Jemma Dolan
Fermanagh and South Tyrone · Sinn Féin · Northern Ireland
“Minister, I am really shocked at that response, because I am not aware of any Western Trust engagement on the vision plan. My question was going to be, "Will you outline how you will ensure that the public are aware of this planning, so that they can engage with it?".”
“Minister, thank you for your statement. Last week, the Irish Government announced a further €30 million investment in the Ulster canal restoration project. That is transformative for the communities along the route and will benefit local economies and tourism. What is the current position of the Ulster canal project?”
“They are the result of years of chronic underfunding by successive British Governments and a funding model that has consistently failed to recognise the real needs of people here. That is the root cause of the problem.”
“Our public services are under immense pressure. Health workers, teachers and community organisations are all being asked to do more with less. Communities that have already endured years of austerity continue to feel the impact.”
“However, the second part of the motion is profoundly flawed and contradictory. On the one hand, it welcomes the efforts of local Ministers to press for more funding for public services, while, on the other hand, it states that the Executive are purposely deciding to "impose further austerity" by not agreeing to a Budget.”
“There is an onus on us as elected representatives to deliver better front-line services. However, we cannot get away from the fact that we are a devolved region with limited fiscal powers. Almost all our funding comes through the block grant.”
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“The British Government's Brexit policy will result in real funding shortfalls for skills providers and learners, providing only £11 million of funding to the North. Where does that leave the 26,000 young people between the ages of 16 and 24 in the North who are not in employment, education or training? Where does it leave our older and mature learners, who experience barriers to upskilling and reskilling? <BR /> <BR />Our people do not deserve dilly-dallying or responsibility shirking from successive DUP Economy Ministers. They deserve better jobs with better wages in a more flexible working environment and a better overall quality of life, but, then again, the DUP does not exactly have a good track record of being on the side of workers. I commend the amendment.”
“The South West College panel discussion will use the Erne campus as an innovative international demonstration of how to successfully design and implement cutting-edge energy efficiency processes in the delivery of new buildings. <BR /> <BR />I will return to the motion and amendment. As I have outlined, it takes numerous cogs to turn in tandem to allow us to come back stronger and help to address long-standing economic issues. One massive cog that is fundamental to that, as we have spoken about, is funding. It has become a bit of an elephant in the room for the DUP at this stage, but EU funding for skills, as we have spoken about several times during the debate, has been transformative.”
“As my colleague John O'Dowd pointed out, it occurred to him, when he was looking out of his constituency office window, that there is not enough focus on those who do not go to university and what they have to offer to our economy and society. <BR /> <BR />Our further and higher education institutions need to be at the heart of this. In my constituency, we have the top-class South West College, which has the state-of-the-art Erne campus. That matches the existing and innovative South West College skills centre. At this point, I want to celebrate the fact that representatives from the college have been invited to host a keynote address and panel discussion as part of COP26.”
“Digital skills are becoming more important, with the majority of jobs requiring a certain level of expertise. Investing in skills will mean that all our people can feel that they are part of the changes happening in the global and local economies. It should also mean that businesses have the right people with the right skills at the right time. Adopting this approach will be key to attracting businesses to invest and supporting companies to start up and scale up. <BR /> <BR />Having said that, I cannot help but address the fact that the skills strategy ignores the skills shortages in areas like the care sector, which will need 4,000 more workers in the next 10 years, while construction will need over 2,000 more tradespeople.”
“I have notes everywhere, so please bear with me if I lose my place. <BR /> <BR />I thank everyone for their comments. I am not going to repeat or recap what everyone said. It seems we are all in agreement that upskilling and reskilling are important and need support and investment for any economic recovery. One DUP MLA said that there has been historical underinvestment in the Department for the Economy, yet the DUP has held that ministry for over 10 years. If this was not so serious, it might be amusing that you just admitted to that. <BR /> <BR />I welcome my colleague Aisling to the Chamber and congratulate her on her maiden speech. <BR /> <BR />The needs of the workplace are changing at a fast pace, and that has probably been accelerated by COVID.”
“I thank the Minister for her answer. I welcome that the Minister ended up withdrawing the guidance following calls from my party and others to do so. It is vital that proper engagement with councils is now committed to. Will the Minister look at others ways to improve rural planning? For example, will the Department explore allowing for a maximum of three houses on a gap site instead of two, and allowing farming families to get permission for a house every five years instead of 10?”
“Peace funding has been valuable to community groups not only in my constituency but across the North. Will there be a reduction in the administrative burden on small community groups applying to the PEACE PLUS programme?”
“Minister, you spoke about workers on zero-hours contracts. There are around 11,000 people on zero-hours contracts in the North with no certainty about their income or hours. You said that there is a commitment to addressing that in the New Decade, New Approach agreement and that a public consultation will need to be done in order for legislation to be changed. I intend to introduce a private Member's Bill (PMB) on the issue. I have done the public consultation. Will you give a commitment to supporting my private Member's Bill when it comes to the House?”
“Colleagues are progressing private Members' Bills and campaigning on a living wage, the right to disconnect and outlawing bogus self-employment, to name a few. <BR /> <BR />I welcome the DUP's conversion to being champions of workers' rights. They have never been in support of comprehensive and far-reaching legislation to support rights and fair pay for workers. As my colleague Pádraig Delargy MLA pointed out and I think it is important to repeat, 10 years of DUP Economy Ministers have resulted in wages in the North being the lowest across these islands. Maybe with this realisation, workers and their families may actually begin to get a break. As Sinn Féin spokesperson on employment and workers' rights, I certainly hope so.”
“<BR /> <BR />However, notable points have come out of this. I am relieved that we are finally beginning to realise the importance and value of our low-skilled workers. Without the workers in our agri-food sector, we would not be able to compete on the world stage with our high-quality and award-winning produce, which is what we are experiencing now. If those workers are so vital to our economy, why were they never treated as such? <BR /> <BR />Sinn Féin has a strong track record of protecting workers and their rights across this island. I am lobbying for the introduction of a pilot scheme for a four-day working week. I also have a private Member's Bill in progress that would abolish zero-hours contracts.”
“We have spoken about this. It will be a new and united Ireland. There are economic documents on it, and I can provide you with one if you want. <BR /> <BR />Those are my remarks on the debate, and I will add a couple as the Sinn Féin spokesperson on workers' rights. As I said, Brexit has resulted in skilled EU workers leaving the North through the British Government's reckless decision to end freedom of movement. That is the hard Brexit championed by the DUP, which Boris Johnson is now trying to sell as a plan. He says the shortages are all part of the move to a high-wage economy. The truth is that Boris is a man without a plan. He and his Brexiteers have no idea what they are doing or where the disastrous hard Brexit is going to go next. When it comes to the North, the fact is that they do not even care.”
“I lost concentration during your contribution because of the way that you spoke to Sinead and Pádraig. It really disappointed me. I will leave it at that. You said that you do not think we are in a bad position and that we think everything is perfect in the Twenty-six Counties. No, we do not, but we see that the solution to fixing the problems is a united Ireland.”
“Yes, I completely agree with that. Gerry also spoke of the COVID outbreaks in food factories and how the workers were forgotten about. I represent Fermanagh and South Tyrone, where we have a number of food factories, and that was the case there. I heard that from several people. Gerry supports the motion. <BR /> <BR />I must say I was so disheartened by the way the Minister spoke. I found him using bully-boy tactics, attacking younger Members, newer Members and those who are not experienced. How do you expect people to come into the Chamber when you are going to treat them like that, just because you have been here for, oh, however long? I find that really disappointing. The fact that a Minister talks to MLAs like that is so disheartening.”
“No, I want to get through this, thanks. Gerry Carroll shares my concerns about terms and conditions for workers, and he, too, focused on HGV drivers.”
“It came from Brexit, so you just answered your own question there, Jim. <BR /> <BR />Gerry Carroll shares my concerns on terms and conditions —.”
“John Blair said that the situation is a direct result of Brexit. That is true. The UFU says that the sector is desperate, and one employer alone has hundreds of vacancies to fill. The labour shortage has resulted in price hikes and animal culls. <BR /> <BR />Jim Allister, obviously, does not support the motion, and he does not blame Brexit. I must point out that Sinn Féin wants a living wage for all workers. We do not want cheap labour. Had Jim listened to my colleague, he would know that our living wage campaign was mentioned. However, I agree with Jim that there is a lack of facilities for women drivers. At the Finance Committee a couple of weeks ago, we had a briefing about that. Funnily enough, Jim said that the protocol is an aggravator, and it is, but where did it come from?”
“He described the benefits that migrant labour brings, and nobody disputes those. I find myself agreeing with Steve, which does not always happen. He said we need to improve opportunities for workers, as well as their terms and conditions, because they are not as they should be.”
“I look forward to that action. <BR /> <BR />Sinead McLaughlin supported the motion on behalf of the SDLP. She pointed out the failure of the DUP and the Department for the Economy. She said that investment in education and skills has decreased over the past 10 years and questioned the DUP's understanding of the impact of the Brexit that they championed. She described it as "a mess", and I agree with that. <BR /> <BR />Steve Aiken does not support the motion. He says that 86,000 EU citizens applied to remain in the North and that they should be welcomed. We welcome them with open arms.”
“Stewart also said that, to achieve the high-wage, high-skills economy that we all want, we need to invest in our people. He reiterated calls on the Economy and Agriculture Ministers to speak up for the North. <BR /> <BR />My colleague Pádraig Delargy said that the DUP position does not add up and that, as a result of Brexit, we are in a position where we may no longer have access to EU funding, some of which was used to train people up for those jobs. He said that actions speak louder than words and used three examples, one of which was that he asked the Economy Minister to extend the Spend Local card to 16- and 17-year-olds but that call has been repeatedly rejected. <BR /> <BR />Stephen Dunne focused on issues faced by the haulage industry and said that the Economy and Agriculture Ministers are interested in action rather than words.”
“That is what is happening, however, because a major source of workforce was cut off from the North overnight. He mentioned the impact on hospitality, and Sinead McLaughlin mentioned the impact on the construction sector, so the impact is not just on the agri-food sector. Stewart highlighted the fact that the impact on the hospitality industry is that just as that industry is beginning to recover, it is being restricted by the number of workers who are available. <BR /> <BR />Stewart also said that there is no competition between robots and humans. I can back that up with a small example. I got my car washed by a robot on Friday night, and I can assure you that it was nothing compared to what the fellas at the car wash used to do. That is just a small example of the impact that this could have.”
“He spoke of some measures that the Agriculture and Economy Ministers have taken to tackle the issue, but if we do not have the people here, those measures are kind of redundant. <BR /> <BR />Matthew O'Toole from the SDLP described it as a "silly argument" to say that the labour shortage is not as a result of Brexit. I find myself agreeing with Matthew. He questioned the attitude of the British Government to successive letters sent by DUP Ministers, and he described the issue as a "societal tragedy" rather than just an economic problem. <BR /> <BR />Mike Nesbitt outlined his opposition to the motion, due to the wording being "too narrow". <BR /> <BR />Stewart Dickson supported the motion on behalf of the Alliance Party. He said that we should not be picking up the pieces of Brexit.”
“I welcome the opportunity to make a winding-up speech. I will briefly go through some Members' contributions, and then I will make my own contribution. <BR /> <BR />I will start with remarks from my colleague the Chair of the Economy Committee, Caoimhe Archibald. She highlighted the fact that people are here to work but are also here to make a life and be part of our communities. Caoimhe also made the point that nothing shocks us any more when it comes to the Tories' disregard for the North. Our agri-food sector cannot be used as collateral damage when it comes to Brexit. Caoimhe also mentioned the importance of skills development for all sectors, not just agri-food. <BR /> <BR />Keith Buchanan from the DUP obviously spoke of his opposition to the motion.”
“I thank the Minister for that update. Will he also confirm whether any progress has been made on the British Government honouring their responsibilities to help fund the victims' pension?”
“I therefore call on the Economy Minister once again to fund research into a four-day week and to give businesses and workers the opportunities that are being afforded elsewhere.”
“Businesses in the North, such as JMK Solicitors, ICE Group and Elite Electronic Systems, already operate a four-day week, which has resulted in benefits for staff and their company. The four-day week also operates across a range of sectors, with a number of packaging companies embarking on it. In addition, social care providers have contacted me personally to express their interest in a pilot scheme. <BR /> <BR />Over 100 years ago, trade unions secured the right for workers not to work at the weekend so that they could have a well-earned break and feel refreshed when returning to work. There is a clear demand from workers and employers for a four-day week, and it is crucial that the Minister heeds those calls.”
“To date, I have called on three successive DUP Economy Ministers to carry out a pilot scheme, all of whom have refused. In that time, the Scottish Government and the Dublin Government have announced pilot schemes, while we continue to lag behind. <BR /> <BR />The reality of a four-day week is that it can enable workers to work smarter without having to work longer, and it could help to solve the long-term economic problems that we face in the North. Successive economy strategies mention that we need to tackle low productivity. However, there has never been any real focus on whether reducing working hours could improve productivity. The reality is that many workers, particularly in my constituency, face a long commute to work, which results in work-related stress and tiredness that inevitably reduce their productivity.”
“There is a growing conversation across the world that strong economies can be built on giving workers a better work-life balance. Key to that conversation is the campaign for a four-day week, which is being driven by businesses, trade unions and rights activists. The four-day week is a game changer for the labour market, as it would enable full-time workers to work four days rather than five days, without detriment to their wages. Wherever it has been carried out, there have been benefits for workers and employers through the delivery of a better work-life balance and increased productivity. Despite the well-documented benefits of a four-day week, our Economy Minister continues to fail workers and businesses by not supporting my continued call to establish a pilot scheme in the North.”
“I thank the Minister for her answer. Were there any conversations prior to the roll-out of the high street scheme to anticipate potential scams? Were any preventative measures put in place, or was the work done through just the Scamwise partnership?”
“Minister, will you clarify how people convicted of a sexual offence abroad who now live in the North are subject to monitoring arrangements?”
“It also puts extra pressure on the Education Authority district transport officers who are trying their best to run that vital service but are without the required resources. I thank the Fermanagh-based transport officers who answered my queries and communicated with me openly and honestly. <BR /> <BR />I will continue to liaise with and lobby the Department on the options that they are looking at to overcome the issues in the shorter and longer term. We need to ensure that the situation that Fermanagh families witnessed last week does not happen again and that school transport services are secured for the future.”
“Last week, a serious school bus driver shortage in Fermanagh was exposed. An invaluable provision for parents and pupils, especially in rural areas, has been running on a bare-bones service. The Education Authority and the Department of Education must do everything in their power to rebuild and strengthen school transport services. <BR /> <BR />Last week, a regular stream of parents voiced their concerns to me and my office about the lack of drivers, which resulted in a number of buses not running. It is unacceptable that schoolchildren's allocated transport to and from school is not available. It puts extra pressure on parents and schoolchildren that they can surely do without.”
“The Bill needs to provide a compassionate approach to all workers who suffer the loss of a child. Does the Minister agree that the Bill should apply to agency workers as well as employees?”
“Does the Minister acknowledge that biodiversity loss can have a profound impact on human health, including through the increased risk of infectious diseases?”
“I thank the Minister for that answer. Minister, do you anticipate any proposed changes resulting from the review of the law around the disclosure of victims' remains being legislated for in this mandate?”
“Furthermore, the status quo causes difficulties for sports organisations that tend to operate outside this jurisdiction, such as the GAA, which operates on a provincial basis, including nine Ulster counties, but has to operate two separate safeguarding regimes to protect children. The legal loophole needs to be closed, and protections against grooming and abuse need to be extended to include adults operating in non-statutory settings. <BR /> <BR />Despite my obvious disappointment about the important provisions that have had to be removed from the Bill, such as those to strengthen the law on bail and remand for children to be more compliant with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and to deal with children and young people more appropriately, I welcome the Bill and where it is today.”
“Revenge porn is a disgusting crime and a huge violation of privacy, one that can lead to deep trauma and the devastation of a person's life. I note the Minister's plans to legislate on that area, but, until we see the amendment in writing, it is important that we continue to press home the seriousness of the issue and the urgency required. <BR /> <BR />Current abuse of trust offences do not provide adequate protection for 17-year-olds who are preyed on or groomed by adults in positions of trust and power. Currently, such protections extend only to those in statutory settings, such as schools. However, children and young people can spend many hours a week with adults in other, non-statutory settings. Such adults might include a sports coach, a faith group leader or a youth club leader.”
“<BR /> <BR />I welcome the exclusion of the public from all serious sexual offence hearings, which will go a huge way towards supporting victims of sexual crimes during what is already a traumatic experience. <BR /> <BR />The Justice Minister indicated her intention to propose amendments to the Bill at a later stage, including improving legislation on outlawing revenge porn, widening the existing abuse of trust provisions and provisions for the abolition of the rough sex defence. Those are all policy areas in which my party and I have had a long-standing and keen interest, and we welcome progress on them. Revenge porn is among the most serious incidents of image-based sexual abuse, as are upskirting and downblousing. They are policy areas that demand our full attention and energy.”
“Thank you. <BR /> <BR />I too welcome the introduction of new offences of upskirting and downblousing, which will mark the latest step in tackling the growing problem of image-based sexual abuse. Such heinous and deeply traumatic behaviour cannot be tolerated, and the introduction of the offences will go some way towards tackling the problem. It must, however, be accompanied by serious work to improve relationship and sexual education in schools, so that our young people are taught from an early age about the importance of healthy relationships and consent and so that we focus not just on punishing perpetrators but on preventing the crime in the first place.”
“<BR /> <BR />I welcome the Bill, which implements some of the key recommendations of the Gillen review, along with other important provisions that will, no doubt, be discussed across the Chamber. The system should be about fairness and rights for the victim and the defendant, and the Justice (Sexual Offences and Trafficking Victims) Bill strikes the correct balance in achieving those objectives. <BR /> <BR />I echo the comments of my colleague Sinéad Ennis and put on record my frustration and disappointment that the Bill was obstructed in the Executive for so long and that important provisions had to be removed from it to secure its progression. All the while, time is running out to pass the Bill in this mandate.”
“As a member of the Justice Committee for the last 12 months, I can say that a huge amount of time and energy has been spent in dealing with the issues of domestic and sexual violence, not least with the work that is ongoing to implement the landmark Gillen review of serious sexual offences. That marked a step change in how the criminal justice system deals with sexual violence and treats victims of sex offences. For too long, the criminal justice system has been heavily weighted in favour of the defendant, often at the expense of victims who have suffered trauma and pain unimaginable to many people. The Gillen review and the public events that preceded it represent a point where the system would no longer be tolerated. That is to be welcomed.”
“Go raibh maith agat, a Phríomh-LeasCheann Comhairle. I thank the Minister for his statement. What other issues is the restructured Procurement Board working on?”
“I thank the Minister for his statement. As part of Sinn Féin's submission to the strategy, we highlighted the lack of reference to actions to reduce long-standing and ingrained health inequalities. We know that we need population-level changes, but we also need targeted interventions. What actions are dedicated to reducing mental health inequalities?”
“Minister, do you agree that the proliferation of flags at this time of year is an attempt to mark out territory and intimidate communities and should be roundly condemned across the Assembly?”
“Minister, the £31·5 million provides an immediate injection of funding to tackle waiting lists. What are your views on how longer-term funding might be provided to bring down waiting lists? Can that be done as part of a multi-year Budget?”
“Minister, can you give an update on the establishment of the cultural task force?”
“It is really concerning that telephone fraudsters have posed as police officers on over 300 occasions this year. Has the Minister engaged directly with the Commissioner for Older People to try to support the older population by increasing awareness of and help prevent these sophisticated scams?”
“If the focus is on compassion and support for workers in the most difficult circumstances, there can be no room for exclusions on the basis of employment status or qualification period. All workers need to be given the help and support that they deserve. <BR /> <BR />I hope that those points will be considered and implemented as the Bill moves through each stage of the legislative process. For now, I welcome the introduction of this important piece of legislation and support its passing to Committee Stage, where evidence can be gathered and improvements can be made.”
“I fear that the Bill will continue to exclude many of the workers I have mentioned if the Department and Minister cling to those arbitrary qualification periods and maintain that workers must be working for 26 weeks continuously. <BR /> <BR />The Assembly has power over employment law. We have the power to draft and shape legislation that serves the needs of workers and families. On that basis, the legislation that is being brought forward should not simply be an attempt to mirror legislation in Britain, which, too often, is the case. I suggest that we look beyond that, use the powers at our disposal, and shape the legislation in a way that gives parental bereavement leave to all workers as a day-one right.”
“Those who are not defined as employees are left with fewer rights and entitlements, regardless of whether they fulfil the same roles and responsibilities. Through the Parental Bereavement (Leave and Pay) Bill, the Assembly will have the ability to tackle those inequalities. The Parental Bereavement (Leave and Pay) Bill, as set out, applies only to employees who have been employed continuously for a period of 26 weeks. I would welcome clarity from the Minister on that issue. <BR /> <BR />We all know that the current labour market is precarious. Zero-hours contract workers, agency workers, part-time workers, furloughed workers and many others, face breaks in employment and uncertainty over regular hours and pay. For many, working under a standard employment contract is seen as a luxury rather than an expectation.”
“<BR /> <BR />The Bill is welcome, but Sinn Féin believes that it can go further in delivering on its objective, which is to provide a fair and compassionate form of leave for workers. In our submission to the parental leave consultation, we proposed that the leave must apply to all workers, not just employees. The reality is that the grief inflicted by the death of a child is not exclusive to employees. Agency workers and those on precarious contracts are equally impacted and, therefore, should receive equal support. <BR /> <BR />Across employment law, agency workers often have to work a 12-week qualification period before they can avail themselves of the most basic entitlements relating to pay, pensions and annual leave.”