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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“It sincerely hopes that the legislation will mark a step change in how accessible public services will be for members of the deaf community and that their lives improve because of it. We will advise the next Committee for Communities on follow-up scrutiny of the legislation's implementation. <BR /> <BR />The Committee supports the Bill. During our scrutiny of the Bill, members of the Committee became acutely aware of the social exclusion that deaf and deafblind people can experience as a result of linguistic exclusion. We learned at first hand about the scale and extent of the negative impact of being unable to have access to and participate fully in education, employment, health, the justice system, the arts and leisure activities, and public and private services more generally.”
“It provides for the official recognition of BSL and ISL as languages with equal status here in the North; a statutory duty on prescribed public organisations to take reasonable steps to make their services accessible to sign language users; a commitment to promoting the use and understanding of sign languages, including greater access to sign language education for deaf children and their families; and a framework for accrediting sign language interpreters and teachers, ensuring professional standards and capacity-building in the sector. The Bill moves beyond disability legislation, recognising that sign language is not just an accessibility tool but a core aspect of cultural and linguistic identity. <BR /> <BR />The Committee believes that its scrutiny has added to the Bill's strength.”
“With your indulgence, Mr Speaker, before I address the amendments, I will make some general remarks about the Bill in my capacity as Chairperson of the Committee for Communities. It is a huge honour to stand here on behalf of the Committee for Communities to take part in the Consideration Stage of the Sign Language Bill. This is a momentous occasion for the deaf community in the North, who have waited with extraordinary patience, resilience and determination for the legislation to become a reality. <BR /> <BR />The Bill is a transformational step towards breaking down those barriers, providing formal recognition for Irish Sign Language (ISL) and British Sign Language (BSL) and ensuring that sign language users have their linguistic and cultural rights respected.”
“Minister, people in our communities are struggling and worried about how they are going to heat their homes, and, at this point, you have £17 million to allocate to that. In the context of having only £17 million for that purpose, will you clarify the total budget for US250 activities, including the projects and events that you have mentioned today?”
“Were it not so serious, it would be almost laughable that the Minister for Communities instructed officials to make that a top priority while failing to deliver on so many other issues of real importance. If the DUP is serious about tackling the wasteful spending of public money, perhaps it should start by taking a closer look at the actions of its own Ministers. It might then have some credibility when it seeks to pontificate to the rest of us.”
“We all continue to suffer the consequences of that act of self-harm daily. As we debate the motion today, community groups are issuing their staff with redundancy notices as a direct result of the underfunding of the local growth fund and the failure of the British Government to replace in full the funding lost as a result of Brexit, a Brexit that the DUP championed at every turn. <BR /> <BR />The DUP is the party that is involved in more legal cases than it can even count, consistently using taxpayers' money to block progressive change through the courts. It is the party that prioritises pet projects such as spending over £5,000 of taxpayers' money to prove JD Vance's Ulster-Scots heritage, which did not exist.”
“Digitalisation is the future, because it will remove much of the administrative cost of running government and make it easier for the public to access services. The quicker we embrace technological advances, the quicker we will feel the benefits and potentially cut costs. <BR /> <BR />I have to say, however, that the level of hypocrisy that the DUP has exhibited in tabling the motion is truly staggering. It is the party that brought us the renewable heat incentive (RHI) or "cash for ash" scandal, which has cost the taxpayer millions of pounds. It did not seem to care too much about tackling wasteful spending when it signed off on that scheme; indeed, it encouraged participants to fill their boots at the expense of the taxpayer. The DUP is the party that, together with the Tories, brought us Brexit.”
“<BR /> <BR />Secondly, I welcome the recent confirmation of the open-book exercise that will take place in cooperation with the British Treasury. It will provide a much clearer picture of the unsustainable pressures that the Executive face. Thirdly, I welcome the establishment of the public-sector transformation board and the funding allocations that it has already made. The six projects that have received funding include £61 million to the Department of Health to enable the roll-out of multidisciplinary teams (MDTs) in GP practices and £27·5 million to tackle the unsustainable trajectory of special educational needs (SEN) spending by prioritising early intervention. <BR /> <BR />Further such opportunities for transformation will be made possible through the digitalisation of the public sector.”
“<BR /> <BR />Although public-sector reform has been too slow to date, it is important to recognise some of the positive steps that have been taken, the benefits of which will be transformational in the long run. First, I welcome the progress that has been made on delivering fairer funding to the North via the interim fiscal framework. If we are to have any hope of transforming our public services, we need the upfront investment that will allow us to achieve that. More work, however, is needed in order to agree a final fiscal framework that will accurately reflect the true level of objective need in the North. Speaking as a member of the Communities Committee, I say that we also urgently need to see borrowing powers granted to the Housing Executive to allow it to build more homes.”
“<BR /> <BR />As a member of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), I am concerned about the findings of the Audit Office report on the Civil Service, which shows that its transformation has been far too slow and that serious issues of capacity and capability remain. In particular, the over-reliance on agency staff to deliver services is of huge concern. I welcome the progress that has been made on that issue, such as the confirmation that the outsourced aspects of recruitment will be brought back in-house from March 2027. The Civil Service is, however, only one part of the jigsaw puzzle. Similar problems exist in all areas of the public sector, not least in health and education. Transformation there is equally, if not more, essential.”
“Only when the British Government end their policy of austerity and deliver serious investment in the North will our public services be placed on a sustainable footing. <BR /> <BR />We also need to transform the way in which we deliver our public services to allow us to improve outcomes for people whilst removing duplication and inefficiencies. We often hear the criticism that our public sector is overladen with red tape. Although I am sure that much of it is necessary, we should do anything that we can to remove unnecessary bureaucracy in the system. The review of arm's-length bodies, on which the Minister of Finance is leading, will be key to rationalising public administration. We hope to see a much more streamlined and efficient system going forward.”
“Tackling the wasteful and inefficient spending of public money should and must be a key priority for the Executive at all times but even more so in the current fiscal climate. At a time when budgets are strained, there is an onus on all Ministers to stretch their budgets as far as they can go. That will require a concerted effort by all Ministers to minimise wasteful spending while protecting front-line public services. Whilst it is right and proper that the Executive strive for efficiencies, it must be said that making efficiencies alone will not solve our financial woes. The simple truth is that the British Government continue to underfund the North, and that is having a severely negative impact on our ability to maintain our public services to an acceptable standard.”
“Go raibh maith agat, a Leas-Cheann Comhairle.”
“I thank the Minister for his answer and for placing value, as I do, on all schools and small rural schools in particular. Does the Minister recognise that there are some strategically important small schools, the closure of which would have social and community impacts beyond the impact on educational outcomes? Does he agree that, in those situations, we should look at measures that can support schools?”
“I thank the Member for giving way. Does she agree that many constituents and communities in our constituency of Fermanagh and South Tyrone are crying out for enhanced environmental protection of air quality? Communities such as those in Killeeshil and Granville are repeatedly beset by odours emanating from commercial premises.”
“Members should also note that the statutory rule mirrors the corresponding British legislation, so improving these regulations ensures parity of timing and substance between the North and Britain as both sets of regulations are due to come into force from 1 April 2026. <BR /> <BR />The implementation of a wider package of uprating is expected to increase the Department's annually managed expenditure. However, as is only right, that will be met in full by the Treasury in London, presenting no additional cost to the Executive. <BR /> <BR />This necessary legislation ensures continued and fair financial support for individuals whose health has been severely compromised by their working environment. Therefore, on behalf of the Committee for Communities, I am content to recommend that the Assembly affirm the regulations.”
“The Committee subsequently considered the SL1 at our meeting on 8 January 2026, where members were content for the Department to proceed in making the rule. The rule was formally laid in the Business Office on 23 February 2026. The Department advised the Committee that there had been no changes to the policy content since the SL1 was originally submitted. Following that, the Committee considered the final rule and formally agreed the text of the regulations at our meeting on 26 February 2026.”
“The regulations before us today form part of the annual uprating of social security benefits, pensions and lump-sum payments. Their specific purpose is to increase the amounts payable under the scheme by 3·8% effective from 1 April 2026. The 3·8% increase aligns with the rate of inflation as measured by the consumer prices index in September 2025. The Committee welcomes the uprating. By matching the consumer prices index, the regulations ensure that the compensation payments keep pace with inflation in line with the uprating applied to other disability benefits. <BR /> <BR />Turning to the Committee's scrutiny of the statutory rule, I will outline the timeline of our engagement with the Department for Communities. The Department initially submitted the SL1 for the regulations to us on 10 December 2025.”
“<BR /> <BR />The diseases covered under the scheme, such as pneumoconiosis, byssinosis and diffuse mesothelioma, are devastating conditions. They are generally occupational in nature and are contracted by workers who are exposed to dust, such as coal dust, silica or asbestos, often over long periods of employment. The physical effects of the diseases are severe, chronic and deeply debilitating. Sufferers face progressive and irreversible lung damage, severe shortness of breath, chronic coughing and a significantly reduced quality of life. In many cases, the conditions are life-limiting. <BR /> <BR />The compensation provided under the 1979 Order is therefore a vital, albeit modest, recognition of the profound suffering and financial hardship endured by those workers and their families across the North.”
“I am sorry, Minister, but I cannot let this great speech go to waste. <BR /> <BR />As the Chairperson of the Committee for Communities, I support the motion to affirm the Pneumoconiosis, etc., (Workers' Compensation) (Payment of Claims) (Amendment) Regulations (NI) 2026. At the outset, it is important to reflect on the purpose of the primary legislation that the regulations would amend. The Pneumoconiosis, etc., (Workers' Compensation) (NI) Order 1979 provides lump-sum compensation payments to people who suffer with certain dust-related diseases. Crucially, it also makes provision for payments to dependants, as defined by the 1979 Order, in circumstances where the sufferer did not receive a compensation payment under that Order before their death.”
“I will go into some detail, so that Members will not have to go to all that trouble.”
“Our communities cannot afford emergency fixes; they deserve a strategically planned and fully funded future. I commend the Bill to the House.”
“The Minister for Communities recently announced a number of allocations. While any investment in our communities is welcome, the Committee needs to see clearly how prioritisation decisions are made and exactly how funding decisions align directly with core Executive commitments. Given the severe financial envelope dictated by Westminster, the Committee considers that an invest-to-save approach is not merely desirable but absolutely necessary. There are areas in the Communities remit where targeted investment could generate measurable returns and, ultimately, save significant amounts of money. The financial oversight that we exercise in the Chamber cannot fix a system that is, ultimately, driven by Treasury policy in London. It is incumbent on the British Government to deliver a fair and sustainable funding model.”
“<BR /> <BR />On the capital side, the Committee is firmly supportive of social housing being treated as a top priority. Delivering the housing supply strategy target of 5,850 homes in this mandate requires 2,600 new starts in 2026-27, necessitating approximately £235 million before any other capital projects are considered. <BR /> <BR />We must also recognise that the continued inability of the Housing Executive to borrow is an immediate risk to the organisation's stability. It also risks the managed decline of our housing stock. We welcome the continued efforts by the Minister of Finance in his fiscal framework negotiations with Treasury on Housing Executive borrowing.”
“<BR /> <BR />We see the sharp end of that constraint in benefit delivery. Currently, the Department does not have the capacity to fund into-work support for citizens fully. The 400 staff recruited in 2025-26 to deliver those vital services generate a recurrent funding requirement that, owing to broader constraints, has not yet been fully recognised in the draft multi-year Budget. Failure to secure that funding could cause the North to fall further behind Britain on effective welfare service delivery. Furthermore, key initiatives endorsed at Executive level, such as the disability and work strategy, must have funding clearly allocated for their delivery. We must ensure that strategies that are meant to make a real difference to people's lives are backed by the resources to implement them.”
“Balancing the Budget requires incredibly difficult decisions to be made collectively at the Executive table, and we acknowledge the constraints under which all Ministers have had to operate. <BR /> <BR />The human context of Treasury policy is felt acutely in the Department for Communities, which has an exceptionally broad remit, spanning housing, social security, employment and the community sector. Against an opening baseline of £754·1 million, the Department projects a resource DEL shortfall of £174·4 million or 23% in 2026-27. Officials recently informed the Committee that the Department faces inescapable resource pressures of approximately £40 million next year. A large proportion of that proposed allocation is pre-committed to staff costs, statutory obligations and contractual commitments.”
“I will contribute to the debate on the Final Stage of the Budget Bill as the Chairperson of the Committee for Communities. Passing the Bill will grant the necessary legal authority to keep our vital public services running for the year ahead. As we reflect on the figures before us, however, we must be absolutely clear about the root of our structural problems. Public services in the North continue to be systematically underfunded by the British Government. <BR /> <BR />The Committee agrees entirely with the position established by the Executive. The North continues to be underfunded relative to our objective need. That has forced the whole Executive into an unenviable position. We recognise the considerable challenge that that presents in distributing scarce, inadequate resources across competing critical priorities.”
“OK. I did not hear any explanation other than its being difficult to buy a home. Minister, can you give a firm timeline for when the first of those homes will be purchased and brought into use?”
“It will require an ambitious plan, with meaningful targets and outcomes, to move the dial towards reducing poverty.”
“Unfortunately, in the years since, that analysis has been proven right, and we have seen more and more families struggling to survive and having to resort to using food banks. Today represents a great victory for all the people who have campaigned hard over so many years, and I place on record my sincere thanks for the crucial role that they played in persuading the British Government to finally do the right thing. <BR /> <BR />To conclude, while the development is an important piece of the jigsaw in tackling poverty, there are other things that need to be progressed alongside the removal of the two-child limit. In particular, we need to see an anti-poverty strategy, significantly strengthened compared to that which was consulted on last year, brought to the Executive by the Minister for Communities.”
“We are clear that the changes will deliver tangible benefits for families living in the North. The Committee is satisfied that the LCM is the appropriate and necessary mechanism to ensure parity with Britain and to secure timely access to the support for those who need it most. <BR /> <BR />I will make a couple of brief remarks in my role as Sinn Féin spokesperson for communities, and I start off by warmly welcoming the decision to scrap the two-child limit. Sinn Féin has been consistently opposed to the two-child limit ever since it was introduced in 2017. It was our view at the time that the policy was nothing but a cruel and shameful attack on the most vulnerable people in our society and that it would inevitably lead to many more people falling into poverty and deprivation.”
“Evidence suggests that some families may not immediately benefit from the policy change, and additional consideration may need to be given to that matter, to the timing of assessment periods, to the absence of backdating and to the importance of clear and proactive communication with claimants. The Minister has spoken to that. Concerns were also raised about the sustainability of welfare mitigation payments beyond March 2028, and the importance of providing long-term certainty in that area was emphasised. Stakeholders also highlighted the potential for increased pressure on advice services as claimants seek guidance following implementation. <BR /> <BR />Overall, the Committee for Communities fully supports the legislative consent motion, based on the evidence received.”
“The Committee received an assurance from departmental officials that the additional child element is expected to be applied automatically to existing universal credit claimants, avoiding the need for new claims or further delays in payment. In addition, the Department indicated that the equality impact assessment remains ongoing and will be provided to the Committee when completed. <BR /> <BR />While welcoming the policy change, stakeholders consistently raised practical issues and concerns that will need to be managed, including interaction with the benefit cap and the need for adequate welfare mitigations; the position of claimants receiving transitional protection, particularly those undergoing managed migration; and the absence of specific provisions in the Bill to address that issue.”
“The effect of those provisions is that all children or qualifying young people in a household will be included in the universal credit calculation, with implementation from 6 April 2026. <BR /> <BR />In our scrutiny, we heard from stakeholders who said that the North is disproportionately affected by the two-child limit. Stakeholders emphasised that the removal of the limit has the potential to significantly reduce child poverty and improve household incomes for families most in need. Evidence from Cliff Edge Coalition members and the Law Centre noted that around 45,000 children in the North have been affected by that policy, and stakeholders strongly supported the Assembly's providing legislative consent to avoid adverse impacts on children.”
“The Bill makes corresponding amendments to existing welfare legislation, and using an LCM avoids delay, duplication and the risk of disadvantage to children and families here. The legislation is a single-topic Bill, and time is clearly of the essence. It was introduced with speed at Westminster on 8 January 2026, progressing through the Commons between 3 February and 23 February. It is currently scheduled for both its Second Reading and Committee Stage in the House of Lords on 12 March. <BR /> <BR />For the North, the legislative consent motion seeks the Assembly's agreement to extend clauses 2 and 3 of the Bill to what are transferred matters here, enabling corresponding amendments to the Welfare Reform (NI) Order 2015, the Welfare Reform and Work (NI) Order 2016 and the Universal Credit Regulations (NI) 2016.”
“<BR /> <BR />I state clearly at the outset that, having completed that work, the Committee for Communities is content to support the legislative consent motion, recognising that its provisions will make a real and positive difference to many families and children who live in poverty. The Committee is strongly of the opinion that legislation on devolved matters should originate in the Assembly. In this instance, however, the Committee accepts the Department's rationale for using a legislative consent motion, which, as the Minister has set out, is that it is a necessary mechanism to maintain welfare parity with Britain and ensure that families in the North benefit from the removal of the two-child limit at the same time as elsewhere.”
“I thank the Minister for his remarks. The Committee for Communities undertook its scrutiny of the LCM over the 15 days afforded to Committees under Standing Order 42A(7). We immediately sought oral and written evidence from key stakeholders, including Advice NI, the Law Centre NI, the Cliff Edge Coalition and the NI Commissioner for Children and Young People. Departmental officials also provided an oral briefing to the Committee. Following that scrutiny, the Committee published its report, which has been laid in the Business Office and the Assembly Library and is available to all Members.”
“Minister, given your stated aim of shifting left, and knowing what we know about the growing and ageing demographics, what, more fundamentally, is happening for the future to ensure that areas such as ours, particularly the rural parts of the constituency, have enough social care workers to deliver the packages that are needed?”
“I thank the Minister for that important statement. When will the new policy on grid connections come into effect?”
“Minister, will you commit to putting in place a task force to look across different areas at what services could be better delivered and at using the South West Acute Hospital to serve, as was intended, its wider hinterland?”
“That was said not disparagingly but simply because the Department did not have the same focus or momentum in prioritising the development of services. It has often been said to me, however, that clinicians and professionals are often well ahead of trusts and Departments on that. <BR /> <BR />As the end of the previous mandate, when we came to draw up our legacy report, we stipulated that, on the basis of what we had heard from health sectors including cancer, children's services and older people, one of the key recommendations from the outgoing Committee should be on the need for a small island such as this to cooperate better on delivering healthcare. That need was stark, and, as one of our main recommendations, everyone and all parties agreed that it should be a priority.”
“I was privileged to serve as Chair of the Health Committee. In that role, I visited Children's Health Ireland at Crumlin and, as I mentioned previously, explored with people there the potential for a paediatric pathology service. They indicated — my colleague made a similar point — that some services require an economy of scale to recruit and provide a full rota that allows everyone to be confident that they will get the time off, the training opportunities and the volume of cases that they need. <BR /> <BR />Interestingly, during that conversation, colleagues from the Crumlin children's hospital stated that the good ideas of professionals and clinicians sometimes went into the Department and that, sometimes, that was where those great ideas went to die.”
“It was noticeable that everyone who came to that meeting arrived extremely stressed; you would have thought that they were being taken to Timbuktu instead of the Brantry. Councillor Gael Gildernew, who is a member of the AIPB, pointed out to those from the Southern Trust that they were not by any means at the extreme end of their area. In fact, they were about 30 miles from Craigavon and had almost another 30 miles to go to get to Fivemiletown. However, she also pointed out that where they were sitting was about three miles from Monaghan, so there is a bit of a lesson in that.”
“My colleagues from Fermanagh have largely dealt with a lot of the detail of the issue. I will touch a bit more on the general stuff, which is really critical. It is critical for the South West Acute Hospital, because it is not just the hinterland to its south that is excluded from playing a role but, given its geographic location, the hinterland to its west and east. That makes the hospital really important. I was reflecting on the fact that, before Christmas, the Brantry area rural development (BARD) centre hosted a meeting of the Southern Trust area integrated partnership board (AIPB).”
“At a time when we are seeing our neighbouring jurisdictions bring in some of the most progressive reforms seen to date, it is disappointing that we have not seen a similar level of reforms here in the North. I would appreciate it if the Minister could outline what reforms to the private rented sector he will introduce in the remainder of this mandate and whether he is carrying out any preparation work for reforms in the next mandate.”
“<BR /> <BR />We must also recognise that there is a particular problem with damp and mould in the private rented sector. Time and time again, we see some landlords acting as though they are above the law by choosing to ignore the issues raised by their tenants. We must send a very clear message to those landlords that that will no longer be tolerated. We must see the updated standards and Awaab's law being extended to the private sector, as has already been achieved in England and elsewhere. <BR /> <BR />We must always endeavour to support and strengthen the rights of renters. We urgently need to see a package of reform being brought forward to build on the work of my party colleague Deirdre Hargey's Private Tenancies Act.”
“Landlords who fail to take action can be subject to enforcement notices, and persistent breaches can lead to fines and prosecution. <BR /> <BR />The issue of damp and mould in homes is directly connected to fuel poverty, and I am pleased to say that, at long last, we now have a published fuel poverty strategy, which will hopefully go some way to tackling the problem. Key to the strategy will be the roll-out of the new warm healthy homes fund. The fund will be vital in ensuring that lower-income families are able to make adaptations to their homes that will make them more energy efficient. Another key component of the fuel poverty strategy will be the updating of the fitness standards and the Decent Homes Standard. The standards that are currently in place are long since out of date and are no longer fit for purpose.”
“As we debate the motion, many families in the North live in cold, damp homes, and they too will be struggling to find anyone who will listen and take action. A poll commissioned last year by NEA found that 43% of respondents had been affected by damp and mould, showing the scale of the problem. If that statistic does not act as a wake-up call, I am not sure what will. As public representatives, we have an absolute duty to ensure that there are no more cases like Awaab Ishak and that damp and mould never again become an issue of life or death. <BR /> <BR />The motion calls for the extension of Awaab's law to the North. Sinn Féin supports that call and supports the SDLP's amendment. Awaab's law was an important step in ensuring that social and private landlords are obliged to take action when damp and mould are reported by their tenants.”
“I thank the Member for tabling this motion on Awaab's law. No doubt Members will be familiar with the tragic case of Awaab Ishak, a two-year-old boy who died in 2020 due to overexposure to toxic black mould which was present in his home. Awaab and his parents had been living in a flat in Rochdale that was owned and managed by a social housing provider. His parents had repeatedly reported the presence of mould in the three years prior to his death, but the housing authority consistently failed to take the matter seriously and carry out the necessary work to fix the issue. Awaab's death was utterly tragic, but it was entirely preventable, had the housing authority shown any duty of care to its tenants. Frustratingly, it is yet another example of a problem being taken seriously only after it results in a death, which is far too late.”
“Minister, what support are you currently providing for businesses?”