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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“In our communications with the public, particularly with new and apparently more transmissible variants, with perhaps more still to emerge, we need to reinforce the fact that this is an aerosol-driven virus. We still need to do all that we can to protect ourselves and others, particularly indoors, while the vaccination programme is ongoing. <BR /> <BR />Mr Deputy Speaker, I hope that you will allow me a moment's leeway on the topic of contact tracing. I restate my concern that, from contact tracing, it is not being publicised exactly where the highest risks of transmission currently exist. It is now an unmistakable fact that the same broad areas have had higher or lower transmission rates than the Northern Ireland average for months. It suggests that, unlike England, we are not intervening efficiently enough.”
“That type of inconsistency causes the public to wonder how scientific evidence and advice can enable a performance to take place in one location but not in another, even when the environments are almost identical. <BR /> <BR />Difficulties about social distancing are being reported. The distance is 1 metre for venues serving buffets and carveries, whereas elsewhere in hospitality it remains at 2 metres. That seems strange to most people. <BR /> <BR />With cases rising and the need for caution being reinforced, even though we do not yet fully know what the impact of faster transmission will be, I repeat my view, which I gave when I touched on this regulation two weeks ago: all these regulations should also apply to service stations, for which surely no exemption is now necessary.”
“We support the regulation. I put on record my enduring thanks to health and social care staff as we continue to move through the pandemic, including those who are doing such a wonderful job in our vaccination centres. <BR /> <BR />We are discussing only one regulation, which enables buffets and carveries to align with other parts of the hospitality sector and provides consistency with those cafes where customers queue to give their order before sitting down. <BR /> <BR />The reopening of hospitality continues to cause some confusion, particularly around events. I am aware, for example, that it remains the case that live music is not permitted at weddings, even outdoors, whereas it can take place at street demonstrations.”
“I am concerned that, if the FICT report is taken forward, it will be seen as a loss for a part of society, which will feel as though its cultural expression is being undermined. Is there an opportunity for the FICT report's recommendations to dovetail into the tripartite cultural Bill that is coming forward so that we can put forward positive ways in which cultural expression can be made and have a more harmonious, shared society?”
“Thank you, Minister, for your statement today. You referred to discussions on the potential for further collaboration on issues connected to alcohol and drug use. Was the minimum unit pricing of alcohol raised, and will you give us an update on how your Department is taking that forward in Northern Ireland?”
“I thank the Minister for his statement. The Alliance Party is delighted to see that there is £31·5 million for elective care. We very much welcome the Health Minister's approach to that. I have wider concerns, in that over £6 billion is spent on health every year. When scrutinising the Health and Social Care Bill, I have raised concerns about how services are commissioned. How can we spend so much money and still have such huge waiting lists? How is Finance engaging with the Department of Health on the Health and Social Care Bill and how that Department will commission and fund services? We cannot keep dropping small amounts of money into it. There needs to be proper reform and financial management.”
“<BR /> <BR />We do not want to detract, however, from the real problems and concerns that Members have mentioned around the PIP assessment process. I welcome the report.”
“That took place several months ago, before the NIPSO report, and it was largely welcomed by victims' organisations in the recognition that such a step was necessary towards achieving the actual implementation of the pension scheme. <BR /> <BR />There was no need for the Justice Minister or the Department of Justice to take on the scheme. They did so because of the urgency involved and the recognition that victims were fed up with being further victimised, re-traumatised and used in political games. They need a process that will involve specialists and expert medical professionals, and I agree with others in their commentary on that. We need to move forward with the process, and others in the Chamber need to reflect on their commentary around the scheme.”
“The victims must absolutely come first, and I have to say that, not just in the Chamber today but on the air waves earlier, there were a lot of misinformed and inappropriate comments, with the voices of victims notably being drowned out. I am concerned not that the process will re-traumatise them, as Mr Easton said, but that, I suspect, a lot of the discourse in the public domain today will very much re-traumatise them in that regard. <BR /> <BR />The process for victims' pensions is, perhaps thankfully, utterly different from the assessment needed for PIP. Capita was appointed following a public tendering process with specific criteria drawn up. As opposed to what others have said here, it is not about a hold on any Department; it is about an open process that any company can apply to.”
“The failure to make the right payment without effectively forcing claimants to make continual changes and the impact on them in every sense, financial through to their mental well-being, are, frankly, always harrowing. What claimants report to me time and again is a sense of desperation, intrusion and gross unfairness. There was a sense throughout that the process was about assuming that people were not entitled rather than helping them to receive the support to which they are entitled and that they greatly need. That is clearly the wrong way round. <BR /> <BR />I want to address some issues that have been raised in the Chamber today around the awarding of the contract for victims' pensions to Capita.”
“I thank Mr Carroll for bringing the Matter of the Day to the House. It is important that we reflect on the report in the Chamber today. <BR /> <BR />On the specific issue of the personal independence payment, I strongly endorse many of the comments made today and commend Margaret Kelly and her team on the clarity of the report. Its contents are of little surprise to those of us in the Chamber who have been helping our constituents with PIP payments; indeed, the reality of the situation is rather worse when you hear the details from someone in front of you as opposed to reading them on a piece of paper.”
“Their aspirations for the future for themselves and their children are of equal importance and should be respected equally.”
“It was my great privilege to represent the Alliance Party on the language and culture working groups that were set up on two occasions during the talks when the Assembly was not functioning. I fully appreciate the significance of the contents of the tripartite cultural package and how important they are to so many across society. It is my sincere hope that the recommendations of the report by the Commission on Flags, Identity, Culture and Tradition (FICT) dovetail neatly into the outworkings of that package. The issues that FICT considered are of equal importance to the people of the growing centre ground in Northern Ireland, who want to see workable and robust solutions put in place in their neighbourhoods before we have any more so-called hot summers here.”
“I concur very much with Ms Mallon's reference to the long list of outstanding strategies and policy changes, not least those included in the New Decade, New Approach deal. Few of them will get newspaper headlines, but their contents are so important to the people whom we represent and who eagerly await policy and legislative change.”
“I wish Mr Givan well in his new and challenging role. The people in this country are counting on him to work well with Mrs O'Neill in her role as deputy First Minister. I place on record my good wishes to her as well. Both of them need to work collaboratively with their Executive colleagues as we continue to emerge from the pandemic and towards the end of the mandate. <BR /> <BR />There are a number of very important health Bills that require urgent sign-off from the Executive and progress made on them. They are the Adoption and Children (Northern Ireland) Bill and the draft organ and human tissue donation (deemed consent) Bill. I also mention the Justice (Miscellaneous) Provisions Bill and the proposed sign language Bill in the Department for Communities.”
“Simultaneous interpretation is a specific skill, and we have to be realistic about how many people are likely to be qualified to do it for Ulster Scots. I think that Carál Ní Chuilín referenced that. That is in itself a reminder that we need to implement the more comprehensive legislative framework agreed in New Decade, New Approach but not yet put in place. <BR /> <BR />We are in favour of carrying out every aspect of New Decade, New Approach, because that is the basis of why we are here. No one got everything that they wanted, but we must be faithful to it as a compromise. That is why we support the motion and the amendment.”
“That reflects their respective levels of development. There is nothing discriminatory about recognising different needs. Swiss German, for example, which is similar to Ulster Scots in that it is close to the standard language, has arguably been the most successful case in expanding the use of a minority language in post-war Europe. Swiss German is now so widely used that it is used on TV chat shows and radio discussions as a matter of course, but it is not used in formal writing or, notably, in the federal Parliament, where standard German still takes precedence. That is why there is a legitimate question over whether we are getting this the wrong way round with regard to the linguistic development of Ulster Scots.”
“In 1998, the agreement was open about there being two communities in Northern Ireland, and, as a result, we constantly lined up along green and orange lines. In 2021, that is outdated. Many people are coming to cherish all aspects of our cultural and linguistic heritage in Northern Ireland and to recognise that they all belong to all of us, without specifying any community to which they supposedly belong. In any case, it was never appropriate for Irish and Ulster Scots, which are two markedly different languages with different promotional needs and at different stages of development, to be constantly put up against each other rather than promoted on their own merits. <BR /> <BR />There is a reason for Irish having part III status in the Council of Europe charter and Ulster Scots having part II status.”
“It should imminently be accompanied by legislation on the rights of Irish speakers as part of that overall culture package that I referenced, and all should be aimed at promoting the language in a way that is meaningful to those who cherish it while causing no disadvantage to those who do not. <BR /> <BR />Given what is in the Northern Ireland Act, New Decade, New Approach and, indeed, the 1998 and 2006 agreements, it is inevitable that Ulster Scots be included in such a proposal. However, there is a legitimate question as to whether it assists the revival, development and promotion of Ulster Scots. It is on that basis that we support the amendment. We have to get away from treating Ulster Scots as a mirror image of Irish.”
“I recognise that they are most common where different languages are well established as first languages in the home rather than as a means of language development or revival. Nevertheless, I have no doubt that this step will be welcomed by all those who cherish the Irish language and that any future review will merely confirm that.”
“Thank you. I and, I think, some Members in the Chamber today sat on the two working groups as part of the two talks processes, and the reality is that the vast majority of that work is done; it just needs to be brought forward. I totally agree with you. I sit on the Health Committee, and we have been through a pandemic; none of us can deny that. However, the work has been done, so all that we need to do is bring forward the legislation. <BR /> <BR />I will move on to the substance of my speech. As noted in the motion, there is a commitment in New Decade, New Approach, and, indeed, that emerges from the Northern Ireland Act 1998. It has been pointed out that simultaneous interpretation facilities are usual in other legislatures.”
“I will finish this point, and then I will let you in. <BR /> <BR />We, in the Alliance Party, would like to see the Commission on Flags, Identity and Tradition (FICT) report published and the recommendations taken forward, because that means a lot to our voters in particular. It is very disappointing that we keep going around in circles and make very little progress.”
“I support the motion. As my party colleague Kellie Armstrong stated, we will also support the amendment, and I wish to speak specifically about that later. Before I move on, I want to put on record how exhausted I am from hearing the circular arguments in the Chamber. Mr Middleton said that he wanted to see the three parts of the package coming forward. That is on him and his party as much as anybody else. The DUP has the First Minister, a junior Minister and a number of special advisers, and Sinn Féin, likewise, has those. A year on from New Decade, New Approach, I am disappointed but not surprised that we have not seen that full package come forward. We, in the Alliance Party, are very keen —.”
“I will. Thank you. <BR /> <BR />Hundreds of thousands of people in Northern Ireland have given care for 16 months without a break, and it is time that we provided them with the support that they need.”
“Most of all, it may provide a way to ensure that carers access what they so demonstrably need: adequate respite, assistance with their own physical and mental well-being and financial support. One constituent put the requirement neatly by saying, "I do this with love and determination but also with extreme exhaustion and non-existent value, both as a person and in monetary terms. I am far from alone in this".”
“There can be a direct financial hit from, for example, mileage coverage from medical visits, buying groceries and so on. During the pandemic, other costs have arisen such as taking taxis when public transport was not available or buying PPE for people coming in to care in their homes. <BR /> <BR />People not being able to access carers have to sacrifice opportunities and incur extra costs, and they should not be, in the words of the motion, "unseen". A carers' register would be a good first step towards vital recognition and support. That could assess who is getting carer's allowance and other grants, who should be getting those and what other support can be made available to those who fall through the cracks.”
“Also, there can be no postcode lottery. Day centres and respite centres are not an optional extra but an essential frontline support. I put on record my concern that day centres still appear to be closing for staff training, given that attendance is still low. I hope that a way can be found for this not to be a necessity. <BR /> <BR />Carers often do not like to raise another aspect of their role that nevertheless is an absolute priority in practice. The personal cost comes in the strain not only on health and relationships but on finance, which is often indirect. The toll on health can in itself have long-term financial consequences on the ability to work and earn. There can be the most obvious limitations to earning opportunities, given the time commitment and emotional toll of caring.”
“Those who take breaks do not use them to catch up on physical exercise but to do housework or to meet their own medical needs. <BR /> <BR />The impact on the mental health of people, potentially those in young adulthood, facing up to the enormity of constant caring for the rest of their lives has not yet been fully researched, but it is difficult to conceive of for those who have never been in that position. For that reason, the Alliance Party prioritised the reopening of respite centres and day centres. Carers must see the light at the end of the tunnel, in their own interests as well as those for whom they care. Day centres are a lifeline, and respite centres are vital. If we do not ensure that they can operate, the exhaustion and burnout experienced by carers will only be exacerbated until they simply can take it no longer.”
“It is small wonder that the Carers NI document states that carers are worn out: 74% are exhausted, 71% are anxious and 65% are isolated. One parent referred, understandably, to "a lonely, vicious cycle". Almost three quarters of carers say that they get no breaks at all; some do not even attempt to take one.”
“Whether or not they became a carer during the pandemic, the key point, as I said last week, is that they have gone above and beyond in protecting, nurturing and supporting loved ones. From my own household, as my husband is a carer for his elderly mother, I know that to be a carer during the pandemic is to be on call all day every day — the call that there has been a fall just as you are sitting down to a family picnic in the early afternoon; the call at 3.00 am that there is a medical emergency; and the call at 6.00 am that there is a bereavement. From my experience of the past year, I know that that is what life is like for an unpaid carer: constantly on duty and, as carersweek.org put it, "never getting a night's sleep".”
“I support the motion. Before I start, I thank the constituents who responded to my Facebook post, about a week ago, that asked them to feed into today's debate. I will quote them anonymously, but their sharing of their direct experiences was very valuable. <BR /> <BR />The motion follows Carers' Week last week, during which I and others made the key point mentioned in the motion, namely that many carers are unseen and unsupported by public services. Indeed, as has been highlighted already this afternoon, many do not even really think of themselves as carers but rather as people who are simply doing their duty for loved ones. Perhaps, the first thing that we could do is give carers the recognition that they deserve. <BR /> <BR />Of around 310,000 carers in Northern Ireland, close to one third only joined the ranks during the pandemic.”
“On Friday morning, I was doing a walk around in the Holylands with some residents, who reported that, the weekend before, they found a young couple who were injecting each other in the toes with heroin. That was very harrowing. We are talking about unadopted alleyways, and there are a lot of alleyways where very serious antisocial behaviour is taking place. One solution is to design those out with the incorporation of alley gates. I know that councils have a restricted budget for this, but is your Department putting in any money to support the roll-out of alley gates?”
“That issue has been known about for months, and it is past time that there was a clear resolution. <BR /> <BR />Into the future, it is essential that the Executive meeting take place this week to reassess the situation in light of what we now know about the delta variant's presence in Northern Ireland and its impact on vaccination. While I do not, for now, advocate significant changes to restrictions, some changes around events such as weddings that are held in domestic settings would tidy things up and earn further public support for the existing restrictions by making them demonstrably fairer. It is time for leadership, not stand-off.”
“We need to recognise, particularly with new and apparently more transmissible variants arriving and potentially still more to emerge, that this is an aerosol-driven virus, and we still need to do all that we can to protect ourselves and each other, particularly indoors, while the vaccination programme is ongoing. <BR /> <BR />Mr Deputy Speaker, I hope that you will allow me a moment's leeway to mention a topic around the regulations that is being raised with me: the requirement for proof of vaccination for travel to the EU or to the United States in the case of family or medical emergencies. Residents in Northern Ireland are now at a clear disadvantage as they can access neither the EU system that is open to Irish passport holders who are resident in the Republic nor the NHS app extension that is open to residents in the rest of the UK.”
“That does mean, however, that we need to continue to behave cautiously. The tidying-up of the regulations on face coverings is one example of that, and they will finally move us to a position that, in my view, we should have been in since last summer: requiring the wearing of face coverings in all indoor public locations. I repeat my view, particularly with amendment No 6 relating to buffets and carveries now being in place, that all regulations should also apply to service stations, for which surely no exemption is now necessary.”
“It is also welcome that we can use the Irish Cup final as a trial for events with larger attendances. That, too, is a means of restoring the social contact and congregations that are important to so many people.”
“I continue to urge the Executive — not least the incoming Ministers — to consider what support might be available to help the hospitality sector through the coming months, during which indoor capacity and overseas tourism will continue to be restricted. <BR /> <BR />For many, the resumption of leisure activities and the availability of local facilities will provide not just vital services but opportunities for physical activity and social contact, which are vital for physical and mental well-being. It is essential that we do all that we can not to risk losing those gains. Our general well-being must take priority, and we must ensure that the virus is managed in such a way as to enable us to enjoy physical activity and social contact with friends, colleagues and teammates.”
“I support the regulations. As ever, we are doing this somewhat after the event, and I hope that leeway will be provided for some general points about emerging issues. <BR /> <BR />The regulations essentially refer to the reopening of indoor hospitality and the restart of sport. Those are both of particular interest to me, as they, no doubt, are to many in the Chamber and beyond. Given the struggles over the past few months, they have provided a significant boost. The reopening of hospitality has been particularly challenging. The restrictions that continue to exist, notably 1-metre distancing, are backed by scientific guidance, and I suspect that they will remain in place for some time. It can be difficult for business owners to make ends meet in that context, given the limited capacity and the difficulties with recruiting staff.”
“Thank you, Minister, for your statement. I would like to associate myself with the condemnation of that outrageous behaviour last Thursday night. <BR /> <BR />I have two questions. Minister, you talked about the framework for allowing patients to seek and pay for routinely commissioned treatment in the private sector in Ireland and to have the cost reimbursed. Have you thought about a similar scheme for the independent sector here in Northern Ireland? <BR /> <BR />My second question is to do with a concern that I have about rapid diagnostic centres. They work well in Wales, but there are some rarer conditions that are very difficult to diagnose. How will you deal with that?”
“Minister, I have been working with that group as well for many years, and I have always found it incredible how dismissive departmental officials have been of the constant pain that they live in. I was very disappointed to find that no record is kept of how many of them are living in pain. There is no alternative offered to them, and any of them whom I have spoken to felt that they were coerced into that because there was no alternative treatment. What are you doing to provide an alternative treatment for people who do not want to go through a hernia mesh implant procedure?”
“Like Mr O'Toole, I have challenged the Health Minister many times during the pandemic, but he has my utmost support and respect for his efforts and endeavours over the past 15 months and will continue to have that. We need to be more careful in our words and deeds going forward.”
“Therefore, it has been deeply disappointing that those who hold positions of elected office, especially those with huge public profiles, have sought to undermine the public health messaging through their words and actions. Who do they think they are? We are public representatives. We are not virologists; we are not epidemiologists; and nor are we healthcare professionals. <BR /> <BR />As we continue to work our way through the pandemic, I sincerely hope that anyone who is tempted to speak out in defiance of the public health messaging by the Executive Office and the Department of Health stops and thinks. These are gratuitous attacks on the people who are fighting the pandemic.”
“While we have spoken many times in the Chamber about ways in which the communication could have been clearer and more expedient, we cannot fault those who worked at pace in the Department of Health, the Public Health Agency (PHA), the Health and Social Care Board (HSCB) and the trusts in order to get the message out. They did that against a backdrop of an ever-changing pandemic, more information and a greater understanding of how the virus was spreading through our community and how its potency could be minimised through hygiene control and social-distancing measures. <BR /> <BR />Of course, the messaging was based on the most up-to-date medical evidence and health advice from those who are highly qualified, experienced and knowledgeable.”
“There are also those who have served our health and social care sector so valiantly over the last 15 months and those whose treatment and care was disrupted, with many still on waiting lists and experiencing pain and the associated mental health anguish as a result. What we saw last week was an affront to all those people. <BR /> <BR />The only positive throughout the pandemic has been that the vast majority of people have adhered rigidly to the public health restrictions and advice as they sought to protect themselves and their loved ones.”
“I thank Mr Gildernew, the Chair of the Health Committee, for bringing forward the Matter of the Day. It is important that we have an opportunity to discuss it in the Chamber. <BR /> <BR />I concur with Members' comments about the words and deeds of Mr Paisley MP as witnessed last week. We have to continue to play our part in communicating the public health messaging from the Executive, not least those of us who sit on the Health Committee. <BR /> <BR />The COVID-19 pandemic has no doubt been the most devastating public health crisis this country has experienced in a century. People have suffered terribly from catching the virus. Many of them, unfortunately, died, and their families remain in our thoughts.”
“Thank you, Minister, for your response. I have been contacted about this, so I am conscious that the communication around it may not be as clear as you in the Department would like. To echo what you said earlier, many of the staff have been working so hard during the pandemic. Are you going to introduce any special recognition scheme for civil servants?”
“One of the reasons that we have such horrendous waiting lists in Northern Ireland is the number of vacancies. I do not think that, if we were paying our Health and Social Care (HSC) staff better, we would have such a big problem. You will be aware of Unison's campaign for all Health and Social Care staff to receive an immediate £2,000 a year pay increase. Obviously, the money for that would need to come from the UK Treasury, so what conversations have you had with it on that?”
“We must also consider how we can deliver much more effective outcome-based budgeting to deliver a truly universal health service and to deliver in areas such as children's physical health or developing primary care hubs in a way that is genuinely transformative in the longer term. Thank you.”
“Those outcomes include a health service that is not as vulnerable to a pandemic, that does not rely on making people wait so long that some services are effectively not delivered at all and that can never again be described by the Health Minister himself as being in serious trouble. <BR /> <BR />To conclude, our job today is to safeguard the finances of Northern Ireland and, most of all, the people of Northern Ireland. We trust that we will very much help to do the latter by voting through the Estimates. We must urgently consider, however, whether this is the best way that we can do that.”
“I want the granular detail of why we in Northern Ireland have got into such a bad situation, compared with the rest of the UK and the South, to be examined. We are spending over £6 billion a year on healthcare. I want to understand how the healthcare system got into such a state by looking at the financial and human resource management and at all aspects of the estate. Waiting lists do not have to be part of the system. We could have a much more responsive system based on better-resourced primary care and regional specialisms, minimising waiting times and providing taxpayer-funded universal healthcare that is free at the point of access. Never has it been more important to look across the silos and base our spending on outcomes.”