Jonathan Buckley
Upper Bann · Democratic Unionist Party · Northern Ireland
“Sinn Féin's representatives in the European Parliament voted against proposals aimed at strengthening the management of illegal immigration and facilitating the return of failed asylum applicants — those who entered countries illegally — to designated return hubs outside the European Union.”
“Last year, Sinn Féin, alongside the open-border brigade of the Alliance Party and the SDLP, voted against my motion in the Assembly that called for action to address concerns about illegal and uncontrolled immigration.”
“People want an immigration system that is controlled, credible and properly enforced whilst ensuring that the genuine, heartfelt, lived experience and concerns of local citizens are at the heart of the debate. That is not an unreasonable position to take.”
“I highlight yet another example of a political party claiming to represent the views of people across the island of Ireland yet taking a position that is fundamentally out of step with the concerns being expressed by a vast number of people across Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland and, indeed, the rest of the United Kingdom, and t…”
“The Minister is aware and is, in fact, on record as having suggested that organised drug crime is happening in prisons. I have previously raised that matter in the Assembly.”
“Minister, I am sure that you agree that we cannot continue to leave residents in limbo. There has to be some progress on the matter. A number of unfinished developments have been lying stagnant for a long time, but the number is so small that it would not require that great an amount of money to ensure adequate facilities for residents, e…”
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“It has been worthwhile in highlighting the cause and giving us all an opportunity to place on record our thanks to all the carers in our community who have looked after their family and friends over the past number of years and have stepped up further during the pandemic. We see your dedication and commitment, and we appreciate the work that you do in delivering care to the most vulnerable. On that note, I commend the motion to the House.”
“<BR /> <BR />Órlaithí Flynn talked about the respite day services and their equal importance to the carer and the person who is being cared for. I want to highlight that point: it is not one or the other. Both the carer and the person who is being cared for benefit from respite services, and it is important that we put the emphasis on getting those re-established quickly. <BR /> <BR />Gerry Carroll talked about the saving to our public purse due to the sterling work of unpaid carers, and their impact, particularly during COVID, goes without saying. <BR /> <BR />In closing, I thank all Members who took part in today's debate.”
“That leads only to adverse welfare issues in their day-to-day lives, and the burden on the health and welfare of people who are caring for those with disabilities has largely gone unnoticed. <BR /> <BR />COVID restrictions have caused major alarm among many carers, and there is frustration. Many looked at elements of our society that were opening up, but the respite services that are so dear to them and so needed remain closed. I dealt with a case involving a young guy called Kevin and his mother. He desperately wanted to go to the day-care facilities that he had been attending for many years. He ran to the bottom of his garden as the bus passed, but he could not get on the bus and could not understand why. He just wanted to go about his day-to-day life. The immediate restoration of those services is vital.”
“Ms Bradshaw also mentioned the additional costs that came as a result of COVID. That is an important point, because the costs of caring increased as a result of the pandemic. Quite often — in fact, wholly — that came from the pocket of unpaid carers. <BR /> <BR />Carál Ní Chuilín talked about the universal will among carers to do the best by their loved one. That unites them all despite the breadth of their community backgrounds, their age range etc. They all have a united will to do their best for their loved ones in difficult times. She also said that a care register was important. <BR /> <BR />Kellie Armstrong made the point that a key qualification for carers' allowance is broken sleep patterns. Some 48,000 people in our community have broken sleep patterns.”
“<BR /> <BR />Alan Chambers talked about carers being the backbone of what is good in our society and how that was recognised through their prioritisation in the vaccination programme. Across the House, all Members, from different political parties, had called for that. He is right: there needs to a cross-party, cross-Executive approach to dealing with this important issue. <BR /> <BR />Paula Bradshaw talked about the unseen and unsupported nature of carers and the recognition that is required. An unpaid carer's lifestyle is uncertain, and I can testify to that. She outlined her husband's experience. I watched for many years as my grandmother cared for my grandfather, who had dementia. You are almost at that person's beck and call, and it can play so much on the carer's mental and physical well-being. That must be recognised.”
“Sometimes, their lives have not played out in the way that they might have imagined, but they want to play that crucial support role in their family, and the need for financial support for those people is evident. Diane Dodds echoed that point when she talked about our young people who are involved in caring. <BR /> <BR />Cara Hunter also outlined a very important point that a lot of people miss, which is that we need to work hard to remove the stigma surrounding being a carer, because, quite often, it creates such negativity and a depressing sense among families that caring is almost a burden. However, for many of them, caring for a loved one is a real task of joy and love. Kellie Armstrong made that point when she outlined her personal story of her journey as a carer.”
“Day by day, we are all in touch with carers who feel that they are at the point of burnout. Fears and anxieties about what happens next have been exacerbated during COVID. Many have sadly lost loved ones during the pandemic. <BR /> <BR />The Chair highlighted the urgent need for the rebuilding of respite services. He also made the poignant point that our health and social care model simply would not work or exist without the carers in our community. <BR /> <BR />Cara Hunter focused on the crucial role that carers have played throughout the pandemic, with an emphasis very much on the thousands of young people who have had to step up into a caring role.”
“The motion also calls on the Minister to begin immediate work on a carers' register to include all carers, not only those who are in receipt of carer's allowance and attendance allowance but those who are excluded from financial help. <BR /> <BR />We need to find a way to monitor the amount of care in Northern Ireland. On that point, I will outline some of the contributions made by Members today, which highlighted some of the salient points. The Committee Chair highlighted in detail the fact that there is broad support across the community on this crucial issue. He highlighted the fact that there is a broad range of carers, from young people and right through the age ranges. He talked about the fact that 85% of carers took on more work over the pandemic and are simply worn out. That is evident across our community.”
“We do not want to get to the point of causing further health problems for our carers by not providing the support and respite that they desperately need. <BR /> <BR />The motion recognises efforts to provide carers with a COVID-19 recognition grant. I think that we all agree that a recognition grant would be well deserved and that it is the least that we could do. I call on the Minister and the Executive to consider how that will be taken forward over the coming weeks. The grant will provide recognition that our carers have gone above and beyond what was expected of them in the most challenging circumstances and times.”
“Financial support and services stopped due to their no longer being carers, but we need to find a way to identify those people and help them through this difficult time. At that briefing, it was good to hear about the practical help and support that those organisations provide to carers. We thank the representative organisations that have not only highlighted some of the issues but provided real solutions and support in difficult times. <BR /> <BR />The motion not only recognises the work that carers undertake but calls for support for carers in our community. We call on the Department to consider what respite services can be reintroduced to provide carers with that much-needed help, support and rest.”
“The health system would be broken without the dedication and commitment of our carers. We thank them all for all that they do for our families and friends. <BR /> <BR />In November 2020, the Committee took evidence in relation to the provision of care from a number of organisations, including Carers NI, Parent Action, Marie Curie and CAUSE. During that session, we heard about the real impact that the pandemic was having on carers. We had a discussion with those groups about the mental health challenges that face carers, especially those who were cut off from their usual support networks due to the pandemic and lockdown, and about the loneliness that some carers faced. We need to find a way to support them. We recognise that, over the past 15 months, many carers have lost the loved ones for whom they had been carers for many years.”
“I thank all the Members and the Minister for their contributions this afternoon. This has been a good opportunity to talk about carers and the important role that they play in our health and social care system. It has given us all the chance to acknowledge the generally unseen work that carers undertake. On that point, I thank the Committee for agreeing to table a motion like this; it is a testament to the powerful work conducted by the Committee in trying times. Again, a motion has come before the House that is universally accepted as an action point and in which we are dealing with some sensitive issues. The Committee should be commended for that. The debate has also given us the opportunity to recognise the important work that carers carry out in our community.”
“This is undoubtedly an issue that all Members who represent some form of rural constituency will face. The condition of many of our rural roads is substandard at best, and the additional funding is welcome and, indeed, needed. Will the Minister outline timescales for delivery? Quite often, when we see schemes like this, with additional money for rural roads, it is right at the end of a financial year when we face all those pressures. We could put it into a more sequenced roll-out to ensure that we get the best cover possible. How will the works be prioritised?”
“I thank the Minister for bringing the statement to the House. It is a stark statement that addresses the very worrying challenges facing our health sector. I agree entirely that this is the most important universal issue facing the Assembly in the days ahead. <BR /> <BR />The Minister spoke some very encouraging words regarding workforce and rates of pay and conditions for staff. Will the Minister elaborate on when details will be made available to the nursing staff who can avail themselves of that enhanced rate?”
“I thank the Minister for advance sight of her statement. I put on record my willingness to work collaboratively with her in my role as Chair of the Committee. <BR /> <BR />Will the Minister explain more about the independent investigation that she intends to put in place? When can we expect a report? Further to that, will she advise how those issues will impact on budgeting for the year ahead and whether contingencies are being put in place?”
“I pay tribute to the work of the Northern Ireland bureau throughout some very difficult times and, in particular, the work of the late Norman Houston, who was an absolutely stellar ambassador for this place. In many of the conversations that I had with him, he said that the United States is always open to listening to voices from here, and, wherever those voices come from, I will welcome the fact that we can now put our positions on the record to the United States Government and officials so that we all feel that we have voice at the table.”
“For some time, Sinn Féin has gone about its business of trying to undermine this place and the unionist community in it. I look forward to Trevor Ringland representing the facts to the United States, and I put on record that many had the opportunity to do so.”
“I am afraid that, while the Sinn Féin rhetoric today and its views in relation to the appointment are not surprising, they are deeply saddening for many of us across the Chamber. We need to see renewed engagement with the United States. We have heard much misrepresentation by elected officials in the United States regarding our position on the protocol.”
“I will talk about what his purpose is, because I did not listen to a car-crash interview this morning; I listened to a man who is very much stepping up to go to the United States to sell our story and to portray Northern Ireland in a positive light by telling them about cross-community projects or talking up moneymaking opportunities in the Province. That is what Mr Ringland said. <BR /> <BR />We know that there is huge interest in the United States in engaging with Northern Ireland. There is a massive amount of goodwill throughout the United States for helping and supporting us as we go along on our journey. That can be done only if we hear views from all sides of the argument.”
“I begin by welcoming the appointment of Trevor Ringland. It is a hugely positive story. It is hugely positive that anybody would go from these shores to represent the views of our people in a positive light. From listening to Sinn Féin and to Pat Sheehan, it seems that there is a wee bit of jealousy that somebody else who may articulate an opinion that is shared by us all has turned up to the party in the United States. For too long, Sinn Féin has very much had it its own way in the United States, with a one-sided narrative about what happened in the past and a one-sided narrative about what is happening now. <BR /> <BR />As a member of the Democratic Unionist Party and as somebody who shares the views of many in our society, I feel that Trevor Ringland's appointment is welcome.”
“I hope that, collectively, as an Assembly and a society, we can put the support structures in place and help those vulnerable young people and, indeed, our society in general. <BR /> <BR />Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker and Minister, for giving me an extra minute.”
“I thank the Minister for that. <BR /> <BR />It was a truly horrific experience, as an elected representative, to listen to Julia's narrative. I helped Luke and his family in cases before this happened. His mother described the scene when she arrived at Luke's flat, with police in forensic suits and ambulance crews knocking in doors. She had to unravel the story of what happened her son through that means. It is truly horrific. <BR /> <BR />I am not the only Member who can claim to know about such stories. Members have all heard of the horrific ordeal of suicide and the mental health issues that face our community. As I have been saying since I first came to the House, I sense genuine, cross-party support for those facing the ordeal of poor mental health and suicide.”
“I hope that, through my office, the Health Minister might meet Julia to hear about the ordeal that she and her family have been through and search for ways by which we can help tackle this truly horrific practice. <BR /> <BR />Social media has a lot to answer for. We have seen the bullying and abuse. Many elected representatives have faced that. Many members of our community continue to do so. There does not seem to be the support structures that should be in place. The Assembly needs to look for ways in which it can help and be part of the conversation, so that people can show and treat each other with basic courtesy and respect. <BR /> <BR />Luke was diagnosed with autism at 14 years of age. There is no doubt that he was a vulnerable young man. Those online forums preyed on that vulnerability.”
“Julia said that there were others willing to video themselves committing suicide, so that you could see exactly how it happens. <BR /> <BR />Friends, colleagues, this is truly a sad story for us all. We have heard so many horrific stories. Julia spoke out because, she said, although she had lost her son and would not get him back, she did not want people to go through what she had gone through. We have to recognise the dangers in the world. Online forums are now so far removed from civilisation and reality that, I am afraid, we are just papering over the cracks with positive words of encouragement. Much as those are needed, there must be real and meaningful action.”
“It is an issue that, sadly, does not affect only Luke. After her son's passing, Julia was brave enough to look into exactly what happened. She accessed the website, saw the chat and saw how people were encouraging Luke to take his own life. They talked about, "catching the bus". It was truly horrific. When Julia flagged this up via the online account, a message was sent immediately to Luke's personal profile saying, "Somebody has accessed your account. Your mother has accessed it. Please remove her." Julia then went beyond that and accessed it herself, where she saw some horrific stories, one of a 17-year-old girl who said that she was going to commit suicide and asked whether anyone wanted to sit with her while she did it.”
“Unbeknown to his mother and unbeknown to his friends, he had been engaging in conversations on that forum, where they basically showed him how he could take his own life. <BR /> <BR />Julia has spoken out bravely. A”
“I feel a wee bit overwhelmed standing today to speak on Mental Health Awareness Week. It is an issue that has affected so many in this House and in our community. I mentioned in my maiden speech how I was particularly moved to be talking about mental health, given the experiences that I had in school when I lost some of my school friends to suicide. Just last week, some Members may have become aware of the moving story of another one of my constituents who, sadly, took their own life: Luke O'Hara, who was 25 years of age. His mother, Julia McKeever, has taken to the airwaves to highlight the ordeal that her family has been through following Luke's tragic passing. She wants me to highlight today the online forums and the online dangers. Luke committed suicide after accessing an online suicide forum.”
“No. I thank the Minister for giving way. We have heard about boogies, concerts and sporting events, and I look forward to them all. However, I also look forward to there being, I hope, some sort of normality for the period of festivities around the Twelfth of July. There will be some boogying; hopefully, I will be marching. Will the Minister give us some clarity on the ongoing conversations about the Twelfth? Given the significant lead-in time needed, organisations need clarity on what parades may look like over this summer.”
“I thank the Member for giving way. I, too, have raised that issue repeatedly. Further to that, does he agree that it is also imperative that we look at the evidence for mask-wearing by children, who find it particularly difficult in the warmer weather to go about their everyday business? There is a self-confidence issue as well. Surely we should be looking at further evidence on how that affects them.”
“Is that not an acceptance that the protocol is a serious issue?”
“I thank the Member for giving way. I understand that some Members across the House do not want to take my word for it, but what about the words of Mark Samuels, the chief executive of the British Generic Manufacturers Association? He said:”
“I thank the Member for giving way. I understand, from the logic of the Member's remarks, that Brexit is primarily the problem in the debate. However, does she accept — I have not heard it yet from the party opposite — that the Northern Ireland protocol, in its current form, affects that market far beyond any other element of society in Northern Ireland, with 98% of its market being on the GB mainland? Does she accept the protocol's problems with regard to that aspect?”
“— the issue of medicines and medical devices must be addressed, the protocol must be removed, and we must get to a stage at which this place is not held to ransom by the European Union and the protocol.”
“The reality is that, although the protocol was championed with false promises —”
“I will happily debate any of the issues that were mentioned by the Member, but today I am talking about medicines and medical devices, 98% of which come from GB and are directly impacted on by the Northern Ireland protocol. The Northern Ireland protocol does not look at those patients with care and consideration. In fact, quite the opposite is the case. Only last week, a constituent told me that the manufacturer of the MS drugs that they need has claimed that the supply line will be disrupted because of the protocol. That is in addition to the threat to the supply and choice that is available to local health and social care services, to access to clinical trials and to exciting new developments in the production of medicines, including vaccine supply. Those will be threatened or, at the very least, slowed down.”
“On a point of order, Mr Deputy Speaker. Is it not in order that, when they give way for an intervention, Members are entitled to take the Floor again when they wish to do so?”
“I thank the Member for her intervention, and now I will continue.”
“A headline in the 'News Letter' last week told of specialised cancer drugs not being allowed access to Northern Ireland as a result of the protocol. That is harmful in so many ways, yet parties in the House call for its rigorous implementation. In today's debate, I want Members from those parties to recognise the folly of their words.”
“The British Generic Manufacturers Association (BGMA) has made it clear that that will prevent identical products from being sold to GB and NI, meaning businesses will have to duplicate resources and supply lines, and firms may need to build extra warehousing and hire more staff to ensure that medicines comply with both UK and EU regulations. It simply is not viable in the long term. Given the small margins, that will simply not be sustainable. Some GB manufacturers report that up to 90% of medicines could be at risk of being withdrawn. <BR /> <BR />Alongside the cost of creating a Northern Ireland-only pool of products, the protocol is likely to impact and prohibit the treatment of specialist illnesses.”
“That would not have been possible without the existence of the grace period. Some 98% of supplies to the Department of Health come from the mainland and are valued annually at £600 million. Despite that, the protocol would create small and segregated NI-only pools of products with the risk that separate licensing, labelling and customer requirements will prevent medicines, made to GB specifications, being sold in Northern Ireland. My colleague Pam Cameron and I have met many of those GB companies, and they fear the additional burden that this will put on their supply chains. Many of them, I imagine, will look at Northern Ireland as no longer being a place in which they will do business.”
“I will give way shortly. I have to get through this. I will have time to come back to you. <BR /> <BR />We have not seen the impact that the protocol will have on medicines and medical devices because it has been covered over. I welcome the fact that there has been a grace period, but the impact has been masked. When that ends, suffering will be inevitable because of the Northern Ireland protocol. All these measures and barriers to supply for the proposed differentiated arrangements for Northern Ireland will require segregated, complex and costly supply chains. <BR /> <BR />Throughout the pandemic, we were made abundantly aware of the benefits of unfettered access to the national distribution and supply network through the success of the UK COVID vaccination programme across all regions.”
“If ever there has been a case for the need for closer alignment on medicines — from paracetamol to vaccines for COVID — it is quite clear that Northern Ireland has benefited immensely. <BR /> <BR />I pay tribute to the Minister and the vaccination team, headed by Patricia Donnelly, on the efficiency in which the programme was rolled out in Northern Ireland. Can you imagine the disaster if the grace period did not apply and Northern Ireland did not have access to those life-saving vaccinations?”
“I will give way shortly. When the grace period ends, all medicines coming into Northern Ireland from Great Britain will be treated as goods entering the EU from a third country and will be subject to additional batch testing and certification. From 1 January 2022, when the grace period ends, all the medicines used in Northern Ireland will have to comply with the EU's falsified medicines directive. That affects the packaging of medicines, and the same requirements will not apply to products marketed in GB. Medicines in Northern Ireland must comply with the European licence and requirements set out by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) while those in GB do not. In addition to those checks, Northern Ireland will allow for EU regulations on vaccines and clinical trials from which we have benefited enormously in recent history.”
“The Member makes a valid point. I will come to that issue later in the debate. <BR /> <BR />With 98% of medicines to Northern Ireland coming from the GB mainland, you will not find a clearer example of how the protocol is harmful to every citizen in Northern Ireland.”
“Historically, Northern Ireland's model of supply has relied on the free movement of supply from Great Britain, and, to that end, it comes as no surprise that 98% of the medicines and medical devices used in Northern Ireland are imported from or via Great Britain.”
“In this brief period, we have witnessed a snapshot image of the long-term unworkability and unfairness of the new arrangement, which, ultimately, impacts on trade across all sections of the UK and draws a dagger across our tried-and-tested market. <BR /> <BR />Beyond the economic impact, this roughshod arrangement has been thrust upon Northern Ireland with no support from the unionist community. Nothing on the ballot paper or in the result of the 2016 referendum made the protocol inevitable or desirable. Best of all, those in the House who are champions of the protocol portray it as a compromise and a necessary evil to keep the land border open. That is to the detriment of the health of every one of our citizens. What sort of compromise is it? How does accessing medical supplies pose a risk to the EU single market?”
“I speak on this most serious of issues in the hope that Members across the House will accept the spirit of what I say and the serious nature of the debate. The issue of medicines and medical devices goes to the heart of why I believe that the Northern Ireland protocol is harmful to Northern Ireland citizens. If it does not highlight the protocol's harmful insanity, I fear that nothing will. <BR /> <BR />The perilous implications of imposing the protocol on Northern Ireland have been well documented. First and foremost, we are all too aware of the economic disruption directly consequent from the implementation of the arrangements. Like many other Members, I have been contacted by hundreds of people giving examples of the burdens placed on consumers, businesses and everyday supply chains.”
“On a point of order, Mr Speaker. Today, Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) has produced its report on the Bobby Storey funeral. I understand that a written statement has been placed in the Library for Members' interest. Given its importance, would it not be in order for the Minister of Justice to be in the House today to give an oral statement and allow questions from Members on the report?”
“<BR /> <BR />Mr Humphrey rightly put on record the dangers of rhetoric in the House, and we heard it from Gerry Carroll of People Before Profit just a moment ago. The small Jewish community in Northern Ireland feels vulnerable right now. Graves have been attacked, their businesses have been disrupted, and they have received threatening messages. It is time that we put our arms around our Jewish community in Northern Ireland, which has lived peacefully in this country for many years and plays a vital role in its vibrancy, particularly in Belfast. I hope that, in the days to come, Members will reflect on that and that we, as a place that has suffered in the past, can help the state of Israel and the people of Palestine in the future.”
“From many on the Benches opposite, however, there is constant condemnation of the Israeli state and denial of its right to existence, but surely an apt starting point is for them to realise the situation in which those people live. <BR /> <BR />I hope that, in the days to come, there can be intense dialogue leading to a peaceful resolution in the Middle East, but that starts with a simple recognition of the state of Israel's right to existence. In the days ahead, there will be international condemnation of the events in the Middle East, but, as Mr Aiken rightly pointed out, focusing solely on what is happening in Israel and in Palestine does not give this debate and this serious issue due consideration. There is much to consider, and the international community has a vital role to play in that.”