Mark Durkan
Foyle · Social Democratic and Labour Party · Northern Ireland
“That review involved an extensive engagement exercise with charities, regulators and funders, aimed at creating a more modern and proportionate regulatory system.”
“When the review was commenced in 2021, many organisations were still in the midst of responding to the pandemic. Since then, they have faced a succession of new and evolving challenges. The ending of European funding programmes, on which so many in our communities relied for decades, has left a significant gap.”
“<BR /> <BR />The broad principles behind the Bill are sensible. The changes will modernise charity regulation, strengthen the Charity Commission's ability to intervene where misconduct or mismanagement occurs, improve information sharing and, importantly, reduce unnecessary red tape, particularly for smaller charities with limited adminis…”
“I welcome the opportunity to speak today. Before turning to the detail of the legislation — there will not even be that much detail in the debate today at Second Stage — I pay tribute to our charity sector. Across every constituency, charities provide support that changes and saves lives every single day.”
“<BR /> <BR />Whilst the SDLP supports legislation that removes unnecessary bureaucracy, we should not kid ourselves that administrative reform alone will secure the future of charities and organisations in the voluntary and community sector.”
“I thank the Minister for giving way. Like other Members, I welcome the fact that we have reached this point. There seems to be consensus among Committee members and, I am sure, all Members that the introduction of these measures will save lives, which begs the question of whether the 10-year delay in introducing the measures had an opposi…”
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“Discrimination has no place in sport or in society. It is worth noting that the Irish Athletic Boxing Association (IABA) rejects any form of discrimination or sectarianism. We welcome the Minister's recognition of the recommendations from the Equality Commission and look forward to him being as welcoming of its recommendations elsewhere. Minister, you say that you are announcing a new oversight panel. How will that look and be made up, and how will you ensure that the panel, to ensure balance, is, itself, balanced?”
“Their prosperity and health depend on the choices that we make today. Let us get on with it.”
“Collaboration is key if we are to deal with the environmental crisis effectively. <BR /> <BR />We need a model that puts environmental protection at the heart of decision-making. It should not be an afterthought. Let us not be remembered as the Assembly that fiddled while Lough Neagh died. Let us be the one that chose to act and confront one of the greatest challenges of our time. <BR /> <BR />Mr Blair mentioned COP30, which kicked off today. The mood music emanating from COP30 is very different from the optimism of 10 years ago in Paris at COP21, at which I had privilege of representing Northern Ireland, the Assembly and the Executive. It is not a case of good COP, bad COP, but future generations will look back on this time through the lens of history. Let them see courage, not complacency.”
“I agree with the Minister. We are nearly on the same page on the subject. That was demonstrated by the fact that, on that very subject, we tabled a motion today, and you made a statement in the House last week. Coincidence, I am sure. <BR /> <BR />A strong and independent EPA can rebuild public confidence and restore our natural assets. It can help us meet our climate commitments and coordinate with our counterparts in the Irish Government. It is ludicrous that the protections that exist in the South simply stop at a line on a map — a point that Ms Finnegan made. The agency should, and will, eventually, operate on an all-island basis, but I do not want to give the DUP another reason to oppose its establishment. Pollution of the air, water and land does not recognise borders.”
“That is why we in the SDLP are calling for the delivery of an independent environmental protection agency before the end of the mandate. Any delay is another missed opportunity and another looming crisis.”
“Their expertise and enthusiasm are shackled by the system in which they have to operate. <BR /> <BR />The Minister has said that establishing an EPA will require resources. I know that we are still at an early stage in the process, but I would like to know how much that might cost. If the costings were done 10 years ago, we can only expect them to have gone up, but the cost of inaction will undoubtedly still be much greater. <BR /> <BR />Miss McIlveen cited resources as a reason for not establishing an independent environmental protection agency. We do not envisage it as being an addition to the environmental protection function of NIEA but a replacement of it. Until we change the system, incidents such as Mobuoy will keep repeating.”
“We have seen the toxic consequences of what our existing environmental protection looks like. Lough Neagh is the most visible example, but it is not the only one. I mentioned the damage that has been inflicted at Mobuoy, which risks costing hundreds of millions of pounds to clean up, yet those responsible will walk away with barely a slap on the wrist. Miss McAllister gave much smaller, everyday examples of the inherent weaknesses in the current system. There are always bigger fish — or fish kills — to fry. <BR /> <BR />We need radical reform of environmental oversight, clear accountability, proper penalties and an independent regulator with the resources and teeth to act. That is in no way a criticism — I certainly hope that it is not construed as one — of the individuals who are working in the NIEA.”
“That delay has seen biodiversity destroyed, with many indigenous animals and plants at risk of extinction, as Miss McAllister said. That is not hyperbole but reality. Northern Ireland currently ranks as the twelfth-worst country globally for biodiversity loss. We cannot protect what we do not measure, and we cannot recover what we refuse to count. Meanwhile, as the only region across these islands without an independent EPA, we remain an outlier. The other EPAs have been in place for decades. I therefore do not know how the DUP can justify its concerns when the other regions of the UK, all of which have an independent EPA, have better environmental outcomes. Tom Buchanan fears that the proposed new agency will increase bureaucracy but then lamented bureaucracy and failures in the existing arrangements.”
“Their warnings have been ignored while sewage spills and pollution are met with shrugs of indifference. That begs the question: who is protecting our environment? The answer, sadly, is that no one is protecting it very effectively. In recognition of that frustration, I have a private Member's Bill that seeks to introduce legally binding and measurable targets for air, water and soil quality and biodiversity. That is yet another recommendation of the independent review that has not been implemented. <BR /> <BR />Successive Executives and AERA Ministers have been unable — I am not going to say "unwilling" or that anyone has failed — to treat the issue with the seriousness that it deserves. We were the last part of these islands to put in place climate legislation.”
“Every Executive party, including the DUP, signed up to that commitment in the New Decade, New Approach agreement. Five years on, however, we are still waiting. That is another NDNA commitment that has been neither delivered on nor achieved. <BR /> <BR />We are not blaming the Minister. We are willing him to maximise the majority support that now exists in the Assembly — I expect it to manifest itself again today — and in the Executive, which did not exist when I was Minister. The Minister has been clear that he wants to deliver an independent EPA. Although we of course welcome and support that, there are just 18 months left in the mandate. If we fail to legislate now, this term will end with nothing to show for it but more environmental decline and public frustration. People have lost trust.”
“The suffocating green expanse that chokes the life from its waters is a physical manifestation of years of neglect, delay and dysfunction. Perhaps that is why the DUP does not like its being mentioned. <BR /> <BR />From what we have heard today and seen over the past few years in particular, it is clear that environmental governance in Northern Ireland is not working. The independent review of environmental governance laid it bare: from the devastation of Lough Neagh to the illegal dump at Mobuoy, we are facing a failure of accountability, enforcement and leadership at the core. Review after review has stated the same thing, which is that we need an independent environmental protection agency that is properly resourced, fully empowered and free from political interference.”
“I am covered at least. <BR /> <BR />In closing today's debate, I will reflect on our storied landscape. Miss McIlveen expressed unhappiness about the continual reference to Lough Neagh. Although every hill and lough here holds a tale, when we speak about Lough Neagh, we are speaking not just about a body of water but about a place that is woven into our mythology and the very sense of our identity. Fishermen swore by its waters. Storytellers spoke of wood turned to stone. Communities drew life and livelihood from it shores. Although we now understand those myths in a different light, their meaning holds true. Generations that came before recognised something that many of us seem to have forgotten, which is that our well-being and the land's well-being are interlinked. What was once a symbol of vitality has become a mirror of our failures.”
“Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. I just hope that my colleague does not whip my skirt off.”
“, and may your next chapter be as inspiring as the one that you have just written.”
“, for your leadership, your poetry and your profound love of Ireland. Go n-éirí an bóthar leat”
“Though his tenure as president comes to an end, his influence on Irish life and thought will endure for many years to come. <BR /> <BR />On behalf of all who cherish the values of inclusion, justice and kindness, I thank him. Go raibh míle maith agat, a Uachtaráin”
“Few individuals have embodied the heart and spirit of Ireland quite like Michael D. Through his words, his wisdom and his warmth, he has reminded us of the power of compassion, culture and community. His presidency has been one of deep connection to the people of Ireland, our shared history and the generations yet to come. President Higgins has spoken for those whose voices often go unheard: the artists, the workers, the dreamers and the dispossessed. In every corner of the island, his message has been consistent that equality and dignity must not be ideals that we aspire to but realities that we live by. He leaves behind not only a record of service but a legacy of hope and a belief that politics, when infused with humanity, can still be a noble calling.”
“Today, we mark the conclusion of an extraordinary chapter in the life of our nation as Michael D Higgins completes his second term as uachtarán na hÉireann”
“We welcome the fact that health workers will get pay parity, which is the very least that they deserve, but one of the consequences of delay is that, for our lowest-paid health workers, who are every bit as valuable as any others, any lump sum back payment is rendered virtually worthless to those workers who are on universal credit. Will the Minister encourage or ensure cooperation between different Ministers and Departments to ensure that that cohort of low-paid workers is not effectively penalised for being poor? It is possible. It was done with COVID payments, so I am sure that a way exists, but will the Minister ensure that the will exists as well?”
“It is baffling but convenient that such a swathe of far-reaching cuts could be made at the EA without board approval. What analysis has been done of the impact of the cuts, particularly on the most disadvantaged children? Has any equality impact assessment or rural needs assessment been done of the home-to-school transport cuts and how they will eradicate many children's opportunities to engage in the after-school activities that are so important for our children's development?”
“We have heard a lot about the potential benefits and opportunities that will come with AI. Has there been any Executive analysis of the potential impact of AI on job displacement across not just the Civil Service but the North?”
“I thank the Minister for his statement and welcome the progress. I do not doubt the Minister's industry and effort. However, where we are now, in seeking approval from the Executive, is as far as I got as a previous Minister. Hopefully, there is now a majority in the Assembly and, therefore, one would imagine, in the Executive that will support the progress that he proposes. Will the Minister outline the envisaged costings of establishing this new independent environmental protection agency?”
“On 13 October, we had a Matter of the Day debate in the Chamber on the Gaza ceasefire settlement. On that day, the SDLP again lamented the loss of life on 7 October perpetrated by Hamas and the genocide waged by Israel since. In an extremely rare contribution to a Matter of the Day debate by a Minister, Minister Givan spoke from the Back Benches and basically gave a sycophantic soliloquy about Israel, during which he thanked the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), who had massacred tens of thousands of innocent people. Was that before or after he accepted an invitation to visit Israel, paid for by Israel?”
“I understand and, indeed, support the need for regional, standardised services that do away with the postcode lotteries. What services are being delivered regionally? Why have breast cancer assessments been used as a pilot? Why have you chosen the one lottery that patients in the Western Trust area had a chance of winning, particularly given that that area has the worst health outcomes overall?”
“You put a Para flag — a Parachute Regiment insignia — on your social media in the light of the trial. Catch yourselves on. It is absolutely disgusting. This is not about whataboutery; this is about victims, truth and justice.”
“There is no confusion as to who the villains of Bloody Sunday were, and there is no confusion as to who the victims of Bloody Sunday were and who the victims still are. The people of Derry always knew, and the UK Government finally accepted, finally admitted and finally apologised for that. Those murders were unjustified and unjustifiable, and the SDLP has always said that all the murders were unjustified and unjustifiable. The only rewriting of that particularly awful chapter in the horror story of our collective past is being done by the DUP, the TUV and others. <BR /> <BR />All victims deserve truth, and all victims deserve justice. You cannot stand and accuse others of hypocrisy, as hypocritical as they might be, while you are engaging in hypocrisy and gloating over victims. That is what is being done.”
“It had not been my intention to speak, but I feel compelled to, given the tone and content of some contributions from across the Chamber. Mr Buckley spoke of the years of "turmoil" visited upon poor Soldier F. That does not compare to the years of turmoil suffered by the Bloody Sunday families — and not just the Bloody Sunday families but so many families across Northern Ireland, from every community, who lost victims. To make that comparison does an injustice to all of them. <BR /> <BR />We are told that the trial is something that the republican movement wanted; no, it is something that the families of victims wanted. Mr Buckley spoke of the recasting of the roles of heroes and villains.”
“The situation will indeed prove challenging for the Executive, but it cannot have come as a complete surprise, given that the answer was no last year, and I am not sure how the landscape will have changed this year. In his response to Ms Egan, the Minister referred to feedback. Was that feedback on the discrete data breach element of the bid, or was it a blanket ask and a blanket answer?”
“I have raised issues regarding HMOs on several occasions in the Chamber, but I have a real concern that, from the statement, we can infer that there is a hierarchy of HMOs: if they are used for students, they are good, but, if they are used for immigrants, they are bad. The Minister laments the low number of penalty notices and prosecutions over the past six years. Does he accept that, given the evidential threshold and definitions that exist in legislation, adequately resourcing the HMO unit may not be enough in itself to address the issue and that he may have to look at legislative change, or is he content to just pass the buck and pass the blame?”
“Winter comes every year, and winter pressures in the health service get worse every year. What lessons from last winter's performance have been captured, and how are those lessons being applied this year to ensure improved resilience and patient care?”
“Has the Minister considered introducing legislation to ensure that booking platforms verify that all listed properties are properly registered as short-term tourist accommodation?”
“First Minister, given the potential for international partnerships to drive investment and tourism, will you outline what practical role Invest NI and Tourism NI have played in shaping the international relations strategy?”
“It gave people hope when all else had failed them. Now, they have been failed again. Now, where do people go? Who catches them before they fall? <BR /> <BR />If we are serious about tackling mental health, every Department must be part of the solution, as is called for by the motion. Those community-based services are not optional extras; they are literal lifelines. I urge you, Minister, and your Executive colleagues, to give that lifeline a lifeline.”
“It has been a success despite uncertainty over its future and staff's uncertainty over their futures. That is not the way in which to run any service, and especially not a service of that nature. The closure of the community crisis intervention service alongside the defunding of other vital supports in Derry — removal of the Northlands Addiction Treatment Centre's core funding and defunding of Men's Action Network — have left a dangerous void in the community, which is already struggling under immense pressure. The Western Trust, as we established during Question Time last week, has amongst the highest waiting lists for mental health support in the North and the fewest psychiatrists per head of population. The community crisis intervention service actually helped to cushion that system. It took pressure off emergency services.”
“It is ironic that, on World Mental Health Day last week, the news broke that 80% of the mental health strategy has been shelved, basically — 80%. That did not, however, come as news to my party and others who have been raising the alarm for years. The problem is not a lack of knowledge: it is a lack of political will. Only a handful of the 35 flagship commitments that were made when the strategy was launched in 2021 have seen any tangible progress. Initiatives on early intervention, crisis response and workforce expansion have all stalled. If the strategy had been delivered properly, fewer people would be hitting crisis point and, in turn, the need for crisis services such as the one in Foyle would be reduced. <BR /> <BR />As I said, the community crisis intervention service has been a success.”
“It was community-based and person-centred, and it worked. Do not take my word for it, because we have heard from service users who say that they would not be here today were it not for the service. The council led the way in securing the service. I recall, however, that we had to drag the Department and the Western Health and Social Care Trust to the table. We even had to get a significant financial contribution from Foyle Search and Rescue, a wonderful local charity, to make ends meet.”
“It united us five years ago, when we all stood here making the same argument to fund the critical community crisis intervention service (CCIS) in Derry, an area with a shamefully high suicide rate. It is shameful that we have a fight on our hands once more to reinstate a service that literally saved lives but that was forced to close a couple of months ago when funding from the mental health support fund ended. How can its closure be justified at a time when a mental health crisis is engulfing our communities? Where was the forward planning from the Department? <BR /> <BR />From its establishment in 2018, the CCIS provided more than 3,400 one-to-one crisis interventions, many of which took place out of hours, which are the very hours when people are at their most vulnerable, at their darkest and alone with their thoughts.”
“Those of us who have experienced the heartbreak of suicide know that it never leaves you, with sleepless nights spent wondering what more you could have done, the guilt that gnaws away, the lives shattered and the families who are changed forever. We tell people who are struggling to reach out and seek help, but what happens when that help is not there, when people in crisis are told that they cannot access services for another six weeks at least or when the system that should catch them when they fall simply is not there? In the Chamber — more so than outside in the real world — we often see and hear division over the daftest of issues, and sometimes over fundamental political ideology. Suicide prevention and saving lives should unite us all, however, and it does.”
“Go raibh maith agat, a Phríomh-Leas-Cheann Comhairle.”
“The Minister has accused me of not knowing the cost. In the past couple of speeches, the Minister and his party colleague have given four different costs between them.”
“I thank the Minister for giving way. We have already seen and heard how the Minister disregards evidence from experts in the sector, but now he is also dismissing evidence from the Scottish Government, who identify their child payment of £27·15 per week as having reduced the rate of children living in poverty by four percentage points.”
“I will tell him, as the Minister responsible for HMO policy, that some houses across the North have essentially had their kitchens closed off to avoid them being defined as an HMO and so that they remain immune from enforcement. Some properties are being used as temporary accommodation by the Housing Executive, which is awful for tenants, and they are often overcrowded due to the definition of "family" in HMO legislation. The Minister told us that he is aware of those issues. How aware is he? Does he find those issues acceptable? How does he intend to address those issues?”
“Minister, you referred, as I did in the debate earlier, to the wealth of evidence from local and national academic studies that demonstrates the negative impact of the two-child limit. Since that was published, I have commissioned a research paper into its impact in the North. Despite the Executive's stated commitment to tackling poverty, your Department has carried out no research of its own. Why not?”
“<BR /> <BR />On the ground, it is groups such as the Cliff Edge Coalition, the Anti-Poverty Network, St Vincent de Paul and, in my constituency, the Focus Project —”
“Free school meals not just fill tummies but improve health, reduce stigma and boost educational outcomes, yet while the UK Government are expanding provision to all families on universal credit, children in Northern Ireland are being left behind. <BR /> <BR />This year, when the cost of food is higher that ever, there were 6,000 fewer successful applications for free school meals than there were in 2022-23, owing to a reduced income threshold that unfairly locks families out of receiving vital support. The Minister and his party may boast about a £300 increase in the income threshold for eligibility, but that increase came about only after it had been reduced by £1,000. It is therefore a token gesture that is woefully out of touch with reality.”
“I am sorry, but I have to get through my remarks, Minister. I will give way again if I have time at the end. <BR /> <BR />We accept that success will also depend on wider structural reform, and that means having a comprehensive childcare strategy. Childcare in Northern Ireland is among the most expensive on these islands, yet, for families on low incomes, support is riddled with complexity and examples of exclusion. Last year, 130,000 children were living in food-insecure households, which is 20,000 more than the year before. That is not just a statistic but the sound of alarm bells. Expanding access to free school meals is one of the simplest and most effective actions that we can take.”
“I wonder whether the Minister's Department has done the research yet that could inform me to help inform him. Extensive research has been done by experts in the sector that has looked at the cost and at the benefit. We know the cost of not introducing a child payment, however, and people feel it very single day.”
“<BR /> <BR />The Opposition are serious about abolishing child poverty, so we stand here today not just to criticise but to propose another solution. The Scottish child payment, which was introduced in 2021, now pays £27·15 a week per child to families on low incomes. An evaluation of the payment found that it lifted children out of poverty, reduced debt and lessened material deprivation. The child poverty rate would have been four percentage points higher had the child payment not been introduced. That is real progress and is the model that we should be looking at and following.”
“We could live with that, but, 18 months later, that is yet another promise that has been quietly buried, out of sight and out of mind. In July 2025, when I asked the Minister for Communities about it, his response was, "I have no update". The only reference that we have seen to the two-child rule since is a single line in the draft anti-poverty strategy saying that research will be carried out. Again, I asked the Minister, "What research has your Department done?", and I received a one-line answer, which was basically that no research has been conducted. That is not just complacency; it is contempt. It is contempt for the evidence and the expert advice, and it is contempt for the families who are living that reality every day.”
“Research from the Trussell Trust tells us that abolishing the two-child limit could lift 18,500 people in Northern Ireland out of severe hardship by 2026. Not only that, but it could have a wider economic and fiscal benefit of £155 million every year. The Scottish Government have effectively abolished that callous policy by mitigating it. We were promised the same protections. <BR /> <BR />Last year, the SDLP Opposition tabled a motion to scrap the two-child limit. We did not just make noise: we provided a plan and costings, but Executive parties watered it down. They supported an amendment to introduce a larger-families payment instead, which had previously been recommended by the independent welfare advisory panel.”