Paul Givan
Lagan Valley · Democratic Unionist Party · Northern Ireland
“The EA's enhanced support model has been out for consultation. The Member's party is the largest political grouping on the Education Authority, so his party supported the model's being consulted on.”
“Protections around strike action and action short of strike are firmly established in statute for all workers, including teachers. If the Member is referring to the Education Inspections Bill, let me be clear: nothing in that legislation removes or undermines that right.”
“The issue was covered at length at the Education Committee. The position is still not where it ought to be. When I came into office, the position that I inherited was much worse than it is today.”
“It is an area that I have had to navigate, as have many previous Education Ministers. Industrial relations is an area that needs ongoing work. I have outlined how we can address it, but I come back to saying that, when workload was undefined, trade unions struggled to specify the challenge.”
“That is not a fair characterisation. In fact, I was with Justin McCamphill, the leader of NASUWT, at the launch of the curriculum reform, at which he commended me for it and said that he thought that it was good. I have sat in many a meeting with trade union representatives during which they have said, "This is a good initiative.”
“That is exactly why there is a 16-week consultation period, rather than the normal 12 weeks or the minimum eight weeks; to allow the public and teaching profession to very much engage in that curriculum, which I commend to all Members.”
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“We are ready to seek a renewed mandate to get a fair deal for the restoration of devolution on the basis of unionist and nationalist support. That is the solid foundation on which the Assembly needs to be created.”
“It excludes Northern Ireland from benefiting from any VAT reduction that may come into place in Great Britain. The protocol is the biggest driver of the cost-of-living crisis in a Northern Ireland context. <BR /> <BR />As people face a cost-of-living crisis, the Secretary of State is set to call an election so that he can save face. If the Secretary of State does so, it will be an admission of failure on his part and on the part of the UK Government. Although they have promised the Northern Ireland Protocol Bill and are negotiating with the European Union, there has to this day been abject failure on the part of the UK Government. The Secretary of State will own the decision to call the election. However, unlike the Conservative Party, we are not afraid of an election, if one is called.”
“Two years ago, the United Kingdom Government made a commitment in 'New Decade, New Approach' that Northern Ireland's place in the UK internal market would be fully restored and respected. They have failed to do that, compounding the failure of that Government and this Secretary of State, who voted for the legislation that created the mess of the protocol. I remind Members that, at a time of cost-of-living crisis, the protocol costs hundreds of millions of pounds of taxpayers' money through the trader support scheme: £6 million per month. That is £32 million for checks at the ports already. It has increased costs for businesses and consumers. It threatens our medicine supply chain for humans and animals. It is driving up the cost of infrastructure with a tariff on steel.”
“The cross-community party no longer wants this place to operate in a cross-community fashion. That is rich, coming from the Alliance Party. <BR /> <BR />Progress will not be made by trying to isolate, denigrate and intimidate the Democratic Unionist Party. The DUP supports devolution. We are ready to appoint Ministers today, and we respect the mandates of all parties and the positions that they are entitled to on the basis of the last election. However, the barrier to devolution is not the DUP; it is the Northern Ireland protocol. When that is addressed, we will be ready to form a new Executive. That is our position now, and it will be after the election, irrespective of the outcome. <BR /> <BR />The Secretary of State needs to get on with his job so that we can do ours.”
“Not once did it join unionists and seek a recall of the Assembly in the three years in which Sinn Féin blocked it. Not once did the Alliance Party seek to exclude Sinn Féin in order to reform the institutions, but now it wants to exclude unionism. The SDLP, along with Sinn Féin and the Alliance Party, now calls for joint authority and seeks to threaten unionism.”
“The recall of the Assembly is another flawed and failed attempt to form a new Executive, and, each time, unionist Members and our mandate are disrespected. Power-sharing, if it is to mean anything, has to be about consensus and consent, not contempt, which is what we on these Benches have been subjected to on every occasion on which the Assembly has been recalled over the past six months. It has no credibility coming from the parties that demanded a border within the United Kingdom, down the Irish Sea. It has no credibility coming from Sinn Féin, which refuses to take its seats at Westminster and boycotted the Assembly for three years. The self-proclaimed "First Minister for all" walked out of the health service and kept the institutions down for three years. The Alliance Party demands majority rule to exclude the DUP.”
“On the cost of living, does he agree that the protocol prevents us from having the VAT reduction in Northern Ireland that the rest of United Kingdom will benefit from?”
“It is action that we need to see, and the UK Government have it within their gift to deliver that action. The European Union has it within its gift to make the changes that need to be made in order to have these institutions up and running on a power-sharing basis.”
“Who in the House wants the grace periods to end? Who in the House is ready for the end of the £500 million of support that the Government provide to traders in order to overcome the barriers that are down the Irish Sea? Not one Member of the House supports the imposition of that cost to our business. Not one Member of the House wants the grace periods to end. <BR /> <BR />I call for a recommitment from the parties that have recalled the Assembly today to join in the spirit of the Belfast Agreement, which you all supported and which called for true power-sharing between unionists and nationalists. Let us make progress. Let us commit to those principles. I hope that we can get to a stage where the House is recalled, we elect a Speaker and we are able to form a new Executive. But the time for words is over.”
“We had Members of the House ignoring that. There were three motions calling for the rigorous implementation of the protocol. Jeffrey Donaldson gave space and was gracious in doing that. He extended his grace periods for the Executive, but, instead, we had other parties taunting him, calling on him to take action to withdraw from the Executive. <BR /> <BR />However, progress is being made. Not one party in the House calls any more for the rigorous implementation of the protocol. The Republic of Ireland even says that there have to be changes. We were told that there would be no renegotiation of the protocol, and now the European Union recognises that change needs to come. So, I welcome the progress that this party has been able to gain and achieve over the past two weeks when it was denied to us for over two years.”
“The party of cross-community working has abandoned that territory and has now unashamedly joined with the SDLP and Sinn Féin on majority rule, calling for the Belfast Agreement to be changed so that these proceedings can proceed without unionists having their say. We have had disrespect shown to the unionist community. Again, the Alliance Party and the SDLP stopped the Union flag flying from the Building on Saturday. We have had the denigration of the unionist community from one media outlet in particular. <BR /> <BR />Demands for majority rule were not allowed in the past, and they will not be allowed today. We have had two years of raising our concerns around the protocol and its implications, and not one single unionist Member of Parliament, Member of the Assembly or local government councillor has given it their consent.”
“Today's recall is another attempt at majority rule and has no credibility as it comes from the party that kept these institutions down for three years. The public will see that hypocrisy from Sinn Féin for what it is. <BR /> <BR />This is not a serious attempt to restore the principles of power-sharing and these institutions; it is a stunt. Serious efforts to do that would be working with us in order to try to get the barriers removed that are creating the instability that is thwarting these institutions. Instead, over the past three weeks since we last met to elect a Speaker, we have had republican entitlement and majority supremacy from the Alliance Party, no less.”
“We are determined to succeed in the approach that we are taking, because we want the Executive to be built on solid foundations that will endure and deliver for the people of Northern Ireland.”
“The Member is right in that Northern Ireland works best whenever we work together. Those who now call for majority rule need to recommit themselves, and I challenge Sinn Féin in particular. It needs to recommit itself to the principles of the Belfast Agreement and to power-sharing, because we will not be dictated to; we will be treated with respect and equality. <BR /> <BR />We are committed to devolution. We want these institutions to work, but the Northern Ireland protocol and the Belfast Agreement are incompatible; you cannot have both. Now is the time for action, not for further delay or procrastination. The Democratic Unionist Party's position is resolute.”
“At a time when we have a cost-of-living crisis, some Members want to drive up the cost of transportation. They want to harm people as a result of the Northern Ireland protocol. We do not, and we put forward pragmatic solutions. <BR /> <BR />The Democratic Unionist Party received a mandate in the Assembly election to remove the Irish Sea border. Our mandate will be given respect. We have engaged this week with the Prime Minister, the Foreign Secretary and the Secretary of State. Our message is now clear: it is time for action. Words will no longer suffice. It is because we believe in devolution and we want the stability of these institutions to endure that we are taking the action that we are taking today.”
“The Irish Sea border has fundamentally undermined the Belfast Agreement. It has changed our relationship with the United Kingdom. Not one unionist elected to this Assembly supports the Northern Ireland protocol. We do not consent. The principle of consent is a fundamental cornerstone of the Belfast Agreement, but that is gone as a result of the Northern Ireland protocol. <BR /> <BR />Last September, we outlined the problems and put forward our solutions. We were patient. We have been reasonable. We allowed space for the United Kingdom and the European Union to engage in negotiations and talks, and so the talks went on and on as we continued to be patient. Others in this place acted in a divisive manner and called for the protocol's "rigorous implementation".”
“I, too, thank you, Mr Speaker, for your work as Speaker of the Assembly, not only in guiding 90 Members but in advising on private Members' Bills, one of which I had. I wish you well. The class of '98 has been reduced, with, I think, only three Members in the Chamber today who were here all those years ago. <BR /> <BR />In October 2019, at a time when Sinn Féin held Northern Ireland to ransom for three years by refusing to form a Government, the Assembly sought to elect a Speaker. The leader of the SDLP, Colum Eastwood, said then:”
“Today's announcement will benefit 2,500 children with £73 million of investment. Will the Minister outline how the projects will be prioritised? Dromore High School has a site secured and is at a very advanced stage. When can we see shovels going into the ground? I commend the Minister again for her excellent work in leading the Department.”
“I commend the Education Minister for the biggest announcement of major capital projects in well over 20 years, led by the Democratic Unionist Party. I am delighted in particular at the announcement of three new builds in Lagan Valley: Dromore High School, Friends' School Lisburn and Lisnagarvey High School. I pay tribute to Mr McConaghy and his predecessor Mr Wilkinson, Mr Moore at Friends' and Mr Sheerin at Lisnagarvey. This is a red-letter day for the children of my constituency.”
“Whether it is about getting the right foods for Northern Ireland or, indeed, reducing carbon emissions, we should not franchise that responsibility out to nations like Russia and other parts of the world whose values are not in keeping with the values that we share in Northern Ireland. The Bill strikes the right balance between meeting environmental needs and ensuring economic and food security.”
“I thank the Minister for giving way, and I commend him on reaching the historic occasion of a climate change Bill being passed in the Assembly. I also commend him on the political skills that he has used to navigate the Bill through the Executive and the Assembly. <BR /> <BR />In the context of exporting Northern Ireland's responsibilities for producing its own food in Northern Ireland — food that meets the need here and in other parts of the United Kingdom — is it not more important than ever, at a time of political uncertainty, that we have food security in Northern Ireland and food produced in Northern Ireland rather than being dependent on other nations?”
“I thank colleagues for all that they have said. Their support is much appreciated by all of us on these Benches.”
“How devastating it must be for his wife, Laura, who was his childhood sweetheart, and their four children, Trinity, Oliver, Cameron and Abigail, to have to go through this. His mum, Karen, was his chief canvasser and cared so much about him and wanted him to do well. She was on the campaign trail with him at every election. We think about them. <BR /> <BR />When his children are older and read the contributions that people have made, they will take comfort from them. Let us have it on the record that his life, short as it has been, was well lived. He achieved so much. His legacy will live on in South Belfast, in his contribution here and through his family. We thank you for all that he achieved in his life. <BR /> <BR />For Christopher and me, it will be "Till we meet again". I look forward to that reunion one day with Christopher.”
“He was compassionate. He would have been one of the first to send you a text message or pick up the phone to ask, "How are you keeping? I know that that was difficult for you". He would walk into your office and, at times, provide advice, saying, "Just to let you know, this is what some people are saying. I am giving you a little bit of critical advice, but it is because I want you to do well". That was what Christopher was like. <BR /> <BR />Most of all, and everyone has touched on this, he loved his family. I would go into his office and spend many an hour too long chatting to him, but in the run-up to Christmas — Jim talked about this earlier — I always saw that Santa had arrived and stored all the presents in his office. That is where he kept them before they were to be delivered to his family.”
“It did not matter if he disagreed with the leader or friends, he would give his view. He did not get involved in politics just to be a passenger; he wanted to be a player at the heart of the action. He sought to shape the party's positions, and then he went out and defended them to the public. At times, if you were upstairs looking for a recruit to deal with a difficult issue in the Chamber, not many hands would go up, but Christopher would volunteer, saying, "I will go in and engage in the battle on behalf of the party. I will go into the TV studios and engage in the battle on behalf of the party". Christopher always stepped forward for the Democratic Unionist Party in good times and in bad times. <BR /> <BR />Christopher was a gentle soul. Behind his robust and combative performance in the Chamber, he was a gentle soul at heart.”
“Tracy and Sarah are two local girls whom he employed. He encouraged them to stand at the last council election because he wanted more women to be in politics. He successfully got both of them elected, and they are city councillors today in Belfast. They are grieving the loss of not just the boss but someone who was a supporter and encourager. He always wanted to know how they were getting on in the council and what they were doing, and he encouraged them in their work. We remember especially that group of staff as well. <BR /> <BR />Christopher was DUP to his core. He was one of the brightest and most articulate representatives that we had. His loss will be sorely felt on these Benches. In the party internally and publicly, Christopher had the strength of his convictions to try to change and influence party policy.”
“On many occasions, he had me there as Communities Minister or as First Minister, and I could see in the engagements that he had across the community how we wanted to improve the constituency that he represented. The tributes that have been paid to him by schools, football clubs and community groups across the constituency speak volumes for the high esteem in which he was held. <BR /> <BR />As a constituency representative, Christopher helped countless people through his constituency office. Having spoken to Paul Porter, who worked for Christopher, I know how much Tracy Kelly, Sarah Bunting and Nathan Anderson are hurting.”
“and "You needed city status to deal with your inferiority complex". Christopher was brilliant at putting you in your place in a way that only he could. In 2007, we both stood in the Assembly elections. Neither of us was successful, but I knew that it was only a matter of time before Christopher would be here, and he got here in 2016. <BR /> <BR />Christopher always reminded us of his working-class background in Annadale. He strove to improve himself through education. He very much believed that people from a working-class background could better themselves through commitment to education and hard work. He championed the area that he represented.”
“That was just one of the disparaging put-downs that he employed against us. Similarly, when we were both elected in 2005 — I to Lisburn and Christopher to Belfast — he often said, "You are just a suburb of Belfast"”
“The Ulster Unionists were the dominant force at the time, and we discussed what more we could do in different constituencies to develop the DUP. Christopher loved being involved in all that. He talked a lot about Queen's University, the students' union and the council at those meetings. I could not do that — I was at the University of Ulster — and, of course, he loved to say, "That is not a real university. Queen's is where it's at"”
“A working-class boy, he went to a grammar school, and I went to a secondary school, which he pointed out to me on many occasions. We met at Belfast City Hall when I was representing my school, Laurelhill, and he was representing Wellington, and, very quickly, I realised that his politics were the same as mine. He had the ability then to debate, and he and I had a very effective tag team going on during that debate at Belfast City Hall. He was 15, I was 16, and I have known Christopher since then. <BR /> <BR />It is true what they say: iron sharpens iron. At that time, a group of young people in the party formed a key group in the Young Democrats, revived it and got it going again, and Christopher was part of that. As one of that group, I remember spending many an evening in 1998 and 1999 discussing what we could do to build the party.”
“Today's debate to pay tribute to Christopher is a most untimely one. He had a lifetime of politics ahead of him. He became the standard-bearer for our party in South Belfast. Nobody could rival him in the constituency. He had made it his own within the DUP, and I have no doubt that he would have been elected with ease in a couple of months' time because of the work that he did in the constituency. He also had a great future in this place, so this is untimely. We have to accept, however, that our ways are not always God's ways. Difficult as that is for us to come to terms with and difficult as that is for his family to come to terms with, we have to submit to that higher authority and sovereignty in all things, challenging, at times, as that may be for us. <BR /> <BR />My relationship with Christopher goes back to when we were teenagers.”
“I trust that the Assembly will support the Bill today and that it will make a difference, because Dáithí made the difference for me in order to get support for the Bill. I hope that the Bill will make a difference for him and people like him.”
“Like the Health Minister, who got a right hook, I made the mistake of talking to Dáithí about boxing and also got a right hook. Robin seems to have survived that better than I did. I really got a sense of Dáithí and of his determination to fight for life and for this legislation. I got a sense of the hope that it is has given to him and many others. <BR /> <BR />That is what this place is all about. When we look at legislation and see ink on a piece of paper, it is about bringing meaning and purpose to that law. It is about giving hope to people in our society so that it can be improved and made better. I hope that the Bill will be able to do that. I hope that it will give hope to people like Dáithí who need an organ transplant to give them life.”
“The call that I will always remember, however, is the one that I had with Dáithí's father. I wanted to speak to him to get a sense of how important this was to him, and I got that from our conversation. Later that night, I engaged further with colleagues and got to a place where we were able to have the legislation come from the Executive, get it before the Assembly and allow the Assembly to decide. I rang Dáithí's father back to tell him that I was going to take an urgent procedural decision to approve the Executive paper that the Minister of Health had taken. I had to hold the phone away from my ear, such were the shouts of joy when that news was relayed to him. In subsequent days, the deputy First Minister and I met Dáithí at Stormont Castle and played a little bit of football. He is a boxer.”
“I remember the heated debate that took place at the time. The Bill was among a number of pieces of legislation that had got stuck in the Executive. At that meeting, I committed to urgently engaging with the Health Minister subsequent to the meeting that afternoon. That evening, I spoke with Robin to get more information about the views of the medical profession on the Bill. I spoke with the British Heart Foundation, which has campaigned on this.”
“I hope that people will not do so, but I can understand why some may wish to. I hope that today's debate and the campaign raises people's awareness once again. <BR /> <BR />I have spoken to families who, in the midst of extreme tragedy, have taken great comfort from the fact that their loved one was able to donate organs to other people in order to sustain life. When those moments come, people are at the bedside and those conversations are happening, I hope that we will be in a better place as a result of the Bill. Colleagues have rehearsed well the number of people who need a donation and those who, it is hoped, will receive a donation under the legislation. Let us hope that that is the case. <BR /> <BR />The Bill is one of the items that came up in the first Executive meeting that I chaired as First Minister.”
“The gift of life is the most precious gift that you can give to anybody. Life is often taken for granted, but those who need an organ live every day with the desire to keep living, to contribute to society and to be with family. The Bill will help to change those circumstances for the people who need our support. <BR /> <BR />For many years, people have campaigned to be on the register for organ donation. I, along with thousands of others, am on it, so that, if I were to pass away, some good, hopefully, could come from that. People have campaigned in the House, whether it was Jo-Anne Dobson, Pat Sheehan or others, to enhance the legislative provision because they wanted to make a difference and help others. I hope that the Bill will raise awareness. There are safeguards in it for those who want to opt out.”
“I am committed to doing all that I can to play my part in addressing these issues and challenging the type of behaviour that needs to change. <BR /> <BR />Ashling gave so much for someone who was killed at the age of 23. She had already given so much to our community and society, and she had so much more to give. Therefore, we show our support. We grieve with the families. Whether in Northern Ireland or the Republic of Ireland, we have all come together as one community to share in that grief. Collectively, we show our support.”
“We must all take personal responsibility to change our society and to call out that behaviour for what it is when we witness it. <BR /> <BR />When we are with a group of fellas who are wolf-whistling, we need to call that out. Men need to step up and challenge that type of behaviour for what it is. We need to get to the root causes of the issues that go to the heart of how people think. That is why the deputy First Minister and I are taking forward as a priority the strategy on ending violence against women and girls. We have to shape government policies to put an end to this because too many people have suffered, and too many people have lost their lives. Unless we collectively make that change and target that effort, we will come back to this, and we should not.”
“All of us across the community have come together in the past number of days to show our revulsion at what happened to Ashling Murphy and to stand in support of Ashling and her family. I think especially of her parents, Raymond and Kathleen, at this time, and we are struck by the last words that Ashling said to her mum, "Mam, I love you", before she left. <BR /> <BR />All of us, I think, are connecting our stories and families to this tragedy. As the father of three daughters, when we held a vigil in Lisburn last night, I was thinking about them, the type of society that they are growing up in and that, when they get to that age, they should feel safe. They should be respected. They should not be objectified or have to suffer the poor, bad behaviour that is often directed at women and girls.”
“We want to make this place a home where everyone can feel that they belong and are valued. I urge Members to support the Bill.”
“Sinn Féin has an opportunity to vote for the position that it has expressed support for. I urge the deputy First Minister and her party to join me and others, from across all parties in the Assembly, in declaring that disability discrimination has no place in Northern Ireland and voting to bring in this change to the law. The Bill is supported across the House, and I welcome that. We create a better Northern Ireland when we work together. <BR /> <BR />The message that the support from across the parties in Northern Ireland has sent to people with disabilities and campaigners has not gone unnoticed. I want to put on record my thanks and appreciation for the support that we have received from members of other parties. I ask Members once again, from right across the Assembly, to send out a message that we care.”
“I will address the amendment tabled by the deputy First Minister that was unable to be selected for debate. While I disagree with the need for that amendment, I welcome that the deputy First Minister and her party signalled that they support the main clause of the legislation by tabling that amendment. All we disagree on is when the protection for people with non-fatal disability should be brought into force. That position is in line with the amendment that Sinn Féin brought to the original motion that was before the Assembly. That amendment would have led to a motion being passed in the Assembly that stated:”
“The Bill is about the people in our society who live with non-fatal disabilities and want to feel valued. It is people like Heidi and those families who have told us that the current law is stigmatising, dehumanising and devaluing. Today, we have an opportunity to tell the people who are campaigning for this Bill that we do value them and that their life has meaning and worth.”
“I ask those Members who will oppose the Bill today to search within themselves and ask why exactly it is that they will vote against the Bill. Mr Carroll will vote against it because of the welfare system. That is one of his reasons. The Bill is not about the welfare state. If it is because the Bill is being supported by me, my party colleagues and MLAs from other parties, I urge Members who are thinking in that way to ignore the messengers but hear the message. The Bill is not about the politicians who support it.”
“At Second Stage, I shared with the House that over 200 doctors had contacted me to let it be known that they did not agree with the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) in London. Let me remind Members what Dr Claire Sinton, a paediatrician who works in the Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children, said:”
“The Bill says this to people with disabilities: you are not a defect but a human being with the multitude of life opportunities that the rest of us have. <BR /> <BR />As I took steps to introduce the Bill earlier in the year, I was told constantly that doctors disagreed with I was proposing. Indeed, some Members have already repeated that in the debate. At Committee Stage, I note that some groups came before the Committee to give evidence on behalf of the medical profession. That evidence made sweeping generalisations, stating that doctors totally opposed the Bill. It has not been my experience that the medical profession opposes the Bill: far from it.”
“They are not informed of the support that is available and the way in which they can be helped to raise their child. Too many assumptions are made about what a particular mother's choice should be rather than about how life could be enriched for families, parents, siblings and the child. <BR /> <BR />The words of Lord Shinkwin, a peer with disability, say it all. When speaking about the Abortion (Northern Ireland) Regulations 2021, he said:”
“I diverge, however, from the quotation in one sense: the use of the word "defect". That word plays into some of the stereotyping and stigma that exist: the very stigmatisation and stereotyping that Mr Carroll referred to in his language when he talked about "abnormality". Those people are not abnormal. That language is harmful and hurtful. To refer to people with those disabilities as "abnormal" and "defective" is to disregard the representations that they have made. People with what is considered to be a severe fetal impairment do not have defects. They are just like everyone else. They are full of life, love and joy. <BR /> <BR />Part of the problem in Great Britain is that people who face pregnancy in those circumstances are not afforded a choice. What they are presented with is a "defect", rather than a person.”