Gerry Carroll
West Belfast · People Before Profit Alliance · Northern Ireland
“Yesterday morning, as others did, I stood alongside our resident doctors as they commenced a 24-hour period of industrial action. We often praise our healthcare workers in the House and more generally, saying things such as that they are invaluable and that we wish them well.”
“If we have learnt anything from the political events of the past week, it is that powerful people — powerful men, in particular — and institutions should always be held to maximum account when it comes to abuse, neglect and victims, and that victims and survivors should be believed and supported on every occasion.”
“Agency spend has, again, gone through the roof and is sky-high; locum spend has gone up and continues to go up — it has gone up by in the region of £0·5 billion over the past few years; and, almost every single year out of the past five to 10 years, hundreds of millions of pounds of public money have been pumped into the for-profit privat…”
“With bills increasing month-on-month and year-on-year, that is true, and those workers need a proper settlement that meets their needs and the ever-increasing cost of living. One striking doctor put it to me starkly yesterday. They said that they left Scotland and took a more senior position in the health sector in Belfast.”
“I commend Stephen and his colleagues in the Bill Office and the Executive Office officials, who worked closely with me to try to support, amend or help along my amendments — whatever way you want to look at it. I also want to commend the Member for Fermanagh and South Tyrone who spoke out during the last few stages.”
“I commend people for speaking out on the issue, especially Sharon Burke. I think that she might be in the Gallery. She has been emailing Members on that issue.”
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“<BR /> <BR />I may in be a minority of one tonight, but I will vote against the Bill.”
“In particular, the DUP has acted disgracefully throughout that period, beating the communal drum in order to stave off and distract from its internal crisis. I hope that that does not work for them. <BR /> <BR />For my part, I will continue to be a voice for socialist, working-class politics; to fight for a different way forward; to prioritise immediate moves to raise the minimum wage to tackle the cost of living crisis; to protect our vulnerable by replacing failed Tory welfare reforms with a humane alternative; to support the creation of a public jobs programme to help to deal with rising unemployment, the environmental crisis and the housing crisis; to increase funding and capacity for the NHS, including a massive recruitment campaign to deal with the ever-mounting waiting lists; to urge an increase in funding for mental health services; to call for the strengthening and extension of COVID support measures to protect vulnerable workers in our communities; to call for a significant, across-the-board pay rise for workers and the strengthening of workers' rights; to call for better financial support for low-paid and precariously employed people who need to self-isolate; to provide free education for all; and to see a proper pay rise for University and College Union (UCU) workers, education welfare officers and everyone else who is fighting for that.”
“<BR /> <BR />Now, faced with a crisis in Stormont, we see some really disgraceful proposals, not least the threat to fail to fund up to 900 units of temporary Housing Executive accommodation at a time when we are faced with a chronic homelessness crisis. Over the past number of weeks, I have been busy in my West Belfast constituency supporting an inspiring occupation by women workers at Regina Coeli House, a site of temporary accommodation that is being threatened with closure. It is outrageous that, in that context, another 900 units of existing temporary accommodation are threatened with being axed. <BR /> <BR />The five-party Executive spent two years failing to protect the vulnerable and to provide for people.”
“However, those who hold up the previous three-year Budget as something to champion as a solution to the deep crisis that we are in are way off. For example, when it comes to the crucial issue of public-sector pay, uplifting that could help to address the cost of living crisis overnight. Nothing contained in the previous three-year Budget consultation would have concretely addressed that. It contained no commitment on public-sector pay increases. The political establishment has also been woefully inadequate on health pay. An offer of 3% from the Minister is an insult, and talk of 6% from other parties does not go nearly far enough. We need immediate moves to meet trade union demands of 10% or above. Otherwise, we will be faced with strike action by health workers once again, and I will be proud to stand with them.”
“The DUP shares much of the blame for the mess that our society is in, but the parties that made up the entire Executive share responsibility. Indeed, although the Executive are not meeting, the Bill looks exactly like previous Executive Budgets: opaque, insufficient and deeply concerning. Since the DUP withdrew from the Executive, the debate has been around the failure to secure a three-year Budget versus this one. Now that the three-year Budget has been stalled, this is not an unimportant debate, and the DUP must be called out for its reckless, self-serving move to create another crisis over the protocol, beating the communal drum and trying to shore up its support in the polls in order to thwart an electoral crisis.”
“Today's Budget is another example of that. It was published last night, put together as a sticking plaster to keep things ticking over for the next period in light of the crisis that has engulfed politics as we peer into another election.”
“Years of welfare reform brought in by Sinn Féin and the DUP have devastated communities, and those who are forced to survive on benefits are turning to food banks and making the most difficult choice of whether to skip meals to feed their kids and whether to heat or eat. Tory welfare reforms need to be overturned, and welfare support needs to be drastically expanded in line with what anti-poverty experts are demanding. The Budget does not do any of that, and I will not sign up to it. <BR /> <BR />Year-on-year, I have criticised the Budget-setting process, its lack of accountability and transparency and the inability for Opposition parties to scrutinise legislation properly.”
“Money must be found to tackle low wages and poverty and to give people a fair deal, and politicians must show the same urgency around poverty, low wages and mental health that they did during COVID. Those issues are severely lacking in the Budget. <BR /> <BR />Our health service has been hammered by years of austerity, privatisation and the impact of a pandemic; waiting lists are increasing to the point that huge swathes of people are languishing in pain, without any sign of treatment in sight; and health workers who carried us through COVID are now struggling to live on low wages. Immediate funding needs to be found to uplift pay and services.”
“Once again, I will oppose, or do my best to oppose, another Stormont Budget that is inadequate and does not nearly deliver the expansion of support and services that people so desperately need when faced with a spiralling cost-of-living crisis, sustained poverty and a deep health crisis that impacts on every family. Average prices are up by over 5%, the cost of petrol and diesel is up by over 20%, and, from last year, the average home's energy bills are up by at least £1,000. People are struggling as they have never done before, and no solutions are being offered to deal with that. <BR /> <BR />For years, politicians told us that there was no money to pay for services, and then, during the pandemic, they found millions — billions — for all sorts of handouts. Where is the urgency when it comes to addressing the cost-of-living crisis?”
“Thanks, Minister. On your point, would you be willing to table an amendment to make sure that new tenants can avail themselves of the broad thrust of what my amendment would do?”
“In response to Mr Durkan, I am happy to tidy up my amendment — provide a subsequent one — at the Further Consideration Stage to provide greater protection at 12 weeks if the Minister does not do that. Again, I ask Members to support my amendments today.”
“How can we expect parties to vote for proper robust legislation if they cannot vote the correct way on my modest proposals today? What hope is there for the future? I am not sure who the Minister will be after the May election; I am not sure that there will be an Assembly at all. Today, the message that I hear from Members is that renters' rights and protections will be put on hold; "Trust us, something may come in the future". <BR /> <BR />Amendment No 16, which is tabled in my name, will provide greater protection for people who have been in private rented accommodation. Obviously, it takes a long time for people to find a property, and if some tenants who have been in a property for 10 years can get 12 weeks notice, my argument is that that should apply across the board.”
“Action must begin now to improve the record of the Executive, who have allowed landlords to get away with too much for too long. <BR /> <BR />I do not know whether it is crude satire or sad to hear two landlords on the Benches opposite say, "What about the poor landlords?" You could not make it up. The idea that there is a horde of single-property landlords is a myth that needs to be dispelled. The arguments made about unintended consequences are pretty astounding. In the debate, I heard more concern from some about the interests of landlords than those of renters. The concerns that people have for renters can be alleviated in some way if the House passes my amendments. <BR /> <BR />The argument that legislation is coming at some stage down the line, frankly, does not wash.”
“Who do the Government really represent if they do not support the amendments that I have tabled? Do they support the renter, or will they back the landlord and the market regardless of the financial panic facing people in our communities? Frankly, if my amendments do not pass, it will strongly indicate that the House is not willing to prioritise the needs of renters. <BR /> <BR />There are recent and ample precedents for this kind of action. Rent controls have been introduced in Paris and Berlin. Why not in Belfast, Derry, Strabane and right across the North? Those are the questions that housing rights groups and renters are already asking. How will the House respond? My answer is that the Bill does not go far enough. Indeed, even if my amendments pass today, there is a damn sight further to go to protect renters.”
“If we cannot implement greater protection for those living in private rented accommodation during a pandemic, a cost-of-living crisis and a fuel price hike, when will the Executive step up to the mark? How bad do things have to get before measures are taken to protect renters? <BR /> <BR />At a conservative estimate, rents have gone up by 9% in the last two years in the Belfast area, although it is likely to be much greater than that such is the extent of and the reality that the commodification of housing has caused. There is already a feeling that Stormont has not done enough to shield renters, and renters' unions and activist groups have had to be formed in response to that. It begs the question: what is the response of the elected Government who are meant to represent their interests?”
“One single parent in west Belfast got in touch to say that she is paying £740 a month in rent, which is unbelievable. That is scandalous enough before mounting energy costs are considered. She cannot pay that. What are the Executive prepared to do to help her? She said that, if my amendments pass, it will be a great relief to her and her family. The reduction will allow extra cash for the groceries that she has been forced to scrimp on. The freeze will lift the fear of what is coming down the road. She should not have to live in the constant state of fear that she could lose her home or not be able to afford to feed her children because of the whims of the market or landlord. Thousands like her are struggling in the same way. Again, what are the Executive prepared to do to protect those people?”
“Market force is something that we cannot see, touch or influence. It is allowed to wreak havoc on the lives of people here, unmanaged, unmitigated and unrelenting, and it has to stop.”
“<BR /> <BR />There is a duty on the Executive to protect people in that situation, to recognise that there are unscrupulous landlords taking advantage of a lack of regulation and to intervene to spare people the consequences. Therefore, I call on all parties in the Executive, in particular those that claim to support greater housing rights, to support my amendments today. If passed, they would provide protection for many in need at a time when need is spiralling. It is wholly unacceptable that landlords should be able to drive up rents regardless of the current financial pressures, but that is very much the case. <BR /> <BR />Over the last few days, renters have been in touch with me about my amendments, and they have opened up about the cruel reality that they and their children face as a result. The justification is the market.”
“I welcome the opportunity to speak to and amend the Bill, which contains measures that I and my party endorse for those in the private rented sector. It is plainly the case that Stormont has failed to protect those paying increasingly higher rents as the cost of living climbs and we continue to stagnate. Indeed, I do not believe that the Bill goes far enough in that regard, which is why I hope to amend it to secure a rent reduction and a subsequent rent freeze for tenants who are struggling to pay their landlord from month to month and are having to make unreasonable decisions about how much food they can buy or whether they can pay their bills after they have paid their rent.”
“I offer my condolences to everybody who is grieving on this tremendously difficult day.”
“It is fair to say that there was robust debate, strong disagreements, obscure references that I did not quite understand and points about socialism that I obviously did not agree with. However, he made his points very strongly and robustly indeed. <BR /> <BR />Another experience of him was in his role as a Deputy Speaker in the Speaker's Chair. I have to say that he was an absolutely fair Speaker. He was someone who went out of his way to ensure that all voices were heard throughout debates and discussions, who humorously reminded Members not to go on for too long, even though he did not always succeed or get his way, and who, during hours and hours of debate, gave humorous prefaces before Members spoke to remind them again not to go on for too long. <BR /> <BR />It is a very sad day.”
“I offer my and my party's condolences to the family of Christopher Stalford — his wife Laura, his four children and his mother — his party colleagues and all those who worked closely with Christopher and knew him much more closely than I. I can only imagine the heartbreak that people are going through today, and my thoughts are with them on this very tough day. I am still in disbelief, as, I am sure, many others are. <BR /> <BR />On this sad day, it seems a bit strange to say anything other than that, but, given that Christopher Stalford gave so many years to politics, it is worth saying something briefly about that. I first met or maybe clashed with Christopher Stalford when I entered Belfast City Hall in 2014.”
“Unionists need to get with the changing programme.”
“They need to be in a strong bill of rights too. We obviously had mention of LGBT rights in the report. The LGBT community, as a whole, is mentioned, but it is important to recognise that huge advancements have been made through rugged determination and by people facing down the actions of the ex-First Minister and others. It is also important to recognise that trans rights are particularly under attack, with disgusting and disgraceful dog-whistle attacks and the denial of services, funding and support to people who need to transition. <BR /> <BR />In conclusion, we need to recognise that unionism thinks that denying things such as a bill of rights will strengthen the North's place in the UK. In reality, by blocking it and taking other positions, unionism will actually speed up the growing calls for a united Ireland.”
“In reality, the right to healthcare is denied to many hundreds of thousands of people. <BR /> <BR />The report also states that the denial of economic and social rights can be a causal factor of social conflict. That has been the case historically and also recently when, last summer, the DUP, using a combination of the protocol and blame of the other side for the poverty that exists in the communities that the DUP itself represents, tried to whip up communities that had been left behind. That needs to be called out as well. Trade union rights was one thing that I did not notice in the report. Employment law is devolved. I am progressing a trade union freedom Bill through the Assembly, and a bill of rights needs to take that into consideration. <BR /> <BR />Language rights were mentioned as well.”
“To be honest, there is no use in enacting robust legislation if the content and motivation behind it is not practised and if Ministers can operate in a way that is contrary to it. <BR /> <BR />Yes, we are for a bill of rights, but we are also for a fundamental change in how this and any future Executive treat marginalised communities and those who are discriminated against. It is significant that, in the Committee's report, there was higher support for a bill of rights amongst women — half of our population who are repeatedly failed, ignored and impacted on by decisions that have been taken by consecutive Executives. In any bill of rights, there should be a right to healthcare that is implemented and actionable. It is disgraceful that we have a two-tier health system in which people can get treatment only if they can afford it.”
“For too long, this place has literally othered those groups who fall outside the paradigms of unionism and nationalism, so it is extremely important that rights be embedded in legislation. Frankly, however, we also need to focus on the actions of Ministers in the Executive. For example, we have strong anti-discrimination legislation here that makes it illegal and a criminal offence for people to be treated differently on the basis of their race and ethnic background. Not so long ago, however, when everybody was supposedly "in it together" in the context of COVID, Black Lives Matter activists were still disproportionately targeted and fined for taking part in safe demonstrations when others were not.”
“We also need to call out the dog-whistle approach to Colin Harvey, the human rights lawyer and activist, whose name has been dragged through the mud in a disgraceful attempt. The DUP needs to stop blocking progress as it has done for so long. It needs to allow the panel of experts to be appointed and a strong bill of rights to be implemented. <BR /> <BR />For me, there is a lot of important information and comment in the report. One of the most important pieces of evidence that the Committee received was the strong support expressed:”
“Given the many injustices that exist in our society, a bill of rights is the bare minimum needed to address the inequalities that still prevail. My party fully supports a bill of rights being implemented, but I do not believe that the work can or should stop there. <BR /> <BR />I recently met the bill of rights working group, and I thank it and others for their work in progressing this issue and keeping it firmly on the agenda. The DUP's effective blocking of the appointment of the panel of experts is not only shocking but a disgraceful attempt to deny rights and protections to everyone across our society, including the DUP's own voters and constituents, who have been neglected by the exact policies that have been cheerled and implemented by that party in particular.”
“We have the biggest increase in energy prices in decades, while people are being left to the wolves. If UCU win the dispute, hundreds of thousands of workers will have improved conditions, and it will give confidence to workers and people who are ground down here to take on their employers and the Government. <BR /> <BR />I extend my solidarity to the UCU workers who are engaging in action today and in the weeks ahead.”
“Institutions here are trying to hide behind this being a "national dispute", but some of them have hundreds of millions of pounds in reserve and have the power to act on terms and conditions without the need for national agreements. I call on Ulster University and Queen's University to make that happen. I also implore the Minister to act beyond words of regret about the action. He needs to intervene and ensure that those institutions step up. <BR /> <BR />It is not just about friends in UCU being on strike but about creating a momentum in society, with workers and unions being on the march and engaging in combative action to defend those ground down by poverty and inequality. We have a cost of living crisis, while the Executive implement below-inflation pay offers across the board.”
“This morning, I was proud to stand with the University and College Union (UCU) at Queen's University as the union began the first of 10 days of strike action. The strike is about a number of issues, but it is primarily about lecturers, higher education workers and teaching assistants pushing back against attacks on their terms and conditions. Pensions are being attacked and undermined by Universities UK, which will make retirement more difficult for current workers and future generations when they retire. The strike is also about the union's four fights, on which they took action last year around issues such as casualisation, the gender and racial pay gap and the disgraceful fact that staff are not paid for the work that they complete and the hours that they do.”
“The polluters have had their way for decades, for far too long. We need to turn the tables on the polluters and to put them on the back foot in court, if necessary. We need to go further than the Bill currently allows. We need to ensure that there is no fracking whatever, no fossil extraction or exploration for oil or gas. Throw all current applications in the bin. No more drilling. Keep it all in the ground.”
“It was pressure from activists across the North and from the aforementioned Mark Ruffalo and others that made Sinn Féin commit to blocking it at the Executive. Before that, there was silence on the Sinn Féin strategy in the Executive. That shows activists that their pressure and campaigning can bear fruit. <BR /> <BR />I share the concerns that other Members have about blue hydrogen. Despite what the fossil fuel industry would have some believe, methane gas has no role in decarbonising our energy system. The hype about blue hydrogen from fossil gas is just a hydrogen horror story. As others have said, evidence has indicated that it is worse than gas. <BR /> <BR />Mr Buchanan's comment that the polluters — the big companies — might challenge the current Bill or future Bills in the courts signifies the problem.”
“The Minister's energy strategy, which has been announced and discussed, falls way short of what is needed at this time. It allows for the continuation of fossil fuels. It is a policy dictated by the current petroleum policy, which dates back to the 1960s and shows and states a clear addiction to and support for the petroleum industry and the fossil fuel industry. Oil and gas are bad not only for the planet but for the pocket. People pay over £1,000 a year extra on their bills to fund the profits of the likes of Shell and its shareholders. <BR /> <BR />On the issue of petroleum licences and the Executive, it is worth stating, as the previous Member did, that it was late in the day when Sinn Féin indicated that it would vote against any such policy being brought to the Executive.”
“It would impact on the drinking water of people in my constituency and way beyond, so, before the Minister is out of office, whenever that is, I ask him to make sure that the application is thrown out and that EHA Exploration Limited, which is trying to engage in that extractive and dangerous action, is told that it is not welcome to do so. For more than two years, activists have campaigned against the application and submitted a record number of opposition letters and petitions, but the Minister has not acted. It is time for the Minister to do the right thing and bin the application. <BR /> <BR />The truth is that the DUP has allowed Tamboran and Dalradian to operate and given them the green light for works to extract and explore.”
“It is important that there be a ban on fracking of any kind in communities here. I welcome the opportunity to discuss the Member's Bill this evening. As environmental activists and campaigners have stated, such a ban would be ineffective if the Executive did not take a clear position on the need to ban exploration licences for petroleum and other fossil fuels. The current Minister and two previous DUP Ministers have had applications on their desks for PLA1/16, which would allow for exploration for petroleum in the area running from Lough Neagh across to Belfast lough.”
“I pay tribute to them all and hope that they and their families can obtain what they need with the Bill's passing through the House this afternoon.”
“However, the truth is that the Bill would not have happened if it were not for the sterling work of wee Dáithí, his mother, Seph, and his father, Máirtín. There has been no community or sporting event that has not had wee Dáithí front and centre in order to get the message out there loud and clear about the need for people to register as organ donors. There is no doubt that lives have already been saved through organ donation promotion and the work that has been done by Dáithí and many others. It is hoped that removing the current unnecessary barriers to donation will prevent anybody else missing out on being a recipient of organ donation. <BR /> <BR />There is no doubt that the Bill will have a long-lasting impact for Dáithí, his family and thousands of people out there who have made the common-sense case for it to progress.”
“It really beggars belief that, at one stage, the DUP tried to block the Bill from progressing through the House. <BR /> <BR />The passing of the Bill will provide much hope, support and comfort for the many families in our communities who rely on organ donation. It will provide a ray of light for hundreds of families and hopefully improve the lives of their loved ones. The act of giving an organ is one of the greatest acts of solidarity that people can engage in for others whom they may or may not know. I pay tribute to everyone who has donated so far and to all those people who have joined the register as a result of the debate around the Bill. <BR /> <BR />Obviously, as the Minister is moving the legislation today, thanks should go to him and his team.”
“I am pleased that the Bill has reached its Final Stage this afternoon and will be passed today. However, it is unfortunate that an issue that has such widespread support across our communities took so much time to reach the Floor and finally be implemented.”
“If there is to be any sense of climate justice and a just transition not only do we need strong targets and strong legislation but we need to dismantle capitalism — the very economic and political system that brought huge emissions and the addiction to fossil fuels in the first place.”
“The Mullaghglass landfill site that is causing so much unease, discomfort and nuisance to residents in west Belfast and Lisburn needs to be closed down. Those issues are not detailed in the Bill, so in order to take action on them and to prevent them, we will need to see the continued people power exercised in the communities that push back against polluters and those whose primary motivation is to maximise profit at all costs, regardless of the impact on the environment. <BR /> <BR />Finally, with regard to targets, we cannot forget that, globally, 100 companies are responsible for 71% of all emissions.”
“<BR /> <BR />Whilst the Bill is far from perfect, some amendments, if passed tonight, could make it better. However, possible actions that are not proposed in the Bill are also not in any of the amendments. There is no moratorium on petroleum or fossil fuel licences despite me and others trying to get an amendment on those matters on the Marshalled List. The Executive have spoken out of both sides of their mouth. Whilst, on the one hand, passing motions to declare climate emergencies and sponsoring Bills like this, on the other hand, they support to the tune of millions the extractive industry and waive the £400,000 policing fee for Dalradian. The doublespeak and contradictory action need to stop. Petroleum licences and fossil fuel licences need to be opposed and scrapped. Dalradian needs to be kicked out from the Sperrins.”
“The truth is that whilst everybody, in theory, is impacted by climate change, some are impacted more directly than others. The rich will be able to afford their own flood defences, private jets and other short-term measures to keep the rising seas at bay temporarily, but, ultimately, even they will be impacted. <BR /> <BR />Amendment Nos 7 and 8 will make a higher level of reductions in a much quicker time frame and should be supported for that. There should be targets for the reduction of carbon, and even the targets in amendment Nos 7 and 8 are not urgent or quick enough. However, the problem with the Minister's targets is that they set the bar incredibly low and park emission reduction to some time in the distant future. You cannot offset your way out of a climate emergency. Amendment No 16 is important for those reasons.”
“On the other hand, we see large corporations in the agri-food sector that want the most meagre action from government because, in short, action impacts and cuts into profits. There is no singular and universal farming experience. All farmers are not in it together. There is a class divide in farming, just as much as there is across our society. Poor and struggling farmers are the majority, and they are alongside a handful of farmers who are doing financially well. <BR /> <BR />I find it rich — it is laughable, even — to hear the DUP talk about standing up for farmers. When it designed its RHI schemes, it did not have small farmers in mind but big farmers and big landowners, who milked the system and did very well financially from it. The DUP was happy to turn a blind eye to that.”
“The IPCC report made it crystal clear that we are in code red. We needed action yesterday, but, unfortunately, some are still willing to drag their feet. <BR /> <BR />The Member who spoke previously and others referred to farmers being impacted by some of the amendments in this particular group. There has even been a suggestion that we could see farmers put out of business altogether as a result of the amendments' being passed. In truth, there is division amongst farmers and those who work in agri-food. On the one hand, workers, farmers and those who work in the food industry see the need for urgent climate action not only to protect the environment but to have any chance of having a job for the next number of years.”
“Therefore, the Minister rushed to introduce this Bill, which has forced the climate issue to be discussed once again but does not go far enough to implement the necessary measures. <BR /> <BR />Throughout today's debate, the Minister has mentioned the need to defer to the science. Minister, I say to you directly: the science is crystal clear. Beyond net zero is not only achievable but necessary to prevent our communities from being flooded and people having to live in uninhabitable environments. <BR /> <BR />If we are honest, implementing net zero by 2045 is not enough in itself, but even that has provoked outrage from the Minister and his party. They have said that we must not go too far, too soon. The truth is that, contrary to what some anticipate, we do not have the time to wait around.”
“It has to be said that, globally, Governments have dragged their feet when it comes to taking the required action to reduce carbon emissions and stem the flow of climate change. The Minister's Bill, whilst dealing with climate issues, does not go far enough to implement the measures required to prevent climate disaster. <BR /> <BR />It is worth remembering the two reasons why the Minister introduced a Bill, albeit limited. First, there has been a movement on our streets, including by striking schoolchildren in 2019 and in the run-up to COP26, to demand less "Blah, blah, blah" and more robust action from Governments. Secondly, the Minister did not want to have egg on his face. After he said that a climate Bill could not be drafted before the end of this mandate, another Member did so with cross-party support.”
“I thank the Minister for her answer. On staff shortages in schools, as I understand it, all the inspectors in the Education and Training Inspectorate (ETI) are trained teachers. What conversations have her officials had about the redeployment of those staff to help in schools where teachers are isolating or off sick because of COVID?”