Justin McNulty
Newry and Armagh · Social Democratic and Labour Party · Northern Ireland
“I thank the Minister for challenging some of the narratives that are peddled in relation to immigration. <BR /> <BR />Minister, what steps are you taking to support community safety partnerships in addressing misinformation on illegal immigration and to help build confidence in how local criminality is being managed?”
“I thank the Minister for her statement. I welcome the progress that has been outlined today on major waterways projects, including the Ulster canal project.”
“Will you commit to throwing your full support and that of your Department behind that effort by backing the establishment of the task force and by working proactively with local councils and partners, including the Department of the Taoiseach's Shared Island unit, to realise finally the enormous economic, tourism and environmental potenti…”
“I thank the Minister for his statement. We have all seen the deterioration of our high streets and streets in our towns and villages with the shift to online shopping. Vacancy and dilapidation are now sadly the norm. Will the review act as a stimulus for businesses on those streets in our towns and villages?”
“Absolutely. The Minister and the Department can never relinquish the reins of proper scrutiny. <BR /> <BR />The reclassification by ONS will mean that all trust ports can borrow, which will allow them the commercial flexibility to invest more in their infrastructure.”
“<BR /> <BR />The trust port model has stood the test of time and has worked well for the North. We can see the economic and social benefits in the local communities around the ports. In 2025, the DFI completed a review of the trust ports in the North to explore how the Department's policy on trust ports could be updated.”
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“commences, the impact that he makes in that regard will be as positive as the impact that he and his teaching team have made for children with special educational needs. <BR /> <BR />Since 2009, the number of pupils with special educational needs in the North has been growing at a pace faster than the general population. Approximately 20% of the school population in the North has special educational needs. The issues with the provision of special educational needs support are well documented: poor communication between families and statutory agencies; inadequately resourced services and support provision; poor coordination between health and education agencies with respect to early identification and intervention; and delays in statementing. Delays, delays, delays.”
“St Paul's High School in my constituency, where both of my parents were teachers, stands as an industry leader in inclusivity and championing the needs of children with additional needs. The principal of St Paul's, Mr Jarlath Burns, deserves credit for his leadership on those issues. I congratulate Jarlath on the impact that his teaching team has made for children with special educational needs and their families. I hope that, as his term as Uachtarán Chumann Lúthchleas Gael”
“I am glad to see that the motion has been moved today. Issues with support and resources for special educational needs bring the highest volume of cases through my constituency offices. Prior to commencing my remarks, I acknowledge the sterling work being undertaken by so many schools across the North. In difficult and challenging circumstances, they stand as strong advocates for students with special educational needs and their families. Rathore School and Lisanally School in my constituency have done unbelievable work, but teachers and assistants across all schools who see every day the challenges that children face know how little help and support there is for them. I pay tribute to them.”
“Minister, what initiatives and efforts are your Department pursuing to bring the Ireland's Ancient East tourism product to Counties Armagh, Down and Antrim?”
“— is for government and every Member of the Assembly to put their might behind a fully funded, far-reaching and cross-departmental response that can begin to address it and save us from our collective shame.”
“The strategy, legislation and associated funding must be as cross-cutting as the crisis that is engulfing us. The united efforts of the Executive must transcend political ideology and departmental responsibilities. Action to address violence against women and girls must be aimed at facilitating a profound paradigm shift. It must overhaul toxic cultures and attitudes with respect to women and girls. <BR /> <BR />The fact that the North of Ireland has the joint highest rate of femicide in Europe brings great shame and disgrace on everyone in the House. The only appropriate response to this crisis engulfing our society —”
“Those women have names such as Natalie McNally and Ashling Murphy. It is 425 days since Natalie's life and that of her unborn child were taken and 775 days since Ashling Murphy's life was taken. So many other women's lives have been taken in that time. I pay tribute to Noel and Bernadette McNally and their three sons for how they have moved through their trauma, grief, heartbreak and sadness to share only love, kindness and hope. They will lead a Women's Aid conference in Newry on Wednesday that I encourage everybody here to attend. <BR /> <BR />Thousands of others whom you will never hear of or know have lost their life or been abused in their own homes by people they know. Some women feel too much shame to come forward. Some women who come forward are unable to overcome obstacles in the justice system.”
“Incredibly, it took until 2021 for the Northern Ireland Executive to even agree that a violence against women and girls strategy should exist. It is right that the motion laments funding cuts by the British Government with respect to early intervention and rehabilitation services and the community and voluntary sector, including Women's Aid, but it is equally important to lament the fact that, in the face of an emergency that claims the life of one woman every three months, our Executive have failed to act. Let us focus on advocating a fully funded strategy. That is more meaningful and conducive to addressing the crisis than attacking London for failing to provide funding for an unimplemented strategy. <BR /> <BR />The life of a woman is being lost every three months. That is not an abstract statistic on paper; it is fact.”
“Of the 540 women surveyed by Ulster University, seven out of 10 had experienced some form of violence or abuse within the past 12 months: 29% from strangers, 23% from romantic partners and 19% from a friend or acquaintance. Harrowingly, 26% reported that that violence or abuse had occurred in their own home. Only one in three of those surveyed by Ulster University felt able to speak up about or report the incident. Shame and embarrassment were cited as the primary reasons for not coming forward. <BR /> <BR />The Women's Policy Group NI has found that men's violence against women and girls has reached endemic levels. Research that it conducted showed that 80% of women surveyed first experienced men's violence before the age of 20.”
“I wholeheartedly support the motion. The levels of violence against women and girls in the North are terrifying. Reading the motion is disturbing. As I speak, women and girls are suffering and living in fear and terror in their own homes. Women and girls are suffering years after the trauma of violence or abuse has been visited upon them. Some of the facts that have been mentioned in the debate are equally terrifying. Since 2021, the North has had the joint highest rate of femicide in Europe. On average, one woman is killed every three months. Research conducted by Ulster University found that 98% of women have experienced at least one form of violence or abuse in their lifetime.”
“There is wonderful news today that €50 million has been agreed from the Shared Island unit for Casement Park. Minister, I know that you are a soccer man, but will you agree to come to the newly built Casement Park for the Ulster final in 2027, supported by Sport NI, of course? I will reciprocate by going to the Euros in 2028. Would that not just be wonderful, Minister?”
“The Member refers to the number of people who are involved with the justice system and in prison. The Member who spoke previously did so as well. To what extent do you feel that their frustration about their lack of support in navigating the uncertain territory that, they feel, they occupy as a consequence of their difficulties and challenges is a contributing factor to their involvement in the justice system?”
“If we get the basics right, we will have a foundation to build on, but, if we continue to pay our health service staff poverty wages and expect them to get excited when we sign off on a pay rise that is two years late, none of us can be surprised when doctors, nurses, allied health professionals (AHPs) and medical specialists vote with their feet and take themselves and their talents to a jurisdiction that will pay them what they are worth. Who could blame them? <BR /> <BR />I will finish by saying go raibh míle, míle maith agaibh”
“The people we represent expect an awful lot more than the same old Stormont solutions branded differently and trotted out for show. We have heard and will undoubtedly hear more about the transformation and fundamental reform of the health service. I respectfully contend that fundamental reform should begin at the fundamental level of pay and conditions and with care and compassion shown for our health service staff.”
“<BR /> <BR />If we need radical action in the long term, we need sensible action in the short term. The most effective step that the Executive can immediately take is to reinstate the cross-border healthcare directive, as stated in my party's, the SDLP's, amendment. That would allow people languishing on Northern Ireland's waiting lists to access treatment in the Republic as a matter of urgency. It would help to remove pain and restore patients' dignity and quality of life far more quickly than if we were to try to muddle through on solutions that have already been tried or that are rehashed. <BR /> <BR />Waiting lists in the North are not just a crisis; they are a scandal. Everyone is watching this place with hope and goodwill.”
“That is why junior doctors have voted for strike action, why more nurses leave the system every year than enter it and why bright brains and hard workers take their qualifications and go to practise in the UK, the Republic, Australia, Canada and elsewhere. I wholeheartedly welcome the Executive's commitment to fund the public-sector pay award, but we need to do better than play catch-up with pay packets. We need decisive action and ambition from the Executive to make the North the most rewarding place on these islands to be a healthcare worker. I fully appreciate that that will be a long-term and considerable undertaking for the Executive, but there is no escaping the fact that we need radical action to address the crisis in our health service.”
“I have seen that clearly in my constituency, where there was an exodus of medical specialists from Daisy Hill Hospital because the Southern Trust stonewalled them after they raised legitimate concerns about management decisions and genuine grievances about the terms and conditions of their working arrangements. <BR /> <BR />The most critical part of the debate centres around our NHS staff. Without them, nothing works. If they are not looked after, patients and their clinical outcomes will be impacted. With that in mind, the Assembly and Executive should tackle the most fundamental issues first. We know that staff are at breaking point.”
“People and families are languishing while trying to manage their pain and despair. However, I want to guard against the urge to complain about the problem and instead focus on identifying solutions. One of the most obvious and inescapable solutions to the need to revive our health service and address the crisis in waiting lists centres around pay and conditions for health service staff. Whether it is on burnout, sickness rates, attrition levels, forced migration, patient and staff safety or the inability to attract necessary personnel, health service workers are being failed.”
“I support the motion and the amendment. <BR /> <BR />This is an extremely important debate. I thank Mrs Dodds and Mr Robinson for tabling the motion. I also thank my party colleagues Colin McGrath, Sinéad McLaughlin and Patsy McGlone for their important amendment. <BR /> <BR />Let us make no mistake about it: waiting lists and waiting times for health and social care services in the North are not just a crisis; they are a scandal. Throughout today's debate, let us endeavour to reject any assertion that the crisis has been brought about as a consequence of the pandemic. As the motion rightly points out, we have not met a formal waiting-time target in the North since 2014. That is six years prior to the onset of the pandemic. <BR /> <BR />The statistics are startling, scary and sad.”
“How can the Member dare to deride me for standing up for the people that I represent and who deserve equality and a good healthcare system? How can you possibly dare stand here and deride me for standing up for the people that I represent and the patients who are struggling with the inability to access healthcare systems the way that everyone else can across the North? That is very unreasonable.”
“I have visited Daisy Hill's emergency department, and I have heard that Craigavon's emergency department is akin to what you have just described: there were seven police officers at one time in the corridor, with patients stacked head to toe on trolleys. The backs of the trolleys cannot even be put down. The patients have been stripped of their dignity. The nurses and doctors have been prevented from fulfilling their duties in a safe environment. Does the Member agree that that has to stop and that we need the cross-border healthcare initiative to be restored immediately so that we can ease the burden on our health system now?”
“to the new Minister of Agriculture on his post. One of my favourite childhood memories is catching a fish in a dammed river running off the slopes of Slieve Gullion, but there have not been any fish in that river for a long time. Has the Minister any policies to support the rewilding and replenishing of our waterways?”
“in your new role and to my constituency colleague, the new Minister for the Economy. <BR /> <BR />Minister, like me, you will be aware of the specific challenges faced by businesses in Newry and south Armagh with respect to the availability of full insurance and of government-backed support for businesses unable to obtain insurance. Your commitments to a regionally balanced economy are most welcome. However, do you accept my assessment that any efforts to balance and support our economy at the micro level must be attuned to grassroots needs and, with respect to Newry and south Armagh and elsewhere, will require specific action on insurance costs and coverage?”
“Go raibh maith agat, a Leas-Cheann Comhairle. Ádh mór ort”
“The Member for Mid Ulster mentioned the eel fishery, as you did, and one of my strongest and most abiding childhood memories is trying the wild eels from Lough Neagh at my Auntie Rita and Uncle Barney's house in Glenavy on the lough shore. Does the Member agree that the most effective and sustainable way to secure and maintain ecological equilibrium at Lough Neagh, including the protection of its wildlife, the tourism potential and the largest eel fishery in Europe, would be to bring the lough back into public ownership?”
“We live in one another’s shadow. We rely on each other for shelter from the storm.”
“<BR /> <BR />The three young men watching you in the Chamber today have spoken clearly. They want our shared home place to work, thrive and prosper. They want to look to the future with hope, confidence and excitement. They want you to do your duty and get back to work. Just do it. <BR /> <BR />I started with a proverb, and I will finish with one:”
“From their lips to God's ears. <BR /> <BR />Through a combination of frustration and despair, so many of our young people opt to build their lives somewhere other than here. That is a poor reflection on the ambition and the competence of these institutions. This latest needless crisis must be resolved before the damage becomes irreversible. <BR /> <BR />I have spoken here about the old Irish tradition of meitheal, in which men and women of all creeds worked in unity to win the harvest. Through hard toil, mutual respect and honest endeavour, communities across this land safeguarded one another by spilling their sweat with and for each other. My God, even a fraction of that ethos would make a world of difference in this place. Is it too much to ask for us to come together to spill our sweat for the people whom we serve?”
“I am lucky to have three bright and brilliant young men from my old school, Abbey Christian Brothers' Grammar School in Newry, shadowing me on work experience this week: Oisin Harte, Andrew McGuinness and Josh Turley. Sophie Keane from Sacred Heart Grammar School was with me last week. Those are four people who give me tremendous hope for the future. Oisin, Andrew and Josh are sitting in the Gallery today. I promised them that I would use my time in the Chamber to voice their views, advance their hopes and share their fears. I asked them what needed to be said, and this is what they told me:”
“In contemplating my contribution as an SDLP MLA, I reflected on a Native American proverb that proclaims:”
“to the Derry senior footballers on their Ulster Championship victory yesterday. My grandfather was a proud Magherafelt man and an O'Donovan Rossa man, and he is smiling down today. I wish them very well on their success, and I congratulate them.”
“and I wish the Cheann Comhairle to join me in offering hearty comhghairdeas”
“On a point of order, Mr Acting Speaker. I wish the Father of the House well in his role as Cheann Comhairle,”
“Let us build a society where meitheal sweetens our victories and takes the sting out of tragedies and challenges. Let us build a new Ireland for all.”
“The meitheal was the high point of the year. In days gone by, families in my townland and in townlands across Ireland cut corn, made hay and picked spuds in their neighbours' fields as often as they did in their own fields. Through that spirit of meitheal, people survived and thrived. Women and men worked in parallel to win the harvest. There was a great sense of camaraderie and support with problems to be solved, and the craic was mighty. <BR /> <BR />The meitheal was the high point of the year. Let that be now. Let us recapture the meitheal in our shared home place. Let us build a society where our children live and learn together, where neighbours carry each other in tough times and where all communities pull together for the common good.”
“in the next phase. <BR /> <BR />My father, despairing over the deadlock in this place, reminded me of an old Irish tradition: meitheal.”
“The joy that you have brought to this place today, Pat, is something to behold. It was absolutely marvellous to witness and be part of that joy among the campaign group in the Great Hall and on the front steps. We are all very proud of what you have done. Do you agree that, as well as the universal accessibility of period products, an element of the Bill is about destigmatising periods, and there will be knock-on effects and implications of that access for young girls continuing their participation in sport? That will be a crucial impact of the Bill.”
“Does the Minister agree that the Member who brought this topic to the House should put on record an apology for her vile, misogynistic and misandrist tweets and recognise her role in promoting toxic discourse?”
“I want to build a fairer, better and more equal society, one that shares and provides opportunity for everyone who calls this place home. I want to build a society that embraces those of Christian faith, other faiths and those of no faith at all, with an education system that, at its core, promotes equality and nourishes ambition and opportunity. We must lead by example. The exemption of teachers and schools from the FETO legislation has passed its sell-by date. <BR /> <BR />I support the Bill as amended and look forward to its passing Final Stage.”
“I thank the Bill sponsor, Chris Lyttle, for introducing the Bill. He has been persistent and determined to get this over the line. He deserves enormous credit for that. I also know that this is one of your last sitting days, Chris, so I wish you well. We have worked well together in Committee, and you have been a very good, balanced and fair Committee Chair. I thank you for your efforts in that regard. <BR /> <BR />I believe that there is now and always will be a place for faith in the education system. However, I also believe that to discriminate against someone or prevent them from getting a job in a school or, indeed, any place of work based on that person's religious belief is wrong. As I have said previously at the Education Committee, I cannot believe that such legislation is still on the statute book.”
“The amendments help to clarify matters that were of contention for the Department, and they are a fair compromise. <BR /> <BR />One important point in amendment No 1 is the inclusion of clause 1(2), which clearly details that a person is not defined as a "visitor" simply because they park in a hospital car park; rather, they must have a clearly defined purpose for being in that hospital, such as providing a service for the hospital, being a patient of the hospital or visiting a patient. That is to be welcomed. It shows clearly that consensus is possible in this place, and it ultimately makes for better legislation. <BR /> <BR />We in the SDLP will support amendment Nos 1, 2 and 3 and will continue our support for the Bill.”
“<BR /> <BR />In another incident at Daisy Hill, a member of a medical team was attacked as she tried to enter her car. That was a very frightening incident for that lady and her colleagues, who felt fearful about having to travel a long distance to get to their vehicle. The Bill has a huge safety implication too, so I welcome the opportunity to speak in the debate on the Further Consideration Stage of the Hospital Parking Charges Bill. <BR /> <BR />The amendments that the Minister of Health has tabled are a positive development in the Bill's progression. We in the SDLP have supported the Bill vociferously since it was introduced. We believe in the spirit of the Bill and that its delivery will assist many in our community as we continue through the cost-of-living crisis.”
“In the last month, there has been what I can only describe as pandemonium at Daisy Hill Hospital. A private contractor came in and started clamping cars. The cars of nurses, doctors, porters and hospital staff were clamped. It was a complete slap in the face for our front-line health workers, who have been pushed to the limit throughout the pandemic. On that day, a community mental health nurse who had patients to visit had her car clamped and was unable to get the clamp removed even by police, who had no powers of enforcement. People's lives were literally put at risk as a consequence. I am not saying for a second that that lady was not parked responsibly, but responsible car parking will still be important. Parking helter-skelter cannot be allowed because of the implications for emergency vehicles and for patients.”
“I thank the Minister for his answer. He will be aware that the SDLP is working tirelessly to progress emergency legislation to access the £300 million that is not being used by the Executive. We want to allow for emergency financial support to be prioritised and given to people and hard-working families who need that money now. Minister, will you commit to supporting our efforts?”
“Minister, given your ambition to move people towards public transport, do you have enough money to do that?”
“I am aware of the budgetary constraints that you operate under, Minister, but I have mentioned the state of the roads in Newry and Armagh many times in the Chamber. Traversing some of the country roads and back roads, you sometimes feel like you are traversing the far side of the moon. The potholes are not potholes; they are more like craters. Will your new asphalt contracts do anything to alleviate that? Can you give us some information on how they will improve rural roads?”
“This is a good news day. There is fantastic news for two wonderful schools in my constituency of Newry and Armagh: St Catherine's, Armagh and St Paul's High School, Bessbrook. My mum and dad were teachers at St Paul's High School in Bessbrook for almost a generation, so it is a very positive news story for them. <BR /> <BR />Teachers feel undervalued and overworked, Minister, especially in the context of the COVID pandemic that we have just come through. How will you reach out to them and help them to feel valued? How will you help them to get proper remuneration for their efforts in all that they have been through and for the influence that they have on our children's future? How will they be thanked and valued for that?”
“I thank the Minister for his answer. With regard to teachers being exasperated, St Catherine's College in Armagh has 1,100 students, and it has no green pitches. I was there planting trees with Mr Timlin a number of weeks back for a wonderful scheme called Rewilding the Callan. The teachers are exasperated because there is no green space for the girls on-site. Will the Minister commit to providing a green pitch for St Catherine's College in Armagh?”
“The SDLP is driving emergency legislation to unlock that £300 million, as I said, which must be made accessible to the families who need it and to the people on the ground who are struggling, on their hands and knees, and need that money. It has been stopped because of the DUP, which has exonerated itself of all responsibility. The DUP is the despicable unionist party. That is what that action is: despicable. <BR /> <BR />The big two parties in our Executive twist themselves into all sorts of shapes to change rules and laws when it benefits them and their mates — "themselves alone". However, when it comes to stretching themselves to give breathing space to working families, they sit in silence, point fingers at each other and do not help people who need help now.”
“The Minister of Finance and the Minister for Communities control the purse strings and the allocation of welfare. What have they done? <BR /> <BR />Universal credit has been cut, emergency winter fuel payments are nowhere to be seen, the £200 fuel payment has been rejected, and what about the £300 million pot on the Executive table? Just point at the DUP. Meanwhile, the SDLP is working to find the stone that can be turned over to unlock that money and give it to the people and families who need it. <BR /> <BR />The SDLP has called for a cap on the profits of energy companies. That has been dismissed. Families are on their hands and knees. They are in need of urgent and immediate help.”