Paula Bradshaw
South Belfast · Alliance Party · Northern Ireland
“They were places where those who were vulnerable were concealed, young mothers were stripped of their babies and children were stripped of their identities. Let us be resolute in our remembrance of what happened behind the doors of those institutions.”
“At all stages, the Committee has set out its clear support for the legislation's overarching aims and principles, which are to establish a statutory public inquiry into the systemic failings associated with mother-and-baby institutions, Magdalene laundries and workhouses between 1922 and 1995 and to create a statutory redress scheme for t…”
“Again, I refuse to call them "mother-and-baby homes", for we now know that there was nothing homely about them. What the Bill can and must do is offer a tangible declaration that the state accepts its responsibility.”
“As Chairperson of the Committee for the Executive Office, I welcome the opportunity to speak at the Final Stage of the Inquiry (Mother and Baby Institutions, Magdalene Laundries and Workhouses) and Redress Scheme Bill.”
“Key points were also made in relation to redress: the need to ensure that the Executive Office introduces clear guidelines for the scheme as soon as practicable; the need for the Executive Office to widely communicate and promote the scheme to all victims and survivors, including those who live overseas; and the need for the Executive Off…”
“The First Minister and deputy First Minister tabled a number of amendments that gave effect to the Committee's intent across a number of clauses. In several instances, the Committee chose to withdraw its amendments in favour of the Ministers' wording, where that better reflected the broader book of the law.”
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“The inquiry will, it is stated, address human rights violations, and it is correct that it should do that. However, as with what we refer to as historical institutional abuse, we should call this out for what it really was: child abuse. <BR /> <BR />I note also that the statement uses the term "mother-and-baby homes" with reference to the planned Bill but that, later in the statement, the reference is to "mother-and-baby institutions". I urge them to use the term "institutions" in the legislation, as, I am afraid, there was nothing homely about those places. <BR /> <BR />With regard to Justice, the statement refers to a justice Bill, a modernisation Bill arising from the justice (miscellaneous provisions) Bill agreed to by the Executive back in 2020.”
“Although I am Chair of the Committee for the Executive Office, I speak in my capacity as an Alliance MLA. In that capacity, I endorse the legislative programme and will provide my party's initial response. <BR /> <BR />I trust that what is before us will indeed be what is delivered. Since the First Minister and deputy First Minister are presenting it as their programme, there must be no excuse for any delay in bringing forward the Bills contained in it across all Departments, including those that may usefully be introduced before the summer. <BR /> <BR />In the Executive Office, the introduction of legislation to set up a public inquiry and redress scheme for the victims and survivors of mother-and-baby institutions, Magdalene laundries and workhouses is, of course, welcome; indeed, it is long overdue.”
“Thank you, Minister, for your statement. Did Lough Neagh come up? If so, what discussion took place and what actions came out of it?”
“D-Day was an important turning point not just for the United Kingdom but for the world in defeating fascism. Indeed, many Irish people were involved in that turning point in many different ways. Does the First Minister agree that it was welcome that the Executive Office was represented by the deputy First Minister but that, as a self-proclaimed "First Minister for all", she should, on reflection, have taken that opportunity to represent us all on a global stage?”
“Thank you, Health Minister. Last week, I spoke to a senior social worker in the Northern Health and Social Care Trust. She said that she feels under a lot of pressure and almost as though she is part of a second-class workforce. What short-term measures are you taking to better support and bolster the social work community?”
“Deputy First Minister, you will recall from the Historical Institutional Abuse inquiry that Sir Anthony Hart, in advance of publication, indicated that he was going to recommend a redress scheme. The victims and survivors had to wait about four years from that indication until the redress scheme was set up. To what degree can you commit that the redress scheme will sit alongside the public inquiry as opposed to being subsequent to it?”
“I thank the Member for giving way. The issue that we are discussing is the statutory aggravation model. From my point of view as a fellow South Belfast MLA, that will not be the panacea, in many ways. There is the work that has taken place in the Department for Communities and the work done on the race relations strategy. There is so much more than just that issue. If you are fixated on stand-alone legislation when we should be working on the issue in so many other ways, you miss the point.”
“Furthermore, legislation will be future-proofed to allow for further consultation, as I have just outlined, and engagement. It will be accompanied by other policy work emerging from Judge Marrinan's review, as the Minister clarified. Therefore, we see from the Minister a commitment to deliver hate crime legislation and a detailed road map on exactly how that will happen, taking into account the obstacles that others have put in her way, not least by collapsing the institutions for much of the current mandate. I urge the Assembly to commend her work and to unite behind the clear route laid out, which will provide practical and better outcomes for victims.”
“Thank you, Minister. I was just coming to that point. <BR /> <BR />When the Minister set out her clear priorities in her response, she mentioned that the time frame is restricted by the need for legislative drafting, consultation and complete policy development within that condensed period. Those priorities include legislation on the most impactful elements for victims that will provide not only the delivery of key aspects now but a foundation for the future. <BR /> <BR />I will draw my comments to a close by urging unity on our amendment. The outcome of the Minister's legislative plans is clear: we will see the introduction of a new statutory aggravation model for prosecuting hate crime, providing for better outcomes for victims during this mandate.”
“The recommendations provide an excellent foundation from which to strengthen our current legislation. In her response —”
“The Department has accepted the need, as the Minister mentioned, for the new legislative statutory aggravation model. That is of relevance to the Committee for the Executive Office, which I Chair, as it is significant in respect of race relations and good relations more generally. <BR /> <BR />On time frame, the motion raises the importance of the implementation of Judge Marrinan's recommendations but emphasises that it must be done within 12 months. However, several Members, including Doug Beattie and Jim Allister, took the opposite view, saying that the process must not be rushed and that there must be full scrutiny. The challenge is to secure implementation of the recommendations in the context of a constrained time frame and competing priorities.”
“Stewart Dickson pointed out that not all of Judge Marrinan's recommendations are for a single Department and nor, indeed, are they all legislative. The Minister made a similar comment. <BR /> <BR />Turning to the issue of legislating for a statutory aggravation model, some Members outlined how and why Judge Marrinan's recommendations are important. Sinéad correctly noted that the current system is not fit for purpose. Deirdre Hargey called for a robust approach, and Stewart emphasised that the key message would be delivered through effective legislation. Connie Egan went further, emphasising that the objective must be full legal protection for violations of human rights on the basis of a cross-sectoral approach, including intervention and prevention.”
“She challenged elected reps to speak up too. <BR /> <BR />We are all keenly aware that politicising such an objective will go down poorly with the public. What matters is delivery. We need to be clear about the activity and time that it will take to deliver legislation that will work effectively on sensitive issues, and that is the point of the amendment. <BR /> <BR />On delivery, Sinéad and her colleague Colin McGrath raised the issue of stand-alone legislation. However, other Members, such as Ms Bunting, emphasised that it is not the technicality of whether legislation is stand-alone that matters but the impact that the legislation would have. Paul Frew urged us to exercise caution and to take time to get the process and the vehicle right.”
“Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. <BR /> <BR />I am happy to see the issue raised in the Chamber today. It is already clear that the key objective is legislating to ensure that hate and prejudice have no place in our society. <BR /> <BR />Sinéad McLaughlin, the proposer of the motion, spoke powerfully about the importance of the issue, particularly in the context of the abuse that her colleague, Councillor Lilian Seenoi-Barr, has had to endure, not least in the past couple of weeks. The Minister also recognised that. Joanne Bunting emphasised that no hate crime is acceptable and that we must tackle it in all its forms. Kate Nicholl paid tribute to all those who have had the courage to speak out when they have been the victims of hate crime, up to and including the loss of their homes and businesses.”
“Thank you, Minister. Will you give us your assessment of whether the earmarked capital projects will be completed within the allocated budget and whether they will still represent value for money?”
“I thank the Finance Minister. That is very helpful information. It is useful to know that the Executive Office has plans in this financial year. The concern that I have, as Chair of the Executive Office Committee, is that we have no idea what that envelope will look like. We would appreciate receiving updates in the Chamber when the Minister receives them.”
“I thank the Member for giving way. Will the strong message not come from having the statutory aggravation model in legislation? It does not necessarily need to be in a stand-alone piece of legislation.”
“Those two strategies, with action plans and appropriate funding, would allow more people to enter public life and achieve their dreams and goals.”
“<BR /> <BR />Despite all those wonderful appointments, we have still not seen the launch of the refugee integration strategy, nor have we seen the publication of the sexual orientation strategy as promised under New Decade, New Approach.”
“<BR /> <BR />In another chamber, this time in Newry, Mourne and Down, Councillor Pete Byrne was appointed the first LGBT chairperson of that council alongside my Alliance Party colleague Councillor Dave Lee-Surginor, who will serve with him as deputy chairperson. He is from the Chinese community. Yesterday, we heard Sinéad McLaughlin congratulate her colleague Lillian Seenoi-Barr on becoming the first black Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council. She portrayed Lillian's wonderfully powerful story of endurance as she battled to attain her refugee status. It was a wonderful evening that demonstrated our changing society.”
“I congratulate the new mayors and deputy mayors who were sworn in in council chambers across Northern Ireland last night, and I extend my best wishes to those who will have council AGMs later this week. In particular, I note the historic appointment of my Alliance Party colleague and friend Councillor Micky Murray as the first LGBT Lord Mayor of Belfast. It took 132 years. <BR /> <BR />I was not called to make a Member's statement yesterday, but, in many ways, I am glad that I did not get in, because I had not realised quite how much that appointment means to the LGBT community in Belfast. Last night, I sat in the gallery, where the cheers were immense. We could also hear people cheering from the lawn of City Hall. It was a night that our city celebrated. Visibility matters, and representation matters.”
“Thank you, Health Minister. Welcome to your post. I appreciate the positive tone that you delivered, and I feel that you are being sincere. <BR /> <BR />Minister, you talked about delivering reform and about the financial constraints that you are under. You will be aware that, last summer, the chief executives and others worked on work streams under the hospital reconfiguration design plan. The next stage was meant to be about going out to consult the healthcare professionals whom you have just mentioned. Where are we at with that?”
“Thank you, First Minister, for your answer. As you said, the world has moved on. Will the new strategy include a set of principles and human rights standards through which engagement with every nation in the world will be measured?”
“OK. I will leave it there. I had plenty more to say. Thank you.”
“<BR /> <BR />Speaking of budgeting in the dark, the truth is that we —.”
“The Executive Office also oversees a Strategic Investment Board that is under review but that, in the meantime, continues to support an educational campus that the independent review of education warned clearly against building and for which the budget is not yet secure. The Executive Office did that while supposedly supporting a stadium that the Minister refuses to put out to tender. It also supports, at considerable cost, a Maze/Long Kesh Development Corporation that cannot demonstrate any meaningful outcomes over the past few years. That sort of thing matters. For example, without an up-to-date international relations strategy, how are we to define the purpose of the Northern Ireland Bureau in Beijing? What are we expecting it to deliver, and how do we assess its performance?”
“That is not the route to efficient budgeting, nor is it the route to delivering real change and reform for the public. <BR /> <BR />The Executive Office's record after 100 days of restored devolution was not good. I will not repeat the details, but we have seen a failure to appoint an array of commissioners and even the Executive Office's own permanent secretary. We have not seen any meaningful movement on key issues such as a memorial to victims and survivors of the historical institutional abuse of children. We have not seen any movement at all on issues such as the replacement of the international relations strategy, the current version of which dates from pre Brexit.”
“That is on the website, if anybody would like to read it. <BR /> <BR />Nevertheless, it should also be emphasised that we will always have more demands on the public purse than it can meet out of revenue raised. As one Chancellor put it, the queue of people telling you what they can spend money on will always be longer than the queue telling you what you should cut spending on. That brings us to the need to cut waste and to prioritise. The problem is that it is difficult to prioritise if we do not have a Programme for Government. We should also better define what "inescapable pressures" are. Today, we are essentially budgeting in the dark and setting spending limits assuming that we will want to do roughly the same as we did last year.”
“I totally agree — this is the first opportunity that the Department has taken to offer us that briefing — so thank you for that. <BR /> <BR />I will make my remarks on the Executive Office budget. In her foreword to the Budget document, the Finance Minister says that demands on the Budget amount to £1·50 for every £1 that she has available to spend. It should be emphasised that my colleagues and I fully support her case for an improved package from the UK Treasury. <BR /> <BR />I would like to correct the record. I am sure that the DUP Member for South Down did not mean to mislead the House when she said that parties other than her own championed and cheered on the financial package. My party leader, Naomi Long, said on 11 December:”
“In the past financial year, however, only £26 million was awarded by the redress board, while almost £1 million was paid in legal fees, £1·6 million in panel fees and almost £2 million in administration costs. We await updated expenditure figures from the Department, but the Committee is determined to ensure that public money, as scarce as it is, is well spent. There is clearly learning here. <BR /> <BR />It is a matter of some frustration that, due to a lack of information, the Committee cannot provide a more comprehensive contribution to the debate. However, the Committee looks forward to receiving a financial briefing from the Department on 12 June, when we will be in a better position to ascertain the facts of the Department's planned expenditure. <BR /> <BR />I will now make some comments as an Alliance MLA, albeit —.”
“We also heard from stakeholders and women's centres about how we should be tackling violence against women and girls. We will need an adequate budget to do so, and that should, of course, be a priority for the Department. The Department made a bid for £500,000 to fund the strategy, added to £300,000 for baseline funds. Considering the scale of the challenge of achieving the aims of the strategy, the Committee will thus look closely at the adequacy of £800,000 to make an impact. <BR /> <BR />The Committee also heard from survivors of institutional child abuse. We heard last week that redress payments of £87 million have been paid out to date.”
“The Department received £181 million resource DEL in the previous Budget period, so there is a modest uplift of £2 million in this Budget. If last year's pattern is to be repeated, 58% of the total amount will be earmarked for things such as support for victims and survivors of the conflict, historical institutional abuse and truth recovery. That leaves relatively little wriggle room for the Department to make savings. One of the challenges that we face, however, is that we do not know to what extent last year's pattern will be repeated. <BR /> <BR />The Department made bids for funding for the ending violence against women and girls strategy, Good Relations and support for public-sector reform. On 15 May, the Committee heard evidence from the Department on how it plans to tackle violence against women and girls.”
“I will make some initial remarks on behalf of the Committee for The Executive Office. We are again in the position of having to debate matters on which there is insufficient time to receive the information that we need. That has a significant impact on effective scrutiny. Nevertheless, we need to move forward with a Budget to have clarity about spending plans and to continue to make the case to the Treasury that our current funding package does not meet objective need. <BR /> <BR />The Executive Office is to receive £183 million resource DEL and £17 million capital DEL, of which £7 million is financial transactions capital. The Department's conventional capital bid was for £14 million, so the allocation of £10 million means that a further £4 million would need to be found elsewhere.”
“It is clear that the Israeli Government are defying the International Court of Justice, which recently ordered an immediate halt to their military offensive in the Rafah area. <BR /> <BR />The UK Government must continue to exert whatever pressure they can on the Israeli Government and convince them that a path must be created towards Palestinian statehood. A meaningful ceasefire must be agreed and the exchange of hostages secured without any further delay. There is no other way forward for the Middle East.”
“He told us of the trauma that his family had to experience: first, in being displaced from their family home; and, secondly, through being moved time and time again and, on foot, having to carry children for miles from one refugee camp to another. In the camps, resources are so scarce that electricity supplies have been cut off, and even access to water is extremely limited, so, amid the fear and sadness, people seeking shelter also face starvation and acute dehydration. For the Israelis to use their prized precision munitions to target those people is beyond barbaric. Even the Palestinian Red Crescent said that the air strike on Sunday evening had targeted tents for displaced people in an area that is supposed to be a safe zone. How very tragic.”
“I add my voice to the international community's condemnation of the murder and maiming of innocent civilians in Rafah over the past few days. The Israeli Government's pursuit of a so-called total victory in Rafah is nothing more than an attempt to annihilate the Palestinian people and everything that they hold dear. Babies, children and the elderly — all innocent, defenceless and, no doubt, extremely scared — are being caught up in the Israeli Defence Force's deadly pursuit of Hamas. <BR /> <BR />My colleague Kate Nicholl recently held a meeting in Parliament Buildings with members of the Palestinian community who live here, and I know that some Members who are in the Chamber also attended. Among the delegation was a man named Zac, who had got out of Palestine just eight days previously.”
“After all, if there is no value in the health system, what does that say to the staff working in it? We need to be able to recruit and retain our staff. <BR /> <BR />I think that I have covered most of the debate. I will leave my remarks there, but I hope that we will see movement in this area, because we have to show our junior doctors how much we value them and how much we care that they stay in our system.”
“to deliver a fair settlement. He indicated that his door was open and that he would be up for independent arbitration. That will, hopefully, be the starting point for the BMA to be able to sit down with the Health Minister and others to mediate that. We cannot see more of our junior doctors and others leaving the health service and working in neighbouring jurisdictions. If that keeps happening, there will be no health service left. <BR /> <BR />The Health Minister's suggestion to the Department of Finance of a review of public-sector pay is certainly welcome, but I refer to my colleague Nuala McAllister's point about putting the business case for more funding to the Finance Minister. That is probably a more pressing matter at this stage. We must consider the priorities that we need. We need to be proactive.”
“<BR /> <BR />The motion is clear in calling for the Minister to:”
“If they feel, justifiably, that they are not being treated fairly and their legitimate concerns are not being taken seriously, there will be no healthcare system left to budget for. <BR /> <BR />Liz Kimmins, Colin McGrath and others raised the issue that junior doctors are taking to the picket lines tomorrow for 48 hours as a last resort. The Health Minister said that he respected their right to strike but raised concerns about the impact that the strike will have on patients. We need to hear less about how £4,300 per person is not enough. We need to hear from the Minister about how he will prioritise his spending so that the key drivers of the system — the people in it — are compensated and treated fairly while the system is transformed to remove waste and deliver better outcomes.”
“For example, according to the Fiscal Council, managing hospitals in the same way as they are managed in England would save over £400 million a year while, at the same time, delivering improved patient outcomes. Let me put that another way: we are spending over £400 million a year to deliver worse outcomes. The fact is that we need to see value for our health spend, yet we see money being allocated to outdated systems and approaches rather than to reformed contracts and improved pay conditions for the people working in the health service. <BR /> <BR />Colin McGrath highlighted the fact that we need to focus on ways in which we can incorporate transformation to address the issues that the junior doctors raised with us all. We have said endlessly that no element of our healthcare system is more important than the people working in it.”
“Our contracts are more hopelessly outdated, and there is the temptation of working for Sláintecare right next door. Obviously, a lot of large health trusts over in England offer very attractive packages. Morale is, inevitably, much lower here than in other parts of the UK. Alan Robinson highlighted retention as a major issue, as did Gerry Carroll, who called it "forced migration". <BR /> <BR />The Department of Health receives £4,300 for every person in Northern Ireland as a starting point before Barnett consequentials are introduced. That amounts to more than half of the entire devolved Budget. We have seen countless audits of departmental spending, one of which the Health Minister referenced.”
“I thank my colleague. I fully agree. The chief executives from the health and social care trusts have been saying for many years that they want to see reform in that space. <BR /> <BR />We need to move forward with this issue. Health is a devolved area, and this is how it works. A number of Members — Nuala McAllister, Alan Robinson and Danny Donnelly — mentioned the fact that it is a national dispute. The Minister said that it will be agreed and settled nationally. He raised the issue about Wales. Wales, in fact, is discussing additionality for 2023-24, unlike here, and it wants to advance negotiations further. The matter has not been settled in Wales, and that fact needs to go on the record. <BR /> <BR />There are different issues in Northern Ireland.”
“I was glad to hear today that junior doctors will be receiving that in their pay packet in June, which Alan Robinson mentioned. Alan Chambers rightly pointed out that junior doctors did receive an uplift of 9·1%, and I am grateful for the figure. The Minister said that, in the future, the progressive realisation of back pay would cost £52 million before any other pay settlements. We are dealing with harsh numbers here, colleagues, but it is not remotely good enough to suggest that Northern Ireland cannot advance the issue before —.”
“Low pay is therefore only part of the problem. It is a symptom, however. Pay is now so low and so far behind that of our neighbours that junior doctors justifiably regard it as a core issue. My colleague Danny Donnelly highlighted that point. <BR /> <BR />The Minister is developing a reputation for not wanting to meet anyone. In correspondence, he turned down an invitation to meet the bereaved families of the victims of Dr Watt. Coincidentally, he was willing to meet the junior doctors only when this motion appeared in the Order Paper. What correspondence the Minister has had with junior doctors suggests that a solution could take the form of contract reform, but that has not really started, nor has there been any movement on back pay yet.”
“We therefore have to be careful how we frame such issues, because, fundamentally, we are talking about patient safety. My colleague Justin McNulty highlighted that point. If we have junior doctors, who are an essential part of our system, becoming tired as a result of impossible rotas and working under unreasonable contracts, it is not just they who suffer but, first and foremost, the patients. Do you want to be seen by someone who is suffering from fatigue, an issue that Alan Robinson highlighted, and who, justifiably, is feeling undervalued, which is the word that Declan Kearney used? Having gone through the rigorous training that Nuala mentioned, junior doctors find that their workplace does not even have a hook for them on which to hang their jacket. Other Members commented on that as well.”
“Thank you, Madam Principal Deputy Speaker. I thank all the Members who spoke, and the Health Minister for responding. All contributors were united in how they spoke about how valuable our junior doctors and our entire health and social care workforce are. That fact was highlighted by Alan Chambers and the Health Minister. My colleague Nuala McAllister rightly outlined the clinical training that junior doctors go through and the reality of what their week is like in their place of work. <BR /> <BR />Today, I was contacted by a junior doctor who told me that junior doctors are responsible for their fees for their exams. That particular constituent said that they have to find £1,650, and that really cuts to the heart of some of today's contributions on how the strikes were a last resort as a result of their being under so much pressure.”
“Minister, what reassurance can you give to people who engage with the Northern Ireland Blood Transfusion Service and those who may be going in for an operation etc that this sort of thing would not happen today?”
“I concur with the good wishes that the Minister offered to the campaigners over the years.”
“I thank you, Minister, for your answer. I am concerned that families are worried because they cannot get through to their GPs. Obviously, ADHD is a condition that can cause great anxiety. In what ways can your Department or the Public Health Agency improve direct communications to patients, as opposed to relying on GPs to convey the message?”