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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“If we are to build confidence in policing, it has to involve the whole policing and justice family and structure. I certainly make the case that that anomaly needs to be resolved. I make that point to everybody who is elected to the Chamber. It is one of the outstanding issues that need to be addressed, and doing so would represent another milestone in strengthening democratic accountability and confidence in our policing and justice arrangements. The principle is simple: our institutions always work best when they serve and operate on the basis of an expressed democratic mandate, and that also runs true for the Department of Justice. I raised that with the British Government in the last week or so, because it needs to be resolved, and I will continue to make that case.”
“Thanks for the question. On the first point, if the PSNI is to succeed in delivering what we all want to see, which is a modern policing service, it has to be representative of the community that it serves. Unfortunately, that is not the reality. I am on record as saying that I support the return to 50:50 recruitment, because it is an important first step in rebuilding confidence in policing and ensuring that the policing institutions command maximum community support across all sections of our community. <BR /> <BR />On the second point about Justice by d'Hondt, I absolutely agree with what you said. As we approach the 16th anniversary of the transfer of policing and justice powers, that is one of the things that remain outstanding.”
“We are working with officials to bring forward a refreshed cross-cutting approach to good relations, which we believe will provide an opportunity to strengthen trust, inclusion and shared outcomes across society, supporting more positive relationships between public services and the communities that they serve. Policing and community safety partnerships (PCSPs), funded by the Department of Justice and the Policing Board, work at a community level to improve community safety and increase confidence in policing. We believe they have a vital role to play in building community relations, going forward.”
“We recognise that promoting good relations and building trust across all sections of the community are central to the Executive’s commitment to a united and shared society in which policing plays an important role. We acknowledge the benefits that diverse workforces can bring across the public sector, reflecting the increasingly diverse communities that we serve. Everyone should have the same opportunities, regardless of their background. <BR /> <BR />A full review of the current Together: Building a United Community (T:BUC) strategy has been completed.”
“That is our starting point, and I encourage us all to work together to fight for households here and to fight to get proper money that will help to get people through the crisis. What is being thrown out to us today does not even scratch the surface of what people need.”
“No, where we should all be collectively focused — including you — is on making the strongest possible case to the Treasury. The Executive's budget does not have the firepower — that is how the Finance Minister described it last week — that we need; we do not have an appropriate level of funding to help people to get through this spike in prices and the cost-of-living crisis. That is why we need to continue to work collectively to make the case to the Treasury. We have a strong case to make, and we continue to do so. Look at the stark figures for relative need: Scotland is 20% above need, Wales is 8% above need, and we are only 0·06% above need. That in itself makes the case.”
“Yes. There is a logical chronology developing. The investment strategy should, naturally, be published directly following the Budget being agreed, because we will then understand exactly what capital allocation we are dealing with across all Departments. A number of other things that are happening now will have implications for capital projects, not least the challenge to the A5 and what that means for other Executive projects. All those things have to be factored into the final document. I am hopeful that we will be able to come back, on the other side of the three-year Budget having been agreed, to talk to you about a proper investment strategy that clearly sets out our priorities for the next 10 years.”
“Looking to Scotland and Wales, we have a comparatively bad deal. We need to continue to fight our corner. Doing so collectively will be our strength. We raised that directly with Keir Starmer last week and will continue to do so. We have until the end of the month: that is the juncture at which we have to have a Budget agreed, and I encourage every party to engage constructively in order to make sure that we get to that point.”
“We are all aware, because he has said it publicly, that the Finance Minister published the draft Budget so that we can get the consultation process carried out. Quite a number of people have responded to the consultation, showing the interest in the Budget among the wider public: 370 responses were received. The prize for everybody is to get to a three-year Budget, which we have not had for over 10 years. It will not be a magic solution to the challenges here, but it will certainly be a much better position for us to be in as an Executive, allowing us to have more longer-term planning. <BR /> <BR />Throughout the process, the Finance Minister engaged with every single Minister, and he continues to work on his open-book exercise with the Treasury, making a strong case for why we need additional funding.”
“It is why we are engaged in the open-book exercise and why we are working together to look at the challenges that we have in each Department. Ultimately — I made this point to Keir Starmer last week — we have to have an adequate funding settlement for our Executive to be able to do the things that we want to do. We will play our part when it comes to transformation and trying to do things differently, but we need the resources to back that up. We continue to make that case to the Treasury.”
“Yes. I just reflected on the challenges that all our constituents are facing, including cost-of-living pressures, rising energy costs and wider global instability. All of that adds further strain to every household out there. Those pressures place an additional financial burden on our public services at a time when our Executive Budget is already constrained because of inadequate Budget settlements from Westminster, which is why getting to a juncture where we have a three-year Budget is so important. It would give us the ability to stabilise services, plan more strategically and have a bit more foresight and medium-term thinking about investment. That is why we are doing the things that we are doing.”
“<BR /> <BR />Engagement with Treasury is continuing at pace throughout this period. The purpose of the open-book review is to give the Treasury a fuller picture and understanding of the significant pressures that our Executive face. The reality is that we are underfunded. We have a case to make in that respect, and we intend to do so.”
“The process for the proposed draft Budget required Departments to submit detailed resource and capital departmental expenditure limit (DEL) information, with the Department of Finance using those returns, alongside the funding limits that were set in the spending review, to develop a draft Budget for public consultation. That 12-week consultation closed on 3 March. We note and welcome the £400 million reserve claim that was agreed with the Treasury during that time. However, we recognise that the repayments will impact on Budget funding available for services over the next three years. The recent announcement of a further £387 million for the Executive over the three-year period is welcome, as it acknowledges the need for further funding to be made available for public services here.”
“We welcome the prospect of the first multi-year Budget in over 10 years and recognise the potential benefits that a multi-year plan could bring about. It would provide an important opportunity for all Departments to plan more strategically. However, we recognise the challenges that the Executive continue to face. Ministers remain committed to ensuring that our Budget is fit for purpose and meets our needs. Multi-year budgeting has had an important role to play in managing inescapable costs and delivering key initiatives and commitments.”
“Our constituents here have to bear the brunt of decisions that have been taken elsewhere, so we need to fight together for the people whom we represent.”
“I am sure that we will get the answer to you as quickly as possible, but, with all due respect, our answering your question is not going to help somebody with their household bills. The priority is to work with the British Government and challenge them to ensure that we have the right investment package so that we can help people through this cost-of-living crisis. The announcement today does not touch the surface of what is required by households that are really struggling. We need to continue to work in that regard. That is why I said that we all need to face in the same direction and stand up for our constituents. We need to stand up strongly together to make the case for a proper package to help people through the crisis. These are the real-life implications of war.”
“We all know, I have no doubt, from being contacted at our constituency offices in past weeks that people are really worried about rising costs. They were already struggling with the cost-of-living crisis; their household budgets were already stretched. Now, because of the war and the escalation in the conflict, our householders bear the brunt of all of that. Those are the real-life consequences that we all have to be alert to. We all need to face one way in making the strongest possible case for support for households. That is what we have focused on in the weeks since the latest international war broke out.”
“Yes. I share those concerns, as do the majority of us in the House. The real-life implications are the human cost — the tragedy of loss of life — throughout the areas that have been impacted on, but a real cost is also felt here by our constituents as their costs rise. That is why, throughout the crisis, we have engaged at every level with the British Government, whether through engagement directly with Keir Starmer, the British Prime Minister, or through our Ministers engaging directly with their counterparts on energy or finances. <BR /> <BR />There are real-life implications here. Political choices made in London to invest in illegal war over public services cause real detriment to people's lives.”
“We have no responsibility for many of the issues, but we amplified the messages from the British Government and the Irish Government, which was really important. <BR /> <BR />All Members have probably dealt with families affected by the crisis, including people who have, as the Member rightly pointed out, British or Irish passports, even in the same family. All the issues were resolved because of the way in which we were able to put questions directly to both Governments throughout the crisis, and we will continue to do so.”
“I set out clearly the reason why I did not attend the briefings, and I am comfortable with my position on that. I know that, whilst the Member's party is on the wrong side of the war scenario — it has been a cheerleader from day 1 — what people want to hear is what we are doing to help them. <BR /> <BR />All through the crisis, we have engaged with the Irish Government and the British Government; we have had those twice-daily briefings; we have ensured that we have been informed; and we have promoted all the information across the Executive Office platforms, whether on social media or regular media. I am comfortable with the role that we have played in supporting people, which is ultimately what this is about.”
“<BR /> <BR />We receive twice-daily briefings from our officials on the situation, and we have been working actively to use all the communication channels available to us to encourage people affected to register their presence through the relevant government portals and to keep up to date with the official travel guidance, as it continues to change.”
“This is a deeply worrying time, and our priority is to ensure the safety and well-being of people from here who are in the region. The deputy First Minister and I and our officials are fully engaged with the British and Irish Governments on the matter. We met the Prime Minister and the Irish Minister for Foreign Affairs last week to discuss the ongoing impact of the conflict in the Middle East on our diaspora who are living there and travelling through there. We reinforced the fact that we stand ready to assist in helping people from here who are impacted on in the region in any way that we can.”
“I absolutely do. I am very mindful of the family, given that the anniversary of Pat's death has just passed. It has been 37 years of campaigning for truth and justice, 37 years of being let down at every turn by the British Government, and 37 years of promises being made and then reneged on. I commend the family, and I urge the British Government to step forward to do the right thing. They committed to the inquiry but have yet to agree the terms of reference. That is not acceptable or good enough, so they need to get on with it and allow the family the ability to move forward. I make that plea to the British Government today: stop making the Finucane family wait; do the right thing; develop the terms of reference; let the work get under way; and let the family get answers.”
“The outworking of local Ministers being close to our communities and able to listen to the changes that they want is that we are able to bring those changes forward through legislation, so I look forward to the sentencing Bill's coming to the House for debate.”
“Yes. Obviously, that is a very emotive issue, particularly for anybody who has lost a loved one on the roads, and, unfortunately, there are far too many. I very much welcome the fact that the Bill has moved to the next stage and that the Justice Minister will be bringing it to the House for debate. That proposal is important because increased sentencing guidelines will be a deterrent, and drunk drivers will not get a slap on the wrist for being the cause of someone losing their life. In the Member's own back yard, the family of Enda Dolan have been strong campaigners, using their own tragedy and life experience, for a meaningful change in the law. I commend that family, and I am sure that all Members know families that have been likewise campaigning, so I commend them all for getting to this point.”
“I wanted to make the case that those companies need to stop making such big profits off the backs of young people and let them get on the road at a premium that is fair and reasonable and not disproportionate. That is the case, I think, when you compare the rates here with those in Scotland, Wales and England.”
“Again, not on behalf of TEO, I joined the Infrastructure Minister in a meeting that we had with the Association of British Insurers, the umbrella body for insurance companies. We raised with them a concern that I know has, no doubt, been raised with many in the House, and that is the cost of insurance here, which is disproportionately high, in particular for young people. Some of the premiums that young people are paying are absolutely extortionate. <BR /> <BR />We took the opportunity to meet the association because the Infrastructure Minister has announced road safety improvement measures, which are raising awareness of security and safety on the roads. Also, the announcement on graduated driving licences was made. A combination of those should mean that our young drivers are safer on the road.”
“That is my concern. <BR /> <BR />I assure the Member that I continue to work with all Executive colleagues because I want to see our papers agreed. Unfortunately, some papers have been stuck in the Executive for over a year. Over a year, could you imagine? That is disgraceful. I want to progress papers as quickly as we possibly can, and I will work with Ministers to do so. We have a short window left in this mandate, and where there are legislative proposals, we should be prioritising them and getting them agreed and back to the House for debate. That would be good because I think that we are going to spend the rest of the mandate debating many pieces of legislation that would be beneficial to people's lives.”
“Again, more talking out of the Executive. We are working our way through all the papers that we have. Some are detailed policies. I was quite concerned about some of your colleague's proposals because he seems to have a disproportionate emphasis on people who are struggling and need benefits, going after them in the courts and naming them and shaming them.”
“I am quite sure that your colleagues are not briefing outside the Executive, because that would be a breach of Executive confidentiality. There are many papers sitting in the Executive waiting to be cleared. I can tell you that there are very few at my end.”
“I am taking distinct approaches when it comes to what we do in Washington and what we will do in China on trade and relationships. I am very confident that our Economy Minister is more than capable of raising all of those human rights concerns, which we all share.”
“My reasons for not attending the White House this year are very similar to the reasons that I gave last year. There is a genocide — a genocide — that is unique to our generation. It is important to stand on the right side of humanity on that issue. Unfortunately, many Members on the Benches opposite will be on the wrong side of history. I have made my voice clear. I am taking a stand on the role of the United States and the way in which the international community has turned the other way and failed. I want to see a two-state solution in the Middle East. Our society tells you that there is always a road out of conflict. Our society tells you that dialogue will get you to that point. I encourage the international community to do more.”
“As the Member will be aware, we have spoken quite often in the House about our engagement with Chinese officials here and the Economy Minister's recent visit to China. We make very clear our view on China's human rights abuses — we always underline that in our visits. Both the deputy First Minister and I are on record in all of our meetings with Chinese officials as saying that we are concerned about their human rights abuses. They are very clear about our position on that.”
“I will always be able to confidently say to my grandchildren that I stood on the right side of humanity.”
“Yes, I do. This is an opportunity to do so. We have a small voice, but it is important to use it at times that like this. This is the genocide of our generation. When you reflect on all of that, you have to use your political platform and your voice to be on the right side of humanity and the right side of history. That is why I have taken the decision that I have. Whilst there is a ceasefire in name, there is not a ceasefire in reality. That is the very clear lived experience of the people of Palestine. When you still see homes being destroyed, families being killed and indiscriminate fire daily and nightly, that should alarm us all. We should all be proactive in using our voice. As I said, there are times in history when you have to stand on the right side of humanity.”
“Thank you. I have confirmed my decision publicly. I gave serious consideration to my attendance at the White House this year, understanding and recognising, as we all do, the fact that there are very deep and historic bonds between Ireland and the United States. I said that I would make the decision based on the prevailing context and circumstance, and it is very clear that what is happening in Palestine has not improved. What we are seeing unfold in front of our eyes is very clear: families are still under attack and the genocide is still occurring. That is a context in which I cannot attend. For me, it was about taking a principled stand and not attending the White House on this occasion.”
“I look forward to when we are back in the House debating the investment strategy, because it is something that we all want to see.”
“I agree that we have to get value for money. The role of SIB has morphed over the years, and many people who were initially in the SIB are now in the Department on a longer-term basis. The DFM and I have raised that issue, because we want to be clear about our ask and the added value of SIB, particularly when it comes to rolling out our investment strategy. We will be open about the role of the SIB and what we have asked of it; that is really important. We are actively working our way through the investment strategy, and a considerable amount of work has gone into that. Some of the work underlying the investment strategy is around nine key enabling actions that will help us to do things better and to transform and invest in infrastructure, alongside other things.”
“We are actively looking at our investment strategy, including the role of SIB. As the Member will know, there was a review of the strategy. When the three-year Budget process is in place, it will inform the investment strategy. We are actively looking at the SIB's role: what it does and how it does it. We will have a particular ask of the SIB and what it will do within its remit, and we will be more than happy to share that with Members.”
“Well, this is nothing to do with the Executive Office, but I am very confident in our party position, and I know that we can stand over it.”
“Again, that is nothing to do with the Executive Office, but we can clearly stand over our position. Nothing in life is black and white, and neither are positions that are adopted in the European Parliament. Sometimes, you have to go with one part or another of a motion. I am confident that —”
“That is nothing to do with the Executive Office, but we do our very best to support the Ukrainian refugees who are under our care. In our society, people have been excellent at opening their doors and welcoming people: long may that continue. My party's policy positions are not relevant to the Executive Office per se. However, we should all be increasingly concerned that, whilst all public services are struggling, the approach of the British Government and that of international communities is to move towards a militarisation agenda as opposed to investing in people. I have concerns about that and I take issue with it.”
“There are strategies in place to deal with that; we might just have to wait a bit longer to see the benefits of them. There are, however, a number of things in train that will make a significant difference. <BR /> <BR />Our day-1 argument, which should be that of everybody in the Chamber, is that this place has been underfunded for over a decade and that we are trying to pick up the pieces. The British Government need to pay for public services that they have underinvested in for over a decade.”
“We can deliver public services better and more efficiently through a range of measures, be they transformation projects that try to reform — for example, reforming how planning applications are dealt with — or improve, and we have seen such improvements across the Department of Health with the roll-out of Encompass. <BR /> <BR />We also need to get right to the heart of the wastage in our system. That is a big issue that we are all committed to addressing. A raft of proposals has been taken forward at Department of Finance level and head of the Civil Service (HOCS) level to deal with wastage in the system as a result of absences and everything else.”
“There is no doubt that there is wastage in our system. We are doing all that we can to transform our public services. You have only to look at the state of the Department of Education budget and the fact that that Department has overspent so significantly or at the Department of Health budget to see that that leaves the whole of the Executive in a difficult position. There is no doubt that our public services are under huge pressure because of years of underinvestment. Our day-1 argument needs to remain our day-1 argument: we need to fight for more money to invest in public services here. <BR /> <BR />Alongside that, we need to do the transformation work, and I believe that we are all up for doing it.”
“How will we transform public services if we are underfunded? How will we fix healthcare and education and do everything else that we want to do if we are underfunded? I often hear people use the begging bowl analogy: I do not accept that. What we are asking for is what is right for people here. What we are asking for is right for the people whom we represent. What we are asking for is appropriate support to address the many years of underfunding of this place and, ultimately, more fiscal levers in order for us to be able to do more things here through investing in policy proposals and in public services.”
“I absolutely agree. On day 1, the message from the House was that we had been underfunded for well over a decade. Every party in the Chamber agreed, and that remains the case. We have certainly made advances in shoring up the case for us to be funded according to the needs of the people here. In the short period that we have been in office in the past two years, the additional funding that the Finance Minister has secured on the Executive's behalf is to be welcomed, but it does not touch the surface of what we need in order to transform our public services. <BR /> <BR />At our most recent engagement, the deputy First Minister and I made the Secretary of State very aware of the position in which we find ourselves. We are making the case so strongly. We have a stabilisation fund, but that is about to fall off the edge.”
“That having been said, the case continues to be made at every available opportunity. <BR /> <BR />The draft Budget is out for consultation. It is now the job of all of us to try to get to the point at which we have a three-year Budget. We are on a dual run: we are trying to deal with public services here while continuing to make the case for why we need transformation and reform funding and additional funding to allow us to deliver good public services.”
“We acknowledge the confirmation of the £400 million reserve claim, which allows us to stabilise some public finances this year. It is important to recognise, however, that it is repayable funding that we have achieved and will therefore place additional pressure on future Budgets. It is vital that we get to an agreed position on the multi-year Budget as soon as possible. No Minister will stand in the House and say anything other than, "This is an extremely challenging Budget process in which we are engaged". It has been clear from day 1, as all parties in the House recognise, that we have been underfunded. The fact that the stabilisation fund will run out this year puts us in a very difficult and precarious position when it comes to being able to fund public services and meet all our Programme for Government (PFG) commitments.”
“We discussed Budget issues at length with the British Prime Minister, the Secretary of State and the Minister for the Cabinet Office at a recent meeting on 22 January. Alongside that, discussions have been ongoing between Treasury and the Finance Minister for some time.”