Emma Pengelly
South Belfast · Democratic Unionist Party · Northern Ireland
“This week, I will travel to France to pay my respects to all those who fought and the many who fell at the Battle of the Somme as we mark its 110th anniversary. <BR /> <BR />From across Northern Ireland, generations have served their country.”
“One of the men who fought was James Sandford, my great-grandfather. He fought, he survived, he went on to fight again, and he was seriously injured in another battle. I am deeply proud of him, and I am proud of all those who stepped forward with such honour in the face of the horror of that war.”
“When I stand there this week, looking at the gravestones of so many who made the ultimate sacrifice to defend our freedom, I will also remember — we must always remember — the responsibility that we carry forward. Remembrance is not only about honouring the past; it is about shaping the future.”
“Last night, people in north Belfast witnessed horrific scenes that have absolutely sickened and appalled people across Northern Ireland. It was a shocking and barbaric act of violence that has left a victim fighting the consequences of a truly savage attack.”
“Every person has the right to walk their streets, live in their community and feel safe in their own neighbourhood. This type of brutality has no place in Northern Ireland. <BR /> <BR />This morning, I spoke with the Chief Constable and the Justice Minister.”
“<BR /> <BR />I have also been in contact with the Prime Minister, because the PSNI has confirmed that the 30-year-old male who has been arrested is believed to be of Somalian heritage.”
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“The unit regularly reports to us and the transformation board, ensuring transparency on delivery, performance, benefits realisation and emerging risks. Later this month, we intend to publish an annual report on the transformation fund that will set out the progress that has been made to date.”
“Transforming public services is an Executive priority, which is why, in March 2025, £129 million was allocated to six significant transformation projects to tackle some of the highest-profile challenges facing our public services, including in Health, Education, Justice and Infrastructure. <BR /> <BR />The delivery unit is supporting implementation of these projects by driving and monitoring progress, with an emphasis on translating investment into service improvement, and we are seeing the difference. Over 900,000 citizens now have access to at least one multidisciplinary role in their GP practice, an increase of almost 20% since March 2025. Over 4,000 criminal justice cases have been diverted, freeing up significant policing hours.”
“<BR /> <BR />In the next couple of weeks, we will release our Programme for Government report, which will highlight a wide range of progress against a number of targets. However, we must do more. That means a willingness and real focus from each and every member of the Executive.”
“That is not the case at all. Let us take a look at the record of agreement. We have agreed a Programme for Government and nine key priorities: everything from tackling health waiting lists to affordable childcare for families to growing our economy. Yes, there will always be some things that we do not agree on. However, as highlighted, we are discussing, for example, the SIB appointments to make sure that they are fit for purpose. That is why I am in this role. I am not here simply to rubber-stamp things that come through my desk but to scrutinise them and make sure that what we do matches the outcome that we want to see. I want to see delivery. I want to see progress, not process. I want to see each and every Department delivering against what we have agreed in that Programme for Government.”
“I have said to the Infrastructure Minister and every member of the Executive, "Instead of putting our future in the hands of a court decision, let us get on and make the amendments to the climate change legislation to unlock that critical road infrastructure for the people of Northern Ireland". Indeed, safety cannot and should not wait for the judgement of a court when people in the Chamber can do something about it.”
“A lot can be done. My party, the DUP, has ambitious plans for transformation and reform. People out there are deeply frustrated by what they see as a lack of delivery, and that is not because of the structures but because of the processes that we have in each and every Department. <BR /> <BR />I have the privilege of working with two Ministers from my party, in Education and Communities, who are driving forward an ambitious agenda in those Departments. You are absolutely right: we have a series of key roads infrastructure projects that are currently suspended and awaiting the outcome of a legal case.”
“It can be good to get strategies and all the detail out there, but I want an investment strategy that actually works, sets out what we are going to do and is connected in a real way to the funding that could be available. <BR /> <BR />We had developments recently with the prospect of a three-year Budget, the challenges that we are currently facing and, of course, the legal challenge in the courts to the A5 judgement. Those are critical to our capital investment plan, which is why we are actively reviewing that in light of what is happening.”
“The investment strategy is an important aspect of what we are trying to do, and I commend all who undoubtedly put a huge amount of work into the draft strategy. I want a strategy that sets out for the people whom we serve across Northern Ireland what we are going to do on the big issues. We have been constrained time and again because of the Budget, but we still have to set out clearly what we are going to do to tackle, for example, waste and water over the next five to 10 years. What are we going to do to ensure that, when the Executive agree to build roads, they can be built and not stopped in the courts? What are we going to do to ensure energy security across Northern Ireland? How are we going to support our farmers and our businesses? Those are key issues.”
“That extends to the Victims and Survivors Service board: we need to get the right people in order to deliver whatever we task them with.”
“As the Member will be aware, it is incredibly important that we get the right people when appointments are being made. With regard to the initial question, I was referencing the SIB appointments. The review highlighted a significant amount of valuable work that the Strategic Investment Board does. However, I do not need to tell anybody across the Chamber about the frustrations that we all have about delivery, particularly of key capital infrastructure, so things need to change. I believe that the Strategic Investment Board, with its statutory responsibilities to help us to drive forward and deliver, particularly on capital infrastructure, has a pivotal role to play. The discussion that I had with the First Minister on that issue was about making sure that we get the right people for the SIB board.”
“The review of SIB recognised the value of the organisation for the Northern Ireland Civil Service and the wider public sector. However, it also suggested that there is a need to consider its ongoing strategic role and made recommendations in that respect. We are clear that SIB has a key role to play in providing strategic advice on capital investment, supporting delivery of major projects and developing innovative approaches to support Executive priorities. That must be the focus of its work, and it will be important that incoming board members are aligned to that strategic role. As such, we are considering proposals for a public appointment competition, which will take the findings of the review and the future strategic role of SIB into account.”
“People are absolutely sick, not only of not being listened to but of being called racist or being dismissed when they are articulating genuinely held concerns. We need to listen to people and step up to that challenge, and, working with my colleague, I am determined to do so.”
“I thank the Member for his important question. We saw significant disruption last summer in his constituency, in the Ballymena area. It is incredibly important that we get out and speak to people who live and work in those communities about their issues and concerns. I believe that people are sick, sick, sick of not being listened to by their elected representatives, not just in Northern Ireland but across the United Kingdom. It is important that all of us get out. <BR /> <BR />I thank the Member for bringing me out on the ground in Ballymena, speaking to organisations, including women's groups and community organisations, and young people, and listening to the issues that really matter to them. We need to wake up and listen to the fact that people have genuine concerns about social cohesion.”
“Thank you. It is really important that this House stands together and sends that clear message against all of those things. We know that racism, sectarianism and that type of prejudice blight lives and ruin communities. There are social cohesion issues. Communities need support, and we must be there to support them in trying to make sure that everyone in that community can have that brighter future. <BR /> <BR />There are significant opportunities with the drafting of the revised Together: Building a United Community (T:BUC) good relations strategy — T:BUC 2. We are looking at that, not only to extend it across the traditional communities here in Northern Ireland but to ensure that it is in the mainstream and that good race relations are embedded in the strategy and delivery framework.”
“I thank the Member for his question. Yes, that has been circulated to all Ministers, who have scrutinised it. It is complex, and there are a significant number of technical amendments to it. The idea behind it was to make sure that we were not going to continue to fall behind some of the legislative changes elsewhere across the United Kingdom. That has been examined in detail. Some of them, as I have said, are very technical, and we are working through those at the moment. There has been, as the Member will be aware, a very firm commitment to doing everything that we can to support eliminating racism and to support people, no matter what background they are from and what they are. This is only one part of a number of different initiatives that we have been driving forward from the Executive Office.”
“As an Executive, we are committed to delivering what matters most to communities, including tackling racial inequality, eradicating racism and promoting good race relations. As part of that, a comprehensive review of the Race Relations (Northern Ireland) Order 1997 has been completed, alongside a public consultation. The resulting policy proposals, which are substantial and, in some cases, complex, are under consideration. In parallel, a 12-week public consultation on a draft framework for race relations and associated delivery plan commenced in March of this year. All of that work reinforces our commitment to building a better future where everyone, regardless of race or ethnicity, can thrive and contribute meaningfully with a genuine sense of belonging.”
“They demonstrate that there are still those who want to drag us back when others look to the future. We need to send that clear message and to show that clear leadership. We on these Benches clearly condemn all terrorism: in the past, now and in the future. Whether it came from loyalists or republicans, there was never justification for it. It was always wrong; there was always an alternative. Let us have that clarity of message. <BR /> <BR />My message to the terrorists still partaking in it today is clear: you are not wanted. Go away. Get off the stage. Violence, terrorism and criminality have no part to play in the brighter, better future that we are building in Northern Ireland for everyone across every community.”
“That is why it is so important that we show leadership by sending the message of our full support for the PSNI. <BR /> <BR />Yesterday afternoon, along with my DUP colleague Frank McCoubrey, I went to Dunmurry to speak to residents, who were understandably deeply upset and apprehensive. When I was a child, I was evacuated from my primary school because of such attacks, but so many younger people in Northern Ireland have never experienced that. We do not want to return to those days. Let me be clear: Northern Ireland rejects that behaviour outright. Those people will fail. That is not our future; it is the worst dregs of our past. <BR /> <BR />Let me also be clear that acts of terrorism such as the one on Saturday night are just as wrong today as they were in the past.”
“Like the vast majority of people right across Northern Ireland, I was utterly appalled when I woke on Sunday morning to the news of this terrorist attack on Saturday night, an attack targeted at the PSNI. <BR /> <BR />I utterly condemn these attacks: that of Saturday night and that in Lurgan a few weeks earlier. I also condemn all those behind them. It is vital that we send the clear message this morning that we stand shoulder to shoulder in condemnation of the attack. Sinn Féin should reflect on the previous speech, because we need to send that clear message today. <BR /> <BR />I pay tribute to the brave police officers. Faced with a very challenging or frightening situation, so many of us would seek safety; those police officers ran towards the danger to support others and, indeed, potentially to save lives.”
“As the Member will be aware, we have a number of specific schemes to support refugees. Those are done at a UK-wide level, but, of course, Northern Ireland plays its part. We currently have the Syrian, Afghan and Ukrainian schemes. At this stage, we do not anticipate any particular refugee scheme related to the current conflict, but that is because the focus at the moment is very much on hoping that it will be a short-lived conflict and that there will be no need for the significant travel of refugees from the region. Of course, we will continue to monitor that. I advise the Member that Executive Office officials liaise with the Home Office on a regular basis, and we would expect to get very early notice of such a proposal, if there were to be one.”
“Nobody wants any conflict to roll on for a sustained period. I hope that the current conflict will come to an end swiftly and that the refugee situation does not subsequently become a significant international issue.”
“I thank the Member for his question. As I said, all conflicts should be avoided if possible, but, unfortunately, there will always be global conflicts that are completely outside of our control or influence. In such situations, the United Kingdom, as a sovereign state, has responsibilities under the various international treaties covering refugees and support for them. The UK has always stepped up to provide support where it can. It is not a devolved matter, but that is something that has happened in the past. <BR /> <BR />The Member will also be aware that the way in which international treaties apply in the case of refugees from any place means that the countries in the surrounding area are often required to step up initially. The situation is then monitored for potential wider impacts.”
“As the Member will know, we have asked the UK Government to step up and to do so urgently. There is a significant amount of tax on fuel, for example. That is something about which the UK Government must do something, and urgently. We have also asked them to bring forward a package to support people who are struggling, particularly our small to medium-sized businesses and hauliers, as well as our farmers, who are also feeling the pressure. As I indicated in my previous answer, I disagree with what the Member said. People who are listening to Question Time want their representatives to focus on trying to get support out to them and on making sure that we make the best case for the people of Northern Ireland instead of trying to score political points in the Chamber.”
“<BR /> <BR />We are able to have a very limited impact on some of the global wars and conflicts and on places where there is instability, but what we can do is stand up for the people whom we serve in Northern Ireland by trying to do our best for them and by working to try to bring about interventions to secure the supports that our farmers, our businesses, our fishing industry and our squeezed families really need.”
“That is an absolute mischaracterisation for the sake of political posturing. The reality is that the Iranian regime is an evil regime. There is no doubt about that. It murdered an estimated 30,000 of its own citizens because they had the audacity to protest. The regime is oppressive to women and all kinds of minorities. As I have said before in this place, I find it baffling that anyone would, in any way, throw up a defence of that regime. I also said clearly on that day, however, that we want there to be peace. Conflict is always tragic, and it always has tragic consequences. It may, at times, be necessary, but we all must work towards trying to bring peace to the Middle East. That is what we all hope for.”
“As we plot the way forward over the next number of months, it is important that we get that information and use it to put in place the policies and the things that we need to do to protect our businesses, farmers, fishing industry and the citizens of Northern Ireland.”
“It is incredibly important that we get the information, and that is why I attend when I get an invitation to do so. It is incredibly important for us to know what will happen down the line. It is not just a snapshot of what has happened thus far; we can get a sense of what will happen from the people who monitor the situation internationally. Of course, international relations and defence are not devolved issues, and we therefore rely on Whitehall and the UK Government. I have been pushing the UK Government to ensure that we are constantly kept in the loop about those important issues.”
“All of those issues have an impact on the people of Northern Ireland. I will always turn up, show up, speak up and stand up for Northern Ireland, and I will fight as hard as I can to get the people of Northern Ireland the help and support that they need when they need it.”
“I thank the Member for his question. Representation is incredibly important. The reality is that global events such as these have an impact on the people of Northern Ireland, and it is important that we know and are informed about what is happening. From a UK perspective, it is the right of the people of Northern Ireland and the Government in Northern Ireland to be informed about those matters. We are primarily focused on ensuring that the people of Northern Ireland get the support that they need, including in defence. Having a strong defence is critical for the entire UK. The Member and I were at a conference together, and we talked about the importance of, for example, the Royal Navy’s role in protecting undersea cables not just in Northern Ireland and the UK but, indeed, in the Republic of Ireland.”
“Our civil contingency team, along with teams in the Department for the Economy, is working with colleagues in Scotland, Wales, and, indeed, Whitehall to make sure that we have hourly monitoring of the situation and that we are pressing the UK Government to take action, because they can take action. Today, the Member has heard that the Communities Minister will bring proposals to the Executive this week for the £17 million. We have urged Ministers to move quickly and to get support to people where and when they need it.”
“We have corresponded with the Prime Minister and spoken directly to him. We have made calls for people to take key actions. We have discussed the issues at a number of Executive meetings. I specifically raised the point about the costs for domiciliary care workers with the Health Minister at the last Executive meeting. <BR /> <BR />There is a wide range of actions. Unfortunately, having only two minutes to answer does not allow me to go through all of them, but I can assure the public that we are following the process that is set down for our civil contingency mechanisms. We are working across the UK.”
“Of course, the Member will clip the footage to show his question: he never shows my answers. His point is a nonsense: there is a big difference between dialogue and endorsement. The SDLP Member sits there, and he knows the difference. I engaged with the president of the United States, a person with huge global influence. I did my job and stepped forward, because I will always stand up for the interests of Northern Ireland and make sure that I seize every opportunity to promote it. <BR /> <BR />I went through a range of actions in my answer to the previous question. I have heard the Member say repeatedly in this place that there has been no action, but there has been a significant amount of action. There are daily updates and hourly monitoring between our civil contingencies group and the Department for the Economy.”
“The Economy Minister has set up a supply chain group to monitor, in particular, the supply of fuel into Northern Ireland. That group is coordinating across the UK. We are getting —.”
“We have been following a significant amount of work right across all the Departments through the Executive Office's civil contingencies group. <BR /> <BR />I advise the Member that we raised the issues directly with the Prime Minister when he was here. In correspondence, we asked for three specific actions from the UK Government. We did that because the UK Government have the ability to do something about those things. Tax and fuel duty, for example, are matters for the UK Government. That is why we have asked them. I believe that the UK Government will have to act to support people who are genuinely feeling the squeeze. <BR /> <BR />I attended a high-level ministerial meeting with officials from right across the UK. I was joined by the First Minister of Scotland, people from the Welsh Government and, indeed, the Economy Minister.”
“I thank the Member for his important and, indeed, timely question. It is an incredibly important issue for many people. I have already seen across the House some of the pantomime antics of Members who want to point fingers at others. Of course, it is important that we step up and do everything that we can to support people. We recognise that many people face pressure at the moment from the increase in prices. That includes our small to medium-sized businesses, our farmers, our fishermen and our hauliers. It is incredibly important to support them. It also includes the squeezed middle — those families who need to put fuel in their car or another vehicle or put heating oil in their tank. We recognise the huge pressure that people are under.”
“The Member is likely aware that, after the issues that arose in Ballymena, we have invested over £500,000 through local councils to support resilience work right across Northern Ireland. We have also worked with partners, including the PSNI, the DOJ, local councils and others, to try to ensure that a range of actions come forward. We have the refugee integration strategy. A lot of work has been happening under that, including a number of key actions that are being driven forward in the collaborative groups. Of course this is incredibly important. It is about a combination of showing political leadership and saying very clearly that any aspect of hate, intolerance and prejudice is wrong, and investing in communities to support their resilience in order to resist that.”
“My colleague rightly pointed out that, in those circumstances, we need to hear all MLAs across all parties calling that out very loudly. It is about calling out not just those incidents that grab the headlines but all forms of hate, wherever we see it. We should stand united against them all.”
“Absolutely. It is important that we call out that hate, prejudice and criminal behaviour wherever we see it. I was in the Chamber for Members' statements and listened to my colleague Deborah Erskine talk about the attack on a Sunday school hall in her constituency and about the importance of people calling that out. That is hate. Things that may not seem really big to others are incredibly important to those who use the hall. It is incredibly upsetting when people see that type of attack, which has been motivated by hate.”
“That includes those in the Department of Education and the Department for Communities. We support so many projects with funding, including through councils, through which we could mainstream that and use the money that we have in a way that maximises outcomes.”
“I am not aware of the removal of specific funding. The Member will be aware that, due to the situation with the Budget, each Department is liaising with the organisations that they have funded to try to ensure that there is some certainty, while discussion of the overall issue continues. It is, of course, important that we support our third-sector partners. They are critical to us in trying to tackle such issues. <BR /> <BR />We work with statutory bodies as well. We work with the PSNI and very closely with the Department of Justice. That is important. At a time of budgetary constraints, however, it is more important than ever to work with existing programmes to mainstream some of their core values, tackling some of the attitudes and issues that give rise to hate and prejudice.”
“Additionally, our officials engage regularly with their counterparts in the Department of Justice in forums such as the DOJ-led hate crime delivery group to ensure a coherent and coordinated approach, across government, to all forms of hate crime.”
“We strongly condemn all forms of hate and prejudice; they have no place in our society. Through the development of our draft framework for race relations, we continue to work collaboratively with all Departments to support cohesive, thriving communities. While the framework’s focus is on addressing racism and race hate crime, we are also working to bring forward a refreshed approach to the Executive’s Together: Building a United Community (T:BUC) strategy, which will, hopefully, create alignment with the draft framework for race relations and ensure that our efforts to tackle all forms of hate are maximised and encompass the evolving issues across communities.”
“As I said, the Minister for Communities, not the Executive Office, leads on that.”
“<BR /> <BR />It all comes back to the fact that some of those who shout the loudest are in an absolutely optimal position to ask those around them about the challenges to making progress on some of the capital projects. For us in the new Executive, the challenge is with making sure that we address all the issues that have caused delay to a range of capital projects in the past and to try to ensure that that does not happen as we move forward.”
“I thank the Member for his question. No doubt people can throw around political point-scoring on why delays happen, but, at the heart of all of this, it is about trying to identify how to improve the way in which we do capital investment. As I have said, in reality, the reason that Casement has not progressed is not that there was no political will. The money was distributed in a fair and equitable way at the time. Of course, we have the rugby stadium and the national stadium at Windsor Park, and we do not have Casement. That is not because of a lack of Executive agreement but because of a range of issues that include those people who were opposed to the planning application, the size and scale and the increase in costs.”
“I thank the Member for his question. Sport plays such a pivotal role throughout Northern Ireland. It is not just football, rugby and GAA, of course, but hockey, cricket and so many other sports. For young people, it is transformative. It is about health, child development, socialisation and all kinds of positive aspects, which is why my colleague the Minister for Communities is working hard to support sports throughout Northern Ireland in whatever way he can. When I speak to the Communities Minister, he makes it clear that he would like more money to invest in our sporting infrastructure and our sports. That will always be the case, but I can advise the Member that the Minister is fighting hard for sport in Northern Ireland to ensure that there is a fair share for all who enjoy that really important aspect.”
“<BR /> <BR />If you speak to anybody on the street in Northern Ireland, they will tell you that they know that our waste water infrastructure is crumbling and that investment is vital. They know that our road infrastructure has potholes and needs investment and that, for safety, new roads are needed. People need new hospitals, new GPs and new schools. There are all kinds of capital issues where there is a lot of pressure on each Department. It is the Executive's responsibility to balance all that. Yes, we need to deliver for people on capital projects, and the more that we deliver on time and on budget, the more that we can do.”
“It is important to say clearly that the money allocated to Casement was agreed by the Executive. Casement did not proceed on the timeline of the other sporting groups not because of a lack of political agreement but because of a variety of other issues. The money ring-fenced by the Executive remains, but the costs of Casement have increased significantly. The Member will be aware that the Minister for Communities takes the lead on this issue, but it is incredibly difficult at a time when we are under huge fiscal pressure. However, as I said in my previous answer, we need to get our capital investment right. If we deliver more on time and on budget, we can do more with the capital that we are allocated.”
“The redevelopment of Casement Park remains an Executive flagship capital project. Whilst responsibility for the redevelopment lies with the Minister for Communities, we have reiterated our commitment to making progress on the matter in the Programme for Government.”
“It is important in all that and in introducing the delivery unit that it is agile and small and is able to add value. <BR /> <BR />There are lots of lessons to be learnt from the Strategic Investment Board. What once should have been very strategic becomes something that is really about getting to grips in Departments and helping to deliver the nuts and bolts. That is important, but it is not strategic. We need to be careful that the delivery unit does not get pulled in that way and that it remains at the centre and able to come in on a task-and-finish basis and add value to what we need it to do.”