Clare Bailey
South Belfast · Green Party · Northern Ireland
“It is a great relief to finally be able to move my Abortion Services (Safe Access Zones) Bill at Final Stage. When I was first elected, I pledged to the people of South Belfast that I would work hard on equality issues, for human rights-compliant legislation and, particularly, for women. Today is the last sitting day of the mandate.”
“Yet, despite "Stay at home" messaging and regulations to prevent public gatherings, the concerted campaign of harassment and intimidation against women and staff continued unabated, and all authorities — the Health Department, the Department of Justice, the PSNI — claimed that they could do nothing to stop it.”
“The efficacy of the Bill is achieved without being unnecessarily heavy-handed or putting significant additional pressures on any criminal justice system. I hope that we can move on from those debates. <BR /> <BR />This is absolutely a landmark moment for the Assembly. I have seen many Bills passed today that I am incredibly proud of.”
“I thank the Member for that. It is worth noting that, comparatively, this Bill takes a light touch in respect of offences being committed, because the punishment for breaching safe access zones around the world, in almost all cases where they are operational, can result in imprisonment and wildly higher fines than what is being proposed i…”
“I am also aware that the Minister, who, Mr Butler, is your party colleague, has also confirmed that he will produce a policy paper setting out how his Department intends to implement the requirements for safe access zones, including guidance to operators of health and social care premises.”
“None of that is what I have experienced with abortion services. <BR /> <BR />I went out to consultation on the Bill in 2017, just as the Executive was collapsing yet again, and the three-year hiatus meant that I could not progress the Bill any further.”
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“I welcome the announcement from the Minister. It will provide some relief to many of our councils, because, as we know, they are not legally protected from insolvency. While this financial assistance may stave off bankruptcy for a few months, can I ask the Minister, who has told us today that she is able to legislate within weeks if the will is there to do so, whether her Department is taking legislative steps to avoid councils being forced to cut services or facing closure? Have any of those steps, either in planning or already announced, been determined with NILGA or, indeed, the councils themselves?”
“Allow us the opportunity for proper scrutiny, because these Bills, as they sit, will change the direction of travel and can set a new scene. We need to get as many people on board and behind the Bills as possible. I know that the Agriculture Bill was much more developed than the others, and it is for that reason that we will support the LCM today. I will, again, implore that, if it is not essential in dealing with the coronavirus and COVID-19 measures in place at the minute, please allow us the time to scrutinise and do essential work only.”
“<BR /> <BR />For the purpose of this Bill, it is schedule 6 that applies to Northern Ireland. In schedule 6 we are allowing for "Business as usual". We know that "Business as usual" in our agriculture sector causes damage to our environment and to human health, due not least to our disproportionate over-reliance on the livestock sector, which is a huge contributor to the continued and scandalous levels of ammonia in Northern Ireland, as well as to greenhouse gases. <BR /> <BR />We hear, during this time of crisis, that non-essential business puts people at risk and flies in the face of government messages and legislation compelling people to stay at home. If "Business as usual" has ended, I call on the Minister to please pause the bringing forward of more legislation and LCMs, if they are non-essential at this time.”
“What I have heard to date raises more questions than it answers, particularly given that the Bill is so closely interlinked with the Fisheries Bill and the Environment Bill, which have yet to come. Many contradictions become apparent when you start to unravel the three Bills. It is for that reason that the Green Party would like to see a sunset clause similar to that being worked on in Wales to address their needs. In Scotland, they are drafting their own primary legislation to deal with their future agriculture industry and sector. The Committee Chair has already raised in the debate many issues that the Committee have listened to and taken on board already, including the Ireland/Northern Ireland protocol and the potential impact of the Bill given our Prime Minister's threat about regulatory divergence, if need be.”
“I join everybody who has spoken to offer my sincere sympathies to the families who have lost loved ones to the coronavirus and to the many more facing the devastating reality of what lies ahead with many more people set to lose their lives here. I know that everyone here will do all in our power to mitigate the number of deaths that we could see here. <BR /> <BR />Brexit has changed the landscape for many. The Bill sets out a new road map for the decades to come, and, for that alone, this needs to be taken seriously and scrutinised at every stage. So far, we have not had that full opportunity. Over the last three years, we have had no Executive, no Assembly, no Committees, and the newly appointed EARA Committee has not been able to fully scrutinise or hear evidence on the Bill.”
“Millions of women around the world have successfully used abortion pills that are on the World Health Organisation's list of safe medicines: they say it is safer than using aspirin. The plight of women and girls requiring access to abortion during this pandemic cannot be ignored and while this is a good day and a good step forward, it is certainly not enough for the women who need to access reproductive health.”
“It is discouraging to see that that will create many more difficulties for women here, so we call on the Health Minister to put a telemedicine service in place whereby the required medication can be posted to a home address after an initial telephone consultation. That would reduce the impact on the NHS and abide by our social distancing protocols and current travel restrictions. Yesterday the Westminster Government reinstated the use of a telemedicine abortion service in England and Wales. Let us do the same here. <BR /> <BR />We also heard yesterday of a young woman from Belfast who could not travel to England for an abortion because of the COVID-19 restrictions and tried to take her own life. Our Government must ensure that patients and medical staff are not placed in unnecessary risk during the pandemic.”
“I thank my South Belfast colleague Matthew O'Toole for giving up his seat to allow me into the Chamber. <BR /> <BR />The Green Party has long campaigned for equal rights for women across Northern Ireland. We have been denied our rights as UK citizens for 50 years or more, and the Green Party welcomes the fact that access to reproductive healthcare is no longer a criminal matter. We do not think it should ever have been a criminal matter, and we believe that any woman should be able to access an abortion as early as possible and as late as necessary. <BR /> <BR />Today, the regulations on abortion in Northern Ireland are a good step forward and are to be welcomed. Access to abortion up to 12 weeks in relatively unrestricted circumstances is a positive move; however, many barriers still exist for access after 12 weeks.”
“<BR /> <BR />A lot has been said about testing, but are the Executive looking at any epidemiological modelling to predict and plan for the virus and its spread? Are they looking at how we will plan to measure it going ahead and allocating resource to that? <BR /> <BR />Thank you for the work so far.”
“<BR /> <BR />On the fiscal packages, what are we doing to address the situation faced by those who are renting and expected to pay their rent, when we have seen a mortgage holiday given to those with mortgages? We have the bizarre situation where we are seeing workers who have lost their jobs continuing to have to pay rents to landlords who have been given a mortgage freeze. That is not OK. What are we doing about that? <BR /> <BR />Have conversations been held at Executive level to move Northern Ireland into a full lockdown situation? We hear Boris Johnson announcing that flights and airports could be closed and that London could be moved into lockdown. Are we having those conversations?”
“I commend you for working so well and for being so strong, particularly under such extreme pressure. I can only imagine the emotion that goes behind every decision that you have to make and carry out over the coming weeks. For that and the work that you are putting in, thank you. <BR /> <BR />There are, of course, ongoing issues, and things will change. Are there plans in motion to launch a series of public announcement campaigns to keep the public updated and informed, particularly given the large gatherings that we saw over the weekend? It is not just about young people and gatherings in open spaces. We are talking about it, and we have seen it in our supermarkets and other areas.”
“Thank you, First Minister and deputy First Minister for your statement and for being here today. It has been widely acknowledged, as has already been mentioned, that the general public are reassured to see you stand so strongly, shoulder to shoulder, over the past few days and throughout this time.”
“— that the Minister can give to businesses in the area to try to stop the emergency services being put under such pressure tomorrow.”
“I thank the Minister for being here today. Before I ask my question, I would like to point out that the £94 statutory sick pay rate will not cover the rent for the week of the majority of workers. <BR /> <BR />I know that you are taking the long-term view and following the evidence, and that is good. A lot of the scientific evidence is trying to encourage us to practise social distancing. Particularly for the hospitality trade in my constituency, what we are seeing is not long term; it is right now. It is here. Tomorrow is St Patrick's Day, and we know that, every single year, thousands and thousands of people travel to the Holylands in south Belfast to party on the streets and in houses. Many of the bars in the area have taken it upon themselves to close, but many others have not, and many of the off-licences have not done so.”
“I thank the Minister for her answer. Has the Minister any concerns that our transport systems, particularly our cross-border transport systems, are acting in line with each other or are there any ongoing difficulties there?”
“I am mindful of the recent strike action that was taken by nurses to stress to us that they were working in unsafe conditions. Is the Minister content that we and our health service are capable of dealing with the fallout if Boris Johnson's Government's plan for herd immunity goes ahead?”
“They watch as the system that created this compounding of errors, with unacceptable behaviour by some officials, Ministers and special advisers, is now charged with navigating us through a dangerous pandemic. We have the opportunity to do right and to prove ourselves able and willing to work together and not apart. Let us not mess up again.”
“I am still contacted by constituents who are face financial disaster. They have been left in limbo to this day by the mismanagement and humiliation so clearly outlined by Ms Armstrong. It still needs to be addressed. RHI has not only damaged the reputation of this institution; it has damaged the reputation of renewable energy and renewable energy schemes when we so desperately need more of them to urgently address the climate emergency that we are in the midst of. <BR /> <BR />We can call for the full implementation of all recommendations, but only time will tell if that will be done. The public will judge us for it, and judge us they do. People know that little has changed with the functioning of this 'New Decade, New Approach' Executive.”
“There is a general agreement that the report gives us little more than we had already learned through the inquiry. It is disappointing that, when the inquiry was signed off, it was not done with the explicit intent to implement all recommendations. We have to wait and see what it leads to, other than another inquiry with another report.”
“I would be surprised if any one of us here has been able to give due time and attention to this report over the weekend as we have been dealing with the emerging COVID-19 pandemic and the fear, panic and uncertainty that is being created. <BR /> <BR />The RHI scheme was a scandal that left us with no Executive for three and a half years and, in that void, brought so many of our vulnerable people to the brink.”
“— that we need to go much further than what the motion calls for if we are to get serious about childcare.”
“— by a highly qualified, well-paid workforce. Unpaid childcare alone here is worth nearly £350 billion to the UK economy each year — three times more than the total value of the financial services sector — yet it is not counted towards GDP.”
“Nordic countries like Sweden and Denmark have some of the highest maternal employment rates in the world, as well as the lowest child poverty rates. Quality childcare is delivered —”
“<BR /> <BR />In Scandinavia, access to childcare for young children is considered a formal right, with restrictions on the maximum fee that parents have to pay set by government. As a result, in 2016 98% of children aged under three in Denmark were in nursery, with the majority of them spending more than 30 hours a week there. Families pay up to 25% of the cost of day care. Those on low incomes and single parents pay between nothing and 25% of the cost, and there are discounts for siblings — imagine. The Government make up the difference. Why is that the case? It is because the Scandinavians see childcare as a long-term investment in children, in families and in their economy. Those countries have embraced universal childcare as the right of every child and a responsibility of the state to provide.”
“In 2018, the Joseph Rowntree Foundation poverty report data showed that 370,000 people in Northern Ireland live in poverty. That figure consisted of 110,000 children, with over half of those children living in households where at least one parent was working. That means that almost one in four children here live in a family that struggles to provide their basic needs for a warm, adequate home, nutritious food and appropriate clothing in order to pay for childcare. Looking to the future, it is essential that the childcare infrastructure in Northern Ireland supports parents to access and stay in work or training and, once they are there, helps to ensure that that work pays for families and childcare workers and helps to lift us all out of poverty.”
“It is also essential that childcare work is recognised with decent pay and terms and conditions so that we can attract and retain the best workers to sustain and grow that industry. Childcare is not a luxury but a necessity for most parents, because most families require two wages to get by financially. Childcare is essential for single parents in order for them to hold down a job at the same time as caring for their family. <BR /> <BR />In 2018, I was delighted to host the launch of the Childcare For All campaign and the Children's Charter here at Stormont. That initiative was supported by some of the biggest children's charities and unions in Northern Ireland, including Save the Children, Barnardo's and the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU).”
“It is, therefore, no surprise that the motion has come from his party colleagues. <BR /> <BR />I suggest that we look at how the Danes, Swedes and Norwegians, for example, do childcare to see how beneficial it is to the labour market, to tackling child poverty and to building the emotional, physical and psychological well-being of our children. What we need in Northern Ireland is a childcare system that is affordable, accessible, high-quality and flexible and that supports children's education and development. Childcare should be available and suitable for all children of all ages, including those with disabilities and those living in rural locations. Childcare provision should enable parents to access and stay in paid work, education and training.”
“I note that the Minister of Education replied to a question on the childcare strategy by stating:”
“Universal child-centred childcare that meets the needs of children, families and childcare workers and providers benefits society. We have plenty of European examples of that to draw on.”
“I support the motion, but it is with regret. The motion would provide only for three- and four-year-olds. I have to agree with Employers For Childcare — it contacted us all, I think — when they point out that childcare is not an issue only for three- and four-year-olds. Parents struggle most when their children are in the 0 to two age bracket, especially when mums are trying to get back into work. The first 1,000 days are the most important for child development. If we are serious about creating a childcare strategy, we need to focus on the lack of accessible, affordable and flexible childcare as one of the fundamental inequalities facing us. If we are to tackle that inequality, how we treat our youngest members of society, along with tackling inequality for working women, are two good places to start.”
“Will that be a UK-wide response? Will that be a Northern Ireland response? How will we join up the dots if we are talking about 50% to 80% of the population facing contamination here?”
“I thank the Minister for the statement. It is greatly appreciated, and I put on record my respect and admiration for all healthcare workers, who are taking on extra duties. They must be commended given that we all know that they are working in extremely stressed and under-resourced circumstances. I am interested to hear the Minister's views on the fact that we are hearing reports that Dublin is going to cancel its St Patrick's Day festivities, yet an announcement on that has not been made here. While it is good to hear that you are working well with your counterparts across the UK and in the Republic of Ireland, I want to look at that disparity. We are in a period of containment now, but if we have to move to a delay sequence, how will that be calculated? Who makes that call? Will that be an island-wide response?”
“I thank the Minister for his update on the ongoing work with his UK counterparts. Can he give us an update on what work he is doing with his counterparts across this island, given that our schoolchildren will be moving around this land mass rather than travelling abroad?”
“Will the Minister let us know what the balance is between available apprenticeships for those educated to degree level and those not educated to degree level? Where can we get information on all available apprenticeship courses? Is that published by the Department?”
“It is good to hear the Minister talk about the weather. Farming is dictated by the seasons. Climate change is messing with weather patterns, and farmers are struggling with that. Will you be looking at slurry spreading in terms of climate change?”
“I thank the Minister for her answer. Can she let us know how many reports of harassment and intimidation by anti-abortion protesters have been received to date? What are the numbers of subsequent investigations and prosecutions?”
“We urgently need a new ANC scheme to give economic assurance and value to those working on our land and in our environment.”
“I thank the Member for her intervention, and she raises important points. Change is fluid at the minute, and everything should be continually reviewed. We are facing phenomenal change in the face of Brexit, and we need to put plans in place. <BR /> <BR />The Green Party aims to further the social, environment and economic well-being of those involved in our agri-sector. We have an opportunity to renegotiate a scheme to recognise market realities, such as farm size, and future challenges, such as climate change. We have the opportunity to re-evaluate what we consider to be economically productive. For example, what will be the economic value of the tree-planting schemes that the Minister announced just yesterday, the maintenance of those lands and any potential forestry? <BR /> <BR />Things are changing. Let us make them fit for purpose.”
“For example, Scotland budgeted £450 million at the same time that we spent £8 million. Until we have a financial plan in place, we should not further stress disadvantaged farmers. <BR /> <BR />The Green Party —.”
“We need our own plan for our own future that meets our own needs. <BR /> <BR />If we are to move towards production models, it needs to be sustainable production and future-proofed productivity. Our farmers in severely disadvantaged areas need to be given solid assurances that we will protect them and that they deserve to have access to specific and targeted economic interventions. They also need to know that their hard work and dedication are invaluable to wider society. <BR /> <BR />Farm incomes across Northern Ireland are down, and the Minister himself told us that. They are down 25% in the last financial year, if I remember correctly. Northern Ireland farm business surveys tell us that that is expected to plummet even further. ANC payments across the UK vary greatly.”
“It is pretty basic stuff, really. The Agriculture Bill that is working its way through Westminster will set the post-Brexit agenda for the UK agri-sector for decades to come. We need to get this right, and schedule 6 is the only part that directly addresses Northern Ireland's future. Suffice to say that it raises more questions than it answers in terms of compliance with the Ireland/Northern Ireland protocol, with our climate and biodiversity commitments and with sustainability measures that will be fit for purpose in the greening decade to come. <BR /> <BR />Given that we also know that Scotland will introduce its own primary legislation for the future of its agriculture and that Wales is working towards producing legislation, it is clear that there will be no UK framework to rely on.”
“Can he therefore give us any updates on how his Department is working to establish an independent environmental protection agency, as was voted for in the House a few weeks back?”
“I thank the Minister for his statement. It is welcome to see him move so swiftly to take action on reforestation across Northern Ireland. As somebody who lives on the boundary of Belvoir Park forest and who spent the weekend in Cregagh Glen, I have to say that the work done by many agencies to look after our spaces is to be commended. It was great to hear that you could plant another million trees in Belfast, because everybody benefits from having such spaces. <BR /> <BR />I was going to ask the Minister about the land that has been identified for planting, but I think that he addressed that when he spoke about not planting on land that can release more carbon than the trees would capture.”
“It was good to hear the Minister say that if the EU was good to its word, it would act in the best interests of the people of Northern Ireland. Does he agree, then, that if the Conservative Government were good to their word, they would uphold the international treaty that they negotiated and signed off rather than threaten to break it? <BR /> <BR />Can I also ask the Minister whether he has sought assurances from his ministerial group given that we saw reports at the weekend that Brexiteers are now recommending to the Government that our food sector is not critical to the country's economy and that agriculture and fisheries certainly are not?”
“It is great to hear about all the initiatives and how recycling rates have grown. Obviously, incinerators need waste — they need to be fed on waste — but we also have to meet waste reduction targets. Rather than just recycling or circular economies, will the Minister give us more detail on what we are doing to reduce our waste in Northern Ireland?”
“To follow on, I would like to ask the question that has been unanswered so far by the First Minister and deputy First Minister: do they have any concerns about potential conflicts of interest in relation to the Attorney General's office, given his recent appointment as a temporary deputy High Court judge?”
“Thank you very much for your answer, Minister. I was glad to hear you mention the co-ownership scheme in particular. Given the level of need for all social housing providers and those working within urban regeneration, does he feel that the Northern Ireland Investment Fund has proved beneficial in relieving any pressures in those sectors?”
“Let us take a moment to decide whether we will have a new approach for a new decade and begin to deliver. I urge the House to support the motion and amendment No 1. Thank you for your time.”
“It is the city that I am from, and it makes me so proud to see a Commissioner for Resilience in Belfast City Council doing fantastic work and the recently established Belfast Climate Commission linking up many networks across these islands to set new frameworks and share best practice. <BR /> <BR />There is real potential in what we would understand as a post-growth economy. There is a spirit level. There is greater health and well-being. The Minister is right: there is no quick fix. The economic and human cost, the environmental and biodiversity cost of not acting now will be greater if we delay. We have the evidence, but we are fast running out of the time. Fifty years of this evidence base is not being bounced, but we do delay very well here.”
“It is a very valid point. I do not think that it is the only thing that we need to do, but it is very urgent. I think that the moratorium on fracking in Northern Ireland still stands, but I am willing to be corrected if I need to be. <BR /> <BR />We want to see the Executive bring forward a climate Act, environmental targets with strong legal underpinnings and an independent environmental protection agency to oversee that work and hold us all accountable. We need our communities to be protected and made resilient in the face of the changes that are to come. We can make sure that they can thrive. <BR /> <BR />The honourable Member from East Antrim tried to take the title of the centre of the universe earlier, but Belfast is the centre of the universe.”