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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“However, for now, we are discussing the continued easing of restrictions, and I am glad to support today's amendments.”
“<BR /> <BR />We will discuss mental health awareness later today, and mental health, particularly for our younger and older people, is something that we need to pay close attention to, as is high street recovery. I am glad to see that the task force is in operation. There are some issues surrounding its size that need to be ironed out, but I welcome the fact that it is there and will, hopefully, reach out and help high street businesses as they emerge from COVID. <BR /> <BR />Ultimately, it is welcome that we are moving, step by step, out of restriction and into a place of recovery. As I mentioned, the Committee will need to be part of that recovery, but, equally, the public need to have their voices heard too on their lived experience of the pandemic and the restrictions that we have legislated for.”
“They have really enjoyed being able to get back in, engage and have structured activities available for them, as do all the young people who participate in the activities. You can see that, once again, they have a sense of structure and purpose to their evenings and social time, and that critical interaction that they have with adults will help them as they progress through the rest of the year. <BR /> <BR />It is heartening that the amendments that we are discussing today and, hopefully, in the future are concerned with how we emerge from the pandemic. We all know that there is no return to the status quo. There has been much discussion about what will be the new normal, and I hope that, as these and future amendments progress, the Executive Office will be in a position to place greater focus on our COVID recovery.”
“Many of us are enjoying the benefits of that, although, as I look across the Chamber, I can see that some of us are enjoying them more than others. We are also discussing outdoor visitor attractions, outdoor activity centres and outdoor static band rehearsals. I am pleased to say that one of my constituents from a nationalist background was telling me about walking home one evening and hearing a local Orange band practising outside, and he said that it gave him a sense of normality again. <BR /> <BR />The other amendment concerns educational activities and seating in hospitality settings. On a personal level, I welcome the easements for youth activities. That has enabled me to get back into the work that I do on a Wednesday evening, when I do some volunteering with a group of foreign nationals in the Downpatrick area.”
“As the restrictions ease, we appeal for caution. We are not out of the woods yet. Sensible precautions need to be maintained so that people can go about their business safely. <BR /> <BR />The Committee is accustomed to hearing from a range of sectors on the impact and implications of responses to the pandemic. We have a unique opportunity to plan for a constructive and inclusive recovery, and the Committee needs to be part of that conversation. We look forward to engaging with the First Minister and deputy First Minister and the junior Ministers as the pathway out of restrictions progresses. <BR /> <BR />I would like to make a few points in my capacity as an individual MLA. The amendments that we are discussing today include the reopening of close-contact services such as those provided by driving instructors and hairdressers.”
“The Health Committee has undertaken the hard work of scrutinising the regulations, and I look forward to hearing from that Committee later in the debate. I will just say a few words about the strategic oversight role of my Committee in these matters. <BR /> <BR />The Committee for the Executive Office has consistently maintained that there needs to be clear, unambiguous messaging on the nature of restrictions and the need for them. There also needs to be clarity for those who are expected to enforce the regulations. It is encouraging that we are in the position, based on sound evidence, of being able to relax some of the restrictions, and I again pay tribute to those who have borne the brunt of treating people who have become ill, caring for those in need and providing essential services so that we can all keep the economy going.”
“The lesson needs to be learned and learned well: intransigence, belligerence and arrogance from the DUP placed us in this position. Those who tabled the motion may well have been able to operate a coup and remove their party leader, but intransigence and arrogance will not remove a framework from an internationally agreed act of withdrawal. Let us get the technical problems addressed and leave the politics to the side. We support the part of the motion that states that we all need to have access to medicines, but we do not support the way in which it is proposed to deliver that.”
“An investor would probably run a mile rather than provide jobs for the very people whom you are supposed to be representing.”
“Thank you very much, Mr Deputy Speaker. I welcome that intervention, which shows a positive outcome that the protocol can deliver. If we were forward-thinking and forward-looking and were out there embracing every opportunity that there is across the world to try to sell ourselves as being ideally placed to be able to work the systems and to be able to deliver jobs and prosperity for the people of the North, it would be a good thing, but all we get is negativity, negativity and negativity from across the Chamber.”
“I suggest to the signatories to the motion that the motion is not a solution. It is evident that there are still outstanding issues with the protocol. Those issues are technical and not political, however. The parallels between the DUP's attitude to the protocol and to the First Minister are really quite telling. It is evident that it is not in solution-finding mode with the protocol.”
“The protocol is a result of Brexit. The DUP is responsible for the protocol. You are accountable for the protocol. You danced to the tune of a Member for North Antrim while looking to future elections, and you gave in to the unelected bloggers who called on you to make Northern Ireland unworkable until the Irish Sea border was removed. Violence returned to the streets of the North, and then the DUP called for the Chief Constable to resign and called into question the rule of law and order. <BR /> <BR />The motion before us notes that grace periods are due to end:”
“DUP intransigence, belligerence and arrogance continued over subsequent years until, in October 2019, it accepted Boris Johnson's proposal for a regulatory border in the Irish Sea covering goods and agri-food. To sweeten the deal, PM Johnson offered additional funding for Northern Ireland: a little bit of a buy-off. It was as though the people of the North could be bought and sold, like so many rolls of Mr Johnson's wallpaper. <BR /> <BR />The motion tells us that the Northern Ireland protocol was "imposed" on us and must "be replaced". Has the DUP learnt nothing? The DUP pushed for the hardest Brexit. It rejected every single deal that was going. It was intransigent, belligerent and arrogant with the UK Government. I will take a moment to ask DUP Members this: just exactly what did you expect? What would have been a positive outcome?”
“That belligerence continued through 2018 and culminated in the line:”
“I welcome the opportunity to take part in the debate. It provides a timely opportunity to remind the DUP and the hard Brexiteers of the responsibility and accountability that they have for the Northern Ireland protocol. Let us look at the facts. The DUP pushed for a hard Brexit in 2017. At its party conference, the then DUP leader, Arlene Foster, said that the DUP would prevent any Brexit deal that would "decouple" Northern Ireland from the UK. That was when the DUP was a kingmaker, but it became a time of intransigence, belligerence, arrogance and telling the Prime Minister how DUP MPs took their tea. It was a time of problem-finding and solution-dodging. <BR /> <BR />In early 2018, thanks to the DUP intervention, the UK Government rejected the backstop proposal. Good work there, lads.”
“Many businesses, especially those in the hospitality sector, faced significant problems when they reopened. After spending tens of thousands of pounds to get ready, they found out that they did not meet some established criteria. As businesses become permitted to open up, has any proactive work been undertaken to help sectors try to ensure that they meet any criteria prior to the opening date so that they are not, very quickly, told that they have to close again?”
“I thank the Minister for his statement and his engagement with the Secondary Students' Union. It is great to see that that new and vibrant voice for young people has been heavily relied upon here, and I hope that its considerations and thoughts will be included. <BR /> <BR />Minister, the interim mental health champion has strongly advised you that young people should not be rushed into academic work and that, rather, their mental health needs to be catered for first. How have you taken that into consideration as part of the new arrangements? Can you assure us that adequate time and resources will be devoted to our young people's social and emotional needs, as well as the drive for academic success and excellence?”
“Genocide begins with the denial of a person's very humanity. What is happening in Palestine is a genocide. If we stand by and do not condemn this action totally and unequivocally, it begs the question as to what the House will stand for. The message that comes out of the House today must be that we are united and unequivocal in saying, "Enough is enough". There can be no more loss of life or children murdered or their deaths justified. Sometimes, it is not enough to stand in solidarity. The current death and destruction call for action. The genocide must stop, and the international community must condemn it and seek a peaceful resolution in which no more families or children in Palestine will go to sleep with the fear that they will never wake up.”
“Up to 198 people have been killed in the past week. There is a view that the violence will be allowed to continue until the death toll is too high, at which point, and only then, the international community will get involved and say, "Enough is enough". <BR /> <BR />Kofi Annan once said:”
“I welcome this Matter of the Day. The Israeli military launched another series of air raids on the Gaza Strip early this morning, only hours after Israel's caretaker Prime Minister said that the attacks on the Palestinian area would continue. I welcome, too, the fact that this Matter of the Day is about breaches of international law in Palestine by Israel, so we are debating the topic. The fact that some have stated that the murder of 58 children is in some way acceptable as a means of defence absolutely sickens me to my core. It absolutely sickens me that somebody could stand in this place and say that there is any justification for the murder of 58 children.”
“Such strategies should include the additional regulation of sensitive areas so that re-wetting and cutting are the methods of choice for land managers. <BR /> <BR />There can be no more inaction and no more missed opportunities. Quite simply, we must act now. That is why I am happy to propose the motion and commend it to the House.”
“We need to identify and resource better methods of land management than just burning, although I will not go as far as the MP for South Down and refer to such land managers — his voters — as environmental arsonists. Leadership is required not just in our actions but in our words. We must take action now to prevent wildfires and to encourage ecological recovery from these events. <BR /> <BR />Rewilding the land is not a throwback to the old stereotypes of Ireland and her people; rather, it is a vision for the future, one in which we celebrate our rich and vibrant biodiversity and recognise that we share this island not only with one another but with a range of biodiversity. That is why, today, the SDLP calls on the Environment Minister to introduce resourced strategies to protect our woodlands and peatlands from destruction.”
“<BR /> <BR />I put on record my total support and thanks to the firefighters from Newcastle and beyond who fought the recent fires. It was exceptionally physical and gruelling work — often literally a hand-to-hand fight between the firefighters and the fire. Yet they carried it out and preserved as much of the landscape up there as they could. We are indebted to them for what they did. <BR /> <BR />It is possible to deliver on the green agenda when political leaders show leadership. Mark Durkan did it in 2016, and Minister Mallon has been doing it consistently since she took over Infrastructure, so perhaps the two leading parties of government, although late to the party, will live up to their ministerial responsibilities.”
“Major wildfires used to happen once every four years, but they now take place every year and, sometimes, numerous times throughout the year. As our dry seasons become drier and longer, we could soon witness wildfires on the island of Ireland on the scale of those recently seen in Australia. What we see with such fires is that, even when the fire has been extinguished, enough heat has been transferred underground, where it remains, and the chance of future fires only increases. That has a direct impact on any chance of survival for our flora and fauna. Something needs to change. We cannot keep sending our emergency services in to deal with wildfires, endangering their lives and reacting to landscape that is becoming even more scarred and barren.”
“The following year, in 2017, through DAERA, an international seminar, the first of its kind to be held on the island of Ireland, was hosted in Newry so that we could better understand wildfires in order to prevent them in the future. What was the ministerial response? What was the follow-up from the announcement? Much like every other failed opportunity in that period, there was no response, because the institutions had been felled and ministerial responsibility had been abandoned. Inaction and missed opportunity went hand in hand. Think of what we could have achieved following that pioneering international seminar had the two parties that led the Government not abdicated their responsibility and had instead worked in the best interests of public health, public safety and, indeed, the public purse. <BR /> <BR />The facts are undeniable.”
“It is not rocket science. It takes some inspired thinking, but it is not beyond the realms of possibility. Rewilding our landscape is possible. <BR /> <BR />The recent wildfire in my constituency has brought back into public focus the need to address the issue of wildfires once and for all, given how they impede not just rewilding but already wild landscapes. While it is disheartening that it has taken that recent fire to revive interest in the matter, I am glad that we are now finally able to have the debate. What has taken us so long? Back in 2016, when he was Minister of the Environment, my colleague Mark Durkan not only raised £1·25 million from the carrier bag levy but was able to provide £125,000 to boost natural environment initiatives, which included an initiative on how we address wildfires.”
“Re-wetting of the peatlands is needed, just as rewilding of our landscape is. We recognise that attempts to rewild such areas can, at times, prove unpopular. Given that 72% of land in the South and 75% of land in the North is farmland, the tension between economic stability and environmental diversity and protection is evident. <BR /> <BR />In my constituency, we are fortunate to have a local charity, True Harvest Seeds, that is right at the front of protecting, enhancing and preserving flora that is native to the island of Ireland. That is such a noble endeavour and one that I fully support. If we again look to the South, we see that, along the west coast of Ireland, there exists a scheme whereby public funding is given to farmers who will then manage conservation projects, such as wildlife habitat restoration, on their own land.”
“The Mournes are an essential part of the North's tourism product, so it is essential that the peatlands and woodlands there be protected, enhanced, where possible, and preserved for future generations to enjoy. <BR /> <BR />The island of Ireland was once renowned for its beautiful, plentiful peatlands, although it must be said that such connection with the earth rather shamefully formed part of generations of anti-Irish stereotyping and prejudice. That connection with the land was essential, however. That type of wetland can store more carbon than similarly sized patches of forest when left intact. Ireland's raised bogs have dwindled to just 1% of the area that they used to cover. Peat was once used as a means of heat, but it is estimated that such sources in the South will be depleted entirely by 2028.”
“I am delighted to propose today's motion. As an MLA for the constituency of South Down, I know only too well the importance of protecting our peatlands and woodlands and the dangers of wildfires. Those elements must form part of our response to the ongoing climate emergency. Daily, in my constituency, we stand in awe of the Mountains of Mourne. That mountain range is rich in biodiversity, flora and fauna. Every year, countless people make their way from all parts of the world to visit the mountains to enjoy the stunning vistas that they provide and to explore the untamed expanse. That natural wonder has inspired much art and literature. Today, visitors to the area help drive the local economy.”
“I thank the Member for giving way. Many of those who have an autism diagnosis have a dual diagnosis with ADHD, and many people are also waiting for an ADHD diagnosis. I asked a question of the Department, and it would appear that the Department does not hold any records of the numbers of people who have been diagnosed with ADHD. Does the Member agree that, if there is to be a strategy and resources to challenge those conditions, we at least need to know how many people have them and where they live so that we can direct them to the services?”
“Doing the basics will not cut it any more. It is time to right the wrongs of the past and bring forward an ambitious and bold legislative framework to deliver a zero-carbon society and economy. Every party that seeks to be part of our government must commit to that. The SDLP will not be found wanting. I thank the Member for bringing the Bill before us. I wish her well with its progress, and I am more than content to support it.”
“They will rightly ask why the Assembly did not act when it had the chance. Should that awful day come, we will not be excused for that, and rightly so. The next generation will not forgive or forget. The time is always right to do what is right, and that time is now.”
“We will need to see the development of a just transition. That element will be critical. <BR /> <BR />Perhaps the loudest voice in the ongoing debate has been that of young people. Of everything that we discuss in this place, climate change is the issue that will determine the story of their future. The start of that story has already been written. However, we still have an opportunity to write our contribution and smooth the way forward for future generations. The alternative is to kick the can down the road and leave the fight to the next generation. <BR /> <BR />Years from now, when most of us lie in scorched-earth graves, our next generation will be left to step out into polluted air in which every breath is contaminated, and every step in the sunlight is a step closer to skin cancer.”
“I thank the Member for her contribution. It is great to hear a range of voices from South Down, rather than the same one. If we reflect on some of the other contributions that we heard, in which the Bill was taken clause by clause, we would almost feel that we were voting on the final Bill. Of course, as the Member points out, it is only the principles of the Bill that we will vote on, and there will be many opportunities to engage and help to shape the Bill as it moves forward. <BR /> <BR />As the Bill progresses, it is of the utmost importance that those people are listened to and that government works with them and does not leave them behind. Although there are valid concerns about potential job losses as a result of the Bill, we must remember that it presents opportunities for growth in the green and sustainability sectors.”
“<BR /> <BR />More recently, we saw the immediate impact of climate change, with further wildfires across the Mournes. Once, these wildfires were happening every four or five years; now they take place every year, sometimes numerous times. Tragically, it has been pointed out to me that because our dry seasons are becoming drier and longer, we could soon witness wildfires in Ireland on the scale of those witnessed recently in Australia. Something needs to change, and I am glad that we will have the opportunity to have a further discussion tomorrow. <BR /> <BR />I heard the concerns of local farmers and those in our agri-food industry. They stated that they are ready and willing to do their bit in the fightback against climate change, but they want their voices to be heard and their valid concerns to be listened to. It is of the utmost —.”
“If we are bold enough to set the aspirations for our response to climate change at the highest level, and we follow through on those, we will cease to lag behind the rest of these islands. Potentially, we will become the benchmark for other regions to follow. <BR /> <BR />I appreciate that many have concerns about the Bill. Certainly, enough of my constituents have contacted me to that effect. South Down is, after all, a predominantly rural constituency with many agricultural heartlands. Farming and fisheries are part of the lifeblood of South Down and make an essential contribution to the economic success of the North. As in other coastal constituencies, coastal erosion is a major issue in South Down, and we have seen the significant destruction of our natural coastline and its hinterland.”
“I normally would, but we are really pushed for time, and you have had enough time. <BR /> <BR />The Bill that is before us has clear objectives. The overarching objective is to achieve net zero emissions in Northern Ireland by 2045 at the latest. It places a duty on the Executive Office to bring forward a climate action plan within three years; and it proposes the establishment of a Northern Ireland climate office and commissioner to set the targets — in doing so, they will be free from political interference — and to monitor their effectiveness. I am under no illusion that those will be ambitious targets to meet, but, frankly, I do not see ambitious targets as a justifiable reason for some to object to the Bill.”
“The stark reality is that, unless we act now, we will doom future generations to a world that has been irreversibly infected by the deadly effects of climate change. <BR /> <BR />Action must be taken now, and it must stem from the House. Leadership must lead and should not be afraid to do so. Such leadership must be proactive and consistent. Doing the bare minimum is not enough. <BR /> <BR />That was evidenced last year when, upon taking up the ministerial portfolio for Infrastructure, Nichola Mallon MLA invested in an eco-friendly ministerial car and zero-carbon public transport, delivered new cycle lanes, invested in climate-friendly street lighting and created a £20 million blue-green infrastructure fund. She has clearly set the benchmark for other Ministers to follow.”
“In supporting the Second Reading of the Climate Change Bill, I pay tribute to those Members from most of the parties who brought it to the House and to all the organisations and groups that helped to shape the Bill that we have before us. <BR /> <BR />We must make no mistake about this: regardless of flag, language or even the Northern Ireland protocol, that which we discuss today will be the defining debate of our generation. None of us can shy away from the discussion, because all of us will be affected by the outcome of our deliberations and the impact that the Bill has on the world around us. <BR /> <BR />Climate change is real, it is happening and has been happening for some time.”
“I do not think that that is being negative; I am simply pointing out the truth. <BR /> <BR />I do not accept that I am grandstanding when I raise the services that are being taken out of my area.”
“I really despair at that tone, Minister. What you are saying is that, if we see diminishing services or services that are not up to the standard that we want and raise our voices in this place, the elected Chamber in Northern Ireland — if we dare to do that — you will accuse us of being negative and trying to get a cheap headline in the local newspaper. That is a headline in the local newspaper: we are being told that we cannot raise issues. <BR /> <BR />You gave us a wonderful list of available services, many of them once a month. I gave you a list of services that were taken away. There is no comparison between the two lists. I do not begrudge the list that you gave us — give us every service that you can, and the staff will deliver it — I am simply saying that it is nothing compared to what we used to have.”
“I understand some of the point that he makes. However, does he realise that what we actually hear from that is, "We will make the decisions that we want. If you don't like them, don't dare open your mouth and say anything about them, because you will be putting your hospital down"? We have to call out what we have seen. I read out a list of services that we had across the board in a fully fledged, fully run and proper hospital. We do not have half — we do not have even a tenth — of those services now. Is he seriously suggesting that, as elected representatives in a democratic country, we should sit down and say nothing about that?”
“It had over 150 beds and was collocated with the Downshire Hospital, which was one of the main centres in these islands for the delivery of mental health services. Stop telling me that I am politicking when, in 20 years, we have had all of that stripped out and, now, even the ambulances bypass it. <BR /> <BR />I can be accused of being negative, but I think that I am being a realist as we stand by and watch what has happened. Suffice to say, at this stage, that whatever remnant of goodwill the Department had with the people of South Down, it is depleting fast, and further reconfiguration of services will simply not be accepted. We need our services back. The services that were promised need to come back, and we need them back now. It is what the people of Down and Mourne deserve.”
“The campaign for the Downe Hospital is a fight to support the staff and the public, but it predates my birth. In fact, it predates the birth of the Health Minister, so would I step away from a campaign to save it? No, not when Health Minister after Health Minister have insisted on taking services away from the Downe and leaving the people of County Down at a health disadvantage. That is why the voice of the people will be raised to the heights of central government and cannot be ignored. <BR /> <BR />Just a number of years ago, the Downe Hospital had a 24-hour emergency department and it delivered elective and non-elective surgery. It had a cardiac ward, an intensive care unit and a full maternity hospital.”
“The cynic in me wonders just how much exploration has been done, given that, six months later, I asked the Minister again about the trust's rebuilding plans and how the Downe can play its part in that. The response was somewhat different. I was told the following:”
“Let local people, and even those who you tell us want to travel, come to the Downe where healthcare will be delivered to the highest standard and help our health service. It will not hinder it. The Royal College of Physicians recently highlighted that one of the consequences of removing services from local and smaller hospitals is that you make them irrelevant. The Downe is not irrelevant. I have spoken about it many times in the Chamber. Last October, I asked the Health Minister about the delivery of specialist services in the Downe. In his response, the Minister said to me, and I quote from Hansard:”
“We have delays in our health service, yet the theatres at the Downe operate about 60% of the time, and not at the weekends, for the health service. There is no anaesthetist based at the Downe, so all the provision is by local anaesthetic only. How much more we could be doing. <BR /> <BR />What of the adage trotted out that people are happy to travel for their healthcare? Why does the Department think that people will not travel to Downpatrick for their services? What have your officials got against our town and our hospital? By the way, to say that we offer regional services is not exactly justified. The cataract service is good, but it is mostly delivered to local people; to a few from beyond, but not many. <BR /> <BR />Let the Downe do more. Install our long-awaited MRI scanner.”
“To be blunt, it is because successive Health Ministers have presided over a service that is getting smaller and more centralised. The bed count has been reduced, the workload has increased, and the need for nurses has never been greater. We cannot even get our nurses' pay or working conditions right. All this time, we have huge amounts of money, structured investment and enhancement of the Ulster Hospital. Yet we continue to hear the message played and replayed, week after week, that there are significant pressures, delays and waiting times at the Ulster Hospital, even with all that investment. Something is definitely not working. <BR /> <BR />I wonder constantly at the contribution that the Downe could make to the wider network of health provision in Northern Ireland.”
“The vaccination centre for County Down is in the Ulster Hospital, which is eight miles from the Royal and five from the SSE Arena. Does the Minister accept that, perception-wise, that is not a ringing endorsement for equal access of opportunity? It may be just a perception, but it feels that, if there is a deal to be cut, the Downe Hospital always gets the lesser end of that deal. Would we expect the public of Belfast to travel 30 miles for their nearest vaccination centre? Never mind "expect" them; they just would not do it. <BR /> <BR />As a result of COVID and other delays, waiting lists are affected further. We are now told that, without funding, it will take 10 years — a full decade — to clear the waiting lists. However, in England, it will take only five years. Why is there the disparity?”
“I have stood in this Chamber on multiple occasions extolling the virtues of the Downe, saying that it could play its part in the fight against COVID. I feel that we have played our part, fair and square, and I want to know when we will get our emergency department back. That is only fair and square. <BR /> <BR />No one can deny how successful and well run the vaccination programme has been. It is exceptional. We are getting as many of the population vaccinated as possible, but are we ensuring equal access where possible? What about those in County Down? Where is the County Down vaccination centre? Is it in Downpatrick, the county town of Down, in the Downe Hospital or on the Downshire estate, where it could be equally accessible to all? No.”
“We put our faith and goodwill in the Health Minister that, when it was possible to do so, services would be returned to the Downe Hospital. However, over one year on, they still have not been returned.”