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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“I wonder whether the Bill sponsor, in his response at the end of the debate, will address the issue of there being two options: do nothing or pass legislation. Mr Allister referenced the potential for CPR and AED training in schools to come forward as a policy change by the Department of Education. I want a bit more information on that. <BR /> <BR />That is all I have to say. I endorse the Bill and look forward to working with the Bill sponsor and others as it progresses.”
“It is estimated that that invention has saved millions of lives, yet, as the Bill sponsor rightly pointed out, many others are not saved, because people did not have access to one. <BR /> <BR />Mr Sheehan mentioned the potential for the Bill, when it becomes an Act, to be a catalyst for the wider availability of defibrillators and training in the community. As someone in a position of responsibility in a sports club in Carrickfergus, I can say that we, as committee members, are conscious of not only the sport but the health and safety and risk management of players, volunteers and spectators. It is welcome that we are dealing in the Chamber with an issue that really impacts on our communities. <BR /> <BR />One issue with the Bill that jumps out at me relates to the options considered.”
“I will say a few words on the Bill as the Alliance Party health spokesperson. I thank the Bill sponsor, who is a fellow Health Committee member. The Bill will be a worthy piece of legislation when it is passed. I also thank the British Heart Foundation for its work to promote the potential benefits of what the Bill includes. <BR /> <BR />My contribution to the Second Stage debate will not take long. I appreciate that the Bill sponsor indicated that the financial effects will be minimal. As Back-Benchers, when we introduce private Members' Bills, we have a duty to ensure that the financial impact is kept as low as possible. <BR /> <BR />I put on record my acknowledgement of the role of Northern Ireland and Queen's University Belfast, in particular, in the development of the portable defibrillator.”
“Thank you, Minister, for coming to the Chamber this afternoon. I wonder whether the vaccine management system is being used, or could be used, to identify which health and social care staff have and have not been vaccinated and whether you intend to use it to target those areas where there is a deficiency in uptake.”
“I thank the Minister for her comments on the apology in particular. Will she update the House on the work on historical clerical child sex abuse?”
“With that in mind, I urge the next Executive to make an equality Bill a priority, not least for those who suffer from severe migraines.”
“The Alliance Party recognises that, for the past 10 years, people with disabilities here have not benefited from the enhanced protections that apply in the rest of the UK. That is why, for many years, my party has advocated a single equality Act for Northern Ireland. As Deputy Chair of the Ad Hoc Committee on a Bill of Rights, I have spoken with many organisations and activists, including those representing people who live with a disability, and it is clear that we have a lot of work to do on rights in Northern Ireland. A bill of rights is important work, but the road to equality would not end with its introduction. <BR /> <BR />As we approach our next mandate, we should all reflect on how we can best improve the lives of our constituents.”
“If an employer treats them less favourably as a result of their disability, there is no means of redress, and, under our current law, an employer is under no obligation to make reasonable adjustment by, for example, making a quiet room available. A person may be forced to struggle on for fear of dismissal.”
“However, as the vast majority of that Act does not apply in Northern Ireland, migraine sufferers here are afforded no protection, as we remain governed by the Disability Discrimination Act 1995. Whilst its definition of a disabled person is similar to that in the Equality Act, it is more prescriptive and, in practice, excludes those with migraines. That means that the rights of an employee who regularly has migraines are effectively denied.”
“I will speak on behalf of the thousands of people across Northern Ireland who regularly experience migraines and yet have no protection under disability legislation. Migraines are a form of severe headache that can often be debilitating for sufferers. Around one in five women and one in 18 men are affected by migraines, usually beginning in early adulthood. The condition can prevent people from carrying out their normal activities, such as work or parental responsibilities, whilst common symptoms include nausea and vomiting. A migraine can seriously impact a person's life, often leaving the sufferer incapacitated and alone in a quiet, dark room. <BR /> <BR />In the rest of the UK, when the condition is frequent and severe, migraines are recognised as a disability under the Equality Act 2010.”
“In Greater Manchester, the integrated system means that, in primary care, a specific housing intervention can be prescribed. In other words, housing is not just a service to be provided but a real extension of well-being. It should not be hard to replicate that in a small area such as Northern Ireland. However, it will mean getting on with it. It may be necessary to find ways of more quickly converting brownfield sites for new housing, for example, thereby renovating and reinvigorating locations. <BR /> <BR />Fundamentally, I am talking about a resident-first approach with a focus on well-being, particularly since the approach of the Programme for Government is supposed to be outcomes-based. We should set out to accomplish it urgently; there would be significant benefits from it.”
“For me, an additional consideration arises from the opportunities that we are wasting in our supposedly integrated health and social care system. In the past few years, some of the English city regions, notably Greater Manchester, have taken steps to integrate health and social care. By integration, they do not mean stopping at providing health and social care services from one department; they mean integrating them to the extent that health and welfare become part of the same package. That is pertinent when we consider that the issue with housing in Northern Ireland is not only that we need more of it but that it needs to be better quality. <BR /> <BR />Even something as apparently basic as dampness or poor insulation can have a significant impact on health and well-being.”
“Like my party colleague Kellie Armstrong, I rise to support the motion. I will come at it from a slightly different angle, mainly that of health and well-being, as referenced at the end of the motion. <BR /> <BR />Many Members have already outlined issues with the supply of housing and the need to build more homes. That is true. It is pertinent to note that, while housing has become a significant issue across the border, it is not prioritised as much in public debate here. I cannot help but think that that is because, here, the impact is felt predominantly in social housing, rather than there being a sense that people are being priced out of the market to the same degree. Nevertheless, a quick glance at average wages and average house prices suggests that, even here, there is no room for complacency.”
“Minister, you will be aware that the Royal College of Emergency Medicine is keen to see the introduction of the Getting it Right First Time programme, which relates to the sharing of clinical best practice across EDs. Can you give us an update on that? Also, will your Department work with the Public Health Agency on its messaging this winter so that people go to the right place for their healthcare?”
“Scores of people who look like students — they were certainly young people — were queueing to get into a venue. That is dispiriting because students or young people cannot be taught properly in university classes because those establishments worry about their close proximity, yet we see them stand shoulder to shoulder with virtual strangers. Not to have those checks in place is a major error, and it will see infection rates and, ultimately, hospitalisation rates rise. We will see so much more pressure on our Health and Social Care staff. Putting that additional pressure on them when we are warning that we are heading into a very tough winter is particularly concerning.”
“I welcome the fact that the Department of Health conducted that, but we need to see its outworkings soon, particularly in targeting the younger age groups, where we see the majority of cases at present. We also need to ensure that there is awareness, even if people feel that they are not vulnerable, that the chain of infection, particularly via households, can soon see the virus reaching an elderly grandparent or a parent with an underlying condition and so on. <BR /> <BR />I put on record my party's opposition to the reopening of high-risk indoor venues without any mitigations that are regulated for or enforced, be they spacing requirements, ventilation, vaccination or negative test checks. This morning, I was sent a photograph of a queue outside one of the venues in South Belfast.”
“Amendment No. 17 is curious. It was designed to stop significant gatherings in private homes. The example that is always given, for whatever reason, is raves. There is a fairly open acceptance here, as I have indicated in previous contributions in the Chamber, that the regulations for private dwellings were not particularly enforceable. We wasted too much time on specifics that were never going to be checked. <BR /> <BR />In Committee, I raised the issue of communications in response to each of the amendments that we are discussing. It is evident that Scotland is the leader in communications among the jurisdictions of the UK and Ireland. Scotland gives messaging that is clear and succinct. We are still talking about the latest communication plan, which is being updated to reflect the feedback from the attitudinal study.”
“I welcome the fact that theatre and drama can resume, particularly for my constituency of South Belfast. Theatres have had a long wait to welcome back their patrons. I very much welcome the responsible attitudes shown by many theatres with which I have been in contact. Most have opted to reopen at full capacity, subject to checking for vaccination or a recent negative test, or, alternatively, they will open at below full capacity on terms similar to the hospitality industry; for example, face coverings will be required while moving about. I find that impressive, and I attended a show recently and felt that mitigations had clearly been put in place to assure those attending that they were at low risk.”
“No one can say that there is scientific advice on such specific requirements, and that removes people's faith in the whole thing. <BR /> <BR />Ultimately, we have to make a decision. If we are keeping face coverings in the regulations and thus in law, we need to enforce those regulations or put in place other mitigations where they cannot meaningfully be applied, rather than being seen to constantly pare back the requirements. Alternatively, we need to accept that we are now solely using guidance. After all, so many people are now not wearing face coverings at all. <BR /> <BR />Amendment No. 16 was made specifically to allow for the resumption of theatre and drama.”
“I support the motions. <BR /> <BR />As the Health Protection (Coronavirus, Wearing of Face Coverings) (Amendment No. 6) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2021 are technical, I do not intend to take much time on them. However, I will say that our entire guidance on face coverings is now bordering on farce, particularly given the reopening of nightclubs without any real mitigations. It is now common to see people, including staff in shops and elsewhere, simply not wearing face coverings. Of course, not wearing a face covering indoors is permitted in an increasing number of instances. Debate has now moved on as to whether face coverings should be required only while standing on public transport and seated at a wedding dance.”
“Minister, will you give an update on any work that your Department is doing around the sign language Bill?”
“Minister, thank you for your statement. I will also focus on its health element. I am concerned that, although there is agreement on the additional money for the pay increases, it will not provide very much comfort for those people who are at the lowest end of the scale. I was speaking to some domiciliary care workers last week, and they can barely make ends meet, not least because they have to cover their own travel costs. What discussions have you had with the Health Minister on those people who are not directly employed by the health trusts but who provide a very valuable service in our communities?”
“I wonder about the chasm between the cost per week of student accommodation and the lovely new private accommodation that is coming up. The reason why a lot of kids are still there is because there is such a big difference in price. Have you spoken to Belfast City Council or any other providers around the redevelopment of brownfield sites, as we are seeing around Ulster University in the other part of Belfast? I think that that could be part of the difficulty in getting those kids into more secure accommodation.”
“Will the Minister confirm whether those who are working in independent hospitals and who were, for example, commissioned to deliver diagnostic or elective care surgery, will be eligible?”
“I thank the First and deputy First Ministers for the statement. The paper talks about potential contingency measures that may be introduced if hospital pressures become unsustainable. First Minister, yesterday we had 347 people in hospital, 24 of whom were on ventilators, which is two more than the day before. How much worse must the pressures on our health and social care workers become before you bring in those measures?”
“What will it take for public debate to move on to make such issues an absolute priority? How long will we meekly tolerate a health system that is not set up to deliver on the original pledge of being free at the point of access?”
“The reality is that the families who were left in this dreadful situation had two options: the first was to wait for the system to respond, which meant going through all the uncertainty that that brings and its consequences for the family's collective well-being; the second was to find the money to pay for private treatment. <BR /> <BR />We do not want a health service in which people have to find the money; we want the health service to be free at the point of access. It is not free at the point of access if people need to go private. If 24 children have had to wait a year to find out about their prospective cancers, we do not have a health service based on NHS principles. What will it take for us all in the Chamber to grasp the fact that transformation must proceed, and quickly?”
“Thank you to Mr McGrath for bringing this Matter of the Day. I welcome him back to the Health Committee this week. I also thank the Children's Commissioner for her report on waiting times. I know that the Health Committee will look at that. <BR /> <BR />This is the latest general failing of an unreformed service. Continuing just to throw money at a system that does not work will simply leave us with more appalling instances of non-care. Remember that there are other health services in Europe that simply do not have waiting lists. The very idea that anyone — a child or, indeed, an adult — should have to wait any time at all between being told that they may have cancer and being given the details of what form it may take and what course of treatment may be necessary is unacceptable in many places, so why is it acceptable here?”
“I call on those who, last night and today, have taken to Twitter and other social media platforms and are using Mr Hutchings's passing to gloat and to stoke up tensions to reflect on the potential outworkings of their language, tone and content. We all have a duty to create a society that will not return to the Troubles, one where we can come together to improve public services for our constituents and focus on the issues that matter to them. One issue that we should continue to treat seriously together is the deadly virus. We must ensure that we take responsibility for protecting our most vulnerable. <BR /> <BR />Yesterday, I said of Sir David Amess MP, "May he rest in peace". In turn, today, I say this: may Mr Hutchings rest in peace, and may Mr Cunningham rest in peace. Let us never recreate such a grotesque conflict.”
“I was only two years old at the time, and, as I look around the Chamber, I see many who are of a similar age. I am concerned that there are those in the House and beyond, especially on social media, who are playing politics with Mr Hutchings's passing. It is essential to note that decisions on prosecution and fitness to stand trial are matters for the independent PPS and judiciary. They are not matters in which politicians should involve themselves. <BR /> <BR />Not 24 hours ago, we talked in the House about the vitriolic language used online that can create dangerous situations that spill into real life.”
“I thank Mr Beattie for bringing the Matter of the Day. It is important that we have the debate. <BR /> <BR />I am one of only a handful of Members who come from what we colloquially call a "mixed marriage". My mother is from west Belfast, and my father is from north Belfast. I can tell Members that, at the time of a birth, the joy is the same; at a marriage, the happiness is the same; at a milestone birthday, the craic is the same; and, at a time of death, the grief and despair are the same. I have no doubt that Mr Hutchings's family will have been plunged into the same grief and despair. Furthermore, the family connected with his story — Mr Cunningham's family — will relive that time and be re-traumatised by it. <BR /> <BR />I do not know what happened in 1974.”
“No new homes because of a lack of water capacity, the risk of breaching our environmental obligations and sandbags at the doors of Sicily Park residents, who could be continually under siege from overflowing sewage. The issue will only get worse if we continue to kick the much-needed investment further down the road. We cannot allow inadequate finance to delay the delivery of a much-needed flood alleviation project.”
“Northern Ireland Water needs to publish a detailed project plan as soon as possible, and, even more essentially, the Executive need to commit the funding that is required to complete the whole project. <BR /> <BR />Northern Ireland Water has highlighted the impact of historical underinvestment in our water systems. I welcome the fact that the Infrastructure Minister has allocated the funding requested by the government-owned company for this year. However, the Executive must ensure that, as our finances continue to be squeezed, the money is found in future Budgets to address the scale of our water problem. We must remain committed to our New Decade, New Approach obligation to urgently invest in waste water infrastructure. After all, what is the alternative?”
“While I welcome the fact that work has begun on phase 1 of the Sicily/Marguerite flood alleviation project, it will address only the flooding in Marguerite Park. Flood alleviation works for Sicily Park are part of phase 2 of the project and will commence only after the completion of the extension of the Belfast storm water tunnel to Musgrave Park. <BR /> <BR />As recently as last month, I wrote to the Infrastructure Minister for an update on the project. I was informed that the extension of the Belfast tunnel is not scheduled to start until the later part of Northern Ireland Water's business plan for 2021-27. In the absence of a detailed project plan from NI Water, residents and homeowners in Sicily Park can only assume that they will continue to endure continued flood risk for, at best, another eight years.”
“On what is a very wet day, I raise the severe impact that our increasingly extreme weather has on my constituents in the Sicily Park and Marguerite Park areas. To live with the constant threat of flooding is to live with the constant dread of storm clouds. It is sleepless nights, feelings of helplessness and strained family relationships. It places a huge burden on individuals as they carry the knowledge that everything that they have, have worked towards and do their best to protect could be submerged under out-of-sewer floodwater at a moment's notice. That is the reality for individuals and families in the area, who have endured out-of-sewer water flooding in their streets on numerous occasions since as far back as 2008.”
“He was a passionate representative for his local area, and I am sure that he will be sorely missed by all his constituents. May he rest in peace. <BR /> <BR />Finally, I place on record my thanks to the PSNI for reaching out over the weekend, as it did, I am sure, to many in the House, to offer advice and support regarding constituency office security.”
“My colleague Naomi Long MLA spoke in the last few days about her work with Sir David on animal welfare, an area in which he stood apart from most of his party colleagues and showed ongoing commitment.”
“I add my voice of sympathy for the family and friends of Sir David Amess MP. It is truly appalling that, in a democratic society, those who have been elected by the people to represent and serve them should be so brutally attacked and murdered while doing so. <BR /> <BR />The tributes to Sir David over the past few days have been so powerful. By all accounts, he was incredibly diligent, while maintaining a healthy work-life balance. We all saw the beautiful photos of his family who, I have no doubt, provided him with stability and unwavering support in what we all know is a 24/7 role. <BR /> <BR />Sir David was noted for being an MP whose first objective was to represent the people who elected him. That meant that he would go against the party on some issues.”
“A further question is whether screening should be extended to former firefighters, given that they will have experienced risks. <BR /> <BR />I look forward to hearing what steps, including on funding, will be taken following the debate on the motion, which, I am sure, will enjoy unanimous support. I put it on record that the all-party group on cancer stands ready to support whatever comes forward from here.”
“The next complementary thing that we can do, however, is to ensure that heightened risk is met through heightened monitoring so that early intervention becomes not just a possibility but the norm. That is where the motion comes in. For long-term prognosis, the benefits of identifying cancer at an earlier stage are obvious to us all. Annual cancer screening would not be an easy undertaking, but it is surely a worthy one. Given the clearly heightened risk experienced by at least some of our firefighters in some contexts and our knowledge of that risk, screening could make a significant difference. It would be a useful way of assuring public servants that they are valued and that the public sector is available and, indeed, responsive to them.”
“As has already been said, depending on the exact nature of the situations that they face, their specific duties and whether they are part-time or full-time, firefighters can be up to four times more likely to develop cancer, not least because they are more exposed to carcinogens. Let us remember that, in the past few days, we have been talking about the danger of smoking in cars and vehicles in which children are present and the associated long-term health risks, particularly of cancer. If we elevate that danger to working at the scene of a serious fire, it is not hard to imagine the heightened risk involved. <BR /> <BR />We must do all that we can to prevent cancer. Training has been undertaken, other means of reducing exposure have been explored and, in general, prevention is thankfully now being taken more seriously.”
“I support the motion as the Alliance Party's health spokesperson. We will also support the amendment. I am chair of the Assembly's all-party group (APG) on cancer. <BR /> <BR />I will be interested to hear from the Minister what concrete steps will follow, particularly in the context of ongoing budgetary pressures and the need to make proposals to fund this step. I have been concerned about this broad issue for some time and have had discussions with the Fire and Rescue Service, most recently about the University of Central Lancashire's 'Minimising firefighters' exposure to toxic fire effluents' report. I also raised that report with the Minister. The report is primarily about prevention rather than screening, but the point about the enhanced risk is also clear. <BR /> <BR />The figures presented in the motion give a stark warning.”
“<BR /> <BR />There is also the right to access healthcare; indeed, the first legislation on the matter that we are considering today was passed in British Columbia on that exact premise. The law in New South Wales is also centred around that point. As I indicated, the Committee will have to consider some human rights aspects, perhaps most obviously around clause 4 and who exactly is protected. However, the principles are sound: the right to live free from intimidation; the fundamental right to dignity; the right to protest provided it is done reasonably and without breaching the rights of others; and the right to access healthcare. I strongly urge the Chamber to support that today. <BR /> <BR />I thank Ms Bailey, Informing Choices NI, Alliance for Choice and others who have campaigned over many years for the Bill. It has my full support.”
“I understand that that balance is never easy, and that is why I urge Members to back the principles of the Bill today, so that the Committee can look at that issue in further detail. To be clear, however, setting up a gauntlet of hate and harm is not a right. The right to protest, like any other right, is not absolute; it comes with responsibility. Essentially, that responsibility is to behave reasonably. No one can argue that intentionally targeting women with abuse is behaving reasonably. The right to protest has to be considered and balanced in that context. There is, of course, a fundamental right to live free from abuse, intimidation and to have human dignity. That should never be balanced against the right to protest when such means are used.”
“It is harmful to the general public. This is Baby Loss Awareness Week, and we know that a lot of women are very much focusing on their experience of miscarriage and that such imagery causes them great distress and offence. Although the Bill deals with photography as part of the offence, it does not deal with the graphic imagery that is central to the distress and harm caused. We will have to look at that, and the Bill sponsor is happy for the Health Committee to look at it. <BR /> <BR />Having established the importance of dignity and the need for change to ensure that women accessing healthcare can maintain dignity at all times, I turn to rights. Again, some of the unease about safe access zones in other jurisdictions comes down to the balance of rights.”
“Thank you. You mentioned Mr Allister, and I have responded to him. This is about the zones, not about denying people the right to protest. We are trying to protect the space through which women and those accompanying them have to travel. <BR /> <BR />Reasonable protest is not about intentionally trying to steal someone's dignity. The torrent of verbal abuse and the physical blockage of access is one thing, but another factor frequently reported as causing distress not just to those accessing healthcare but often to those who are just passers-by is the display of graphic imagery. As with the abuse and the blockage, it is designed specifically to cause harm and to steal dignity. It does not constitute a protest; it constitutes a direct attack on the dignity, privacy and well-being of the individual. In fact, it is harmful even beyond that.”
“I hope that it is clear to everyone in the Chamber, regardless of their opinion on abortion, that there can be no moral defence for a gauntlet of hate and harm. There is no justification for enabling it, no justification for participating in it and no justification for us in the Chamber to allow it to continue to happen.”
“In this case, we are strengthening the law and giving it particular relevance to this circumstance. <BR /> <BR />Far from the protests being dignified, women report feeling angry, uncomfortable, traumatised, scared, intimidated, upset, inadequate, unsettled and a raft of other emotions that are not just experienced at the time but can have a lasting impact on their mental well-being. We have spoken in the Chamber many times about the need to protect our citizens' well-being. Such protests, in other words, are specifically designed not to make a point but to cause harm. When people access healthcare, they should not have to run a gauntlet of hate and harm, for that is what is happening.”
“Let us not understate how far protesters go in some instances to act in defiance of that right. The verbal abuse alone is vicious and thoroughly undignified. Calling women "hoors" or "fallen women", particularly at such an evidently vulnerable time, is already beyond what any reasonable person would see as a dignified protest. Shouting that is targeted directly at women in particular, often through loudspeakers, is already beyond what any reasonable person would see as dignified protest. Physically blocking a footpath so as to deny women their right to pass is already beyond what any reasonable person would see as dignified protest. Such protests are designed to make women feel unsafe, to have no regard for their well-being, to deny their privacy and to do anything but maintain dignity.”
“The description of the zones is self-explanatory. Notably, the ability for the Department to set up zones is similar to the law adopted in the Isle of Man in 2019, and I wish to emphasise why it is so important to protect the dignity of those accessing health services. <BR /> <BR />Although the Bill sponsor does not identify any equality impact — I think that, in fact, a positive equality impact is inherent in the Bill — the huge majority of people protected by the legislation will be women. Specifically, proportionately, they will often be women in crisis at a time of vulnerability. In other words, for me, the Bill serves to try to correct an existing inequality. <BR /> <BR />Dignity is part of this. It is a word that has come to be used in recognition that we all have a fundamental right to dignity.”