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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“<BR /> <BR />Ní tráth moille é, a Phríomh-Leas-Cheann Comhairle. Tá 35% de na beacha ar domhan i mbaol. Den bheatha an bheach. Tá traidisiún fada beachaireachta sa tír seo. Thuig ár sinsir a thábhachtaí atá an bheach. Má dhéanaimid uile go léir beart anois, fanfaidh an traidisiún sin beo go ceann i bhfad eile, agus is fearrde sinn é.”
“Tá siad ann le cúig bliana anuas agus, in 2023, ainmníodh eastát Chnoc an Anfa ina limistéar caomhantáis don bheach Éireannach. Is áis iontach na coirceoga sin a bheith againn, nó tugann siad seans do Chomhaltaí, do bhaill foirne agus do chuairteoirí a bheith ag foghlaim faoin bheach, agus cuireann siad daoine a smaoineamh ar na plandaí a chuireann siad ag fás ina ngairdíní féin. <BR /> <BR />Caithfimid beart a dhéanamh anois le cuidiú leis an bheach agus leis na pailneoirí eile. Tá neart rudaí simplí, praiticiúla a thig le gach aon duine a dhéanamh. Mar shampla, plandaí dúchasacha a thagann i mbláth ag amanna éagsúla den bhliain a chur sa ghairdín; an féar sa ghairdín a fhágáil gan bhaint i mí na Bealtaine; agus fiú babhla beag uisce a chur amach sa ghairdín ionas go mbeidh deoch ag na beacha.”
“Inniu Lá Domhanda na mBeach. D’ainmnigh na Náisiúin Aontaithe inniu, an 20ú Bealtaine, Lá Domhanda na mBeach le daoine a chur ar an eolas faoina thábhachtaí atá an bheach, faoi na bagairtí atá uirthi agus faoi na rudaí is féidir linn uile go léir a dhéanamh le cuidiú léi. <BR /> <BR />Cuireann gníomhaíochtaí an duine daonna, cuireann sin pailneoirí mar shampla an bheach, an féileacán agus an sciathán leathair i mbaol. Tá an pailniú riachtanach don bheatha, áfach. Mura mbeadh beacha ann, ní bheadh cuid mhór torthaí ná glasraí ann ach oiread agus ní bheadh 75% de bharra talmhaíochta in ann fás. Mar sin de, cuireann pailneoirí leis an tslándáil bhia agus leis an bhithéagsúlacht. <BR /> <BR />Beidh a fhios ag na Comhaltaí go bhfuil trí choirceog ar eastát Chnoc an Anfa.”
“Caithfidh deireadh a theacht ar an fhorghabháil agus, ar deireadh thiar thall, caithfidh stát neamhspleách Palaistíneach a bheith ann.”
“Mar sin de, nuair a chluinim sna meáin nár thosaigh an marú go dtí an 7 Deireadh Fómhair anuraidh, tá a fhios agam nach bhfuil ann ach bréag agus bolscaireacht. Anois tá níos mó ná 35,000 marú in Gaza, an chuid is mó acu páistí agus mná. Ach ina measc chomh maith, tá dochtúirí, iriseoirí agus oibrithe cabhrach. Tá otharlanna, scoileanna, ollscoileanna, eaglaisí agus moscanna scriosta ag na hIosraelaigh chomh maith. Is cuma le Netanyahu faoi bheatha na ndaoine in Gaza, gan trácht ar na hinstitiúidí a choinníonn daoine beo. Ach ní féidir leis na Palaistínigh uile a mharú. Níl sin ag dul a tharlú. <BR /> <BR />Má tá réiteach ag dul a bheith ann, tá gá le sos cogaidh láithreach. Caithfidh na hIosraelaigh cabhair daoin a ligean isteach go Gaza agus a shaighdiúirí a tharraingt amach go hiomlán.”
“Is é nakba an téarma a úsáideann siad fosta le cur síos ar an díláithriú agus ar an ghéarleanúint atá ag dul ar aghaidh i gcónaí. Cé gur éirigh leis na Síónaigh an aisling s’acu tír dhúchais Ghiúdach a bhunú sa Phalaistín in 1948, lean an glanadh eitneach agus an díláithriú ar aghaidh. <BR /> <BR />Le linn an chogaidh Arabaigh-Iosraelaigh in 1967, ghabh na hIosraelaigh seilbh ar a bhí fágtha de chríocha na bPalaistíneach: Iarúsailéim Thoir, an Bruach Thiar agus Gaza. Tá seilbh acu ar na críocha úd go fóill. Is é sin an fáth a dtugar na "críocha faoi fhorghabháil" orthu. Tá a fhios againn go bhfuil na hIosraelaigh ag leanúint ar aghaigh ag tógáil lonnaíochtaí neamhdhleathacha ar thalamh a ghoid siad ó na Palaistínigh. <BR /> <BR />Le bliain anuas, tá breis agus 400 Palaistíneach maraithe ag na hIosraelaigh sa Bhuach Thiar.”
“Amárach beidh Palaistínigh ar fud an domhain ag comóradh an Nakba. Is é Nakba an focal Araibise ar thubaiste. Is é an téarma a úsáideann na Palaistínigh le cur síos ar an ghlanadh eitneach óna dtír féin in 1948, nuair a cuireadh níos mó ná 750,000 Palaistíneach as a dteach féin. Maraíodh níos mó ná 15,000 Palaistíneach ag an am sin.”
“— could be in the high dozens. Will the Minister acknowledge that it is a crisis and take the appropriate action to resolve it?”
“The new chief executive of the Education Authority told the Committee recently that, come September, the number of children without a place —”
“I welcome the Minister's statement and the announcement of extra funding for special educational needs and the fact that he is going to make transformation of the entire SEN system a priority. That is all very welcome indeed. <BR /> <BR />In the shorter term, EA and departmental officials have been at pains to say that, this year, providing placements for children with SEN is not a crisis. Try telling that to parents who are waiting for their child to get a placement before September; it is certainly a crisis for them. It is a worrying and very stressful time. The only way of addressing it is by acknowledging that there is a crisis, and I am not talking about crisis management. I am talking about acknowledging that there is a crisis.”
“Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire as ucht a ráitis.”
“<BR /> <BR />Ba cheart don phobal idirnáisiúnta brú a chur ar Iosrael, go háirithe na Stáit Aontaithe, an Ghearmáin agus an Bhreatain, chun stad a chur leis an slad. Caithfidh sos cogaidh a bheith ann anois. Agus má bhíonn an choimhlint seo le teacht chun deiridh caithfidh próiseas fiúntach síochána bheith ann. Ní bheidh réiteach ann go dtí go mbeidh Palaistín neamhspleách ann a bheidh saor ó ansmacht coilíneach.”
“<BR /> <BR />Tá sé deacair a shamhlú go bhfuil daoine ann a bheadh sásta é sin a dhéanamh, daoine nach bhfuil croí ar bith iontu agus a dtiocfadh leo cruálacht agus drochíde a thabhairt ar dhaoine eile. <BR /> <BR />Ach in ainneoin na cinedhíothaithe, tá léas dóchais ann leis na hagóidí atá ar siúl i láthair na huaire in ollscoileanna fud fad Stát Aontaithe Mheiriceá. Chuirfeadh sé na seascaidí i gcuimhne duit nuair a bhí na hagóidí ag dul ar aghaidh i gcoinne an chogaidh i Vítneam. <BR /> <BR />Tá míléamh ollmhór déanta ag Rialtas Iosrael. Chreid siad go dtiocfadh leo na mílte Palaistíneach a mharú gan bheith freagrach as. Ach tá dearcadh an phobail i gcoitinne ina n-aghaidh. Tá an pobal ar fud an domhain ag teacht le chéile i gcoinne an tsléachta.”
“Ba mhaith liom labhairt arís ar maidin ar chúrsaí atá ag titim amach in Gaza. <BR /> <BR />Is deacair a chreidiúint go bhfuil an cinedhíothú ag dul ar aghaidh go fóill, ach ar an drochuair tá. <BR /> <BR />Shíl muid nach dtiocfadh le rudaí bheith níos measa, ach ansin chuala muid an tseachtain seo caite gur thángthas ar chóir a bheith 400 corp a bhí curtha faoi thalamh thart timpeall ar an dá otharlann, al-Shifa agus Nasser. <BR /> <BR />Ina measc bhí páistí, mná, seandaoine, dochtúirí agus daoine eile a bhí ag obair sna hotharlanna nó a bhí ann le cóir leighis a fháil. <BR /> <BR />I gcuid mhór cásanna bhí a lámha ceangailte taobh thiar dá ndroim, agus bhí fianaise ann go ndearnadh céasadh ar chuid mhór acu chomh maith. Creidtear fosta gur cuireadh cuid acu faoi thalamh agus iad go fóill beo.”
“Organisations like that are the experts, and they should be listened to. <BR /> <BR />I have been clear in previous debates on education that the child should be central in policy development. I have also said countless times that we need to be led by the evidence, and that is why I am supportive of relationships and sexuality education in our schools that is compulsory, age-appropriate, fact-based and delivered consistently across the system. I support the motion.”
“They need the proper training and resources to teach RSE effectively. <BR /> <BR />New legislation is welcome, but will it deliver what is required? I am not so sure that it will. The topic needs to be underpinned by fact when it is taught to young people and to be delivered in a consistent manner across all schools. There can be no equivocation in that. The need for RSE to be a compulsory part of the curriculum is clear. It is a child protection issue, and, according to the NSPCC:”
“I have sat on the Education Committee for a number of years, and one thing that has come up time and time again is the inconsistency and, often, the lack of RSE provision in schools. Young people have told us that. Many have told us that they go through their entire educational journey without receiving teaching on that topic. While it is important to commend those schools that deliver high-quality RSE to their pupils, the issue is consistency. Although I understand the need for a degree of autonomy for schools in delivering other aspects of the curriculum, that autonomy should not extend to RSE. Many schools do not grasp it as an issue, and some are being led by external influences. That does not serve the needs of our children and young people. Teachers need to be empowered.”
“Secondly, if, through naivety or for whatever reason, they get involved, they are given help about where to go for assistance in situations like that.”
“One other young lad said that he had thought that, if he had come forward, the police would have become involved. First, RSE is to provide information to young people about the dangers of such activities.”
“Sinn Féin fully supports the need for a relationships and sexuality education curriculum that is compulsory, age-appropriate, fact-based and delivered consistently across all schools. If we are serious about issues such as child safeguarding, supporting young people to have happy and healthy relationships, consent and tackling violence against women and girls, it is vital to give our children access to proper RSE in our schools. <BR /> <BR />I had a meeting with Barnardo's earlier. One of the issues that came up was that of young people sending and receiving sexually explicit photographs online and, in their naivete, not understanding the implications of such action. There are well-known cases of young people having taken their own life after being blackmailed and told that their photographs would be posted online.”
“Will the Minister tell us how the new transport hub or new station — whatever it is called — will help get people out of their cars and on to public transport?”
“Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire as ucht a fhreagra.”
“How many registrations in Irish under the new legislation are re-registrations?”
“We now need to see the Education Minister working to deliver fair pay for our other workers who are involved in providing services across our education system. Without those people, our education system would not function. They need to be properly valued and recognised for their work. <BR /> <BR />I thank the Finance Minister for her statement and for her efforts thus far in what are extremely challenging financial circumstances.”
“One of the criticisms of the Assembly and Executive over the years has been that Departments often act in silos and do not talk to each other. Where shared objectives exist, Departments should, and must, 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, people want to see their political representatives working together in the interests of all. <BR /> <BR />I commend the Finance Minister on quickly making available the necessary funding so that a long-awaited pay offer could be made to our teachers. The Finance Minister made it clear that public-sector pay was a priority, and she backed that up immediately with action. The offer has been well received by teaching unions, and I hope that the awards will make a difference for workers.”
“In my role as my party's education spokesperson, I have challenged the Education Minister on his responsibility to identify and set out his priorities for his Department. It is not good enough to simply say that you need more money; the Minister needs to tell us what he is going to do with the £3 billion that he has. I want to see the Minister setting out a plan to tackle educational underachievement, deliver affordable and accessible childcare and transform special educational needs provision. The key is early intervention. All the evidence tells us that investment at the early stage of a child's journey is far more impactful. That is why prioritisation is so important. <BR /> <BR />Many of the issues that we want to see action on are cross-cutting.”
“The provision of free digital learning devices for our most disadvantaged stopped, and so on. It baffles me that, in a system that is not resourced properly, officials do not seek to protect and prioritise the most disadvantaged. When I challenged the people from the Department on those cuts, they tried to tell me how difficult it was for them to do it. Imagine how difficult it was for the children and their families who had those vital supports taken away. <BR /> <BR />It is hugely positive that we have an Executive in place and locally elected Ministers taking decisions. Although we acknowledge that the British Government are failing in their responsibilities to people here in funding our public services, we must recognise that we have an Executive with locally elected Ministers in place.”
“The underfunding of our public services here by the British Government is well known at this stage, but it is at junctures such as this that the impact of cuts to services is brought more sharply into focus. Although the Assembly has been back for only two months, the Education Committee has sifted through briefing after briefing that have at their core a similar message: there are not enough resources in the system to deliver the level of service that we want and expect for our children and young people and for those whom we charge with educating and nurturing them. <BR /> <BR />I was highly critical of the actions that were taken in the absence of an Education Minister, when funding for vital programmes was slashed. The holiday hunger grant was cut. The Healthy Happy Minds programme ended.”
“Of course, we in Ireland have experience of building peace and of peace processes. It is now time for a ceasefire in Palestine. It is time to ensure that adequate aid gets into Gaza, that there is an end to the apartheid and occupation and that an independent and sovereign Palestinian state is established.”
“It is time to stop supplying him with the weapons of war that are being used for genocide and to kill innocent women, children and elderly people.”
“Over 200 aid workers have been killed during the ongoing genocide in Palestine, and we have seen levels of destruction that we have never seen before. It is time to end that genocide, and maybe the Western powers are beginning to realise that they helped to create a monster in Benjamin Netanyahu.”
“Today marks the end of Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, when Muslims the world over observe a month of fasting, prayer and reflection. After Ramadan comes Eid al-Fitr, the celebration of the breaking of the fast. I have talked to Muslims in Belfast over the past few days, particularly to Palestinians, who feel that they are not in a position to discuss any sort of celebration in the current context of witnessing malnourished children in Gaza starving to death as a result of the policies of a brutal Israeli Government who have bombarded Gaza and slaughtered more than 33,000 people, almost 14,000 of them children and many others being women, the elderly and the infirm. <BR /> <BR />We saw last week the killing of aid workers. That was not the first time, but, maybe for the first time in Gaza, they were foreign aid workers.”
“Let us all work together to ensure that no child goes hungry and give those families the support that they need.”
“That strategy will have an impact on all the issues that we are talking about: childhood hunger, the cost of education, educational underachievement etc. I appeal to the Education Minister to engage meaningfully on all those issues with his counterpart in the Department for Communities. The appeal has been made for Ministers and Departments to work together as if it is just a good idea. No — it is a statutory obligation. Under the Children's Services Co-operation Act 2015, Ministers and Departments must work together on cross-cutting issues. There are no more important issues than poverty and hunger among children and underachievement as a result of the lack of support in school. <BR /> <BR />The motion has at its core low-income families who are struggling to make ends meet and 100,000 children who face a cliff edge at the end of term.”
“A few short months ago, the British Government acknowledged that this place was underfunded. That should have been a turning point, but, instead, their disregard for people here continued. Just last week, we debated their sleight of hand on the Fresh Start money, which should have been spent on building integrated and shared education schools but is now plugging gaps elsewhere instead. That is why it is absolutely crucial that parties continue to work together to bring pressure on the British Government to live up to their obligations to the people and public services here. <BR /> <BR />The current context also makes it imperative that the Communities Minister bring forward an anti-poverty strategy as soon as possible.”
“As we know from evidence, where children fall behind in school and do not get extra support to catch up, the likelihood is that they will not catch up. They are the young people who leave school without qualifications. Of course, the evidence also tells us that young people who leave school without qualifications are more likely to be unemployed, to have mental health issues, to have chronic physical ill health issues and to end up in the criminal justice system. Society pays for it in the long run. It makes no educational, social or economic sense not to support the children who need that support in our schools. <BR /> <BR />The bottom line in all that is that the British Government have failed to properly fund public services. Over a decade of Tory cuts has stripped hundreds of millions of pounds in real terms from the education budget.”
“Healthy Happy Minds assists children who have emotional and well-being issues. There is also a programme that provides free digital devices for children. There is Bookstart, free period products, extended schools and sports programmes. Of course, the cuts to all those programmes disproportionately affected those who are already the most vulnerable and disadvantaged. If there is one achievement that the Minister could have during the mandate, it is that the type of wrap-around support that is needed for children who are vulnerable, disadvantaged or are falling behind is put on a statutory footing, so that, when it comes to making cuts, it will not be the low-hanging fruit. <BR /> <BR />It just makes no sense educationally to cut all those programmes.”
“tackling holiday hunger is essential. If children are going to school hungry, they will not be happy, learning or succeeding. <BR /> <BR />Poverty and educational underachievement are inextricably linked. Young people from working-class backgrounds enter our education system already at a disadvantage when compared with many of their peers. It is well known that the best predictor of a young person's educational outcome is his or her socio-economic background. Why is it, then, that, when it comes to budget cuts, the programmes that support our most disadvantaged are always first in the firing line? We remember all the programmes that had their funding withdrawn or cut last year. Holiday hunger, of course, was one of them. Another was the Engage programme, which helps young people who have fallen behind in their learning to catch up.”
“While the links between educational underachievement and deprivation are well known, the evidence also suggests that, when those children return to school after the holidays, they can often be weeks or months intellectually behind classmates who have access to a more wholesome diet during the holidays. Therefore, from a strategic policy point of view, tackling holiday hunger is essential. If we are serious about giving our children the best start in life, tackling holiday hunger is essential. If the Department is serious about its vision, which is that:”
“Of course, the local media here were tripping over themselves to congratulate the Executive and Assembly for bringing that in — no, I do not think that they were at all. I do not think that they even mentioned it. <BR /> <BR />Given the publicity around and the popularity of Marcus Rashford's campaign, it is clear that people see it as an important issue. In my research for my private Member's Bill, I found that children who have access to a varied and wholesome diet perform better in school than their peers who, unfortunately, do not have access to the same diet.”
“I acknowledge the fact that the Executive made ring-fenced funding available for holiday hunger. Two DUP Ministers introduced that. I am fairly confident that, had any Minister been in place in March 2023, that funding would have continued. <BR /> <BR />I attempted in the last mandate to introduce a private Member's Bill to make holiday hunger support permanent, but, unfortunately, we ran out of time before it could be introduced. A few years ago, Marcus Rashford, who scored a couple of goals at the weekend, received widespread publicity in the media, was feted in 10 Downing Street and got a gong from the Queen, as far as I know, for his campaign to introduce holiday hunger payments across the water. The Executive and Assembly introduced holiday hunger payments before that.”
“The motion is about giving children and young people the best start in life. Approximately 100,000 children and young people in the North are entitled to free school meals. The free school meal programme is designed to support families on the lowest incomes. It takes away a significant expense for parents whilst ensuring that children get a nutritious meal. Sinn Féin has been trying to make progress on tackling holiday hunger for a number of years. Unfortunately, it took the onset of a global health pandemic to finally see action on it with the introduction of direct payments to families in lieu of free school meals during school holidays. While that approach was welcome, it was not legislated for, so there was no certainty for families from term to term about whether the financial support would be there.”
“I accept the Minister's point and Mrs Dodds's point, but what you have to and should recognise here today is that, historically, both the Irish-medium sector and the integrated education sector have been underfunded, and that should be remedied.”
“It was welcome that he moved the unfunded projects into the Department's major capital works programme, but that will give little comfort to school communities that have waited since 2016 for progress on their new builds. Eight years is long enough. Who knows how long they will have to wait after this latest blow? In the past, we have demonstrated that when we work together across the House, we can deliver results. That is what it will take on this issue and on the wider issue of funding public services. Whether it is our work through Committees or in the Executive, we have to work together in the interests of all.”
“Shared education delivers educational benefits to children and young people. It promotes good relations, respect for identity and diversity and community cohesion. It is vital that shared education does not become just a footnote as this issue plays out. It is not good enough for the British Government to simply reverse that decision. Their whole approach to funding our public services is deeply flawed. They accepted that this place was underfunded for too long. I say this to them: do the right thing now and deliver the appropriate, necessary level of funding. <BR /> <BR />In fairness to the Minister, there was little that he could do.”
“Shared education was also a victim of the sleight of hand by the British Government with the Fresh Start funding. When schools, preschools or youth organisations come together under shared education, they work together to provide opportunities for children and young people from different religious and socio-economic backgrounds to be educated together.”
“That is short-sighted, it is bad faith and it is deeply damaging to the school communities that have been waiting for so long for capital projects to be delivered. <BR /> <BR />When the institutions were re-established, parties came together and endorsed the position that the British Government had to fund our public services properly and deliver investment that is based on need. It is a huge blow to be standing here just a few short weeks later talking about how already promised funding for 10 school capital projects is to be redirected to other places. Who pays the price for that? Our children and young people and our school communities. <BR /> <BR />I want to say clearly how important it is that shared education projects are not forgotten.”
“During the last mandate, parties worked together to deliver the Integrated Education Bill, which, I should say, is now the Integrated Education Act. That legislation was delivered so that the Department could work to ensure that families who wish to avail themselves of an integrated school place for their child could do so, and efforts were to be made to make sure that the demand for integrated education would be met. We worked to deliver that, because, collectively, we recognised that there was a problem. The Department was lacking in its duty to integrated education, but, rather than living up to their obligations to people and public services here, the British Government have decided to rob Peter to pay Paul.”
“It is time that the barriers that prevent some children accessing certain schools are removed. No child should ever be denied access to a school because his or her parents cannot afford the uniform. It is time for the Minister to take action. <BR /> <BR />I commend the motion to the House, and we will also support the Alliance amendment.”
“However, at the end of the day, I had to buy a pair of dress shoes for him. <BR /> <BR />The most concerning aspect is that it is those families who can least afford the cost of school uniforms who are most disproportionately affected by the expense. It affects not just families who are on benefits. Often, when we have discussions about the affordability of uniforms, school meals or anything like that, it is presumed that we are talking about people who are on benefits. It actually affects the people who are on low incomes and just above the threshold of the eligibility criteria who really feel the pressure, especially if they have more than one child in post-primary school. It is time to stop placing a financial burden on those who can least afford it.”