Sinéad Ennis
South Down · Sinn Féin · Northern Ireland
“The revelation over recent days that members of the DUP, including the Assembly Speaker, Edwin Poots, had knowledge of the exploitation of a young woman by the now convicted paedophile Jeffrey Donaldson raises serious questions for the DUP.”
“The bottom line here is that a dangerous paedophile went unchallenged and, worse still and despite clear, known red flags, was elected leader of the DUP.”
“We only have to look at Belfast Harbour's master plan, which sets out the possible significant economic impact that that can have. That includes enabling a quarter of all island-wide seaborne trade, which, in turn, creates £8·8 billion in gross value added and equates to 15·7% of the North's total annual output.”
“Instead, the focus must be on whether the agencies that have responsibility, including the environmental regulators and enforcement bodies such as the NIEA and the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, are doing enough and whether they have sufficient powers to tackle such issues effectively.”
“The primary objective of the shaking up of driver licensing here in the North is to improve road safety by ensuring that young people are better equipped for driving on our roads. However, at present, many young people pass their tests and are completely priced out of driving because of the insurance rip-off that we are seeing.”
“That reality sees them borrowing from the Department, which is already in a very constrained capital budget position, as the Minister outlined. The provisions in the Bill will ensure that the accountability and oversight mechanisms provided by commissioners on the boards of ports or harbours will continue.”
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“While the Assembly Commission has not received an application to light Parliament Buildings under the special lighting policy to mark the 80th anniversary of VE Day, it would be usual for the Assembly Commission to join wider initiatives. Officials are seeking more detail on the British Government's plans on lighting buildings for the anniversary. The Assembly Commission will receive an update at its next meeting in April and have the opportunity to consider lighting the building to coincide with the anniversary, alongside the arrangements made by the Speaker.”
“I thank the Member for her question. As was the case for the 80th anniversary of D-Day last year, it will be part of the Speaker's representational responsibilities to determine the arrangements for the Assembly to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War at Parliament Buildings. I understand that the Speaker's Office is developing plans for an event to mark that occasion. <BR /> <BR />A statement released by the British Government on 4 March 2025 indicated the intention for landmark buildings to be lit on the evening of 6 May as part of the wider coordinated plans to mark the anniversary of VE Day.”
“There are no plans to extend the provision of free sanitary products in Parliament Buildings. While the current provision is focused on locations that can be accessed by the public, the facilities are accessible to all Building users.”
“I thank the Member for his question. The Assembly Commission assessed the feasibility of the free provision of sanitary products on a pilot basis in February 2020. From March 2020, a range of free sanitary products were made available in facilities that are accessible to the public and all Building users. To date, sanitary products remain available for free in Parliament Buildings in the four facilities that are accessible to the public and all Building users.”
“If we fail to act now, we risk longer waiting times, staff burnout and patients being turned away, but, if we invest wisely, we can create a healthcare system that is fit for the future, meets the needs of our growing population and gives every person the best possible chance at life. Therefore, I support the call for investment in Craigavon, but we must also see proper investment in Daisy Hill. By investing in both hospitals, we are investing in the health and future of our entire community, right across the Southern Trust area and beyond.”
“Proactive investment and strategic planning are essential to preventing a managed collapse of hospital services and ensuring sustainable, high-quality patient care. This does not have to be some sort of Sophie's choice. It is not an either/or decision. <BR /> <BR />Investing in both Craigavon and Daisy Hill is about securing the future of healthcare in our eastern corridor region. It is about ensuring that, no matter where you live, you have access to high-quality medical care when you need it most. It is about supporting the incredible doctors, nurses and hospital staff who work tirelessly at Daisy Hill and Craigavon to keep us all healthy.”
“There is, and has been, a concern — it is not unfounded — across south Down and Newry and Armagh that Daisy Hill Hospital is the poor relation in this equation. However, there is undoubtedly a need for Daisy Hill and Craigavon Area Hospital to work more closely together. <BR /> <BR />While my efforts will always primarily be focused on promoting the interests of Daisy Hill Hospital, I also recognise that there is a need to promote and enhance the hospital estate across the Southern Trust. In recent months, we have seen concern among patients and staff about the provision of safe and secure maternity and obstetrics cover at Daisy Hill. What we cannot stand over and what cannot continue is the constant nervousness around services at Daisy Hill.”
“Investment in Craigavon means better facilities, more beds and the ability to deliver faster, more effective treatment. It means ensuring that those who need critical care do not face delays due to overcrowding and outdated infrastructure. <BR /> <BR />At the same time, Daisy Hill Hospital is an essential part of our healthcare network, and I would not be representing the views of my constituents if I did not take this opportunity to also speak up for Daisy Hill. Daisy Hill Hospital provides vital services to people across Newry, south Armagh, south Down, north Louth and even into Monaghan and other border areas, and it must not be overlooked. Investment here means strengthening emergency services, improving access to specialist care and ensuring that people in the Southern Trust region do not have to travel miles for essential treatment.”
“I thank the Members who tabled the motion today. It is very important. <BR /> <BR />Healthcare is the foundation of any strong community. It is what we rely on in our most vulnerable moments, and it ensures the well-being of our families, friends and neighbours. I want to use this opportunity to talk about two hospitals that are vital to the Southern Trust region: Craigavon Area Hospital and Daisy Hill Hospital. Both play a crucial role in delivering life-saving care, and both are in urgent need of investment. I appreciate and welcome that the mover of the motion referenced Daisy Hill in her opening remarks. <BR /> <BR />Craigavon Area Hospital serves as a major hub for acute services and deals with thousands of patients every year, but increasing demand has put immense pressure on its resources.”
“The expert panel reported on the sexual orientation strategy in March 2021. Why has the Minister not taken that strategy forward for consideration by his Executive colleagues?”
“Will the deputy First Minister outline a time frame for the publication of the final investment strategy?”
“If the British Government want to cut waiting times, they should start by fixing and investing in our NHS, not by abandoning patients in corridors like luggage in a lost-and-found.”
“I will just make a bit of progress. <BR /> <BR />That is the copy-and-paste initiative that the SDLP wants us to adopt. What happens when a heart attack patient is left waiting on a trolley because there is no one available to treat them? What happens to an elderly person with pneumonia who is left shivering in a cold hallway with no proper medical supervision? That is not efficiency; that is negligence. Worst of all, it is a political trick to shift responsibility away from those in power and on to the backs of our heroic NHS workers, who are already being asked to do the impossible. <BR /> <BR />We do not need quick fixes, nor do we need bureaucratic targets. We need real investment in our healthcare system. We need more beds, more staff and a Government who care about the lives of their people.”
“Instead of tackling the root of the problem, they are putting vulnerable patients at risk, abandoning them in corridors where staff are already stretched to breaking point.”
“While the motion's intent is to find a solution, it misses the point. That is why Sinn Féin has tabled its amendment. The motion calls for the setting of a 45-minute limit for ambulances to wait before leaving patients in hospital corridors, but where will those patients go? They will go into already overcrowded and understaffed emergency departments that are barely coping as it is. What the British Government have tried to do with the W45 initiative is not about improving patient care but about shifting blame. The British Government know that they have failed to invest in hospital capacity, to recruit enough doctors and nurses and to ensure that emergency services can function properly.”
“I thank my colleague for giving way. Does he agree that countries all over the world have multilingual signs but have not collapsed into chaos? Perhaps the Minister should be more focused on delivering for all communities here instead of on some imaginary linguistic bogeyman.”
“Does the First Minister agree that the Programme for Government is a key statement of intent from the Executive to work together to improve people's lives?”
“The Clerk/Chief Executive will oversee the process for appointing the remuneration board, and I am happy to again confirm that Assembly Commission members will have no role in that.”
“On a point of order, Mr Speaker. I want to correct the record in relation to the debate on the Second Stage of the Assembly Members (Remuneration Board) Bill that was held earlier this afternoon. <BR /> <BR />Mr Carroll made an intervention to ask me whether the Assembly Commission had discussed the names of who might serve on the remuneration board. I correctly said that it had not had such a discussion, as that would not be a matter for the Assembly Commission. However, I then misspoke when I said that it would be a matter for the Ad Hoc Committee. What I meant to say was that the appointment of members to the remuneration board is a matter for the Clerk/Chief Executive, not for the Ad Hoc Committee.”
“Members need to be clear that, if the Bill does not pass, the Assembly will not have regularised the legal position following the resolutions that it has already agreed and it will not have put arrangements in place for Members' salaries and pensions to continue to be determined independently. <BR /> <BR />On behalf of the Assembly Commission, I commend the Bill to the Assembly.”
“No, because that is not the role of the Assembly Commission. That will be for the Ad Hoc Committee to decide. That is outside the remit of the Assembly Commission, and it has not been discussed by the members. <BR /> <BR />If I have not dealt with any specific points today, there will be further opportunity for the detail of the Bill to be scrutinised in the work of the Ad Hoc Committee and the further stages of the legislative process in the House. The Assembly Commission looks forward to engaging with Members as the Bill progresses and is open to considering points that Members make throughout the legislative process. All five members of the Assembly Commission will attend the Ad Hoc Committee to provide evidence on the Bill. I again make it clear that the Bill deals with process; it will not decide what salaries Members should receive.”
“At no point has the Assembly Commission discussed or taken a view on what a Member's salary should be.”
“If the Bill is passed and an independent remuneration board is established, it will be for the remuneration board to determine how widely it wishes to consult. <BR /> <BR />The Bill deals with the processes for how Members' salaries and pensions will be decided. As other Members stated, the Bill does not set the level of salaries or pensions; that will be the responsibility of an independent remuneration board. It will be for the remuneration board to consider salaries elsewhere and any other factors that it thinks are relevant to make an independent decision on appropriate levels of remuneration for Members. Neither the Assembly nor the Assembly Commission will have the power to direct the new body on salaries or pensions. That will be a decision entirely for an independent body.”
“There is, of course, precedent for former Members being involved in such decisions. IPSA sets MPs' pay, and, under the Parliamentary Standards Act 2009, its board must include one member who is a former MP. <BR /> <BR />As for public consultation, the Assembly Commission has a very specific remit and therefore the circumstances in which it can bring forward legislation are very limited. Assembly Commission Bills are not subject to the same guidance as Executive Bills or Members' Bills. As this is a technical Bill that deals with matters of process, the Assembly Commission agreed that a public consultation was not required on this occasion. However, as the Bill progresses through the legislative process, it will be scrutinised by an Ad Hoc Committee that will consider the level of consultation that it wishes to carry out.”
“<BR /> <BR />As for former Members being appointed to the remuneration board and having a conflict of interest, the Bill does not require that a former Member has to sit on the remuneration board; it simply removes the prohibition on that happening. There will be a fair and open competition, and the best-qualified candidates will be appointed. If a former Member is appointed, they will be only one voice on a three-person board. The pension of a former Member who has left the Assembly at a given time will not be subject retrospectively to decisions on pension arrangements. It is also important to say that any pension determination is likely to be largely based on the advice of pension experts, such as actuaries, rather than on the view of a single member of the board.”
“As my colleague stated at the outset, as there is only one legislature in Northern Ireland, it is reasonable for comparisons to be made with other legislatures on these islands where Members conduct similar roles. A benchmarking exercise is an obvious move that will allow the remuneration board to explore comparable rates of pay in other places. However, while the remuneration board is required to "have regard" to the position in other legislatures, it is not prevented from taking other factors into account. As the remuneration board will be independent, it will be for it to ultimately decide on the range of factors that it wishes to consider, the weight that it gives to benchmarking against other places and, ultimately, the view that it takes on the appropriate salary levels.”
“I will pick up on just a few points that Members raised. The consultation that the Assembly Commission undertook was mentioned. The consultation with parties that are represented on the Assembly Commission was undertaken to seek an approach by those parties that could be agreed by consensus by the Assembly Commission. The Bill, if passed, will require the remuneration board to publish a draft determination and to consult all MLAs and others on that draft. <BR /> <BR />On the question of why the Bill requires the remuneration board to only "have regard" to salaries elsewhere, it is not unusual in public- and private-sector organisations for benchmarking exercises to be used as part of the evaluation process to ensure that relevant and comparable roles are taken into consideration when examining appropriate levels of remuneration.”
“There will be plenty of opportunities to express views on the appropriate salary for Members once a remuneration board commences its work, publishes and consults on its draft determination and publishes a final determination. The Assembly Commission and, indeed, the Assembly itself have been clear that only an independent body should make the decisions on the level of salaries and pensions that are payable to Members, and I hope that all Members are at least able to agree on that.”
“That was the case before the Bill was introduced, and it has been the case since then. There will, understandably, be widely differing views on the role of Members and the Assembly. Those views will be influenced by a range of wider factors, depending on whether they are from those who recognise the importance of the Assembly functioning; those who have ideological views on the issues of salaries in the public and private sectors; or those who oppose the existence of the Assembly at all. However, as was said at the start of the debate, we are not considering those issues today. Rather, we are considering a technical Bill that deals with the process of salaries and pensions being determined by an independent remuneration board.”
“<BR /> <BR />At the start of the debate, my Assembly Commission colleague Trevor Clarke set out the detail of the Bill. He made it clear that the Bill follows on from Assembly resolutions that Members' salaries and pensions should be determined by an independent body, while the allowances for staffing and office cost expenditure that can be reclaimed by Members and the allowances payable to former Members who have resigned or who have lost their seats should be determined by the Assembly Commission. He made the point that it is important to regularise the legal position following those resolutions, which granted functions to the Assembly Commission. <BR /> <BR />The Assembly Commission understands that the issue of Members' salaries and pensions will attract a high level of interest and a wide-ranging debate.”
“I thank all the Members who contributed to the debate. <BR /> <BR />It is some nine years since the members of the IFRP left office. Since then, during a time when the Assembly has faced a range of significant challenges, the Assembly Commission has worked through the detail of this matter. Contrary to what some Members have asserted, it is no secret and is a matter of public record that the Assembly Commission was preparing to introduce the Bill, as demonstrated by the fact that the Assembly Commission previously introduced a Bill in December 2020. It has been discussed in the House, and, indeed, only a few months ago, the Assembly Commission received media queries about why it had not yet brought forward plans to replace the IFRP.”
“Go raibh míle maith agat, a Phríomh-Leas-Cheann Comhairle.”
“I beg to introduce the Assembly Members (Remuneration Board) Bill [NIA Bill 09/22-27], which is a Bill to amend the Assembly Members (Independent Financial Review and Standards) Act (Northern Ireland) 2011 to make provision about the name, functions and membership of the Independent Financial Review Panel; and for connected purposes.”
“I thank the Minister for her answer. I acknowledge her efforts and those of the First Minister in making tackling violence against women and girls an Executive and Programme for Government (PFG) priority. Will the deputy First Minister give details of why the eight organisations that were chosen for the regional change fund were chosen?”
“I urge the Health Minister to take up those conversations with the incoming Health Minister in the South and look to implement such services here at home to make sure that families have access to them and do not have to travel following a child's death.”
“In the Chamber not that long ago, he alluded to some progress having been made on the issue. I know that he had been working with the previous Health Minister in the South on it. With an incoming Government there and a new Health Minister being appointed, I urge the Health Minister here to resume that conversation with the new Health Minister to make sure that such services are in place for families here at home so that we do not re-traumatise parents and families by making them have to travel to Liverpool. The service and care that they receive at Alder Hey is second to none, but this is about the fact that families have to travel, which adds to the trauma and anguish that they are already experiencing.”
“I sat with a family in my constituency who lost a baby during childbirth, and they explained to me the anguish that that caused them, the shock at their finding out that they would have to travel to Liverpool to find out the reason and the trauma that they still experience to this day from having gone through that. All that they ask is that we make sure that no other families have to endure that. That is something that we can do. We are a relatively small island with a relatively small population. We have approximately 100,000 births every year, and there is no reason that we cannot offer paediatric pathology services at home and therefore not add to the anguish that bereaved parents face when they lose a child. <BR /> <BR />I know that the Minister of Health agrees with me.”
“If, however, we do not have that necessary health information, if we do not know what caused a stillbirth or miscarriage and whether that will have implications for a second pregnancy, and if we do not know whether there are unique health challenges facing the population here in the North, that represents a gap in our health service, meaning that we are not equipping parents with the information that they need in order to make a decision about whether to undergo a second pregnancy. <BR /> <BR />I know the impact that that is having on families.”
“I will talk this morning about the continued lack of paediatric pathology services in the North and the implications that that has for our health service and, more importantly, the impact that it has on bereaved families. <BR /> <BR />We have been without a paediatric pathologist in the North since 2019. In that time, hundreds of families have had to travel to Alder Hey Children's Hospital in Liverpool to access important post-mortem analyses. Some parents are unable to travel with their child, perhaps for a health reason. For some families, the thought of having to travel after just losing their child is simply too much to bear, so they decide to forgo that post-mortem analysis. That is their right, and every family will make whatever decision is right for them at the time.”
“Above all, we need to confront the cultural underpinnings of such violence: the normalisation of misogyny, the silence that enables abuse and the lack of accountability for perpetrators. Let us never forget that every woman has the right to live free from fear. Every one of us has a role to play in making that a reality. Together, we can create a new society and a new Ireland in which violence against women is not just addressed but eradicated. I want my family, my sister, my friends, my colleagues and my daughters to live in a place where every woman feels valued, protected and empowered. I want that for myself as well. That is our right — it is the right of every woman — and we need to make sure that it is the reality for every woman.”
“We need to support them, not just with words but with actions. Like my colleague, I commend those who, inside and outside the Chamber, recently and previously, raised their voices and spoke about their experiences. I say to those who may not be able to speak about their experiences at this time that they will be believed and supported. That is why I am proud that Sinn Féin and the Executive have made ending violence against women and girls a priority. Michelle O'Neill recently outlined the Executive's delivery plan for that, which will be accompanied, in the first instance, by a £3 million fund for change. <BR /> <BR />Eradicating the scourge of violence against women and girls means having better education and robust legislation and ensuring that resources for prevention and support are prioritised.”
“That is not just a statistic; these are real lives: women waking up each day in fear; children growing up in households in which safety is a fragile dream; and communities struggling under the weight of silence and stigma. The impact is profound. Economically, the cost of gender-based violence drains resources from our health service, our justice system and our social care system; socially, it erodes trust and perpetuates inequality, reinforcing cycles of abuse that we are morally obliged to break; and emotionally, it leaves scars that linger for generations. <BR /> <BR />We must speak of hope, however, and we must give hope, because change is possible. Across the North, organisations, advocates and survivors are raising their voices to challenge outdated attitudes and demand better protections.”
“I thank the Members who tabled the motion for the opportunity to discuss this important topic. Violence against women and girls casts a long shadow over our society. It is a subject that we cannot afford to ignore, particularly here in the North where statistics are alarming and heartbreaking. As has been outlined, five more women and girls were murdered between October and December 2024. Violence against women is not just a private tragedy; it is a public crisis. Every act of abuse, whether it be physical, emotional or sexual, ripples through our families, our communities and our collective consciousness. In the North, police reports reveal the stark reality that incidents of domestic abuse are at a record level.”
“I thank the First Minister for her response. As the First Minister knows, the Victims and Survivors Service plays a key role in the provision of support services for victims and survivors. Does the First Minister agree that making sure that there are adequate support services for victims and survivors should be a crucial area of work for any incoming chair and board?”
“The capital plan includes a project to deliver partial electronic access control, which will enhance security controls within Parliament Buildings, and a project to replace the existing legislative Bill-drafting software, which is coming to the end of its useful life. That software is critical to supporting and delivering the legislative programme of the Assembly. Also included is expenditure to update the IT network and IT applications, the creation of a new Assembly website, the upgrading of a lift to accommodate larger wheelchairs and the replacement of the automatic fire detection system within Parliament Buildings. <BR /> <BR />Members, I am sure that you will be glad to know that that is the end of my speech. I commend the Assembly Commission's budget proposals for 2025-26 to the House.”
“The 2025-26 budget for the FAPP scheme is £1·1 million, which incorporates an inflationary increase. <BR /> <BR />The penultimate category relates to depreciation charges, which are budgeted at £4·6 million. That is mostly due to the estimated depreciation charge on the value of Parliament Buildings. <BR /> <BR />Turning to capital expenditure, the Assembly Commission has identified the need for capital investment of £3·1 million. Some of the expenditure relates to projects that were originally budgeted for in earlier years but, for a number of business reasons, have been deferred.”
“<BR /> <BR />As Members will be aware, there are a number of issues with water ingress in Parliament Buildings, related to the roof replacement project, which was completed in 2015. The Assembly Commission issued legal proceedings against those contracted to undertake that work and is seeking recovery of the full cost of repairs. Central Procurement Directorate (CPD), which is managing the works on the Commission's behalf, has informed the Commission that only limited, remedial works will be undertaken in the current financial year. Those will initially seek to address any remaining health and safety concerns. In addition to that work, there are a number of other planned maintenance projects. <BR /> <BR />The next category is payments to parties under the financial assistance for political parties (FAPP) scheme 2024.”
“Administration costs are budgeted at £12·1 million. Administration costs cover a wide range of expenditure items including supporting Committees, costs of drafting private Members' Bills, building rates, utility costs, repairs and maintenance costs, and third-party support for the business-critical IT systems such as broadcasting, catering and research. Historically, there has been a significant underinvestment in IT infrastructure in the Assembly Commission. Projects are therefore ongoing to modernise the Commission's IT infrastructure to make it fit for purpose and to ensure that the Assembly is supported appropriately and that the network is secure from the increasing risk of cyberthreat.”
“The additional staff will perform increased support and scrutiny from a legal and parliamentary services perspective, as a proportionate response to recommendations from the renewable heat incentive (RHI) inquiry; to address issues that were identified in the Mediahuis judgement; to ensure better organisational resilience in the Bill Office and Business Office and Committee teams; to expand in-house communications and broadcast-production capabilities; and to provide additional administrative support. An increase in employers' National Insurance contributions for Assembly Commission staff, Members and Members' support staff, as was notified in the Chancellor of the Exchequer's Westminster Budget on 30 October 2024, has been incorporated in the Assembly Commission's budget at a cost of £0·6 million.”
“A further new provision will enable additional funding to be provided for making reasonable adjustments to constituency offices that are not covered under the terms of their lease in order to accommodate a disabled member of staff or to facilitate access for disabled members of the public. Together, those have been budgeted at £0·2 million. <BR /> <BR />The third major category in the Assembly Commission's budget covers salary payments for Commission staff and the administrative costs that are incurred in delivering the full range of services that are needed by the Assembly. Commission staff salary costs are budgeted at £26·2 million, which includes a net increase of 16 staff.”