Chris Lyttle
East Belfast · Alliance Party · Northern Ireland
“The Department for Communities, councils, the Department for the Economy, further education stakeholders, the Department of Health and the Department of Finance all responded with their perspectives on and experiences of the provision of free period products and with ways in which the Bill's provisions could be coordinated and funded.”
“That is an important start in support of the implementation of the provisions of the Bill. <BR /> <BR />The Education Committee undertook Committee Stage scrutiny of this cross-cutting Bill — I am proud that we did — on behalf of other relevant subject Committees.”
“and fighting our corners in media studios. Perhaps the hosts of some of those programmes see fit to encourage that type of approach, but I am thankful for the level of cooperation between parties on the key issues and hope that that will be the legacy for the next Assembly.”
“Thank you, Deputy Speaker. I welcome the opportunity to move the Final Stage of the Fair Employment (School Teachers) Bill. It will remove the anachronistic exception of teachers from the Fair Employment and Treatment Order (FETO) and ensure that it is no longer possible for any teacher to be discriminated against because of their religio…”
“This opportunity has been made possible by a collective effort from many people, and I put on record my thanks to research officer Connie Egan and constituency officer Nick Mathison for the work that they contributed to the Bill's progress.”
“<BR /> <BR />I thank my Assembly colleagues without whom the Bill would not have progressed to this stage and would not pass. I thank Sinead for the role that she played as Chairperson of the Executive Office Committee and for the time that she made available to me outside of Bill stages and Committee meetings, which, as I said, made the…”
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“To everyone who will return to the Chamber in May to contribute to the peace and prosperity of this wonderful part of the world that we all call home, I say a really sincere: God bless you and keep you. It is an immense privilege to serve in this role. I wish every one of you every success in building a united, prosperous Northern Ireland for us all.”
“I am really grateful for the support that they have been in that regard.”
“Thank you to all my Alliance Party colleagues for their support and, on occasion, friendly prompts to try to make sure that I got on with progressing the Bill.”
“I have always valued your interaction, whether you were in or out of the party, and I appreciate the work that you have done on education throughout your tenure in the Assembly, delivering on some key issues for our education sector. I appreciate that. Regarding your commentary about getting the bug for politics, I suppose that there is a slight element of 'Hotel California' about it, in that you can get out any time you like, but you can never quite leave. I hope that I will be able to keep contributing in some positive way. <BR /> <BR />Last but not least, thank you, Kellie Armstrong, for the advice that you have given and the support that you have been to me throughout the passage of the Bill.”
“Thank you for the opportunity to work with you. <BR /> <BR />Thank you to Peter Weir for his contribution to the Final Stage. He has, indeed, been a sparring partner on many issues in relation to education. I really value the fact that, whenever we disagreed, we still had a degree of humanity and respect for each other afterwards. I am really grateful that Peter took the time to contribute to the Final Stage debate today. <BR /> <BR />Thank you, Trevor Lunn, for your contribution and for your support as a member of the Executive Office Committee. You are a friend of mine and a friend of the party: I think that you said that you got on better with us after you left.”
“and fighting our corners in media studios. Perhaps the hosts of some of those programmes see fit to encourage that type of approach, but I am thankful for the level of cooperation between parties on the key issues and hope that that will be the legacy for the next Assembly. I also recognise John's party colleagues, Sandra Overend and Danny Kennedy, who previously attempted to move this legislative reform. That work was not wasted; it contributed to the destination that we will hopefully get to today. <BR /> <BR />Thank you so much, Nicola Brogan, for the opportunity to work with you on the Education Committee and for being the champion that you are for early education and childcare. Those are huge issues that the Assembly and Executive must prioritise, and I know that, if returned, you will ensure that they do.”
“Even if our starting point was different on some of the issues, I have really valued our engagement on them. She raised valid points about other issues relating to the matter that a future Assembly could consider, such as how we approach certificates of religious education. <BR /> <BR />I also give a massive thank you to John Stewart, the Deputy Chairperson of the Executive Office Committee, for the time that he gave me at key stages of the Bill. There was a key day when we went from the Bill not going to pass to it potentially passing due to a visit to his office in the Assembly. Perhaps for good reason, people do not see all the work that goes on behind the scenes or the level of cooperation that can happen at times to make things possible. They see us arguing robustly”
“<BR /> <BR />I thank my Assembly colleagues without whom the Bill would not have progressed to this stage and would not pass. I thank Sinead for the role that she played as Chairperson of the Executive Office Committee and for the time that she made available to me outside of Bill stages and Committee meetings, which, as I said, made the progress of the Bill possible. <BR /> <BR />Thank you, Pat Sheehan, for the advice that you gave to me at key times throughout the Bill process when it seemed like there may not be an opportunity for the Bill to pass. That heads-up and cross-party cooperation contributed to the passage of the Bill. <BR /> <BR />I thank Diane Dodds, another sparring partner from the Education Committee. I have really valued the opportunity to engage with Diane on the key issues.”
“I am really grateful that my final act in the Assembly Chamber as an MLA is to move the Fair Employment (School Teachers) Bill. I am hopeful that it will deliver positive change for our education system. It delivers for fairness, a value that I, the Alliance Party and this Assembly hold dear; education, the engine room for development and equal opportunity for children and young people across Northern Ireland; peace and prosperity; and teachers, the leaders of this engine room and the people who play one of the most important roles in our society. As I said, I want to dedicate the work that we have all contributed and the Bill to the teachers and everyone who is working to deliver the best education system possible for Northern Ireland.”
“Hopefully, I will be able to dedicate the Bill to them after Final Stage today, given the courage, leadership and sacrifice that they and everyone across our education sector have shown for many, many years, particularly in the pandemic of recent years.”
“I thank the Education Minister and officials from the Department of Education and the Executive Office for their engagement at key stages of the Bill, particularly with the education management sector to ensure that a small number of amendments would deliver a good, manageable period for implementation of the provisions. To everyone who responded and contributed to the Bill, I say thank you. I also thank my colleague Kellie Armstrong MLA and her team, who provided me with valuable assistance and support throughout the progress of the Bill. <BR /> <BR />I hope that the Bill will give teachers the fair employment protection that they deserve.”
“This opportunity has been made possible by a collective effort from many people, and I put on record my thanks to research officer Connie Egan and constituency officer Nick Mathison for the work that they contributed to the Bill's progress. The Bill and, indeed, my service as an MLA would not have been possible without their dedication and that of all staff members who served on our team over the past decade, and I would like to recognise them for that. I thank everyone in the Bill Office, the Speaker's Office and all Assembly staff who support the progress of private Members' legislation. I thank the Executive Office Committee. To be completely frank, the Committee's proactive and comprehensive approach to Committee Stage made the Bill's progress possible. I am very grateful for that approach.”
“The Fair Employment (School Teachers) Bill will give effect to those long-standing recommendations. It presents the Assembly with the opportunity to remove the exception of teachers from the Fair Employment and Treatment Order, and I trust that that is an opportunity that we will take today.”
“<BR /> <BR />There is an increasingly clear consensus that teachers must be included in the Fair Employment and Treatment Order and be afforded the same legal protection from discrimination when seeking employment as anyone else in our society.”
“Under the Fair Employment and Treatment Order, employers in Northern Ireland with 11 or more employees must register with the Equality Commission and monitor the composition of their workforce. That does not apply to the teaching workforce. The Equality Commission for Northern Ireland recommended the removal of the exception of teachers from the Fair Employment and Treatment Order for secondary-level teachers in 2004 and early consideration of removing it at primary level on the grounds that it was no longer acceptable to exclude the entire teaching workforce from fair employment legislation that covered all other occupations. It also recommended that teachers be included in the monitoring and review requirements.”
“<BR /> <BR />The Fair Employment (School Teachers) Bill is a small example of what we can achieve in the Assembly when we work together. It should not be legal for teachers to be discriminated against because of their religious background when applying for a teaching job. The Bill presents us with an opportunity to end that provision. The Fair Employment (Northern Ireland) Act outlawed employment discrimination on the grounds of religious belief in Northern Ireland in 1976, but the Fair Employment and Treatment Order continues to permit discrimination on the grounds of religious belief in the recruitment of teachers to this day. <BR /> <BR />Almost all workers in Northern Ireland can rely on legislation to protect them from discrimination on the grounds of their faith, but teachers cannot.”
“Thank you, Deputy Speaker. I welcome the opportunity to move the Final Stage of the Fair Employment (School Teachers) Bill. It will remove the anachronistic exception of teachers from the Fair Employment and Treatment Order (FETO) and ensure that it is no longer possible for any teacher to be discriminated against because of their religious background when applying for a job. <BR /> <BR />Fairness and equal opportunity are key values of the Alliance Party, and the legislation delivers on them. The Assembly and the Executive are often — rightly — criticised for failing to deliver the leadership and services that the people of Northern Ireland need and deserve. There is a real and urgent need for a functional power-sharing Executive to be restored as soon as possible to deliver for the people of Northern Ireland.”
“Excuse me. Apologies. Give me a second, Deputy Speaker.”
“Society and campaigners emphatically told the Assembly that free period products must be made available for all, and Pat and the Assembly responded. We hope and anticipate that the legislation will improve access to education, work and sport and improve dignity for women, girls and those who menstruate. We trust that it will improve understanding of menstruation and create supportive conversations about periods. I commend Pat for his committed and passionate sponsorship, and I support the passing into law of the Period Products (Free Provision) Bill.”
“The Department for Communities, councils, the Department for the Economy, further education stakeholders, the Department of Health and the Department of Finance all responded with their perspectives on and experiences of the provision of free period products and with ways in which the Bill's provisions could be coordinated and funded. The Minister for Communities coordinated the Bill's amending stages, which was a welcome intervention that allowed the Bill to progress. The Committee for Education will continue to work to advance the provision of period products as a means of delivering equal opportunity, particularly along the pathway from school to employment. <BR /> <BR />The Committee is proud of the work and combined efforts of legislators and stakeholders throughout the legislative process of the Bill that Pat Catney sponsored.”
“That is an important start in support of the implementation of the provisions of the Bill. <BR /> <BR />The Education Committee undertook Committee Stage scrutiny of this cross-cutting Bill — I am proud that we did — on behalf of other relevant subject Committees. We endeavoured to coordinate evidence taking and scrutiny to enable the passage of this important legislation. We drew in feedback from a range of key stakeholders and conducted meaningful consideration of the issues, within a tight time frame, that allowed the Bill to complete its primary legislative stages. <BR /> <BR />The Department of Education has demonstrated action on this issue with a period dignity pilot scheme and accompanying Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment (CCEA) webinars and other educational resources to present the issue in context.”
“We made progress in recent years, working with campaigners and activists, on those key issues. The Committee met The Homeless Period Belfast on a number of occasions. It was my privilege to invite the charity to give evidence to the Education Committee and to present a petition, on behalf of 5,000 people, to the Assembly for free period products in schools. Pat has recognised, and it is important that we, too, recognise, the work of the campaigners and activists in The Homeless Period Belfast, a volunteer-led initiative, managed by Katrina McDonnell, and the other organisations that worked on period product provision, such as the Red Box Project and Equality Period. <BR /> <BR />The current Education Minister and her predecessor worked to support the provision of period products in schools.”
“As Chairperson of the Committee for Education, I am absolutely delighted to support the Period Products (Free Provision) Bill at Final Stage. I commend the proposer of the Bill, Pat Catney MLA, for the work that he undertook. Also, to echo his words to me, I am delighted to have made such a good friend during my time in the Chamber. I am delighted at the passion that you bring to the Chamber, Pat. Thank you for all those things. <BR /> <BR />Access to period products should be universally available, as is the case for many other basic hygiene products. Is it inconceivable that it would be otherwise, and I am glad that the Bill will correct the fact that it is not. <BR /> <BR />The Education Committee worked on period product provision for some time and on period dignity.”
“The Alliance Party is committed to working with everyone to achieve that aim.”
“I pay tribute to my colleague Kellie Armstrong for the delivery of the Integrated Education Bill. As has been mentioned, I hope that I will be able to, with the huge cooperation and support of everyone in the Assembly, pass the Fair Employment (School Teachers) Bill. <BR /> <BR />Those are also values that have guided the Alliance Justice Minister to deliver five pieces of legislation that will contribute to a more safe and shared Northern Ireland for all. Compromise and leadership are needed now more than ever in order to deliver better for the people of Northern Ireland. The restoration of the Executive and the Assembly must be a priority. We set the example in this place. We must show leadership. Indeed, we must make good on the words of C S Lewis that are displayed at the entrance of the Assembly, which promise:”
“<BR /> <BR />I am encouraged by the Alliance values of fairness and equality, the aim of peace and prosperity and the leadership of Naomi Long, all of which are giving hope to many people across Northern Ireland in these challenging times. Those values, aims and leadership drove the Alliance Party work during the New Decade, New Approach talks process to restore the Assembly. They also guided our efforts to deliver better for the people of Northern Ireland during this short two-year mandate and, indeed, on our return, to prioritise education, which resulted in the independent review of education; advocating financing for schools; a new approach to special educational needs; access to affordable, quality childcare; and children learning together.”
“I would like to say thank you to the people of East Belfast for giving me the immense privilege of serving as your MLA, to my family who inspire me every single day and to all the people who make that service possible. There are far too many for me to even start to try to thank them today. It would not be possible without such a team of people supporting of us in these roles. <BR /> <BR />These have been challenging times for many people. We have seen great loss. We remember everyone who has been bereaved during the brutal COVID pandemic. They have also been times of great sacrifice and great resilience. We thank all those health, education and key workers who have given so much for our community. In return, we owe them fair pay and conditions at the very least.”
“As a kid from Garnerville Gardens who spent his Saturday afternoons in Ashmount Park with his granny Betty, who worked in Ashfield Girls' High School, whose dad worked in Shorts from the age of 16 and whose mum worked with a company on the Newtownards Road, it has been the privilege of my life to serve as an Alliance Party MLA on behalf of the people of my home constituency of East Belfast and as Chairperson of the Assembly Education Committee for everyone in Northern Ireland.”
“The emotion and the commitment in the Assembly this morning clearly demonstrate just how much every MLA puts their heart and soul into the job. I thank every one of them for the opportunity to work with them. <BR /> <BR />I will respond to one Member's comments about what the record of this mandate shows with regard to the challenges that we faced: it tells us that peace and prosperity take hard work. It tells us that they take perseverance and compromise. I certainly hope that the upcoming election will return MLAs who are committed to bringing all of those to bear in the Chamber for the people of Northern Ireland. <BR /> <BR />For me, it is the end not only of the mandate but of over a decade of service as a Member of the Assembly.”
“<BR /> <BR />I thank my Alliance Party colleague Kellie Armstrong for her support. I hope that that support extends slightly further than to my managing to persuade her to co-sign the amendment. I have no doubt that it does. I am very grateful for the constant support that Kellie has been throughout the passage of the Bill. On more than one occasion, she and her team gave me helpful advice about how to work towards the passage of legislation through the House. <BR /> <BR />I am very grateful for all the comments this evening and for the support for the Bill. I hope that that support means that we can progress to a Final Stage debate and the approval of the Bill before the end of this week and the mandate. Thank you.”
“<BR /> <BR />I thank Harry Harvey for his comments this evening, which emphasised that the amendment to extend the commencement phase to 24 months will give employers an important period in which to make the adjustments needed to commence the Bill's provisions. <BR /> <BR />I thank my Education Committee colleague Justin McNulty for his kind words. It has been a pleasure to work with you, Justin, particularly on the promotion of physical education. I have no doubt that you will champion that issue and so many others for children and young people in the next Assembly mandate. I agree with you about the importance of faith in our education system and, indeed, our society, but also, of course, that there should never be religious discrimination and that we need to have fairness and equality of opportunity for all.”
“I thank all Members for their contributions, which were consistent with the positive way in which we all worked together to progress this important Bill. I reiterate my thanks to the Executive Office Committee Chairperson, Sinead McLaughlin MLA. Thank you for recognising my persistence. I recognise with ease the skill, good nature and proactivity that you showed in facilitating such a positive Committee Stage for the Bill. <BR /> <BR />I thank Pat Sheehan MLA for his support throughout the progress of the Bill. He was an important Executive Office Committee member during Committee Stage. I am grateful for his support of the Bill.”
“I hope that we can move the Fair Employment (School Teachers) Bill to the Final Stage on Thursday and deliver fair employment for all teachers before the end of the Assembly mandate.”
“I thank the House for its forbearance today. It has been a long day. Hopefully, this will be a straightforward session. <BR /> <BR />I welcome the progress of the Fair Employment (School Teachers) Bill to Further Consideration Stage. Amendment No 1 amounts to a few minor, non-substantive, stylistic changes to the existing language and substance of clause 3, further to amendment at Consideration Stage, which relates to the commencement of the provisions of the Fair Employment (School Teachers) Bill. <BR /> <BR />The single amendment — as, indeed, is the Fair Employment (School Teachers) Bill — is the product of hard work and cooperation from me, the Executive Office Committee, the Department of Education and the Assembly, and, as such, it commands cross-party support. I, therefore, commend the amendment to the Assembly for approval.”
“On a point of order, Mr Deputy Speaker. DUP Members seem to have access to information about specific amounts of money that have been allocated to each school. If I am not wrong, that information is not yet publicly accessible. Will you ensure that that information is made public as soon as possible?”
“I thank the Minister for her statement. The announcement is, obviously, on the face of it, very positive news for 28 out of approximately 1,000 schools in Northern Ireland. However, I do have concerns, and I would like to ask the Education Minister why only a third of major school building works since 2012 have been completed a decade after the start of those works. Also, the total budget announced today appears to be in the region of £800 million for 28 schools, which I think is about £28 million a school on average. In the midst of a financial crisis for education, does the Education Minister actually have the budget to ensure that funding at that scale will be delivered? Will there be a call for special-school capital works as soon as possible?”
“<BR /> <BR />On those grounds, as Committee Chairperson and, indeed, as the Alliance Party spokesperson for education, I support the amendments before the House and reiterate my support for the passage of the Bill to its Final Stage.”
“The details and analytical feedback from the Education Committee, received from Departments during Committee Stage, are in line with all the amendments put forward. <BR /> <BR />The amendments tabled by the Education Committee at Committee Stage — they related to the dignity provision in the Bill, the aspects of privacy and confidentiality, and sustainability, with a view to reducing waste — are also emphasised and enhanced by today's amendments. <BR /> <BR />I hope that all these amendments and provisions will enhance and advance period product provision for everyone in our community. I hope that the Bill will tackle the taboo and that it will build empathy and understanding for all who menstruate.”
“<BR /> <BR />I also recognise the efforts of Education Committee Deputy Chairperson, Pat Sheehan, who conducted work in the background to encourage the deputy First Minister and the Communities Minister to provide the Executive ministry necessary to progress the Bill. They told me not to give you credit for that, Pat, but I thought that you deserved it, so there you are. <BR /> <BR />The Education Committee has worked on period product provision for some time. We believe that it is a gender equality issue and one of equal educational opportunity for all. I am proud that the Education Committee's boats have supported Pat Catney's ship on its journey, and I am delighted to see that the Communities Minister has added wind to the sails of that ship with these amendments.”
“As Chairperson, I wish to reflect the Education Committee's continued support for the Period Products (Free Provision) Bill, as proposed by Pat Catney. I welcome the leadership shown by the Communities Minister, Deirdre Hargey, in stepping forward to provide the Executive ministry needed for this important Bill to pass and in providing amendments, which relate to definitions, duties, regulations and commencement, to enhance the Bill. <BR /> <BR />I hope that the Communities Minister can show similar leadership to allocate the desperately needed funding to the subregional stadia programme for soccer, which I would gladly welcome just as warmly.”
“I speak briefly in support of the motion.”
“Despite not being a member of the TEO Committee, which has worked so hard on the Bill, Pat gave the Bill support, and I commend him for his efforts in his private Member's Bill on providing free period products for all. The last few weeks have shown what the Assembly can achieve when we work together on small but significant legislative reforms that will mean a great deal to many in our community.”
“The fact that the Bill includes them in protection from religious discrimination on the grounds of their faith is a long-overdue and small way in which we can show them that support and gratitude. <BR /> <BR />It is my intention to submit a minor, non-substantive tidying amendment for Further Consideration Stage before the deadline tomorrow. <BR /> <BR />On those grounds, I am now more certain than ever that the Assembly can pass into law what is a positive legislative reform for fair employment for teachers before the end of the mandate next week. <BR /> <BR />I thank Pat Catney for his support. It was remiss of me not to have done so at the last stage.”
“It is testimony to the extent of that work that there appears to be increasing consensus at Consideration Stage in support of the passage of the Bill before the end of the mandate, on the grounds that it provides that manageable time for implementation. <BR /> <BR />I am grateful for the amendment proposed by the TEO Committee with cross-party consensus to extend the implementation time from 12 to 24 months. The amendment achieves that objective and is fair and reasonable to all who is involved. There is no desire in any political party to place any undue burden on the schools and teachers that the Bill seeks to support. The amendment achieves that aim. We owe so much to the teachers and schools that have shown such service and leadership to our community.”
“<BR /> <BR />The amendment tabled by the TEO Committee Chairperson, Sinead McLaughlin MLA, is the product of collective hard work and engagement between a wide range of people and stakeholders but particularly the TEO Committee. I thank the Chairperson, the Deputy Chairperson, John Stewart MLA, and all TEO Committee members and the Committee team for their proactive consideration, evidence taking and scrutiny of the Bill at Committee Stage, which has allowed this important reform to proceed. <BR /> <BR />I thank the Education Minister, Department of Education officials and the education management and sectoral bodies for their engagement with the Bill.”
“I thank all the Members who contributed to the debate. I thank the Speaker's Office and the Business Committee for scheduling the remaining stages of the Fair Employment (School Teachers) Bill and giving us the opportunity to debate it. <BR /> <BR />I set out to progress the Bill in order to revoke article 71 of the Fair Employment and Treatment Order and to include teachers in fair employment protection because, in my assessment, that is an overdue legislative reform with increasingly broad public and political consensus. That assessment bears scrutiny now that we have reached Consideration Stage with a single substantive amendment to increase the deadline for manageable implementation of the Bill from 12 to 24 months.”
“I thank the Executive Office Committee for its support for this motion. I sincerely hope that it will present the Assembly with the opportunity to progress this important legislative reform. I acknowledge the contributions of Mr Allister and my Education Committee colleague Mrs Dodds, with whom I have thoroughly enjoyed engaging on a wide range of education-related issues in the time that we have spent on the Education Committee together. I assure Mr Allister and reassure Mrs Dodds that, in no small part due to the proactive and extensive engagement and consultation of the Executive Office Committee, there has been no corruption of due process for this four-clause Bill. I welcome the fact that it now has increasingly broad public and political support. I commend it to the House.”
“I will keep my comments brief. I welcome the opportunity to move the motion to suspend Standing Order 42(1) for the Fair Employment (School Teachers) Bill. Its suspension would give the Assembly a genuine opportunity to pass a long-overdue legislative reform that commands increasingly broad political and public support.”
“The Education Committee understands that that may take time but urges that it be done without any delay. I am sure that a future Committee for Education will continue to work constructively with stakeholders and the Education Minister to provide support and scrutiny of the Education Department's efforts to create a suitable body to effectively support and regulate the teaching profession in Northern Ireland.”
“I reiterate the overdue need for the delivery of a new, fit for purpose professional body for teachers. As I and other members of the Education Committee made evident throughout our process and the Bill's progress through the Assembly, the overarching solution must be to create an appropriate and similar body that can be of comprehensive service to the critically important teaching profession in Northern Ireland. That vital sector of our community requires a body that is fully equipped to effectively represent and register teachers and govern any misconduct. <BR /> <BR />The Bill brings to term the existing General Teaching Council. However, it is just the start of a process that must be carried forward by the Department of Education to redraw the new entity and provide it with a full range of appropriate legislative powers and sanctions.”