Pat Sheehan
West Belfast · Sinn Féin · Northern Ireland
“I thank the Member for giving way. Does she agree that the Minister's School Uniforms (Guidelines and Allowances) Bill was poor legislation and a missed opportunity?”
“The last point that you made reminded me of one of the witnesses — a young girl — who came to the Committee. During the winter, she wore her own overcoat, but she had to take it off 100 yards from the school gate because she was not allowed to wear it into the school.”
“Agus iad ag ullmhú le haghaidh scrúduithe GCSE agus ard-leibhéil, féadann an imní agus an éiginnteacht sin drochthionchar a imirt ar a n-oideachas agus ar a bhfolláine.”
“Is scannalach go deo an foréigean ciníoch a chonaic muid le seachtain anuas. Tá ionsaithe ar theaghlaigh, ar thithe agus ar ghnólachtaí doleithscéil, agus tá siad dochosanta. Níor cheart eagla a mbáis a bheith ar dhaoine neamhurchóideacha mar gheall ar a gcine, a gcúlra ná a gcreideamh.”
“One of the reasons, Daniel, is that, if we were to have blocked the Bill at the Executive, the SDLP would be saying tomorrow morning "This place is dysfunctional. You're blocking legislation. Sinn Féin is blocking legislation, and the DUP is blocking legislation". No, we are not blocking legislation.”
“I have not once today argued against inspections. Not once. The Bill is about one thing and one thing only: intimidating and punishing teachers.”
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“Will the Minister tell us whether he has plans to roll out the School Streets initiative?”
“The LCC said that it wanted to meet on a number of issues, including educational underachievement, but it was also demanding that Scoil na Seolta, the Irish-medium school in east Belfast, should not be given any support from the Education Department. It is absolutely outrageous that those gangs would demand of a Minister not to support a school for children whose parents want them to be educated through the medium of Irish. It is absolutely outrageous, and the Minister should make it clear that in no circumstances will he give in —”
“I also know that Conradh na Gaeilge has been asking the Minister for a meeting since last February. Again, the Minister could not find space in his diary to meet that organisation, which is the main advocate for the Irish medium and the Irish language in the North — in fact, in the whole country. <BR /> <BR />I wonder what priorities the Minister has and why he cannot meet advocates from different education sectors but can meet loyalist gangs who, after 26 years, still have not packed up and gone away. I am all for meeting and speaking to people and trying to get them to move away from what they are doing, but no Education Minister should take direction from those gangs.”
“I want to make a statement about the decision by the Education Minister, Paul Givan, to meet the Loyalist Communities Council (LCC), which is made up of a number of loyalist gangs, narco gangs and so forth. <BR /> <BR />The Minister's decision was wrong on a number of levels: first of all, given the state of chaos in the provision of special educational needs. We heard the independent autism reviewer say on BBC last week that she has been asking for a meeting for quite a while and the Minister cannot find space in his diary to meet her. One would think that the Minister would at least make space in his diary to meet advocates from the community and voluntary sector and that particular woman, who was appointed by the Department of Health as the independent autism reviewer.”
“The Minister rightly identified educational underachievement as a major issue. In his answer, he mentioned the RAISE programme. However, there seems to be an anomaly in the RAISE programme, insofar as some of the big, well-known grammar schools in the leafy suburbs can access the funding, but Bunscoil an tSléibhe Dhuibh in Ballymurphy, Gaelscoil na Móna in Turf Lodge and St John the Baptist Primary School in the middle of Andersonstown cannot. Does the Minister care to comment on that anomaly?”
“<BR /> <BR />Is iomaí masla agus anró a thugtar don daonlathas ar na saolta seo, idir an mhífhaisnéis agus an bhréagaisnéis ar líne, agus an pobalachas atá ag éirí níos coitianta i rith an ama ar fud an domhain. Cuireann an mhífhaisnéis gangaid agus goimh sa phlé polaitíochta, cuireann sí pobail in adharca a chéile agus cuireann sí amhras ar dhaoine faoi institiúidí daonlathacha. Dá mhéad daoine óga atá rannpháirteach sa daonlathas, is amhlaidh is mó guthanna a bheas ann leis an mhífhaisnéis úd a bhréagnú. <BR /> <BR />Caithfimid an chéad ghlúin eile a spreagadh le bheith páirteach sa daonlathas. Déanaimid sin trí thionscadail amhail Tionól na nÓg, trí chluas le héisteacht a thabhairt don aos óg agus trína léiriú dóibh go bhfuilimid ag déanamh beart de réir a mbriathair.”
“Rinneadh Lá Idirnáisiúnta an Daonlathais a cheiliúradh inné. <BR /> <BR />Tá feidhm ríthábhachtach ag an aos óg sa daonlathas a chur chun cinn. Ní mór dúinne, mar pholaiteoirí, bheith ag éisteacht leis an mhuintir óga, nó is iadsan a bheas thíos, nó thuas, leis na dlíthe a dhéanaimidne inniu. Caithfear a chinntiú go mbeidh tuairimí na chéad ghlúine eile i gcroílár na ndlíthe a rithimid inniu. Má chítear don aos óg go dtugann polaiteoirí cluas le héisteacht dóibh agus go bhfuil meas ag lucht déanta beartas ar a dtuairimí, is amhlaidh is mó páirt a ghlacfaidh siad i bpróiseas an daonlathais. Mar sin de, molaim go hard an obair fhiúntach atá Tionól na nÓg a dhéanamh anseo. Tugann sí seans do dhaoine óga tuiscint is fearr a fháil ar na hinstitiúidí seo againn.”
“One area of concern around the action plan is the fact that there was no funding support for fishermen who saw a drastic cut to their income last year and are probably facing an even more dire situation this year. Does the Minister have any plans to introduce emergency funding support for those who make a living on the lough?”
“Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire as ucht a fhreagra.”
“<BR /> <BR />Many of the issues that we want to see action on are cross-cutting, and one criticism of the Assembly over the years is that Departments often act in silos and do not talk to each other. It is important to make the point that, where shared objectives exist, Departments should work together and share funding and other resources to achieve them. It makes financial sense; it is a good approach to policy; and, at the end of the day, it is what people want to see: their political representatives working together in the interests of all.”
“<BR /> <BR />In my role as my party's education spokesperson, I have taken the opportunity to challenge the Education Minister on his responsibility to identify and set out the priorities for his Department. In a system with limited resources, we must make the most of every penny. Targeting investment on the basis of objective need is vital, particularly when it comes to supporting our most vulnerable children and young people. I want to see the Minister set out a comprehensive plan to tackle educational underachievement, deliver affordable and accessible childcare and transform special educational needs provision. The key is early intervention, and all the evidence tells us that investment at the earlier stage of a child's journey is far more impactful. This is why prioritisation is so important.”
“For example, it was a choice to make pensioners sit in the cold this winter by cutting their fuel payments while continuing to spend billions of pounds on military hardware. <BR /> <BR />I would much rather see the new Government invest in our public services so that we can transform our education system, reverse the decline in our school estate, support our children and young people with special educational needs (SEN) and ensure that our pupils can reach their full potential. Those are the choices that the new British Government should concern themselves with. I am a realist, though, and accept that getting a fair funding settlement for this place will not happen overnight.”
“When I challenged the people from the Department on those cuts, they tried to tell me how difficult it was for them to implement the cuts: imagine how difficult it was for the children and their families who had those vital supports taken away. <BR /> <BR />Now we have Ministers in place, a draft Programme for Government out for consultation and a set of priorities that we can pursue. While a new Prime Minister has taken up residence in 10 Downing Street, it has become clear that the step change in properly funding our public services here has not materialised. Politics and leadership are about decisions and choices. What does it say about the new Administration in London that one of their first major actions is to leave pensioners out in the cold this winter?”
“As my party's spokesperson on education, it is with that particular focus that I want to address the debate. There are not enough resources available in the education system to deliver the level of service that we want and expect for our children and young people and for those charged with educating and nurturing them. <BR /> <BR />I was highly critical of the actions taken in the absence of an Education Minister, when funding for vital programmes was slashed, for example, cutting the holiday hunger grant, ending the Healthy Happy Minds programme, which was designed to provide support for emotional difficulties, and stopping the provision of free digital learning devices for our most disadvantaged. It baffles me that, in a system that is not resourced properly, officials do not seek to protect and prioritise the most disadvantaged.”
“Nuair a scriostar scoileanna, scriostar saol agus seans na chéad ghlúine eile. <BR /> <BR />Inniu an Lá Idirnáisiúnta chun an tOideachas a Chosaint ar an Ionsaí. Iarraim ar an phobal idirnáisiúnta brú a chur ar Iosrael éirí as an chinedhíothú agus éirí as an léanndíothú in Gaza.”
“Tá breis agus 50% de na scoileanna sin scriosta ag fórsaí Iosrael anois fosta. Tá ionsaí Iosrael ar an chóras oideachais chomh forleathan sin go bhfuil focal ag na Náisiúin Aontaithe air: an léanndíothú. <BR /> <BR />Faoi mhí Aibreáin i mbliana, bhí beagnach 6,000 scoláire marbh, beagnach 300 múinteoir marbh agus beagnach 100 léachtóir ollscoile marbh as siocair ionsaithe Iosrael. Agus is cinnte go ndeachaigh an scéal chun donais ó shin. <BR /> <BR />Tá beagnach 6,000 páiste ar naíscoil anseo sna Sé Chontae. Tá thart ar 1,500 ionad oideachais againn. Dá ndéanfaí an scrios agus an sléacht céanna sna Sé Chontae agus atá déanta ag Iosrael in Gaza b’ionann é agus gach páiste naíscoile anseo bás a fháil in ionsaithe míleata. B’ionann é agus gach naíscoil, gach bunscoil, gach meánscoil agus gach scoil ghramadaí anseo a bheith scriosta glan.”
“Inniu an Lá Idirnáisiúnta chun an tOideachas a Chosaint ar an Ionsaí. Is ceart bunúsach é an t-oideachas, ceart nach raibh i dtólamh ar fáil sa tír seo, ach anois, ceart atá neamhiontach againn anseo in Éirinn. Ní hamhlaidh i go leor tíortha eile, áfach. <BR /> <BR />I dtrátha an ama seo anuraidh, bhí breis agus 625,000 mac léinn ar scoil in Gaza agus breis agus 20,000 múinteoir ag obair ann. Dar leis na Náisiúin Aontaithe nach bhfuil foghlaim ar bith ar bun in Gaza inniu. Cá bhfuil mar a bheadh foghlaim ar bun ann nuair atá corradh agus 80% de na scoileanna in Gaza scriosta ag fórsaí Iosrael? <BR /> <BR />Gan fiú scoileanna de chuid na Náisiún Aontaithe nach bhfuil dul acu ón ionsaí Iosraelach. Seo scoileanna, a Cheann Comhairle, a chuir na Náisiúin Aontaithe ar bun le haghaidh teifigh Phalaistíneacha.”
“Will the Minister tell us what measures he is considering to encourage active travel and thereby reduce car travel and congestion around schools?”
“Will the First Minister outline the process for standardised and individually assessed payments?”
“Gabhaim buíochas leis an Chéad-Aire as ucht a ráitis.”
“Does the First Minister agree that holding Euro 2028 in a state-of-the-art Casement Park is an unprecedented economic opportunity on which we cannot afford to miss out?”
“It should not stop there. Ireland has the skill set, technology and infrastructure to become a world leader in innovative cancer research, but there is also a need for greater collaboration on a global level with the US and the EU. There is absolutely no reason why this island cannot be a world leader in cancer research. There is still a long way to go to eliminate the scourge of cancer, but cooperation and collaboration are the only way to go.”
“Many people have gone through the same, and worse. It makes sense that, on such a small island, we should pool our resources not just to deliver treatment to those suffering from cancer and other diseases and ailments but to collaborate in research, innovation and best practice. If our objective is to reduce the number of people diagnosed with preventable cancers, improve survival and improve the experience of people diagnosed with cancer, collaborative working between North and South is not only desirable but should be an absolute imperative.”
“Of course, Siobhan had to deal with all of the side effects of those treatments, including sickness and nausea, hair loss, joint pain, weakness and extreme fatigue. At one stage, we had to go to Dublin in an ambulance because Siobhan needed a treatment for metastatic cancer; the cancer had spread to her brain. As she had already received a full blast of radiotherapy, any further radiotherapy had to be precise and targeted beams of radiation, which is known as "stereotactic radiotherapy". That was not available in the North at that time, so we had to travel to Dublin. Thankfully, that treatment is now available in the North. Unfortunately, my wife died in 2006. It is not an experience that I would like to repeat, especially having to tell a six-year-old that his mother had died during the night. <BR /> <BR />My story is by no means unique.”
“I doubt that there is anyone on the island who has not been affected by cancer either directly or through a family member or friend being diagnosed with cancer. Great strides have been made in preventative measures, early diagnosis and the treatment of the disease, but a diagnosis of cancer is still guaranteed to strike terror into most individuals and create upheaval in families. <BR /> <BR />I know from personal experience how difficult it can be. My wife, Siobhan, was diagnosed with aggressive breast cancer in 2002. After surgery for a mastectomy, the next four years were spent attending appointments in the Bridgewater Suite in Belfast City Hospital for chemotherapy and Belvoir Park Hospital for radiotherapy.”
“Ní raibh riamh an oiread sin iarrthóirí ón eite dheas ar an pháipéar vótála anseo ná mar a bhí i dtoghcháin na seachtaine seo caite. <BR /> <BR />Fuath don dídeanaí agus bréagadóireacht faoi dhaoine a thig anseo ar lorg tearmainn, sin é an rosc catha a bhí ag na hiarrthóirí sin. Sin a bhfuil acu le tairiscint: fuath, fearg agus fala. Caithfimid seasamh le chéile in éadan an dearcaidh sin agus seasamh ar ghualainn na ndídeanaithe agus na n-iarrthóirí tearmainn a thig anseo ar lorg síochána agus sábháilteachta. Tugann Seachtain na nDídeanaithe faill dúinn sin a dhéanamh agus céad míle fáilte a chur rompu.”
“An tseachtain seo beimid ag ceiliúradh Sheachtain na nDídeanaithe anseo in Éirinn agus ar fud an domhain. Is é téama na seachtaine i mbliana: an baile s’againn. Le linn na seachtaine, beidh imeachtaí múscailte feasachta, imeachtaí cultúir agus imeachtaí ealaíon ar siúl ó cheann ceann an oileáin. <BR /> <BR />Níor mhiste dúinn uilig go léir páirt a ghlacadh sa tseachtain speisialta seo, nó tugtar faill dúinn lena linn caidreamh agus caradas a dhéanamh leis na pobail nua atá ag cur fúthu anseo agus bheith ag foghlaim faoin difear dearfach a dhéanann siad don saol anseo. <BR /> <BR />Chonaic muid uilig go léir an dul chun cinn a rinne páirtithe ar an eite dheas sna todhcháin Eorpacha an tseachtain seo caite. Ní hé amháin sa Fhrainc agus sa Ghearmáin ach anseo in Éirinn fosta.”
“Can the Minister tell us the aim of the road safety strategy?”
“Go raibh maith agat, a Phríomh-Leas-Cheann Comhairle. Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire as ucht a fhreagra.”
“Mar sin de, a Cheann Comhairle, tá súil agam go mbeidh muidne anseo in Éirinn in ann ár bpáirt a dhéanamh sa ghluaiseacht ar son na n-aigéan.”
“<BR /> <BR />Má tá athrú le teacht ar an scéal, ní mór dúinn múscailt, agus sin an téama a bhí ag Lá Domhanda na nAigéan i mbliana: múscailte go grinneall. Tá na Náisiúin Aontaithe ag iarraidh gluaiseacht saoránach a mhúscailt ar son na n-aigéan. Tá siad ag iarraidh sin a dhéanamh trí lucht déanta beartas, ceannairí dúchais, eolaithe, an earnáil phríobháideach, agus gníomhairí óige a thabhairt le chéile. Caithfimid uilig go léir ár mana faoi na haigéin a athrú. Caithfimid teacht ar dhóigheanna leis na haigéin a chosaint agus bainisteoireacht inbhuanaithe a dhéanamh orthu. <BR /> <BR />Ar an oileán seo againne, tá an tAigéan Atlantach ar an chósta thiar, an Mhuir Cheilteach ar an chósta theas, Muir Éireann ar an chósta thoir, agus Sruth na Maoile ar an chósta thuaidh.”
“Rinneadh Lá Domhanda na nAigéan a cheiliúradh Dé Sathairn. Bíonn an lá sin ann gach bliain lena chur i gcuimhne do gach duine an tábhacht a bhaineann leis na haigéin. Is iad na haigéin scamháin an domhain. Tig breis agus 50% den ocsaigin atá againn ó na haigéin. Is iontu fosta atá bunús na bithéagsúlachta ar domhan. <BR /> <BR />Ach tá na haigéin ag dul i ndrochdhóigh: tá 90% de stoic na n-iasc mór ídithe; tá 50% de sceir coiréil scriosta; agus, achan lá, baintear níos mó as an fharraige ná a thig léi a sholáthar. Níl sin inbhuanaithe. Ach, mar a dúirt eagraithe Lá Domhanda na nAigéan, tá an saol mór bodhar ag éisteacht le figiúirí. Ní leor figiúirí le daoine a ghríosú, agus, mar sin de, ní raibh sna hiarrachtaí a rinneadh go dtí seo leis na haigéin a chosaint ach cneasú thar goimh.”
“The Minister will be aware that, over the past number of years, there have been a number of scandals in the health service. As well as the hyponatraemia scandal, we have had the Muckamore Abbey Hospital debacle, the blood contamination scandal and, of course, in the Belfast Trust, the neurology scandal. One of the common themes that runs through all those scandals is the lack of accountability and the circling of the wagons to protect organisational reputations. Will the Minister introduce an individual duty of candour, or will he cop out and go with an organisational duty of candour?”
“Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire as ucht a fhreagra.”
“Will she outline the plans for Communities in Transition phase 3?”
“Gabhaim buíochas leis an leas-Chéad-Aire as ucht a freagra.”
“On the issue of underachievement in West Belfast, the average percentage of young people who get five GCSEs, including English and maths, sits at 2% below the regional average, but, when you take account of the deprivation that exists there, that is extremely high and well above the average for the type of area that we are talking about.”
“All that I have spoken about this evening is tried and tested. It is all evidence-based, and the Department should harness the expertise that exists in West Belfast to help roll out the model to other areas that would benefit from it. <BR /> <BR />Finally, I commend all the staff and pupils in the 51 schools, the West Belfast Partnership Board, the Full Service Community Network, all the other community organisations and all the families for their involvement in that great collaboration. You are doing West Belfast proud.”
“The Children's Services Co-operation Act 2015 empowers Departments and agencies to cooperate, where appropriate, to deliver services aimed at improving the well-being of children and young people. There needs to be more use of that legislation. <BR /> <BR />In 2012-13, the average percentage of pupils in West Belfast attaining five or more GCSEs, including maths and English, was 49·1%. By 2021-22, the figure had risen to 68%. For pupils entitled to free school meals, the average percentage of pupils in West Belfast achieving five or more GCSEs, including maths and English, was 31·1% in 2010-11. By 2021-22, that had risen to 59·6%, which is almost double. Those are phenomenal increases and are a testament to the work being carried out in the schools, in the community and in families. It is collaboration in action.”
“That is why it is not the role of the Department of Education alone to ensure that our children enjoy the best possible opportunities. How can children achieve their full potential if they suffer from chronic ill health, come from dysfunctional families or live in unsuitable accommodation or if their additional needs are not met? <BR /> <BR />We need the Department of Education, the Department of Health, the Department of Justice, the Department for Communities and the Department for the Economy to work in collaboration to deliver for all our children and young people. The fantastic educational achievements in West Belfast and, indeed, across the North can be improved even more with greater cross-departmental collaboration.”
“Local businesses and individuals donate funds that are given to young people in third-level education at undergraduate and postgraduate level and in further education. Over the past 24 years, almost £1 million has been raised, and 1,247 young people have benefited from those bursaries. <BR /> <BR />The evidence is clear: when young people underachieve at school, they are more likely to end up unemployed, to suffer from poor health, to die young, to come to the attention of the criminal justice system or to have to deal with addiction. Tackling underachievement and maximising the opportunities available to our young people are therefore vital to improving the outcomes of our most disadvantaged young people. They are also fundamental to improving our society.”
“<BR /> <BR />As well as that collaborative working, the West Belfast Partnership Board organises an Easter school for GCSE maths and English at St Mary's University College. That is targeted at students with projected borderline C/D grades in those subjects. The Easter school lasts for four days. It involves 20 hours of intensive tuition that teachers from the local schools provide, supported by student teachers from St Mary's. In 2022-23, 63% of the young people taking part in the Easter school were entitled to free school meals. The outcome was that 77·5% of all the young people who participated in the Easter school received a grade C or above. <BR /> <BR />It does not stop there. In an attempt to make third-level education more accessible for young people from West Belfast, the Aisling Bursaries were established.”
“<BR /> <BR />The partnership was linked to neighbourhood renewal and to family support hubs, with everything designed to happen in the context of schools and the community working together to support each other and share best practice, leading to collaborative working to support children and families. Area learning communities were established at nursery, primary and post-primary levels, with meetings managed by the West Belfast Partnership Board. There is also a strategic steering committee that has, along with the chairs of each of the area learning communities, representatives from the Education Authority (EA), the ETI, the Education Department, the Council for Catholic Maintained Schools (CCMS) and St Mary's University College.”
“It is clear from the evidence that that whole-community approach to education is what has been happening in West Belfast. Arising from a West Belfast area-based Education and Training Inspectorate (ETI) inspection, key priorities for development were established, including transition stages, strategic planning and quality assurance. Under the leadership of the West Belfast Partnership Board, opportunities were identified to develop a partnership approach to education with children and families at the core. A pathway of seamless transition from home or day care to nursery, then to primary and, finally, to post-primary education was established. That was important because research has identified transition years as being particularly problematic for some children.”
“In 2015-16, 58·1% of pupils in West Belfast received five GCSEs at grades A* to C, including English and maths. By 2023, that figure had risen to 67·6%. That did not happen by chance, and much of the credit for the uplift must go to the West Belfast Partnership Board and, in particular, Angie Mervyn, who plays a pivotal role in that organisation and coordinates the area learning communities across West Belfast. The work that they do to boost attainment should serve as an example of good practice for others to learn from. <BR /> <BR />People will be aware of the notion that it takes a village to raise a child. Last week, I welcomed the Minister's statement that committed £20 million to a place-based initiative that will support a whole-community approach to education, a key recommendation of the 'A Fair Start' report.”
“<BR /> <BR />The fact that West Belfast is an area of high deprivation is reflected in the high number of young people who are entitled to free school meals. The average free school meal entitlement across the North at post-primary level is 27·7%; the average in West Belfast is 57·9%. At primary level, the average across the North is 28·3%, but it is more than double that in West Belfast at 59%. West Belfast also has a higher percentage of children with additional needs — just over 30% — as opposed to the regional average of 20%. <BR /> <BR />We are all aware of the strong link between persistent educational underachievement and socio-economic background. However, underachievement is not inevitable, and West Belfast is one area that has bucked the trend.”
“This evening, I want to talk about educational achievement in West Belfast. I am sure that the Minister is aware of the developments that have taken place in education over the last number of years, as his two colleagues who held the Education Minister role before him certainly were. I acknowledge the contribution made by the Department through the funding provided to the West Belfast Partnership Board (WBPB) and the Full Service Community Network (FSCN). <BR /> <BR />For context, between nursery, primary and post-primary, there are 51 schools in West Belfast, including two grammar schools, five non-selective schools and one Irish-medium post-primary school. In fact, the Irish-medium post-primary school is the largest of its kind on the island of Ireland, and, as the Minister knows, it is absolutely bursting at the seams.”
“I welcome the positive engagement that is taking place on an all-island basis, particularly on education. Tackling educational underachievement has to be a priority. Did the Minister have discussions with his Southern counterparts with regard to the Delivering Equality of Opportunity In Schools (DEIS) school model, and does he believe that it could be a template in the North to tackle educational disadvantage?”
“Will the Minister give a timeline for the publication of the disability strategy, and will he give a commitment that those who were involved in the co-design process will be given the opportunity to view and comment on it before it goes out to public consultation?”
“Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire as a fhreagra.”