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…”
The complete record
Every one of 2,272 lines we hold for Jonathan Buckley, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 35 of 46.
“Further to that point of order, Mr Speaker. The credibility of these institutions is at stake. The public are, rightly, calling for transparency. I am, in no way, commenting on your previous conduct in the Chair. What I am saying is that I, and many in the House and in our community, perceive there to be a direct conflict of interest in your proceeding as the Chair of this debate. I ask further, whether the House can adjourn to receive such advice that you have been given. If it is the case that the Deputy Speakers are not available, can we not move to appoint a temporary Speaker to ensure that the public can have confidence in this sitting today?”
“On a further point of order, Mr Speaker. Given that you shared the social media post promoting a mass gathering during COVID regulations that prohibited such gatherings and that some of your family members attended said funeral, is it in order for the House to adjourn to see the advice that you have received to ensure that today's proceedings have credibility and that the public can, rightly, ask for transparency in this place, given what has gone on over the past few days?”
“Mr Speaker, given your involvement, through sharing the details of the Bobby Storey funeral on your social media sites, have you sought advice on the matter? Given the huge public interest in today's proceedings and the crisis in confidence and accountability at the heart of the Assembly, it is in the public interest and in the interests of the credibility of the Assembly and transparency that today's debate is seen to be chaired by someone who does not have a perceived conflict of interest. Mr Speaker, have you taken such advice, and can you share it with the House?”
“On a point of order, Mr Speaker. Standing Order 69(5)(b) relates to Members' interests. It states that, in relation to declarations:”
“<BR /> <BR />In closing, I thank the Minister for his endurance and for listening to me rant continually on the issues, but they are important. Our people are now looking towards brighter days, but it is important that we try, where possible, to give them as clear a pathway as we can. I also put on record my thanks to the Education Minister. Everybody was buoyed by expectation at seeing so many happy faces on the TV last night when we saw children returning to school and the ice cream vans outside. I thank the Minister for his work in that regard.”
“Now that we have seen the return of our Churches, albeit on an individual risk-assessment basis, we should begin to look at funerals and weddings in the same light. <BR /> <BR />We are moving towards Easter. With the good weather, the clocks going forward, and everybody in much brighter spirits with the hope of what can be, we need to present a realistic options paper to our people in Northern Ireland on what is going to be possible during Easter. Some Members represent the lovely coastal areas of Northern Ireland to which many, including me, love the thought of heading over Easter. I do not think that that will be possible, but I am trying to push the Minister in the right way. Hopefully, if the data continues on its current trend, we can get to a place in which we can give people realistic time frames for the reopening of businesses.”
“I am sure that every Member has been approached by some poor bride or groom who has been caught up in the middle of COVID-19 and who has organised not one, not two, but perhaps three weddings. That has put couples under enormous stress. Every time that any of us tries to give them a wee bit of guidance when they ask, "Do you think I'll get 30 at my wedding or will it be 10? I just want to know", we cannot give them clarity. I would like the Minister and his Executive colleagues to look at such sectors and say, firmly, that they can give them an indicative time frame by which they will be able to give indicative numbers that will be allowed. <BR /> <BR />Mr Chambers mentioned funerals and the restrictions that were put on them, as they were put on weddings.”
“We have a willing audience in our retail and hospitality sectors, however. They are willing to play their part in ensuring that their environments are safe to allow for their return. <BR /> <BR />On that very point, and as I mentioned in an intervention, different sectors will require different lead-in times. The needs of the population to which they tender are different. I recognise and understand that the Executive want to be data-driven and not date-driven in their approach, but, in a sense, we need both. Many in the hospitality sector, for example, need to plan the way in which they can return, and they can do so only by looking towards indicative dates and timelines. Take the hospitality industry as an example.”
“I welcome the regulations on click and collect. They recognise the need for interaction between small shops and many of our constituents for the like of shoes and children's clothing, as has been mentioned, but they could go a lot further. Throughout the COVID-19 debates in the House, I have said that our small businesses can be a COVID-compliant environment. The way in which our people have flocked to the multinational shops throughout COVID-19 has been a slight, to say the least, to our small businesses, which could, if given the opportunity, regulate their environment in a much more beneficial manner than the multinationals. I welcome the fact that we are moving in the right direction, but there is always going to be a need for caution when we reopen various sectors.”
“Those vaccines might have sat on a shelf unable to be used, whereas, in Northern Ireland, we have followed sound scientific information and data and continued the roll-out programme. We are well on the way to vaccinating our most vulnerable and older categories to ensure that we can have a safe reopening. I hope that we can be constructive and help where possible.”
“I thank the Member for his intervention. Of course, as he has repeated time and time again, COVID knows no borders. It is international. It is worldwide. However, the sad reality, which, I am sure, the Minister will touch on, is that the way in which the European Union, of which the Republic of Ireland has membership, has conducted itself in relation to vaccination has made it very difficult for the United Kingdom to engage with it constructively on vaccination roll-out. Say, for example, that we had been sharing the vaccine during the last couple of weeks. I presume that the AstraZeneca vaccine would have been the vaccine of choice that would, hopefully, have reached vaccination centres in the Republic of Ireland.”
“However, when it comes to the time that we are fit and able to do so, it would be appropriate that, where possible, we help our friends and neighbours in the Republic of Ireland to get to an adequate vaccination level to ensure that they, too, can enjoy life post COVID.”
“I think that it was the deputy First Minister who said yesterday that, with COVID-19, none of us is truly safe until everybody is safe. While the vaccination roll-out has been a success here in the United Kingdom, we have to look at the way in which, unfortunately, its roll-out has been somewhat slower in Europe, to where many of our constituents look forward to returning, hopefully, on holiday or otherwise one day, and for our neighbours and friends in the Republic of Ireland. Maybe the Minister could give us an update on that. I would like to know how the road map to recovery is affected by a slower vaccination rate in the Republic of Ireland. It is always the duty of any Government and any Administration to ensure that their population is safely and promptly vaccinated, and I welcome the fact that we are on course to do that.”
“I put on record Jim's commitment and dedication to his wife throughout that time, when he went to her window at the side of the home to keep her company, albeit that they were separated by a pane of glass. It is truly heartbreaking if we think about it. Sadly, Jim is not the only one. There are so many in our care homes. I have been contacted by many who want just to hold the hand of their parent or loved one at what is their most difficult time. I want to put on record that thought. <BR /> <BR />Like Mr Chambers, on a positive note, I want to reflect on the success of the vaccination programme. It has been fantastic. We really have reaped the benefits of United Kingdom membership in accessing the vaccine. However, I have listened to Members across the House.”
“On this day of reflection, I join colleagues in thinking of all those who have, sadly, succumbed to COVID-19 and passed away in tragic circumstances. I think also of those who have passed on not as a result of COVID-19 but through having suffered from the misfortune of having to adhere to the regulations that we put in place because of COVID-19, which restricted access to care homes etc and meant that they had no access to loved ones at a difficult time. I and, I am sure, other colleagues have been moved by the testimony of Jim Wells throughout this. He reported that he was able to hold his wife's hand for the first time in a year just last Sunday.”
“I thank the Member for giving way. This point has, indeed, been raised right throughout our debates on the COVID regulations: that the safest environments are those of independent retail traders, who have been responsible, and that, unfortunately, the regulations have permitted that unmitigated risk where people gather in supermarkets. Does she agree that it is important that we try, where possible, to give some of those small businesses a lead-in time and even a date, given that there are preparations that they would like to put in place for a proposed reopening date so that they can reopen in a safe and compliant manner?”
“On a point of order, Mr Speaker. Whilst not questioning the ruling of the Speaker, earlier you mentioned that the heckling of Ms Bradshaw was part of your deliberations in the sanctions towards Mr Allister. I ask for clarity on this point, for the sake of —.”
“Does the Minister agree that the intervention by the UK Government is an unacceptable breach of the devolution settlement and that this matter is for the Northern Ireland Assembly and Executive to deal with? Has he made that point robustly known to the Secretary of State?”
“On a point of order, Mr Deputy Speaker. Can you clarify whether it is appropriate for Members to speak in Irish and not provide translation?”
“That just happens to be another segment of New Decade, New Approach. Will the Minister outline which parts of the agreement she agrees with and which parts she does not?”
“The Minister said that she wants to act in keeping with commitments in New Decade, New Approach by, for example, turbocharging infrastructure. Last week, Minister Mallon said that the opening of a UK Government office in Northern Ireland was a UK "power grab" and:”
“What respect was at the heart of the Sinn Féin decision to veto the marking of the centenary with a commemorative stone? How can the Deputy First Minister expect unionism to honour the commitments made in 'New Decade, New Approach' when, evidently, you and your party are cherry-picking what you like and dislike in the agreement?”
“The deputy First Minister will know full well that that is a commitment in 'New Decade, New Approach', as is the marking of the centenary in a "spirit of mutual respect".”
“Thank you. Minister, sadly, the delay in administering the AstraZeneca vaccine in the Republic of Ireland and other European countries will result in the slowing of the vaccination of their populations, which should be the priority of every nation. Minister, have you had any conversations about the means by which we could share any excess vaccines with our friends and neighbours in the Republic of Ireland, if and when we get to a point where an adequate proportion of our population is vaccinated and our society is back to normal?”
“The report from the interdepartmental working group highlighted what was evidently a shameful and dark period in our recent history. What conversations has the Minister had with his Republic of Ireland counterpart about the nature of the powers that the independent investigation will have to call witnesses from other jurisdictions?”
“I thank the Member for giving way and for raising that important point. It is worth noting on the record Ms Sheerin's comments that day when she said:”
“Sinead McLaughlin talked about the Bill being an overreaction to a small number of abortions. I say today that if, through the means of this Bill, we can save just one life, it will have been worth it. I implore Members to vote with me and vote for the Bill.”
“<BR /> <BR />One of my colleagues on the Health Committee mentioned the question of growing waiting lists for support services, such as speech and language therapy, for children with disabilities. I appreciate the Member's intent and welcome the chance to discuss how we can better support those children and their families. We must ensure that appropriate wrap-around services are, indeed, in place. Let me say categorically that the length of waiting lists is not a reason to object to the Bill. We need to ensure that no family feels so under-supported that termination of pregnancy is seen as their only option. <BR /> <BR />Sinead McLaughlin referred to a number of statistics today, but, as Robbie Butler quite rightly pointed out, each statistic is a life.”
“That is a point that, I am sure, many Members across the House can attest to, and certainly those who have met Heidi or others with Down's syndrome will know what incredible lives they live. She has been a trailblazer for disabilities rights, and I know that she will be watching intently to the debate today. I thank her for her interventions thus far. <BR /> <BR />The Bill is about creating an environment that sees beyond the diagnosis. It is about creating an environment where women are, first and foremost, not given a description of perceived risks that fill them with fear but are told of all the ways in which their medical team will support them so that they can flourish. No woman should have to make a decision about pregnancy based on fear.”
“That is only part of that woman's story. Of the day on which she gave birth to her daughter, Matilda, she says:”
“Let me acknowledge today that being a parent must be, without doubt, a scary thing, and all the more so when you are aware of particular hurdles that you and your child will have to navigate. <BR /> <BR />One woman has described her experiences of receiving a positive screening result for Down's syndrome, saying:”
“In June last year, Members spoke about the need to provide compassionate care for women in extraordinary circumstances. At this point, I reference the brave disability rights campaigner, Heidi Crowter. Anybody who has had the pleasure of meeting Heidi cannot but be impressed by that young lady's vision and determination to see her rights as somebody with Down's syndrome being respected. That is why I take great notice of the comments of the Chair of the Health Committee, Colm Gildernew, because Heidi quoted to Colm his comments last June when Sinn Féin tabled the very amendment that gave effect to this:”
“That appears at the beginning of a document that talks solely about screening for the chromosomal conditions Down’s syndrome, Edwards’ syndrome and Patau’s syndrome. Let me be very clear: none of those syndromes is an illness to be cured. The only so-called treatment to reduce what the authors describe as "risk" is a termination of pregnancy. That handbook uses the word "risk" 60 times, and the document has been updated as recently as 2019. <BR /> <BR />No wonder that parents are being met with the language of risk in antenatal care. We do not want to see a growth of that narrative in Northern Ireland, although I note that the language of risk is already used on the nidirect website with regard to congenital conditions. We need to act now. <BR /> <BR />Some Members said that the law as it stands is about giving women choices.”
“While I appreciate that that is a headline definition of screening as it applies to many conditions, please note the purpose of the statement:”
“This should never be. This is not about individual clinicians. This is about a whole system that is shaped through the narrative of managing what is termed, so unhelpfully, "risk". <BR /> <BR />Despite some improvements, this week, I read the gov.uk website's guidance on screening for ultrasound practitioners. It says:”
“The idea that late screening results justify a law permitting termination up to birth entirely misses the point. The desperately sad truth is that antenatal screening and tests are not being used to provide the best possible care for babies with Down's syndrome. They are not being used to give these children all that they need to write their own stories. <BR /> <BR />Allow me to give you an insight into where these tests lead. Nicola Sparrow writes:”
“As the Down's Syndrome Research Foundation has said:”
“To that suggestion, I can do no better than to quote one mother, Nicola Sparrow, from elsewhere in the UK, who said:”
“More than 2,000 families and individuals with lived experiences of Down's syndrome — one of the conditions commonly screened for in pregnancy — wrote to Prime Minister Boris Johnson in Westminster to ask him not to introduce abortion regulations in Northern Ireland that would perpetuate stereotypes of people with certain congenital conditions, but, sadly, their request went unanswered. <BR /> <BR />Some have spoken about the delays in antenatal testing for congenital conditions as justification for a law that provides one limit for termination in pregnancies in which a congenital condition is suspected and another in pregnancies in which it is not. They suggest that those delays require the provision of termination up to birth.”
“I appreciate the opportunity to speak to this vital Bill today. As has been said by others, to do so on the day following Mother's Day, when we quite rightly look to the valuable contributions that mothers have played across our society, I, for one, am very proud to say that, if it were not for the intervention and help from my own mother and, indeed, grandmother, I would not be standing before the House today. <BR /> <BR />I have witnessed a number of very courageous individuals and families speak about disability discrimination. I would like to say that it is a pleasure to walk in their footsteps, but the plain fact is that we should not need to be here debating this Bill today.”
“I thank the Minister for coming to the House today. I have been increasingly concerned about the amount of misinformation and, frankly, fake news that has been circulated in Europe about the AstraZeneca vaccine. It appears for some that we have moved from vaccine nationalism into the dangerous territory of vaccine jealousy. <BR /> <BR />I believe that, on Friday past, the Taoiseach, Micheál Martin, was in contact with AstraZeneca calling for more vaccinations. Will the Minister reiterate the clear, strong and consistent scientific and medical evidence surrounding the safety of the AstraZeneca vaccine? Will he agree that it is important that Governments tread carefully in politicising a particular vaccine, as that, sadly, will result only in further delay in getting that vaccination to constituents?”
“I thank the Minister for his answer. The need for a new build at the location was identified in 2006. I am sure that the Minister will agree that the issues and the infrastructure have got worse since. Will the Minister agree to visit Portadown College with me to see at first hand areas in which we need urgent investment?”
“I thank the Minister for his answer. I am sure that the Minister will agree that bullying is a scourge on our society and, particularly, in our classrooms. Bullying has a devastating and long-lasting impact on a child that can go on throughout their life. Can the Minister elaborate on the duty that the Act imposes on boards of governors?”
“I welcome the statement insofar as I agree with the Minister that it is a lifeline to many thousands of businesses that are struggling at this time. Sadly, despite the statement, some business sectors will still feel that they have been totally excluded throughout the entire COVID-19 pandemic. Minister, as you know, I approached you in person and through written communication about the plight faced across Northern Ireland by the owners of dog and other animal kennels, which have had no access to funding throughout the pandemic. What comfort can those industries take from today's statement?”
“Further to that point of order, Mr Speaker, can you also clarify that it will have no effect on its moving to Second Stage?”
“On a point of order, Mr Speaker. I share the concerns of the Member who spoke previously about the grandstanding nature of the motion. The Speaker will know that the Health Committee has already requested the views of the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission, something that my party supported. That therefore begs the question of why the Member felt it necessary to bring the motion to the House today. Can the Speaker confirm that the Human Rights Commission, as a statutory consultee, automatically receives all legislation that is introduced in the Assembly? Furthermore, will he confirm that the passing of this motion has no impact on the Bill's proceeding to Second Stage?”
“— sees this as a direct violation of its rights as equal members of the United Kingdom. That has to be addressed.”
“<BR /> <BR />The EU is threatening legal action against Her Majesty's Government when it is, in fact, the EU that has altered the terms that many Members claim are the settlement upon which Northern Ireland is governed. However, all that seems to be irrelevant to the pawns of the European Union who sit in the House pontificating about how Europe has our best interests at heart. They do not recognise the fact that there are two communities in Northern Ireland and that one of those, the unionist community —”
“I have heard many Members, notably the proponents of the protocol, talk about the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement being the peace settlement upon which the current Northern Ireland operates today, but they were silent when, via the protocol, the Government used the very agreement that they champion and removed the safeguard for the unionist community — the principle of consent — and they did not even bat an eyelid. They do not want to listen to unionist concerns. It is anathema to them, but I can tell you very clearly that there is a great deal of unease in our community because of the violation that the protocol has caused to the Northern Ireland peace settlement.”
“It has caused political and economic instability in Northern Ireland. <BR /> <BR />Let us look at the economics. It is bad for business and has created trade impediments with our largest market, which is the internal market of the United Kingdom. I hear Members asking businesses that do not agree with the protocol to come forward, but they obviously do not want to listen because concerns about the protocol have been placed on record from day dot. People are worried about their businesses and their ability to trade with their own internal market of the United Kingdom. <BR /> <BR />Let us look now at the politics.”