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 38 of 113.
“Given the sensitivity of the issue, I do not want to say a word wrong about the development of the strategy, so I will write to the Member and confirm that for her.”
“We have asked officials to continue to look at what we can do even in advance of getting to the final point of having a strategy and an action plan. <BR /> <BR />I am very clear that we cannot stand still. We cannot have the outpouring of grief that many people expressed in the Chamber last week on the death of Ashling Murphy. We have to turn that energy into action. I am glad that we are progressing a range of strategies. I am open to the idea of a media campaign, but I am more open to the idea that, if we go down that route, we get it right and target it properly.”
“I thank the Member for her question. I very much welcome the fact that we have commenced the work, and I look forward to working with the Chair of the Committee on the development of the proper strategy that we need. It has to tackle the root causes of why such violence occurs. We have to get right down in depth, so I will work with the Member on that. <BR /> <BR />Suffice it to say that the strategy is one of a number of strategies. Sister strategies are also being brought forward at this time. We need to keep considering all options and all the potential things that we can do, including the area that the Member talked about around educating men and young boys and looking at whether there are opportunities for us to do that in the media. I am absolutely open to that.”
“The politics of condemnation is not the right space for us to be focused on. I encourage you to work with me, because I want to ensure that we heal the wounds of the past and work together to properly deal with it. Otherwise, we burden today's generation with carrying the same thing. We know that it is intergenerational. Join me, and I will join you in trying to deal with the past sufficiently. We had a way in which to do that; we had agreed a way in which to deal with the past. It was the Stormont House Agreement, but the British Government have reneged, as have the DUP by pulling back on its development. For the first time, we had cross-party support to deal with the past. I want to deal with the past, but I also want to be about the future and building a better future.”
“Thank you for tabling the question. I sent you a message about the tweet that referred to your beautiful son at the time, and I hope that you received it. That tweet was disgusting and deplorable by anybody's standards. I unreservedly condemn it and offer my thoughts to you, because I have no doubt that it will have had a retraumatising impact on you, your partner and your family. I want to be clear on that. On the issue of late-night tweets or commentary on social media, there is no place online or in society for such behaviour. Everybody, particularly those in political leadership, needs to think twice before they offer up types of commentary. To be clear, I saw no fun or joke in any part of that tweet. <BR /> <BR />You mentioned the past. We share the same ground in that we need to work together to deal with the past.”
“The provision of that modern and compassionate healthcare is core to delivering a rights-based society — a society in which the rights and entitlements of everyone are upheld, protected and delivered. That is what I am committed to delivering without further delays. I encourage the Health Minister to bring forward and commission those services immediately.”
“Yes, I absolutely agree that that is unacceptable. It is a statement of hypocrisy to talk, on one hand, about protecting women and girls from violence and, on the other hand, to seek to deny women their rights to modern and compassionate healthcare. The issue is very much about trusting and respecting women, which, as the Member knows, are two sides of the same coin. Women's rights are human rights. It is appalling: women of this island have had to wait far too long for equality and access to modern and compassionate abortion health services. It is over a year since the law was changed, but the Health Minister has still not moved to implement those services: that is totally unacceptable.”
“<BR /> <BR />Our approach is ambitious and is focused on working collaboratively. We want to look at the root causes, tackle the progression from damaging attitudes towards abusive behaviours and understand how to intervene at the earliest possible stages. It is vital that the strategy is evidence-based, and therefore we are seeking a wide range of evidence, including from those with lived experience. As a first formal step, we launched a call for views on the new Equally Safe strategy on Monday 10 January. It will run until 7 March. We encourage as many people as possible to participate in that call for views, as responses will help us to inform the scope of and the approach to the new strategy.”
“Cheann Comhairle, with your permission, I will answer questions 2 and 9 together. <BR /> <BR />We are committed to tackling all forms of violence, abuse and unwanted behaviours against women and girls, whether at home, in the community or online. While much good work has already been done, we recognise that a new strategic approach is required to deliver the cultural and societal change necessary to ensure that there are healthy behaviours and attitudes towards women and girls. A whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach is needed. Therefore, a team has been established in TEO to lead the development of the new Equally Safe strategy to tackle violence against women and girls. Engagement is ongoing with stakeholders and Departments across these islands.”
“— engage with the Treasury. As I said, the rest of us are very focused on the ongoing discussions and what is happening today in the latest round of discussions between Liz Truss and the European Union. I hope that that bears fruit for the good of people here and for stability, certainty, building our economy, creating jobs and grabbing on to the protection and the job creation that the protocol has given us. I hope that there is a positive outcome.”
“He has been proactive on that issue and continues to —”
“The Member knows that his party has had a bit of an in/out approach to Brexit. It was against it, for it, against it. It can make up its own mind on any given day. I want to see the protocol work. I want to see the full implementation of it. I want to iron out all the issues that have arisen as a direct result of Brexit, the outworking of that and what it means for the new trading realities that we face. I also want us to avail ourselves of all the opportunities that we now have, which is access to two markets: the EU market and the British government market. The Member is right to be concerned about the cost of living crisis. The Member is right that we, as an Assembly, should look towards finding ways to lift the burden. Conor Murphy has been clear in calling on the British Government to ensure that they remove the VAT.”
“Why do you and your party not turn, with the rest of the parties, to work for the best economic interests of the people who live here? We want to find a way forward within the framework of the protocol that allows all the issues to be ironed out. I believe in east-west trade and want that to continue. I have said that I want to see access to both markets. There is huge potential here, but the DUP is so blindsided that it cannot see it.”
“No, I do not accept it, and I do not accept the mantra from the DUP repeatedly on the issue. You helped to deliver the hardest possible Brexit, which our people are having to live through. The implications of Brexit are being felt across our community as we speak — the implications of the protocol. We would not have a protocol if we did not have Brexit. The protocol provides a solution. I maintain the position of rigorous implementation within the framework of the protocol. <BR /> <BR />Despite the utterances of the DUP, the protocol is not up for negotiation. As we speak today, talks are ongoing between the EU and the British Government. I really hope that the momentum is built on, as we saw before Christmas on the issue of medicines. There was some forward movement on that. Let us be pragmatic. Let us be reasonable.”
“<BR /> <BR />At a time of economic uncertainty and rising energy costs and cost of living, cynical stunts by the DUP do nothing to positively influence negotiations on the protocol. We want to see an agreed way forward. I am committed to maximising the opportunities of the protocol as regards access to the EU single market as well as to the British market. I encourage others to join those of us who have people's best interests at the forefront of our minds.”
“I thank the Member for that question. As he knows, it was the Executive collectively who agreed that the Department of Agriculture was the designated competent authority to perform the checks and controls on the Executive's behalf. It is Executive policy that we are legally obliged to fulfil our responsibilities under law in areas of the withdrawal agreement and te protocol that are within the Assembly's devolved competence. That includes performing checks and providing the associated infrastructure at local ports. For that reason, the Agriculture Minister knows that any interference with checks or controls would be a breach of Executive policy, the rule of law and the statutory duty on Ministers.”
“When it comes to making the protocol work, the rest of us have turned our faces towards finding a remedy, making the protocol work and ensuring its smooth operation, whilst the DUP finds itself on the wrong side of that debate and of the best interests of the people who live here.”
“From a party political point of view, I concur with the Member's comments. It is ridiculous that a crucial component part of the apparatus of the Good Friday Agreement is not being operated; indeed, the courts have had their say on that matter with regard to the lack of attendance by DUP Ministers. It is not acceptable, and the courts have said that it is unlawful. Obviously, we urge that position to be reversed. When people talk about listening, it is important that they understand listening and that it is not just about hearing their own view but about hearing what is right for people here.”
“To date, no proposals on the implementation and application of the protocol have been raised to the Specialised Committee via the NSMC. The NSMC will, however, keep that matter under review and will consider utilising article 14(b) to refer proposals to the Specialised Committee, should it be appropriate to do so.”
“Together, we must say, "Enough is enough." <BR /> <BR />Together, as we remember Ashling, we also remember many of the other women who were killed on this island throughout the pandemic years: Caoimhe Morgan, Emma Jane McParland, Katrina Rainey, Natasha Melendez, Patrycja Wyrebek, Katie Simpson, Susan Baird, Karen McClean, Stacey Knell, Ludmila Poletelova, Katie Brankin, Elizabeth Dobbin, Jean Eagers, Seema Banu, Neasa Murray, Anne Butler, Mary O'Keefe, Sharon Bennett, Urantsetseq Tserendorj, Jenny Poole, Eileen O'Sullivan, Fabiole Camara De Campos, Zeinat Dashabsheh. We remember them all.”
“We are not lucky; we are angry, because no woman or girl should ever have to face such disgusting attitudes or the threat of abuse that destroys lives. The anger across this island must now be turned into determined action. Together, we must stop violence against women and girls.”
“Since Ashling's murder, countless women and girls across this island, me included, will have been reflecting on our safety as we go about our daily lives. The reason why we do that is because, sadly, we know that Ashling's murder was not an isolated incident. <BR /> <BR />Today, I think of the family of Caoimhe Morgan, a mother of four young children, murdered in her home in north Belfast just before Christmas. She died while being comforted by her children — just let that sink in. This is heartbreaking beyond words. These women are not statistics; they are our mothers, daughters, sisters and aunts. How often do we hear that we are lucky that we were not attacked because we dared to walk a particular route, be out at a certain time or wear a certain thing?”
“If we are to break the cycle of male violence against women, we need to develop an enforceable, zero tolerance approach towards misogyny and sexism and to end all violence against all women in all its forms, while also exposing and challenging the everyday sexism that women and girls experience, whether that be online, on the street or in the workplace.”
“Last Monday, I joined Executive colleagues in asking people for their views on a new strategy to end violence against women and girls. By Wednesday, another woman on this island had been brutally murdered. Ashling Murphy was 23. She was attacked and killed while out for a run. There are simply no words to convey the cruelty and injustice of what happened to Ashling. Our hearts go out to her family and to all who loved her. <BR /> <BR />Regrettably, the truth is that violence against women and girls, the threat of violence against women and girls and the fear of violence against women and girls are all too common. Domestic, sexual and gender-based violence is an epidemic.”
“This is the moment to stand up for compassionate healthcare for women; for our daughters, for future generations and for all women. History will not judge kindly those who, in full knowledge of the tragic consequences, chose to fail women again. Now is the time to right the historic wrong. Let us not waste this time: there is too much at stake.”
“It is a ploy, a ruse and a deliberate attempt to distract from the key issue, which is that the commissioning of services needs to happen now. <BR /> <BR />This is the time to do the right thing. This is the time to ensure the commissioning of services. This is about having a rights-based society where we uphold the rights and entitlements of everyone, regardless of whether they fit our own beliefs. This is about trusting women. This is about recognising that we are best placed to make decisions about our pregnancies in conjunction with medical healthcare professionals. We have had enough. We have had enough of women being exiled abroad. We have had enough of women taking abortion pills, often on their own and without medical supervision. This is the moment to draw the line. This is the moment to stand up for healthcare for women.”
“We have to speak with one voice and to say it loudly: women are entitled to modern, compassionate healthcare, and the Assembly needs to deliver that. That is why Sinn Féin attempted to table an amendment to the DUP Bill that would immediately commission abortion services and harmonise the law, North and South. Our amendment was not accepted, so we have submitted a motion on the commissioning of services, which we will seek to have debated in the new year. We are seeking cross-party support for that. We will also continue to work at the Executive to ensure that those services are commissioned. If that does not happen and services are not commissioned, we will oppose the continued passage of the DUP Bill because, as other Members have referred to today, we know what this Bill is about.”
“Let me finish my point. Thanks. <BR /> <BR />Sinn Féin's policy is about enacting modern healthcare and ending the mistreatment of women. It is about compassion for women when they need it. I have listened to women who have bravely shared their personal and tragic stories. All those women have had to take those cold and lonesome journeys to England to access abortion services. I have listened to the women who were raped. I have listened to the women who knew that their baby had no chance of survival. Those journeys have left a deep emotional scar and a profound sense of abandonment and, alongside that, feelings of betrayal and distrust that will never be fully repaired. <BR /> <BR />It reflects badly on all of us that women have to make those journeys in 2021. We have to end the failure, the mistreatment and the abandonment.”
“We want the same healthcare services that can be accessed in Dublin to be available in Belfast. There are no ifs; there are no buts; there are no maybes or sugar-coating it: that is as clear cut as it can be. <BR /> <BR />Sinn Féin's policy is not in favour of access to abortion in cases where a non-fatal fetal abnormality has been diagnosed. That is also excluded by legislation in the South.”
“Those women are your mothers, your sisters, your aunts, the women whom you work with, and the women whom you stand beside in the shops. They are the women of our community who deserve to be supported. You cannot block forever the change that women so desperately need. The demand is stronger than any barrier that you will ever put in the way. <BR /> <BR />Today, I want to take the opportunity to briefly clarify Sinn Féin's position on abortion services, because much of what has been written and reported is inaccurate and wrong. Actually, as a matter of fact, it has been deliberately misleading. Sinn Féin has an all-island policy on abortion services. We want to see the very same laws and services here as have been adopted in the South following the repeal of the eighth amendment. We want to see that implemented in the North.”
“Meanwhile, as we have this conversation, women wait for access to the care that they so badly need, sometimes in the most traumatic of circumstances. Today, I think of Sarah Ewart and Savita Halappanavar and many more women like them. Yet, the DUP continues with that plan; it continues with a strategy that is all about designing a block for abortion services, and that is absolutely, totally shameful. <BR /> <BR />We are political leaders as part of a power-sharing Executive. We have a responsibility to work together and to deliver public services for everyone — not a few, not some, not those whom we do and do not like. It is for all. More and more people can see the DUP's machinations for what they are. Let me be very clear today: the women of the North see you; the women in your communities see you; those women are all of us.”
“The DUP created this situation and took the responsibility to legislate on those important issues away from the Assembly. Across our community, the vast majority of people see that move for what it is: a deeply cynical ploy motivated by an ideology that belongs only in the past. Today, a new generation of women will not abide or accept a repeated failure of the past, particularly when it comes to their healthcare. <BR /> <BR />It is now more than a year — in fact, it is almost 20 months — since the law was changed, and here we are today, having the debate and conversation when the Health Minister has still not moved to implement those health services. He has to answer this question: why does he continue to fail women?”
“I will speak in this important debate as Sinn Féin's Assembly leader. The first thing to say is that the women of this island have waited long enough to access modern and compassionate abortion services. That is an undeniable, indisputable and appalling fact. Yet here we are today, where, instead of supporting the provision of modern, compassionate abortion services for women, the DUP and the Health Minister continue to hold up and deny that essential healthcare service to women and girls who need it. <BR /> <BR />Westminster had to legislate for abortion services in the North because of the blockages by the very people in front of us who bring this legislation today. Those very same people are attempting to roll back on any progress that was made.”
“I refer the Member to the very good Q&A that we have published on the nidirect website that actually sets out how all that can be done. We need to ensure that all our approaches are inclusive, and that includes ensuring that people who do not have access to computers or IT can actually access the passport. There is a phone number. I will ensure that it is sent to the Member's office.”
“Yes. Again, objective need must be the principle that underpins the allocation of housing, because, as the Member correctly states, that is not how it was always done in the past, when housing was used as a tool to divide and discriminate. Thankfully, we have a very different context today. In Deirdre Hargey, we have a Minister who has demonstrated, time and time again, her absolute determination to make a positive difference for all our people. Therefore, I have every faith in her plan to deliver housing and to deliver that transformative agenda, and that the principles of fairness and equality will be absolutely central to all that.”
“It may be the biggest shake-up that we have ever seen in housing, and I very much look forward to working closely with her as we bring those plans to fruition over the coming years.”
“The Communities Minister has briefed me on her plans, and I commend her for her determination and grasp of the issue to make a real, tangible difference, and there is no doubt that that is what will happen to the lives of thousands of families. <BR /> <BR />Even in the midst of a global pandemic, it is so important that we set out the foundations for a recovery. We want people to see the Executive really delivering on the issues that matter to them every day. <BR /> <BR />Housing is central to so many things because everyone has the right to a good and decent home. Young families should not be priced out of home ownership, and no one should be forced to live in substandard conditions. <BR /> <BR />What the Communities Minister has now set in train regarding the provision of social and affordable housing here is really transformative.”
“The short answer to your question is yes, especially now that we are about to be hit by the new wave of the omicron variant. It is not a time for mixed messaging. It is not a time for playing political games. It is a time to get behind the public health advice. It is a time to work together. It is a time to lead us through this and into better months in 2022. <BR /> <BR />None of us wants to impose public health restrictions across society, but the medical and scientific advice is very clear, and that underpins all the decisions that we make. These are necessary steps to try to protect the public, to protect our health and social care system and protect the workers within it who have done so much to protect us.”
“As I said, the situation here is a couple of weeks behind that in England, Scotland and Wales, so we have to monitor it closely.”
“<BR /> <BR />In addition to all that work, we are still maintaining the basic public health messaging, and we have asked the public to double down on that. We are asking people to work from home if possible, keep wearing their face coverings, keep their distance, practise good hand hygiene and respiratory hygiene, meet outdoors if they can and, if they are indoors, make sure that there is plenty of ventilation. <BR /> <BR />Members will see that our advertising campaign is now all about continuing to make safer choices in our daily lives, including regular lateral flow tests to help minimise risk, and people can remove themselves from gatherings if they have been doing regular testing. <BR /> <BR />We are probably in the most challenging period of the pandemic to date as we try to work our way through this.”
“We are estimated to be one to two weeks behind England, Scotland and Wales. So, we are literally in a race against time. <BR /> <BR />Members will have seen that the Health Minister announced details of the acceleration of the booster programme yesterday. All our efforts are to try to ramp that up as quickly as we possibly can over the coming weeks to open up the booster programme to as many people as possible. Members will see trust hubs popping up. They will be extending their opening hours, working from early mornings to late evenings. We are looking at GPs, pharmacies and community facilities. We are deploying absolutely everything that we can to ensure that the maximum number of people get the booster jab before the end of the year. It is literally a race against time with regard to the new variant.”
“Further to what I have just said, as of today, there are 10 confirmed cases of the omicron variant in the North. We are having to monitor the situation very closely. Over the weekend, we were engaged in a range of meetings with our own health team, the Health Minister and Department of Health officials, as well as in official meetings with the British, Scottish and Welsh Governments. We will continue to meet as necessary. I believe that we will meet again tomorrow. In addition, we have asked for meetings with the Irish Government because I think that it is important that we work together across these islands and take a collective response where we can. <BR /> <BR />To be very straight about it, the biggest concern is the fast rate of transmission. It is doubling every two days. That shows you how quickly it becomes the dominant version.”
“All the measures that we take are in line with public health advice and are about keeping society open and people safe. I am afraid that it is only your party that finds itself on the wrong side of the public health advice.”
“I will make two points. First, as I said earlier, I spent the weekend making the case to the Treasury for additional funding to allow us to support people through what are very challenging times. I will continue to make the case. As the Executive Office, we have jointly made that case. <BR /> <BR />Secondly, I have described the pandemic as being like a roller coaster. At times, people's concerns have been very heightened, while, at other times, those concerns have dissipated a bit. People's alertness is heightened owing to the new variant. That should be the case for us all, because we are being told that we will be overwhelmed by the new variant by early January. We are therefore attempting to keep people's doors open and to get some public confidence around going into places because they are safe.”
“The objective behind the COVID-status certificates is to give the public confidence to walk into an establishment and know that it is safe. Their purpose is to try to keep doors open, and we are committed to doing that. We want to keep doors open. We want to work with the hospitality sector and other sectors to try to keep society open and people safe.”
“All the medical and scientific evidence rests with the Department of Health. Much of that evidence has been published — in fact, I think that it has all been published — on the Department's website. I refer the Member to that website. If there is anything that has not been published that he wants to bring to my attention, I will be more than happy to raise it with the Department of Health. <BR /> <BR />As I said, our intention is to keep society open and safe. That is what we want to do. None of us wants to be in the position in which we have to consider restrictions again. We have a duty, however, to look after the health service and healthcare workers. We have a duty to our local economy and a duty to try to keep people in work. We have a duty to do all those things, but we find ourselves in a very challenging environment.”
“They are people who support and work in our health service and provide our healthcare. They are people who work in our agri-food industry. They are valued citizens. What is being proposed is absolutely disgraceful. I look forward to the conversation in the Executive Office, but my position is the same as yours, which is to challenge the British Government on this. The Bill totally ignores the interests and needs of those who have made this place their home, who provide valuable public services and work in the local economy, and whose children go to school here. The Bill is damaging on so many fronts.”
“I am happy to come back to the Member about that. We have not had a joint office discussion about the Bill yet, but, when we do, I will. I will certainly be making representations on it from a party political point of view.”
“All our focus needs to be on protecting our economy as far as possible from the impact of Brexit — Brexit was always going to cause damage to our economy — while taking full advantage of the protocol, making it work and providing certainty and stability. That is what is being asked of us, and that is certainly what I want to try to deliver.”
“The evidence is clear that the majority of people recognise the need for the protocol as more and more businesses seek to maximise the potential that it provides us through our unique dual access to EU and British markets. That has been borne out by real, practical examples of local companies that are creating jobs as a direct result of having access to both markets. The protocol afforded them and our local economy the opportunity to benefit. <BR /> <BR />As the Member mentioned, Invest NI has indicated that 50 live enquiries have come from prospective FDI investors over the past year. That is more than double the annual average between 2017 and 2020.”