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 53 of 113.
“I am delighted to say that we will launch the service tomorrow. It will build on what has been achieved for HIA victims and survivors and on the interim service for counselling and emotional support that was established in the early summer. This is certainly another milestone in the implementation of the Hart report.”
“As I said, they have a role to play and have to contribute financially. I take on board what you said and will speak to officials to see whether it is possible. If it would help to prevent further delay, I would be more than open to looking at it.”
“There is no question about that. Although there have been contacts at an official level, I am quite frustrated that there has not been a further meeting. I assure the Member that I have raised with officials the need to have that meeting now. We need to progress the issue now.”
“To proceed, we are seeking a round-table meeting with the relevant institutions to emphasise the seriousness of the negotiations and the urgency of making progress and to agree the fundamental principles that would govern the negotiations.”
“Payments of compensation to victims and survivors of historical institutional abuse began in May, and, as of 19 November, redress panels had made 219 determinations, totalling £5·9 million. A total of £4·3 million has been paid out. While redress can never fully right the wrongs of the past, it is an acknowledgement by the Executive of the harm done, harm that must never happen again. <BR /> <BR />Contributions from institutions found responsible for systemic failings by the Hart inquiry would defray some of the costs of compensation. That is a key Hart recommendation. Officials have engaged in a further round of contacts with the institutions to affirm the Executive’s intentions.”
“A Cheann Comhairle, the question is about Brexit. The Member may take the opportunity during topical questions, but this question is about Brexit.”
“The Member has set out the challenge. With all the work and preparedness that is being done cross-departmentally by Departments, there is no doubt that there will be a legislative burden on us. Even if it does not come before the end of the year, it will carry us through the rest of the mandate. We will be bringing forward legislation because, I think, there will be things that come in the aftermath as well. <BR /> <BR />We have set out the legislative programme. Once we have clarity — hopefully, we will get that one way or the other this week — we will, at least, be able to set out clearly what the legislation looks like and get a timetable for its delivery.”
“I can say to the Member — we have spoken about it in the House before — that, yes, we have. We have raised it at every opportunity. We do not have a meeting of minds on Brexit, but we have a meeting of minds in trying to limit disruption to our local businesses and in making sure that costs are not passed on to consumers. Over recent weeks, we have heard at length about the issue of food supply, and I have said that that is one of the high-risk areas that we have identified. We will continue to raise that issue until we have clarity on all of these things. It is about time that businesses here had that clarity. We have been calling for it for a considerable time.”
“The Executive have agreed to focus on the six high-priority, high-impact risks identified by the Departments: food supply; flow of highly regulated goods; business preparedness; data flows; sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) checks; and transport. To ensure that those are considered concurrently, that planning is being taken forward in parallel with the COVID-19 response and recovery. We have in place a hub structure, which exists to respond to both COVID and EU exit, should it be required. All of that speaks to the need for immediate clarity and certainty and for the British Government to fulfil their legal obligations as contained in the Good Friday Agreement and the EU withdrawal agreement.”
“Thanks for the question. I said in answer to an earlier question that this is a crunch week. It appears that we are edging closer to an outcome. As I said, we have been told for some time that this would be crunch week, but it is clear that time is running out. It appears that things are edging closer — at least, the issues are narrowed down — to reaching an agreement. There is no doubt that we and all Departments face significant challenges in undertaking all the readiness planning, including the lack of clarity on issues in relation to the protocol, which will have wider implications for operational readiness. As a result, the EU future relations programme has been refocused on readiness activities.”
“Over recent weeks, negotiations have intensified with the aim of securing an agreement. Discussions on the future relationship have continued since then. We welcome the commitment to continue discussions, but we recognise that the talks could still result in a non-negotiated outcome. We are therefore continuing our operational readiness planning to include that possibility. The key challenge for Departments in this planning process is the urgent clarity that is needed to implement the protocol and any agreed deal with the EU. Our officials have undertaken bilateral meetings with officials from other Departments in order to scrutinise readiness issues and identify possible mitigations, including where interventions would be required from the British Government, and assurances around continuity agreements or bilateral agreements.”
“We hope that a number of the things that we brought forward last week will go some way to supporting people right now, everything from the rates holiday and the voucher scheme, which will get our high street running again, to the support that we announced for tourism, hospitality schemes and bed and breakfasts and the additional support for pubs. All those things are really important to keep people afloat until we get to the other side of this.”
“I do not know what was going on with that noise, but I will carry on. <BR /> <BR />You are absolutely right: some of the financial packages that the Executive were able to announce last week were hugely significant. We are trying to reach people who have perhaps not had funding previously. We are conscious of the fact that the tourism sector has been completely decimated. Tourism and COVID just do not go hand in hand. We know that we need to support people to stay still until we come out the other side of this and they can start to operate again.”
“It is not for just the Executive to deliver that: we will very much look to wider societal input. We will not be able to do this together, because we will be recovering from such a massive shock: COVID and Brexit together — a double dunt. That will hugely shake the foundations of life as we know it, so we have a big job of work in terms of recovery.”
“Any recovery plan or any plan for the future will involve every Department because everyone will have a part to play. Work has been done on that over the past few months. Whether it is the Department for the Economy supporting or investing in businesses or the Department for Communities supporting people, individuals or the community and voluntary sector, everybody has a part to play in society. <BR /> <BR />We aim to deliver a balanced and proportionate response. Dealing with the here and now is about supporting people economically and financially. However, recovery is not about just getting us back to where we were; it is about how, maybe, we can do things better. Can we have societal reforms that help us to deliver better? It is a combination of supporting individuals, workers and businesses and that wider societal approach.”
“By the summer of 2021, we hope to see mass vaccination rolled out to the general public. That is a hopeful position to be in. Necessary alongside that will be the rolling-out of mass testing. That will be an important part of our management of COVID until we get to the point where we have widespread vaccination in place. <BR /> <BR />The roll-out of both of those programmes will be challenging. They present us with a huge logistical challenge, but core to our approach to all of this is the establishment of a task force, which we announced last week, to take forward this essential work. There is no doubt in any of our minds that the delivery of a mass testing programme and of the vaccine are transformative in our battle against COVID.”
“Thanks to the Member for that question. Most of the questions that I was asked over the weekend were about the vaccine, because everybody is looking for hope and a way out of the pandemic. <BR /> <BR />We had a good presentation at the Executive last Thursday from the head of the Department of Health COVID-19 vaccine programme. It is really heartening that plans for the roll-out of the vaccine are at an advanced stage. I hope that some of the most vulnerable will be the first to receive the vaccine. It will be laid out in five phases. The first phase includes our healthcare staff, care home residents and those over 80 years old. Early in 2021, those over 65 and vulnerable people under 65 will receive it. In spring 2021, those over 50 who have not been vaccinated should receive it.”
“We have to look towards recovery. We have, as you know, appointed an interim head of the Civil Service, which will help us in our recovery. We want Jenny Pyper to focus on COVID, Brexit and recovery: those are the three things at the top of her in-tray, working with us. <BR /> <BR />We have to work our way out of this. The Treasury's announcement last week was disappointing for our ability to invest in recovery. The Executive are and will be focused on recovery into the new year. We will have to pick up an awful lot of broken pieces, because that is the reality. Economically, a lot of sectors are in tatters and need the Executive's support.”
“We are really hopeful that the measures that have been brought in will bring us to the other side of Christmas. Most people will have noted over the past number of days that the figures for positive cases are going in the right direction, and that is welcome.”
“As I set out in my original answer, we are very much looking towards recovery. We are still in the midst of the pandemic, and we have to work our way through the latest phase that we are in.”
“The junior Ministers currently lead a strategic enforcement group comprising local government and PSNI representation, as well as TEO, Justice, Economy and Communities officials. We are also looking at additional ways in which we can encourage all citizens and sectors to adhere to regulations and public health advice.”
“Any decisions on the Executive’s next steps, therefore, will be informed by the impact that they may have on us as individuals, on families and on the wider communities within which we live. We are committed to ensuring that support packages meet the needs of those who need our help. <BR /> <BR />Looking towards 2021, the Executive have approved a recovery framework which is aimed at progressing a cohesive approach across the whole of Government that will deliver an economic, health and societal recovery, with citizens at its core. This work will complement the longer-term Programme for Government which is currently being developed and which we are aiming to have in place by April 2021.”
“Mr Speaker, it is my understanding that question 12 has been withdrawn. With your permission, I will answer questions 3 and 14 together. <BR /> <BR />The Executive’s response to, and recovery from, COVID-19 continues to be focused on the health and well-being of our citizens, our economic well-being, revitalising the economy and our societal and community well-being. A large amount of public health evidence is considered, much of which is publicly available. Papers from the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) are published on a publicly available data repository, and reports of independent SAGE and original scientific publications are considered, along with other evidence. The Executive are placing a particular emphasis on people and families, and we know how important this is to everyone.”
“The Member will know my views on the Internal Market Bill — they are very clear. This is the British Government trying to rewrite a deal which they had previously made and reneging on a commitment which they made to the EU, only to then legislate and to breach international law. That does not bode well for anybody looking for a future trade relationship. When it comes to the interests of businesses here, there will not be very many opportunities if the British Government continually breach their own obligations that they themselves signed up to.”
“These are big challenges for the Executive and the Assembly, and we are going to have to embrace them and take them on.”
“A cross-departmental group has been set up. It looked at the areas of concern and what we need to address. Six high-level impact risks have been identified and will need to be addressed: food supply; highly regulated goods, such as medicines; business preparedness; data flows; sanitary and phytosanitary checks; and transport. Everyone is working together on a cross-departmental basis to try to address those. I can assure you that there is a long list beyond those six things that also needs to be resolved. There are significant challenges, and significant preparation is under way. As we come to the crunch period — we have been told it is a crunch for a number of weeks now — we are now in the realm of the endgame for where Brexit is going to land.”
“Any frontier schemes must be accessible for, and cognisant of the special needs of, cross-border workers in Ireland. The British Government must fulfil their legal obligations as contained in the Good Friday Agreement and the EU withdrawal agreement.”
“As the Brexit negotiations enter the endgame, it is not an acceptable nor a tenable position that cross-border workers are still in limbo at this stage of the discussions.”
“Yes, I certainly do. There are an estimated 30,000 cross-border workers in Ireland, many of whom cross the border, back and forth, every day as part of their daily routine. The loss of protections at the end of the transition period in just over one month's time — that is fast coming towards us — will have a huge impact on people's everyday lives. <BR /> <BR />I am concerned about the flaws and shortcomings in the British Government's frontier workers' regulations. I note that several trades unions, the Committee on the Administration of Justice (CAJ), the Centre for Cross-Border Studies and various migrant welfare associations have also recently raised those concerns with the British Government.”
“<BR /> <BR />I say clearly to the Member that I have worked very hard to protect the interests of the people who live here. I have looked to Dublin to afford some protections to people in this jurisdiction, and we need to continue to do that.”
“I remind the Member that the majority of the House reject Brexit. The majority of the parties and the majority of MLAs reject Brexit; it is being foisted upon us against our wishes. We set ourselves a task at the very start of the Brexit debacle to try to afford ourselves some protections, and those were achieved in the form of the protocol and the withdrawal agreement. Albeit far from perfect, they at least provide us with some guarantees and assurances, particularly in relation to there being no return to a hard border and protecting the all-island economy. <BR /> <BR />Whilst there is no meeting of minds in the Executive on Brexit, there is a joined-up approach insofar as we want to minimise disruption and minimise costs being pushed on to the consumer. We have worked very hard to make sure that that is front and centre of the debate.”
“We have to continue to work together. It is in everybody's interest that we work together North/South and, indeed, east-west, on the taxing issue of Brexit. As I said, the clarification from Minister Coveney is welcome.”
“The protocol commits to avoiding the need for any customs and regulatory checks or controls and related physical infrastructure North/South. As such, there is no change in the position of the Irish Government. The recent statement from Minister Simon Coveney clarifies that that will remain the case, even if, notwithstanding, the controversial clauses in the Internal Market Bill are reinstated when it returns to the House of Commons. I welcome that clarification.”
“The Member will be aware that the legislation has been published as part of New Decade, New Approach, so he will be aware of what has been legislated for. Obviously, there are provisions in the Bill on the office of identity, and more meat has been put on the bones of that. Again, I hope to bring forward the legislation very soon and have a comprehensive conversation about the shaping of it.”
“I am very happy to provide that information to the Member.”
“I am aware that the Ulster Unionist Party is against introducing legislation that delivers parity of esteem for those who have an Irish national identity. That is regrettable, and I ask you to reconsider that position. No one has anything to fear from legislating for the language or from allowing children who are educated through the medium of Irish to live their life through Irish. I again ask the Ulster Unionist Party to perhaps rethink its position and perhaps join everybody else who is trying to deliver this legislation, because I believe that it is in society's wider interests. <BR /> <BR />When we bring forward the proposal and the time frame for the delivery of the legislation, we will also bring forward costs for the various elements, including those for the office of identity, as well as details on what that will look like.”
“I believe that it is also in the public interest to do so. <BR /> <BR />The failure to honour political commitments and to uphold legal obligations in legacy matters will have far-reaching implications that affect victims and public confidence in the rule of law and the administration of justice. If we are going to continue to build the peace that we all must work very hard for every day, however difficult and challenging, in order to collectively heal all the wounds of the past we must continue to do that together.”
“They would also "start an intensive process". Clearly, to date the British Government have failed to bring forward any meaningful proposals on legacy, and there has not been any intensive process. To my mind, the failure to progress the commitments that were made demonstrates shocking levels of bad faith, particularly as those commitments have been outstanding since the Stormont House Agreement back in December 2014. <BR /> <BR />I spoke today to the Finucane family, who will this afternoon receive next steps from the British Government. It is their view, which I certainly share, that all state agencies must be accountable to the law. It is my clear view that the British Government have no alternative but to direct a public inquiry into the murder of the human rights lawyer Patrick Finucane.”
“Thanks to the Member for his question. As he and everybody in the House know, 'NDNA' committed all the parties to working together and to doing everything possible to heal wounds and eliminate the issues that always divide us. Core to NDNA was that the British Government would:”
“I thank the Member for the question. I am sorry; I do not understand why you have not had a response, but I am happy to give you the commitment that, when we introduce the Bills, they will be laid out with a very clear time frame for delivery and you will be able to chart their way through the rest of the mandate. It is my intention that we deliver on the New Decade, New Approach issues, which, obviously, brought us all back together and brought about the restoration of the Executive. This is a really important piece of work that needs to be brought to the House in the imminent future.”
“We are committed to the development and implementation of the rights, language and identity proposals in the 'New Decade, New Approach' document. The delivery of those priorities will be important in building our shared future based on mutual respect and parity of esteem. <BR /> <BR />While the COVID-19 pandemic has undoubtedly delayed the speed at which we would have liked to see these issues progressed, it has certainly not deterred us from delivering them as quickly as possible. Officials are undertaking the necessary preparatory work to legislate for the core elements of the Bills, and we intend to progress legislation during 2020-21 and to create the relevant bodies as quickly as possible thereafter.”
“We should never tar everybody with the one brush. One party decided to use the mechanism, which is there to protect minorities; the Member is absolutely right. Two questions arise from that: is it the mechanism itself, which is designed to protect minority rights, which I absolutely fully support, or is it the use of the mechanism? It is the use of the mechanism that is being called into question. It is appalling that it was used. I would not use it. I could have blocked the last decision in the Executive, but I chose not to. This is a public health crisis; it is not about minority rights. The COVID pandemic impacts everybody equally. This conversation to be had is about whether it is the mechanism or the use of the mechanism — it is the abuse of the mechanism that is at the heart of the problem.”
“We are all in this together, and we have to be as fulsome with the public as we can be and tell them how difficult and challenging these decisions are. The best thing that we can do is to communicate clearly.”
“I have no doubt that your colleague the Health Minister gave you chapter and verse about the Executive meeting. I have no doubt that he also said that I was very supportive of him the whole way through. I have no doubt that he could not say anything other than that I tried to find consensus the whole way through, and I have no doubt that that would be the statement that he could make to you today if he was sitting beside you. <BR /> <BR />We will continue to work with the Health Minister and Executive colleagues. We will continue to try to find a way to keep the virus in check, keep the pressure off the health service, and do all the things that I have stated here at length today. That is what we need to do; that is what the Executive need to do; and we all need to work together.”
“I look forward to that day, and to working with all of the Executive and Assembly until we find that way forward.”
“I would say to people not to be over-optimistic, but the fact that we now have a vaccine shows that there is some light and the fact that we can roll out mass testing and that that will bring transmission down by 50% are huge advances. So, there is the wee bit of hope for people in the middle of this. <BR /> <BR />We have to continue to find a balanced way forward that respects the public health advice, keeps transmission in check, keeps the pressure off the health service, supports people who need to isolate, and that finds cases. Do not just wait until people come forward; we need to find cases and asymptomatic people in the community. Mass testing will help us to do that. <BR /> <BR />There are a number of things on the horizon that can help us to turn the corner.”
“The Member will know that we are not New Zealand, we are Ireland, and we are very challenged in dealing with this strategy. We have been clear from the start that we needed an all-island approach. I actually think that we should have had a two-island approach from the outset of the pandemic. I regret that that has not been the case. There has been some cooperation but nowhere near enough. <BR /> <BR />When we say "coexist" or "find a way to live with", the best way to say it is, "find a way to live through this pandemic" because we have to live through the pandemic. We have to find a way to maximise people's freedoms, lift the restrictions as best we can, when we can, to keep the pressure off the health service and to give people that glimmer of hope.”
“Thanks to the Member for his repeated question. I think that I have answered that question in the House on many occasions and I am satisfied that I have nothing new to add.”
“I thank the Member. Yes, I heard that question earlier, and I am more than happy to look at it.”
“So there is a whole combination of things, but there is a trust and confidence issue on the part of the public, and I am determined to capture that.”