, zebra mussels or, indeed, blue-green algae, which is a European and world-wide problem and not just a problem in Lough Neagh.”
“Yes, dialogue is the key to making everything work. The more conversations that we have, the more joined-up we can be, particularly across the two islands. That will be to the mutual benefit of all the people whom we collectively serve. Prosperity, prosperity, prosperity: that is what we should all be focused on. We had a conversation earlier about shared societies and building shared communities. Let us lift everybody up. Bringing everybody up will create a better shared space for us all. There are huge opportunities in the time ahead. I hope that we all have the political will with which to grasp them. That political will was certainly evident this morning.”
“There are huge opportunities for us, and I am glad that we were able to discuss those at the North/South Ministerial Council this morning.”
“I thank the Member for that question and congratulate him on his elevation to the Policing Board. I believe that that was announced earlier today. <BR /> <BR />There absolutely was economic value in that meeting. We live on a small island. The Economy Ministers and the Enterprise Ministers from both jurisdictions talked today about the opportunities to grow the all-island economy and the economies across our islands. There are huge opportunities for us to work collaboratively. The Economy Minister referenced today the opportunities for Invest NI to work with Enterprise Ireland and InterTradeIreland and how those organisations can work towards joint missions for economic opportunity and to create better prosperity.”
“I concur with that point. It is such a sensitive issue. People have waited decades for recognition of what happened. Thankfully, we have made some progress, but we certainly have more to do. I absolutely take on board your point about making sure that we protect burial places.”
“I give them our assurances that we will bring the legislation forward as quickly as possible.”
“Thank you for that question. We are continuing to work our way through that. We will bring our legislative programme to the Executive in the coming weeks. The inquiry is one of the areas that falls under my Department's remit. I am certainly determined that we get the legislation over the line as quickly as possible, because those people have waited for far too long. We do not want any delays in getting us to the point where we can introduce and debate the legislation. I hope that we can do that and do it well. <BR /> <BR />I am meeting some people who have been advocates for all the change in relation to mother-and-baby homes that has happened over the past number of years and for the rightful recognition of all the wrong that was caused to them.”
“I kind of stole your thunder by moving on to that in my previous answer. It was a good and productive meeting. It is good to get the Council back in place. It is an important part of the Good Friday Agreement, and its whole focus is on delivery and the key projects and areas that we have identified across, as I said, health, education and the economy. All Ministers are now going to go off into their sectoral formats and will meet for discussions across their specific areas of interest. I look forward to making progress. As we work collectively through the institutions, we can do good things by building a better future for the people who live across the island, particularly in those areas of collaboration and in those where we can work in partnership.”
“This morning was very much a positive statement on all the areas of collaboration that we have. I will not get into lists and everything because I will leave something out, but we discussed everything, including infrastructure projects such as the A5 and the Ulster canal. We talked about how we will work together across health and education. We talked about childcare and quite a range of areas. To me, on the twenty-fifth anniversary of the establishment of North/South bodies, this is a good opportunity for a refresh of all those areas of collaboration.”
“Thanks to the Member for that. Yes, it is a really important part of the jigsaw. Now that we have the Executive up and functioning, our Assembly is meeting and we are discussing the matters of the day, it is also important that we get all pieces of the jigsaw put back together, and that includes the North/South Ministerial Council. <BR /> <BR />I am very glad that we had our first meeting in three years this morning. The meeting ran on because we had quite a lot to talk about. Our people are best served when all the institutions and all the apparatus of the Good Friday Agreement are working, and that includes on a North/South and east-west basis. We have had our Executive restored, had a North/South Ministerial Council meeting, and we will have a British-Irish Council meeting in June.”
“First, neither the deputy First Minister nor I had any role in the appointment process. That is a matter for HR and internal practices, and it is a matter for the Education Minister, so I encourage the Member to direct his questions that way.”
“For now, the Executive's focus is on the Programme for Government, and, of course, the Executive parties all have collective ownership of that. It needs to reflect the shared priorities of the Executive, some of which, as I said, you just referred to. We are working on a draft document, and that will include the list of priorities. We will move at pace, and I will write to the Member to follow up on the letter that he previously sent.”
“I thank the Member, who recently wrote to the deputy First Minister and me about some of those issues. As I said earlier, I can confirm that we are working at pace through the Programme for Government. We want to get it right, and it will include the priorities that I identified previously, some of which you just noted. It is important that we deliver on what we say we will deliver and that we understand the financial context in which we are working, so that is why, ideally, we want to get to a point where we have a Programme for Government that is aligned with a multi-year Budget. That is, of course, where everybody wants to be. Unfortunately, we are dealing with the confines of the current Treasury rules, but who knows where that will be in the future.”
“We used our engagements in Washington to deliver a clear message that we are an attractive investment opportunity for global companies because of our talented workforce, dual market access with the EU and innovative home-grown companies. We highlighted our strengths, particularly in sectors such as cybersecurity, regtech, fintech, advanced manufacturing and health sciences, and we highlighted our young, skilled and dedicated workforce. We also impressed upon President Biden that we appreciate the continued support, including the work taken forward by special envoy Joe Kennedy III. Over the coming months, we will continue to build on the connections that we have made in order to grow our economy for the betterment of our citizens.”
“<BR /> <BR />The deputy First Minister and I had a very positive experience, meeting business leaders from a wide range of sectors who were left with a very clear understanding of why they should invest here.”
“With your permission, I will answer questions 9 and 10 together. <BR /> <BR />The deputy First Minister and I travelled to Washington to represent the four-party Executive and their shared objectives. The US represents enormous opportunities for us. It remains our largest and most important source of inward foreign direct investment. Some 260 US-owned businesses operate here, and they employ over 30,000 people, which shows the potential that is there to be built on. Our decision to travel to the US at the earliest opportunity was to seek out investors and companies and to demonstrate that we are, in fact, open for business and committed to building stability and prosperity through investment.”
“The current board's second term ended on 31 March 2024. Along with a board member, officials are considering interim arrangements should the chair position be vacant for a period of time. A competition to fill the vacancies was launched on 15 January and closed to applications on 2 February. Although the VSS is not a regulated body under the CPANI guidelines, the appointment process is being undertaken in the spirit of the code. It is hoped that the new chair and members will be announced very shortly.”
“Ensuring that the needs of victims and survivors continue to be met in the most effective and appropriate manner remains a key priority for the Executive. The role of the commissioner is critical in supporting that work, by ensuring that victims and survivors have a strong and independent voice and contributing to the development of policy so that their longer-term needs are addressed. We are therefore keen that a new commissioner is appointed as soon as possible, and our officials continue to progress the administrative preparations required for the recruitment competition to appoint the new commissioner. The appointment process is regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments (CPANI), and we estimate that the whole process will take approximately six months.”
“Given that it has not come into full effect yet, we are still working out the implications for here. We have to continue that work with the Home Office as more of what the legislation means for our responsibilities and what falls to us becomes clearer. Certainly, even though the Act came into effect in July of last year, most of the sections have not been commenced yet, so we need to get more detail on what it will mean. We continue to liaise with the Home Office on its plans to enact the remaining sections and what the implications are. We have established a task and finish group chaired by TEO officials to take that work forward.”
“We therefore welcome the announcement by the Home Office on 19 February confirming the opportunity to apply for an extended Homes for Ukraine visa, for a further 18 months, for those who wish to remain. As with all such matters, given that the policy responsibility sits in London, we will continue to engage with the Home Office in London and the Department for Levelling Up on work to support Ukrainian arrivals.”
“Yes, absolutely. We continue to play our part in supporting Ukrainians who are fleeing war. There have been over 3,100 arrivals here so far, and more than £620,000 has been paid in immediate cash support to help people to get established. We have coordinated work across Departments to support arrivals and facilitated payments of over £3 million to more than 900 individual homes, the people who have opened their doors to help and be Ukrainians' sponsors. We are also mindful that some of our first arrivals under the Homes for Ukraine sponsorship scheme are entering the final year of their current visa and that that is a worrying moment for people.”
“That also includes making sure that we have the right governance structures in place. I welcome the fact that we now have more stakeholder engagement and that more people are able to bring their issues of concern to the table. We then discuss the issues and work out how we can lobby on them. We should always have an open mind over whether something is not right and then try to fix it. That is the approach that we take in TEO.”
“I concur with the issues that the Member has raised. It is really important for governance that we listen to people who are living through that experience, especially to those on the ground who are helping them every day. I welcome the work that is being done, but I also recognise that there is more to be done. While it is not a devolved issue per se, some issues fall into our responsibility, so we have to make sure that we do the right things. That is why I welcome the fact that we plan to bring a final refugee integration strategy to the Executive in the coming months. Work has been going on to align the draft strategy to make sure that we enhance the support for refugees and asylum seekers. No doubt we will want to talk about that more in the time ahead.”
“A multi-agency move-on coordination group, which includes members from TEO, the Housing Executive, the Department of Education, the Department of Health, the Department for Communities and the Education Authority, continues to meet fortnightly to coordinate the devolved response. We also engage through the move-on delivery board, which is chaired by the Home Office and attended by TEO and Housing Executive officials, alongside a range of stakeholders from across the regions.”
“The provision of housing, including for those granted refugee status, is the responsibility of the Housing Executive. Following the introduction of the Home Office's streamlined asylum process, the pace and volume of asylum decisions has increased significantly. Whilst we welcome work to reduce the backlog and facilitate the decision-making process, the increase in so-called move-ons, where people move out of Home Office accommodation into, for example, a Housing Executive property, continues to have a significant impact on services and support locally, including on housing. TEO officials have a coordination role and engage regularly at regional and local level on the issue.”
“Let us make sure that it is meaningful and impactful.”
“To confirm and maybe correct the record for the Member, the Executive have been formed for nine or 10 weeks now. That is how long we have been having the official conversation on the Programme for Government. I am glad to say that work continues apace to develop that Programme for Government. I am more interested in getting it right. I am more interested in making sure that we have a Programme for Government that reflects our priorities, as identified by the four Executive parties. I have said that we will bring this to the Executive. We will have some discussion this week, but the intention is that we will have something formally in place for the summer. We will then have to go through the consultation process and work through all the details. Let us get it right. Let us not be in a hurry.”
“As I said in the aftermath of the Kenova report and on taking up the office of First Minister, I regret every single loss of life. I regret that people were born into a society in which conflict was all around them. Our job, as political leaders, is to try to help to heal the wounds of the past. Our job, as political leaders, is to try to help to look towards the future and help families to move forward: not to move on but to move forward. That is the responsible, pragmatic and mature thing to do.”