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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“I welcome the opportunity to speak on this important matter. While it may seem strange for a County Down lad to contribute, I am certainly happy to offer my thoughts on behalf of the SDLP. <BR /> <BR />I thank the Member for bringing the issue to the House, because, while it is important and relevant to Fermanagh and South Tyrone, many of the issues could be extrapolated and applied to any area, particularly any rural area, across the North. <BR /> <BR />I will begin by clarifying and saying clearly that nothing that I will mention is any slight on GPs. The work that they do is tremendous, and they do it in a stressed and pressured environment. I know about the GPs in Downpatrick because I frequently run around the area and can see their clinic. I can see that they work late into the evening, and I know that they offer a great service.”
“I seek some clarification from the Minister. If there are parts of the amendment (No. 8) regulations that people do not like and it is clear that the Executive have addressed them and that those issues are sorted out but there other elements that we continue to need to ensure that we have the protections, is voting against them not the biggest example of cutting off your nose to spite your face?”
“These institutions teach us that we work better when we work together, not when we work in silos. Let the lessons of the pandemic be learned by all of us, whether we are MLAs or Ministers. If we do that and endure this together, we will be better placed to rebuild our families and communities, our businesses and, most importantly right now, our broken healthcare system so that it is ready to face the challenges that tomorrow will present.”
“There are families who did not have the chance to say goodbye to their loved ones, bar maybe a video call. There are families who missed weddings, celebrations and birthdays, although not those who live in 10 Downing Street. The sacrifices that our community made and how it adhered to the rules continue to make all the difference in our fight against the invisible foe. However, we are not out of the woods yet. The virus is still among us. It is changing and is fighting to survive. We cannot afford to take our eye off the end goal. We are nearly there. Yes, we have achieved a great deal together, but we have also suffered a great deal together. <BR /> <BR />Now is the time for the last push. This is a critical time in our fight against COVID. It is a time when we must make a conscious effort to work together, not against each other.”
“Throughout the pandemic, we have seen many businesses pushed to the brink of collapse, and some have had to fold. We saw that over Christmas, when many local bed and breakfasts and close-contact services such as barbers and hair salons lost income. They need our support. That has happened not because of the regulations that we enacted but because of the virus. The virus has gripped our community, but our collective work as a community has mitigated the worst of that grip. Let it be known that our local and family-run businesses have borne the economic brunt of the pandemic. They must be thanked. As we take tentative steps out of the pandemic, they must also be supported. <BR /> <BR />I have spoken about those who have died in hospital. We must remember their families and loved ones.”
“That is washing hands, wearing face coverings and maintaining social distancing. Continuing to adhere to those principles and making those small sacrifices reflects the high value that we place on our healthcare system. The staff of our healthcare system are the heroes of the pandemic. They have worked the long hours in merciless working conditions and have held the hands of the sick and the dying. We need to remind ourselves of that and remind our healthcare heroes that we value them. Disgracefully, the British Prime Minister clearly does not.”
“While the restrictions that we are debating today place an onus on individuals, businesses and communities, there remains a responsibility on all of us to ensure that we maintain the basic principles that we learned two years ago to try to stay COVID-free.”
“We look to the Executive to provide clarity and guidance, but I am not sure if that has been forthcoming at this stage. <BR /> <BR />The latest wave of the virus that we are living through is one that, many believe, is past its peak. I welcome the fact that our hospitals are not overrun, as they were in the previous waves. However, there are still high rates of infection in our community. Yesterday we saw the highest number of children and staff absent from school due to COVID since term began. We had nearly 4,000 new cases reported yesterday, and, tragically, another person lost their life to the virus. <BR /> <BR />The virus has left an indelible mark on health, the economy and community life. Much has been damaged or destroyed, and there is much for us to rebuild. The virus has not gone away.”
“I am grateful for the opportunity to speak on the regulations. I preface that by saying that some of the regulations that we are debating have already fallen, but that is the nature of the ever-changing environment in which we have found ourselves over the last two years. <BR /> <BR />The amendment (No. 20) regulations are mostly technical, are not controversial and will provide greater clarity on some of the other regulations. The amendment (No. 21) regulations make provisions for hospitality settings, many of which have since changed, as I mentioned. The amendment on face coverings that we are being asked to ratify today addresses some of the reasons for exemption, and, as has been mentioned, there is some controversy about that from those on both sides of the debate.”
“I thank the deputy First Minister for her response. Will the joint First Minister give consideration to the model that has been developed in Norway, in that Norway will be consulted as part of the future arrangements? Might that be a blueprint for here?”
“Let us grow up and have our schools fixed up, safe and delivering for our children.”
“How do we tell those children that the reason that their education is in peril at the moment is that some political parties will not grow up and get their act together and work in partnership to resolve the issues and solve the problems that they face? Do we have to tell those children that certain parties are willing to prioritise political gains rather than health and safety in the classroom? Those children and young people deserve better than the perilous position that they are being left in. We need joined-up action from the Education and Finance Ministers and a long-term strategy for our schools. If that is not forthcoming, those parties will have lost whatever shred of credibility they might have once had. Let us do the right thing. Let us stop embarrassing ourselves.”
“They were eager to raise issues, ask questions and know what we were doing about matters in their local area. It was a pleasure to meet them.”
“I am sure that, over the past 24 hours, many MLAs have received information from another group, childminders, about how they are being impacted in the provision of care for children, how they are suffering because of the massive amount of sickness in that sector, and how they feel that they have not been given adequate support either. I will also mention, just because I always do, the Youth Service that is out there. The Youth Service is delivering. However, it also has to bring lots of young people from different backgrounds into the same space, and it should also be considered for any help or assistance that is available. <BR /> <BR />Just before Christmas, I had pupils from the Holy Cross Primary School in Attical, in my constituency, here in Stormont.”
“— and see whether he can go up two or three storeys before he hits the roof. That is often taken into consideration whenever you are doing the various safety plans. The height of the ceiling is a big consideration. My goodness, it is a long way up to the top of the Chamber compared with most classrooms. <BR /> <BR />Then we have a Finance Minister who says that he cannot give the money until it has been asked for. That cuts deep to the dysfunctionality that we have in certain places in the Executive and that we have been subjected to for the past 15 years: silo working and a silo mentality that delivers only to silos. Surely our children, families and school staff deserve better than that? <BR /> <BR />Of course, other sectors are impacted as well.”
“I simply ask the Member to go to any classroom —”
“I am saying simply that there should be precautions, as there have been in every other sector of society, and that the delivery of those precautions requires leadership. Where is that leadership? Why have the necessary air filtration systems that schools need not been requested? Some schools are actually providing those themselves, while others are keeping their windows open to offer that ventilation. If you look out the window, you will see that we are not in California or stretches of Australia. We are in places where, when windows are open all day, children are sitting in very cold conditions and, in some instances, are having to put on coats, jumpers and extra layers just to be able to get through the day comfortably.”
“We have heard from a range of experts about the transmissibility of the current variant, the need for social distancing and the need to keep ventilation at the top of the agenda. Successive witnesses at our Committee, from the Minister, the Chief Medical Officer and the Chief Scientific Adviser right the way down, have told us that preventing the spread of the virus is what will save the health service and support the tired and weary workers, who are heroes nonetheless, on its front line. However, when it comes to schools, it is practically business as usual. I find that difficult to comprehend. <BR /> <BR />Do not get me wrong: I am not suggesting that we should close schools.”
“I welcome the opportunity to participate in the debate, because, as we have made our way through the pandemic, schools have been among the worst-hit. As restrictions have changed — as they have either been eased or tightened — it is pupils, their parents, principals and school staff who have had to adapt at a minute's notice. We respect them for the work that they have done in very difficult circumstances. It appears that it has been successive Education Ministers who have learnt the least from that experience. <BR /> <BR />The situation in schools is now perilous. Ventilation of classrooms and school buildings is essential, as is minimising contact. I am a member of the Health Committee.”
“You talk about Members opposite. Remember that the motion is supported by Members opposite and those right the way round the Chamber to beside you. All other parties in here come from the same perspective. As has been mentioned, you should not try to make the issue tribal or make it out to be some sort of political debate. It is supported by all parties, right the way round the Chamber to beside you.”
“I thank the Minister for giving way and for detailing the engagement that took place and that it was done by the COVID task force — which is, of course, part of the Executive Office. It is disgraceful that, on one of the biggest issues that we have had to debate, the only Ministers who have turned up to take part are from the Ulster Unionist Party and the SDLP. It begs the question, on something that will impact all our citizens and many businesses across the North, of whether our joint First Ministers are in hiding. The Executive should be selling this together. If the engagement has taken place across all the Departments, does the Minister agree that it is incumbent upon all Ministers to be here and to show the true leadership that, one way or another, our society needs?”
“I implore all Members today: if you truly value life, rights and individual human dignity, engage your reason and conscience; do the right thing; and support the regulation before us. It will enable people to live and will ensure that we act in a way that befits that spirit of brotherhood. I support the regulation, and I implore other Members to do so.”
“Showing certification that you have been vaccinated in no way impinges on your basic and inalienable human rights or on the civil rights that were hard won, and I challenge any MLA who has not been vaccinated for ethical reasons to dare, again, to call themselves pro-life. <BR /> <BR />In conclusion, I would like Members to hear article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights:”
“We know that the public are tired of COVID. All of us, I am sure, have found ourselves saying, "I am just done with this". We have all experienced that at some point. Things have not been made any easier when we have seen the antics of the current Tory Government, who were hosting parties at Number 10 while the rest of us were following the restrictions and some were in hospital, dying alone. <BR /> <BR />One excuse that is often fired at us on COVID certification is that it denies people their individual rights and freedoms. That is utter nonsense. Our society is just that: a society. We have laws, legislation and social contracts to which we adhere for the greater good of society.”
“There are people in my constituency of South Down who are still shielding because they are so vulnerable and immunosuppressed. Do they not have a right to be able to re-enter the world, enjoy a trip to the cinema and know that the people around them are either fully vaccinated or have taken a test to prove that they are not carrying the virus? <BR /> <BR />I would not dare advocate for the introduction of COVID certificates because I am some instrument of government. I support them because I do not want to see people die as a result of being exposed to someone who refused to undertake basic precautions.”
“I will take as many interventions as Mr Frew took. <BR /> <BR />It is also sending the message that it does not trust the Department of Health's Departmental Solicitor's Office. That may sound like political hyperbole to some, but it does not change the fact that it is true. <BR /> <BR />None of us is entirely comfortable with the implementation of COVID certificates, just as none of us was comfortable with the introduction of lockdown, face coverings, social distancing and the rest of it. However, those who adhered to the regulations did so because they knew that each of us has a responsibility to minimise the risk of the virus's ability to spread. Some in our community are saying that their rights are being infringed by the certificates.”
“Is the party opposite opposing the legislation because it feels that it is standing up for people's rights? That simply does not wash. Its track record on equality and rights speaks for itself. <BR /> <BR />At the outset, I said that today's debate is about more than just COVID certificates; it is also a debate on trust in those who provide the expert medical, scientific and legal advice. If the DUP decides to vote against these regulations, it is sending a clear message to the public that it does not trust our Chief Medical Officer or Chief Scientific Adviser —”
“<BR /> <BR />Every action that has been taken since the outbreak of the pandemic has been to mitigate and minimise the risks presented as much as possible. The certification process does just that: it minimises the risk that is posed. Again, what is the problem? The legislation has been underpinned by the most expert health, scientific and legal advice, not by YouTube and unverified accounts or struck-off medics. Again, what is the problem, when we have got the experts? <BR /> <BR />At this stage, I am at a loss as to what the problem is with the DUP and this policy. Why is it that the DUP has supported every regulation that has come before the House until this regulation, today? Is its problem that it cannot sell the latest regulation to its voter base?”
“<BR /> <BR />The British Society for Immunology goes as far as telling us that if you are fully vaccinated your chance of being infected with COVID-19 is approximately halved. Furthermore, if you do get infected, you are half as likely to pass it on. Therefore, vaccination can reduce transmission overall by 75%. <BR /> <BR />Finally, details on equality screening, disability duties and human rights assessments are published on the Department's website. That comprehensive document outlines precisely the impact of certification on those identified in section 75. The document has found that no singular group in section 75 is unable to receive the vaccine and is, therefore, unable to avail themselves of the vaccine certification.”
“France, which initially had a lower uptake of vaccinations, had 1·7 million doses administered prior to certification, and 770,000 doses after it. There was a higher uptake among those aged under 20 and those in the 20 to 29 category. That assessment provides solid evidence that certification can increase vaccine uptake, so what is the problem? <BR /> <BR />The Department has also published its scientific evidence on its website. We have documentation of what SAGE was telling us in April of this year. It said that COVID certification would reduce virus transmission, reduce the risk of serious illness and death and increase the likelihood that higher risk settings could continue to operate. The evidence states that there is also likely to be a secondary benefit in relation to vaccine uptake, so what is the problem?”
“<BR /> <BR />"Show us the evidence" is what the DUP says to us: "Show us the equality impact assessment". It is all on the Department of Health's website. There is documentation of an empirical study that showed that COVID-19 certification led to an increase in vaccinations 20 days prior to its implementation and a lasting effect for 40 days afterwards.”
“That proposal was rejected by the UUP, the DUP and Sinn Féin. At the time, we said that COVID certificates were needed. We said that they would help with our rate of vaccination, which would, in turn, ease the pressure on our health service and thus save lives. We were right then, and we are right today to support their introduction. <BR /> <BR />I know that many people are reluctant about COVID certificates. There is a reluctance that we will implement them and that we may face further restrictions in January. However, had we implemented them in September, when the SDLP made its proposal, who knows what situation we would face today? The public will look to us to provide the reassurance that certificates will contribute to the threefold outcomes that I mentioned.”
“Thank you very much, Mr Deputy Speaker. My point is this: is it any wonder that we have had people in our constituency offices asking, "What is the point in following the restrictions?"? It is the double standards that I am talking about. They have been most eloquently displayed by one political party in the Chamber over others. <BR /> <BR />As I said, there are many tools in our arsenal against COVID-19. Those tools do not operate as stand-alone items but impact on each other. That brings me to the specific matter that we are talking about today: COVID certificates. On 27 September, the Infrastructure Minister, Nichola Mallon, made a proposal to the Executive for the introduction of a mandatory system of COVID certification for hospitality and entertainment venues to support businesses and reduce the pressure on our health service.”
“Perhaps public confidence was affected in June, when a DUP MP rushed onstage with Van Morrison to engage in one of the most dangerous and destructive verbal assaults on our Health Minister that we have ever witnessed. <BR /> <BR />While most of us in this place, our councillors and other elected representatives were pleading with the public for everyone to do their bit in the fight against COVID and for cool heads to prevail, DUP representatives were running off on solo runs, undermining the Health Minister and the public health message at every turn and facing absolutely no disciplinary action as a result. <BR /> <BR />Disgracefully, it is time that some members of the DUP who have fuelled the fire with conspiracy theories and misinformation —.”
“I wonder whether public confidence was affected when a DUP councillor announced in December 2020 that he would not be getting the vaccine because he believed that it contained stem cells from aborted babies. That same councillor went on to say that the pandemic was the wrath of God as the result of abortion and same-sex marriage. How much damage did that do to the messaging? Perhaps public confidence was affected in June, when a DUP MP said that our pandemic response had been driven by medical opinion for "far too long". He went on to say:”
“<BR /> <BR />As soon as the vaccine arrived, our Executive went into the most incredible public campaign to raise awareness of the importance of getting vaccinated when called to do so. The Department orchestrated what was, in hindsight, the most effective and efficient campaign to set up vaccination centres, to get staff on board and to ensure that people were able to receive their vaccinations as quickly and safely as possible. I pay tribute to Dr Patricia Donnelly and to all those who have been working on the vaccination programme with its threefold purpose of reducing the spread of the virus, easing the pressure on our health service and saving lives. <BR /> <BR />Where are we now? Why have some members of the public been more reluctant to get their vaccinations? Why are there still some who refuse to do so?”
“Today, we have, I think, about 1,800 new cases. <BR /> <BR />The tools in our arsenal against COVID-19 are many. Every one of them, however, is a complement and a support to the others. They range from the individual wearing a face covering on the street, to the citizen washing their hands one more time, to the person maintaining social distancing, to taking lateral flow tests before you go out, to the public health officials' messaging, to the legislation that we pass in this place, which includes the COVID certificates. Each of those tools works to support the others, with the threefold objective of reducing the spread of the virus, easing the pressure on our health service and saving lives.”
“I thank Mr Frew for reminding me why, in the Business Committee, I support time-bound contributions and will continue to do so. <BR /> <BR />I will rewind to a year ago, when the people of Northern Ireland had been in lockdown in various ways for nine months. Families were separated. Loved ones had died in hospital with only a doctor or a nurse to hold their hand. Healthcare staff worked day and night without sick leave or holidays to protect life in the face of an invisible and relentless foe. The Assembly was, for the most part, in agreement on our course of action to minimise the risk to the public and, in turn, minimise, as far as possible, the pressure on our health service. That was all done while we did not know when a vaccine would be forthcoming. This day last year, there were 483 new cases.”
“I thank the Minister for his statement. Does the Minister agree that the meeting dealt with real-life issues that genuinely impact on people across this island, such as PEACE PLUS, board appointments, child protection protocols, cancer and health research cooperation, health cooperation and the COVID-19 response, and that those in the DUP who seek to frustrate and block that work should simply grow up?”
“I thank the Minister for his answers on this very important issue. One of the best ways to challenge and tackle issues is to know the exact scope of the problem. I recently wrote to the Minister and asked how many people had been diagnosed with secondary breast cancer over the last number of years and was told that the Department does not hold that figure. Will the Minister undertake to try to address that so we can work out exactly how big the problem is and then undertake to tackle it?”
“I thank the Minister for her statement. If something is broken, it has to be fixed, and it is fairly obvious from the report that something is badly broken. <BR /> <BR />Minister, you said that teacher registration will be subsumed by the Department so that the process can take place quickly. I know, from other Members, that there is an urgent need for that, given that there can be delays. Will you give an assurance that it will be a seamless transition that will occur straight away, or will you tell us whether there will be any delay in the Department's taking on that responsibility, so that people can get registered as quickly as possible and get out on the ground to work where necessary?”
“All quarters of the House have been involved in a collective effort to get through the pandemic together, and, while that messaging has become somewhat diluted over time and the closer that we get to an election, the majority of Members are committed to getting some form of new configuration for our health service. <BR /> <BR />As we emerge from the COVID pandemic, we must focus on the radical transformation that our health service needs. I assure the Minister that the SDLP is committed to the transformation of our health service and that we will work with the Health Minister, whoever that may be this time next year, to ensure that we can deliver that.”
“The Health and Social Care Bill offers us an opportunity to take a step in the right direction by commencing reconfiguration. When we hone in on the basic thread running through the Bill, we find that it cuts out levels of bureaucracy to allow decision-making to be more efficient. That will be the key test of the Bill's effectiveness in the future, and we will all, I am sure, be keeping an eye on that. <BR /> <BR />It is only fair that we welcome the fact that the Health Minister has managed to get the Bill to this stage today. Let today's vote on the Bill serve as the next step in the journey towards that radical transformation of our health service. We have had report after report and review after review. I appreciate that the Minister inherited a Department in crisis, which was then left to face a deadly pandemic.”
“I welcome the opportunity to speak on the Final Stage of the Health and Social Care Bill. It is important to note that the Bill that we are voting for today is different to the Bill that was first presented to the Assembly in March this year. As the Bill progressed through the necessary stages, it has evolved and been amended to make it as robust as possible. <BR /> <BR />In previous contributions on the Bill, I said that we need to do something radical for our health service, and I continue to hold true to that. We spend more money across every single health trust today than we did 10 years ago. That spend on our health trusts alone, excluding the Ambulance Service, has increased from £1·6 billion to £2·4 billion in 2020.”
“I would not call this coercion in any shape or form; I call it humanitarian legislation, because those figures are simply not going down. <BR /> <BR />My view and that of my party is that the statutory rules (SRs) must form part of a wider preventative effort to improve the health and well-being of our population. We are an ageing population, so our preventative measures must be as robust as possible. Our cancer strategy, which is set to be published this month, is part of that. I ask the Minister to ensure that that policy is expedited without delay. I support the regulations and continue to support the Minister. I hope that they are effective tools in our determination to provide positive, preventative healthcare in the North.”
“In September, Queen's University Belfast published the most up-to-date cancer incidence and survival statistics for the North. It is a really impressive study, and I urge Members to give it the attention that it warrants. The findings are that, in the last five years, the number of cancer cases per year, excluding non-melanoma skin cancer, has increased by 11%. It is frightening that, while the incidence rate for lung cancer has decreased by 7% for men, it has increased by 16% for women. Our cancer incidence rate is 14% higher in the most deprived areas. The most common cancer to be diagnosed at stage 4 is lung cancer. From those figures, we also see that the survival rate for lung cancer is 11% in men and 15% in women.”
“I have no doubt that some in our society will deem the regulations to be coercive or akin to decisions made by an authoritarian state. In my mind, however, they are essential steps that we should take.”
“The statutory regulations offer us the opportunity to provide positive, preventive measures to ensure better health outcomes for our population and to prevent additional pressures being placed on our health service. <BR /> <BR />As has already been outlined, the three regulations are to ban smoking in private vehicles while someone under the age of 18 is present, to ban the sale of electronic cigarettes to those under the age of 18 and to establish fixed penalties, should someone be in breach of the regulations.”
“I welcome the opportunity to speak today on the statutory regulations. They are timely and appropriate, and we in the SDLP think that they are adequate. If we have learnt anything in the past 18 months, it is that, when it comes to our health and well-being, prevention is critical. For example, we have all heard the stories of those who have ended up in hospital as a result of COVID, have felt its worst effects and then, on leaving hospital, have said that they would not wish that experience on anyone else. That is to say nothing of those who have ended up in hospital as a result of not having been vaccinated and then have come out the other side, thanks to the interventions of our incredible health staff, and said that they wished that they had been vaccinated.”
“The First Minister mentioned that there are "divisive", destructive and "distractive" policies being pursued by others. Does he not agree that his own party members are being divisive and destructive and are distracting from what should be a clear and concise public message in the middle of a global pandemic? We should ensure the safety of our citizens and not create confusion and bluster, and that applies to some of the rogue Ministers in his midst.”