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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“Yes. It really was a pleasure to visit the Ardoyne Youth Enterprise site to see that work being developed on the Crumlin Road, where that state-of-the-art building will be an addition for the local community as part of our Urban Villages work. That hub will really transform the physical landscape, and it will also support creative and digital learning training, youth development opportunities, counselling and capacity building — so many really positive initiatives. <BR /> <BR />Since 2018, we have invested a total of £35 million in 18 capital projects through Urban Villages, including driving regeneration and community development, whether that is in Ardoyne or Ballysillan.”
“<BR /> <BR />On the Sunningdale community centre, our officials continue to work with the community association there, to ensure that it has the proper capacity-building training and support that will allow it to get into a state of operational readiness for future potential opportunities that arise, whether that is through this programme or any others.”
“We can all agree, having seen it at first hand, how beneficial many of those projects have been to our communities. It is something that has worked really well and can be built upon in the time ahead. You have asked about Westland, in particular, on a number of occasions. Obviously, the planning application that was submitted in April 2026 is a positive development. The project will benefit very much the group who will operate the building when it is completed. It has also received capacity-building support from Urban Villages via the Community Academy.”
“We are working to finalise the details of phase 2 of the programme. Once it is complete, Members will receive a comprehensive update to outline the next steps and opportunities that it will present.”
“The Executive Office's Urban Villages initiative has had a transformative impact in local communities in Belfast and Derry. To date, a total of £83 million has been invested in Urban Villages areas. Of that, £65·4 million has been invested in the capital programme, with 61 schemes completed, and £17·6 million in revenue funding has been awarded to help build community capacity. That work has provided much-needed physical regeneration, creating thriving places and safer communities and making a real, positive difference to people's lives. <BR /> <BR />To build on that success, we are determined that the benefits of the scheme reach even more communities. Our efforts are focused on identifying areas that would gain most from the support and investment that is offered through the Urban Villages initiative.”
“Mr Speaker? <BR /> <BR />There was much suffering and trauma, and much suffering and trauma still persists as a direct result of conflict. I regret every single loss of life. The whole of my adult life has been about bedding in peace. The whole of my adult life has been about cementing the Good Friday Agreement. I look towards a brighter and better future. I try to find ways to heal the wounds of the past, not score points across the Chamber, so let us not be selective. I regret every single loss of life. You cannot say the same.”
“I am very mindful of not playing your game.”
“You see, there is a sensitivity to all of this, and I am very mindful of not playing your game.”
“I want to look at reform in the round in a meaningful way and at things that will make a difference. We will talk more about that, but I hope that we can come at the conversation with openness, fairness, honesty and a real desire to try to improve how we do business here.”
“I absolutely concur with that. It would be a healthy and measured step forward if that were to be resolved and be one aspect of the reform proposals that deliver something tangible. The days of "no nationalist need apply" are long gone and are not to return. Twenty-eight years on from the signing of the Good Friday Agreement, with everything that we have achieved and the transformation that we have achieved, including the fact that I am First Minister in a place that was designed to ensure that that would never be the case, we need to ensure that every role is open to everyone in society. It is a sign that the times have changed that we cannot have any position, including Minister of Justice, locked out for nationalism. That cannot be the case, and I know that that is the view of the wider public whom we represent.”
“Yes, I do, and that is why I made the point about window dressing. Window dressing does not cut it. We need to see reform that actually helps politics to deliver better and that helps us to make a difference to people's lives. Despite the challenges of this place and the fact that it is a difficult arrangement, my approach has always been one of partnership. We need to try to find ways to work better, smarter and more effectively without blockages and vetoes. The reform conversation needs to be about how we do things better, deliver better politics for here and create a better partnership arrangement.”
“This is not a begging bowl; this is about our people and how we invest in the health service and in education, including in special educational needs, and how we help people through the cost-of-living crisis. Those are the things that are really important to people.”
“Yes. The one thing for sure that the public want from us is that we work collectively and get a properly funded Budget that allows us to invest in our public services, whether in health or education or to help people with childcare or to help them get through the cost-of-living crisis. The reality is that the Budget, as it stands, is completely inadequate. That will be the case year after year if they do not identify the needs that we have and meet us in being able to deliver for the people here. <BR /> <BR />The collective job of our Executive right now — we are unified in this — is making the case for a proper and fairer funding model. It is something that is appropriate and right. I really dislike it when people talk about begging bowl politics.”
“That is where the common ground sits, and I will absolutely be up for working with First Ministers who have the same view as we all reach for what we all want at the end of the day, which is a better life for the people whom we represent.”
“Again, the Member will not be surprised to know that there is not a shared view of independence in the Executive Office. However, I did see the comments from John Swinney, the First Minister. Scotland will go to the polls in the next number of weeks. It looks as though the SNP will be returned to the First Minister post, and potentially, for the first time, there will be a nationalist First Minister in Wales also. That tells a story in itself. It tells you where people are at. It tells you that people are fed up with the shackles of Westminster. It tells you that people want to take control of their own destiny and have all the levers at home that are available to any of us who are elected to take control of their own self-determination and destiny.”
“Genuinely, a lot of that work is happening. It may be piecemeal: I am not too sure how consistent it is across the board, but I am happy to ask those questions to get a better understanding. For example, when it came to reviewing health and social care and how we support people who need home care packages, that was part of the strategic consideration. I am happy to ask all Ministers for their plans thus far.”
“I like to think that every decision that we make takes into account the needs of older people in all our policies.”
“We have had debates in the past around the commitment to older people. I can say to the Member that we absolutely are taking action. We have an ageing population, and we have to plan for that across our health service and every other public service. <BR /> <BR />Last week, in particular, at our Executive meeting, when we were thinking of the cost of living and the cost of surviving right now, we were very mindful of the fact that many pensioners are feeling the impact of that. We do take them into consideration for every decision, but you are right about future planning for our health system, for making sure that we have a sufficient number of carers in the communities. You focus a lot on loneliness and how we can support people.”
“I am keen that we try to do something about that and to steer insurance companies in the right direction. Many Members have spoken about it in the House. The Infrastructure Minister, Liz Kimmins, and I have been working together to try to take on some of those high insurance premiums. We have spoken directly to the industry body to try to challenge that. For example, Liz, in her Department, is introducing road safety schemes and the graduated driver licensing scheme. That, in itself, will be transformative for new and young drivers. Our young drivers should be rewarded with reduced insurance premiums for actually taking that approach. It is time to end the rip-off insurance premiums for young people and allow young people to get on the road safely and in a way that is affordable to them.”
“We need to call out those insurance companies over those extortionate premiums and do everything that we can to get them brought down.”
“I absolutely do. I am sure that everybody in the House has spoken to a young constituent who, after getting their licence and being really excited about getting out on the road, has purchased a car, only to find that the cost of insurance may be triple the cost of the car. I have spoken before about speaking to young people who were charged premiums of £4,500. I have heard that someone was charged up to £8,000. How is that fair for any young person, particularly a rural person? How will a young person get on the road if they cannot afford to pay that? I do not know too many young people who have just turned the age at which they can get their driving licence who can afford that kind of money for car insurance.”
“There is nobody out there in society who is going to drive us backwards. We are interested only in going forwards.”
“It is unfortunate that your party has decided to try to make some noise out of something that was such a harrowing event for the people of Dunmurry on Saturday night. Those people went through a horrific ordeal, as did the person whose car was hijacked and who was made to drive to the station. My thoughts are very much with them. <BR /> <BR />The alternative to conflict is the Good Friday Agreement. I believe in the Good Friday Agreement in all its parts, including the fulfilment of constitutional change through the question being put to the people. I am very much focused on that, as well as on the fact that, in two years' time, we will celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement. Over those 30 years, our society's transformation has been absolutely immense. We have moved away from conflict towards peace.”
“I think that all of us condemn the attack on the PSNI station in Dunmurry at the weekend. Earlier today, the deputy First Minister, the Chief Constable, the chair of the Policing Board and I stood shoulder to shoulder to say that the people who engage in such activity have no support out there in society and no vision for the future. Anybody who has any information about what happened should give it to the PSNI.”
“I follow with interest some of the work that is happening on the Assembly and Executive Review Committee. It is very clear that the people who have come before the Committee are not interested in window dressing, and some of your suggestions amount to window dressing. It has to be about how politics can work better. It has to be about how this institution can work better. I have told you repeatedly that I want to get to a place where I can announce my party's reform proposals. I will say more about them over the next number of weeks. As I said, however, that is not a matter for the Executive Office. I am sure that you will await that announcement with anticipation and that, after we make it, we will chat about our reform proposals.”
“There is no agreement in the Executive Office on the issue of reform, so, when I spoke at the weekend, I did so in my capacity as vice president of Sinn Féin about our proposals for reform. We will speak about those proposals over the next couple of weeks. It is not a matter for the Executive Office.”
“It is a good example of something that is working well on the site. Imagine what we could do if we were to work together in the same vein to open up the site in its entirety to maximise its benefits and its historical nature. There is a lot there for everybody, so we just need to get political agreement.”
“As a charitable organisation, the Ulster Aviation Society plays a really important role in protecting and promoting our aviation heritage through saving, restoring and exhibiting heritage aircraft for public benefit.”
“Yes. I restate my commitment to delivering on the site. The people of Lagan Valley and across the North would really benefit from a political agreement that allows the site to be opened up, retains the listed and historic buildings, reaches for the economic potential and provides the opportunity to create thousands of jobs. We have to keep raising it in this forum; we have to keep talking about it; and we have to find a way forward that maximises the social and economic benefits of a fully regenerated Long Kesh site, which is what people really want to see. It is certainly what I want to see.”
“It has been a long time in the making, but I commend the people on the board for keeping things in a state of readiness, so that we are able to go for protecting the listed and retained buildings. Clearly, we need a political agreement in order to step forward and develop the site.”
“We will meet the board in the very near future. I do not have the date in front of me. You are right that there needs to be political agreement for the site to move forward. I want that. We can strike the right balance to have the site's historical, economic and social inclusion aspects delivered on, but that requires political will across all parties. Unfortunately, that is not there, but that is not to say that I accept that or give up on it. I will continue to try to move it forward. <BR /> <BR />Imagine if we could bring in the likes of National Museums to curate the site. There are ways of doing it that are respectful and dignified and that preserve the historical nature of the site but also allow us to open up its economic opportunities. I hope that we can get to that juncture.”
“We have been clear that we want to realise the immense economic, historical and reconciliation potential of the site and are committed to working with the Maze/Long Kesh board to maximise those opportunities for the benefit of all. We recognise that that will require us to move with consensus and sensitivity, and we are committed to working with the Maze/Long Kesh Development Corporation to achieve that. We are considering advice from officials on short- to medium-term priorities and options for the board. Discussions are ongoing at official level, and, over the coming weeks, we expect to receive further input to help frame our consideration of the way forward. We can assure the Member that the future of the site very much remains a live issue that we are committed to resolving.”
“I do not have the intended date for that. However, we passed the Bill, which means that we are obliged to bring forward the commissioner's appointment. I will write to the Member to provide a bit more detail on the timing of that.”
“Let us find ways to protect our environment and build our infrastructure projects. I am certainly in that solution-focused mode; you should get into that space too.”
“at the weekend; well done, you. <BR /> <BR />Unfortunately, you and your party have tried to pit one thing against the other. I believe that we can deliver really well for our climate and protect our future generations' world whilst delivering our infrastructure projects. We will leave no stone unturned when it comes to the A5. You are trying to throw the baby out with the bathwater. Do not forget that your party voted for the climate change legislation as well. The thing here is this: how can we do well by our environment and deliver infrastructure projects? That is the challenge for all of us. We are not unique in that struggle: Scotland, Wales and elsewhere have similar challenges, as do the Dublin Government.”
“I see that you were tuning into our ard-fheis”
“Yes. That very much chimes with what I have just said. We have to ensure that prosperity is felt across the board. We cannot have communities being left behind. The reality is that, after the first two years, people can see that things are changing. That is really visible in Derry and the north-west, with the Magee expansion and the money that has been invested in the city deals. Those numbers are increasing. One of the projects that go to the heart of people feeling that they are getting their fair share is the A5, which has been caught up in the courts. Similarly, the Enniskillen bypass and many other big infrastructure projects are all now in growth deals, and there is cross-party commitment to those. It is now about making those happen, which means getting a finalised Budget and putting an investment strategy in place.”
“The core of the strategy has a lot built into it. When we launch it, you will be able to see all of that for yourself.”
“As someone who also represents a rural constituency, I will absolutely ensure that regional balance is built into the infrastructure plans. That is a must, and, since the Executive returned two years ago, we have demonstrated that regional balance is a core principle of what we are trying to achieve across all policy areas. The investment strategy will recognise the need for regional balance and the need to consider the specific requirements of rural communities, which have particular challenges that do not occur in urban settings. The strategy identifies the need to enhance our built and rural environments and highlights the role that improving transport links and continued investment in digital connectivity can play in helping rural communities to thrive. We have also done a rural needs assessment.”
“Further refinement work has taken place at official level. We are not quite there yet, but, if we can get to the other side of a finalised Budget position, we will be able to move to publish a draft investment strategy.”
“I could say that you are quick to let London off the hook. The reality is that we are working our way through it. I have, I believe, said to you before in the House that that is not happening as quickly as I would like. We are working towards the final version of the strategy. We have to understand what our Budget allocation looks like before we can finalise the strategy. We are talking about a significant plan — a strategic vision for the next 25 years, along with a 10-year infrastructure investment plan. We are talking about investing £32 billion, so it is really important that we get that strategy right. <BR /> <BR />I am sure that the Member will understand that there are other things at play, such as the implications of the A5 judgement, which will be important for infrastructure projects.”
“The remaining work is focused on ensuring that the strategy is robust, evidence-based and capable of delivering real and lasting outcomes for people here. <BR /> <BR />Once the strategy is finalised, the timeline for approval and publication will be a matter for the Executive.”
“With your permission, I will answer questions 4 and 10 together. <BR /> <BR />The Executive are focused on delivery, improving lives, supporting economic growth and ensuring that our infrastructure meets the needs of our people. A significant amount of work has already gone into shaping the draft investment strategy and progressing a range of enabling actions needed to tackle some of the barriers to delivery. That will ensure that we are well placed to realise the ambition that will be set out in the strategy. <BR /> <BR />We are confident that the substantial work that has already been completed, together with the progress on the enabling actions, sets a very clear direction. There are still some key considerations to be worked through.”
“That will look at the whole gamut and at every potential challenge that might come down the tracks. It is about getting ready to be ahead of how we can respond to some of that. It is important at that level because we need to ensure that, as an Executive, we continue to chart our way through it and plan for some or all the eventualities that will potentially come our way. The lessons to be learned from COVID really ring true when you are planning for what could be such a devastating time further into the winter for people.”
“As I said in my initial answer, we are coming at it in a holistic way, with a dual-track approach, to see what we as an Executive can do in the here and now to support families. Just the week before last, we announced the £100 oil voucher scheme. We will also have the £30 electricity scheme. Those are the things that the Executive can do. <BR /> <BR />Alongside that, we have stood up structures. We have civil contingency arrangements in place to plan for the winter ahead because we do not know what it will look like. We do not know where the war will end. We do not know how long it will go on, and we do not know what it will mean for fuel charges, food charges and everything else that might happen. We have asked the head of the Civil Service to establish a strategic policy group with all the permanent secretaries.”
“The Member will know from her work on the Committee that we have an energy policy. There is so much volatility in the world. If you even chart the recent years since Brexit to where we are today and everything that has happened, you see that all those international events have an implication on people's lives. The best thing that we can do is try to cushion people from some of those big shocks. One of the tools that are open to us is around having a good energy policy, looking at wind independence and at how we can buffer people from some of the worst excesses of it. That is already there in the energy brief in the Department for the Economy. I will work with Caoimhe to do everything that we can to cushion people against all the economic shocks. That is an area of work that we should all work on together.”
“That is what is happening now. People see it in their weekly bills; they see it in their food shops; and they see it when they put diesel in their cars. I say this to you: stop the nonsense. Work for people, and work with the rest of the Executive parties to get a proper package for people.”
“From day 1, when your party was cheerleading for that illegal war, we said that it would have real-life implications for households.”
“The reality is that the Executive have sent a letter to the British Prime Minister and asked for an urgent meeting to discuss the issues in a twofold way. Our current Budget allocation is insufficient, as your party agrees. Also, what does a proper cost-of-living package look like for people? How are we going to support our farmers? The deputy First Minister and I met representatives from the Ulster Farmers' Union last week and talked about the challenges that farmers face when it comes to fuel costs. Again, that lever sits with Westminster. I want to know what Keir Starmer is going to do to support our local farmers. <BR /> <BR />We want a proper cost-of-living package, because people are going to get it really hard, and we do not know where it will all end.”
“You asked me a question. I am on my feet right now.”