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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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 6 of 46.
“Minister, it is deeply regrettable that you say that the only issue pertaining to recruitment and retention in the Prison Service is funding, when there is clearly a culture problem in our prisons. Today's headline in the 'Belfast Telegraph' reads:”
“Can the Speaker confirm that the first duty of any Minister is, when asked, to provide information to the House and that, if there is any concern over the nature of the information that is provided, that is an issue for the Member who asked the question and not the Minister who answered it?”
“On a point of order, Mr Speaker. This is on not your second point but your first point. I note that Mr Sheehan's point of order, which was a further attempt to smear the conduct of the Education Minister, omitted the fact that the report fully exonerated the Minister from any allegation that was made. Before Easter, the Association of First Division Civil Servants (FDA), which is the union that represents some senior civil servants, including permanent secretaries, released a press statement following the written statement by the Education Minister, Paul Givan, in which it referred to the provisions of the ministerial code and was critical of the Minister's providing information to the Assembly.”
“They are in the worst state ever, Minister.”
“That is true. They are in the worst state ever.”
“Thank you, Minister. Major life-saving infrastructure projects, from the A1 in her constituency to the A5 and the A4 Enniskillen bypass, are being blocked from progressing because of flawed, unattainable climate change targets. Those targets were exclusively backed by your party, the SDLP and Alliance. Minister, you will agree that not only is the delay costing millions of pounds but it is costing lives. Therefore, Minister, will you commit to bringing forward amending legislation to remove the climate change targets that have become an anchor around the neck of Northern Ireland infrastructure projects right across the Province?”
“The people of Newry are not convinced by you.”
“It is time for common sense. Cut fuel duty, and bin dud policies.”
“It does not stop there. We have seen parties such as Alliance, Sinn Féin and the SDLP continue to champion net zero targets that are totally unrealistic and are driving farmers' costs through the roof. Housing is being held back and infrastructure delayed, all in the name of targets that are totally unachievable. They promised green, secure and cheap; we have got none of the three. We have got higher bills, greater risk and less control.”
“That is not "green": it is self-inflicted harm.”
“It is the same sea and the same resource but with more costs, more dependence and less control.”
“<BR /> <BR />In this country, fuel is taxed to death. Here, the taxman takes a huge slice before a single wheel is turned. Up to 55% of the pump price is tax: fuel duty, VAT and crazy green levies. There is layer upon layer, although common sense should tell you that the more you tax fuel, the more everything costs. Food costs more; transport costs more; and living costs more. Who carries that, Members? The farmer, the trucker and the family. They are the people who are paying the price of sacrificial net zero policies, even though the UK is a global emitter of some 1%. <BR /> <BR />Let us ask the question: whom are we hurting and what for? It makes zero sense. The UK sits on significant oil and gas in the North Sea, yet net zero zealots tell us that we cannot drill for it and should instead import it from countries such as Norway.”
“Today, we see farmers, haulage drivers, construction workers and key workers crippled by soaring fuel and energy costs, with some being pushed to the point of protest in fear for their livelihoods and future. As an Assembly, we should ask this important question: how did we get here? I must warn the public that it did not happen by accident; rather, it is the result of political choice — a choice made by consecutive Conservative and Labour Governments to put targets before people, ideology before reality and net zero before energy security. Let us speak plainly on the matter. The tensions in Iran did not create the crisis but exposed the very vulnerability that many warned about: an over-reliance on global markets, a lack of domestic supply and a system that is too weak to cope when pressures come. The public are now paying the price.”
“I was so proud to watch on the Sky Sports broadcast, as it went from live scenes at Augusta to live scenes at Holywood Golf Club, the local talent and the local pride and to see how many of the next generation Rory inspires day by day. We have world-class golf courses, world-class golfers and a world-class pipeline of talent to continue to put this wee country above and beyond any of its contemporaries and much larger countries. <BR /> <BR />Thank you, Rory McIlroy; we wish you well for the future.”
“However, Rory McIlroy held his nerve, and, as the worldwide audience talked about the Northern Ireland grit that brought about that Augusta glory, we can all share in that success. <BR /> <BR />Rory has joined a specific club of absolute legends of the world game: Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus, Sir Nick Faldo, who are all double Masters winners. That is not an easy feat for anybody, let alone a wee man from Northern Ireland, which has 1·8 million people. He was on the world stage, leading from the front, with his parents there to watch him as he brought home his second green jacket in consecutive years. <BR /> <BR />We will never know how much work has gone on behind the scenes over so many years and how many sacrifices have been made to get Rory to where he is today, but his family knows.”
“Northern Ireland has excelled on many fronts. It is a pioneer in global development and technologies across the world. However, there has been no greater export than our sporting prowess and our local talent leading on the world stage, flying the flag for our wee country to a global audience. I watched the Masters with sheer joy and pride as, uncharacteristically, Rory McIlroy led from the front on the first day. On the second day, when he was sitting on six under, we thought that it was simply a matter of bringing it home, only to get the cold sweat — probably like many — as the six-shot advantage started to disappear and other serious golfers started to enter the stage and come up close.”
“I thank the Member for giving way. Does the Member agree that many of the barbed, political attacks from the parties opposite ring hollow in light of the evidence that she has presented to the House?”
“I thank the Minister for giving way. I just want to be clear: I do not doubt for one moment her or her predecessor's sincerity and commitment in trying to get the issue resolved. However, we have to be real about the issue that we face. The Minister said earlier that we needed to look at lessons learned going forward: if one of those lessons learned is that the current climate change amendments are not compatible with major road infrastructure projects, is that an issue on which the Minister and her party will join with calls to have them removed to ensure their viability in the future?”
“I will, if I have time at the finish. <BR /> <BR />Ultimately, the amendments need to be removed to kick-start our infrastructure. That is what is required. The people who use the A1 road deserve action, not excuses. The people who use the A5 road deserve action, not excuses. The people who want to drive on an A4 Enniskillen bypass deserve action, not excuses. I trust that the Assembly can get to grips with that reality and do so very quickly.”
“<BR /> <BR />The Minister needs to explain clearly why the A1 project is not being prioritised; what is being done to get it moving again; and whether her party and the Alliance Party, which is the party of the Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, will finally get to grips with the conversation about the need for the amendments to be removed in order to ensure that infrastructure projects can continue.”
“They will see a dangerous road, a ready-made solution and, unfortunately, a Minister whose hands are tied by the very legislative amendments that her party backed. <BR /> <BR />Every day that the A1 project is pushed back is another day on which motorists are forced to take risks that we already know how to eliminate. That is the inevitable consequence of unrealistic legislation being applied in a way that blocks progress instead of enabling it. Common sense on such matters has been lost. Further delay and further damage will be caused, and more families will be destroyed because of unrealistic climate change targets that are forcing our systems to grind to a halt and will continue to be the problem. Safety has taken a back seat.”
“How therefore can it be justified that that life-saving project is now being delayed yet again because of a court ruling on another project and the inevitable fallout from the Climate Change Act, and from specific amendments to it in particular? That is the elephant in the room. It is the reason that the A1, the A5 and the A4 Enniskillen southern bypass are facing their particular challenges. I will make this statement here: those will not be the only infrastructure projects that fall foul of poor legislation. Let us call it as it is. A vital, life-saving infrastructure project is being put on hold because the system has become so constrained that it cannot deliver what is plainly needed. Many people will not understand that, and they will be right not to.”
“The Member makes a very valid point. Some 661 collisions have occurred on the A1 over that same 17-year period. How many of those could have been fatalities? <BR /> <BR />Let me be very clear that those 41 deaths are not just statistics. Rather, they represent lives lost, families devastated and communities left grieving because of flawed design. Departmental analysis itself has acknowledged that the road carries particular risks because of its right-turn junctions on a high-speed route. That is exactly why phase 2 of the A1 scheme is so vital. Closing the central reservation gaps and delivering grade-separated junctions will finally bring the road up to an adequate safety standard.”
“<BR /> <BR />We still have dangerous right-turn movements across central reservation gaps, as well as junctions that were never intended for the level of traffic flow and types of vehicles that they now carry. Tragically, we have the consequences to prove that. Over a 17-year period, 41 people have lost their lives along that corridor. I commend Monica Heaney for having the courage and bravery to come to the Assembly today. I imagine that each and every occasion on which she hears the A1 mentioned must bring back very painful memories.”
“We can all agree that the decision to delay phase 2 of the A1 junctions scheme by a further 12 months is deeply concerning and is causing nothing but further worry and anxiety for those who live on and travel along the route and for those who, sadly, have lost loved ones on it. It is not just another infrastructure project. Rather, it is a £130 million investment in safety on one of the most critical and dangerous strategic routes in Northern Ireland. The stretch of the A1 between Hillsborough and Loughbrickland, serving the Upper Bann and Lagan Valley constituencies, is well known to all of us in the Chamber. It is a high-speed dual carriageway that carries significant volumes of traffic each and every day, yet, despite its importance, it remains fundamentally flawed in its design.”
“I thank the Member for giving way. Will he elaborate? Is that in relation to protection from climate change amendments and their impact on road infrastructure projects, in particular, which is the main topic?”
“I thank the Minister for giving way. She should have listened to the contribution from the Economy Committee Chair, Phillip Brett, earlier. Does she accept that 47% is a long way off 80%? Does she accept the view of the industry professionals who think that, on the balance of probability, it is just not achievable?”
“I thank the Member for giving way, and I agree with that point, but does the Member accept that a "radical approach", in his words, whether that is a drive towards renewables or, indeed, the net zero amendments that have stopped infrastructure projects, requires significant investment now and that that would risk putting further pressure on households in Northern Ireland?”
“Will the Member accept that consumer choice, ultimately, will lead to reduced bills?”
“The Minister's recent trip to the United States stands in stark contrast to that of the Sinn Féin Economy Minister last year, which resulted in 300 highly paid jobs being lost. I therefore congratulate the Minister on a successful engagement with the US Administration, and the 250 commission in particular. I argue that this Minister has done more than any since 1998 to promote the story and contribution of the Ulster-Scots people, of which we all in the House can be rightly proud. In light of that engagement around 250, there will be a real point of legacy and education. Will the Minister look at ways in which we can promote the legacy of the Ulster-Scots people through an education piece and perhaps through shared interest between the United States and Northern Ireland?”
“— and we will hold the Minister accountable.”
“Wow. Her Sinn Féin-appointed spad is in the meeting note as suggesting the potential comms to go out on the announcement. Fourteen days later, the Minister travelled to New York, and 300 highly paid jobs were lost to the Northern Ireland economy. What happened in those 14 days? Why did a significant investment that, freedom of information requests have shown, Invest NI evidently went to such lengths to secure go missing?”
“Invest NI and the Department hold over 11,000 records that pertain to Cantor Fitzgerald. On Friday, the first responses to my freedom of information requests started to come through to me, and they revealed a scenario of which we were not aware: on 25 February 2025, the Minister met Cantor Fitzgerald representatives in this very Building with her officials. The Minister is on record as saying at the meeting:”
“She also continues to cover up information on significant job losses to the Northern Ireland economy. <BR /> <BR />In January, I revealed to the Committee that 300 jobs were lost from the major US service firm Cantor Fitzgerald. Neither the Committee nor the community knew about that, and the Minister's officials attempted to ensure that none of us got to the bottom of it. The permanent secretary denied that the Committee had asked for the appropriate information, and the Department selectively briefed the BBC before the scrutiny Committee meeting. However, with each piece of information, we are starting to get to the bottom of what happened. <BR /> <BR />It is sad that only through freedom of information requests have I been able to start to gain a picture.”
“Week on week, the House continues to see the glaring failures of the Sinn Féin Economy Minister, whether it be her continued support for the so-called 'good jobs' Bill, which does not have the support of a single major business or organisation in Northern Ireland, or the failure to understand that £81 million was there for the taking for an energy support scheme, a fact that was dragged out in the Committee by my colleague Phillip Brett as Chair.”
“The Minister must know full well the huge concern that there is among many businesses about the potential negative impact on jobs that that ham-fisted legislation may cause. Can the Minister name one major business that supports the so-called 'good jobs' Bill? Will the Bill force the likes of Gerry Adams's bodyguard to pay his staff at Stix & Stones properly?”
“The Minister will recognise that it is a very anxious time for parents, particularly as stage 1 completes today. He will also recognise that preschool, playgroup and nursery places are vital for the viability of many schools, particularly some of our rural schools, whose ability to be agile as numbers fluctuate in the years ahead has been frustrated, limited and made difficult. I ask the Minister whether he will seek to ensure that children, especially those in rural areas with more limited options, have access to the appropriate settings, which will help feed local primary schools and ensure their viability into the future.”
“— continue to evade the justice that they deserve.”
“I will not rehearse every claim and counterclaim, but I will say this: whilst Mr Adams appears to be embarrassed to say that he was ever in the IRA, he was never embarrassed to honour and give cover to the its murder and mayhem, whether that was through wearing the black beret of the Provisional IRA or carrying countless IRA coffins, including that of the Shankill bomber Thomas Begley, who had, days earlier, murdered nine innocent men, women and children. There were IRA funeral orations and the language of justification, yet we are told to accept that it never happened. <BR /> <BR />To this day, victims of paramilitary-sponsored terrorism continue to be failed. They account for 90% of all the murders during the Troubles, yet we watch as the state is endlessly persecuted whilst the IRA command, bombers and gunmen and gunwomen —”
“What and where precisely was Sinn Féin's president, Mr Adams, during the darkest days of the 1970s and the 1980s? The answer remains at large. For many, that question has never gone away. Despite countless security assessments and images, as well as countless first-hand accounts from those in the Provisional IRA, we and, indeed, the victims of terrorism are all left to somehow believe Mr Adams's repeated position that he was never in the IRA.”
“I make my statement in memory of all the innocent victims of IRA terrorism, whether they be Catholic or Protestant, security personnel or civilian. The blood-soaked pain, the inhumanity and the injustice continue to this very day. Gerry Adam's recent appearance at the High Court in London compounded that grief and pain. The case represented an opportunity — for some, perhaps, the final opportunity — for clarity, accountability and truth. Those victims and the many hundreds of others like them across Northern Ireland and beyond have lived for decades with loss, trauma and unanswered questions. They deserve their day in court. They deserve to have their claims fully and publicly tested. Instead, we are left, again, with uncertainty. <BR /> <BR />And so, I come to the central question.”
“I thank the Member for giving way. There have been accusations that the DUP does not care about our constituents or, indeed, the environment. What would the Member say to the constituents who have been caught up in environmental climate change madness — climate change amendments from his party and, indeed, the Members on the opposite Benches — resulting in the A5, the A1 upgrade and A4 Enniskillen bypass schemes being halted? What about those constituents?”
“I thank the Minister for giving way. Will he clear up some confusion? Is the Alliance Party's position that it supports all the commitments in New Decade, New Approach? Any independent observer would say that it has reneged on and undermined other key commitments, such as the UK Government's commitment to ensuring that Northern Ireland remains an integral part of the UK market, because his party supported arrangements that put a border in the Irish Sea.”
“I thank the Member for giving way. My definition of a quango is an organisation that has no direct political oversight from those who have been democratically elected, is funded with inordinate amounts of public money and is wasteful.”
“I thank the Member for giving way. He is absolutely right to highlight the failure from the Alliance Party, and particularly the Minister, to properly fund and hold accountable the agencies that are already in place. Does he agree that there is more than a growing suspicion that the Minister is deliberately running down the agencies that are in place to advance his narrow ideological position, which is to the detriment of the agencies that are in place and of those who live in the rural countryside?”
“It is ridiculous that, in this Building of all buildings, a policy that allows biological men to enter biological females' toilets continues to operate. Did the Commission receive legal advice on the Supreme Court ruling? If so, did that advice recommend the status quo or change?”
“I thank the Minister for giving way. During the debate, we heard, initially from Miss McIlveen, about the hard-won exemptions that were secured by the Scottish Government for consumers and businesses. The Minister has outlined how there is to be a partial 50% exemption here, compared with the Scottish Government's 100% exemption. We already know that the industry is facing significant challenges on the Irish Sea, with a 6% potential increase in costs projected that will ultimately have to be passed on to the consumer. For what specific exemption percentage did the Minister lobby? His Alliance Party colleagues have not been able to answer that question. Is it the case that he advocated for no further exemption in order to fit his net zero-zealot attitude when it comes to Northern Ireland?”
“I thank the Member for giving way. At least he has the bravery to do so, unlike his colleague from South Antrim. <BR /> <BR />The Member said that the draft Order protects Northern Ireland hauliers and consumers, yet the evidence, including in representations from said hauliers, shows that it will damage their business model in Northern Ireland and add 6% to their costs. The Member for Strangford Miss McIlveen referred to the exemptions that the Scottish Government were able to secure for the Scottish islands. Is the Member aware of any such exemptions being sought by the Minister of Agriculture?”
“I thank the Member for giving way. She makes a valid point. It is interesting that Sinn Féin seems to have bent the knee to UK Government pressure in this regard. Does she agree that the potential 6% increase in haulier costs to Northern Ireland from GB places additional pressure on a sector that has already been hammered by arrangements that were supported by Alliance, the SDLP and Sinn Féin?”
“Minister, if there is one thing that our constituents and, indeed, local ratepayers do not want, it is further interference from central government in their bin collections, which are already suboptimal in many locations. Do you accept that many councils are doing a fine job in setting recycling targets for waste that commingles? I name Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council as an example.”