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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“The Minister for Communities has announced a number of significant allocations, and, while any investment is welcome, it has not always been clear how funding decisions are aligned to departmental priorities. Going forward, we need to see how funding allocations by the Department for Communities deliver on Executive commitments. <BR /> <BR />Before I conclude, in the spirit of accuracy and of being helpful, I advise Paul Frew that, despite his rather extravagant claims, not one of the 600 homes that he referenced has been purchased; in fact, I think, the business case has not even been fully confirmed by the Minister for Communities.”
“<BR /> <BR />The financial oversight that we in the Chamber exercise cannot fix a system that has been fundamentally broken by British Treasury policy. It is incumbent on the British Government to acknowledge the unique systemic pressures on the North and to deliver a fair and sustainable funding model. Our communities cannot afford another year of emergency fixes; they deserve a strategically planned, fully funded future. <BR /> <BR />The Minister of Finance will engage with all Ministers on their budgets in the context of the draft multi-year Budget. We are well aware of the challenges that all Ministers face in delivering on their priorities within their allocated budgets.”
“The Budget Bill grants the necessary legal authority for the year ahead, but we must be absolutely clear on where the root of our structural problems lies. Public services in the North continue to be systematically underfunded by the British Government. The block grant simply does not reflect the evidenced objective needs of our population, and that Westminster-imposed financial straitjacket has forced the Executive into an unenviable position. We must be honest: balancing the Budget requires incredibly difficult funding decisions to be made and agreed to collectively at the Executive table. When the British Government fail to provide adequate funding, the burden of those painful choices falls squarely on all the Ministers here to manage together.”
“Similarly, our housing providers cannot commit effectively to the multi-year investments required to deliver the social housing development programme without long-term financial certainty. The Supporting People programme and essential homelessness interventions cannot be planned strategically when funding is piecemeal.”
“Behind those numbers are families who rely on the community and voluntary sector for their basic survival, yet that very sector faces immense distress and uncertainty over issues such as the local growth fund and core infrastructural support.”
“<BR /> <BR />Taking a broader view, the Committee believes that the Budget Bill highlights the profound difficulties with managing the Department's exceptionally wide remit, which spans housing, social security, employment, the arts, culture and the community sector. For the coming year, the Department faces a projected resource shortfall of £174·4 million and a projected capital shortfall of £88·2 million. Those are not abstract figures. As I said during yesterday's debate on the spring Supplementary Estimates and the Vote on Account, the human context of the Budget was made starkly clear to the Committee last week by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation. We operate in a society in which 330,000 people live in poverty, including one in four children.”
“This year's Budget Bill includes roughly £885,000 under sole authority to provide transitional protection for disabled carers moving to universal credit. We understand that the funding for disabled carers is necessary only because the Department for Work and Pensions in London is yet to amend its IT systems to reflect formally a recent court ruling. While we wait for Whitehall to catch up, it is vital that such claimants in the North be protected and not left in limbo. The situation, however, again highlights a system that is overly reliant on emergency fixes rather than settled policy.”
“Securing that legislation was a vital step towards providing certainty to vulnerable people and to the organisations in the advice sector that work so hard to support them. <BR /> <BR />We must, however, also recognise that, although it provides a crucial reprieve, the extension of welfare mitigations kicks the can down the road to 2028. We cannot allow ourselves simply to wait for the clock to run down again. That is why the Committee has formally asked the Department what it is doing now to prepare for legislative reform. To avoid another cliff edge in 2028, we need strategic, long-term planning, not last-minute legislative scrambles. Furthermore, we must note that the sole authority mechanism has not disappeared entirely from the Department's remit.”
“Following yesterday's debate on the Supply resolutions, I will focus today on the mechanisms of the Budget Bill and on the broader reality of people in the North who rely on the Department for Communities. <BR /> <BR />The Budget Bill is not merely a procedural step; it provides the vital legal authority for the expenditure that is required to run our public services. Around this time last year, our Committee raised strong concerns about spending that relied on the sole authority of the Budget Act, specifically the £12 million in vital welfare mitigations that rested on that precarious temporary mechanism. I acknowledge that that issue has now largely been dealt with. The passage last spring of a package of associated welfare regulations placed those critical mitigation payments on a much firmer statutory footing.”
“Does the Minister agree that certain small schools in rural areas, due to their unique geography or circumstances in their community, have strategic importance beyond any other impact? Can the Minister commit to protecting schools in that situation?”
“<BR /> <BR />Although the Vote on Account keeps the lights on, it remains a sticking plaster over a flawed financial settlement. Decades of underinvestment and years of British Government austerity have left public services across the North in a weakened state. We need a united Executive front to demand a step change from Westminster, moving towards a sustainable, needs-based funding model that allows us to genuinely lift our people out of poverty rather than managing a permanent crisis.”
“<BR /> <BR />We must be clear about the root cause of the financial constraints that are driving that hardship, which is the British Government's ongoing, systemic underinvestment in our public services. We are continually forced to operate within a system that was designed in London and to rely on a block grant that fundamentally fails to meet our community's objective needs. That Westminster-imposed reality places the Executive as a whole in an impossible position. The burden of constrained budgets does not rest on the shoulders of one Department or one Minister. Rather, delivering on our priorities requires the Executive collectively to agree extremely difficult funding decisions at the Executive table. In the current financial climate, any spending increase in one area inevitably forces a painful reduction in another.”
“That gap threatens what the Department describes as inescapable pay pressures, homelessness interventions and vital employment programmes. The human cost of those shortfalls was laid bare for Committee members just last week. The Joseph Rowntree Foundation provided the Committee with stark evidence that shows that 330,000 people in the North are currently living in poverty. Most alarmingly, 64% of all children in poverty live in a household in which someone works. The Committee was told that work is not working as a route out of poverty for thousands of families who are still experiencing hardship. Our welfare and employment support systems are under immense strain, and, without adequate funding, we cannot provide the safety net on which people rely.”
“Some £27·3 million has been directly reallocated from that project, along with £5 million from the NI Football Fund (NIFF) and £14 million from city and growth deals. That is an indication of the fiscal straitjacket within which we are now trying to operate. Communities here deserve world-class sporting facilities and safe homes. None of our communities should have to watch a long-promised project fade or become less certain in order to fund what is a basic necessity. <BR /> <BR />The Vote on Account at 45% will authorise interim funding to keep essential services running in the early months of the financial year. We know, however, that there is still a cliff edge ahead. In its correspondence with the Committee, the Department has, for 2026-27, forecast a resource shortfall of over £174 million and a capital shortfall of £88 million.”
“The Committee welcomes the allocation of over £49 million to the social housing development programme and for the provision of disabled adaptations. The entire Committee is aware, as is, I am sure, every MLA, that the North is in the midst of a severe housing crisis. Families continue to languish on waiting lists or to live in unsuitable temporary accommodation. We desperately need every single penny in order to build safe, affordable homes and to be able to adapt existing properties so that disabled people and older people can live with dignity and in comfort. We must, however, be clear about the reality of how that money became available. In part, the reallocation is the result of the deeply frustrating failure to advance the redevelopment of Casement Park.”
“As the Chairperson of the Committee for Communities, I will speak on the two motions that are before us today, which are the Supply resolutions for the spring Supplementary Estimates and for the Vote on Account. At the outset, I must advise the House that the Committee for Communities has not yet had the opportunity to reach a formally agreed position on the specific details of the newly published allocations. The Committee expects to receive a detailed briefing from Department of Finance officials this week. My remarks today will therefore reflect the consistent priorities that the Committee has championed throughout the mandate and our collective understanding of the pressures that the Department for Communities faces. <BR /> <BR />The spring Supplementary Estimates adjust our budgets for the remainder of the financial year.”
“I will not. <BR /> <BR />Delivering Casement Park will add to those benefits for west Belfast and beyond. Despite the bluster from Members opposite, we on this side of the House will stand firm in our commitment to see the project delivered and ensure that the GAA is supported to continue making a vital contribution to our communities in the North and, indeed, all across Ireland.”
“It is rooted in communities across the country and is thriving in Irish emigrant communities across the world from Britain to Boston to Beijing. It is only right and fair that the GAA's landmark stadium in the North is redeveloped, in addition to the redevelopment of Windsor Park and Ravenhill, as was agreed almost two decades ago. <BR /> <BR />We must also remember the huge community and health benefits that stand to be gained from the project. A report commissioned by the GAA in 2024 estimated that, across the island — we have already heard it, but it bears repeating — the GAA generates £2·87 billion in economic and social value, which is manifested in a host of areas, including health and well-being, social capital and volunteering.”
“No. You will have 10 minutes to try to explain why Casement Park is the only stadium that is mentioned. I am not sure whether that will be enough for you, to be honest, but you will have those 10 minutes. <BR /> <BR />Sinn Féin does not see this as a serious motion; rather, it is another attempt by the TUV to engage in a culture war, which, sadly, seems to be all that political unionism has to offer these days. I welcome the progress being made on Casement Park. The sight of machinery on the ground, as initial groundwork recently got under way, has been cause for optimism in west Belfast and the wider Ulster GAA family. <BR /> <BR />The GAA is the biggest and most successful sporting organisation in the North, despite decades of discrimination and underinvestment.”
“It should come as no surprise to Members that I oppose the motion. The proposer of the motion claims that it is about protecting the public purse, but it is obvious to me and to anyone watching that it is nothing of the sort. The motivation for the motion is to attack the GAA and anything to do with Irish culture. We know that because the motion singles out Casement Park as the only stadium that will be subject to the clawback provision. No other stadia are included in the call for clawback.”
“Does the Minister agree that we should have a much broader conversation about illegal displays, particularly the annual toxic, hate-filled and illegal bonfires that blight our communities?”
“I thank the First Minister for her answer. While the efforts of the Finance Minister in particular and his Executive colleagues to secure access to a £400 million reserve claim are certainly welcome, does the First Minister agree that access to the reserve claim is in itself a clear statement that British Government funding for the North is fundamentally inadequate and that what we really need are greater fiscal powers to allow us to make our own financial decisions?”
“However, make no mistake: the public saw what Minister Lyons was doing with his social media post, and they see what he continues to do by ignoring the needs of so many often vulnerable sections of our community in the North.”
“I fully agree with my party colleague: that is the fundamental reform that is needed. <BR /> <BR />To be clear, the commissioner's findings are only the latest in a long line of poor decisions and failures by the Communities Minister. To date, he has failed to develop an anti-poverty strategy; failed to deliver important social inclusion strategies, including gender and LGBTQ strategies; and failed to introduce an Irish language strategy. As with those who were forced from their homes in Ballymena and sought refuge in Larne leisure centre, it seems that, in the eyes of the Minister, those often marginalised people are invisible.”
“I will not. <BR /> <BR />To add insult to injury, the Minister has failed to show any regret or remorse for his actions; instead, he has attempted to deflect and evade responsibility by seeking to undermine the integrity of the office of the Commissioner for Standards and by painting himself as a victim of a political pile on. In the aftermath of the Minister's post relating to Larne Leisure Centre's being used as a temporary refuge for those fleeing their homes last year, the Communities Committee passed a vote of no confidence in Minister Lyons. That position has been fully vindicated. <BR /> <BR />As I have said, we support the motion. We fully support institutional reform as we try to make our unusual political structures work better.”
“The Minister put his party political interests ahead of the public interest and of what was expected of him as a Minister.”
“As a Minister, his words carry significant weight. At a time when there was a need for clear political leadership, the Minister failed to show it. <BR /> <BR />In addition to failing to show empathy, the Minister appeared to criticise the decision by the Housing Executive to use the leisure centre in an attempt to distance himself from the decision and, seemingly, to deflect any anger from protesters away from him and his party. The commissioner's report states:”
“The Commissioner for Standards ruled that Minister Lyons breached the code in two separate ways with his poorly judged Facebook post: first, by failing to demonstrate leadership in a sensitive and volatile situation, and, secondly, by failing to operate in a way that was conducive to promoting good community relations and equality of treatment. <BR /> <BR />At no point in his post did the Minister show any compassion or empathy for the victims of that hateful violence, nor did he use his platform to encourage the protesters to stay at home. The commissioner's report states that Minister Lyons's message:”
“I thank the proposer of the motion. We support it. I am sure that we all remember the disgraceful hate-filled violence that erupted in towns and villages across the North last year. Shamefully, in Ballymena, a number of homes were attacked, and families were forced to flee the area, eventually finding shelter and safety in Larne Leisure Centre. The next day, Minister Lyons posted on Facebook, complaining that neither he nor any of his East Antrim DUP colleagues had been consulted about the decision to bring those families to the leisure centre the night before.”
“Minister, nobody here would disagree that fraud and error must be tackled. Will the Minister, please, set out how many of the Department's staff are dedicated to investigating and tackling fraud and error and how many are allocated to other strategic priorities such as the Department's anti-poverty strategy?”
“Thank you for your statement, Minister. Your progress report lists a number of outputs and actions, such as the number of groups supported, the number of talks delivered and the settings that have been reached. What outcome measures are being used to assess whether that activity is translating into sustained or increased language use, community impact or educational progression? Will those outcome metrics be shared with the Committee for Communities?”
“Níl aon chúis amháin léi, ach má táimid le dul i ngleic le fadhbanna meabhairshláinte, caithfimid labhairt fúthu. Sin an chéad chéim. Mar sin de, abraimis arís go bhfuil muid tiomanta deireadh a chur leis an náire a bhaineas le fadhbanna meabhairshláinte, go labhróimid amach, go nglacfaimid an t-am le bheith ag caint.”
“Is é an chéad chéim le leas a bhaint as na seirbhísí sin ná labhairt faoinár meabhairshláinte, cúnamh a iarraidh, agus ár smaointe agus ár mothúcháin a ligean le duine. Cuirim fáilte roimh an fhógra go mbeidh fiosrúchán traspháirtí ann ar an dóigh a ndéantar maoiniú ar sheirbhísí um fhéinmharú a chosc sa Tuaisceart. Tá súil agam go gcuideoidh torthaí an fhiosrúcháin linn ár n-aird agus ár n-iarrachtaí a dhíriú d’fhonn torthaí dearfacha meabhairshláinte a bhaint amach feasta. Ní ar an Roinn Sláinte amháin atá an cúram an féinmharú a chosc; tá cur chuige uile-rialtais de dhíth. <BR /> <BR />Bheadh obair agat duine a aimsiú sa Tuaisceart nár theagmhaigh an féinmharú leis nó le duine dá lucht aitheantais: comhghleacaí, comhimreoir, comharsa, nó duine muinteartha. Níl aon aicme saor ó ghéarchéim na meabhairshláinte.”
“Beidh Lá na Cainte ann an Déardaoin seo chugainn. Lá é a spreagann muid le dul chun comhrá faoinár meabhairshláinte. Cuidíonn comhrá carad. Tá an féinmharú agus an dúlagar ina ngéarchéim dhomhanda. Níl aon chúis amháin leo: is féidir leo teacht chun cinn mar gheall ar strus airgeadais, cliseadh teaghlaigh, an t-uaigneas, nó fiú oícheanta fada geimhridh agus barraíocht de bhrú an tsaoil. <BR /> <BR />Tuairiscítear gur chuir 290 duine lámh ina mbás féin anseo sa bhliain 2024. Is scanrúil an staitistic é sin. Is féidir teacht roimh na básanna sin, ach daoine an tacaíocht agus an cuidiú cuí a fháil. Meastar nach raibh thart ar 70% de na daoine a chuir lámh ina mbás féin ag baint úsáid ghníomhach as seirbhísí meabhairshláinte.”
“<BR /> <BR />If anyone has not been to the museum in Croke Park, I encourage them to go, because it has a fantastic collection of historical artefacts and tells the story of the GAA, which intertwines so much with the history of Ireland. Indeed, Alan, if you want to do further research, I hope to go down on Saturday to a summit of GAA clubs that is taking place in Croke Park. There is a good museum there, and you are welcome to come along with me for ideas. <BR /> <BR />A museum in the North that is inclusive of sports and communities would provide a significant economic boost and would, no doubt, be popular with tourists and locals alike.”
“The story of the evolution of hurling and shinty is of unique interest here. As we debate the motion, many household names come to my mind, as, I am sure, they do for other Members, such as Rory McIlroy, George Best, Peter Canavan and Katie Taylor. They are all giant figures who will be remembered for very many years to come. <BR /> <BR />The Member mentioned that the penalty kick was invented by William McCrum from Milford. Alan may be interested to know that William came up with that device as a result of being in nets for a game against a Belfast team. Such was the extent of the fouling by the Belfast ones, William came up with the motion. When he brought that to the equivalent of FIFA, the English FA objected to it, because it was only an Irishman's motion, so there you are. Those are all stories that such a museum could tell.”
“I thank Alan for moving the motion. Throughout our sometimes difficult history on this island, sport has been to the fore in bringing people together in the spirit of fostering good relations and mutual respect. Last year, I attended a sports camp for young people that was organised by Cricket Ireland. It was a hugely positive event that really showed how powerful and unifying a force sport can be, especially in those crucial formative years. I commend Cricket Ireland for hosting that event. I took a photograph that day of about 12 hurls and 12 cricket bats lying on the ground, which was a really nice image. <BR /> <BR />Across a range of sports in the North and, indeed, on the island as a whole we punch way above our weight on sporting achievements, and we can all be proud of that.”
“Does the deputy First Minister agree that the recent situation with Grok was disgraceful, that X has a responsibility to address concerns and that the whole episode speaks to the need to put in place robust safeguards to ensure the ethical and responsible use of AI? With that in mind, deputy First Minister, what safeguards are being put in place to ensure the responsible use of AI across the Civil Service?”
“Therefore, whilst I must formally state that the Committee has had no opportunity to reach an agreed position, I can indicate, as Chairperson, that I support the principle of the motion so that people in the North are not disadvantaged and can access the benefits on the same timeline as those in Britain.”
“Clearly, we do not want that situation to arise. <BR /> <BR />In conclusion, the Committee for Communities has consistently taken the view that, where possible, legislation on devolved matters should originate in the Assembly, and the Minister made a similar point. We also prize our role as scrutineers, and it is a matter of regret that the legislative timetable at Westminster has precluded the Committee from performing that function on these late-stage amendments. However, the Committee has no desire to obstruct what appear to be positive developments. We note the Department's assurance that the pre-1997 indexation will make a meaningful difference to members' incomes and that the funding changes will simplify the levy landscape.”
“<BR /> <BR />While the Committee has not scrutinised the specific clauses, we are familiar with the broader arguments about parity in pension legislation. The Department reiterates that, although pensions are a devolved matter, we operate, in effect, a single system across Britain and here. The urgency is driven by the legislative time frame in Westminster, and the Bill is anticipated to attain Royal Assent by spring 2026. The Department has advised that, if the provisions are not extended to the North via the Bill, we will require a separate Assembly Bill to maintain parity. The Department argues that the delay caused by a separate legislative process could mean that citizens here would not benefit from the changes, specifically the potential boost to income from pre-1997 indexation, at the same time as those in Britain.”
“It would be useful to know when the addition was notified to the Department, because, clearly, the Department may be receiving things late in the day from Westminster, and it is important that we seek to tighten up on that, if possible. Westminster should be aware that such a situation has an impact here. <BR /> <BR />Consequently, I must inform the Assembly that the Committee was unable to reach a formal position on the legislative consent motion. I therefore cannot offer the Committee's endorsement on the basis of evidence-based scrutiny, but I can, for Members' benefit, place on record the intent of the provisions as outlined in the memorandum provided. The Minister has provided some detail on the issues at play.”
“The amendments introduced new provisions regarding pre-1997 indexation and the funding of the board of the Pension Protection Fund — matters that were not part of the Bill when the Assembly originally granted its consent. <BR /> <BR />The Minister for Communities laid the legislative consent memorandum for the new provisions last Monday, 19 January 2026. The Committee for Communities had the memo added to the pack for information only at its meeting last Thursday, 22 January, but a briefing could not be offered before this week. The Order Paper indicated that the debate was scheduled for today, so the Committee has, in effect, had no opportunity to receive a departmental briefing, call for evidence or undertake any scrutiny of the measures in advance of the debate.”
“I thank the Minister for his remarks. As Chairperson of the Committee for Communities, I will contribute to the debate on the second legislative consent motion for the Pension Schemes Bill. <BR /> <BR />Members will recall that, in November 2025, the Assembly debated and provided consent for an initial legislative consent motion on the Bill. At the time, the Committee for Communities had had the opportunity to receive departmental briefings, seek written evidence from stakeholders and publish a comprehensive report supporting the extension of those provisions in the North. However, the situation today is somewhat different. The subsequent motion has become necessary because, following our previous debate, the British Government introduced further amendments to the Bill at Report Stage in the House of Commons on 3 December 2025.”
“Minister, you have been embroiled in a series of court cases. You very helpfully pointed out earlier to Members and the public that the Committee for Communities has expressed a lack of confidence in you. You have been found to be in breach of standards not once but twice now. Is it just the case that you are simply incapable of accepting that you are ever wrong about anything?”
“Minister, your responses here and in the media are straight out of the Trump playbook: denying the facts, ignoring reality and showing utter contempt for the commissioner and the mechanisms that have been put in place to hold Ministers to account. Do you accept, Minister, that you are demonstrating absolute contempt for the public?”
“I thank the Minister for her answer and welcome the reference to a review. However, Minister, what you said totally fails to chime with what I hear from groups in my constituency, such as Tyrone Underwater Search and Recovery, which is based in Dungannon. Members of that group fundraise for themselves, volunteer and equip themselves. They volunteer in some of the most dangerous and difficult situations for families to try to save lives or, unfortunately, sometimes, recover people who have not survived. They tell me that they cannot get through the door of that system. They cannot even find out what they need to do. Minister, will you commit to meeting me or for some of your officials to do so, in order that I can explain to those groups how that process is so different from the one that you have just described?”
“<BR /> <BR />Almost a decade ago, we warned that leaving the EU would bring economic and political chaos to these islands and that we would be financially worse off as a result. Unfortunately, that is now the reality that we are living in. Time and again, the people of the North suffer the consequences of harmful decisions that are taken in London by British Governments who, to be frank, neither think nor care about us. More and more people are rightly coming to the conclusion that it is time to move forward in a new Ireland.”
“The community and voluntary sector has been warning for many years that, unless the British Government changed their approach, that was likely to happen. Now, we are a matter of weeks away from the cliff edge, and disaster seems unavoidable. Many employees in the sector have started to receive their redundancy notices, informing them that their jobs will no longer be funded beyond 31 March. First and foremost, my thoughts are with all those who are affected by those cuts — nobody deserves to be treated in that way — and, secondly, with the people who so badly need those services, from which we all benefit. My thoughts are with them. Let me be clear: those shameful cuts need to be reversed now, and the thousands of jobs in the community and voluntary sector need to be protected.”
“I am being told that its employability service could be reduced from 15 people to three. That will affect the most vulnerable people. The First Steps Women's Centre in my constituency, which provides support for some of the most vulnerable women who come into our country, is also having its services slashed — as are all groups — by the same amount. Yesterday, at a training and development session in the Building, I learned that 82% of part-time workers are women. One third of women are so-called economically inactive. That is actually economic disadvantage and discrimination. <BR /> <BR />The British Government have promised, time and time again, that they would fully replace European funding that is lost as a result of Brexit. Time and time again, they have absolutely failed to live up to their word.”