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.”
The complete record
Every one of 2,444 lines we hold for Paula Bradshaw, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 33 of 49.
“The Estimates state that the Department of Health spending is for promoting good health and well-being. The example of spending on physical activity in schools would, unquestionably, contribute to that objective. Our system of budgeting is designed in a way that ignores that. We are assessing Estimates that are broken down by Department even though we have a Programme for Government that is about breaking areas down by outcome. In the end, our entire budgeting process is about just that: the process. Does it work? <BR /> <BR />I turn now to the immediate issues. My proposal to the Health Committee for a Committee inquiry into waiting lists, which, I was pleased to see, the Deputy Chair Pam Cameron supported, is designed with reform in mind.”
“In the longer term, we need a guaranteed transformation package that is about reforming the whole system and improving primary care options so that fewer people end up on waiting lists in the first place, and so that those who do end up on them do not experience the appalling waiting times that are being experienced currently across many specialities. <BR /> <BR />Let us consider something else that emerged on Friday: the fact that the level of physical activity in young children in Northern Ireland is the worst of any comparable country. We were already well aware of that. It emerged from a report to the Education Department and Committee, but it has a profoundly worrying impact on the overall health of our people. It is a health matter, but not a penny in the Health budget has been allocated towards tackling the issue.”
“Last week, when departmental officials came before the Health Committee, members from various parties asked many questions about waiting lists. Unfortunately, because of the one-year set-up, it is difficult to recruit staff, and the crisis very much hinges on the vacancies that exist. To tackle a problem that has developed over years, and which has resulted in waiting times that are measured in years, will, inevitably, take years. In the short term, we need to have funds available for targeted interventions as soon as the clear evidence for them becomes apparent.”
“I will focus my comments on health, but I will make an early comment on the process used in what we are debating. Ultimately, the Estimates are for legislation, policy and service delivery over the financial year — in other words, a period of one year. However, we are already more than two months into that period. <BR /> <BR />Waiting lists should probably have been the biggest issue for the past decade, never mind the past few days. Let us consider how inadequate it is for a Budget to be over a single year and based on a single year of programmes and allocations, when we face a crisis as acute as the crisis that is before us, with hundreds of thousands of people waiting for up to six years or more for treatment and diagnostics.”
“No, you are right. It was about primary schools and the pressures in the maintained sector. I am speaking specifically about St Bernard's Primary School. There are huge pressures there for families in which the eldest sibling got a place but the second child did not. That will cause great difficulties. What is your Department doing to remedy that?”
“Mr Speaker, I was not going to come in, but, while we are on the subject of South Belfast, I want to say that my question was not about the post-primary sector.”
“Thank you, deputy First Minister. Last week, my colleague John Blair and I stood with the Irish language campaigners on the steps of Stormont. Of equal importance to me is the progression of the sign language Act. What is your office doing to proceed with that long-awaited Act?”
“It is the only non-selective, non-denominational school in south Belfast, and the head teacher, Mr Perry, is doing an amazing job, but it is not properly funded to equip the young people who are coming forward. <BR /> <BR />What is there in the report about more systemic changes in the education system to better support those schools for children who do not go through the transfer tests?”
“I thank the Minister for his statement and the panel for its report. Before I entered politics full-time, I worked on the Donegall Road. We had a project called TREE, which was effectively an alternative education provider. When we received applications, I would say to Graham, the manager, "What is their backstory?". The applicants were all male, and every one of them who came before us had a father who was in prison, a mother who was alcoholic etc. I am not apportioning blame to the parents as such, but the children had so many hurdles to get over before they could get to their classroom desk and fully concentrate on their studies. We have some amazing schools in south Belfast, but some are very much under pressure. I pick out Breda Academy, which has had falling roll numbers, as an example.”
“I strongly share the association's belief that mandatory training should be required for any staff working directly with children and young people with additional needs, including with reference to rights and obligations under the Mental Capacity Act. I therefore join the association in urging collaboration between the Education Authority and social workers in inputting into guidance and conducting appropriate investigations. <BR /> <BR />There is a moment of real opportunity, as my colleague Chris Lyttle mentioned, to get this right at a time when it will be of huge benefit to children and young people with additional needs and any staff working with them directly. Let us waste no time in doing so.”
“Therefore, mandatory training is essential. <BR /> <BR />Where training is often represented as an add-on, it would, in this case, be the cornerstone of an assurance to staff that they are working within agreed guidelines and frameworks when facing extremely challenging situations. That would provide the added benefit of their knowing that, by following established guidelines, practices and procedures, they will be indemnified against any potential litigation. For that reason, I am strongly supportive of the British Association of Social Workers' call for statutory guidance, which is long overdue. However, I emphasise that that needs to be agreed by the Department of Education and the Department of Health.”
“However, the main issue is that children lack a consistent approach on which they can rely, particularly in times of distress. That is the impact of getting it wrong. As it stands, the lack of consistency means that schools use Team Teach, but some may lack training or registered practitioners. On top of that, health trusts use therapeutic crisis intervention methods instead. That leads to inconsistency where we need consistency. Children need to experience the same language, care and support as often as possible and most certainly in times of difficulty. When they are emotionally flooding through distressing and challenging episodes, any difference in approach or even in the training of those delivering that approach is troubling and inadequate. For staff, too, there would be considerable gain from having a consistent approach.”
“When we state it in that way, we can see that it is not a matter for just the Education Authority or, indeed, Education but that there is a clear health aspect. We want all children to experience the same therapeutic interventions consistently across all sectors. That means having a commonality of approach between the Education Authority, health trusts and other agencies. Clearly, therefore, joint delivery between both Departments is required. <BR /> <BR />We have heard about some of the risks of the current scenario continuing. Fundamentally, the issue is that children may receive divergent levels of care in education and health settings, as staff are not necessarily equipped to deal with multiple and complex needs and reporting mechanisms may be unclear. It is small wonder that we have had multiple court actions.”
“She also raises the basic but important point that we do not know the scale of the problem with restraint and seclusion because of the inconsistency of approach and the failure to update policy and legislation, including around reporting. <BR /> <BR />On overall policy, as so often, we lag behind the rest of the UK. However, there is a real opportunity for the Education Authority to get this right, as I gather that it is reviewing its therapeutic approach. Regional roll-out could be a once-in-a-generation chance. The value of getting it right should be clearly stated: it would mean that children receive the highest standards of appropriate care and support from all the adults in their lives.”
“I support the motion and thank the Education Committee for bringing it to the Chamber today. I will make my remarks along the lines of human rights and, in particular, health issues. I will focus on the latter, given that human rights are mentioned directly in the motion, but it is worth emphasising the need to respond proactively in policy and legislation to the concluding observations of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child about the use of restraint and seclusion on children with psychosocial disabilities and, more generally, on the issues arising regarding the mental health and well-being of children and young people. I commend the work of the Children's Commissioner and her office in continuing to draw attention to that.”
“I welcome today's update on the long COVID service. However, you will know, Minister, that I remain very concerned that we still do not have a fully commissioned service for another post-viral condition, ME, despite there being 7,000 people with the condition across Northern Ireland. Will you give us an update on that service?”
“You feel that your life is spiralling out of control, and there is a sense of powerlessness. We talk about parental alienation. You do not know who your ex-partner is now with; you do not know whether your child is safe; you do not know how they are getting on at school; you do not know how happy they are. There is no greater pain for a parent than experiencing that. However, there are all sorts of pain in life: bereavement, especially in the case of death through suicide, as Mr Buckley raised today; miscarriage; or even a car accident that results in lifelong injuries. <BR /> <BR />In conclusion, I thank all the charities and community organisations across the country that provide counselling and well-being programmes. That localised support provides immense support in times of need and is greatly appreciated.”
“It happens; it happened to me. I was estranged from my son for three and a half years. He is back — he is eating me out of house and home — but it happened. It was the worst three and a half years of my life. People can produce as many reports as they want; I am living proof that it happens. As I said, the majority are men. I will probably regret the fact that I said that in about an hour. There is a taboo and a stigma. You feel that you are going to be judged that you were a bad parent. <BR /> <BR />I will return to what I was saying before the intervention. Some people who turn to alcohol lose their jobs, and that compounds the situation and further impacts their mental health. I am raising this societal problem because there are many situations through which life can change through no fault of your own.”
“I know that it supports many parents, but, as far as I am aware, that is the only support that is available across the Province. Unfortunately, many other parents turn to alcohol to numb their pain. I know of some in that group who have lost their jobs.”
“I know of one man who is fighting through the courts, eight years later, and, despite all sorts of court orders, is still not seeing his children. I appreciate that the Justice and Health Departments are working on the issue, and I welcome the family support and parenting strategy through the Department of Health, but I am highlighting the human impact of allowing vindictive ex-partners to have the power to have such a devastating impact on the bond between parent and child. <BR /> <BR />Parental alienation and child estrangement are best described as living grief. It is mourning the loss of a child, even though the child is still alive. I know of many parents who seek support from their GP for depression and anxiety, and take medication. I thank Parenting NI for its dads' project.”
“Members received frantic emails and calls to their constituency offices from parents who were denied access to their children during the COVID pandemic because the other parent was using it as an excuse. I welcomed, and thanked the Health Minister for, the joint statement with the Justice Minister in which they made it clear that children should continue to move between the two houses. <BR /> <BR />Secondly, parents are the other victims in these situations. I have spoken to over 100 such parents, and it is fair to say that the majority are men. The constant pain that they suffer from not seeing their child or children is incalculable. The majority of them experience depression from those protracted processes.”
“First, I will focus on the child who, through no fault of their own, has found themselvesf in an acrimonious split, bitter custody battle, protracted court processes and general unhappiness in whatever home they are living. That results in their having only one parent in their life, one side of their family and, in particular, only one set of doting grandparents, and being encouraged to have hate and bile in their heart towards their absent or, as they are termed, "targeted" parent. That is child abuse and causes great harm to their sense of being, belonging and self-worth. Many studies show that that internal turmoil manifests itself in many ways through the classroom and social settings, and is carried through into adulthood. I will give a contemporary angle to that.”
“Before I make my substantive remarks, I make it clear that I am talking about situations in which the parent is loving, caring and poses no risk to the child.”
“I welcome the opportunity to speak in the debate. I echo the thanks from the Chair of the Health Committee to the organisations and individuals who engaged with us last week. <BR /> <BR />Mental health is so far-reaching that it impacts on every one of us in many different ways throughout our lives. It covers everything from low mood to post-traumatic stress disorder. Today, I will focus on an issue that still has a degree of stigma and something of a taboo attached to it, and there are very few support services for it. I have not spoken about this in a while: the issue is the mental anguish and emotional damage caused to children and parents in cases of parental alienation and court-induced child estrangement.”
“Many people, because of an adverse reaction to the first dose, are contemplating whether, or deciding not, to get their second. We need to communicate better with those people. A friend whom I tried to convince to get her second jab said, "You are right, Paula. I have actually had worse hangovers". We need to reassure people that, for the majority of them, the side effects are short-lived.”
“<BR /> <BR />I throw those questions out there in order to ensure that there is better linkage between what contact tracing can tell us and where we need to go with further intervention. The light at the end of the tunnel is beginning to shine more brightly, but care will be required to ensure that the direction of travel remains towards it. As we ease restrictions, caution will remain the watchword. I urge the public to maintain awareness of the three Cs and continue to avoid, namely, close contact, closed spaces and crowds. To add a V to that, the real way out of this is through vaccination. <BR /> <BR />If we are to limit concerns about variants, we need to ensure that people take up not only their first dose but their second.”
“We have been told that, with the opening of schools and hospitality at the same time, we will inevitably see cases rising. Are we content with that in the context of the variants that are entering Northern Ireland, the impact of which remains uncertain? <BR /> <BR />Thirdly, should we continue to allow exceptions for premises such as service stations, which is an issue that I raised with the First Minister yesterday? Unlike restaurants and cafes, they are not required to take contact information and can allow large groups to sit, without their masks on, at the same venue at the same time to eat and drink. Fourthly, are we content that "face coverings" includes visors, the effectiveness of which has been shown to be significantly less than that of masks?”
“The recent easement announcements will be hugely welcome, not only for those in the hospitality trade but, as others said, for those who want to get together in relatively normal circumstances. I remain concerned, however, by some of the exceptions and the seeming lack of input from what we are learning, or could be learning, from contact tracing. The Chair and Deputy Chair of the Health Committee raised that issue. <BR /> <BR />First, it is obvious from the figures that case rates in the border areas, particularly in the north-west, are among the highest in the UK. If we proceed with easing of restrictions in all of Northern Ireland, how do we manage the reality of the divergence among case rates in different areas? Secondly, how much do we know about the origin of the transmission of variants?”
“Clearly, the reopening of gyms and other leisure facilities works alongside the reopening of sports training and competitive matches. That enables people not only to participate in sport and activity once again but to enjoy low-risk social contact, which has to be good for the mental and physical health of our nation.”
“I support the regulations. I do not intend to say a lot in the debate. It focuses on two amendments, one of which is relatively minor. I will start by passing on my sympathies to those who have been bereaved since we last debated the health protection regulations in the House. I put on record my enduring support for those who work in our healthcare facilities. As of yesterday, we were down to a total of 32 patients in hospital, with only two patients on a ventilator. I send my best wishes to them all for a speedy recovery. <BR /> <BR />I recognise that 23 April was a significant date as it enabled the reopening of close-contact services with relevant mitigations. This was earlier in the process than when we emerged from the previous lockdown, and I know that it was of huge benefit to customers and businesses alike.”
“Support for the PSNI and the rule of law is necessary in a civilised society. I recognise that the process continues to evolve as we move through our peace process in Northern Ireland. <BR /> <BR />Lastly, I record my thanks and those of my party to Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services for its diligence in completing the report in a timely manner.”
“We, as elected representatives, need to be careful that we do not continue to fan the flames of tension in our society.”
“My colleague John Blair MLA will continue in his role on the Policing Board to ensure that the recommendations on consistent engagement and, in particular, record-keeping are followed by the PSNI. It is a matter of utmost importance that the Policing Board now be allowed to focus on the work of looking at issues that are in the interests of all people and their safety. <BR /> <BR />The report demonstrated that it is not the case that the threat of violence influenced policing, as some assert. In every police operation, there are risks and challenges that need to be weighed up to maintain public order. For example, some claim that the police did not warn about the funeral being in breach of the health protection regulations: again, that is not the case.”
“I thank Mr Storey for proposing the Matter of the Day. It is the responsibility of everyone to help maintain and build confidence in policing. It is not good enough for elected representatives and others simply to take perceived grievances and amplify them. It is up to us to lead, follow due process and allow the police to be properly scrutinised, instead of jumping on a bandwagon. The report has carried out that scrutiny, and I hope that people are now mindful of the consequences of their previous statements on the matter. That is not to say that the PSNI was perfect in its handling of the events around that funeral, even if, according to the report, they were "not especially serious failings".”
“That re-agreement, which is evidently being blocked by the UK Government, would provide at the very least a model on which we could restore the relatively unfettered east-west movement of vital goods. That could be copied for pharmaceuticals. Failing that, we should, as the bare minimum, seek to have HSC Northern Ireland — in other words, our NHS — recognised under a trusted trader agreement in order to demonstrate that there is no risk of a leak into the European Union of medicines that are to be used by the public health service. <BR /> <BR />We want to see solutions. That will require us to lay identity politics to one side and to engage in practicalities on behalf of everyone here in Northern Ireland. Alliance Party representatives will meet the Cabinet Office this week to discuss those solutions. That is where our focus needs to be.”
“Therefore, although I fully concur with the final lines of the motion, they do not explain how what they propose may best be done. <BR /> <BR />Let us turn to solutions. I agree that we will need longer than until October to find an adequate way forward, a fact that is widely accepted for food. The grace period for medicines will need to be extended. We should not use that grace period merely to seek more time to realign supply chains; we need to be better than that. <BR /> <BR />There are ways in which we could try to eliminate the barriers to imports of medicines from Great Britain, the most obvious of which is for everyone in the Chamber to face the fact that that will involve the UK Government and the European Union coming together and agreeing alignment on standards and regulations.”
“I want to make a bit of progress. Thank you. <BR /> <BR />Part of that damage will inevitably involve barriers to cross-border cooperation in health, yet the DUP's only solution is to try to impose a border for goods on the island of Ireland. The existing regulatory body adds to the potential damage to our health system in everything from longer-term workforce planning to mutual recognition of qualifications. <BR /> <BR />The issue before us is serious. As I said, there is much in the motion with which I agree. While we should not forget that the protocol creates significant opportunity for the local pharma industry and for investment in pharma locally, because it can freely export to both Great Britain and the European Union, it is not realistic to expect a full redirection of medicine imports by October 2021 or January 2022.”
“Specifically, it pretends that the matter is not about the Brexit that was, inevitably, brought about by the DUP's insistence on seeking, at every conceivable turn, while its MPs held the balance of power at Westminster, to distance us from our major trading partner. The DUP likes to talk about our major trading partner being Great Britain, but, from an all-UK perspective, our major trading partner is the European Union and, specifically, the European single market. The DUP fully and intentionally sought to put up barriers to that trade. We are living with the damage.”
“I regret that the Alliance Party cannot support the motion, despite the fact that there is much in it that we agree with. It rightly raises a serious issue, but, as is so often the case with the EU referendum, it falls short of providing serious solutions. <BR /> <BR />Before I proceed, I thank Cathy Harrison, the Chief Pharmaceutical Officer, and her team. As the Chair of the Health Committee said, she has come to the Committee many times to outline the serious issues that they are grappling with, not least during a global pandemic. <BR /> <BR />While I commend the proposer of the motion for raising the issue, which requires resolution, we again see it raised in a way that is primarily about pretending that the matter is not about Brexit.”
“I place on record my thanks to the First Minister for all her work during the COVID pandemic at the Executive table. <BR /> <BR />My question relates to the service stations that are located up and down our motorways. I appreciate why the Executive allowed them to remain open for indoor dining, but we are hearing from the contact-tracing service that there is a potential there for transmission. From 24 May, do you intend to introduce the contact-tracing provisions that will be required in all other restaurants?”
“I call for a re-energised peace process to create a sustainable two-state outcome that is consistent with democracy, human rights and international law.”
“<BR /> <BR />I condemn rocket fire and mortars from Hamas and other groups into Israeli civilian areas. That constitutes a war crime. We must be clear, however, that there is no equivalence between this violence and that of an incredibly powerful occupying state. The Israeli Government are carrying out ethnic cleansing and collective punishment against an already oppressed people. This violence must come to an end, and Israel must lead on ending it. Genuine peace can only be achieved with the full realisation of Palestinian rights and the end of Israel's systemic discrimination against Palestinians in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territory. <BR /> <BR />I call for an end to the illegal occupation and illegal blockade of the Gaza Strip.”
“They have set the context for the current crisis. Occupying and destroying Palestinian land is illegal and abhorrent. The Israeli Government know this well, yet persist. We are witnessing, from the Israeli Government, a form of ethnic cleansing, enabled by discriminatory Israeli law that should never have been introduced. The escalation of violence is a direct result of those actions, and the extent of the violence is unspeakable and unjustifiable. I reject arguments of self-defence, that air raids are OK because advance warnings and alarms are given, and that the killing of innocent children is justified due to Hamas using civilians as human shields. There is no justification for the horror inflicted on Palestinians by the Israeli Government.”
“I thank Ms Sheerin for tabling this Matter of the Day. I will start by sending my deep sympathy to all the families of those who have lost lives in the past two weeks. Accountability for the needless deaths and destruction over the last few weeks lies squarely with the Israeli Government. It goes without saying, but I will underline that the Israeli Government do not reflect the views, values and actions of all people living in Israel and certainly not all of the Jewish people, just as Hamas does not speak for all Palestinians. I echo the comments from other members in the condemnation of attacks on the Jewish people living in Northern Ireland. <BR /> <BR />The current Government of Israel have intentionally accelerated the illegal occupation of Palestinian territory, cited hatred against Palestinians and normalised settler violence.”
“One of the groups I have just mentioned has 17 or 18 open funding programmes at the minute, and that is no way to run a service when you are trying to provide front-line support to children.”
“<BR /> <BR />The postcode lottery only complicates the crossover into ensuring adequate provision in schools, training for teachers, and support for pathways into employment, housing and so on. Let me emphasise that, when we speak of a diagnosis of autism, it should not be seen as a negative or thought of in terms of disadvantage, but rather in the joy of seeing diversity and difference. <BR /> <BR />I place on record my support and thanks to Sólás, which provides an amazing service for families in South Belfast; Autism Initiatives, for its great resource in Carryduff; and Autism NI, for its work in advocacy on this issue. I appeal directly to the Health Minister and the Executive to provide those organisations with adequate long-term funding.”
“We have people with means who are able to move faster, but there is also a clear postcode lottery, as others have mentioned. A first appointment will take 10 weeks in the South Eastern Trust area, on the fringe of my constituency, yet people within that constituency will potentially wait over a year. Under the Autism Act, and indeed under the basic principles of universal health provision, how can that be acceptable? As a side note, I support the Minister and Department of Health's move towards regional prioritisation waiting lists for some aspects of healthcare as we move through the pandemic. It is an approach that we should explore for other avenues of healthcare, not least this one.”
“As with so many areas of health, those with means and money can go private and get a diagnosis far faster, thus being able to make the relevant adaptations and seek the relevant support earlier. This is not a service that is universal and free at the point of access. It is not universal if not everyone can access it, and it is not free at the point of access if, in practice, some can pay for a faster service. I repeat the point that I have made often: those who seek a universal health service free at the point of access need to recognise that this means not supporting but opposing the status quo, and instead supporting urgent and swift transformation, so that a family's income does not determine access. <BR /> <BR />That reinforces why it is essential to have in place the figure of 13 weeks.”
“Specific support to get into employment and specific awareness-raising in the workplace, and even in leisure pursuits, would make a significant difference to people who live with autism. As I said in the recent debate on palliative care, not everything around autism or other conditions should revolve around healthcare appointments. It is about allowing people to live their lives to the full. <BR /> <BR />We should also be clear that we are not talking about some fringe issue. Over 4% of schoolchildren in Northern Ireland are known to have autism to a greater or lesser extent. The point is that this figure could be much higher if we were able to diagnose autism more effectively. We are seeing something which is sadly typical of what is now a two-tier health service.”
“They have been impacted to a greater degree by isolation and loneliness, which, in itself, is a topic worthy of specific intervention from the Executive. They have seen statutory requirements around support intentionally weakened by, in part, the emergency COVID legislation, and, in many cases, they have seen a seriously detrimental effect on their ability to work full time or to progress in education. <BR /> <BR />Mr Principal Deputy Speaker, I hope that you will give me a little leeway to point out that a longer-term strategy will not be confined to the Department of Health, although, naturally, it will be the lead Department. On asking one family affected by autism for their views ahead of this debate, the response was immediate. They want improved pathways for school leavers.”