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 />I listened to Trevor Ringland on Radio Ulster this morning. It was a bit of a car-crash interview. He did not even know what his job is and was not sure who his employer is, but he was happy to say that he will represent the views of everyone in the North. Well, he will not represent my views and the views of Sinn Féin in the United States. We already do a good job of representing our views. We do not need a unionist over there pretending that he represents the view of republicans. That is not what he will be doing. <BR /> <BR />The appointment comes on the back of another Whitehall Department saying that it will open an office in Belfast.”
“It was with some surprise over the weekend that I heard that Trevor Ringland had been appointed by Brandon Lewis as a special envoy to the United States for the North. When an appointment of that nature takes place, one would assume that there would at least be some sort of consultation or discussion with the democratically elected Executive here, but there was not. It is an indication of the level of arrogance and disrespect that the British Secretary of State shows to the Executive and the devolved institutions here that there was not even a hint of consultation or discussion about the appointment. It is all the more surprising given that the Executive already have a permanent diplomatic mission in Washington DC that is very effective at engaging with the US Administration, Congress and the Irish-American community.”
“Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire. I thank the Minister for that. I welcome the fact that the greater part of the support has gone to grassroots sporting organisations. It is particularly encouraging that women's sport has featured so prominently. Does the Minister agree that grassroots sporting organisations have played a vital role during the pandemic? They are often the linchpin of their communities, and it is important that they continue to be supported in the future.”
“Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire. The ongoing actions of the Israeli state are in breach of international law and UN sanctions and run contrary to the principles of democracy. Will the Minister agree that, if a genuine peace process is to be built in the Middle East, the international community has to take a stand against the Israeli state and ensure that it does not continue to flout international law?”
“Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire as ucht a freagra. I thank the Minister for her response. It is all the more important in the context of the recent inquest findings in the Ballymurphy massacre case. I thank the Minister for her unwavering support for the Ballymurphy families. Does the Minister agree that the shocking and abject failings of the British state, as identified by the coroner, are symptomatic of the British Government's disgraceful attempts to block any and every process that would expose the truth of their role in the conflict here?”
“Is it not time now for you or whoever the Minister will be to ensure that the common funding formula is looked at seriously with a view to redirecting resources to our primary sector and early years?”
“Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire as a ráiteas ar maidin. I thank the Minister for his statement. It is right that any policy development should be guided by the evidence. The document clearly lays out the importance of getting the early years right. However, the common funding formula directs a much greater level of resource to post-primary students than it does to those of a younger age, when the evidence suggests that directing resources to primary and early years would have much greater impact.”
“I absolutely agree with that. <BR /> <BR />I have nothing more to add. I thank everyone again for their contribution, and it is good that everyone seems to be on the same page. <BR /> <BR />I commend the motion to the House. Go raibh maith agat.”
“It sounds sensible to me. I am no expert, but the issues of training and resourcing go hand in hand. I notice that the Minister made reference to resourcing. He also said that we have to get this right. If we have to get it right, we have to make sure that the proper resourcing is there in order to get it right.”
“We heard from one parent about a child who was stimming by using repetitive hand movements. The child was tied to a chair with its own school bag. That is absolutely unacceptable, under any circumstances whatsoever. I agree with the points that Robbie made and that practically everyone else made. There needs to be proper training for teachers in how to deal with such situations. Many people who are involved in dealing with children with special needs, or even with adults with learning disabilities, who may at times present —.”
“That points up instances in which teachers are not trained properly, particularly for working with children with special needs. Stimming is something that autistic children use often. It is repetitive physical movements or sounds that children make. It usually happens when they are stressed or suffering from anxiety. It may be rapid hand movements, rocking or making particular noises. As someone said earlier, however, it is about communication. It is an attempt by the child to communicate that there is some sort of problem.”
“That certainly was not a last resort. <BR /> <BR />In Muckamore, all that was recorded. When the regulator went in, it was able to see those recordings, but it did not do anything about it. That is also important in this situation. It is not just about clear guidelines or legislation or about reporting and recording; it is about ensuring that those who have responsibility for oversight and supervision are held to account. The regulator in Muckamore saw that patients were being placed in seclusion 80 and 90 times a month, and that did not raise a red flag. If the Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority (RQIA) had done its job properly, perhaps the situation in Muckamore would have ended sooner. We need to ensure that there is oversight and accountability. <BR /> <BR />We also heard disturbing evidence from parents on stimming.”
“I see that the Member is not in his place. He made that ill-informed intervention and then departed. <BR /> <BR />I now want to say a few words as Sinn Féin spokesperson on education. During the debate, reference was made to the harrowing nature of the evidence that we heard over the past number of weeks and months, particularly evidence from parents. Deirdre and Rodney Shakespeare and their son Harry have been mentioned on numerous occasions, but we heard from other parents as well. It reminded me in many ways of the evidence that we heard about the ill treatment of patients with severe learning disabilities in Muckamore, where there were clear guidelines on when seclusion was to be used. Despite it supposedly being used as a last resort, patients were, in some instances, being put in seclusion 70, 80 or 90 times a month.”
“<BR /> <BR />I do not intend to rehearse today's contributions. They were very much all on the one theme, with everybody singing from the same hymn sheet, with the possible exception of the Member for North Antrim's ill-advised and ill-informed intervention. He saw a child in a distressed condition. I think that he may have said that he was the chair of the board of governors, and he said that he could not do anything. Why would he be able to do anything? Was he given special training at the Bar on how to intervene on children with challenging behaviour? No, probably not. He said that the teacher could not do anything. He, as a member of the board of governors, should then have been responsible for ensuring that staff were trained on how to intervene properly, whether with de-escalation techniques or positive behaviour strategies.”
“Our schoolchildren, particularly those who, as the motion states, have additional support needs, including those with physical or learning disabilities or who are neurodivergent, are among our most defenceless citizens. Our decisions on their behalf must be in the interests of their inherent dignity and their equal opportunity to develop their talents and personality through education. <BR /> <BR />The review that is under way and the interim guidance published by the Department have been well rehearsed today. They are stepping stones, and we are committed to the end goal of compliance with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, be it through statutory guidance alone, legislation on restraint and seclusion or incorporation of the convention on its own or via a local bill of rights.”
“I welcome the fact that the Minister referred to all of those issues. In the last two months, the Committee has heard from departmental officials twice on the issue, and it is clear that no one is in any doubt about the need for reform. However, the COVID pandemic that has diverted so much time and effort from other policy aims has served only to prove this central social truth:”
“<BR /> <BR />The Committee calls on the Minister to work urgently:”
“On behalf of the Committee, I thank the Minister and all of the other contributors to today's debate. <BR /> <BR />The Committee Chairperson began the debate by referring to the need for updated guidance on how and when it is suitable to use restrictive interventions on some of our most vulnerable children. The Committee has heard over recent months from Parent Action and the parents of children affected by those practices. We sought the views of, among others, the Children's Commissioner and the Children's Law Centre. We had a special briefing from the Public Services Ombudsman on her work on the matter. We are grateful to the International Coalition Against Restraint and Seclusion for its international perspective, and Paris Hilton's attention to our Committee hearings amplified the coverage of this heartbreaking issue.”
“<BR /> <BR />I welcome the relaxations, but we need to continue to be vigilant and to be aware that the dangers of the virus are still out there. It has been a challenging year for everyone, and, no doubt, the relaxations will be welcomed by most people. However, as I said at the outset of my contribution, caution must be the watchword in the time ahead.”
“However, he may be concerned that the Indian variant may undermine his great victory with the vaccination programme. We need to be concerned. <BR /> <BR />Today, I noticed that public health experts were giving very stern warnings about the Indian variant, and some say that it could be devastating for Europe in the weeks and months ahead. Yesterday, I saw some information that, in England, the case numbers of the Indian variant doubled in four days, from just over 2,000 cases to over 4,000 cases. What will it be in another four days or four weeks? It seems clear that the Indian variant is much more transmissible than the dominant variant existing on these islands at the minute, which is known as the Kent variant.”
“When there is large-scale transmission of the virus, the difficulty is that that increases the possibility of new variants emerging that are resistant to vaccines. That is certainly a concern. <BR /> <BR />I note that the British Government are already throwing doubt on the possibility of a full opening up of society on 21 June because of the advent across the water of what is known as the Indian variant. That is here now as well. I doubt that Boris Johnson is concerned about the health and well-being of people in Britain, given his previous utterances about piling bodies high.”
“Like everyone else, I welcome the relaxations contained in the regulations. A fortnight ago, we discussed the previous relaxations. I made the point then that caution needs to be the watchword as we move ahead here, because we are not out of the woods yet. At the time of the previous debate, the situation in India was particularly bad. Thousands of people were dying daily, and hundreds of thousands had contracted the virus. <BR /> <BR />My colleague Colm Gildernew made the point that, while the virus exists anywhere in the world, it is a threat to everywhere. The virus, as far as we know, first came into being in a city in China that most of us had probably never heard of. It was only a matter of weeks before it arrived in Europe, and then it came here.”
“I do not disagree with the Member, but I would have to see some evidence. <BR /> <BR />In conclusion, I am aware that some consideration is being given to the issue in TEO, and I hope that some progress can be made before the end of the mandate.”
“Our education system only stands to benefit from greater levels of professional mobility across sectors. I want to take this opportunity to commend the work of the Transforming Education team in Ulster University for its positive, evidence-based contributions to education policy in the North. <BR /> <BR />Sinn Féin is on the side of workers on this issue. We cannot continue to have a situation where our teachers do not have access to the same level of equality and discrimination protections as other workers. The main teaching unions are in favour of removing the exemption, and all parties now seem to be on the same page on the issue.”
“Go raibh maith agat, a LeasCheann Comhairle. I argue that an exemption from fair employment legislation is not the platform that should be used for nurturing any ethos in any school. <BR /> <BR />Members will be aware that Ulster University's Transforming Education programme has produced a series of papers on a range of issues. The Assembly recently debated its paper on academic selection, and the Transforming Education team also published a paper, which I think Robbie also referred to, about teacher mobility across different school sectors and the impact of the FETO exemption on that. While there was evidence of a considerable number of Catholic teachers moving into the controlled sector, traffic in the opposite direction was much lower.”
“During the Equality Commission's investigation of the issue, concerns were raised by Catholic schools that the FETO exemption was a necessary tool to protect the ethos of their schools. Catholic schools help many young people to reach and achieve their academic potential. That is due in part, no doubt, to the excellent teaching standards of those schools, but the sector also argues that its strong emphasis on a particular ethos in those schools contributes to the positive outcomes in Catholic schools. It is well documented that the vast majority of highest-achieving schools are in the Catholic sector. Be that as it may, but I would argue that exemption —.”
“The Equality Commission has, as Robbie Butler mentioned, recommended the removal of that exemption from FETO, and Sinn Féin shares its assessment, which is:”
“I speak in support of the motion. Before I move on to the main part of my contribution, I note that, a couple of times today, I have heard about the great education system that we have here. I heard it earlier during the statement that was given by the Education Minister. In fact, we have the longest tail of underachievement in Europe. Yes, we compare well with our peers across the water on-A level and GCSE results, but, while we have that, nobody can stand here and boast about a great education system. <BR /> <BR />The motion relates to the exemption under the Fair Employment and Treatment Order 1998 (FETO), which:”
“On a point of order, a LeasCheann Comhairle. Is it in order for Members to peddle misinformation? My colleague made the point earlier that the problem with medicines also relates to Scotland; it is not an issue that is related to the protocol. The Member in the corner is clearly blaming it on the protocol. Is it in order for a Member to do that?”
“I thank Mr Stalford for giving way. There are two fundamental problems. The first is the DUP's support for Brexit. That has been well rehearsed, but I suggest that there is also an existential threat to unionism at the very top of the British Government. It is encapsulated in the quote from Dominic Cummings:”
“Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire as ucht a ráitis. I welcome the fact that the Department and CCEA have identified interventions that will support students in the forthcoming academic year, given the huge disruption to their education since the pandemic started. Will the Minister explain the decision to omit certain units from courses? How does that decision sit with the feedback that he received from the Secondary Students' Union? Do our teachers support that decision?”
“Justice Keegan read out the names in court: Father Hugh Mullan; Frank Quinn; Daniel Teggart; Joan Connolly; Noel Phillips; Joseph Murphy; John Laverty; Joseph Corr; Edward Doherty; and John McKerr. She said that they were entirely innocent of any wrongdoing. The British Government now need to resolve that situation and give justice to those families, who have been wronged for 50 years.”
“Last Tuesday, the world heard what the families have always known.”
“The British Army and British Government set about blaming the victims, claiming that those who were killed were gunmen and a gunwoman. There was no proper investigation carried out: in fact, the coroner, Justice Keegan, said that the lack of investigation in some of the cases was shocking. The British Army took the lives of innocent civilians. They cared nothing for their families and the hardships that they faced afterwards. They took the truth from them, they denigrated the dead, and they offered only lies and deceit. They left the families with nothing — or so they thought. <BR /> <BR />What they had not factored in was the determination of the families of the victims, their tenacity, stamina and integrity and their unwavering commitment to clear the names of their loved ones.”
“Go raibh maith agat, a Cheann Comhairle. I grew up just a few hundred yards from Ballymurphy, where those killings took place. I have worked for the last number of years with relatives of the victims to support them and to try to get to where they got to last week. Going back to 9, 10 and 11 August 1971, strangers came into the Ballymurphy area, supposedly a crack regiment from the British Army. They were there, ostensibly, to take people from their homes and throw them into prison and internment camps without any due process. In fact, most of those people were not, in any way, connected with the IRA. <BR /> <BR />Over three days, that crack regiment of the British Army systematically swept through the Ballymurphy area and killed 11 citizens.”
“Will the Minister give an assurance that funding will continue to be provided to support the important work of tribunal representations?”
“Enormous progress has been made in tackling the virus. Would the Minister agree with me that, as we move to further easing of restrictions, care and caution need to be the watchwords, especially when we take account of what is happening in India and even the news here that a number of people who have already been vaccinated have ended up in ICU with COVID-19?”
“In the time ahead, as we continue to ease restrictions further, it is vital that the contact-tracing operation can find those who are infected and those who have come into contact with them. In that way, we can prevent the onward transmission of the virus. <BR /> <BR />That is all that I have to say today. I support the regulations.”
“The wearing of face coverings is absolutely important in ensuring that we continue to reduce the transmission of the virus. <BR /> <BR />Given the situation in India and similar problems that other countries may face, we need to be careful and vigilant about the potential importation of the virus. <BR /> <BR />I will finish on another issue. Contact tracing will also be vital in the time ahead. Over the past year or so, I have been very critical about the contact-tracing operation that has been in place here. I felt that it was very amateurish at times. Since I have moved off the Health Committee, I am no longer sure what the state of play with it is, but I certainly had some serious confrontations with the chief executive of the Public Health Agency (PHA) about the operation that it was running and its deficiencies.”
“<BR /> <BR />The wearing of face masks was one of the restrictions mentioned. Junior Minister Kearney outlined clearly all the issues that we are dealing with here today, and one of them is wearing face coverings, particularly in churches. Junior Minister Lyons will know that he and I have been toing and froing during some of the debates about the wearing of face masks, but the evidence is now absolutely compelling that the wearing of a face covering helps prevent transmission of the virus. It is clear now that the vast majority of infections take place as a result of aerosols coming from people sneezing, coughing, talking, singing and so on. If you imagine someone smoking a cigarette and exhaling the smoke, that allows you to understand the way in which the droplets are emitted from a person's mouth or nose.”
“Like Cara Hunter, I had intended to get the nails done on Friday, but, unfortunately, a friend who was retiring phoned and asked me to go for a few pints with him instead, so I had to go and hold his hand. While we were in the pub — well, not in the pub; outside it — where everything was well organised, I ended up at a table beside some young lads who were all enjoying themselves and were out for a bit of craic and a few beers, but, as it turned out, there were seven at the table when there should have been only six. One of the young waiters came over and asked one of them to leave, and, for a while, there was a bit of a Mexican stand-off. That illustrated to me the mindset: once we start to ease restrictions, people feel that it is safe to go about their normal activities as they did prior to the pandemic.”
“If the virus cannot be eliminated across the globe, all of us will always be in danger, and we have seen that over recent days in India. The difficulty in all this is that, when there are more infections, it is more likely that there will be more mutations and, when there are more mutations, there will be more infections. It is a circular problem and a vicious cycle, and we have to be wary of that at all times. I do not want to rain on anybody's parade, and I am as happy as everyone else that the vaccination programme is going well and that restrictions can be eased to some extent. <BR /> <BR />I want to move on to something a bit more light-hearted.”
“It is has been a difficult and challenging year or 15 months for everybody but for some more so than others. We know that many people have died, others have contracted the virus, and people have lost their jobs and their livelihoods. Hopefully, with the vaccination programme, we are moving out of the emergency that we have been in for so long. People are definitely tired and frustrated with the lockdown, and they want things to be eased up. There is no doubt about that. However, "caution" has to be the watchword as we move forward, and we need look no further than what is happening in India at the moment. <BR /> <BR />First, I should make the point that we are dealing with a global pandemic. The pandemic affects not just here, be it the island of Ireland, Northern Ireland or wherever you want to talk about, but the whole world.”
“That is signed by Sue Pentel, Ronit Lentin, Seth Linder, Aisling McGeown, David Landy, Becca Bor and Gavin Mendel-Gleason.”
“If the IHRA definition were codified in law, Human Rights Watch could not publish that here. If it were codified in the States, it could not publish that in the States. Yet it is a highly respected human rights organisation. That is the difficulty with the IHRA definition. <BR /> <BR />I will just finish by again reading what Jewish Voice for Just Peace said:”
“Let us consider the implications of codification of the IHRA definition. Today, Human Rights Watch published an important document in relation to Israel. For those who do not know, Human Rights Watch is an international human rights organisation. Its head office is located in New York. The organisation publishes reports on the state of human rights in nearly 100 countries worldwide, with the objective of defending human rights and promoting respect for international humanitarian law. Human Rights Watch has covered human rights issues in Israel and Palestine for nearly three decades and, in that time, has regularly met and corresponded with Israeli officials. To summarise, Human Rights Watch has said that Israeli:”
“There is controversy around the IHRA definition, and there is an alternative definition of antisemitism. I ask Members who are here today to bear that in mind. It is 'The Jerusalem Declaration on Antisemitism', developed by a group of Jewish and Israeli scholars in the fields of Holocaust history, Jewish studies and Middle East studies. These groups and individuals say that the IHRA definition:”
“I have no knowledge of those remarks. I have been at meetings with Mahmood Abbas and other Palestinian leaders and also with many members of the Israeli community, including NGOs such as B'Tselem and Breaking the Silence, an organisation of former members of the military who oppose the Israeli occupation of Palestinian lands. When we talk about Jews, we are not talking about a homogenous group. There are many different perspectives, views and opinions, not only in Israel but globally and even here in Ireland. <BR /> <BR />Yesterday, I received communication from the organisation Jewish Voice for a Just Peace. That is a diverse group of Jewish people in Ireland. They say:”
“He suggested that the allure of the definition for Zionists was in the specific examples relating to expressions about the State of Israel. Of the 11 illustrative examples, seven conflate racism towards Jews with criticism of the Israeli state.”
“Tracing the history of the IHRA definition, Stern pointed out that he drafted it in 2005, largely:”