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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“I thank the Member for giving way. I am reminded of the words of Seamus Mallon, a mentor of mine, in his maiden speech in the House of Commons:”
“We need to see more of it. <BR /> <BR />There is a lot worth protecting and emulating in schools now. The Bill is a start. Forgive me for mixing my metaphors: it gets a shovel onto our very important issue, but we will need to drill down into the nuts and bolts. There are a lot of nuts and bolts that need to be drilled down into. Creating the framework for an integrated education system is a task that belongs to us all, and I look forward to working with colleagues from all parties to further scrutinise the Bill as it passes through Committee Stage. We must get this right.”
“Recently, a former teammate of mine spoke about his experience of schooling. He shared the fact that he had not met a Protestant until the final years of his secondary education, when he started attending school in Armagh city. To my mind, that reaffirms the need to take a strategic and tailored approach, recognising that there are very valuable lessons to be learned from the many schools across the North that have been quietly and conscientiously doing the heavy lifting on inclusive education for many years. <BR /> <BR />Back to my own school. I sat beside Lawrence Wong from Malaysia, and Davy Lo from Hong Kong was in my class. Our school, ahead of its time, was integrating education in the best way that it could. We had a Protestant teacher and we had Protestants in the school, so there was integration in the Abbey in Newry.”
“I can fondly recall in the Abbey a collaborative project with Newry High School at Newry hockey pitch, where we played a cross-community sports match. In the first half, we played a game of hockey, and, in the second half, we played a game of Gaelic football. I was useless at the hockey, but I was quite good at the Gaelic football. I can never forget the joy that that brought to all of us involved — coaches, teachers and the pupils who participated. It was a really joyous occasion, and it was my first experience of interacting with a number of children from a different faith and background. As I said, wow, did we enjoy it. I have to thank Mr Aidan O'Rourke — "Rookie" — for giving us that experience. <BR /> <BR />I appreciate, however, that this early years grounding and exposure is not a common experience across the board.”
“<BR /> <BR />As I said at the outset, my party and I are energetically committed to a fully inclusive education system that reflects our broader society, and, therefore, I will support the Bill in principle. As I said, there are issues that need to be worked out, and, for my part, I will fight to ensure that the good work of the schools across my constituency and beyond is held up as examples of best practice. To that end, I echo what my party colleague Daniel McCrossan said. I do not believe that abandoning our faith-based schools or our Irish-medium sector serves any of our young people. My experience of St Malachy's in Camlough and the Abbey in Newry — faith-based schools — is that they provided me with early exposure to young people from other backgrounds.”
“With that in mind, as the Bill progresses through Committee Stage, I will advocate for robust engagement with relevant stakeholders at all levels in the sector as well as for an approach that pursues a strategy of levelling up and one that seeks to emulate the successes of high-performing schools. <BR /> <BR />There are aspects of the Bill that need to be clarified. Many of those have already been mentioned, and I will not go through them all individually again. However, while there are mentions of monitoring targets and benchmarks throughout the Bill, one of my overarching questions is: how do we measure success? How do we measure success for the education of our young people?”
“In addition to that, the four grammar schools in Newry all have a disproportionately high number of students in receipt of free school meals, which speaks to the socio-economic diversity in the student bodies of those schools. On that basis, I suggest that many lessons can be learned from the schools in my constituency in the context of academic excellence, community inclusion and diversity in socio-economic backgrounds. <BR /> <BR />We cannot and should not pursue a steamroller approach to this issue. We need to engage with relevant stakeholders strategically and with a listening ear.”
“How cathartic and inspiring it would be to see the captain of a Royal School Armagh team hoist the MacRory cup, or a team from Abbey Grammar School in Newry mount a bid for the Schools' Cup. Our society has evolved enormously in recent years; it is time that our education system reflected that. <BR /> <BR />It would be remiss of me not to pay tribute to the incredible work being done by schools in my constituency. Newry and Armagh boasts some of the highest-ranked secondary education institutions in the North, where diversity and sporting programmes have offered opportunities for engagement among young people from divergent backgrounds.”
“The simple fact is that our young people are light years ahead of us when it comes to breaking down the barriers of the past and facilitating a truly shared society. The current state of play in our education system does not reflect the progressive and outward-looking world view of our young people. Continuing to segregate our children and our communities, particularly on the basis of religious background, serves only to perpetuate the divisions of the past and impede the progress that our society so desperately needs. <BR /> <BR />In contemplating the potential associated with the Bill, I pondered the possibilities that could flow from a more integrated education system.”
“As a member of the Education Committee, I am happy to contribute to today's debate. I thank Ms Armstrong for bringing forward her Bill. We, in the SDLP, are proudly committed to vibrancy, diversity, inclusion and pluralism in our education system and in our society. Given that integrated education has existed in the North for more than 30 years, it is surprising that fewer than one in 10 of our young people is educated in an integrated setting. The motivation behind bringing the Bill to the Assembly and the Executive is, therefore, understandable: it seeks to enhance and strengthen our integrated education sector. <BR /> <BR />All too often in this place, we focus on traditional community fault lines and on what divides us.”
“I am not really worried about the transfer of sausages west-east, but I am really worried that Brexit has the potential to have an adverse impact on children's education. Can you give some more information on that, please, Minister?”
“I thank the Minister for her statement. It is good to see such positive references to the Middletown Centre for Autism. I welcome its incoming board and wish all the members well in their very important roles. <BR /> <BR />There is one line that concerns me, and it is about Brexit. It states that the UK withdrawal from the EU means:”
“I thank the Minister for coming to the House and her answers thus far. Minister, it is important to recognise and applaud the dignity, courage, strength and forbearance of the families in light of the PPS decision and over so many years. However, they do not need applause or recognition; they need truth and justice. <BR /> <BR />Given the pain and trauma that victims and survivors have suffered and are suffering, does the Justice Minister believe that an amnesty can form the foundations on which reconciliation can be built? Victims, survivors and their families do not believe so.”
“Minister, well done on this. It is a huge release for so many who want to feel sand and sea or travel abroad to get away from things after this hard 14 months. <BR /> <BR />You will recognise that the race against the delta variant is on. On Saturday, a temporary vaccination centre was set up in the Quays in Newry and had a huge uptake. I believe that the centre in Craigavon is now allowing people to rock up for vaccinations without an appointment. How important do you see that being in the race against the variant? Will those temporary stations be more readily available on weekdays and weekends so that more people can access the vaccine and allow us to get ahead of the delta variant?”
“Minister, 13,000 businesses did not qualify for support during the most recent lockdown. They were not forced to close but, nonetheless, were seriously impacted due to the "Stay at Home" message. Will the Minister confirm that all of those businesses, many of which are family-owned and part of the community, have received grants from his Department?”
“In 2023, there will be a step up again. In layman's terms or in language that the dogs in the street will understand, what does that mean?”
“I thank the Minister for his statement. I welcome the thrust of the statement. My question has been asked. However, he states:”
“I thank the Minister for her answers thus far, and I wish her well in her new post. Unfortunately, we cannot let you bed in gently, Minister, because the education of our young people and children is too important. <BR /> <BR />Have you engaged with the Health Minister on creating initiatives to help the mental health of children in schools, such as by working with charities, sporting organisations and others to help build resilience in our young people?”
“People such as the Taylor boys in Armagh, their mum, Kathryn, and the rest of the family have had no access to respite, and, as a result, their mental health has deteriorated enormously.”
“I welcome the statement, and I hope that its important initiatives will produce important, positive outcomes. We often see much focus on physical conditions, but mental ill health is the unseen condition that, as my colleague said, unfortunately has been swept under the carpet for too long. I appreciate the commitment to additional support for CAMHS. <BR /> <BR />Can the Minister assure me that children in schools will not be forgotten about? Before they have mental health issues, can they be taught the resilience that is so important for preventing such issues impacting on their lives? How important a role can sport and education play? What supports are in the strategy for children and young people with learning difficulties who have suffered through the pandemic?”
“I draw the Minister's attention to recent research done for the Education Committee. It included the recommendation that children should get 60 minutes of physical activity each day, which only 13% of children in the North are getting. Will the joint First Ministers undertake to bring that issue before the Executive and then bring forward a strategy to close the gap and ensure that our children get the recommended physical activity that they need for their well-being? <BR /> <BR />I know that Healthy Kidz is banging down the doors of the Department of Education, the Department of Health and the Executive Office to get them to help kids move forward, mentally and physically, in a healthy manner.”
“You see the importance of sporting bodies. Do you know how they can be embraced to help to deal with the issues at play here?”
“OK. Very quickly, Minister: I met representatives of FC Mindwell, on Saturday, by coincidence. Glenn Emerson and Ciaran Feehan, who were two great soccer players in their day, are now promoting a local soccer club team that works only to help with mental health issues. You see the importance of sport. What I am getting at here, Minister —.”
“Did discussions take place about the impact of the pandemic on people's mental health? Does the Minister agree that the GAA, IRFU, Ulster Rugby and other sporting organisations can play an important role? As they deal with young people, weekly and daily, they can reach out to them and give them assistance, identifying where there are issues, potentially working together and collaborating to address the mental health crisis that could be an outcome of the pandemic, and —.”
“Minister, I am sure that you will join me in welcoming back the Member for North Antrim after his recent heart scare. It is good to see him back in the hot seat. <BR /> <BR />I welcome the statement. A lot of very important matters are covered in it, such as contact tracing, critical care delivery, the proximity app, data sharing, harm related to alcohol and drug misuse, obesity prevention policy, cancer research cooperation and suicide prevention. So many important matters were discussed that would not have been if that North/South Ministerial Council meeting had not happened. <BR /> <BR />I want to ask about the work that is being done by the GAA, the Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU) and Ulster Rugby on health and well-being, specifically on suicide prevention.”
“Minister, I note the question on Casement Park and you talked about delays to the planning permission. Will you confirm that you have budgeted for the additional spend that will be necessary once planning permission is granted, hopefully, in the not-too-distant future?”
“I thank the Minister for his answer. Does he agree that, at this point, the ports want certainty and clarity? When will that certainty and clarity over their legal obligations be forthcoming?”
“It is not about doing one or the other; it is about doing both. Please do not denigrate the native tongue of this land.”
“Will the Member please refrain from denigrating the native tongue of this land, about which many people feel very passionately and strongly?”
“I second the view of my colleague Sinéad Bradley: since when was a deal not a deal? Commitments on Irish language legislation must be honoured in full — no ifs no buts. <BR /> <BR />My colleague Mr Butler used a bit of French earlier, and I will finish with a bit as Gaeilge. Ar scáth a chéile a mhaireas na daoine. The literal translation is, "In each other's shadows, people exist." We rely on each other for shelter from the storm. More broadly, that phrase evokes the sense of community that comes from interdependence. Everyone in this place would do well to live by embracing that philosophy and wisdom a little bit more.”
“It will not advance Irish unity, of which I am a passionate believer and supporter, and nor will it threaten the Union, but it will send out a loud signal to everyone who walks the halls of this place and those who are not in this place that their cultural identity, their cultural expression and their native tongue — the native tongue of this land — can be used in this place and will be respected and cherished. An interpretation service will enrich this place and the lives of everyone associated with it. It will broaden the thinking of everyone here, and, by God, could we do with some broad thinking? Fundamentally, it was agreed in New Decade, New Approach.”
“I support the motion but not the amendment. Gan ionracas agus macántacht níl rud ar bith againn. Without honesty and integrity, you have nothing. I look around this place and think of the honesty, the integrity, the heavy lifting and the resolute, unyielding determination that brought these institutions into being with the Good Friday Agreement. I think of the Séamus Mallons, the John Humes, the Brid Rodgerses, the David Trimbles of this world and the work that they put into making this place work. I think of their unyielding determination, their integrity and their honesty. They did not have to put their values on posters; their values were at the core of their being. <BR /> <BR />Simultaneous translation is no great weapon of war.”
“The Championship season beckons, Minister, and it would be a terrible shame to think that so many Antrim players, who are on the crest of a wave, having recently been promoted, will not get the opportunity to play on the hallowed turf of Casement Park. It is fantastic that we eventually have a Minister who is passionate about the delivery of Casement Park. Once the statutory processes are complete, how much funding will the Communities Minister have provided for Casement Park?”
“Damolly Retail Park's major issue with traffic is because it is a victim of its own success. I am not sure whether the Member who spoke previously expects the Minister to ban cars from using the roads. <BR /> <BR />There is another issue there, Minister: car enthusiasts, or petrolheads, as they are fondly referred to, often meet there on a quiet Sunday, and residents in Lisdrum, Fairlawns and Larchmont are tortured. Although we all appreciate and respect people's right to celebrate the beauty of their engines, can anything be done to control the noise levels at that retail development?”
“If a First Minister and deputy First Minister are not appointed, what will the impact be on attending events like the Ulster Championship, which is scheduled to commence with a big double-D ding-dong battle between Down and Donegal on Sunday week in Páirc Esler in Newry? I am curious to know what the impact will be if we do not appoint First Ministers here. <BR /> <BR />It has been a huge release for me to go and shout for my team at weekends. Armagh had a great victory against Roscommon, and people are dying to get out to cheer on their team. That release is so important for people. They want to shout for Armagh, Antrim, Down, Donegal or whomever. I want to know what the potential implications are of not having First Ministers appointed here.”
“It was a joy, and the warmth of the welcome there has been phenomenal. <BR /> <BR />Some questions remain on weddings. People still want to know what the regs are for weddings, including risk assessment, how many people can attend and whether they can have a boogie and a dance. Young people want to know when they will be able to get back into nightclubs, gigs and festivals. Young people are very keen to get the release that they have not had for so long. <BR /> <BR />I am curious to know the impact of Boris Johnson's decision to delay lifting final restrictions. What are the implications on travel?”
“<BR /> <BR />Sadly, 3,000 people have passed on with COVID-19, and my thoughts and prayers go out to the families who are still dealing with the grief of their loss. <BR /> <BR />I welcome the reopening of gyms and the resumption of team sports, as my colleague Ms Hunter mentioned. Young people have been most adversely impacted by the pandemic, and that release has been hugely important for them emotionally, physically and mentally. <BR /> <BR />Businesses reopening, especially in the hospitality sector, has been a joy, and it has been a huge release for us all to be able to visit those places. The staff have shown positivity and warmth in their welcomes and engagements. Everywhere that I have gone has been incredible. I loved walking back into the Shelbourne to get my fresh cream doughnut.”
“I support the regulations. I do so understanding that COVID-19 is dangerous, especially the new delta variant, and we must proceed with caution, diligence and from a place of responsibility, especially those of us who are elected representatives. <BR /> <BR />A total of 1·1 million people have been vaccinated, and 750,000 have had their complete double vaccination. That is phenomenal. Huge credit must go to the healthcare workers and volunteers who have been assisting with the vaccination programme. I have had only my first vaccination, but, witnessing the spirit of positivity, care and teamwork was a joy to behold, and massive credit must go to all the people involved in deploying the vaccinations.”
“Minister, I applaud your dignity and composure in light of the reckless and dangerous comments and actions of Mr Paisley. I welcome the detail and thrust of the statement. Thousands of people are waiting in pain, or dying, on waiting lists. They do not need warm words; they need the details of when their operations or diagnoses will take place. <BR /> <BR />It is positive that you mentioned the cross-border healthcare scheme, which has been reintroduced. How many people do you expect to benefit from that scheme over the next year?”
“The Minister's statement is honest and frank. Her openness with the Assembly is welcome and appreciated. <BR /> <BR />Minister, I drove from Crossmaglen to Silverbridge, then to a meeting in Newtownhamilton and on to Armagh, and, on parts of the road, I felt like I was travelling over the Himalayas. You will know from the local papers, that, every week, we have a list of Sinn Féin Members and councillors attacking you on roads issues and then claiming the resurfacing works that have been done, taking the people for fools. Can you tell me that the works will be undertaken through other procurement mechanisms to ensure that roads will be repaired and people will not feel like they are driving over the Himalayas in parts of south Armagh?”
“Minister, the heart is one of our vital organs. Just over 17 years ago, my former Queen's GAA teammate went to bed and did not wake up. His mother, Bridget, spoke very passionately this morning on 'Good Morning Ulster' about the importance of providing automated external defibrillators (AEDs) and CPR training for sports clubs. Christian Eriksen had a very public cardiac arrest at the weekend. Only for the swift actions of his teammates and the emergency services, he probably would have died. How important does the Minister believe that it is that CPR training is provided in our schools and that AEDs are made available for sports clubs and organisations?”
“The House does not do irony, but, if it did, it would be the best irony in the world. Many in the House have undermined the public health message. They should know better, and some of them hold ministerial office. There are those in other places who have constantly undermined the public health message, including Mr Paisley, who should know better. His actions and words were reckless and dangerous, particularly in the context of the threats presented by the new variant. I for one have done my best to adhere to the public health guidelines. Can everybody in the House say the same thing? I was always told that people in glasshouses should not throw stones.”
“Minister, "fortitude and prudence" is the motto of Collegeland O'Rahilly's Cumann Lúthchleas Gael, a club that you visited with me a number of weeks ago. The club was very grateful for the support that it received. Minister, can you give me your assessment of whether the sports sustainability fund has achieved its purpose of addressing issues that arose as a consequence of the pandemic? What is your advice for small clubs that have lost their funding streams during the pandemic? What funding streams are available to a small rural club in Armagh to improve its facilities?”
“Will the Minister detail how much money will be given to youth projects over the key summer months to mitigate sectarian tensions, some of which are being amplified and exacerbated as a result of certain parties' rejection of a protocol that, ultimately, they helped to cause?”
“How many more places will be provided as an outcome of the proposals in this report?”
“I thank the Minister for his statement, and I warmly welcome the thrust of that statement. I thank the members of the panel for their efforts in preparing the report. I share the Minister's desire that his report must not become another report that sits on a shelf. On the basis of my colleague's earlier questions, I want to probe further, Minister, the discussions that you have had with the Finance Minister on funding the proposals. Given the well-documented pressures on school budgets, this cannot be funded by year-end or monitoring round moneys. <BR /> <BR />Secondly, the Minister will be familiar with the pressure on preschool nursery places. Does he see preschool being mandatory as an outcome of these proposals? Given the huge pressures on nursery places, does he see this report meaning that there will be more places?”
“When was the last time that a prosecution was brought by NIEA or the Loughs Agency following a fish kill?”
“What measures does the Department use to assess rural poverty, social isolation and loneliness? How successful do the measures show his programme to have been?”
“It is clear that Sinn Féin does not like the truth. Sinn Féin and the DUP are in it together. For the past 14 years, they have held this place back. It is time for change. Choose change.”
“Will the Member agree that this Budget from the Sinn Féin Finance Minister does very little to give comfort to families who are on their hands and knees on waiting lists to get operations to stop the pain that is besetting them day in and day out? This Budget does nothing to give them comfort.”