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 Minister for his answer. Minister, that was all, "Blah, blah, blah". You talk about all that, but we see our orchards being ripped up and grubbed out. That happens monthly across our "Orchard County". Despite Ireland being ideal for orchards, 90% of apples here are imported. The benefits of supporting the apple industry are enormous, environmentally, culturally and economically. What are you doing specifically to support the apple industry, especially in our "Orchard County"? Does the Minister see the merit, economically and environmentally, to the apple industry and producer organisations of supporting and promoting producer organisations such as those associated with NI horticulture? Minister, how do you like them apples?”
“If the Minister is refusing to include Harper's law in her forthcoming sentencing Bill, what measures will she take to strengthen the sentencing guidelines for anyone who is convicted of the manslaughter of an emergency worker who is on duty, including police and prison officers, firefighters and paramedics, when carrying out another crime?”
“I thank the Minister for his statement. Does the Minister have any concerns about livestock prices at marts and factories and the implications of any drops for farmers and their families?”
“I thank the Minister for her statement. Legal challenges and judicial reviews (JRs) are causing huge delays to major infrastructure projects and housing developments North and South, including the A5, Casement Park and Metro North. Was that discussed at the North/South Ministerial Council meeting? Does the Minister agree that it would be prudent to bring forward a series of legal and regulatory reforms like those proposed by the Irish Government to accelerate the development of infrastructure and housing?”
“Those companies are a scourge on our society and a money-making racket. Their control over shoppers, business people and all motorists must end. The Department for Infrastructure must hold them to account and stop them harassing and threatening motorists by sending not just extortionate fines but extremely threatening solicitors' letters in the mail. It is unfair. It is unreasonable, and it is completely unregulated by the Department, which should put the clampers on such unscrupulous, exploitative companies.”
“Private parking companies now methodically adopt the calculatedly low tactic of sending frightening legal threats to individuals to siphon money out of them, taking advantage of people by threatening them into paying fines to avoid legal action.”
“On Friday, a woman came into my office in Newry, bringing with her a letter containing a legal threat sent by a solicitor about her unpaid parking ticket. The letter said that she had two weeks in which to pay an incredibly expensive fine —£170 — but she received the letter only on the last day possible. Given the limited time constraints, we could not advise the lady, who was running from pillar to post in a distressed state and seeking advice and help, not to pay the fine and help her to appeal it. <BR /> <BR />That woman is not alone. Literally hundreds of people have come through our doors, whom we have helped to successfully challenge many such fines with help from the Law Society and the Consumer Council. What is going on?”
“I urge the Minister for Infrastructure to take up her responsibility and explore traffic flow solutions such as having a fixed Strangford crossing to distribute traffic more evenly, instead of having the current, unsuitable bottleneck system.”
“<BR /> <BR />I stress that the problems are not restricted or unique to Newtownards but are felt across the North. The current mess with traffic flow is the result of policy inaction from the Department for Infrastructure. The Minister often refers to "British austerity" — Sinn Féin's favourite term — binding her Department's capacity to undertake projects, but issues such as traffic flow and road safety are the direct responsibility of her Department. The responsibilities and failures of Departments in the North cannot continue to be blamed on Westminster, especially not by so-called republicans. The Assembly has a duty to serve the people who live here, ensuring that roads are built to make for safe and efficient communities.”
“He described there being a mile-and-a-half tailback of traffic from the first roundabout going into Newtownards from the peninsula, starting at 7.00 am and remaining so for the next one to two hours, and the reverse of that in the evenings. He said that that traffic is the unfortunate result of the positive inputs of many people heading to work in Newtownards and Belfast — mostly in Belfast — and that schools also cause pinch points. As I said, the town of Newtownards is a victim of its own success. Great shopping, businesses and hospitality ensure that people want to go into the town. The lack of parking exacerbates the issue, with people having to circle round to look for parking spaces. That causes further pinch points and traffic congestion.”
“I thank the Member for bringing this important issue to the Assembly this evening. On the matter of traffic flow in Newtownards, I agree with the Members that traffic-flow issues are at a peak and are causing immense disruption, delay and danger to drivers, pedestrians and cyclists. <BR /> <BR />I spoke to my colleague Joe Boyle, an SDLP councillor who, as everyone knows, is a hard-working, long-standing representative for Ards and the Strangford peninsula. Joe said to me, in his joyful and positive manner, that Newtownards and the Ards peninsula are victims of their own success. People — families and communities — get up in the morning, roll up their sleeves and go to work or school to study, shop, farm or fish.”
“We have pressed the Minister on multiple occasions on how an all-island approach to cancer care must be adopted. That would be better for everybody involved.”
“I thank the Member for giving way. It is obviously a very emotional issue for you, given the news that you have just heard. We in the SDLP are fully behind the motion and want to see the elimination of delays when it comes to accessing cancer services, and fundamental to that is the adoption of an all-island approach. Just last week, a constituent of mine, Fergal Sherry, bravely went on BBC radio and told the story of his wife Catherine contracting cancer and getting the diagnosis and how they told their three young sons. It was blood cancer, and the treatment that was necessary was chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy. The Minister knows all about that. The family was forced to travel to London to get access to treatment, and it would have been so much easier if the treatment had been available in Dublin.”
“Sorry, I ask the Speaker for a ruling that will stop Ministers trying to deflect and exonerate themselves from their ministerial responsibility to answer questions from Members, who seek only to represent their constituents.”
“It is clear that some Ministers are in breach of that rule, as they answer questions on certain issues that fall within their official purview by saying that are on "operational matters" or should be redirected to statutory bodies within their Department in order to:”
“On a point of order, Mr Speaker. According to Standing Order 19(1)(a), a Member may ask written questions of any Minister:”
“The recent Ulster University study 'Sport is NOT a luxury' revealed that 85% of parents believe that sport helps children to manage stress, yet, sadly, cost prevents many children from participating. Will you commit to introducing a statutory minimum of 120 minutes of physical education a week in all schools in order to support children's mental health, reduce inequalities and allow every child to have the opportunity to be part of a team?”
“Reports from oversight bodies warn of systemic problems: patients forced to wait in corridors or in chairs for days; insufficient beds; and a lack of basic dignity. When a health system allows someone in their darkest hour to lie on a hospital floor, we must ask this: have we lost sight of what care truly means? We cannot let that become a new normal. Hospital care in corridors has become too commonplace in Daisy Hill, Craigavon and hospitals across the North. We must demand urgent concrete action, more capacity, better funding, improved infrastructure and, most important, respect for the dignity of every patient.”
“The Western Health and Social Care Trust acknowledged that its hospitals are under extreme pressure and operating far beyond their funded capacity. However, it is not just an operational issue; it is a profound moral failing.”
“I will speak about a deeply troubling story that appears today on the front page of 'The Irish News' and that strikes at the heart of what our health service is supposed to represent: dignity, care and compassion. According to the report, a man who was gravely ill with cancer and connected to an IV drip was forced to lie on the floor at Altnagelvin Area Hospital for over 50 hours simply because there were no available beds. That is not a statistic; it is a vulnerable, frightened human being who was without even the most basic comfort of a bed. He was given a blanket and a pillow, but that does not erase the indignity of being made to wait on the floor in a hospital, a place where we entrust our life to others and expect to be treated with care.”
“Historically, Invest NI has made a ridiculously low number of FDI visits to my constituency of Newry and Armagh. Can the Minister say with any degree of confidence that Invest NI support reflects regional balance across all of the North, including Newry and Armagh?”
“No drains, no cranes. To what extent has the construction of new housing developments stalled due to insufficient water and drainage infrastructure?”
“I thank the Minister for his answer. I find it extraordinary that the Minister for the Economy does not know the level of economic stoppages.”
“First Minister, your statement references how engagement continues across all North/South Ministerial Council sectors on areas of importance to both Administrations. If all-island healthcare is so important, why is there no mention of it in your statement? In an Assembly question to your office, I asked the TEO to outline whether all-island CAR-T therapy was discussed at the most recent North/South Ministerial Council meeting, and your response was that Ministers provide updates on a wide range of collaboration, including healthcare issues. Can the First Minister detail whether the important issue relating to all-island CAR-T therapy for cancer treatment was discussed?”
“A sense of shock and sadness is consuming communities in Louth, Monaghan and Meath. On Saturday night, five young friends were heading for a night out. We can all identify with the sense of joy, excitement and fun that they were experiencing. That was turned on its head in an instant. My heart goes out to the families of Chloe McGee from Carrickmacross, Alan McCluskey from Drumconrath, Dylan Commins from Ardee, Shay Duffy from Carrickmacross and Chloe Hipson from Lanarkshire. We offer them our sincerest condolences and pay tribute to the emergency services personnel who attended the scene. Our thoughts are with the families of the deceased, their communities and their colleagues. I measc na naomh go raibh siad.”
“They are asking the Minister to let them compete on a level playing field, with a fair parking policy and one-hour free parking. Minister, be true to your word and introduce one-hour free parking. That is all that we are asking for.”
“Without that transparency, it is hard for people to trust the merits of the parking charges against the cost that is borne by consumers. I call upon the Minister for Infrastructure to stick to her words and to reconsider the controlled parking zone status of Newry and Lisburn. I strongly urge the Minister to support the trial, which she suggested, of one-hour free parking in Newry, Lisburn and other controlled parking areas to achieve the goal of better parking turnover and sharing of urban spaces while allowing people sufficient time to park and enjoy our cities, without charge. <BR /> <BR />Lisburn residents, Newry residents, shoppers, traders and visitors are not asking for anything special; they are asking for fairness.”
“Yes, it is the same principle. As the Minister believed in 2021, before she was Minister, we should be trying to uplift local businesses by encouraging people to visit the city centre, not punishing those who do with undue charges. Traders and businesses in Newry are angry about the parking regimes in our city and in Lisburn, which discourage shoppers from coming into those city centres, sending them to other places where parking is more accessible. <BR /> <BR />The Minister is yet to respond to my question for written answer in which I have asked for:”
“The one-hour parking zone in Lisburn is exactly the same as the one-hour parking zone in Newry.”
“Minister, why the sudden change of heart? Why the volte-face? Why the U-turn? Why change your stance on the issue when you have the power of your ministerial post —”
“Ms Kimmins, the now Minister, said that in 2021. <BR /> <BR />I submitted a question for written answer on the issue. In the answer that was provided on 7 October, the Minister for Infrastructure, Ms Kimmins, stated of the controlled parking zone in Newry:”
“<BR /> <BR />Between 2023 and 2025, 763 penalty charge notices were successfully appealed in the Newry, Mourne and Down District Council area. The fact that such a large number of tickets was successfully overturned further emphasises just how excessively such charges are meted out. It should not be the responsibility of the people of Newry or Lisburn to appeal those baseless tickets in order to avoid fines. It is the responsibility of the Minister for Infrastructure to ensure that people are not taken advantage of by overzealous enforcement. <BR /> <BR />In 2021, Liz Kimmins MLA — I thank the Minister for being present here today to hear this important debate — called on the then Minister for Infrastructure, Nichola Mallon, to address the issue. Ms Kimmins stated:”
“I thank the Member for Lagan Valley for securing this important topic for debate. My colleague Pat Catney, who has campaigned relentlessly on the issue for many years, will be pleased that it is being discussed as it relates to Lisburn in Lagan Valley. <BR /> <BR />I rise to speak on the matter of on-street parking charges. The issue not only plagues Lisburn but impacts on people in Newry. The people of Newry are required from the outset to pay for on-street parking. Between January 2024 and June 2025, there were 372 parking tickets issued for every 1,000 residents in Newry — the highest number of tickets issued per capita in the North. That over-enforcement is rooted in Newry's controlled parking zone status. That is unfair; plain and simple. Why should people in Newry be subjected to heavy-handed enforcement?”
“objective measuring and the principle of merit. Is it not below the belt for you to take direct control of the establishment of an oversight panel?”
“Minister, discrimination of any form has no place in sport. Boxing on this island, however, has a proud tradition and has produced multiple world-class fighters and champions. Further to previous questions with regard to fairness, you”
“, Catherine Connolly. My hope is that she moves us positively towards a new dispensation on the island.”
“As the presidency comes to an end, I wish comhghairdeas agus ádh mór”
“Is ar scáth a chéile a mhaireas na daoine.”
“In that, there are lessons for all of us — especially here — to carry forward his example of thoughtfulness, curiosity, tolerance and belief in the power of ideas to serve the common good. Go raibh míle maith agaibh, a Mhicheáil D agus a Sabina.”
“Through his Machnamh 100 series, President Higgins invited people to reflect with honesty and empathy on Ireland's complex history during the decade of commemorations. Such actions are not unique. Throughout his presidency, he upheld inclusion, equality and dialogue as cornerstones of a healthy democracy. <BR /> <BR />Through all of that, Michael D Higgins carried the presidency with warmth and humility. He reminded people that public life can be thoughtful as well as practical and that the language of politics can still be rich in empathy, tolerance, culture and imagination. He leaves office having strengthened the sense of dignity and depth of the role of president and having shown that leadership can be wise, humane and profoundly decent.”
“<BR /> <BR />In his speech, 'Toward an Ethical Economy', he argued that societies must rediscover a moral purpose in their economic life that values care, community and human flourishing as much as growth or productivity. He reminded us that the work of sustaining families, friendships and communities is every bit as vital as what happens in markets or boardrooms. The insistence that ethics and empathy belong at the centre of public policy has been a constant theme of his presidency. <BR /> <BR />In 2014, President Higgins became the first Irish president to make a state visit to the United Kingdom, at the invitation of Queen Elizabeth II. It was a landmark moment in Anglo-Irish relations — a powerful symbol of reconciliation, mutual respect and diplomatic maturity.”
“I thank the Member for bringing to the House the Matter of the Day. As Michael D Higgins concludes his two terms in presidential office, I take the opportunity to warmly recognise a record of service that has been defined by intellect, integrity and imagination. Since his election in 2011, President Higgins has used his office not just to represent Ireland but to reflect on what kind of society it aspires to be. A man of depth and curiosity, he placed the arts, culture and civic participation at the heart of our national life, opening Áras an Uachtaráin to community groups, writers and musicians and making culture central to citizenship.”
“Deputy First Minister, after years of delay, people are fed up with warm words with no commitments on Casement Park. Has a paper finally been brought to the Executive table; will funding be secured; and will you commit to ensuring that delivery is no longer held hostage to party disagreements at your Executive table?”
“Minister, over the past 50 years, thousands of people have worked behind Marlborough House's uniquely honeycombed facade. Those of us who worked there have varying degrees of affinity with the big brute. There are 14 Civil Service properties worth £30 million that are lying completely empty and unused. Now that Marlborough House has been listed, will that number become 15?”
“I thank the Minister for his statement. Minister, I entirely support the establishment of an independent EPA. It is long overdue, yet your Department seems to still be in go-slow mode. Minister, following decades of reports, commitments and promises, why has DAERA still not delivered a single ounce of accountability to those who are responsible for environmental destruction? Will the new EPA have any teeth? Why should communities believe that yet another agency will make a difference given that enforcement has not been acted on for decades?”
“Has the Minister considered working with the Department for Infrastructure and community and rural transport organisations to support this work? Rural transport organisations provide a life-saving transport link for the health service.”
“So, the Minister is saying that 400 units will be built in Newry over the next 10 years. That is not very ambitious. I am getting a different message on the ground from developers who cannot access the waste water treatment network because there is insufficient capacity; they cannot build on sites. There is a stalling of economic development and no housing for people who desperately need it. Minister, what is the story? No drains, no cranes. You are holding back development and holding back the economy. Can you show some ambition, please?”
“Minister, what measures will your Department adopt to ensure that universities and colleges are accountable for encouraging and obliging bursary recipients to complete their courses and enter teaching in STEM or Irish-medium subjects? What penalties will apply if they fail to deliver?”
“I thank the Minister for his statement. In response to a previous question, the Minister referred to inconsistencies of approach taken across councils to HMO provision. Can he be more forthcoming on that? Where is it done well, and where is it done wrong? What policies need to be put in place?”
“I call on the Minister for Infrastructure to provide specific details of plans on how to build storm resilience through the involvement of community groups such as those that I have mentioned. It is also an absolute no-brainer that we should have a coordinated approach to school closures when we experience storm conditions of a certain level.”