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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“I welcome confirmation from the Department for Infrastructure that the fee for replacing SmartPasses is not intended to raise revenue and that any income generated will be limited to administrative costs and will be used to protect concessionary travel in the future. <BR /> <BR />I support the Bill, as it will close legislative gaps that have been identified and raised by Members as well as strengthen the overall accountability and functions of several Departments.”
“As a society, we need to continue to be proactive in that area and do all that we can to bring an end to the scourge of misogyny and to protect women and girls. <BR /> <BR />The Bill will also enable TEO to coordinate integration and support for asylum seekers and refugees locally, thus permitting TEO to utilise funds that have been provided to it by Whitehall for those purposes rather than having to rely on the sole authority of the Budget Act. <BR /> <BR />Improving financial stability is another aspect of the Bill. Clauses 15, 16 and 17 will enable DFE, DAERA and DFI to have additional fee-raising powers.”
“<BR /> <BR />Clause 2 focuses on the ability of the Department for the Economy to be proactive in taking initiatives that provide financial assistance to support the local economy, which the Audit Office highlighted as something that was missing during the pandemic. The ability to create companies is a further intervention that the Department for the Economy could use in the future as a result of the changes being made in the Bill, rather than having to rely on Invest NI to do that. <BR /> <BR />The Executive have prioritised tackling violence against women and girls in the Programme for Government. I am pleased that a clear focus will remain on that as clause 9 provides the Executive Office with the statutory authority for implementing the strategic framework in the coming years.”
“The Bill helps to address several issues across several Departments. It includes clauses that provide clarification or new powers to Departments and public bodies to deliver funding, support services and other administrative duties. The oversight of the investment fund to utilise financial transactions capital (FTC) naturally sits within the Department of Finance. Therefore, providing it with the power to issue loans though clause 1 will remove the need for those to be issued through the Strategic Investment Board (SIB), an arm's-length body of the Executive Office, and will improve overall accountability of that scheme.”
“The legislation has equality and human rights at its core and is therefore a positive development.”
“I welcome progress on the legislation. As the Minister said, it will raise the minimum age for marriage and civil partnership to 18 and make it a criminal offence for anyone to be involved in causing a child to enter into such an arrangement. That aspect of the Bill is particularly important, as it will provide a safeguard for children who are at risk of being exploited and forced into marriage, which the United Nations has consistently reported as being a violation of an individual's human rights. <BR /> <BR />The other power in the Bill will provide equality for couples who wish to have a non-religious belief marriage with those who have a religious marriage. It puts on a legislative footing temporary arrangements that have been operating for several years and saw thousands of marriages conducted successfully.”
“Like the baby loss certificate scheme, these regulations are rooted in compassion and will have a meaningful impact on people in our communities. <BR /> <BR />Today, we take an important step forward — a step rooted in kindness and respect and that reflects the kind of society that we all want to build. I welcome the measure — I commend the Minister — and support it wholeheartedly. I hope that it brings some comfort to those who need it most.”
“That reflects a clear and shared understanding across society that more must be done to support those experiencing loss. <BR /> <BR />The provision sends the clear message that grief deserves space, healing takes time, and no one should have to choose between their livelihood and their loss. For many, it will mean the difference between suffering in silence and being given more time and respect to process what they are going through. It will mean that employers are guided by empathy as well as policy. <BR /> <BR />We should recognise the courage of those who have shared their stories, often at great personal cost, to bring us to this point. Their voices have helped us to break down stigma and have driven real, tangible change.”
“That expectation was never fair or compassionate. Today, we take a meaningful step towards changing that. <BR /> <BR />The provision will ensure that parents who experience miscarriage are afforded the same protections as those who lose a child under the age of 18 or who experience stillbirth. Eligibility and accessibility are key to making that a reality. The inclusion of provision for self-declaration, entitlement from the first day of employment and a 56-day window in which to take the leave ensures that there are no unnecessary barriers to accessing the support. <BR /> <BR />It is no surprise that the introduction of a measure such as this received overwhelming support in the consultation, with 95% of respondents agreeing that parental bereavement leave should be extended in this way.”
“I welcome and commend the Economy Minister's confirmation of paid miscarriage leave for parents. It is not simply a policy change; it is a recognition of something deeply human. It acknowledges a loss that has too often gone unseen, unspoken and unsupported. The provision of statutory miscarriage leave and pay is a welcome extension of workplace rights for parents at a time when they have experienced heartbreaking loss. <BR /> <BR />Miscarriage is not rare. It touches countless families — partners, mothers and fathers — yet, for generations, it has been wrapped in silence. The charity Sands estimates that about one in five pregnancies ends in miscarriage. For too long, people have been expected to carry on, to return to work and to function as though nothing has happened, all while grieving a profound and personal loss.”
“I thank the Minister. I will follow up in writing on the issues. Minister, following on from your answer, will you commit to ensuring that rural communities such as Belleek are not disproportionately affected by the loss of essential health services in future?”
“It is also vital that, when talking about our Civil Service, we acknowledge the hard work that is being done to deliver front-line services while we recognise that improvements are required. The implementation of the people strategy over the next five years is needed to improve capacity and ensure that it has the capability, culture and leadership to deliver high-quality public services, adapt to changing needs and respond effectively to future challenges.”
“Digital transformation will also enable the use of new, integrated HR and finance IT to streamline processes, improve workforce data and evidence value for money. <BR /> <BR />As elected representatives, we are responsible for delivering the best public services that we can with the limited financial resources available to us, and there is an onus on all Ministers to do that. However, implementing cuts across the public sector in staff or in estates, which the DUP seems to suggest in the motion by referencing the 20% reduction in Scotland, would only harm our public services. Protecting front-line services requires efficiency, and that can best be served through the ongoing work on longer-term planning by having a multi-year Budget and through initiatives in the Departments' five-year plans.”
“I have spoken regularly in the Chamber about our underfunding by the British Government and the impact that that has had on our public services. However, it is also true that reducing public-sector pressures requires transformation and reform of our services, which is simply not possible without providing long-term direction with a Budget allocation over several years. <BR /> <BR />The motion highlights concerns about the Civil Service workforce but fails to acknowledge the work that is being undertaken through the people strategy 2025-2030, which seeks to address the challenges that the Civil Service faces. The strategy aims to move the Civil Service from reactive staffing to planned, data-driven workforce management, with stronger governance, shorter end-to-end process times and a single, reliable dataset for roles, skills and costs.”
“I welcome the opportunity to speak on the motion. At the outset, I highlight the importance of our taking the opportunity now afforded to us by agreeing a multi-year Budget. The Ulster University Economic Policy Centre has referred to single-year Budgets as being a straitjacket that prevents strategic planning. When meeting Departments, whether in a constituency capacity or in Committee meetings, I have been told by officials that it often feels as though they are involved in a sprint when, instead, they should be engaging in a marathon, with long-term strategic planning that would deliver better outcomes. I acknowledge the Minister's work on the development of five-year plans for Departments that aim to improve service provision while targeting resources where they are most needed and will prove most beneficial.”
“Minister, what impact has the loss of the stabilisation funding from the restoration package had on public finances and the ability to manage Budgets?”
“I thank the First Minister for her answer. Does she agree that the current global instability makes it even more important that we maximise the opportunity provided by a three-year Budget to protect and stabilise our public services?”
“We now have an opportunity to enable Departments to strategically plan for the longer term by agreeing a multi-year Budget. That will also support our efforts to deliver efficiencies and transformation, which will achieve better outcomes across the public sector. <BR /> <BR />I encourage the Finance Minister to continue his work on progressing a full fiscal framework and delivering more fiscal powers locally, which will allow us to make different choices that better suit the needs of our local economy and generate income for public services in a fair way.”
“That means building on the progress that has been made in the past year on the Programme for Government's priorities, such as reducing health waiting lists, with an additional 200,000 elective care procedures taking place; further funding for the child subsidy scheme, which has benefited 19,000 families; and increasing capacity in our waste water infrastructure, with 5,000 extra properties having been unlocked. I am pleased, therefore, to see that the Budget proposals include almost half a billion pounds to improve health waiting times; £195 million to support parents with childcare costs; £433 million for water infrastructure; and £441 million for social housing, which will help the construction sector and enable more properties to be built.”
“That will benefit us through Barnett consequentials to the tune of £390 million over the next three years. Although that is to be welcomed, it reaffirms the position of many of us in the Chamber: Westminster has failed to prioritise funding for front-line services, which has led to crisis interventions being required. <BR /> <BR />The recent agreement of the £400 million reserve claim between the Treasury and the Executive is positive from the perspective that it will help mitigate the pressure on the Budget for the next year. However, it underlines the difficulties that we face in trying to protect our public services. It is important, therefore, that, as local representatives, we use the resources and tools available to us to deliver tangible improvements to people's daily lives.”
“The debate on the Budget and the financial challenges that we face has once again highlighted the gap that exists between the public services that we seek to deliver, and which our citizens deserve, and the resources at our disposal. Our public services have been damaged by a legacy of underfunding by the British Government over many years and by the austerity measures that they have implemented. Since the restoration of the Executive just over two years ago, the Finance Minister and his predecessor have pressed the Treasury for further funding for public services, which has secured an additional £1·4 billion. The spring statement in Westminster last week saw the British Government allocate £5 billion to alleviate the pressures on local councils in England.”
“Some £600,000 has been invested in the scheme since the Executive were restored in 2024, and more than 100 businesses have benefited from it. That shows what a positive intervention the scheme is for our towns, villages and local economy. I look forward to the continued growth of the scheme and to seeing it utilised by businesses to create more jobs in our economy and support the regeneration of our town centres.”
“Only the Member who has just spoken could make something so positive into something so negative. The Back in Business scheme is a welcome intervention that helps to encourage businesses to take on new retail premises that have been lying vacant, thereby supporting the reinvigoration of our high streets. <BR /> <BR />The closure of a business in our town centres not only has a devastating impact on those directly connected to it but can reduce footfall across the board, increase pressure on other businesses and put further jobs in jeopardy. The scheme is a welcome lever that is being used by the Finance Minister to support business owners in what is usually their most challenging period — when they have to deal with initial overheads and get their business off the ground — as it mitigates costs for the first two years of trading.”
“As an elected rep for a large rural constituency, I recognise the value that the rates exemption for rural ATMs has provided communities with by helping them retain access to cash at a time when we see banks abandon our high streets and villages. With many households continuing to struggle with the costs of daily living, which have been further exacerbated by recent events in the Middle East, continuing with relief measures that help protect the most vulnerable in our society is also welcome.”
“It will help support parents with childcare costs and deliver programmes that tackle serious issues in our society, including ending violence against women and girls. <BR /> <BR />As we discuss the rates for the forthcoming financial year, I am also conscious that the Department is involved in a systematic review of all rates supports to ensure that we maximise the intervention that we provide to support our local economy and raise revenue to deliver public services. Small to medium-sized businesses are the backbone of our economy, providing jobs and services. Measures such as the small business rate relief scheme and the Back in Business scheme are therefore important parts of the overall rating system.”
“I thank the Minister for bringing the regional rates order for 2026-27 to the House. As the only major tax over which the Executive have control, the regional rate is a vital source of income that supports the delivery of our public services. When setting the rates annually, it is important that a balance be achieved that recognises the circumstances that local businesses and households are experiencing while providing funding that helps sustain the front-line services that people rely on every day. An increase of 3% in the regional rate for businesses and of 5% in the domestic regional rate, when combined with the district rate, will raise over £1·6 billion, which will be used to invest in areas such as the health service, public transport and education.”
“The establishment of an all-island economic task force, as called for in the amendment, would provide an important mechanism to drive that cooperation and ensure that agreed priorities are delivered. <BR /> <BR />Greater North/South cooperation can and will benefit citizens across the island. The reality, however, is that partition continues to act as a barrier to that potential being fully realised. Enhanced cooperation is welcome and necessary, but, as long as the island remains divided, it will go only so far. The real opportunity lies in building an all-island economy and planning our infrastructure, services and economic development on that basis, ensuring that decisions about our future are made by the people who live and work here.”
“<BR /> <BR />Another important example of cooperation is the water enhancements through sustainable treatment (WEST) project, which is tackling water pollution across Lough Erne, Lough Melvin and Donegal Bay through cooperation between NI Water and Uisce Éireann. Such projects demonstrate clearly that, when Governments work together on an all-island basis, communities benefit. <BR /> <BR />The amendment highlights other key areas in which enhanced cooperation is needed, including rail, energy networks, digital connectivity, skills development and labour market alignment. Those are strategic issues that require joined-up planning if we are to unlock the full economic potential of this island.”
“Removing those barriers and enhancing cooperation between Ministers and Departments North and South can deliver real benefits for communities and businesses. We have already seen positive examples of what that cooperation can achieve. The extension of the Hidden Heartlands tourism brand into Fermanagh links the county with its natural hinterland and strengthens its place within a wider all-island tourism offering. I welcome the work undertaken by the Economy Minister in securing that agreement with Fáilte Ireland and in supporting the marketing of the region. Initiatives such as that build on the strong cooperation that already exists across the all-island tourism sector and provide a welcome boost for local economies, particularly the hospitality sector.”
“The artificial barriers created by partition more than a century ago continue to have a detrimental impact on many aspects of life across our island, including many of the areas referenced in our amendment. Time and again, we see how those divisions make little sense when it comes to the delivery of public services, the development of infrastructure and the growth of our economy. In my Adjournment debate last month, I spoke about the need for the South West Acute Hospital to be utilised by citizens living beyond the Fermanagh and Omagh area. If that hospital is to reach its full potential, it absolutely makes sense that people from neighbouring counties should be able to access the services and benefit from them. That is just one example of why we must think beyond the artificial barriers that partition has imposed on this island.”
“Go raibh maith agat, a LeasCheann Comhairle.”
“The impact of such a loss is simply unimaginable and will, no doubt, have a lasting impact on the people of Fermanagh. Together, we must unite, say that enough is enough and end violence against women and girls in our society.”
“The tragic loss of another woman's life in Enniskillen is another horrific reminder that we still have a long way to go in ending the scourge that is violence against women and girls in our society. Whether on our streets, in our communities or in our homes, women deserve to feel safe and be safe. I truly believe that the epidemic of misogyny that exists in our society can be stopped if all of us, across the Chamber, the Executive and society, work together. By working together and implementing the strategic framework on ending violence against women and girls, we can focus on prevention, continue to support women's organisations, empower our local communities and stop the violence before it starts. <BR /> <BR />My heart goes out to the family, friends and community of the young woman who lost her life at the weekend.”
“I thank the Minister for coming here this afternoon. Minister, will you agree that today's announcement shows that the same pressures on public services are being felt right across these islands?”
“Minister, now that Executive approval has been secured to ban petroleum licensing and exploration, including fracking, what are the next steps?”
“I call on the Health Minister to show leadership and make moves to build the health service of the future for all our communities, without borders and with the dignity that every person deserves.”
“An all-island national health and care service that is public, universal, free at the point of delivery and based on clinical need, will be more sustainable and will ensure that everyone on this island could access the best services available. Sinn Féin will continue to champion that integrated all-Ireland approach, ensuring that specialist care is accessible to people, North and South, on the basis of need. The future of health and care in a new Ireland is of enormous importance to citizens, and the South West Acute Hospital can and should be at the heart of a cross-border solution. Let us not waste another year of opportunity, leave another patient waiting, or have another family burdened by inadequate care.”
“We also heard those calls made powerfully at the Enniskillen event hosted by Pat Cullen MP on delivering rural health and care in a new Ireland. The event brought together voices from across health and rural communities, highlighting not just the crisis that we face but the opportunities that exist if we reimagine how health and care are delivered across the island. The message was clear: rural health needs a system that is equitable, sustainable and rooted in the needs of people, North and South, without artificial barriers. <BR /> <BR />People want to talk about the future and what a new and united Ireland could look like, and healthcare is one of the first places that they go, because cooperation in health just makes sense.”
“Whilst we acknowledge the scaling up of elective care at the hospital, those are short-term measures that depend on independent sector provision and do not address the fundamental long-term issues of emergency surgery provision in the area. That is echoed in the recent work of the International Centre for Local and Regional Development. Its report on community and spatial planning in the Irish border region underlines how joined-up cross-border approaches to planning can deliver better outcomes for communities that span administrative boundaries. Its research shows that coordinated planning does not just improve services; it strengthens the fabric of border communities. Healthcare should be no different.”
“I understand that, when our Health Minister gave evidence recently at the Oireachtas Joint Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement, he rightly indicated his support for cross-border health service development and implementation. Cross-border cooperation is already happening in places, but there needs to be more leadership on it. It must be developed at scale because, when it comes to health, there should be no borders. <BR /> <BR />I thank the Minister for coming to the Chamber and would like to know what he has done to build on cooperation for the future sustainability of the SWAH, particularly in relation to emergency surgical care.”
“In July 2025, the Health Minister in the South, Jennifer Carroll MacNeill, stated:”
“The current CEO of the Western Trust is on record as saying that, without the cross-border population, there would not be enough people to sustain the service. There is ample evidence that when we approach healthcare at the scale of our island, not the scale of partition, people benefit and we achieve world-class clinical outcomes for the people whom we serve. Why then has the same logic not been used in the SWAH to increase footfall and to build resilient emergency surgical services?”
“The All-Island Congenital Heart Disease Network has delivered world-class outcomes for children. The North West Cancer Centre in Derry has a catchment area of approximately 500,000 residents, enabling those people to avail themselves of chemotherapy and radiotherapy services closer to home.”
“<BR /> <BR />The breadth of the health issues raised by my constituents from all-island paediatric pathology services to autism provision and suicide support points to a simple truth: our current systems are failing to meet people's needs. They are not isolated concerns; they are symptoms of deeply rooted, systemic shortcomings in how healthcare is planned and delivered on the island. On this small island, we operate two health systems, each facing deep, structural challenges. It makes no sense that, on an island of just over seven million people, we run two entirely separate health systems that try to solve the same problems. Waiting lists in the North are unacceptably long, rural areas such as ours are especially hard hit, and patients continue to fall between the cracks. <BR /> <BR />Where cooperation has been embraced, we see success.”
“We cannot continue to live in the way that we are living. <BR /> <BR />Fermanagh and Omagh is a uniquely rural district, representing 20% of the North's land mass and 6% of its population. It has the longest share of the border and is deeply interconnected with its neighbouring Southern border counties in trade, agriculture, workforce mobility, daily life and, indeed, cultural connections. Health cooperation would improve the range of service availability; reduce travel times, particularly for emergency care; and support shared workforce planning. An integrated cross-border model of care is an absolute priority for the people of Fermanagh and Omagh.”
“I rise to speak about the South West Acute Hospital, a modern hospital with untapped potential as a true cross-border healthcare resource, and the urgent need for leadership to make that potential a reality. When the hospital was commissioned, its business plan received approval on the basis that the hospital would be positioned in a cross-border service network for trauma, emergency and elective care; in other words, the development and commissioning of future services was to be done on a cross-border basis to ensure the sustainability and clinical viability of services. More than a decade on, that vision has not been followed through. It is clear that the area needs a new, ambitious, whole-system, all-island healthcare approach that does not accept the existing constraints put in place as a result of partition on this island.”
“Go raibh maith agat, a Leas-Cheann Comhairle.”
“In the interim, I encourage the Finance Minister to continue his work on progressing a full fiscal framework and delivering more fiscal powers locally to allow us to make different choices that better suit the needs of our economy and generate income for public services in a fair way.”
“<BR /> <BR />Negative spending decisions made in London continue to impact us detrimentally. We have seen the British Government prioritise investing in, for example, militarisation, which provides no Barnett consequentials for us, meaning that we do not get additional income to invest in our health service, education service and roads. <BR /> <BR />The VAT disparity between the two jurisdictions here means that businesses in my constituency face a disadvantage compared with those just a few miles outside it. That, of course, is one of the financial powers that rest with those not elected by the people here. That is why we need to see what many in the Chamber, including me, and across the North desire: constitutional change.”
“Investment in the areas that are central to the Programme for Government (PFG) priorities is evident in the draft Budget proposals, including the almost half a billion pounds to cut health waiting lists; the £195 million to support parents with childcare costs; the £21 million for skills to grow the economy; and the £15 million for ending violence against women and girls. Earmarked funding that will deliver £433 million for water infrastructure and £441 million for social housing will help the construction sector, while increasing capacity for more homes and businesses. We have an opportunity to enable Departments to strategically plan for the longer term by agreeing a multi-year Budget. That will also support our efforts to deliver efficiencies and transformation, which will achieve better outcomes across the public sector.”