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 44 of 49.
“I support the regulations as amended. I have said in the Chamber before, but want it to be recorded again, that I do so with some discomfort. I, like many others, look forward to the time when we no longer have to amend the health protection regulations and that life for our people has returned to normal. I place on record, therefore, my concern that announcements on the lifting of restrictions and amendments to guidance seem to take place in the media before meetings of the Assembly, in particular the Health Committee. As the threat of the pandemic dissipates, we should be given sufficient opportunities to scrutinise and engage on proposed amendments on issues that are so important and far-reaching for our constituents.”
“Thank you to Mr O'Dowd for proposing the Matter of the Day and giving us the space to express our sympathies. On behalf of the Alliance Party and the people of South Belfast, whom I represent, I express my sincerest sympathies to Noah's family and friends. We all hoped and prayed that this precious boy would come home to his loving mother, Fiona, and to his wider family circle. I hope that she finds the strength to get through these very dark days with their love and knowing that everyone across the country is thinking about them. It is very clear that he was a very special boy who was very energetic and full of life, and it just made it all the sadder when we heard the news on Saturday morning. Like others, I pay tribute to the sterling work of the PSNI, other rescue service providers and the wider community. May Noah rest in peace.”
“To seriously tackle mental health issues, we will need serious investment, and I fully support that. However, we need to ensure that the money is spent wisely and effectively. Thought will be required to put in place society-wide mechanisms to measure impact and our collective well-being.”
“To achieve that, the public engagement aspect of developing the plan has to be extensive and creative. We know that, for example, there are high levels of mental health difficulties among young people with learning disabilities, which, as I said, will no doubt have been made worse during the pandemic. How can we ensure that they are properly included in the process and have their voice heard? How can the principles of co-design and co-production be configured to reach the hardest-to-reach sections of our society? <BR /> <BR />I will end by referencing the amendment that has been tabled by the UUP, which recognises the need for cross-cutting efforts across Departments and all public services and to find ways of measuring through outcomes and not outputs.”
“Those include the loss of employment leading to increased poverty and the rise in alcohol use, drug abuse and gambling addictions, all of which will have had a detrimental impact on feelings of self-worth and shame. The motion tabled by Sinn Féin reflects the need for a dual diagnosis and, as Ms Flynn outlined, the need to not compartmentalise issues. One further point that I would make is the need for specialised psychiatric treatment for extreme gambling addictions. That is not available here and the strategy should incorporate that going forward. <BR /> <BR />It is important that the action plan from the Health Minister, via his Department, for the development of a 10-year strategy reads across all aspects of society and looks at the causes and contributors.”
“As the motion suggests, the community and voluntary sector had to move quickly and very innovatively to reconfigure its services to respond to that spike, and we should be grateful to it. I am thinking of bodies such as Women's Aid, the Men's Advisory Project, the NSPCC, Barnardo's, Nexus and many more. I do not know whether we will ever know nor be able to estimate the number of unreported cases and the number of men, women and children who had to suffer in silence and live with their abusers during this time and, sadly, will have to continue to do so. <BR /> <BR />We also have to recognise the other societal and economic issues that will have been exacerbated by the pandemic and that will greatly impact on the nation's well-being.”
“We have to recognise that the isolation from mainstream society has had a devastating impact on them. Where, in ordinary circumstances, they could manage or, at least, cope with their pre-existing mental health issues through engagement and activity, suddenly they have been trapped in their homes and their conditions have worsened. That will have been particularly prevalent in homes in which carers look after loved ones with learning or physical disabilities and whose conditions will also have worsened due to a loss of daily routine and external support. <BR /> <BR />Sadly, we saw a spike in reported cases of domestic and sexual violence during the pandemic.”
“We also have the many others who became infected and ended up in hospital needing urgent treatment. They faced the prospect of death and now have a long road to recovery, physically and mentally. <BR /> <BR />Our doctors, nurses and the whole health and social care family have been working at the front line and have been dealing with the most critical conditions that have been caused by this new virus, which nobody could have predicted would sweep across our society. Further, we have to recognise that many of those key workers live with underlying health conditions or in households with loved ones who do. Knowing the risk, how incredibly scary and traumatic it must have been for them to just go to work during the pandemic. <BR /> <BR />We then need to focus on those for whom lockdown has been equally traumatic.”
“On behalf of the Alliance Party, I support the motion and both amendments. I thank the Members for bringing these forward for discussion. It is very timely and absolutely crucial that, as we re-establish our health and social care services, time is taken to ensure that we include a firm understanding of the state of our nation's health and well-being as we emerge from the health crisis, and that we make decisions with that information going forward. To do that, we need to look at the needs of those most affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. We should look at the hundreds of families across the country who have lost loved ones to coronavirus, and who have been plunged into immense sadness and have been curtailed in their grieving process due to the health protection regulations.”
“Minister, in your press statement, from the last 24 hours, you said that you wished that the board members had approached you and raised the issues so that you could have resolved them. We now know that emails were coming forward from the former chair and the interim chief executive to your Chief Medical Officer and permanent secretary as far back as the end of April. When did you become aware, and what have you done, to try and resolve the issues?”
“<BR /> <BR />Nevertheless, we must also try to find the opportunities inherent in being able to chart our own path while adhering to the standards of the largest multinational single market in the world. Fundamentally, however, the motion is about approving an enabling Bill that will, as far as possible, leave things as they are on these vital matters, while allowing for the important scrutiny of future decisions on those vital matters to be in the hands of those who are elected to this House. Therefore, the motion has my support.”
“The benefits of EU single market membership in those sectors will, largely, still apply. <BR /> <BR />That does not mean that it is anything other than frustrating that we have to take time to deal with the issue at all. This is the unnecessary bureaucracy of Brexit, and there is still no clear benefit from doing any of it. Hard-pressed departmental officials, for example, have had to take up extra time just when they are under extreme pressure with COVID-19 to manage the motion and the consequences of the issues around it. Their time would be far better spent focused on rebuilding and reconfiguring health services without any further complications, potential or otherwise. Therefore, we can see the challenges ahead, arising not from the Bill itself but from the circumstances that make it necessary.”
“<BR /> <BR />The Bill will present challenges with regard to clinical trials, because we will remain subject to the management of the UK-wide Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency. I hope that that essentially means that work across the UK, at least with regard to clinical trials, will remain aligned, which is clearly in everyone's interest. That is why we may be glad that the issue is devolved, because there is a challenge, ultimately, of potential east-west divergence in medicines regulation, including falsification. Conversely, it provides a significant potential opportunity for pharmaceutical companies and clinical trials based in Northern Ireland, because, as they will continue to apply most EU standards, products will continue to be exported freely.”
“<BR /> <BR />That brings us to exactly what the impact of the UK's withdrawal from the EU legal framework, which is scheduled for the end of the year, will be on the provision and supply of medicines. Notably, paragraph 20 of the Ireland /Northern Ireland protocol of the withdrawal agreement, which applies regardless of any trade deal or extension, makes it clear that the European Community code relating to medicinal products for human use and similar measures, including those on good clinical practice in clinical trials, continues to apply in Northern Ireland. So does the regulation concerning the compulsory licensing of patents relating to the manufacture of pharmaceutical products for export to countries with public health problems. Therefore, to a large extent, EU standards will continue to apply to the sector here.”
“Emergency supplies of medicines is, rightly, handled in a distinct way; ultimately, however, what we are enabling is maintenance of the status quo — world-class regulation combined with local control. <BR /> <BR />That is not to say that my colleagues and I have no issues with the motion. We are concerned that, as has been mentioned already this evening, current circumstances did not enable proper scrutiny of the legislation and its impact, which, although it is enabling is, nevertheless, specialist. It is frustrating that we have not had enough time to properly engage with the Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland or, indeed, with the pharma sector in general. Nevertheless, relevant future regulations should be subject to appropriate scrutiny and consultation of that nature.”
“On top of that, Northern Ireland is a world leader in the manufacture and marketing of medicines and in research involving clinical trials, both of which were placed hugely at risk by Brexit. We have already seen pharmaceutical operations shifting over the border to ensure that they are still in the EU. Again, there is an opportunity here to emphasise that there is, at least, the potential that that does not need to happen. In my view, Northern Ireland can potentially, at least, remain a fully regulated supplier to the EU market. We need to be clear that, as the Bill is an enabling Bill, the issue of medicine supplies will remain in our hands.”
“The Bill offers clarity about how that will continue to happen and what our role will be. Notably, that is devolved only to Northern Ireland currently, and, for reasons that I will come to, that may prove relevant and useful.”
“I rise on behalf of the Alliance Party to support the motion, as it is enabling legislation that we will have to pass in some form anyway. As the party's spokesperson on health, my remarks will focus on Part 1, which comprises clauses 1 to 7 and concerns medicines; that is to say, the aspect of the UK Bill that is devolved to Northern Ireland and falls specifically under Health. <BR /> <BR />This is an enabling Bill that affects matters of significant importance. Naturally, as we know only too well, the supply of human medicines is one of the most important issues that we have to deal with in our roles, and it includes fees, offences and falsification.”
“Is it not correct that, under regulation 6, police would have had the powers to act when there were more than two people? It was only the day before that it was changed to allow groups of up to six. In many ways, it would have been more restrictive had they not updated the regulations.”
“In conclusion, I appeal to Ministers and the authorities to shift priorities to ensure that issues around childcare and those who are shielding are resolved and to ensure that the communication of key messages and the most up-to-date information to the entire population is clear. The Health Minister specifically needs to improve the data, research and conclusions on which he makes future decisions. We all need to continue to show the respect, kindness and patience that we all need.”
“<BR /> <BR />Associated with that, I express my concern at the absence of reliable data to base our decisions on easing lockdown. The data document that was released on Sunday night was bizarre. It has major gaps in information, the information it did provide was vague and the conclusions that it drew from the information were outright dubious based on the latest scientific and global research into the virus. We have to understand that this is a matter of considerable urgency. As we move through the crisis and the opening up, we also need to be managing the risks, not just for the authorities, but more importantly for each and every one of us as active citizens.”
“I am talking about our dentists, opticians, podiatrists, physiotherapists and many other front-facing allied health professionals. They are urgently awaiting guidance and they want to open their businesses in a safe manner and as soon as possible. <BR /> <BR />Another aspect of the economy that urgently needs attention relates to the provision of childcare, and my colleague, Chris Lyttle, will be touching upon that. <BR /> <BR />Also in relation to the economy, we need to be careful that, as the Executive moves through the steps of the recovery process, there is consistency in rationale and measure. We must, therefore, recognise that it will be harder to enforce the regulations and that people will undoubtedly, as we have already seen, interpret the changes in different ways.”
“<BR /> <BR />I also place on record my deep concern that people who are living with diabetes have been excluded from receiving shielding letters. That is despite the fact that the Department of Health advised that they were revising the list and guidance. It is perplexing to me that they have appeared to ignore the huge body of evidence which shows that 10% of people with diabetes who are admitted to hospital with the virus die within seven days. Those people are clearly clinically vulnerable. <BR /> <BR />The next point that I will touch upon is the economy, with particular reference to private healthcare practitioners, many of whom have contacted Members with concerns about their future viability, and asking questions about how they are going to provide treatment for their vulnerable patients.”
“That is causing the latter group some concern, especially as we start to see places of employment opening up. That group fear that they may be excluded in the revision process and therefore forced to return to work. <BR /> <BR />It is so important that the remaining letters are posted out, that guidance and communication continues to flow and that full consideration is given to those people who are shielding in terms of the changes that they should expect with regard to accessing care and treatment by the Department of Health, its new management board and the five trusts as they take forward the rebuilding of health and social care services. There are certainly opportunities here and we also need to ensure that those affected by the re-establishment process of our health service are included in conversations as much as possible.”
“<BR /> <BR />On Sunday, while out walking in the grounds of Ulster University in Jordanstown, I came upon a drive-in church. We recently debated that amendment to the regulations and I was pleased to note that the car park was full. There were plenty of stewards about and it seemed to be very well organised. It is another way in which society has embraced our circumstances and found ways to bring people together in common cause. <BR /> <BR />However, after this positivity, I will put on record some enduring concerns. The first issue I will touch upon is shielding. On Friday it will be twelve weeks from the time of the first issuing of letters from GPs to patients. I have heard that some constituents have received an updated letter, either from their GP or the Department of Health, covering until 30 June, while others are still waiting.”
“I support the regulations as amended. I send my best wishes and hope for a speedy recovery for my fellow constituency MLAs Deirdre Hargey and Christopher Stalford. It is a timely reminder to us all of how important it is to look after our health and to take time out when needed to seek treatment and to recuperate. <BR /> <BR />I have no issue with the change relating to drive-in cinemas. In south Belfast we have already seen some preparation and innovation around this, particularly with the Let's Go Hydro complex on the Saintfield Road which will be showing films from 19 June. That is a very welcome boost for local family provision and economic activity after the months of lockdown. I am sure that it will be a great success.”
“I would appreciate it if people did not misrepresent my question: my question was about how we were going to manage the COVID-19 centres and get our GP surgeries back up and running with an overstretched GP workforce. <BR /> <BR />My second question relates to the community pharmacy services. In the Committee for Health, we put through the regs relating to the emergency supply service, which has obviously been very beneficial. Is the time right for a longer-term routine repeat prescription service to be made available between our community pharmacists and GPs, given how effectively they have worked together during the pandemic?”
“I thank the Minister for giving his statement today. My question is also about the COVID-19 centres. I have been contacted by GPs who also see low numbers coming through and are very keen to get back to their own surgeries to deal with the patient backlog. Given the large number of vacancies in the GP workforce, how does he plan to man those in the short to medium term as outlined in the strategic framework?”
“As a compassionate society, we must do all that we can to support her, not judge or vilify her.”
“He did not use the words "desirable" or "capricious": he used "clinically necessary". <BR /> <BR />Professional accountability mechanisms are built into the regulations. They give the General Medical Council and the Nursing and Midwifery Council powers to investigate whether the fitness to practise of a registered medical professional is impaired, and the governance and transparency mechanisms are built in, with a requirement on the registered medical professionals to report every termination to the Chief Medical Officer. <BR /> <BR />The truth is that procuring an abortion is never an easy decision for a woman, whether it is a crisis pregnancy for which she seeks an early medical abortion or when she receives news of a severe foetal impairment or a fatal foetal abnormality.”
“When the Health Minister has been asked about how that works in practice through Assembly questions for written answer, he has replied:”
“I have no doubt, therefore, that the NIO officials considered the Health Act 2018 in the Republic of Ireland, which restricts foetal anomaly-related abortions to those deemed fatal. That means that medical professionals do not feel comfortable with such ambiguous terminology in the regulations, so women from the South have had to continue to travel to England to access their healthcare. That Act is not preventing abortion; they just continue to export the problem. As a legislator in the Assembly, I would hate to see any woman forced to make such a lonely and heartbreaking journey. <BR /> <BR />Parts 3 to 7 of the regulations spell out clearly the grounds for abortion, with particular reference to the role of the two registered medical professionals.”
“My aunt Margaret, who is now, sadly, passed, lived with Down's syndrome. She passed away in her 50s and was a very much-loved and central member of my mother's family circle. So, if my daughter, for example, came to me with such a diagnosis during a pregnancy, of course I would support her. However, the regulations are not about me and my family; they are about the unknown women whose personal circumstances I know nothing about. The regulations are not about compelling a woman to terminate a pregnancy; they are about providing that healthcare option in our country. <BR /> <BR />Last year, when the Northern Ireland Office engaged with political parties and other stakeholders, they made it clear that they were looking at abortion laws and regulations across the UK, Ireland and western Europe in order to learn from their experiences.”
“<BR /> <BR />By week 20, when we get the big scan and women have thought of names and chosen prams etc, receiving important news about complexities with your pregnancy would floor any one of us. If any MLA thinks that a woman would make a choice to terminate a late pregnancy without days of completely fretting and agonising through every aspect of the rest of the pregnancy and beyond, they, in my opinion, are viewing those women with disrespect and a lack of empathy. The DUP, in bringing this non-binding motion, and Sinn Féin, in proposing the amendment, are playing politics by trying to imply that any MLA who does not support them does not care about children born with a disability. Nothing could be further from the truth. <BR /> <BR />The motion refers to those who live with Down's syndrome.”
“I will speak in a personal capacity, as abortion is a matter of conscience for members of the Alliance Party. I will not support the motion or the amendment. <BR /> <BR />On Thursday evenings, we all go out at 8:00 pm to clap for our medical workforce, as we value their clinical credentials, their professional judgement and the care and compassion that they show to COVID-19 patients. Yet, what the motion and the amendment suggest is that we are not to value their clinical credentials, their professional judgement and the care and compassion that they show to pregnant women on a Friday morning. I trust our registered medical professionals, and I trust women.”
“Some people will initially feel that they feel safer staying at home and will not make use of the freedoms that are being put back in place. Others will genuinely feel that they have been too restricted in what they were permitted to do and where they were permitted to go. <BR /> <BR />In one way or another, everyone is struggling with this: the decision makers, the people providing vital care, people sadly grieving the loss of loved ones, those who do not feel safe at home and those who simply feel that they deserve a holiday. <BR /> <BR />I appeal to Ministers and the authorities to ensure that communication of key messages and information remains clear, and it is for all of us to show respect, kindness and patience throughout.”
“While we can understand that COVID-19 was all-encompassing, the question now is how are we going to see the reopening of health and social care, and also move on with its urgent transformation? People do not, as yet, appear to know the answer to that. Over two weeks ago, the Health Minister, in response to a question I asked, told me that we would receive his comprehensive recovery plan last Thursday. However, as yet we have not seen it, we do not know what is in it and, certainly as far as I can make out, health professionals have not been engaged in it. <BR /> <BR />I close by thanking the public for their consideration during these difficult few months. Never was there a time when respect, kindness and patience were more important than now.”
“Clearly, the much-discussed R number has a role in determining that, but there is also a range of other considerations, including the very latest evidence of how the virus has spread, who is most likely to spread it, and where it is most likely to spread fastest. We need to combine that evidence with ensuring that our contact-tracing system is able and competent to keep up with any new cases as we try to move the confirmed daily number of cases down towards zero. <BR /> <BR />That brings me to a major concern. Lockdown has not just seen us locked down in our homes — the health and social care sector has been locked down as well. Cancer screenings have stopped, diabetic clinics are delayed, and vital diagnostics, operations and treatments have been postponed.”
“It is also welcome that we can see, at least to some extent, how the raising of the restrictions is in line with the scientific advice that the Executive are receiving. There will be a diversity of opinions among scientists, just as there is among any group of people. The issues are complex, but we can see that good practice is being followed in the regulations and the guidance in prioritising outdoor meetings and avoiding, as far as possible, the three Cs, namely crowds, contact and closed spaces. <BR /> <BR />The question now is how we allow greater public freedom while also ensuring, as far as possible, that there are no further major outbreaks or spikes.”
“Those who are formally shielding remain instructed to stay home, seemingly indefinitely. It is also unclear whether people who are potentially vulnerable because of their condition or age feel free to meet outdoors. It may not be for these regulations to clarify that — rather, for public information and guidance — but it should be clarified urgently, and those who are expecting their shielding letters should receive such clarity with the utmost urgency.”
“<BR /> <BR />It is unquestionably a good thing, therefore, that the Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (Amendment No. 3) Regulations (NI) 2020 enable the coming together of six people outdoors with distancing — a safe way to restart contact. It does leave open, however, the serious concerns of people who have received shielding letters or who otherwise regard themselves as shielding, whether because they are caring for someone who has received one or because they believe themselves to be in a vulnerable category and feel that the effects of the virus are too great a risk. <BR /> <BR />Although there was an announcement yesterday by the First Minister, and the Chief Scientific Officer also commented on shielding, the position has not been made totally clear.”
“I support these amending regulations and put on record again that, as a member of a liberal party, I do so with some discomfort. Even when amended, the regulations will continue to place restrictions on civil liberties and social contact which, at any time other than an extreme public health emergency, would rightly be seen as intolerable. <BR /> <BR />It is welcome that we reached the stage last month where we could begin to ease restrictions and move out of lockdown. The impact of lockdown on economic well-being and livelihoods has of course been horrendous, but the impact on mental well-being and health has certainly been even greater. It is simply not natural for people to go without any contact with others, and that could not be allowed to continue any longer than necessary.”
“Thank you, Minister, for coming here today. Given this latest incident, which has let down our victims and survivors, is it not time that the Government actually issued the formal apology, as outlined in Sir Anthony Hart's recommendations in the inquiry? I think that it is long since time that they should have received that.”
“We will need more detail before we are sure that we are doing the former.”
“<BR /> <BR />I am concerned that, going forward, we will have to seriously consider where we can find extra money to take us through the rest of the financial year and beyond. Do we have borrowing options? Do we need to look at revenue raising? Are there emergency funds that we can access? Should we get serious about cutting the cost of segregation? Most importantly, should we speed up the health transformation process? Those are challenging questions that we cannot shirk as we move through the pandemic. <BR /> <BR />To conclude, our job here today is to safeguard the finances of Northern Ireland and, most of all, the people of Northern Ireland. We trust that, in voting through the allocations, we are very much helping to do the latter, and that is why we must give them the benefit of the doubt.”
“<BR /> <BR />That takes us on to an area of the pandemic that I feel is often overlooked in the commentary: the implications of lockdown, including grief and suffering due to the scale of loss and the loss of livelihood, about which my colleague Andrew Muir and others have spoken. The implications are vast and have a particular impact on the collective mental well-being. They include the direct psychiatric issues emerging from the separation of family and friends, or even the lack of physical contact, right through to the rising rates of domestic violence and child abuse. Not only will we need to allocate funds to the mental health action plan and champion going forward, but we will need to mainstream mental well-being into everything that we do, including planning Budgets.”
“I await further information about the £15·5 million for charities through the Charities' Fund and how it will be allocated. Inevitably, much of that will fall within the health and well-being sector. There are other vital areas, such as childcare and shielding packages, which may not nominally fall within Health, but are vital to it. <BR /> <BR />Away from Health, I commend the funding allocation for supply teachers, who had fallen through the cracks in the original plans. Like many others here, my inbox was jam-packed with messages from substitute teachers who were in dire straits, so I very much welcome that allocation.”
“In the general scheme of things, the sum of money to achieve that is dwarfed by other mammoth allocations to deal with COVID-19, but it says a lot about what and who we value. <BR /> <BR />Of course, I am aware that Health accounts for over half of the resource allocation from the block grant. At this moment, we may be thankful that it does. We may also be thankful that another £205 million was allocated to the Department to manage the emerging pressures, with money for vital PPE and, more so, for the workforce. That was alongside nearly £7 million for hospices, the need for which is obvious. <BR /> <BR />There are also allocations to other Departments, which, in many instances, are no less health-related, in their broadest sense.”
“The crisis has been shattering enough for us all, but without the pre-existing contingency plans and their dedicated work, it could have been much worse. Our key workers and volunteers who are working across the whole community, with the support of the whole community, have shown a spirit and a determination that has been rightly applauded. <BR /> <BR />We may note, therefore, that an extra allocation exists to ensure that nurses who had to go on strike, not just for fair pay but, vitally, for safe staffing levels to ensure the welfare of patients, will not be penalised for having done so. Like many in the Chamber, I joined the nurses on the picket lines: not a single one of them wanted to be there, nor should they have needed to be there.”
“I want to say a few words about health. It should be emphasised, however, that one thing that the current crisis has shown us is that health is all-encompassing. The impact of the public health emergency is felt across every walk of life and every public service. Never has it been more important to look across the silos and base our spending on outcomes. <BR /> <BR />The health crisis has enveloped us all. It is well established that the Health and Social Care Board and the Department of Health workforce were already working hard to prepare for the pandemic. As we address the Supplementary Estimates, we may be thankful for their planning and foresight.”