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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“That is why we need to see delivery on the language and culture pieces of legislation within this Assembly mandate. Any failure to honour those commitments is not a sustainable position, so there can be no stepping back on the commitments that were made. There can be no more false dawns.”
“In its simplest form, yes, I agree with the Member. As we step out of the shadow of COVID-19, we need to see the delivery of the New Decade, New Approach political deal, which provided us all with the potential for a new beginning and a proper, inclusive, power-sharing Government. It provided a new context for politics to work for all our people on the basis of equality, respect and parity of esteem. That means that, when political agreements are made, the public, rightly and naturally, expect to see follow-through, with commitments being delivered by parties and Governments. As Members across the Chamber know, as do the Irish and British Governments, the commitment to an Irish language Act and strategy was a key component of the NDNA deal.”
“The 'New Decade, New Approach' document sets out an ambitious package of measures covering a broad range of social, economic and cultural issues, and it is important that we deliver on all of them. Excellent progress has been made across a lot of Departments. Our Department, for example, has made progress in relation to providing support for victims and survivors of historical abuse, the conduct of Executive business, and EU exit. As we start to emerge from the Executive's focus on managing the COVID pandemic and to chart a path for recovery, we are committed to delivering NDNA and moving on all the things that have been delayed to this point. The Executive will have the opportunity to consider the totality of the proposals in the context of the ongoing work to bring forward the new Programme for Government.”
“It is important that we work on a cross-departmental basis as we prepare for that period, which is fast approaching, because a lot of people have a role to play. The council, for example, has to be involved. I have no doubt that the work that was done previously will be replicated in advance of freshers' week. I will seek an update on that at the Executive meeting on Thursday.”
“We have very much taken that approach the whole way through. That is the best way to proceed: to work with people and to provide advice. Guidance for a range of sectors has been developed, in tandem with the sectors, and we continue to keep that under review. If the Member wants to refer to any areas in particular, we will be more than happy to hear from him. As we build and plan to take ourselves out of COVID and into the recovery phase, it is important that we work with industry and businesses on the front line that are trying to rebuild from the devastating impact of the pandemic.”
“That is why it is essential that people continue to take up the vaccine. I encourage people who have not yet taken it up to do so, because it is our best protection alongside people's individual behaviour.”
“I thank the Member for her question. I express, probably on behalf of us all, our huge debt of gratitude to all those who have been involved in the vaccination programme. It has been strong work, dedication and commitment throughout the past year that has got us to this point. We are very grateful for that work. I can confirm that the vaccination programme continues to progress really well, with the prioritisation as recommended by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation. More than 70% of the adult population have had their first dose and more than 40% have had their second dose. <BR /> <BR />People are concerned about new variants. There is limited information available on effectiveness of the vaccine against those, but we will continue to keep that under review.”
“Obviously, we are very much focused on our own recovery and on trying to build a pathway out of restrictions based on being careful and being ambitious for the future. There will be a COVID summit, which will involve ourselves, Scotland, Wales and England sitting down together to discuss what comes next and plans for the future. Clearly, there is a huge job of work to be done on recovery and rebuilding, which is why we are very much focused on trying to come at it from a holistic point of view, tying in the Programme for Government commitments and short- and medium-term recovery interventions from a health, societal and community perspective, as well as jump-starting longer-term renewal with the Programme for Government work. We have a huge job ahead of us, but at least we have a road map to chart us through that.”
“That will be designed to inform and enable people to make safer choices on how to keep themselves safe and reduce the risk of transmission. The protection work stream is led by the Department of Health and involves the great work on the roll-out of the vaccination programme. The recovery work stream continues to progress the development of a cross-cutting recovery strategy for delivery over the next 24 months. <BR /> <BR />The task force also runs the cross-departmental working group, which meets weekly to consider the proposals that have been submitted for the next set of relaxations. The next major review will be on 10 June, and the group is working through the proposals that will be submitted for consideration at that point.”
“The Executive's COVID-19 task force, chaired by the interim head of the Civil Service, meets regularly and reports to the Executive weekly. The task force has four work streams: adherence, protection, communications and recovery. <BR /> <BR />The adherence group is working on the development of a longitudinal survey, which is designed to give more information on individual adherence and influence policy development, as we continue along our pathway out of restrictions and remain reliant on people to make safer choices to contain the virus. In communications, as we have moved away from the "Stay local" message, relaxed guidance within the common travel area and adopted the green list for international travel, we are focusing our message on the behaviour of the individual.”
“Funnily enough, that was not discussed at the Executive meeting.”
“Of course I will. I can only imagine the distress and anxiety caused to that PSNI officer and his family and, as I said, to the female officer who was targeted in recent weeks. It is important that we, across the Chamber, stand in solidarity with the officer and his family and reaffirm our commitment to upholding and protecting the rights of all citizens to live free from threat or intimidation as they go about their job.”
“I thank the Member for raising that. Of course, all in political leadership have a responsibility to condemn unreservedly that despicable attack on a police officer and his family in the place where they should feel safest: their home. The week before last, there was an attack on a female officer. All those reckless actions remind us all that words and the manner in which they are used have consequences. There can be no place for inflammatory or incendiary language when what is required is progressive and positive leadership in these times.”
“Yes. We have seen time and time again that such protests can turn violent, so it is incumbent on all political leaders to send a clear message that those involved in violence, criminal damage, manipulation of our young people and attacks on the PSNI must stop. We all have a responsibility to build peace and make politics work, so I again urge all those in political leadership to join me in calling for an end to all illegal street protests.”
“Yes. There is no place for illegality in our society. Many of the protests have been reckless, irresponsible and a clear attempt to raise community tensions rather than air some kind of grievance. Political leaders need to take a stand against that kind of damaging behaviour rather than, as has, unfortunately, been the case with some — not all — political parties, providing justification for it, as opposed to condemning it.”
“Thanks again. There are clear and binding obligations on the Irish Government and the British Government to deliver on the NDNA deal and previous deals, particularly as we start to emerge from the pandemic and move to being able to deliver on things that perhaps have been delayed. We have to have that commitment, and we need see it every day from Dublin and London to ensure that all aspects of 'New Decade, New Approach' are lived up to.”
“I am determined to work closely with the incoming Minister, who should be in no doubt about my determination to ensure the delivery of the outstanding commitments, particularly where citizens' rights are yet to delivered in respect of language and culture, legacy and women's healthcare.”
“Yes. You are absolutely correct: New Decade, New Approach provided the basis for the restoration of the institutions, so there cannot be any slippage from the commitments that were made in that deal. Citizens need to see delivery. Politics must work for everybody. Commitments that were made must be honoured. That is crucial. <BR /> <BR />I, as everybody else has done, wish Arlene the very best for her future. I said that publicly last week, but, given that people are commenting today, I again wish her the very best for the future and whatever that brings for her.”
“Yes. As I said, there should be zero tolerance in society of misogyny and any form of intolerance or discrimination. If that is to be achieved, political leaders will have to lead. There is a responsibility on all of us in the Chamber — this is why I welcome the fact that the Member raised the issue — to be very clear that misogyny will not be tolerated in political parties and to speak out against it when we see it in society.”
“It is a hugely important issue; it has the ability to impact on the representativeness of our Administration. It needs to be confronted and, most importantly, condemned at every turn.”
“Thanks to the Member for raising that issue. Although the comments to which you refer were directed at me, I acknowledge that the First Minister also recently referred to the misogyny with which she has had to contend as DUP leader. I think that, on many occasions, we have both talked about what you face when in a position of leadership, particularly in misogynistic commentary. Many in the Chamber can attest to the hurt that that causes not just to them as individuals but to their families. As a mother, a daughter, a sister and a partner, I know that the most distressing part is often the hurt that it causes to your family. All of us in political life — all political parties must take this on board — have to realise that all that abuse impacts on the reluctance of women to engage in public life.”
“The First Minister and I have raised the issue of the need to engage with the hospitality sector in a more meaningful way if we are to help people to be successful in opening up during these challenging times.”
“The Member was probably not in the Chamber when we spoke about that issue earlier. I made the point that there needs to be strong communication between the hospitality sector, the Executive task force and all our Departments that have a remit in some way or another for hospitality. We need to make it as viable as we can in order for it to open up. We want to be able to keep hospitality open, which is why we need to be careful and sustainable. Communication is the way in which to do that. Unfortunately, over the past week and a half, we have seen a disparity in approach across council areas. We are trying to get that ironed out; that is really important.”
“Again, that is the public health advice. The Executive have had this discussion on a number of occasions, and we continue to keep the matter under review. In fact, we had that discussion last week, particularly around the common travel area. People can now, for example, travel from Scotland to here but not vice versa. Some families have been distanced for over a year now, and we want to remedy that as soon as we can. <BR /> <BR />Health has been asked to keep us advised and to keep coming back to it, and we have decided that that is what we will do. I expect that we will have further discussion on the common travel area at this week's Executive meeting and probably next week as well.”
“<BR /> <BR />From an economic point of view, we understand that, in order to make hospitality businesses, for example, sustainable and profitable, they need to be able to get back to the numbers that they had prior to COVID. We want to get them there, too, but it will take a bit of time. We need to continue to make progress and take a steady-as-you-go approach over the next number of months.”
“I have not always agreed with Boris Johnson's approach to the COVID crisis. We make our decisions on the basis of advice from our public health team, and, at this time, there is no advice to suggest that this is an area in which we should make a change. Ultimately, that is where we want to get to, but it has to be done in a safe and steady way. It has to be done in a way that does not walk us into a corner from which we will have to reverse. We want to make sure that we make steady progress. Risks are still out there, and there are new variants. We need to be very careful. Let us continue to make progress and build on the positivity of where we are with the vaccination programme.”
“I thank the Member for his question. That has not been discussed. I noted Boris Johnson's commentary. However, at this point, the Health Minister has not brought such a proposal to the Executive for discussion. I am sure that we will have to have that discussion in due course.”
“With your permission, Mr Speaker, I will ask Minister Kearney to answer this question.”
“We have a huge amount of work to do to rebuild, and that will take us working collectively. We see it very much as the economic recovery package, the Programme for Government and all these things coming together and, as an Executive, planning our way out of this.”
“All those pieces of work have to interact with each other. None of those things can be done in a stand-alone way. An economic recovery package has to take into account the actions that the Economy Department has identified. As the Member rightly identified, we also have the high street task force, which, after a slower start than we would perhaps have wanted, I am glad to say is now off at a good pace. These things have to talk to each other and to complement each other. There is no doubt that the implications of the pandemic for our society and our economy have been immense. As I have said on many occasions in the Chamber, some sections of the economy have been hit worse than others: the hospitality sector is one, and tourism is completely on its knees.”
“<BR /> <BR />We want to continue to be positive and to give people that hopeful message, but it is important to say that we face risks from variants of concern. We are not out of the woods yet. We face risks from people getting together and perhaps being too relaxed. We need to encourage people to continue to take all the possible steps that we can as individuals to protect ourselves and others and to be mindful of the continued public health message around washing our hands, wearing our face coverings and limiting our social contacts and that, when we are out and about, fresh air and ventilation are part of our protection. Let us not be complacent and we can continue to make progress.”
“I thank the Member for his question. He is absolutely right. COVID has no respect for timetables or dates. There is no doubt that this has been one of the toughest times for people, families, businesses, workers and all in our community. When we look at examples from across the world of how the pandemic is behaving, we see that we have to continue to be careful and cautious. We have to make steady progress and to keep going in the one direction, but the restrictions that we have had in place have been necessary at a point in time to suppress the virus and to continue to save lives and to protect our health service. We can continue to move forward and to make sure that we do not go backwards only when we have maximised the mitigations that are in place.”
“It is in everybody's interest. We want to have the industry up and running again. We want to see people back in their place of employment. We want to see people out enjoying themselves, having a meal and getting out and about again. We want this to be sustainable and to continue in our positive vein, but it will only be through continued communication that we will be able to do that.”
“As the Member knows, from 30 April, we agreed that unlicensed premises could reopen on an outdoors-only basis, with a maximum of six people from two households, and licensed premises, including social clubs, could reopen, again on an outdoors-only basis, with a limit of people from no more than two households. The curfews on takeaways and off-licences have gone. We have the indicative date of 24 May for when we hope to allow unlicensed and licensed premises to reopen indoors, with mitigations in place. We hope that that is welcome news for the hospitality sector. The priority for the coming weeks must be, as I have said previously, to engage with the sector to make sure that it has all the support that we, as an Executive, the task force and local government, can possibly offer.”
“We are winning the battle against COVID, and, with the public's continued support, we will continue in that positive vein. However, there seems to have been some disparity of approach, and we will try to rectify that. The First Minister agrees with me that we want the strongest possible communication with the task force and the hospitality sector to make sure that issues that need to be resolved can be resolved.”
“I concur that there has not necessarily been a good and joined-up approach across council areas. We have seen different approaches in different areas. The junior Ministers are trying to coordinate that work to bring the council leads together. Last week, we saw in different areas businesses getting ready to open up that did not have the chance to do so or that had to amend what they had done. A lot of those businesses met huge financial costs to try to get their premises ready to open. It is important that there is not a blade of grass of difference between approaches as we work with the hospitality sector and the whole business community to get them into a state of readiness for opening. <BR /> <BR />Last week was a good news story. We have got to a great place on the COVID response.”
“<BR /> <BR />The adherence work stream of the task force has facilitated the provision of specialist behavioural insights advice on the pathway out of restrictions and on supporting sectors to ensure that they reopen in a safe and well-managed way. In addition to the work of the task force, the Executive have agreed to extend financial assistance to sectors that are still restricted or partially restricted under the COVID regulations. That includes extending until 23 May the provision of the localised restrictions support scheme (LRSS) to hospitality and gym businesses, payments to businesses that are under COVID restrictions, the COVID restrictions business support scheme (CRBSS) and the large hospitality and tourism business support schemes for those businesses that remain eligible.”
“The Executive's COVID task force is leading and coordinating an integrated programme of work for response to and recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. On 15 April, the Executive made a wide range of decisions on reopening many aspects of our economy and society over the coming weeks. In line with those decisions, the task force has been at the forefront of coordinating engagement with key sectors through meetings with key representatives of the hospitality and retail sectors. The task force adds value to the recovery process by providing advice on key messages and mitigations in order to help increase adherence to the public health regulations and guidance.”
“With your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, junior Minister Kearney will answer question 2.”
“I look forward to that work happening and to being invited back for a further discussion on where we have got to, but there are positive noises about some issues perhaps being resolved.”
“The First Minister and I attended a meeting of the Joint Committee on 24 February at which I welcomed the commitment from the co-chairs to the proper implementation of the protocol and their focus on finding solutions that are acceptable to all. As well as highlighting that the Joint Committee is a forum for constructive discussion on the issues and is the mechanism that was agreed to iron things out, I made the case that the business community here wants stability, certainty and simplification, where it can be achieved. The First Minister outlined the impact of the protocol and told the EU that a solution to the challenges that we face should be fit for purpose and not imposed, but both teams — British Government and EU — agreed to continue to engage on technical discussions and come back to the Joint Committee.”
“<BR /> <BR />As I said in my original answer, it is important for our business community that we have certainty and stability and that people can plan for the future knowing exactly what is coming down the tracks. It is clear that the protocol is not up for renegotiation. There are new post-Brexit realities that we have to work our way through, and, whilst there has been progress to date, there is still a way to go. Let us continue to work together to find the resolutions that we all want to find and that are in the best interests of the economy here.”
“I remind the Member that the Executive meet every week and that all Executive parties discuss the issues, try to work our way through them, make the case for what is in the best interests of the business community here and try to find resolutions to the issues that we need to find resolutions to. I welcome the fact that there has been some progress across a raft of issues. However, there is more to be done. I welcome the fact that there is a commitment from the co-chairs of the Joint Committee and the Specialised Committee and that all that work to find resolutions to the issues continues. Hopefully, in the weeks ahead, we will see some progress on that.”
“The British Government must now get on with implementing the protocol in full, and any delays to the full implementation of the protocol, which is our protection against the worst excesses of the hard Brexit, clearly risk any future stability, growth and prosperity. Even the Member who spoke previously referred to that. You are right to say that the prospect of a no-deal Brexit would have been deeply damaging and destructive and, probably even more so, very disruptive not only to our economy but to our peace process.”
“<BR /> <BR />Going forward, we need to build on that and on the strength that the all-island economy gives us for attracting jobs and investment.”
“Yes, of course. We have said that from day one. The Member noted that we have been afforded special status through the protocol that facilitates our unique and continued access to the EU single market. That gives us the opportunity to be the gateway for the sale of goods to two of the world's largest markets. Local businesses and manufacturers, as well as our farmers and traders, want to see the protocol implemented so that they can avail themselves of the protections that it affords them and the special status that it affords the North. We are now the only place where businesses can operate free from customs declarations, certificates of origin and non-tariff barriers on the sale of goods to both Britain and the EU.”
“That combination of things means that we need to look at what opportunities are presented to us. There are opportunities afforded to us and markets open to us; you have referred to that on a number of occasions. We need to make those opportunities work to our advantage in the time ahead, and I will work with all Executive Ministers to make sure that that is the case.”
“First, I say to the Member that it is the responsibility of all of us in political leadership to work to make politics work for everybody. Politics has to deliver for everybody. None of us wants to see a reoccurrence of the scenes that we have seen on our streets over recent weeks, and we all need to go out of our way to make sure that that does not happen. We certainly do not want that to be a factor that determines the outcome of people's decisions on whether to invest here and to create employment opportunities and all the prosperity that comes with that. <BR /> <BR />As part of moving forward and our recovery, particularly the economic recovery, the Department for the Economy has published a plan, while the Executive are working on the new Programme for Government, the economic recovery package and the post-COVID response.”
“We have been clear that any solutions to them need to reflect the practical impacts and should be developed in liaison with our business community, which has continued to stress that solutions need to be simple, practical and affordable.”
“While we have differing views on the decision to leave the EU and on the protocol, we are committed to working together to achieve the best possible outcome for local businesses and will continue to do so. As an Executive, we regularly review the impacts arising from the end of the transition period and continue to raise concerns with the Westminster Government and the EU on many issues, including those relating to sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) checks. <BR /> <BR />Any decision on veterinary arrangements for goods checks is the responsibility of the British Government. In seeking the best possible outcomes for our citizens and for traders, however, we have continued to highlight to Whitehall and the EU the impact that those issues are having on our businesses.”