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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“Our energy strategy, which is out for consultation, needs to set ambitious targets and actions for a fair and just transition.”
“Our very systems are our greatest threats. Our planet will, can and has sustained itself over billions of years, as the honourable Member Mr Allister has pointed out, and through many environments. It is us who are at risk. <BR /> <BR />The changes that we need to bring in cross every Department. While it is great to have our Minister for the environment here and speaking on the motion and our Minister for Infrastructure joining the debate and being here, it is to be regretted that their Executive colleagues are not here. They will carry as much responsibility in carrying out the changes that are needed. It is not just one Department; it is across Departments. The Executive's strategies to reduce carbon emissions need to be reviewed in light of the Paris Accord.”
“I have been watching the growing understanding that our environment is not a stand-alone thing that can be dealt with separately or by just recycling cardboard boxes. It is much more urgent and intrinsic. It goes to the very heart of who we are, what we are and how we do business. It goes to the heart of our education system, our health systems, our communities and to the very heart of our economic systems. <BR /> <BR />Jeremy Grantham from the London School of Economics states:”
“First, I thank the honourable Member Caoimhe Archibald and her party, Sinn Féin, for their willingness to enage in this debate and to work collaboratively and in a cross-party way on the amendment and throughout the debate. On a personal note, it is a bit bittersweet to watch the growing understanding across our public decision-making bodies and also within our political leadership, knowing and understanding that continuing as we are is just not an option. If we had understood that earlier, we could have had interventions earlier. I do not feel that we are being bounced into anything. These debates and this evidence base have been building for 50 years. I know that change comes slowly but just consider that.”
“It is great to hear the Minister saying that she will make announcements in the near future about any potential changes that she can make to the awful process that we now have. She said that an announcement will be forthcoming, but does she have powers to make changes, for example, for people who make claims for universal credit and are suffering life-limiting or terminal diagnoses, such as cancer? I have been working for over two years with people who have been forced through the process, are still getting turned down and have to appeal the decision. Does she have the power to, for example, not force that on those people any more?”
“It is good to hear that the Minister is signalling his willingness to stick to ministerial direction. Will he be just as keen to stick to the direction from the House? I think of his decision last week not to call an inquiry into the Mobuoy waste dump despite unanimous support from all in the House to do so.”
“There is a lot to do, and we are being lobbied hard. I hope that everybody can step up, speak with a collective voice and act in a collective effort in the best interests of all our citizens.”
“When we put that together with the fact that elections for a new Government in the South will take place on Saturday — the polls show that no party will hold a majority and that the parties are likely to go into a process of trying to set up another coalition Government, which could string things out — we are really tight for time. If Boris Johnson and the UK Government are looking to have trade deals signed off within 11 months, they will need a magic wand. I have concerns for our future. <BR /> <BR />The workload for the Assembly and Executive will be huge. We have the opportunity to do something good and get something right. We know the emergencies that we need to address to look after the best interests of our people, particularly climate chaos and the changes required there, workers' rights and the right of people to free movement.”
“In Northern Ireland, we are being held hostage to the fortune of a Prime Minister whom this House does not even trust, who led a campaign to leave that was full of nonsense and was found to have broken electoral law. He went further and was found to have acted illegally in proroguing Parliament to get his withdrawal Bill through. He has U-turned so many times on pledges and promises that we can expect the year ahead only to be full of more of the same.”
“On Friday morning, I listened to the weather forecast. The weather reporter told us that it was going to be a dark, dank day, and that is exactly how I felt, as, I imagine, many across Northern Ireland — the majority of whom voted to remain — felt. We cannot sit back and say that this was the democratic will because we know that there is confusion and chaos right across the population in the UK. <BR /> <BR />While my colleague in South Belfast is absolutely right to say that 17·4 million voted to leave, that cannot be a stand-alone figure because we must acknowledge that over 16 million voted to remain, yet we have no clarity and no plan.”
“In a moment. <BR /> <BR />We do that because it is not just our farmers and agri-food businesses who need that security, but all of us — everyone. We are in no doubt that the urgency and the chaotic process is not of their making; it is the result of the Brexit shambles, which does not have the consent of our people. That Brexit shambles has been compounded by the lack of political leadership here in Northern Ireland over the past three years, just when we needed it the most. <BR /> <BR />I call on the Minister to ensure that long-term sustainable plans are created for our farmers as a matter of urgency, and that those will be fully focused on the potential and the needs that are unique to us here in Northern Ireland.”
“What is of further concern is that the payments are being provided for only this calendar year. Departmental officials have made it very clear that there will be a sunset clause attached to the LCM. Our farmers have been extremely concerned and very vocal over their discontent with Brexit plans, or precisely, the lack thereof. <BR /> <BR />While the LCM will bring minimal financial relief, it brings no certainty for farmers. It brings no ability to build on business plans beyond this year. The Green Party supports the motion.”
“For example, it rewards the use of fewer chemicals, maintaining our natural habitats and protecting wildlife. But that is not what is being addressed today. Today, we are seeking consent to provide urgent and short-term financial relief and peace of mind to our farmers in the face of our exit from the European Union on Friday. If this LCM is not supported, payments to farmers may not be available to them when they wake on Saturday morning.”
“Freudian, Freudian. I commend the Minister for wasting absolutely no time in tackling the very weighty backlog that is in his departmental portfolio as a result of the last three years. It has been very encouraging to see him hit the ground running. <BR /> <BR />The pros and cons of the common agricultural policy and the arguments around them are very well rehearsed. Arguments in support of the CAP go into issues such as food security, good diversity in food and how it helps to protect our rural communities. The cons include issues around its encouragement of over-production, its wastefulness and that it leads to a small number of the population, including global corporations, receiving vast amounts of public funds. <BR /> <BR />For us in the Greens, we recognise that the CAP goes very far in protecting our agrienvironment.”
“I also want to condemn — commend him, sorry.”
“Principal Deputy Speaker, I welcome you in your new role. I also welcome Minister Poots in his new role. As a member of the AERA Committee, I genuinely look forward to working with him over the few years that are left in this mandate, and I have no doubt that he feels the same about me.”
“His legacy will be long remembered, and we can go far in strengthening his work and his tenacity by continuing to forge a peaceful and reconciled future for all across Northern Ireland.”
“We in the Green Party also extend our condolences to our SDLP colleagues in the Chamber and the wider SDLP family and, of course, to Séamus's daughter, Orla, and to his wider family. The death of a husband, father and brother is a painful event, and I wish them the strength needed for the times ahead. <BR /> <BR />Séamus was a giant in the political arena. He was a giant figure, but he came from a different political era: that of the civil rights movement. For me, he was a recognisable face on my television during my younger years. I did not have the opportunity to meet or work with him, but, certainly, his courage and willingness to take risks were his central tenets, allowing us all to be here today in the Chamber. We should all be in no doubt of that and be thankful for it and for the fact that it has allowed us to move on.”
“I also welcome the Minister into office. I commend you for producing the statement in your very short three days in office so far. Very well done. <BR /> <BR />I go back to the funding numbers that you gave for the in-year easements. I noted that you could not give any particular detail on where they might come from and said that you would speak to the Finance Minister. Will the Minister let us know whether that will come strictly from the health budgets, or will you look for cross-departmental support for that? I am also really keen to know whether the Minister believes that the settlement that has been produced and put forward today could have been achieved before now, in the absence of a local Minister in post.”
“It is here, it is called the climate emergency, and it knows no borders, so we will all be affected. We truly believe that today a platform exists to create a sustainable, accountable devolved Executive, Assembly and society. The Green Party really hopes the will is there for that as well.”
“The Green Party is very encouraged to note the very high level of environmental commitments given in the draft deal. Promises, such as a strategy to reduce our carbon emissions in the light of the Paris accord, an energy strategy to transition to a carbon-neutral society, an independent environmental protection agency, long overdue and long campaigned for, the elimination of plastic pollution, an economic strategy that will include a green new deal, and the close-down of the RHI, are all very welcome, but we are the only place across these islands yet to see and endorse a climate Act. <BR /> <BR />Let this new decade and this new approach be one where Northern Ireland is no longer left behind as a place apart, because, regardless of anyone's identity, a new Ireland is coming.”
“Thank you, Mr Speaker. I also congratulate you and your team on your new role and our First Minister and deputy First Minister on their reappointment. This is a positive development for Northern Ireland today and one in which we can hopefully begin to move forward. After three years of stagnation, I think we can all agree that people have suffered enough. While there is much in the draft agreement, there is so much there that has been promised before but failed to be delivered. If we are seriously intent in the Chamber on doing things differently, it is delivery we need to do. Let delivery be the new approach for this new decade. <BR /> <BR />Climate breakdown is the biggest threat we face, yet we have done so little to address it. People are so far ahead of our politics and policy, and they are demanding that we step up.”
“Can the Minister confirm whether the inquiry will, if necessary, have access to and be able to investigate any potential links, if they are found, between party donors and the RHI scheme? Furthermore, will the inquiry be able to compel documents from the Electoral Commission if need be?”
“This crime is prolific in our society. It is happening today, it will happen tomorrow and it happened yesterday. This is our shame. <BR /> <BR />The real tragedy of all this is the fact that, because of the failures of this Executive, these victims are still not seeing the justice that they deserve. Stormont is fast becoming a byword for corruption, and today its legacy of redress for these victims is certainly nothing to be proud of. This whole suffering is our entire shame.”
“We have to acknowledge that we have wasted most of the victims and survivors' lives in bringing this to where it is, and it is still not resolved. <BR /> <BR />When we hear the words "systemic failure", know that this institution is a major player in that system. I have untold admiration for the campaigners, and we can never again say that we do not know, or did not know, because we know. <BR /> <BR />We need to say sorry; and I am deeply sorry. I am also deeply sorry to every child in this country who is currently living with this fear and abuse. I want to do all I can to make sure that each and every one of them knows that we are listening and going to take action. We are coming to an election. When we go out with our pledges to the public, make this your number one pledge, because this crime did not end institutional abuse.”
“I believe that the victims and survivors deserve much more than a half-empty Chamber and a non-existent Executive to move forward with what, I believe, they have probably just started. <BR /> <BR />I also share the concerns raised by Chris Lyttle about Kincora and those who did not feel that they could come forward and take part in this investigation and their reasons for doing so as well. I want to try to offer a bit of hope to them, that this report is just the first platform or step, and much more needs to be done, and we can be doing much more, to help. <BR /> <BR />I also think that the campaigners have done much more than wait for this report. They have fought, suffered and struggled to be believed and heard for most of their lives. I also believe that this House has wasted much more than eight months.”
“As someone who has worked for Nexus, an organisation that works with the victims of sexual abuse and rape, I know fine well that this type of abuse has long-lasting and horrific consequences for victims and survivors. More often than not, it takes decades for them to find the space to speak their voice and reach out for some help. We need to ensure that these types of organisations are properly funded in order that they can continue to offer this avenue of help for those who need it. <BR /> <BR />It is impossible not to welcome this report. It is truly awful, as has been mentioned, but it is being debated in an environment where our government is crumbling by the day and the Executive are not here to move forward on it.”
“It is good that all Members in the House can stand in unity against those who want to bring fear and violence into our communities. Thankfully, the officer is in a stable condition, but things could have turned out very differently, either for him or anybody else in the vicinity. The local community are very angry about what has happened. We must continue to work to make sure that it does not happen again.”
“It was a terrible attack on a public servant and the wider public. What will be heroic is when that police officer returns to this duties trying to do all that he can to protect our community and make us safer. He will be the hero when he returns to duty. I hope that he makes a full recovery. I wish him all the best.”
“I am speaking for all members of the Green Party today. I join the calls to condemn the attack that took place last night. I was very shocked, for many reasons, as the news broke last night. I was not long home from my local garage forecourt when I saw the breaking news. That forecourt is not simply a garage; it is also a corner shop for my area. It is where I went for a pint of milk on a Sunday night, and I am sure that many people at the garage last night where the attack happened were doing the same: they were getting milk for the fridge, they were getting food for their children's packed lunches and they were filling up their cars. It is a public area, and there is absolutely no excuse for what took place. It is not heroic to fire a rain of bullets in these circumstances.”
“Does the Minister have any evidence of a spike, or certainly an increase, in drug-related crimes, particularly in the south Belfast area over the past lot of years?”
“In response to this motion, I would like to say that, before the Executive give themselves powers to roll out these new welfare reforms and remove supports from our most vulnerable, they should perhaps take a look at themselves, put their own house in order and address some of their own financial fiascos.”
“I was also working on a private Member's Bill to try to bring the campaign of intimidation outside reproductive health centres to an end. These are all wasted opportunities now, but I will stay and continue to keep my promises to the people of Northern Ireland to do all that I can for a community that I am very proud to represent. <BR /> <BR />South Belfast has an image of being a very affluent and leafy suburb, but we need to remember that south Belfast also has some of the most socially and economically deprived wards in Northern Ireland. It has a high percentage of people who are in receipt of state benefits due to unemployment, disability, caring responsibilities or simply our low-wage economy. We see from figures published recently that south Belfast claimants already suffer disproportionately from benefit sanctions.”
“People trying to access those services constantly have to negotiate through protestors who continue a concerted campaign of hate and harassment, yet our laws seem unable to do much to stop it. <BR /> <BR />Despite all the other jurisdictions across the UK — Scotland, England and Wales — and of course Ireland making moves and introducing equal marriage, so many in this House still refuse to acknowledge that LGBT people here in Northern Ireland are still not seen as equals in the eyes of our laws. I was pleased to be given a place on the Justice Committee. I am very glad to see the Minister, the Department and the Committee making strident moves to try to tackle some of this inequality. We were working on stalking legislation. We were working on Northern Ireland's first ever laws to address domestic violence.”
“Its statistics show that a quarter of our population will suffer some form of domestic abuse at some stage in their life — usually in their own home, a place of safety for many. <BR /> <BR />When you put the statistics together, it starts to tell a story. Here in Northern Ireland, a woman is more likely to face a pregnancy as a result of rape than to ever face her abuser in a court of law. Through this House, we continue to afford her no reproductive rights or choice when she faces that situation. On the small legal application of reproductive rights and the right to choose a termination, we have Marie Stopes and the Family Planning Association, both situated in south Belfast.”
“I pledged to the people of South Belfast that I would work hard on equality issues and for human rights compliant legislation, particularly for women. Women in Northern Ireland suffer from a lack of legislative protections in many areas. We know fine well that we have a lack of women in public life in Northern Ireland and that the numbers have been seen to decrease since the institutions and the peace process began. In my previous job, I worked for an organisation that helps those who have been sexually abused or raped. Its figures show that a quarter of women and children in Northern Ireland should expect to be sexually abused at some stage in their lives. I have worked long and hard with Women's Aid in Northern Ireland.”
“It is one of the most oversubscribed schools in Northern Ireland, yet it is still a bit disappointing to see that integrated schooling is not the norm or an opportunity that is available for the majority of children in Northern Ireland. <BR /> <BR />On the doorsteps during the last election campaign, I invited people to start to vote for something rather than against something. There is a long history of voters in Northern Ireland voting tactically. They tend to vote for something in order to keep something else out, and they then end up with something that they did not want in the first place. I was really honoured that, by going out with a message and giving something else as an alternative, I was returned in the fourth seat.”
“Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. When I picked this date to deliver my maiden speech, I could not have predicted the circumstances under which it is being made and the political fiasco that is happening. <BR /> <BR />I was elected by the people of South Belfast to represent them. South Belfast should be held up as a model for the rest of Northern Ireland, because it is the most diverse community that we have. That is represented in the six seats being held by five parties. Maybe the next election will bring a total balance of five from five. Who knows? <BR /> <BR />I am a long-time resident of south Belfast. When Lagan College, Northern Ireland's first integrated school, opened its doors in south Belfast, I am pleased to say that my sister and I were two of the first 28 pupils to attend the school. My children have been through that school.”
“I thank the Minister for that answer. That all sounds like good work being done, but I am still not sure as to how it raises public awareness. Can the Minister perhaps commit to not driving a diesel car throughout that as well, and encourage others to do the same?”
“Will the Minister acknowledge that four major cities have committed to banning diesel cars by 2025 due to air pollution levels? Will she let the House know whether she has any intention of doing the same?”
“Principal Deputy Speaker, I believe that to be an excellent suggestion. May I suggest that we perhaps do the same in this Chamber? We have strategies and reports, and they are one thing, but accountability and scrutiny are very much another. Again, I reaffirm that we in the Green Party want to take this opportunity to confirm our commitment to the European Convention on Human Rights as universal rights for all.”
“<BR /> <BR />During a Westminster debate on international Human Rights Day, last year, Jim Shannon MP stated:”
“They are: a single equality Bill; a bill of rights; termination of pregnancy; Irish language protection; promotion of Ulster Scots; issues for Irish Travellers, including educational attainment and housing; lack of involvement by the Northern Ireland Executive; poverty; conflict and legacy issues; the age of criminal responsibility; historical institutional abuse; and structures for participation. Access to many other human rights has been challenged in our courts, some of which I have mentioned and others that are currently being considered by our courts. It is for those reasons that I feel it is important that we need to be held accountable for what we do in our roles as public legislators. That is why I feel it important that this amendment receives support from all Members.”
“It is regrettable that, here in Northern Ireland, so many cases have made their way into our courts to test those protocols. <BR /> <BR />This was the same year that saw the introduction of the Northern Ireland Act, which sets out the legislative competence of the Assembly and prevents us from legislating in conflict with the European Convention on Human Rights. I think it is important that the House reaffirms its commitment to that, because, over several years, observations of Northern Ireland from many international treaty bodies have repeatedly identified approximately 12 reoccurring human rights issues within the Assembly.”
“<BR /> <BR />A series of protocols have been added at various points since, including protocol 2, which furthers basic rights such as the protection of property, the right to education and the right to free elections. In 1963, protocol 4 introduced the prohibition of imprisonment for debt; freedom of movement; and the prohibition of expulsion of all nationals. Further protocols brought us all universal rights, such as compensation for wrongful conviction; equality between spouses; and the right of appeal in criminal matters. The Human Rights Act has been UK law since 1998. That means that you, as an individual human, can defend your universal rights in a UK court and that public organisations — including the Government, the police and local councils — must treat everyone equally, with fairness, dignity and respect.”
“The European Convention on Human Rights is really worth spelling out and having a look at as we debate this. We, in the Northern Ireland Assembly, should have been writing it into our laws since 1998. It states some pretty straightforward things, such as the right to marry; prohibition of discrimination; freedom of thought, conscience and religion; right to respect for private and family life; and the prohibition of abuse of rights. Under section 2 of the convention, a further series of articles sets out the operation and accountability of the European Court of Human Rights. It includes the appointment of judges and the decisions taken.”
“It is hard for us to disagree with that statement. As a state signatory to the declaration, Westminster is, to all intents and purposes, the accountable Government, at both the international and domestic level, for ensuring that those universal rights are afforded to every UK citizen. <BR /> <BR />On 22 May 1998, people across this island overwhelmingly supported the Good Friday/Belfast Agreement, which was a legally binding democratic referendum. As amendment No 2, from the SDLP, states, that agreement included:”
“We in the Green Party are really glad to see the debate brought to the House and are supportive of the original motion. We have proposed a very slight amendment and hope that it is taken as a friendly amendment, as it is aimed at reflecting the legal obligations of the Assembly's commitments to human rights, as well as the Westminster Government's. <BR /> <BR />In the pack made available for the debate, there is a quotation from the United Nations, already mentioned by Mr Lynch, that outlines the background for reasons to introduce an international Human Rights Day:”
“I commend the fantastic work of Positive Life, the Rainbow Project and specialist HIV services in the genito-urinary medicine (GUM) clinics and other statutory sectors. We support the motion.”
“NHS England lost an appeal against a court ruling that said that the commissioning of PrEP was its responsibility. Whilst we await the outworkings of that lost appeal and the statement from NHS England on the three actions that it is taking, one of which is giving consideration to funding PrEP, people are accessing PrEP at significant personal cost or are buying it online.”