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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“The next meeting will take place on 2 October. That is very timely given where we are at with the virus' spread. We in the Executive will have big decisions to take on how we manage our way through this crisis, so I think that that meeting on 2 October, only a number of days away, will be really useful and timely.”
“I do not think that it is any secret to the Member that the First Minister and I have different outlooks on Brexit, but we have a commonality on the matter of protecting our people, and we want to see the minimisation of any disruption. I hope that a political outcome is achieved here over the next number of weeks, and I will use my best endeavours to play my part in all of that.”
“As I said, I think that the extent of the ongoing discussion has been happening from the very outset of COVID, but I do think that it is time for us to renew our efforts and our focus, given what we are facing in the weeks and months ahead. You rightly point out border communities, for example Strabane and Lifford, and you can see the pattern of the virus spreading. Those are all worrying developments, so now more than ever I think that we need to be very coherent and joined-up in our approach and continue, through the vehicle of the North/South Ministerial Council sectoral meetings and on an ongoing basis, that regular engagement if we are going to be successful across this island in driving down transmission rates and trying to see our population get to the other side of this coronavirus.”
“I am very strongly on the record in saying that we need to have a British-Irish Council meeting, and we have asked for that and pushed for it on a number of occasions, even as recently as the weekend, when we had a call with Scotland, Wales and Michael Gove and again mentioned it there. I think that it is important that we have these meetings on a North/South and east-west basis. I am committed to all aspects of the Good Friday Agreement and all its institutions, so I think that that meeting should happen as a matter of urgency.”
“Thanks. The Member does represent a border constituency and understands the challenges. She understands very well that the virus does not stop just because you move from one constituency to another or from one jurisdiction to another. That is why North/South cooperation on the issue of COVID is absolutely vital if we are going to be successful. I welcome the fact that there has been ongoing engagement at Chief Medical Officer level and at ministerial level, but, as we face into the winter months, we need to seriously ramp that up and work collectively across the island. We live on a very small island, and changes and differences in approach confuse the public, particularly in border constituencies. I think that we have to have an eagle eye to all of that and all the restrictions that are in place and work in tandem as best we can.”
“As I said in my introductory remarks, this issue was discussed at the North/South Ministerial Council plenary session. That is not the only forum in which to discuss it, but it certainly is a forum in which to discuss it. If we happen to need other meetings outside the plenary format, we will not be shy in asking for them, particularly given the volatility of the situation that we find ourselves in right now. We want to see an outcome that works for people here. We want to see certainty and the minimisation of any disruption to trade. Those things are all crucially important, but we are clearly in politically volatile times with Brexit and what that means, and we hope that there is an outcome through the Joint Committee. I am happy to keep the Member updated on any discussions that we have on a North/South basis with regard to Brexit.”
“The Irish Government indicated in New Decade, New Approach that they were committed in principle to providing further funding to the north-west development fund in collaboration with the Executive. The north-west regional development group recently wrote to us seeking a continuation of the fund beyond the current arrangements, and the First Minister and I are considering this request, which will require engagement with the Irish Government.”
“Thanks for the question. The current north-west development fund is still running, with funding approved until 2022. This includes a six-month extension of the funding period to take account of the COVID pressures and their implications for projects. The total investment committed by the Executive is approximately £2·15 million. This commitment is match funded by the Irish Government, as agreed in the Fresh Start Agreement in 2015. The north-west development fund has delivered a number of successful projects. Some examples are: developing economic growth through trade and investment missions; developing the physical environment by contributing to the INTERREG greenways project; and, through north-west sports development, strengthening community cohesion and well-being.”
“Some progress has been made. Back in 2007, as you know, Waterways Ireland was given NSMC approval to explore the potential to restore the Ulster canal from Upper Lough Erne to Clones. Phase 1 of the restoration, from Upper Lough Erne to Castle Saunderson, is now complete; preliminary work on phase 2, from Clones to Clonfad, has now commenced; and phase 3, when complete in the future, will connect Castle Saunderson with Clonfad and complete the restoration of the Ulster canal from Upper Lough Erne to Clones. I welcome the progress that had been made and the commitment from the Irish Government to completing the third phase. The project will deliver social and economic benefits and will absolutely improve citizens' lives.”
“You will also be aware that the Joint Committee established by the withdrawal agreement will keep under constant review the extent to which the implementation and application of the protocol maintains the necessary conditions for North/South cooperation and that the specialised committee will examine proposals concerning the implementation and application of the protocol from the NSMC. Should matters be identified that Ministers believe merit consideration by the specialised committee, the NSMC provides a mechanism to enable that.”
“Officials from both jurisdictions will also continue with their ongoing engagement.”
“At the plenary meeting in Dublin, the Council had a useful discussion around the implications of the British Government's withdrawal from the EU. There was a recognition that the jurisdictions had a common interest in minimising disruption to trade and economic activity on the island. The North/South Ministerial Council provides a useful forum for the consideration of such matters, and Ministers will continue to engage on the implications of the withdrawal from the EU, both at NSMC sectoral meetings and bilaterally, where appropriate, and we will consider EU exit again at the next plenary.”
“That is a matter for the Taoiseach and the Dáil.”
“The signing of the memorandum of understanding was crucially important in our fightback with regard to COVID-19. As we know, the virus does not recognise borders and does not stop somewhere because there is a different jurisdiction. The work that we have done across the island — sharing data and modelling and the work with the app to make sure that, no matter where you travel on the island, the app works — is all crucial, but we could do an awful lot more. I hope that, at the sectoral meeting on 2 October, the two Health Ministers and the Chief Medical Officers, in response to the current situation with COVID, will bring forward additionality to the memorandum of understanding and what else we can do to work together to get through the winter months, which, we all readily acknowledge, will be very challenging.”
“I concur with the Member, as I did with the Chair of the Committee, that it is important that we turn the statements around quickly and bring reports to the House. The Assembly has been sitting for only two weeks, so, obviously, there has been a bit of a delay, but I take on board what the Member has said. <BR /> <BR />There is a health sectoral meeting planned for 2 October, which is only a short time away. I believe that that meeting will take place virtually, given the restrictions. Given where we are across these islands with the rise in COVID and what we are witnessing, it is really important that that meeting happens as quickly as possible so that we can share our information and work together where we can.”
“That work is ongoing, and Nichola Mallon, the Minister for Infrastructure, intends to engage with Minister Ryan to discuss the improvement of the transport links — both rail and road — between Belfast and Dublin. An NSMC transport sectoral meeting is scheduled to take place in early October where this and other matters will be discussed, following which Minister Mallon report to the Assembly.”
“It was something that we discussed. Improving connectivity between Belfast and Dublin is key in delivering opportunities for better connecting the island of Ireland and enhancing our respective economies. Our rail network, whilst relatively small, presents a unique opportunity. In line with that and the commitments in 'New Decade, New Approach', officials in the Department for Infrastructure have begun early discussions with their counterparts in the South regarding the process for developing a feasibility study of a potential high-speed rail connection between Belfast, Dublin and Cork. I know that our colleagues in the north-west would include Derry in that.”
“I say to the Member that is in all our interests to minimise disruption to trade. We want to see frictionless trade North/South and east-west. We as a people are being used as a pawn in the middle of the Brexit debate right now, and that is not a good place for us to be. Our people need certainty. Our businesses need certainty. We will work to make sure that that happens. That is one of the issues that we discussed at the NSMC, and, no doubt, we will have to keep coming back to it. We need an outcome that serves the people here well.”
“There will be a lot of sectoral meetings happening over the next weeks and months, and they will provide plenty of opportunity to get all those positions filled as quickly as possible.”
“This is the first opportunity that we have had to come to the Chamber. I accept that it is preferable that, after an NSMC meeting, we come quickly to the Chamber, because it is still current and we are able to discuss things, so we take that on board. <BR /> <BR />On the appointments, you are right: the Council approved the appointment of four directors of Tourism Ireland with effect from 31 July 2020 to 30 July 2025. The members appointed were Ruth Andrews, Joe Dolan, Stephen McNally and Mary Mulvey. They were nominated by the Irish Government. Obviously, there are outstanding board appointments — 10 in total — from the Executive, and we need to move speedily to nominate people.”
“<BR /> <BR />Ministers noted the continued commitment of the Irish Government and the Executive to work through the North/South Ministerial Council to help deliver projects that will benefit people across the island, including through investment in infrastructure that will support cooperation and unlock the full potential of the economies of both jurisdictions. The Council welcomed the progress made to date in progressing commitments identified in section E of the Fresh Start Agreement relating to infrastructure and support cooperation and noted the new and renewed commitments set out in 'New Decade, New Approach' and the associated Irish Government commitments.”
“The Council welcomed the close and productive cooperation that has taken place between Health Ministers, Chief Medical Officers and health administrations, North and South, to deliver an effective public health response. Ministers agreed that an early meeting of the Council in the health sector should review ongoing cooperation in responding to the pandemic. <BR /> <BR />The Council also noted the impact of the pandemic on society and on the economy, North and South, and the measures put in place by both Administrations to support communities and businesses affected by the crisis and to assist with economic recovery. Ministers agreed that the upcoming meetings of the Council in relevant sectors will consider how North/South approaches can contribute to the promotion of economic and social recovery.”
“The Council noted that senior representatives of the Executive and the Irish Government, along with their Chief Medical Officers, met at the NSMC secretariat offices in Armagh on 14 March to review the situation regarding the COVID-19 virus and how best to address the outbreak. At that meeting, Ministers affirmed that everything possible would be done in coordination and cooperation between the Irish Government and the Executive and with the active involvement of the health administrations in both jurisdictions to tackle the outbreak. Senior representatives of both Administrations have continued to meet regularly to discuss the ongoing COVID-19 response. The Council noted the memorandum of understanding on public health cooperation on the COVID-19 response agreed between the Departments of Health, North and South, on 7 April.”
“Ministers noted the ongoing work of the north-west strategic growth partnership and the continued engagement of senior officials in both Administrations with regional stakeholders regarding the direction, and priorities, for the north-west region. <BR /> <BR />With regard to coronavirus, the Council was briefed by the Chief Medical Officers, Dr Ronan Glynn and Dr Michael McBride, on the current public health situation and on ongoing cooperation on the response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Ministers extended their condolences to all those who have lost loved ones as a result of the pandemic. They also expressed their appreciation to all those who have played a part in the COVID-19 response, in particular health and social care workers, who have shown extraordinary courage and dedication in their work on the front line.”
“Ministers received a report from the joint secretaries on the work of the NSMC since 2016, including work undertaken across the NSMC sectors. They noted that three meetings of the Council, including one institutional meeting, had taken place since the last plenary meeting in November 2016. <BR /> <BR />The Council noted that the work of the North/South bodies has continued to make a significant contribution to communities, society and the economy of both jurisdictions. It also expressed appreciation to the boards and staff of those bodies for their work since 2016. <BR /> <BR />The Council also welcomed the mutually beneficial cooperation that is taken forward between Ministers and their Departments across the areas of cooperation.”
“In compliance with section 52C(2) of the 1998 Act, I wish to make the following statement on the 24th plenary meeting of the North/South Ministerial Council (NSMC), which was held in Dublin Castle on 31 July 2020. The Irish Government were led by the Taoiseach, Micheál Martin TD, who chaired the meeting. The Executive were led by First Minister, Arlene Foster, and by myself. All Executive Ministers, with the exception of the Minister of Justice, attended the meeting. The First Minister has agreed that I can make this report on our behalf. <BR /> <BR />Ministers welcomed the resumption of meetings of the Council. The meeting provided the new Irish Government and the new Executive with the opportunity to meet formally for the first time and to exchange views on a wide range of issues of mutual interest and concern.”
“— including the key issues contained in New Decade, New Approach, on the basis of which these institutions of the Good Friday Agreement were restored back in January.”
“We have come a long way in a very short time. The fact that we are now able to reverse our way carefully out of the restrictions represents huge progress. COVID-19 is still with is, and I will continue to lead us through this and into the recovery, where we are looking beyond the response phase towards the actions that will be needed to effect robust and sustainable recovery, rebuild public services and restore more ways of living. There are many challenges facing us, and, in moving forward, we also need to pick up on the urgent priorities and plans in other important areas unconnected to COVID-19 —”
“The progress that has been achieved is entirely due to the support and concerted effort of everyone. As a result, we have now reached a key turning point in the management of the crisis, where the Executive's attention is able to move from purely controlling the public health response towards planning for economic health and societal recovery instead.”
“That has involved a huge effort from all involved, including our health and social care workers, teachers, essential retail staff, those who provide key local government services, industry and employee representatives, church leaders and many more. There are people in every sector — public, private and community and voluntary — who had to abruptly stop their normal work and practices to join the fight against COVID-19 and help manage the risks and mitigate the impact of the pandemic.”
“We have huge challenges before us and important work to do, and I firmly believe that all parties of the Executive are committed to that and to ensuring that we have stable power-sharing after three years without a functioning Government. We have made good progress on all of that despite all of the difficulties. My commitment is to continue that work. <BR /> <BR />Since the middle of March, the management of the response to the COVID-19 pandemic has been the Executive's number-one priority, and our objective throughout has been to help keep people safe and support those who have faced real hardship as a result of the pandemic.”
“I will make my statement, thank you. <BR /> <BR />I take very seriously my responsibilities as a public office holder and as deputy First Minister and joint head of government. I assure Members that I have acted in accordance with those responsibilities. While the legislator is responsible for the regulations during this emergency period, it is the PSNI that is responsible for their enforcement. I understand that the PSNI will review the events of that day and consider any suspected breaches of the health regulations. <BR /> <BR />It is unfortunate that this matter has divided the Executive and Assembly that many of us worked so hard to restore in order to get on with delivering public services to the public whom we serve.”
“At no stage did I seek to give offence to anyone, including the Chamber, nor would I ever seek to do so.”
“All of those families have been really hurt, and I am sorry that that is the case. With hand on heart, I can say that I would always apologise for any unintended hurt that was caused. It was not and would never be my intention to hurt anybody in society. <BR /> <BR />I was invited, in my capacity as deputy leader of Sinn Féin, to attend the requiem mass, join the immediate family in the funeral cortège and attend the ceremony at Milltown. The personal responsibility on me was to ensure that my actions were in compliance with the regulations and the guidance, which I take very seriously. I am satisfied that I acted responsibly in the church, as part of a limited group of no more than 30 people as part of the cortège and at the ceremony in Milltown, where I paid my respects.”
“The untimely loss of a loved one is always very difficult, and there are no words that can relate to the scale of the human tragedy of all of those who have lost someone. All grief is the same. <BR /> <BR />I am particularly concerned that grieving families who have lost a loved one during the pandemic have had their heartache compounded by the necessary restrictions that were in place at points in time over the past few months. They were not able to have their family and friends there to support them and help them through their mourning, and their grief has been hugely difficult. I realise that grieving families have experienced more hurt over the past week; indeed, many MLAs have spoken this evening about different families. We heard about Mervyn's neighbour and John Dallat's family. Órlaithí talked about Bobby's family.”
“I confirm again that I am speaking as an MLA. First, a lot has been said over the past week since the untimely death of Bobby Storey and my attendance at his funeral. Unfortunately, there has been considerable controversy over my decision to attend the funeral. As a Member of the legislative Assembly, I have taken every opportunity to set out my position: at the scrutiny Committee last week, at the Executive Committee, at the party leaders' forum on Friday past and in the Chamber yesterday and earlier today. <BR /> <BR />At the forefront of my mind are all the families who are grieving and all those who have lost loved ones over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, of whom there are many. I have listened carefully to the voices of those who have lost loved ones. Every one of those situations is a tragedy in its own right.”
“I confirm that I intend to speak as an MLA this evening and respond to the debate. I do not know where the confusion has come from, but it is certainly not of my making.”
“On a point of order, Mr Temporary Speaker.”
“If we are going to build, that means working with the universities, the further education colleges and all the other stakeholders, because we have a huge battle on our hands in the time ahead to build our economy, to make sure that there are employment prospects and to make sure that we tackle all the issues that need to be tackled.”
“I will say first that, just as it did to fight COVID-19, it is going to take all our effort to recover. That means working with all our stakeholders. If I could point to one of the positives in how we have dealt with the COVID-19 crisis, I would point to the work that has been done with business organisations, with the trade union movement and right across the piece. That work has been crucial. I want us to continue with that partnership approach. A collaborative approach with society is one of the things that was written into the NDNA deal.”
“We need to continue to engage with the sector to make sure that we answer questions, of which people have many, and that we give that clarity. We will continue to engage with the Assembly on all of that and, indeed, with our own TEO Committee. <BR /> <BR />The Executive themselves have now had a number of dedicated sessions on Brexit, because, over the past number of months, a lot of the focus was on COVID-19. We have been very conscious for some time now, however, that we had to get back to dealing head-on with the issue of Brexit.”
“I absolutely agree that Brexit is one of the biggest challenges that we face. As we rebuild the economy, what our businesses and our people are craving is certainty, and we need to get that certainty. As we move towards the end of the year, I would be very fearful if we were still in a space where we could have a crash-out Brexit, which would be catastrophic. <BR /> <BR />We have the protocol. That protocol must be implemented. It was hard-fought. The Executive continue to discuss all those things. As I said, the implementation of the protocol is the role and responsibility of the British Government, but the agri-food role falls to DAERA here, so a lot more work needs to be done to give our local ports, for example, the required clarity.”
“We need to achieve economic growth in a balanced and sustainable way that puts social justice, workers' rights and equality at its centre. We need to be prepared to look forward rather than back when it comes to societal recovery. We must, however, acknowledge and help with the trauma that people have suffered, particularly those who have lost loved ones. Those are issues that will need to be explored with key stakeholders across all sectors as we start to plan for the recovery and as we bring forward our new Programme for Government.”
“It is clear that the COVID-19 pandemic will have lasting and profound impacts on society and the economy. An immediate priority for the Executive will be to help our local businesses get through the crisis and get the economy working again. However, that does not simply mean returning to the way that things were. The crisis has allowed us to view things in a different light, and it has shown us new ways of working and given us opportunities to explore different technologies and experiment with alternative working patterns. There is no doubt that the world that emerges out of the pandemic will be significantly different to what has gone before. We need to be ready to grasp emerging good practice and be able to learn quickly from others so that we can make this a good place to live, to work and to do business.”
“<BR /> <BR />We will continue to develop strong cross-sectoral working partnerships, such as that provided through the engagement forum, which is chaired by the LRA, and maintain a dialogue with stakeholders as a basis for strengthening and enhancing societal well-being, with our immediate priorities being to get our economy working again, strengthen our health and social care services and mitigate the immediate societal impacts of the crisis.”
“We have reached an important point in the COVID-19 pandemic, where we are beginning to look beyond the response phase towards the actions that will be needed to effect a robust and sustainable recovery, rebuild public services and restore more normal ways of living. <BR /> <BR />Our approach will be to build on sectoral plans, such as the economic recovery strategy, which was published recently by the Economy Minister, and to bring forward an inclusive Programme for Government, which is based on collaboration and joined-up thinking to deliver good outcomes in the things that matter most to people.”
“I do not see how that is relevant to the question that I have been asked, but I am happy to say that we have to do all that we can to lead ourselves through this period of recovery. We have lifted so many restrictions each day over the last number of weeks, and we have done so at breakneck speed, as I keep saying to people. We need to get normality back for people and give them freedom; we said that we would not keep any restriction in place for one day longer than necessary. I am very sure in my responsibilities and in what I need to do, and I am very sure that I will continue to lead us through this crisis.”
“We have to consider, as an Executive, how we can support businesses if they are in an area where there is a cluster and where closures need to be put in place. That is something that we need to continue to consider, and it will be part of our planning for what could come next.”
“That is something that we have been looking at, considering and planning for, whether it is a second wave or a cluster effect, which we have witnessed in many areas across the world. Even today in County Down, there is a report of a cluster. The crucial element to us being able to deal with that is our having the test, trace and isolate policy in place. That is crucial to being able to quickly identify things. One of the things that the Chief Scientific Adviser said to us was that, as we lift all the restrictions and free-up people to move around a lot more, the ability to be able to detect cases very quickly will be a tool to combat them as quickly as they happen. <BR /> <BR />The Member is right: when it came to lockdown in the first instance, supports were put in place to help businesses.”
“I assure the Member that I take my responsibilities very seriously. I will continue to lead us into the recovery phase of the pandemic. We need to make sure that we are preparing for whatever comes at us and doing all that we can to make our recovery good for all our people.”