Colin McGrath
South Down · Social Democratic and Labour Party · Northern Ireland
“Minister, regardless of where people stand on the exact figure, surely we can all agree that a health service cannot function without the doctors whom it trains.”
“Minister, climate change is happening, and extreme weather events are taking place. We saw that in Downpatrick a number of years ago when the town centre was ravaged by flooding, and it has taken the businesses affected many years to try to get over that flooding.”
“Minister, given that capital funding is, generally, being decimated, the extent of which may increase as a result of the Executive's not agreeing a Budget, what impact will that have on any final road maintenance strategy, and are any contingencies being put in place to manage that?”
“<BR /> <BR />Since March 2025, the parliamentary excellence programme has delivered dedicated sessions with the Executive Office on the strategic framework and its delivery plan, enhancing Members’ understanding of the cross-government approach and their role in scrutiny, legislation and constituency engagement.”
“<BR /> <BR />More broadly, the Assembly Commission supports Members and Committees in carrying out their scrutiny functions, including in relation to the Executive Office’s work on that framework.”
“As the Member mentioned, one example is the Assembly's Women's Caucus, which has a particular focus on supporting women in public life and highlighting the increasing challenges that women face in the digital sphere, including online abuse.”
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“Yes. If you listened on, you would know that we have already made that point. Nobody has been charged with blasphemy, but given that we still have it on the statute book, how can we talk convincingly when other places and other people are being impacted by that?”
“They ensure that the law focuses on those who seek to exploit others or to commit offences, rather than penalising people simply because they are poor, vulnerable or without a home. <BR /> <BR />We also welcome amendment No 73, which abolishes the common law offences of blasphemy and blasphemous libel. Those offences have long fallen into disuse and have no place in a modern democratic society that is committed to freedom of expression, freedom of religion and freedom of conscience. Their removal has not only practical but symbolic importance. Around the world, individuals continue to face imprisonment, persecution and, in some cases, even death because of blasphemy laws. Journalists, activists, religious minorities and those of no faith continue to be targeted under such legislation.”
“They are far more likely to have experienced trauma, poor mental health, addiction, family breakdown or financial crisis. They need support, intervention and access to housing; they do not need criminal records. <BR /> <BR />At the same time, repealing outdated vagrancy offences should not be confused with tolerating criminal behaviour. We recognise the concerns that have been raised about the criminality that can sometimes be associated with public spaces. We therefore welcome amendment No 71, which creates an offence of trespassing with intent to commit a criminal offence, and amendment No 72, which targets those who organise, facilitate or profit from begging for gain. We believe that those amendments strike the correct balance.”
“The amendments strengthen the ability of local agencies to pursue those who direct and benefit from organised criminal activity, and they represent an important step in tackling the scourge of paramilitarism. <BR /> <BR />Amendment No 70, which repeals a number of historical public order offences, represents welcome and overdue reform. Across these islands and internationally, there is a growing recognition that outdated vagrancy laws have too often criminalised poverty and homelessness rather than addressing their causes. Homelessness charities, human rights organisations and those who work directly with rough sleepers have consistently argued that sleeping rough should never be treated as a criminal matter. People experiencing homelessness are often among the most vulnerable in our society.”
“They provide a statutory definition of an "organised crime group" and create the offences of participating in and directing the criminal activities of such groups. They allow our justice system to target not only those who carry out criminal acts but those who organise and facilitate such acts and, importantly, those who profit from them. <BR /> <BR />For the SDLP, tackling organised crime and tackling paramilitarism are inseparable objectives. It is important that our institutions have the legal tools necessary to disrupt the criminal networks that operate in our communities. In reality, many of the organisations that continue to exercise coercive influence in parts of Northern Ireland increasingly cloak themselves in criminality.”
“In some cases, that means giving law enforcement new powers to pursue those who direct criminal enterprises and profit from the misery of others. In other cases, it means recognising that certain offences belong to a different era and no longer have a place on our statute book. With that in mind, the SDLP will support the amendments in the group. <BR /> <BR />Amendment Nos 45 to 48 relate to organised crime groups. For too long, the North has suffered the corrosive impact of organised criminality. Whether through drug dealing, extortion, intimidation, fuel laundering, human trafficking or the continuing influence of paramilitary structures in some communities, organised crime continues to undermine public confidence, damage local economies and blight lives. The amendments help to address a significant gap in our legislative framework.”
“I commend the Chair of the Committee for not being one bit obnoxious in his speech. That was quite an achievement. I hope to, likewise, not be obnoxious, but I will do so in a much shorter time than the hour and 10 minutes that we have just been subjected to. Later contributions may be a little bit shorter to help us all along. <BR /> <BR />This group brings together a diverse set of amendments, but, despite covering very different subject matter, they are united by a common theme. At their core, the amendments ask us whether our justice system is equipped to deal with modern challenges. They seek to tackle organised criminality and exploitation while also ensuring that our laws reflect our modern values.”
“The reality is that some high streets are suffering more than others for whatever reason, be that local authority neglect, their location or because businesses have opened elsewhere. Is there a way, via the high street task force, to provide extra bespoke assistance for towns — Downpatrick could be on that list — that are suffering more than others?”
“What message does that send to our dedicated firefighters?”
“I look forward with interest to receiving those responses. Our main priority should be fire prevention and waste operators' compliance with fire prevention plans. To that end, will the Minister give me his assessment of the AERA Minister's response to me, in which he stated that, from the NI Environment Agency's perspective:”
“Pay parity affects patient care. That is as basic as it gets. When experienced nurses leave, vacancies remain unfilled and staff feel undervalued, patients feel the consequences. We then resort to spending more and more money on agency staff. Meanwhile, the public are forced to listen to an endless blame game. One Minister blames another, Stormont points at Westminster, and Westminster points back. Do you know what? It is all becoming utterly desperate, depressing and dull. People outside the Building do not care who takes responsibility; they just want somebody to do it. They simply expect those who sought the privilege of governing to actually govern and take those decisions.”
“Once upon a time, those things were treated as inescapable, and so they are. Why do the Executive continue to leave it to the last minute and try to juggle Barnett consequentials or in-year monitoring rounds in order to find the necessary money to make pay awards? Year after year, nurses are left waiting to hear what their pay award will be and whether pay parity will be maintained. While they wait, health and social care trusts are left in deep uncertainty, because, if funding for pay awards is not built into the system from the outset, they inevitably come under pressure to find that funding or make efficiencies elsewhere. We should call "efficiencies" what they are: cuts to the service. <BR /> <BR />The longer that that cycle continues, the wider the gap grows between what is received by our nurses and their colleagues elsewhere.”
“Yesterday was 1 June. Over the past two months, the Assembly has debated legislation, discussed policy and generated countless headlines. This week, more legislation will progress through the Chamber. Yet, somehow, as we stand here today, neither a three-year Budget nor even a one-year Budget has progressed. A Budget is a basic responsibility of the Government, but it remains unfinished. That failure has consequences that go far beyond the Chamber and the Building. It affects every Department, public service and community that relies on public services. Nowhere is that clearer than in our health service and the treatment of our nurses. <BR /> <BR />Every year, we know how many nurses we employ, what pay bands they are on and that pay awards will have to be funded. None of that comes as a surprise.”
“To follow up on the previous question, in the past seven years, the same eight areas have received Communities in Transition funding. The work is, of course, welcome, but at what point will communities have transitioned?”
“I welcome Health's ePharmacy programme. Many members of the all-party group on community pharmacy have called for that for a long time, so it is good to see it eventually arrive. The fact that funding is available for organisations and groups is welcome, given that no Budget has been agreed, which is causing a lot of uncertainty. <BR /> <BR />Does the Finance Minister know whether the £30 million from the National Lottery is for one year, two years or five years? It is great to see that money being invested, but, once it has run out, a void will be left that will have to be filled by the Department.”
“Today I urge the Education Minister to start to listen to those who are on the front line, as I did at that meeting. He will hear clearly that staff are at the absolute brink. We must do something to support and help them in their work helping our children.”
“What concerns me most is this: major changes are still being pushed forward without any honest explanation of how schools will be resourced to deliver them. The Children's Commissioner has already warned that the proposals for a graduated response framework are not ready for implementation. That was echoed by the staff whom I met at the meeting. Those warnings cannot be brushed aside. If teachers, principals and specialists are all telling us that the system is not coping, the Education Minister has a duty to listen before things get worse. <BR /> <BR />The reality is simple: schools cannot absorb endless pressure without consequences. Eventually, something has to give. When that happens, it is not Ministers who will suffer the consequences but children.”
“They are worried sick about what the future holds for their son or daughter.”
“They are simply looking for a fair chance: a fair chance to learn, communicate, feel included in their classroom and reach their potential like every other child. Our schools want to give them that chance. Nobody enters teaching to watch children fall behind. Teachers care deeply about the young people sitting in front of them every day, and they want to help those children succeed. However, they cannot do that without help. Despite all that pressure, they turn up every morning and hold the system together. That dedication deserves more than warm words from our Executive; it demands support, because, right now, in the middle of all of this, exhausted parents are fighting battle after battle simply to get their child assessed and supported properly. Parents feel that they are ignored and passed from pillar to post.”
“Recently, I had an eye-opening meeting with nursery and primary-school principals, special educational needs coordinators (SENCOs) and trade unions from across east Down. Their message was certainly not a form of political spin or exaggeration. It was an absolute warning: a warning that our schools are being pushed to the brink and that children with additional needs are being badly failed by a system that is no longer coping with the pressure that is being placed on it. Those on the front line spoke honestly about classrooms being under enormous strain, support services being stretched beyond capacity and children waiting months, sometimes years, for the help and intervention that they so desperately need. <BR /> <BR />The children are not looking for special treatment.”
“Ultimately, whatever people's political background, victims deserved better then and deserve better now.”
“<BR /> <BR />We need to be careful that nobody turns the judgement into a victory lap, because families will certainly not see it that way. Families will still have deep questions about the role of elements of the state during the conflict, and those questions will not go away. At the same time, investigations and oversight bodies must operate properly, fairly and within the law. That is important if the public are to have confidence in those organisations. <BR /> <BR />More than anything, the victims and survivors want honesty and accountability. They want to know that no person and no organisation is beyond scrutiny. We need to remember that, every time that stories like this emerge, families are forced to relive enormous pain. We should speak about such matters with care and sensitivity.”
“The ruling will land heavily with many families across our communities, especially those who lost loved ones during the conflict and have spent years trying to get answers. For many people, allegations of collusion are not political talking points or some sort of legal theory; they are tied directly to murders and grief and trauma that families still live with every day. The court has not said that the concerns raised by the ombudsman should disappear or be ignored; in fact, the reports remain published. However, the judge ruled that the ombudsman went beyond the legal powers available in some of the wording and conclusions that were used, and that clarification has now been attached. That is an important distinction.”
“It is about bringing proposals by September 2026. A few Members said that it is almost about the introduction of the service. We appreciate that the introduction would be complex and take time, but the idea of the motion is that the proposals would be there by September.”
“The SDLP says that it does not have to be like that. Imagine if those lives could have been saved. Can we put a financial cost on saving somebody's life? Absolutely not. <BR /> <BR />We cannot go on as we are. Our Health Department spends hundreds of millions of pounds more every year and demands that health trusts cut hundreds of millions of pounds in response. Therefore, while Health's budget goes up, our health outcomes are going down. Our staff are crying out for help, patients are not getting care in a timely fashion and something needs to change. A 111 service will not be a panacea, but it could drastically ease the pressure on our system and help to save lives. <BR /> <BR />I urge Members to support the motion and say this to the Minister: introduce 111 and leave a powerful legacy for future generations.”
“If greater Manchester can operate the service at a cost of £23 million per year, we estimate that pro rata it will cost around £6 million per year in the North. <BR /> <BR />Why is the SDLP suggesting that we should have a fully integrated 111 service? Some 760,000 people per year attend an ED here, and over 1,200 people wait for more than two days to be seen. The SDLP says that that is not good enough. Imagine if those people had been able to dial 111 and had not needed to go to an emergency department in the first place. Some 12,000 patients per month wait for more than 12 hours to be seen. The SDLP says that there is a better way. Imagine if those people had been able to dial 111 and had received the right care, in the right place at the right time. Last year, over 1,000 excess deaths were attributed to the long waits for admission.”
“A properly integrated 111 service would give the reassurance that advice and support are available, no matter where somebody lives. <BR /> <BR />No one in the Chamber is pretending that a 111 service is a silver bullet. It will not solve every structural challenge in our health service, eliminate waiting lists overnight or remove the need for long-term reform. It is, however, a proven intervention, and it is already working elsewhere. The evidence is clear that it reduces pressure on front-line services while improving patient access and experience. <BR /> <BR />Is there a financial cost? Of course there is. However, like the costs for the proposals contained in our ‘Help Can't Wait’ document, they are modest.”
“The reality here is that people in the North are already struggling to navigate a fragmented, unscheduled care system. Phone First does not work. Many do not know whether they should ring a GP, contact the out-of-hours service, attend a minor injuries unit, go to an urgent care centre or call 999. What therefore happens? People default to the emergency department, because it feels as though it is the safest option, and who can blame them? Having a 111 service would change that. It provides one simple number, one trusted point of contact and one clinically led system. It therefore guides people to the care that they need. For people living in rural communities, access to unscheduled care can feel uncertain and inconsistent.”
“It is around one slot per day per 3,000 patients. Over time, GPs became more comfortable with the system, because it was structured, predictable and clinically led. In Kristy's words:”
“That patient did not end up sitting for hours in an emergency department, did not call an ambulance unnecessarily and did not have to navigate the system alone. That is what good urgent care looks like. In fact, it is what an effective shift left looks like: not asking patients in a waiting room to shift left to make room for others to sit down but instead directing patients to the care that they need closest to home. <BR /> <BR />One of the arguments that is sometimes made against 111 is that it will overwhelm GPs. Interestingly, that concern was raised in greater Manchester as well. We heard directly from Kristy Barlow, the chief operating officer at the Bolton GP Federation, that the opposite has happened, however. GP practices now reserve a limited number of appointment slots specifically for 111 onward referrals.”
“Only a minority require emergency department attendance or an ambulance dispatch. That means fewer unnecessary ambulance call-outs, fewer unnecessary attendances at emergency departments and better use of already stretched resources. <BR /> <BR />Perhaps the most important thing that I saw was the level of integration. When somebody calls 111, staff can immediately see pathways to GP appointments, urgent care centres, minor injury units, pharmacies, community nursing and mental health support. I watched a live example of what happens when a patient phones seeking help. No GP appointment was immediately available, but, because the system is integrated, the handler arranged an appointment at an urgent care centre the following morning instead.”
“Earlier this year, I undertook a fact-finding visit to greater Manchester to see the National Health Service's 111 service operating on the ground. What I saw was not a theory, a pilot or a glossy presentation but a functioning, integrated urgent care system that helps millions of people every year. The North West Ambulance Service (NWAS) handles approximately two million calls for the 111 service, and 90% to 95% of those calls are answered within 60 seconds. Importantly, the service is not a call centre but a front door into healthcare, as patients are triaged and then directed to the right care at the right time in the right place. Around 25% of callers are safely advised to self-care, perhaps via their local community pharmacy. Around 50% are directed to various primary care services.”
“We argued that ambulances should not be waiting outside hospitals for more than 45 minutes, because every minute that an ambulance is parked outside an emergency department is a minute when it is not available for somebody who is suffering a stroke, a heart attack or the results of a serious accident. We presented the case that, with modest investment in emergency department staffing, ambulances could be released from waiting at EDs and quickly get back on the road. That has been tried in London, and it works. At the time, some dismissed those proposals, but the Department has now introduced its two-hour target, which is a step in the right direction. The question now is whether the Minister is prepared to take the next necessary step of introducing a fully integrated 111 service.”
“It is not we MLAs who are crying out for help but the staff and patients in our health service. <BR /> <BR />The question that the Opposition pose is simple: what practical action are we prepared to take to provide help and ease the pressure? That is a question for all Ministers, not just the Minister of Health. While wider transformation is needed and we all understand the scale of reform that is required, interventions are available right now that could relieve pressure, improve patient experience and help people to access care more quickly. That is why the SDLP is calling for the reintroduction of a Northern Ireland-wide 111 service. <BR /> <BR />Last year, we published our 'Help Can't Wait' proposals to deal with ambulance handover delays.”
“Thank you very much, Mr Deputy Speaker. Our health service is under immense pressure. Patients know it, staff know it, the ambulance crews parked outside hospitals know it, and every family sitting in an overcrowded emergency department knows it. The statistics are stark: over 764,000 people attended emergency departments in Northern Ireland last year; more than 132,000 people waited for over 12 hours to be treated or admitted; and performance against the four-hour target has collapsed to 45%. That is not a system under strain; that is a system in crisis. When the system goes into crisis, it is our doctors and nurses, our healthcare assistants and allied health professionals (AHPs), our porters and admin staff — the people who keep our health service afloat — who feel the pressure.”
“Minister, you referred to primary social needs points. I know that you received a review of those back in March. Could consideration be given to removing the cap of 40 points on those impacted on by domestic violence, so that the points reflect more accurately the scenario that those in such cases face?”
“I concur with the previous remarks about them not being wildfires and how we really should stop calling them that. Every time they occur — they have been occurring for many years — Minister after Minister trots down to Newcastle, points up at the fires, promises everything and stands alongside the firefighters, but, obviously, nothing is helping: year after year, the fires keep happening. Minister, what material decisions have been taken that will make a difference next year?”
“In some respects, the psychology of Downpatrick when it comes to St Patrick's Day typifies everything. It feels as though the events are put on just for the sake of it and, once they are over, they are out of the way and not thought about again until the prep begins for the events the following year. People in Downpatrick want, and deserve, better. They have earned better, and I hope that we will get it. St Patrick's Day is an excellent opportunity for us in Downpatrick to set out our stall for the world, and to be world leaders in that regard. It would allow our town to shine in the way in which it should.”
“I know that there is potential for Downpatrick to get some investment from the Department for Communities as part of its regeneration. I hope that that is considered, and that it will get some of the additional moneys that it needs. If a town receives investment, that will be followed by the local community's working with that investment and delivering for people in the area. <BR /> <BR />There are a number of areas across Northern Ireland where, following the amalgamation of councils, towns that were once the big town of a district are now a slightly smaller town in a bigger district. There is a psychological blow that comes with that. It is important that the Executive and councils do all that they can to deliver for towns such as Downpatrick so that they are given their chance to stand up and be counted.”
“There are a number of towns of that size across Northern Ireland that are in that spot in between, and, because of that, they lose out.”
“As I sometimes say, Downpatrick is one of those towns that are not big enough to be a city that can attract bigger investment and not small enough to have a cohort of groups — one group of this and one group of that — coming together in a community.”
“I hope that we can see that and allow the cross-community cultural events to happen, the schools and youth organisations to be involved and the town centre to be alive with visitors, music and activity. That is not unrealistic and should not be that difficult to deliver. <BR /> <BR />Let us stop thinking small about St Patrick's Day for Downpatrick. Let the local authority stop thinking that it is just another day in the year to get the tick box out and tick that things are in place. Let us reclaim the ambition that Downpatrick once had. As I said, it is not for nostalgia or simply for tourism brochures; it is because the town deserves it. <BR /> <BR />While we have the Communities Minister here, I encourage him to use every tool available to him to help towns such as Downpatrick.”
“I hope that you can take that back to the Executive and say that, if the moneys are to be made available, they need to be made available much earlier in the year to allow proper planning to take place. <BR /> <BR />Imagine what could be achieved with such genuinely strategic thinking. We could get a week-long international festival, rather than just divvying up a wee bit here and a wee bit there to keep everyone happy. Downpatrick is the home of St Patrick: we should celebrate that and amplify it across the world. If they can have festivals in New York, in Rio de Janeiro, in Moscow and across Europe, Downpatrick should be the home of that and the place that leads it, but that ambition requires support from the local authority and the Executive to drive it.”
“I hope that the Executive would support the extension of such an invitation. <BR /> <BR />Minister, I appreciate that you are here to respond to the debate, and I know that the issues go beyond your Department. I reflect that funding has been made available from the Executive's Together: Building a United Community (T:BUC) funds in the past number of years, but, regrettably, the funding is always made available far too late. The council gets it only six or seven weeks before it is expected to deliver the festival, which is not enough time to sit down, make a game plan and work on the best way to put together the programme for St Patrick's Day.”
“It needs ambition that says, "We will build a festival worthy of the place. We will create experiences across an entire week. We will invest in culture, heritage and tourism together. We will work with community groups, schools, churches, artists and businesses. We will make Downpatrick a destination again". <BR /> <BR />It is not about nostalgia; it is about learning from what worked and about looking to the future. In 2032, we will celebrate the 1,600th anniversary of St Patrick. We have a rare opportunity to get this right. For example, what better way to celebrate the anniversary than to invite Pope Leo XIV to visit the North of Ireland, which no Pope has been able to do, to visit St Patrick's final resting place and to celebrate Mass in St Patrick's Catholic church?”
“Too often now, St Patrick's Day in Downpatrick feels reduced to a tick-box exercise rather than genuine ambition: stage — tick; parade — tick; road closures — tick. Where is the imagination? Where is the atmosphere? Where is the sense that Downpatrick is the spiritual home of Ireland's patron saint? People in Downpatrick certainly notice the difference. They notice when events feel managed rather than inspired; when organisation slips; and when the town feels like an afterthought instead of the centrepiece that it should be. The danger is not simply disappointment for one afternoon; it is much bigger. The danger is that our council is lowering the expectations of what Downpatrick should be. I refuse to accept that. <BR /> <BR />Our town has every ingredient required to succeed. What the council needs is ambition — real ambition.”
“In 2011, there were over 40 events across an entire week, including food markets, pilgrimages, museum events, a cross-community parade and family entertainment. When you read all of those old reports, what stands out is that there was belief: belief that Downpatrick mattered, that St Patrick's story could unite people and that the town could become a destination not just for a day but for an experience. Businesses benefited, schools could take part fully and families stayed in the town. People experienced Downpatrick not as somewhere to pass through but as the place to be. <BR /> <BR />If we are honest, however, under the new so-called super council of Newry, Mourne and Down, we have drifted away from that vision.”
“When you look back through the history of St Patrick's Day in Downpatrick, what strikes you is not just the scale of what happened but the ambition that there was behind it. It was not simply a parade moving through the streets for an hour before everyone went home again; it was a real festival that stretched across days and, sometimes, an entire week. It filled the town with music, markets, storytelling, theatre, pilgrimages, exhibitions, tours, dancing, crafts and family events. It brought people into the town centre and gave the place energy and life. <BR /> <BR />In 2003, the festival programme spoke about "Painting the Town Comic Red". There were carnival parades, outdoor theatres, steam trains, historical tours, live music workshops and storytelling events.”
“Thank you very much, Mr Deputy Speaker. I am glad to have secured the Adjournment debate because this matters not just to me, but to the people whom I represent and to a town that should be a source of pride for the entire island and, indeed, the world over: I am, of course, talking about Downpatrick. <BR /> <BR />Let us be honest about it: Downpatrick should be thriving; it should be leading; and it should be setting a standard. Nowhere should that leadership be clearer than in how we celebrate St Patrick. Downpatrick is not just another town that is having a celebration or a parade; it is where St Patrick is buried, and it is the place where his story lives. It is the place that can say to the world with authenticity and confidence that this is where it all began. For a long time, we acted like we believed that.”
“Across the North, more than 2,000 people are waiting for a full home care package. In some trust areas, patients who are medically fit for discharge are waiting weeks because they cannot get the domiciliary care that they need. I urge the Minister to hear the voices of those who work in domiciliary care, to respond to their needs and to deliver a system that truly works for staff, patients and the public at large.”