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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“<BR /> <BR />The goal here is to improve how we deliver public services, to use AI for the betterment of the public and to have those very strong principles of fairness, responsibility, accountability and ethical responsibility around what we do. I assure you that we work with all our groups. As I said, we need to make sure that there is inclusion, particularly for rural dwellers, and that people have access to the internet and can use some of the tools that are becoming increasingly available.”
“I concur with the Member. That is part and parcel of the strategy that we have been developing. We are very lucky that we have Helen McCarthy as the Chief Scientific and Technology Adviser. That role did not exist in the Executive Office before, but she is now fully in place. She has been working on the advances with other stakeholders, such as our universities and people in industry. <BR /> <BR />The Member is absolutely right: technology is moving so fast that people find it frightening at times, and I understand that. I even see it myself when I try to keep up with some of the advances. Therefore, the guard rails are necessary, and the ethical element is necessary to ensure that the public can have trust in it. You need to be able to stand over data and things that are inputted to certain systems.”
“We also need to keep people at the heart of what we do so that the public do not lose trust in it when it comes to their ability to access some digital services. There is also an issue with digital inclusion that needs to be addressed.”
“For example, how can we use AI to excel in repetitive tasks that happen across public service, such as data entry, scheduling or root cause analysis? If you automate those tasks, that will free up our teams to focus on what truly matters, which is more strategic thinking, complex problem-solving and delivering high-impact outcomes for citizens. <BR /> <BR />You cannot take away from the fact that human judgement and the empathy that we feel as people when we are making decisions all have to be part and parcel of it. There is no algorithm out there that can replace that instinct, so it is important that those things are baked into what we do. It is about being responsible, having an ethical procurement framework and taking the opportunity to allow us to be more agile in how we transform and deliver public services.”
“That has become increasingly topical of late, not least because people are fearful that, at the end of the day, AI will completely replace people in the workplace. That is why we have to have our guard rails around ethical procurement and ethical frameworks. We have to be ethically responsible. AI has to be socially beneficial: people have to feel a difference from it and know that it will make a difference. It has to be aligned with human values and very much grounded in the principles of trust, transparency and fairness. <BR /> <BR />People have concerns about it replacing people. There are genuine concerns about what it means for them in the future. How we use it will be important, and having a really strong framework in place will be important.”
“<BR /> <BR />When it comes to digital and data, the roll-out of the Encompass programme represents a significant investment to improve service delivery through the creation of single digital care records for every citizen here. The data underpinning Encompass will enable improved communication with patients and continuity of care. However, as everyone knows, the adoption of AI carries some risk. The Office of AI and Digital has developed a draft AI strategy that will provide some guard rails for the ethical use of AI, with human oversight as a fundamental principle. That is particularly important in the use of AI public-sector transformation, as the potential of AI will never be realised without it having public trust.”
“The deputy First Minister and I launched the Office of AI and Digital on 11 June last year. Its remit is to support the adoption of AI technologies across government to improve service delivery. The potential for AI is extraordinary: it can revolutionise how we work and study, drive economic growth and prosperity and help to transform our public services. There are a number of positive examples of AI deployment that are improving service delivery. In TEO, for example, Microsoft Copilot is being used to support staff in enhancing personal productivity and streamlining administrative tasks, such as the preparation of routine briefing materials. The Office of AI and Digital is compiling a register of the deployment of AI technologies across NICS Departments to improve collaboration and avoid duplication.”
“With your permission, Mr Speaker, junior Minister Reilly will answer that question.”
“I have demonstrated from day 1 that I live up to my word. I said that I would be a First Minister for all, and I have done that. It has been laid bare for all to see. My track record speaks for itself. I am very confident about that. <BR /> <BR />The Member will be aware of the conflict here, the fact that there were so many tragedies and injustices, and the role of state forces. I believe in equality for everybody, but I do not believe in preferential treatment. That is the distinct difference.”
“I do not want to see anybody's being abused. There are realities of our past and the many tragedies and injustices that happened here, but we all have a duty, particularly those of us who are elected, to be responsible in our public utterances and about what we hear and see around us. I certainly will not be found wanting in that regard. I think that we have all experienced quite a rise in online abuse, and in the disgraceful and disgusting commentary that is directed towards anyone who steps forward for public office. That is not tolerable for anybody in society, including those who have chosen to step forward for public office or to take up a public role.”
“The Member will know that, when I took up office, I said that I would never ask people to "move on"; I would ask them to move forward. Let us try to find ways of dealing with the past that allow families to get access to truth and justice. I want that for every single person. I want that for every family out there in society. Despite the noise and disgusting language that we have heard, particularly from the DUP leader, I still implore all political leaders to work together to find a way of dealing properly with the past that will allow those families to get access to truth, justice and information, and allow them to look towards a brighter future. That is certainly my resolve. I will continue to work with people who are in the same frame of mind.”
“Yes, I concur. Unlike others, I do not look at it through one particular lens. I think that there were many tragedies and injustices in our past, and I think that we all have a duty to acknowledge that. In fact, the first stage in trying to heal is to recognise that people have different perspectives, different lived experiences and different narratives. For the people of the city that you represent, that is very much the case. <BR /> <BR />I noted with disgust the commentary by the DUP leader, who told the Bloody Sunday families to "move on" and stop their endless pursuit of others. That is just crass, insulting and provocative. It does nothing to serve the needs of victims and survivors, which should be the business of everybody in the House.”
“As I said in the original answer, there is no agreement. That is a matter for the British Government. It is their policy, and it is for them to protect their serving forces.”
“The armed forces covenant has not been formally adopted here.”
“There is a lot to be done. <BR /> <BR />The Member asked about the staffing of the office. We are working our way through the business case with the Department of Finance, and we will then be able to say more about that. Obviously, budgets will be crucial to what we can do in the office. As I said in the initial answer, as part of the three-year Budget, we have looked at the allocation that we have asked for. That is still to be decided. That will definitely have an impact on what we can do, but suffice it to say that the office needs to provide value for money and needs to pass the business case test. We are actively working, at official level, with Department of Finance officials.”
“We will take one problem at a time. We have to work our way through this. The deputy First Minister may take her own position, but it is the will of this Assembly to bring forward legislation. We are going through the business case process and doing all the due diligence at this time. It is very clear that the Members on the opposite Benches do not agree with the approach that the rest of us have agreed to. This is about us trying, as custodians, to play our part in protecting the place in which we live for future generations. The commissioner will be able to provide advice and make recommendations to various Departments on the operation of the Act. They will be able to do research, which will inform how we move forward. They will monitor and implement the climate action plans and sectoral policies. They have reports to publish.”
“We are protecting the future for our children and grandchildren, and we are protecting this world that we live in, but we should be able to do that in a joined-up way by working constructively with people. We should also do it through a just transition that allows people to navigate from where they are to where they need to get to and to play their part.”
“The Member took the opportunity to set that out very clearly at the Committee, and I had no doubt that he was going to ask a similar question today. Instead of running away from the climate crisis — we do have a crisis — we need to do something about it. We need to find ways to work with our farmers and our business industry leaders to make sure that we can all play our part in doing right by the climate. Our public services will continue to be decimated if we have to keep investing in roads that have been dug up because of extreme weather, such as snow and ice. The climate has a real-life impact on our public services. We need to work together on the climate crisis and do everything that we can.”
“In essence, that is what the just transition is all about. It has to be planned. The commissioner will allow us the ability to do that and to have conversations with farmers, citizens and businesses, all of whom will have a role to play in making sure that the transition is implemented fairly and equitably across the board. We are slightly behind other jurisdictions in the emission reductions that we have achieved thus far, but, by working across the House and all sectors, we can reach those targets and do more.”
“The Member represents a rural constituency so she will know from engagement with farm families that they want to play their part, and will play their part, but they want fairness, and they want support to adjust and transition towards playing their part. <BR /> <BR />Our ambitious target of achieving net zero by 2050 is challenging. We are slightly behind other jurisdictions, but the pathway has been set. The commissioner will provide a unique opportunity to enable us to target specific sectors to look at what can be done and how we can work with individual sectors. Some will be able to do more than others. That is the approach that we need to see. Confronting a climate crisis — I do not think that anybody can deny that that is what it is — means reshaping our economy to create a more equal and more sustainable society.”
“<BR /> <BR />There are lots of things going on across all Departments, but the sooner that we get our commissioner in place — one who can work in tandem with everybody — the sooner that we can fulfil our responsibilities around climate change obligations. I believe that the majority of people will do, and want to do, that. It is about having a just transition — a fair transition — and allowing people, particularly our farmers, to play their part. Farmers have always said that they are part of the solution. I believe that that is the case. Let us get to work with a commissioner. We will come back to the House with next stages when we have the business case and everything else complete.”
“We have a difference of opinion on that. It is the will of the Assembly that we establish a Climate Commissioner. As I said, we are going through all the processes, including the business case, and carrying out the due diligence work that is required. The role of the commissioner will be really important for us. We only have to look at the extreme rain that we have seen since Christmas: weather events that, previously, would have been described as once in a lifetime events, or events that occurred once every 50 years, are now a very regular occurrence. That is a direct result of climate change. We have to play our part and do something about it.”
“That also involves consideration of the most appropriate staffing structure for the office; identification of suitable office accommodation; and arranging the key systems for human resources, IT, records management and finance. An indicative budget of £3 million — £1 million per annum for three years — to support the operation of the office has been included in the draft Budget, which is out for consultation, and will need Executive consideration before being agreed.”
“The Northern Ireland Climate Commissioner Regulations 2025 were affirmed by the Assembly and made by the Executive Office on 8 April 2025. They came into force on 9 April 2025. The regulations provide the legal authority for TEO to appoint a Climate Commissioner. Since then, officials have been undertaking work to establish the commissioner's office. That work includes the preparatory work for a public appointment process to be run in accordance with the Commissioner for Public Appointments code of practice, which will lead to the appointment of a Climate Commissioner. <BR /> <BR />Supporting work has been progressing on the drafting of an appropriate business case and on working through the approvals that are required by the Department of Finance.”
“As a mummy and a granny, I think that we all view such things through the lens of our families and what it means for them. I certainly want us to do everything that we can to legislate.”
“Social media can be so powerful in so many ways in the presentation of messages and in communicating with the public, but it can be such a murky world, particularly for our children and young people.”
“As I said, responsibility lies with the social media companies, but there needs to be firm, straight guidance in legislation that governs how they carry out their business and what they make available. In the first instance, the buck stops directly with the companies. Nobody should have a platform that allows you to do that type of activity. When the companies do not go far enough, Governments have to be able to step in. I commend that approach. <BR /> <BR />The Ofcom investigation into the matter, which was raised last week, is to be welcomed. I also welcome the plans to introduce legislation to make the publication of non-consensual intimate images illegal. As I said, I will work with the Justice Minister on that, because we want to do everything that we can to tackle the ugliness that exists in the social media world.”
“It is also about working with agencies such as Ofcom on online safety and, alongside that, with the Justice Minister here, who is looking at introducing legislation to make it an offence to create what is, in essence, illegal material. I look forward to working with the Minister and pledge my support to do what we can in our legislature to address the issue.”
“That is a topical issue at the moment. As I said earlier, we hear reports about AI being used in schools. It is everywhere: AI is all around us. It is part of life, but responsibility in its use is important. We can talk a lot about individual responsibility, but we need to focus on the responsibility of the large social media companies that profit greatly from those platforms. <BR /> <BR />Last week, we discovered that X's Grok-2 had the capability to create sexualised deepfake images of anybody, and of children in particular. That is absolutely atrocious, and we must do all that we can to protect people online. We do some of that work under the ending violence against women and girls strategy. It is for all of us in political leadership to call out that abuse when we see it, and I know that everybody in the House has done so.”
“I will not speak outside the confidence of the Executive. At different times, different Ministers will be frustrated at the pace at which they can get clearance. All Ministers circulate papers, and we have to come back with our feedback. There is no doubt that there are Ministers who are frustrated by the delays, but I hope that that can be rectified, and I encourage ongoing discussion at spad and ministerial level so that we can get as many things as possible cleared over the Executive table. We are committed to advancing as many pieces of legislation as we can. We are coming towards a juncture in the mandate where there are only 15 or 16 months left before this place goes into purdah prior to an election. We want to maximise what we can do in that period with all that legislation.”
“People may have their own view of its effectiveness, but look at the advancements that have been made in Health and all the other things that we have been able to achieve thus far in this short mandate. We have an awful lot more to do, so it will be challenging. The size of the Budget — the fact that there is not enough money in that pie — makes it even more challenging for us all to do the transformation work that we want to do.”
“Where shall I start? That might be a better question. There are many challenges in delivering on the Programme for Government commitments, to be truthful and honest about it. However, we are committed to working together to try to deliver on the commitments that we set out. We want to do that with a multi-year Budget. We should all be reaching for the prize of a three-year Budget. That would allow a bit more medium-term planning, which we have not had for over a decade; instead, we have limped from year to year. <BR /> <BR />Look at the progress that has been made across the Programme for Government commitments. I pointed to some of it earlier: the advancements that have been made on waste water infrastructure connections, preschool places and the childcare strategy, which is out for consultation.”
“My point about our unique circumstances is one that has to be highlighted continually. Over the weekend, Caoimhe Archibald, as the Economy Minister, wrote to the British Government and the Irish Government to rehearse that argument again. She has convened a meeting of her tariff working group, which looks at the concerns of local businesses, to make sure that we reflect the concerns of industry when we have those engagements. We will have a series of different meetings this week where we will raise our concerns about what the tariffs might mean. As the Member will know, trade wars are a race to the bottom and will serve nobody well in the longer term. We want our unique circumstances to be taken into account, regardless of what scenario unfolds next.”
“We need to stand firmly against what is being proposed, and we need calm heads to deal with the tariffs and get a resolution that supports our local industry.”
“I think that we are all aghast, and developments are coming thick and fast. It is another breach of international law and an attempt to snatch territory. It is deeply concerning. It is, quite frankly, shocking for the US to take an approach on trade to bully others into kowtowing to the position that it has adopted, and international leaders need to take it very seriously. You cannot bully another country to get it to support your whim; international law needs to prevail. I am deeply concerned about what the proposed economic tariffs might mean for us. We have a special and unique circumstance in a post-Brexit world, and what happens across the EU, in Britain and elsewhere has a real impact on us.”
“I assure you that the legislation will come to the Floor of the Assembly. I could stand here all day and pick holes to do with delays involving DUP Ministers and other Ministers who have not been able to introduce legislation. Let us just focus on getting the thing done and on getting the most progressive piece of legislation over the line. Let us focus on working together to ensure that we complete it before the end of the mandate. You can shake your head all you like, but that is the prize that I am going for.”
“As the Member knows, I talked earlier about engaging with the Office of the Legislative Counsel. There are some challenges because of the amount of legislation that is coming forward and the challenge of drafting it. However, I am confident that the Minister will make her proposals and that we will debate them on the Floor of the House. It is really progressive legislation and a good thing for all our constituents, and it is important that we get it right. Therefore, I commend the Minister for the Economy's approach, and I look forward to the legislation coming to the Floor for debate.”
“We have unlocked 5,000 homes in the north-west through our investment in waste water infrastructure. We have lots to sing about, but that is not to be complacent, because there is an awful lot more to be done. I am here to work with other Ministers, to roll my sleeves up and to try to deliver the transformation. I believe that that is the will of all of us in the Executive.”
“I am very accountable to the public. I stand before them at every election and ask them for their vote. I tell them what I am going to try to do with that mandate. We can, very confidently, stand over the fact we have achieved quite a lot the first two years of this Administration. Have we much more to do? Absolutely. Instead of eye-poking, as you like to refer to it, let us be constructive about what has been achieved and what else we can achieve. I believe that we have made significant improvements. We can see things turning when it comes to waiting lists. Is it enough? No, it is not. We can see advances in the numbers of preschool places for young people. Is that enough? No, we want to do more. We have seen change and improvement in childcare. We have a Lough Neagh action plan.”
“I am very proud of my time in the Department of Health, and I was very proud to be the Minister who brought forward 'Health and Wellbeing 2026: Delivering Together', which was the response to the Bengoa report. That was the blueprint. Many of those recommendations have been implemented, and I commend that and much more. It is very clear, however, that we need to continue to transform our health service. There have been significant improvements even in the past year. We look forward to the next year and even more improvements, because we have to get to a point where people's health outcomes are much better. I will work constructively with the Health Minister to ensure that we have in place transformation plans that will make a meaningful difference to people's outcomes. Ultimately, it needs to be about how we can improve people's lives.”
“We want the message to victims and survivors to be that we will do everything that we can to progress this matter.”
“Some of those questions, such as on the amounts of money, will be answered further down the line. Those are policy decisions that we will have to take together. Suffice to say, however, that those people have been traumatised by their life experience. We now have the research in our hands. We met Lisa Caldwell, the chair of the board, and are actively working with officials on the next steps. I know that victims and survivors will want to hear that from us today. I can assure the Member that we want to do everything that we can to ensure that we get the right package in place. This is the last part of the historical institutional abuse work that was started many years ago. Having started work on one piece of research, we have had to break it into three pieces because it is so complicated and complex.”
“Throughout the process, the junior Ministers have engaged with victims and survivors to hear their stories and their views on what is needed. We are very grateful to all those who have participated in the process and shared their experiences. In November 2025, we met Lisa Caldwell, the former independent chair of the interdepartmental working group, to discuss the reports. We know that Lisa was in touch with victims and survivors after that meeting. We remain committed to keeping victims and survivors informed of progress, and we will absolutely take their views into account as we move forward.”
“We acknowledge the devastating impact of clerical child abuse and express our deepest sympathy to all victims and survivors of that terrible abuse. We have been carefully considering the research reports, and, as the Member will appreciate, it is an important, complex and sensitive issue.”
“<BR /> <BR />The Murphy review concluded that a one-stop shop to simplify administrative processes would be an advantage, and, in my view, that recommendation should be implemented. Establishing an EU office in Belfast would really help to align that work and would make it easier for businesses that are finding it difficult to trade in a post-Brexit world.”
“I thank the Member for the question. Yes, I absolutely agree. It makes common sense. The House has debated it, albeit not with agreement, but I think that it would greatly assist our local businesses if they had that type of access. <BR /> <BR />We all know the damage that has come as a direct result of the post–Brexit world that we now live in. It is an unmitigated economic disaster on many fronts. We have had to make the case for our special and unique circumstances, and we have to continue to make that case at every turn. My goodness, events over the weekend speak volumes about why we need to really assert the need to grow our economy and protect against trade wars that are happening elsewhere.”
“I can say to the Member that I do not want to see any trade barriers erected. I want to seek to enhance our North/South and east–west trade. Where barriers exist, we should flag those and ask for pragmatism and solutions. Some of that has been forthcoming, and some has yet to be forthcoming, but changes are coming down the track, particularly in relation to a sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) agreement, that will iron out some of the issues. However, there are issues outside of that, and I will continue to raise them. <BR /> <BR />Through the remit of the Department for the Economy, Caoimhe Archibald continues to engage with businesses on issues that they have identified as needing to be addressed. She continues to raise those at British Government level, as do we on all the other occasions that I outlined in the initial answer.”
“We will continue to engage through all relevant forums to ensure that our unique circumstances are considered at the earliest stage of policy development and not at the further end when decisions have perhaps been taken and are so far advanced. We want to be in at the earliest stage of policy development and strategic decision-making, with the aim of reducing trade barriers and supporting businesses and consumers here.”
“We have taken every opportunity to raise the issue of the removal of barriers to trade in the internal market, including at meetings of the Prime Minister and Heads of Devolved Governments Council, the Interministerial Standing Committee and the East-West Council. Representations have been made in the context of discussions on the Windsor framework and the strategic partnership through engagement in the Interministerial Group on UK-EU Relations and in our meetings with Minister Thomas-Symonds. <BR /> <BR />We are encouraged by the fact that there is at least proactive engagement. There is a willingness to engage; however, further work remains.”
“Yes, and I commend the Economy Minister for the work that she is doing. It is such ambitious legislation and is the most progressive workers' rights legislation that we have ever seen. She is going out and about and engaging with business organisations and representative bodies. It is all about listening, engaging and being able to move forward in an agreed way. Therefore, I commend her for that work and for the consultation work that she has done generally. It is a good news story for the Assembly and the Executive, and I look forward to the Bill coming to the Floor for debate.”