Kellie Armstrong
Strangford · Alliance Party · Northern Ireland
“I welcome the opportunity to speak in support of the Fisheries, Aquaculture and Water Environment Bill. It is timely and important. Miss McIlveen, a fellow MLA for the Strangford constituency, has just spoken.”
“<BR /> <BR />The Bill reflects the realities of the post-Brexit landscape by aligning protections here with those in other UK jurisdictions and the UK Fisheries Act. That consistency is important for standards, enforcement and international confidence in our products.”
“Last year, I met the Department and we discussed that. The opportunities for seaweed farming in Strangford lough are wonderful, and the opportunities from seaweed that Queen's University has identified are incredible. We are lucky to have those opportunities on our doorstep, as long as there is licensing and it is properly looked after.”
“Moving beyond managing individual fisheries, the Bill recognises the interconnected nature of our rivers, loughs and seas — an approach that is very much in line with Alliance's commitment to evidence-based environmental policy. The inclusion of a national benefit objective is also significant.”
“A while ago, we saw that commercial bottom trawling had all but decimated the horse mussel population in Strangford lough. It has since been changed to a special area of conservation. That limits a lot of activity in the lough, which is not a bad thing considering that horse mussels are coming back.”
“They allow for timely action on lower-level offences without over-burdening the courts while still acting as a meaningful deterrent. If only everybody were acting properly, we would not need to have those deterrents, but we are where we are, and the Bill hopes to improve upon that.”
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“There is a massive piece of land on the former Sirocco Works site in East Belfast that is owned by private companies. What could we do with that land if some of it were available for housing? We need to move forward on the Private Tenancies Act (Northern Ireland) 2022. The notice to quit period needs to be brought in as soon as possible. Too many people are hitting the homelessness lists because they have had to leave private rentals.”
“I believe, for instance, that we should pause the house sales scheme until the Northern Ireland Housing Executive can replace those houses with the new dwellings that our people need. <BR /> <BR />I want the Minister to explain what it is that he can do for East Belfast, taking it as one particular area. What does the outlook look like for you in order to be able to achieve your housing supply strategy? What will be the housing investment plans? When will we see an updated land asset management strategic plan? When will we see asset transfer, so that communities can make better use of the space that is available, for example above shops? I hope that you will encourage the Northern Ireland Housing Executive's place shaping team to look at land banking.”
“That land needs to be made available in order to meet the needs of people in East Belfast and across Northern Ireland. <BR /> <BR />As has been mentioned, there is an issue with what is beneath the ground. Over the nine years that I have been an MLA, I have grown sick of saying that there will be no cranes without drains. The Northern Ireland Water issue is curtailing necessary housebuilding, and it needs to be sorted. I know that it will not be dealt with by the Communities Minister, but the Executive need to take that under their wing and run with it. It takes far too long to get planning permission. The system can be updated in order to ensure that appropriate permission is provided, but in much quicker time.”
“We can invest in our future, protect our community's fabric and ensure that every person, no matter their income, has the chance to live with dignity. <BR /> <BR />To that end, I have this question for the Minister: do you think that it is time that the database of public land owned by all Departments and their arm's length-bodies is produced and aligned with identified housing need? We know that the Housing Executive is awaiting Treasury clearance to be able to borrow and to start to build again. I know that the Housing Executive is looking at its land asset management strategic plan in order to identify where potential land will be. That land needs to be made available now, however. We cannot wait for the Housing Executive to get its clearance.”
“When that delivery fails, trust in public institutions erodes, people begin to feel forgotten and resentment replaces hope. There is hope, however. I spent a bit of time, a couple of weeks ago, with the East Belfast Mission at Hosford, where six new apartments have been built just across the road from the Skainos centre. Those apartments will house people who are coming out of the homeless hostel and will provide them with some stability as they, hopefully, move into more permanent housing. That hope comes from the community and from organisations that work in East Belfast. I believe, however, that with political will, smart planning and genuine commitment to the public good, we can replicate that in East Belfast by delivering the homes that it needs.”
“<BR /> <BR />It has been said many times in the Chamber that, when social housing is unavailable, the consequences ripple throughout every part of life. It affects children's education and people's physical and mental health. The lack of housing drives families away from the community that they helped to build, weakening the bonds that hold us together. The failure to act also deepens inequality: without adequate housing, those who are on low incomes are pushed further to the margins while private rents climb beyond reach. We are in danger of creating a two-tier East Belfast: one for those who can afford stability, and one for those who are left behind. <BR /> <BR />Housing is not a luxury but a right that should be protected, promoted and delivered by those in power.”
“<BR /> <BR />East Belfast is very proud of its rich heritage. Hard-working people live there, and they have a strong sense of identity, but a growing crisis lies beneath that pride. Too many families are waiting for a place to call home. They are waiting for dignity, stability and hope, and the damage grows with every day that social housing is delayed. Let us be clear that this is not just about buildings; it is about people. It is about the young mother who is raising her child in damp, cramped conditions. It is about the older man who spent his life in service to the community but now faces isolation without suitable housing. Those people are not statistics: they are our friends, our neighbours and our family.”
“I thank Ms Bunting for securing the Adjournment debate. I do not live in East Belfast, although I will sort of claim that I lived there as a child because I spent so much time there visiting my Aunt Nuala and my Uncle Jimmy. Unfortunately, their street no longer exists. Mashona Street, beside Euston Street Primary School, was redeveloped. I thought until very recently that Daddy Winker's Park was called Daddy Winkler's Park, so there you go. <BR /> <BR />The housing issue that was been brought for debate today is, I agree, an issue in East Belfast and across Northern Ireland. It is a matter that strikes deep at the heart of all our values and the future of what we want for this place. We are failing to deliver social housing in Northern Ireland, and there are a number of reasons for that.”
“Thank you, Minister. I pass on my thanks to your officials, who have worked with a difficult budget. I appreciate that you have not got everything that you were looking for, but I was disappointed to see that there is still no money for taking legal action against landowners who are letting our built heritage collapse. <BR /> <BR />I go back to the matter of housing. Minister, you talked to one of our colleagues about solutions. One of the biggest solutions to the housing crisis would be for the Housing Executive to build houses. How and when will the Housing Executive get the borrowing powers that the Executive have, you say, agreed to? What will those borrowing powers deliver in terms of new homes provided by the Housing Executive and reduced dependency on the private rented sector?”
“I join others, Mr Speaker, in wishing you a very happy birthday. <BR /> <BR />Given the fact that the strategies are cross-cutting in nature, what role can the Executive Office play to ensure that the appropriate development and resourcing of strategies, such as the anti-poverty strategy or the LGBTQIA strategy, is being carried out across all Departments?”
“Minister, I am glad to hear that the active ageing strategy's action plan will be updated, but, as Mr Harvey mentioned, there are other social strategies. Minister, will you provide an update on when you will deliver each of those strategies, as I know that you have a time frame for that? I am particularly interested in the LGBTQIA and the gender strategies. After all, we do not want just the good-looking ones at the front.”
“Yes, it is under Standing Order 65 in regard to the language that is being used in the House, I feel that being chastised by a Minister across the Floor, rather than the Speaker, is something that should be investigated. I ask the Chair to look at that.”
“I thank the Minister for giving way. Men were given way to before a woman. <BR /> <BR />Minister, the recommendations of the expert panel have been live for four years. You have been in the position of Minister for over a year. Why has it taken so long to bring the concerns about the recommendations forward? That is just delaying the strategy.”
“By supporting the motion and urging the Minister for Communities to publish the strategy without delay, we fulfil our duty not only to the LGBTQI+ community but to the wider public and the principles that underpin the Assembly. <BR /> <BR />Today's motion is not controversial; it is long overdue. It reflects the voices of those who have waited too long to be seen, heard and protected. Let this year's International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia be more than symbolic: let it be a turning point when the Assembly finally delivers on its promises and takes real, concrete steps towards inclusion. Let us honour the values that we claim to uphold and act. Please support the motion.”
“In the workplace, inclusion drives productivity, innovation and well-being. In society, diversity strengthens resilience, community cohesion and civic trust. <BR /> <BR />It is also important to reflect on the responsibility that we hold as Members of the Northern Ireland Assembly. The code of conduct for MLAs and the Nolan principles of public life — integrity, honesty, accountability, openness, leadership, objectivity and selflessness — must guide our actions, not just our intentions. We are elected to serve not just some but all our constituents, and that includes LGBTQI+ people in Northern Ireland. The principle of objectivity calls us to make decisions based on fairness and evidence. Leadership and integrity compel us to stand up for marginalised voices even when it is not easy.”
“The facts are that LGBTQI+ youth are far more likely to suffer from anxiety, depression and self-harm; trans people face long delays and poor treatment in our healthcare system; older LGBTQI+ individuals face isolation and invisibility; and in schools, workplaces and even public services, too many LGBTQI+ people still experience discrimination and exclusion. Without a strategy, there is no coherent, coordinated approach to addressing those issues. Departments are left working in silos, and, too often, those in need fall through the cracks. <BR /> <BR />The benefits of such a strategy go far beyond the LGBTQI+ community. When we embed inclusion in our institutions, everyone benefits. In schools, inclusive education leads to less bullying, better mental health and improved learning for all pupils.”
“The expert panel's recommendations include the immediate development and publication of an LGBTQI+ strategy; a cross-departmental stakeholder forum to embed lived experience in decision-making; inclusive relationships and sexuality education (RSE) in all schools; comprehensive protections against hate crime and discrimination; and a monitoring framework to ensure transparency and accountability. That is not a wish list: it is a plan — a plan created by the expert panel, which was engaged to deliver by the Department for Communities, that is grounded in evidence, lived experience and a shared desire to build a better society. <BR /> <BR />Why does that matter? It matters because LGBTQI+ people in Northern Ireland continue to face unacceptable disparities.”
“Alliance has long advocated for comprehensive equality legislation; inclusive and affirming education; building a united community in which diversity is celebrated; and mainstreaming LGBTQI+, disability and all other rights across all areas of government. We support the creation of a robust, cross-departmental LGBTQI+ strategy not as a token gesture but as a fundamental mechanism for social justice. <BR /> <BR />In 2021, the Department for Communities convened an LGBTQI+ expert advisory panel composed of individuals with lived and professional experience. The expert panel's work culminated in a comprehensive set of recommendations that offers a clear roadmap for government action.”
“We cannot keep telling LGBTQI+ people that their rights are a priority while continually failing to deliver the policies that would ensure that those rights are realised. The delay is not just a political oversight; it is a betrayal of trust for the LGBTQI+ community in Northern Ireland — a community that continues to experience higher levels of discrimination, poorer mental health outcomes, and increased vulnerability to violence and exclusion. <BR /> <BR />The Alliance Party has long been a champion of LGBTQI+ rights. We believe that every person, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity or expression, should be able to live freely without fear of discrimination or harm.”
“Thank you, Madam Principal Deputy Speaker. I propose the motion to reaffirm our commitment, as a democratic Assembly, to the values of equality, dignity and inclusion for all. <BR /> <BR />This week, as we mark International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia, we are reminded that our words must be matched by meaningful action. It is not enough simply to acknowledge injustice — we must eradicate it. The motion points, rightly, to a failure in leadership — a failure that stretches back more than a decade. In 2006, the Assembly first committed to developing a sexual orientation strategy. Nearly 20 years on, and more than 10 years since that promise was reiterated in the Assembly in 2013, we still have no strategy.”
“Thank you, Minister, for recognising Little Stars in Killyleagh. I am sure that you understand the urgency of the matter for the settings that receive the funding. Once the paper is approved, how quickly might you be able to get the offers out?”
“I have to agree with that, having been through the system more recently, when I knew that the death certificates would come from the funeral directors, meaning that I did not have to sit in a council office and wait for that piece of paper to be produced. <BR /> <BR />We support completely the Minister in the extension. I am amazed at Mr Frew: it is the first time I have heard him say that he agrees with a piece of coronavirus legislation. That is a first. It is not something, of course, that any of us want to have to go through with death certificates, but, like Mr Frew, we agree with this.”
“<BR /> <BR />I want to make the Committee and the Minister aware that the funeral directors' body is supportive of the extension; I am sure that they are well aware of that. Indeed, I had contact from S Clarke and Son, a funeral director in my constituency in Newtownards. They are keen to see the extension, because it will be in the period when the Committee will be looking at the provisions for a permanent solution to be brought into Northern Ireland. As those funeral directors said, in order for that to happen, the order must proceed. <BR /> <BR />The extension will allow the temporary measures to become permanent. It would enshrine in law a system that has been proven to be efficient, modern and compassionate.”
“I thank the Minister for bringing the order forward. If the extension were not made, the current regulations would fall tomorrow. That would mean that bereaved families would once again have to attend in person to register deaths and stillbirths. It would mean an end to the electronic transfer of documents between medical practitioners, registrars and funeral directors, and it would create an increased strain on an already overburdened healthcare and death management system, so thank you very much for bringing forward that extension. <BR /> <BR />I am someone who, at a very young age, had to go in person to register a death, and it was horrendous. We were still in the process of having a wake and had to get the death certificate sorted out. The electronic means is important.”
“Thank you, Mr Speaker. You are absolutely right. <BR /> <BR />Minister, thank you for your answer. Do you accept that the Department of Health is effectively asking GPs, pharmacy owners, dentists and ophthal — opticians to absorb the cost and that they will close the gap through personal finances?”
“<BR /> <BR />There is no mention of the Windsor framework and article 2, which talks about no loss of equality and human rights for people in Northern Ireland because of Brexit. I would like an assurance from the Minister for Communities that, although the LCM and the Bill do not make reference to the Windsor framework, our equality and human rights here will not be eroded through the Fair Work Agency.”
“I wish to ensure that, in endorsing the LCM, the House recognises the potential for the Fair Work Agency to make changes to employment rights but only if the relevant Northern Ireland Department deems it appropriate. Therefore, I ask the Minister for Communities, who is moving the LCM on behalf of so many others, as he said, to assure the House that, if any Department deems that future Fair Work Agency changes to employment rights are appropriate for introduction in Northern Ireland, the changes will be subject to regional public accountability, as some witnesses who provided evidence to our Committee called for, and will be brought to the House for confirmation before being implemented.”
“as outlined by the Chair and taken forward by the Minister for the Economy,”
“The Bill is substantial. Its impact is wider than usual on the devolved settlement. However, the LCM includes only a small number of provisions that appear in the Bill, as the Chair outlined. The amendments that were taken forward after the LCM are not included here. The provisions of the Bill fall under the remit of the Department for Communities, the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, the Department for the Economy and the Department of Finance. As we heard from Mr Brett, the Department for the Economy is content with that. <BR /> <BR />I would not say that I am not content with the LCM, but I would like to highlight to the House the fact that the background paper states:”
“It also allows for the establishment of a UK-wide enforcement body, which is to be known as the Fair Work Agency and about which I raised concern at the Committee at the time. That agency will bring together existing enforcement functions across a range of areas.”
“Thanks to the Minister for bringing forward the LCM today. As the Committee Chair outlined, the Bill aims to improve workers' conditions, extend employee protections, modernise employment laws and enhance existing provisions.”
“I thank the Member for giving way. I stand not to argue with you but simply to ask a question. I sit on the Committee on Procedures, and we consider the Standing Orders of the House. As we know, Standing Order 33 is about Committee Stage. It is for a Committee or even a Minister to extend Committee Stage. Given the consternation that the issue has caused, should we not be looking at our Standing Orders and extending the time frame from 30 days? As other Members have said, no scrutiny happens in 30 days: it is too short a period. Is it therefore time for us to start to review our Standing Orders in order to make Committee Stage more reasonable for future Bills and for us as Members to scrutinise them, as the Member has talked about?”
“I will just ask a question, because that has me confused. The Department, or the Education Authority, has actually already asked governors to submit their proposals for next year's choices. How will that actually come into effect in the timescale for the extension that you have calculated? I am on a board of governors. As governors, we will have to sit and go through all our criteria again and rewrite that. I am really not sure that the practicalities of it will work. I am asking that question simply as a school governor. I do not think that the timings would work like that, even if the legislation were to be passed in four weeks.”
“I do not think that the Member is 100% right on that, because the Committee actually extended the period not to include the summer recess. It was actually 1,000 days for the Education Committee, and, believe me, I suffered every one of those days. The 18 weeks did not include the summer recess period.”
“Let us continue to advocate for the swift implementation of the scheme, because it will provide so much solace and validation for those of us who have suffered a loss that we would not wish on anyone else.”
“Having been a bereavement counsellor for the Miscarriage Association, I know that it is very personal, very emotional and quite a difficult subject to go through. If you hear heartbreaking evidence, I ask that you take care of yourselves, because it is difficult. You will hear from people whom you never knew went through that situation. They need their voices to be heard, and you will hear them, so, please, take care of yourselves. <BR /> <BR />The introduction of the baby loss certificate scheme represents a compassionate and necessary step towards acknowledging the profound grief that is experienced by parents who lose a baby before 24 weeks of pregnancy. It is a testament to our collective commitment to supporting bereaved families and ensuring that their loss is formally recognised.”
“It is a terrible thing, but having a certificate in your hand that acknowledges that your wee one was here, for however long or short a time it was, will be so important. Unfortunately, I have been to my local council office to register a death. My goodness, that is not a nice experience to go through. I am therefore very grateful that parents, who are probably suffering quite a bit as they grieve for their miscarried child, may be able to do that online rather than have to present themselves in person. That is a much kinder way of doing that. <BR /> <BR />Before I conclude, I say this to the Committee, the Minister and the staff: you have my best wishes, but I ask you to look after yourselves when you go through the process.”
“What if, for instance, the certificates were to say, "Tick a box to say what gender your child was"? I do not know what gender my children were because they passed away so early in pregnancy. I received a positive pregnancy test, but I do not know whether they were girls or boys. I can dream about what their gender may have been, but it would have been very difficult to have to put down the gender of a child on a baby loss certificate. <BR /> <BR />There are sensitivities, but, across the House, we have the necessary ability and the kindness to deal with them. We are, after all, all citizens of Northern Ireland. We are all in the same place. Some of us may have experienced loss. Some may know somebody who has experienced loss.”
“Some parents have difficulty with the language that is used about the loss of their child. Some do not want to hear the word "miscarriage" and would rather hear words such as "born asleep". Others want to talk about the day that their baby died. It is very difficult for parents who have been through baby loss earlier than 24 weeks of pregnancy. It would be really helpful if, as part of the consultation, we consider options for parents when it comes to how they wish that recognition to be voluntarily recorded on those certificates. Being as flexible as possible with those certificates will cater for people who have been suffering grief for many years, very few years, or even months. It will also cater for parents who have difficulty with the language to have the appropriate language on their certificate.”
“I absolutely do. It comes back to the tone that has been taken in the debate. I very much thank the Minister of Finance for how he spoke about the issue when he made his opening remarks and moved the Second Stage. It is a very sensitive and difficult subject for so many people. We need to get it right, but we need to have ambition to legislate as quickly as possible. Having no time limit will allow those who experienced their loss some time ago to have their children recognised in the same way as somebody who experienced their loss more recently, such as in the past year. <BR /> <BR />Other issues about the certificates include the wording used, and how they will be produced. I am very grateful that digital registration and the digital production of those certificates is possible.”
“I have had the — it is hard to describe it — opportunity, I suppose, to stand in St Anne's Cathedral and St Peter's Cathedral in Belfast surrounded by parents who come together annually to think about the children whom they have lost. I could stand in those churches with parents who are in their 80s, parents who are in their teens and parents who are devastated. They could be with their other children. For many of us, no matter how long ago it was, it is important that there is not a time limit put on that so that we can, at last, get a certificate that acknowledges that our children were here, even for a very short time, whether that is weeks or months.”
“I thank the Member. I welcome the ambition, because having parents who experience stillbirths and those who have miscarriages on a separate path is difficult. The systems are already in place for people to get their certificate for death and for stillbirth. It may take a bit of time, but there are enough people out there who want this so badly that they will certainly work with the Department. I intend to work with the Department and with the Committee as they take that through. <BR /> <BR />The devil is in the detail on this one, because it is important that, like in England, baby loss certificates are not time-limited from when the loss occurred.”
“It is imperative that the Departments concerned communicate a clear schedule to ensure that grieving parents can access that vital recognition without undue delay.”
“The Committee emphasised that such certificates are crucial for parents who lose a child in the early stages of pregnancy and provide the means to acknowledge and memorialise their loss. The Committee has expressed readiness to work with the relevant Departments to expedite that change, and I welcome Diane Forsythe MLA's comments earlier in the debate about the consultation period that will be brought forward by the Committee for Finance on the matter. <BR /> <BR />While the commitment across the House is clear, there remains a need for clarification of when the regulations for the issuance of baby loss certificates will be brought forward. Ministers have expressed their dedication to implementing the scheme promptly, but, as of now, a specific timeline has not been provided.”
“She further emphasised that her Department would introduce new legislation to enable the scheme in collaboration with the Department of Health. The Health Minister, Mike Nesbitt, echoed that sentiment and acknowledged the profound impact of pregnancy and baby loss on parents. He highlighted the vital role of bereavement midwives in supporting families through such tragedies and expressed his commitment to progressing the necessary work to establish the baby loss certificate scheme as soon as possible. <BR /> <BR />The importance of the scheme was further recognised by the Northern Ireland Assembly's Finance Committee, which called for baby loss certificates to be recognised in law.”
“Recognising that gap, the then Finance Minister, Dr Caoimhe Archibald, and the Health Minister, Mike Nesbitt, committed to working together to implement a baby loss certificate scheme; indeed, Minister Archibald stated at that time:”
“I declare an interest, as I am one of the parents who has grieved such a loss — for me, it was of 13 children — through miscarriage. On behalf of all the many parents whom I have met over the years who have been through miscarriage, I appreciate the formal recognition that will be given to us through the provision of a baby loss certificate that our babies existed. <BR /> <BR />Currently, under existing legislation, the death of a baby is officially acknowledged only if it occurs after the twenty-fourth week of pregnancy. That leaves many parents without formal recognition of their loss. It compounds grief and the sense of isolation.”
“Importantly, the Bill provides a legislative basis for the introduction of a baby loss certificate scheme in Northern Ireland. The scheme aims to provide formal recognition for parents who have experienced the heartbreaking loss of a baby before 24 weeks of pregnancy.”
“I thank the Minister of Finance for moving the Second Stage of the Deaths, Still-Births and Baby Loss Bill. I certainly welcome the Bill. Its aim, as outlined in the explanatory and financial memorandum (EFM) is:”
“As Sian said, when we build policy out of fear, we sow division, but, when we build out of care, we strengthen society, our economy and our future. <BR /> <BR />To reiterate, I want a society in which we see disabled people not as burdens but as people with potential and in which carers are supported, not sacrificed. Welfare is one of the few levers that we have to lift people out of poverty. Let us not break it just when people need it the most. I ask that we all send this clear message to the Chancellor: you are not going to save your Budget by breaking the backs of people with disabilities.”