Colm Gildernew
Fermanagh and South Tyrone · Sinn Féin · Northern Ireland
“I thank the Minister for his statement. I have been working with Dungannon Chamber of Commerce and Industry. It will welcome this work, particularly in light of its concerns about vacancy and protecting the retail heart of towns such as Dungannon.”
“I thank the Minister for his answer. Minister, you said that there has been an improvement. However, recently, there were reports of over 1,400 patients waiting more than 28 days. How will you ensure that trusts consistently meet the targets for suspected cancer appointments in particular?”
“However, the Committee will want to examine carefully how any new or amended powers would operate in practice. Powers relating to information sharing, official warnings, directions, removal from office and disqualification can have significant, long-standing consequences for charities, trustees, staff, volunteers and, indeed, public confi…”
“<BR /> <BR />The regulations are consequential to the uprating order and provide the supporting technical changes needed to ensure that the revised benefit rates operate correctly. The regulations increase the earning limit for carer's allowance from £196 a week to £204 a week.”
“In response to those findings, Minister Hargey introduced the Charities Bill, which was enacted in 2022. The legislation put in place many of the review's priority recommendations in the limited time remaining in that mandate. The Charities (Amendment) Bill represents the next stage of that reform programme.”
“The Committee will wish to explore the implications of those changes, including for organisations operating across jurisdictions or delivering charitable activity in or from the North. Our charity sector includes a diverse range of bodies.”
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“I beg to introduce the Housing (Amendment) Bill [NIA 43/22-27], which is a Bill to amend the definition of threatened with homelessness in the Housing (Northern Ireland) Order 1988.”
“I thank the Minister for his answer. Minister, you said that there has been an improvement. However, recently, there were reports of over 1,400 patients waiting more than 28 days. How will you ensure that trusts consistently meet the targets for suspected cancer appointments in particular?”
“I thank the Minister for his statement. I have been working with Dungannon Chamber of Commerce and Industry. It will welcome this work, particularly in light of its concerns about vacancy and protecting the retail heart of towns such as Dungannon. How impactful is the Back in Business scheme in supporting start-ups and encouraging expansion?”
“<BR /> <BR />The Committee remains satisfied that these regulations are necessary to support individuals and families across the North who face the profound implications of this severe disease. Therefore, on behalf of the Committee for Communities, I am content to recommend that the Assembly confirm the rule.”
“Turning to financial and regulatory matters, the payments distributed under the scheme are funded by Westminster from amounts recovered from civil compensation through the compensation recovery mechanism, ensuring no net cost to the public purse. The Department advised that a formal screening exercise concluded that the rule does not carry significant implications for equality of opportunity or good relations under section 75 of the NI Act 1998. A regulatory impact assessment was not required as the provisions impose no financial or compliance costs on business, charities, social enterprise or voluntary bodies here. <BR /> <BR />The regulations maintain parity of timing and substance with Britain, where an identical instrument came into force on the same date.”
“The regulations substitute the existing tables in the 2008 regulations to apply the 3·8% uplift, with figures being rounded to the nearest pound. The specific allocations are contained in detail in the regulations.”
“Under the scheme, payments are made without any requirement to prove negligent exposure to asbestos or to establish that the exposure occurred during employment. That design ensures that crucial financial relief can be delivered rapidly to those who are affected by the severe condition. While there is no explicit statutory obligation to increase the payment thresholds each year, it is rightly a long-standing policy to adjust the levels annually in line with inflation. The uprating that is contained in the rule is based on the consumer price index, which was 3·8%. As the lump sum supports individuals disabled through asbestos-related disease, it operates in direct alignment with other social security disability benefits.”
“Under section 10(2) of the parent Act — the Mesothelioma, etc., Act 2008 — the rule must receive the formal approval of the Assembly before the expiration of six months from the date of its coming into operation, otherwise it will cease to have effect. The rule took effect on 1 April, and the Committee recommends that the Assembly confirms the rule today. <BR /> <BR />The regulations are made under sections 1(3), 9(1) and 9(2) of the Mesothelioma, etc., Act. The 2008 Act provides the legal framework to enable lump sum compensation payments to be made to individuals who have been diagnosed with diffuse mesothelioma, or to their surviving dependants, in circumstances in which the sufferer did not make a successful claim within their lifetime.”
“I suspect that the Minister just does not want to have to say "mesothelioma" too many times. <BR /> <BR />As Chair of the Committee, I support the confirmation of the Mesothelioma Lump Sum Payments (Conditions and Amounts) (Amendment) Regulations 2026. The Committee has considered the statutory rule. It examined the SL1 during its meeting of 8 January. Members indicated that they were content for the Department for Communities to proceed with making the rule. The Department later confirmed that no changes have been made since the SL1 was submitted. The final text of the statutory rule was subsequently considered by the Committee at its meeting on 16 April. <BR /> <BR />The rule is subject to confirmatory resolution.”
“Therefore, on behalf of the Committee for Communities, I recommend that the Assembly confirm the rules.”
“Additionally, the regulations deal with some practical issues arising from the uprating exercise. They provide that, where a question has arisen about the effect of the uprating order on a benefit that is already in payment, the altered rates will not apply until that question has been determined, avoiding incorrect payments. <BR /> <BR />A screening exercise concluded that the legislation does not have significant implications for equality of opportunity or good relations and that a regulatory impact assessment was not required, because the legislation does not impose costs on businesses or charities. <BR /> <BR />The Committee was satisfied that the Department proceeded appropriately in the case of both pieces of delegated legislation.”
“<BR /> <BR />The regulations are consequential to the uprating order and provide the supporting technical changes needed to ensure that the revised benefit rates operate correctly. The regulations increase the earning limit for carer's allowance from £196 a week to £204 a week. That is the amount that a person may earn in the preceding week without being treated as being gainfully employed and losing entitlement to the benefit. The Department advised that the revised amount is based on 16 times the hourly national living wage, rounded up to the nearest pound. The regulations also increase the personal expenses allowance from £32·30 a week to £33·55 a week, reflecting that 3·8% increase in CPI. That is a modest amount that goes to a person in cases in which their benefit is paid directly to an accommodation provider.”
“The personal allowance for jobseeker's allowance, contributory employment and support allowance, income support and housing benefit have all also increased by 3·8%. Furthermore, benefits linked to the general level of earnings were increased by 4·8%, which was based on average weekly earnings in the year to July 2025. Accordingly, the basic state pension increased from £176·45 a week to £184·90 a week from April 2026. The full rate of the new state pension increased from £230 a week to over £241 a week. Additionally, the standard minimum guarantee element of pension credit for a single person increased from £227·10 a week to £238 a week, while the rate for couples increased from £346 a week to £363·25 a week. Most pension and benefit changes under the order took effect on 6 April.”
“<BR /> <BR />The order is part of the regular annual social security uprating package, as the Minister outlined, and provides for revised rates of certain social security benefits, pensions and allowances. It corresponds to an equivalent Order made in Britain and maintains parity. The Department advised the Committee that benefits linked to the general level of prices were to be increased in line with the consumer price index from October 2024 to September 2025, which was 3·8%. That increase applies to a wide range of benefits, including the state pension, the additional state pension, attendance allowance, carer's allowance, disability living allowance, personal independence payment and industrial injuries benefit.”
“I welcome the Social Security Benefits Up-rating Order 2026 and Social Security Benefits Up-rating Regulations 2026. <BR /> <BR />The Committee considered the SL1 for each statutory rule at our meeting on 8 January 2026. Members were content for the Department to make the rule at that stage. The Department later confirmed that no changes had been made to the policy content since the SL1s were submitted. Subsequently, the final text of both rules was considered by the Committee at our meeting on 16 April 2026. Both rules came into effect on 1 April and are subject to the confirmatory resolution procedure. They will cease to have effect after six months unless approved by the Assembly.”
“Sinn Féin will work with all parties on the Communities Committee to scrutinise the legislation and ensure that we deliver a Bill that truly supports charities right across the North.”
“Although I would be supportive of the smooth operation of charities across jurisdictions, I want clarity on whether that might give larger charities operating across jurisdictions any unfair advantage, compared with small local charities that have to compete with those larger charities for funding and also have to register with our local Charities Commission. <BR /> <BR />Although many of the proposals are positive, the decision to subject the proposals to a consultation of only four weeks is not an ideal way to do business, particularly as it limits the time in which those small local charities with fewer resources can engage and contribute. That is something that we will look at in the time ahead.”
“It is important that the Minister engage directly with counterparts in the South to ensure that the provisions in clauses 8 and 9 are aligned and strengthened. <BR /> <BR />As the Bill moves into Committee Stage, I will look specifically at the repeal of section 167 of the Charities Act. Although the provision was never enacted, its repeal will mean that a charity registered and regulated in the South, Britain or another jurisdiction will not have to re-register with the local Charities Commission.”
“In response to those findings, Minister Hargey introduced the Charities Bill, which was enacted in 2022. The legislation put in place many of the review's priority recommendations in the limited time remaining in that mandate. The Charities (Amendment) Bill represents the next stage of that reform programme. It seeks to give effect to a further 18 recommendations from the independent review. The Bill's 14 clauses collectively aim to strengthen the statutory framework, enhance regulatory clarity and ensure that the Charity Commission can operate with the transparency expected of a regulator. Reduced bureaucracy is welcome, but that cannot come at the cost of undermining regulation. The legislation must help ensure that there is transparency around funding, income and overall financial accountability.”
“The Committee's focus will be on whether the Bill strikes the right balance between effective regulation and practical proportionality; whether the safeguards are sufficient; whether delegated powers are appropriately framed; and whether implementation will be realistic for the regulator and the sector. On that basis, I welcome the Bill's progression to Committee Stage and look forward to detailed, evidence-based scrutiny of its provisions. <BR /> <BR />I will now make some brief remarks as Sinn Féin spokesperson. Former Communities Minister Deirdre Hargey commissioned an independent review of charity regulation from 2021 to 2022. The findings of that review set out 93 recommendations for the Department, the Charity Commission and the charity sector.”
“A modern framework should be understandable, accessible and capable of being implemented consistently. <BR /> <BR />The Committee welcomes the broad intent of the Charities (Amendment) Bill. The Bill presents an opportunity to modernise charity regulation, support public trust, strengthen oversight and reduce unnecessary burden on smaller charities. However, the Committee has not yet completed its scrutiny of the Bill, and we therefore reserve judgement on the detail of specific clauses until Committee Stage, when members will take evidence from the Department, the Charity Commission, umbrella bodies, professional advisers and the wider sector.”
“<BR /> <BR />The Committee will also need to consider implementation. Legislative modernisation will be effective only if it can be delivered in practice. That means clear guidance, suitable systems, proportionate processes and sufficient capacity in the Charity Commission and the Department. The Department's material indicates that implementation may involve one-off capital and resource costs for the commission. The Committee will want to examine whether those estimates are realistic; whether the proposed timetable is deliverable; and whether charities will receive timely and accessible guidance before substantive changes take effect. In particular, smaller organisations should not be left to interpret complex changes without practical support.”
“The Committee will wish to explore the implications of those changes, including for organisations operating across jurisdictions or delivering charitable activity in or from the North. Our charity sector includes a diverse range of bodies. Some are small and local; others operate on a regional, cross-border or England/Scotland/Wales/Six Counties-wide basis. The Committee will, therefore, want to be satisfied that the final legislative framework is clear, avoids unnecessary duplication and does not create unintended regulatory gaps or consequences. Clarity matters not only for the regulator but for trustees, staff, volunteers, funders, professional advisers and members of the public. If the law is difficult to understand or apply, compliance becomes more difficult, and confidence can be weakened.”
“In particular, members will want to understand the proposed use of regulations, the level of Assembly oversight, the timing of secondary legislation and how charities will be supported through any transition to the new arrangements. The Committee will also want to ensure that simplification does not unintentionally reduce transparency or weaken public confidence. The key issue will be whether the Bill can reduce avoidable administrative drag while retaining the level of financial assurance that the public, donors, beneficiaries and, indeed, funders are entitled to expect. <BR /> <BR />A further theme is clarity. The Bill proposes to remove provisions that, according to the Department, have not proved workable in practice.”
“A second important theme is the intention to reduce unnecessary bureaucracy for smaller charities. The Committee has already heard that many small organisations face real pressures in meeting administrative accounting and reporting requirements. For volunteer-led organisations, compliance effort often falls on a small number of people who already deliver services, raise funds and support their communities. The Bill appears to create scope for a more flexible and tiered approach to accounting, reporting and independent examination requirements. The Committee welcomes the general policy aim of making regulation more proportionate to the size, complexity and risk profile of charities. That said, the Committee will need to examine the detail of how that would be achieved.”
“Rather, it reflects the Committee's role in ensuring that the balance is right: robust enough to protect charitable assets and the public interest, but fair, transparent and proportionate in its application.”
“However, the Committee will want to examine carefully how any new or amended powers would operate in practice. Powers relating to information sharing, official warnings, directions, removal from office and disqualification can have significant, long-standing consequences for charities, trustees, staff, volunteers and, indeed, public confidence in the sector. <BR /> <BR />The Committee will therefore wish to test whether the proposed safeguards are sufficient. That will include issues such as prior notice, the opportunity to make representations, publication decisions, rights of appeal, data protection safeguards, review mechanisms, consistency of decision-making and the practical guidance that will be available to charities and trustees. That is not to suggest opposition to the broad aim of strengthening effective regulation.”
“The Committee welcomes the opportunity to consider legislation that seeks to update and improve the regulatory framework. We also note that the Department carried out a further public consultation, which closed on 24 April 2026, having attracted 38 responses. A number of amendments to the Bill were tabled before its introduction in response to issues that were raised. <BR /> <BR />One of the broad themes of the Bill is the strengthening and clarification of the Charity Commission's regulatory powers. The Committee recognises that an effective regulator needs to have a range of proportionate tools. In many circumstances, a graduated regulatory response may be more appropriate than moving immediately to the most formal or intrusive intervention available.”
“It is, therefore, essential that charity law provides a framework that protects charitable assets, supports public confidence and enables good governance, while also avoiding unnecessary administrative burdens. A regulatory system that is too weak risks undermining public trust, while a system that is too heavy can divert scarce time and money away from front-line delivery. <BR /> <BR />In broad terms, the Bill seeks to modernise aspects of the Charities Act 2008. The Department has indicated that the Bill gives effect to recommendations from the independent review of charity regulation and is intended to strengthen proportionate regulatory powers, streamline accounting and reporting requirements and remove provisions that have proved to be difficult or unworkable.”
“My comments are therefore directed towards the broad policy intent, the issues that the Committee is likely to want to test and the importance of ensuring that the final legislation is proportionate, workable and clear. <BR /> <BR />We recognise the importance of the charity sector across the North. It is absolutely vital in maintaining services across a range of sectors that we all know the value of. Charities, including community organisations, faith-based organisations, voluntary groups and social-purpose bodies, provide practical support to individuals and families, often in areas where need is greatest. Many are small, volunteer-led and deeply rooted in their local communities.”
“I welcome the Second Stage of the Charities (Amendment) Bill. At the outset, it is important to place my remarks in context. The Second Stage is concerned with the general principles of the Bill. The Committee received an initial briefing from departmental officials and has been provided with the Bill and accompanying material. However, the Committee has not yet undertaken its formal evidence-taking, stakeholder engagement or clause-by-clause scrutiny. For that reason, I will not offer any settled Committee view on the detail of individual clauses today. Those matters will be examined properly during the Bill's Committee Stage.”
“I acknowledge the families who are here, many of whom I was proud to stand alongside and campaign with throughout the scandal, including in the fight that they had just to have the public inquiry held. That needs to be acknowledged. <BR /> <BR />Minister, the inquiry has been highly critical of the Belfast Trust's approach, raising concerns about its attitude towards families and its approach to the inquiry, which has caused families further hurt. You said that you will meet the trust this afternoon: if you are not satisfied with its response, are you prepared to impose independent oversight or take further action to restore public confidence?”
“In that case, could a system be put in place whereby you would align fully or closely with the Housing Executive points programme in order to ensure that, rather than allocation being random, housing need is fully addressed when allocations are made?”
“I thank the Minister for his statement. I can confirm that he could not have picked a better place to start than on the Old Eglish Road in Dungannon. I welcome the investment in housing, which is badly needed. I also welcome the other elements in the statement. There are important areas to be explored when it comes to issues around public land and Housing Executive borrowing. <BR /> <BR />The Committee for Communities has heard that, in the event of oversubscription, there could be a random element in the process of considering the eligibility criteria for allocation. I suspect that these homes will absolutely be oversubscribed in Dungannon and in other locations.”
“— by you. Has that failure now been compounded by your silence and invisibility in the past week?”
“Minister, everyone deserves access to safe and secure housing. Over the past week, we have seen the opposite, with families being intimidated and burnt out of their homes. Larne leisure centre was targeted last year after your reckless Facebook comments, and that was a failure of leadership —”
“Minister, the odorant is in the form of a gas. That company is charged with managing gas safely. What reassurance can you give the community of Granville and Eskra that the facility is managing highly dangerous gas safely?”
“Gordon Lyons, as the Minister for Communities, whose remit includes homelessness and housing, has been largely invisible and largely silent on those issues. I would like the Minister to come to the House to make clear what steps he is taking to protect those communities, to condemn the fact that people are being made homeless and to give support to people who are desperately trying to provide housing for all those affected.”
“Regrettably, during an emergency meeting of the Committee for Communities that I called last Wednesday, it became clear that the situation has been exacerbated as a result of what happened in Larne last year and that some of the normal measures used to respond have not been available. That is absolutely disgraceful. I also send my solidarity to the Mayor of Belfast, Róis-Máire Donnelly, who has received death threats. She has just come into post as the new mayor and has been the subject of such threats. <BR /> <BR />We need to speak with one voice, and what we say in the Chamber needs to be heard very clearly, Members. Those were absolutely unacceptable and disgraceful levels of violence. I have referenced communities, homelessness and housing.”
“<BR /> <BR />I acknowledge the efforts that the community and voluntary sector has made over the past week to deal with the fallout from much of that violence through trying to support families, trying to find them somewhere to stay and trying to remove them from situations in which they were in imminent danger. I also acknowledge the leadership that people have shown in their own communities, where they have rallied around people who have been targeted. They have supported them and, where they could, tried to assist them. Furthermore, I acknowledge the Housing Executive and housing association staff who have been working around the clock to try to address some of the issues.”
“I raise the issue of the racially motivated riots that we have seen in the past week since we stood here last Tuesday. Communities have been convulsed in an orgy of racist violence. We saw mobs roaming the streets, attacking people simply on the basis of the colour of their skin and making people homeless in the midst of what is already a homelessness crisis. We saw vulnerable communities being attacked and terrorised and families being burnt from their homes. We saw children in their bare feet being escorted into the back of police vehicles for their own safety. Those were absolutely shameful and disgraceful scenes, and everybody in the Chamber should be calling them out for what they are.”
“Ó tharla sin amhlaidh, tá súil agam go gcuirfear Bille na ‘bpost maith’ faoi bhráid an Tí le go rithfear agus go gcuirfear chun feidhme é, nó cuirfidh a chuid forálacha saoire neamhíoctha ar fáil do chúramóirí, déanfaidh siad an rochtain ar obair sholúbtha níos fusa ag cúramóirí, agus athróidh siad an chothromaíocht oibre agus saoil le cuidiú le teaghlaigh atá ag obair. Molaim Caoimhe Archibald, Aire Geilleagair, agus an Roinn Geilleagair as an Bhille sin a fhorbairt agus as éisteacht leis na cúramóirí agus a ngrúpaí abhcóideachta lena chinntiú go gcuirfear forálacha sa Bhille le tacú leo. Mar sin de, agus Seachtain seo na gCúramóirí ann, gabhaim buíochas leis na cúramóirí, agus deirim le Comhaltaí gur chóir dúinn a gceart a thabhairt do chúramóirí agus Bille na ‘bpost maith’ a rith.”
“Mar a dúirt cúpla Comhalta, seo í Seachtain na gCúramóirí, seachtain a dtugtar deis dúinn lena linn ár machnamh a dhéanamh ar obair na gcúramóirí, bíodh sin mar ghairm bheatha nó mar dhualgas morálta do bhall teaghlaigh, do chara nó do chomharsa. De réir dhaonáireamh 2021, tugann níos mó ná 220,000 duine cúram neamhíoctha sa Tuaisceart. Tá sin thart ar dhuine as gach ochtar. Is daoine iad sin a thugann cúram cionn is go bhfuil feidhm leis, nó cionn is go bhfuil duine ag brath air. Ba chóir tacú lena bhfiúntas; ba chóir aitheantas agus urraim a thabhairt dó. <BR /> <BR />An té atá ag obair mar chúramóir neamhíoctha, féadann sin bheith ina bhac mór air fostaíocht a fháil. Más fíor do Carers NI, d’fhág duine as gach triúr a chuid oibre le cúram a thabhairt do dhuine eile.”
“Will the Minister outline what risks arise from Departments operating within contingency planning envelopes rather than an agreed Budget and how those risks are being managed?”
“Only six months ago — it might be less than six months — Gordon Lyons, as Minister for Communities, was found to be in breach of the standards expected of him in relation to other attacks on families. His Facebook post was found to have fallen short of the required standards for leadership, accountability and community relationships. <BR /> <BR />Let us be clear, Members: the lack of leadership being displayed here lets down not just marginalised communities and vulnerable individuals but your communities, because they deserve to see investment, diversity and inclusion. People in the Chamber have a responsibility to lead us to that future, rather than looking at a bleak past.”
“I have already made remarks linked to the issue in my Member's statement. First and foremost, I send my sympathy and thoughts to the victim of the attack and his family. Rightly, we discuss the issue, sometimes in abstract terms, but it will feel like a personal and frightening attack on them. A man is here trying to invest in the community and trying to do something positive, and he finds that his future lies in ashes about his feet. That is just disgraceful. <BR /> <BR />There is a thread between the issues that I raised this morning in relation to what has happened in Moygashel in my constituency, on the Shankill Road at the weekend and at Scarva. That thread is intolerance. That is what people need to challenge and call out, because the other thread that links those issues is a lack of leadership.”
“<BR /> <BR />In Scarva, we saw more masked men seeking to intimidate a peaceful march and Carla Lockhart standing shoulder to shoulder with them. The spraying of slurry on roads in Scarva is darkly reminiscent of a previous era when civil rights protesters were sprayed with slurry on the streets of Dungannon. Attempts by the DUP to deflect are pathetic. People see through those attempts and see them for what they are. Again, we see the DUP standing on the wrong side, determined to drag us all back to the past rather than looking forward. I urge all political representatives in the Chamber to call out those acts for what they are: hateful, racist and sectarian. They belong to the past. Our job is to build a better future.”
“Over the weekend, we also saw a deplorable arson attack in the Shankill area of Belfast. I utterly condemn that. Targeting a building because of who owns it is despicable, especially when areas are crying out for jobs and investment. The owner of the building has lived here for more than 20 years, investing in our community and seeking to build something positive. My thoughts are with him and all those affected by that appalling incident. There is no place in our society for hate crime, racism or sectarianism in any form. All political representatives and community leaders should strongly condemn the attack. Those responsible for it seek to spread fear and division, and they do nothing but damage their own communities. I urge anyone with information that can assist the investigation to come forward and contact the PSNI immediately.”
“In recent weeks, we have seen once again the appearance of racist imagery in the Moygashel area of Dungannon. It was rightly removed by the PSNI, which also commenced a criminal investigation of it. That banner has, disgracefully, been re-erected with the clear intention of sowing division, hatred, prejudice and fear in our community. I call on all political representatives and community leaders in Fermanagh and South Tyrone to strongly and immediately condemn the re-erection of the banner and to call for its immediate removal. The presence of masked men at a children's park is a further sinister development that must also be called out and investigated. There is no place in our society for racism. It is time to take a stand against division and to stand up for inclusion and respect.”
“I thank the Minister for his answer. I look forward to receiving the information. Given that the Oakridge Social Education Centre in Dungannon has been identified as a priority for a new build for over 20 years, will the Minister tell me when families can expect to see progress on that long-standing commitment? Will the project be included in forthcoming investment plans for services for adults with complex needs in the south Tyrone and Southern Trust area?”