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 said that the Executive had allocated the money for it —”
“We have a duty to do all that we can to come to their aid and to return a sense of hope that things can be better for them and their families.”
“Far too often, the issues that have been debated in the Chamber have only served as distractions from the very real suffering that people endure every day.”
“In many cases, they are the difference between having enough food to eat and going to bed hungry. The Executive have also protected households from unfair taxes, such as domestic water charges, that would disproportionately impact on those who can least afford to pay. Another huge step forward was the work done by Sinn Féin Ministers in the Finance Department to secure an agreement with the British Treasury that the North's funding will be increased to more accurately relate to levels of need. <BR /> <BR />Although it is important that we recognise the important steps that the Executive have taken, it is clear that more needs to be done. Tackling poverty and supporting people during the cost-of-living crisis need to be the number-one priority of every one of us here today.”
“Welfare supplementary payments were automatically paid to anyone who would otherwise have been impacted on by cruel welfare changes such as the bedroom tax, the benefit cap or the roll-out of the personal independence payment (PIP). The Welfare Supplementary Payments (Amendment) Act 2022 that was brought forward by the previous Communities Minister, Deirdre Hargey, extended most of the mitigations until March 2025, with the bedroom tax mitigation being extended indefinitely, ensuring that over 37,000 social housing tenants are permanently protected. <BR /> <BR />In this year's Budget, the Executive allocated £47·3 million to welfare mitigations, signalling their continued commitment to funding those mitigations in full whilst extending them until March 2028. Those mitigations are vital for so many people in our society.”
“Fuel poverty often results in people cutting back on the amount of money that they spend on essential items such as food or clothing so that they may be able to afford to heat their home. Those figures bring into sharp focus the urgent need for a modern, fit-for-purpose fuel poverty strategy that will make a meaningful impact on reducing fuel poverty. The Minister needs to urgently bring forward a final draft of the fuel poverty strategy. Indeed, it would be helpful if the Minister could update the House on when that is likely to happen. <BR /> <BR />It is also important to mention some of the steps that the Executive have taken to alleviate poverty in recent years. Welfare mitigations were initially secured in 2016 in order to protect the most vulnerable here against Tory austerity.”
“<BR /> <BR />Another key criticism of the current strategy, which I heard from the sector again today, is that it does not follow a life-cycle approach. That means that it does not take into account how poverty can affect people differently at different stages of their lives. We need to see the adoption of a life-cycle approach that recognises the unique causes of poverty and barriers to exiting it at each life stage and ensures that actions are tailored accordingly. <BR /> <BR />Fuel poverty is another huge issue that affects many families across the North, with recent figures suggesting that it has also significantly increased in recent years. National Energy Action (NEA) carried out a survey in September 2024 that found that nearly 40% of households in the North were experiencing fuel poverty.”
“<BR /> <BR />The absence of targets and outcomes renders the strategy largely meaningless. It leaves it reading more like a stocktake document that lists a range of departmental actions that are linked to poverty, with many of those actions already enacted or currently in operation. The strategy does not give any clear indication of what level of funding will be forthcoming to support its implementation, nor does it state how it will obtain that funding. Sinn Féin understands that the Executive are in a difficult position financially, but it is vital that the anti-poverty strategy provides costed proposals so that we have a full understanding of how much finance is needed to fund actions that could reduce poverty and deliver prosperity.”
“<BR /> <BR />We must ensure that we do everything in our power to alleviate the worst impacts of poverty in the North. Earlier this year, the Minister for Communities published the first draft of the anti-poverty strategy. To say that people were underwhelmed is an understatement. The strategy was weak in both substance and ambition. Indeed, many anti-poverty organisations stated that the strategy was not fit for purpose, including many of the organisations that helped to co-design it. The draft anti-poverty strategy does not contain any targets or measurable outcomes. That is despite the fact that a recent report on child poverty by the Public Accounts Committee, which I also sit on, made a recommendation that targets and outcomes should be included in the strategy.”
“Policies such as the two-child limit have pushed thousands of children into poverty, stealing from them many of the life chances that they need in order to live fulfilling and prosperous lives as adults. So far, this British Government have taken the winter fuel payment from pensioners and attacked the sick and disabled. Just last week, they threatened to raise taxes for the least well-off. It is no wonder that Keir Starmer is the most unpopular Prime Minister in living memory. Some media reports have suggested that they may remove the two-child limit. Although that has not been confirmed yet, it is absolutely essential that the British Government fully scrap that disgraceful policy once and for all in the upcoming Budget.”
“The most recent poverty and income inequality report for the North, which was released in March this year, shows that the rate of poverty here has been rising steadily over the past five years and that 18% of adults are currently living in relative poverty, with 15% living in absolute poverty. The same report also revealed that 23% of children, or almost one in four, are currently living in relative poverty, with 17% living in absolute poverty. Those figures are shocking, and they underline the urgent need for more ambitious measures to tackle poverty. <BR /> <BR />We must also recognise that British austerity and underfunding must shoulder much of the blame for the growing levels of poverty in our society.”
“They spoke of a feeling of hopelessness amongst many of the people whom they assist and of a belief that no one is listening to their very real concerns. <BR /> <BR />Research carried out by the Trussell Trust in 2024 showed that 21% of households in the North were experiencing food insecurity, which was a dramatic increase from 2022, when the figure was only 16%. Its research also showed that 77,000 emergency food parcels were delivered to households facing hardship in 2024-25, including to over 31,000 children. That is an increase of 71% over the past five years.”
“<BR /> <BR />As our motion highlights, the current rate of inflation is 3·8%, which is significantly higher than what it was this time last year, when it was only 2·5%. In practice, that means rising costs for basic necessities such as food and fuel for already hard-pressed families. We have to understand that the cost-of-living crisis is very much still with us and that it continues to wreak havoc on the least well-off in our society. <BR /> <BR />This morning, I held a round-table discussion with some of the organisations that are on the ground tackling poverty every single day. They painted a picture of a worsening situation and were very clear that more needs to be done to help those in need.”
“Christmas is only a few short weeks away, and I am sure that most of us are looking forward to taking some time off to relax and spend time with our family. For many of us, the next few weeks will be full of festive spirit as we make plans, put up decorations and buy gifts for friends and family. Unfortunately, far too many families are facing the Christmas period feeling anxious about all the extra costs that come with celebrating Christmas. Recent statistics show that families in the North spend, on average, £850 more during the month of December on things such as gifts, food, nights out and travel, which comes on top of all the usual heating and other bills that many people are already struggling to pay.”
“Go raibh maith agat, a Leas-Cheann Comhairle.”
“On a point of order, Madam Principal Deputy Speaker. In Question Time, the Minister for Communities asserted that, in my role as Chair of the Committee for Communities, I had a distaste for Ulster-Scots culture. That is simply not true. The Minister may not be comfortable with the scrutiny, but it is not appropriate for him to make untrue inferences or assertions in light of that. Will the Speaker's Office review his remarks?”
“I thank the Minister for his answer. Westminster recently passed its Renters' Rights Act 2025, which has ushered in a significant number of reforms to private tenancies in England, such as a ban on no-fault evictions, the abolition of fixed-term tenancy contracts and increased rights for pet owners. Will the Minister commit to bringing forward legislative reforms to strengthen renters' rights before the end of the mandate?”
“I thank the First Minister for her statement. It was encouraging and reassuring to hear her set out areas of strategic cooperation and collaboration between Departments on emergency planning and preparedness issues. Does the First Minister agree that, where it makes sense for us to cooperate on issues that matter to us all, we should absolutely do that?”
“We have had enough of the bad decisions that come from Westminster, which have had a disproportionate impact on the people who live here. It is time that the British Government took their heads out of the clouds and started listening to the people on the ground.”
“Keir Starmer is the most unpopular British Prime Minister in living memory, and now he wants to force citizens to hand over their personal data to his Government: a recipe for disaster. Anyone and everyone that I have spoken to about this scheme has said that they do not trust the British Government to responsibly handle their personal data, and, to be clear, neither do I. We live in an age when hackers can access vast quantities of personal data and use it for criminal purposes, and Governments around the world seem to be completely inept at protecting their citizens' data. That is why I believe that the digital ID scheme will never be accepted by people here. <BR /> <BR />Keir Starmer can dance to the Reform tune as much as he wants, but people here refuse to get caught up in these Westminster games and distractions.”
“<BR /> <BR />The British economy is in free fall, largely as a result of Brexit, it must be said, and there are unprecedented labour shortages across all sections of the economy. It smacks of political desperation to make such a proposal. At a time of continuing British austerity, when we have seen pensioners lose their winter fuel payment, sick and disabled people lose their benefits and now more unfair taxes being proposed against the least well-off, the British Government are proposing to spend £400 million on this folly. It beggars belief. <BR /> <BR />The proposal shows how out of touch with reality the British Government are. Trust in the British Government is at an all-time low.”
“I have not heard it referred to as anything other than "BritCard". I did not hear the Matter of the Day, due to other business, but that is the only term that I have heard used, and I think that it is widely used. It is widely in circulation, even yet; it is not simply me who is using it. <BR /> <BR />The scheme has the real potential to block thousands of workers from contributing to our economy by placing unnecessary barriers in front of people who are trying to make a living. The more that we look at the scheme, the more that it becomes obvious that we in the North were not factored into the decision whatsoever. Frankly, that is nothing new, and that is a problem in itself.”
“As we all know, many people in the North are not IT literate and have no means of accessing internet platforms. Are we seriously suggesting that people who may not know how to use a mobile phone, or, worse again, people who cannot even afford a mobile phone should be excluded from gaining employment? There is also a lack of clarity on what it would mean for the thousands of cross-border workers who live and work here, particularly along border regions. The constituency that I represent includes one of those regions. Many people cross the border for work daily. The question is this: will Irish citizens who live in the South but work in the North — many of them valued workers in our health service and many other places — be required to carry a BritCard? That is another gaping hole in what is a daft idea.”
“Very simply, we believe that if they decide to go ahead with it across the water, it should not take place here. We will not be supporting the amendment as we feel that it weakens our motion in that sense. Thank you for that. <BR /> <BR />Workers here are already required to show various forms of ID when searching for employment, and we already have government ID, such as passports and driving licences, which most people are able to produce when asked. In the North, we also have electoral ID cards, which are available to any citizen who is registered to vote, completely free of charge. The BritCard is simply another layer of bureaucracy that duplicates what already exists, and it will only serve to confuse and disorient those who are seeking employment. <BR /> <BR />I also have concerns about the digital aspect of the ID.”
“The Good Friday Agreement was designed in such a way to allow people to express their identity in whatever way they wanted, with a recognition that identity does not remain static and can change over time. Crucially, it also afforded equality to those of us who choose to identify as Irish. The so-called BritCard would drive a horse and cart through that inclusive and equal recognition of our many complex identities.”
“First and foremost, it is an attack on the Good Friday Agreement. The Good Friday Agreement makes it explicitly clear that citizens in the North have the right — the right — to identify as Irish or British or, indeed, both, as they so choose. The idea that Irish nationalists living in the North, who carry Irish passports as a proud birthright, would accept a mandatory form of ID that forces them to identify as British is absolutely ludicrous. We all know that people here feel strongly in their sense of identity, as is their right, and any attempts to coerce people to accept an identity that is not theirs is doomed to fail from the outset.”
“A number of weeks ago, the British Government announced that they will bring forward a new form of mandatory digital ID that we all know as the "BritCard" The reaction to the BritCard has been, it is fair to say, universally negative, both here and, ironically enough, even in Britain, with all parties in the North in agreement that the BritCard should not apply here. <BR /> <BR />Sinn Féin is resolutely opposed to the BritCard or any such mandatory ID scheme. The motion today will send a clear message to the British Government that the scheme is not wanted by the majority of people here and that they need to reflect on that hare-brained scheme.”
“Following from that, Minister, given that you have stated that you are taking ministerial control of this process and that you are the Minister responsible for allocating funding to lots of sports, how can people be assured of its independence?”
“Daingníodh d’aontachtaithe go mbeadh riail an dlí ann taobh istigh de chreat daonlathach atá ag cur le traidisiúin dhlíthiúla na Breataine. Cuireadh síos dúshraith atá bunaithe ar chearta leis an chairt, dúshraith a thacaigh leis an chómhuinín agus a laghdaigh an eagla roimh leithcheal ná ceannas. Sa deireadh, bhí an Coinbhinsiún Eorpach um Chearta an Duine riachtanach ní hé amháin le daoine aonair a chosaint ach leis an phróiseas síochána a chothabháil. Trí chearta uilíocha agus an comhionannas a fhí sa dlí, leanann sé de bheith mar bhonn taca don athmhuintearas agus don chobhsaíocht dhaonlathach.”
“Dá mbeadh an Bhreatain leis an Choinbhinsiún Eorpach um Chearta an Duine a fhágáil, rachadh sin go mór faoi chreat Windsor agus faoin Chomhaontú Trádála agus Comhair. Shílfeadh an tAontas Eorpach gur claonbheart a bhí á imirt orthu, agus d’fhéadfadh cliseadh ar na caibidlí dá dheasca. D’fhéadfadh sé gabháil faoin chomhoibriú taidhleoireachta fosta. <BR /> <BR />Leagadh amach san Acht um Chearta an Duine 1998, a chuimsíonn an Coinbhinsiún Eorpach um Chearta an Duine, leagadh amach ann sin sraith de luachanna coiteanna a sháraíonn deighiltí polaitíochta agus deighiltí seicteacha. Tugadh dearbhú ann do náisiúnaithe nach mbeadh cearta ag brath ar cheannasacht na Breataine amháin ach go mbeadh siad faoi chosaint ag institiúidí Eorpacha.”
“Comóradh 75 bliana ó bunaíodh an Coinbhinsiún Eorpach um Chearta an Duine (ECHR) an tseachtain seo caite. Tá ról ríthábhachtach ag an choinbhinsiún maidir le síocháin agus cobhsaíocht a chothú anseo in Éirinn. I ndiaidh blianta fada coimhlinte, bunaíodh creat do shochaí chomhchoitianta shíochánta le Comhaontú Aoine an Chéasta 1998 — próiseas atá ar siúl go dtí an lá inniu. <BR /> <BR />Mhol Páirtí Coimeádach na Breataine agus Reform, gur chóir tarraingt siar as an Choinbhinsiún Eorpach um Chearta an Duine. Dá mbeadh an Bhreatain leis an Choinbhinsiún Eorpach um Chearta an Duine a fhágáil, rachadh sin i bhfeidhm go mór ar an chomhoibriú trasteorann ar fhiosrúcháin choiriúla agus ar chásanna eiseachadta, agus chuirfeadh sé le costais riaracháin trádála agus gnó.”
“We cannot, however, ignore the harm that industrial action would have caused if those issues had not been addressed. Staff would have been forced on to picket lines, patients would have waited longer for treatment and families would have been under increased pressure. <BR /> <BR />We will continue to challenge the British Government's austerity agenda. The Executive have helped to secure the pay award, prioritised health in every monitoring round and given the Department of Health a record budget. The focus now needs to be on delivery, and we need to see a plan that makes a real difference during the coming winter and supports staff and patients.”
“That means a clear pathway so that people can get help in the community before they end up in A&E, properly joined-up arrangements so that someone who is medically ready to go home is not stuck on a ward for days waiting on a care package, and honest and transparent information about where the pressures are and what is being done. As the Minister said, prevention has to be front and centre, and people who are eligible for vaccines need straightforward ways to get those in communities, workplaces and settings that suit them, and the staff need to be supported to take up the vaccinations. <BR /> <BR />On the pay award, the reality is that the Executive have created the space for that settlement. Every Department is certainly under pressure, and every Minister could certainly use more money.”
“The Minister has said that winter preparations have been ongoing throughout the year. In that case, people are entitled to see a plan being rolled out that they can recognise in their own experience when they walk into an emergency department, ring for an ambulance or, indeed, start a shift. When we talk about winter pressures, it can sound abstract, but for our constituents, it means very real situations. It is the older person who is perhaps reluctant to ring 999 because they do not want to be an extra burden on the system. It is the parent with a sick child who sits for hours in a crowded waiting room, not knowing when they will be seen, and it is the nurse finishing a 12-hour shift, staying on because there is simply no one to hand over to. A serious winter plan has to speak to all those realities.”
“I am very pleased to follow the debate and wind up for my party on the amendment. Órlaithí has already outlined how the Executive have worked successfully to create the conditions for a pay deal for health and social care staff. I will not reiterate that in detail, but I will focus on what that now means in practice for staff and patients. For too long, health workers have lived with uncertainty about their pay, staffing levels on wards and whether the system around them will hold up when the winter pressures hit. The agreement that has now been reached and accepted by the unions gives much-needed certainty on pay. That is welcome, and it matters not just to staff but to their families and for paying their mortgages and household bills. <BR /> <BR />Pay certainty has to be matched by certainty in planning.”
“Go raibh maith agat, a Leas-Cheann Comhairle.”
“The Minister has outlined the difference between those who will not pay and those who are unable to pay: what support is in place for those who are unable to pay?”
“Minister, thank you for the statement. You know that I have raised issues in my constituency with you many times, particularly the issues with odours and air pollution in Killeeshil and Granville. I have also raised the issue of an independent agency. Can you assure those communities that the agency will have the teeth to address those issues and will work with those communities to ensure that they can live with sound air quality?”
“Gairim sibh as bheith chomh righin, dochloíte, dianseasmhach. Ba cheart eang a chur sa mhaide mullaigh toisc an ceapachán seo á dhéanamh. Guím gach rath air agus ar an Dr Katy Radford agus ar Lee Reynolds ina bpoist nua. Go n-éirí libh uilig.”
“Beidh ról tábhachtach, lárnach aige, agus beidh dualgas air gearáin ón phobal a fhiosrú faoi údaráis phoiblí nach ndéanann de réir na gcaighdeán nua teanga. <BR /> <BR />Tá an Tuaisceart ar thús cadhnaíochta in athbheochan na teanga: chríochnaigh Oireachtas na Samhna Dé Domhnaigh, féile theanga a bhí ar siúl i mBéal Feirste; beidh Ard-Fheis Chonradh na Gaeilge agus Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann ann i mBéal Feirste fosta. Is imeachtaí iad sin a bhfuil an Ghaeilge fite fuaite iontu, imeachtaí ina léirítear agus ina gcuirtear saibhreas ár gcultúir agus ár dteanga chun cinn. <BR /> <BR />Tá sé thar am coimisinéir a bheith ceaptha ag an stát le forbairt na teanga a stiúradh, a neartú agus a chinntiú. Strácáil na nGael agus feachtasaíocht pholaitíochta le 50 bliain anuas is bunsiocair leis an cheapachán.”
“Céim stairiúil chun cinn don Ghaeilge, dár bpobal agus dár n-oidhreacht chomhchoiteann a bhí i gceapachán an choimisinéara teanga an tseachtain seo caite. D'fhógair Oifig an Choiste Feidhmiúcháin an tseachtain seo caite go rachadh Pól Deeds i gceann oibre mar choimisinéir nua sna seachtainí seo amach romhainn. Is geal liom an ceapachán seo, ceapachán a comhaontaíodh in Ré Nua, Cur Chuige Nua sa bhliain 2020. <BR /> <BR />Is bunchloch faoin reachtaíocht nua teanga atá againn ceapachán an choimisinéara, 20 bliain ó tugadh gealltanas ar dtús faoi Acht Gaeilge a thabhairt isteach. Tá rath agus bláth ar an Ghaeilge ar fad. Daingneofar agus neartófar an fás agus an fhorbairt sin le ceapachán coimisinéara.”
“I thank the Minister and look forward to that information. Minister, the situation at Altnagelvin has significantly worsened since the removal of emergency general surgery from the South West Acute Hospital, and you will be familiar with the phrase "double ED waits" for patients from that hospital. Those double ED waits continue. The Ambulance Service has outlined very worrying prolonged delays. Can you indicate what engagement you are having with the trust in that area about removing those double ED waits, which are discriminating against patients coming from Fermanagh?”
“Tá daoine san earnáil sin dubh dóite den éiginnteacht leanúnach agus de na fógraí a thig ag an bhomaite dheireanach. Caithfidh Rialtas na Breataine a shoiléiriú fosta an mbeidh aon ról ag ár n-institiúidí cineachta sa Tuaisceart i gcistí a leithdháileadh ar thionscadail fhiúntacha. <BR /> <BR />Gealladh i bhforógra Pháirtí an Lucht Oibre urraim a thabhairt do na hinstitiúidí cineachta. Caithfidh siad cur lena bhfocal agus a chinntiú go mbeidh cead cainte ag polaiteoirí áitiúla in aon chiste fáis feasta.”
“Ar an drochuair, d’fhág an t-easnamh maoinithe sin an iomad grúpaí in áit a gcarta agus d’fhág a n-inbhuanaitheacht fhadtéarmach faoi amhras mar aon lena gcumas na seirbhísí a sholáthar a bhfuil géarghá leo. <BR /> <BR />D’fhógair Rialtas na Breataine i mí na Bealtaine go dtabharfadh siad isteach ciste an fháis áitiúil in ionad Chiste an Rathúnais Choitianta. Ach is tearc sonraí atá ann ó shin faoin dóigh a n-oibreoidh sé. Caithfidh Rialtas na Breataine a chur in iúl dúinn gan mhoill cé acu a bheidh an ciste fáis áitiúil i bhfeidhm sula dtige deireadh le Ciste an Rathúnais Choitianta nó nach mbeidh. Faigheann na mílte daoine anseo fostaíocht san earnáil pobail agus dheonach, agus tá cinnteacht de dhíth san earnáil chéanna ionas go mbeifear in ann bheith ag pleanáil don am atá le teacht.”
“D’admhaigh Rialtas na Breataine, faoi dheireadh, go ndearna an Breatimeacht dochar "tromchúiseach fadtéarmach" do gheilleagar na Breataine agus gurb é is mó is cúis le cuid mhór den dua eacnamaíochta atáimid a fháil inniu. <BR /> <BR />Ba thubaisteach mar a chuaigh caillstean maoinithe ón Aontas Eorpach i gcion ar an Tuaisceart, go háirithe ar ár n-earnáil pobail agus dheonach. Gheall Rialtas na Breataine go soláthródh siad féin iomlán an mhaoinithe a cailleadh, ach, mo náire iad, níor chomhlíon siad an gealltanas sin. Mar shampla, bhí Ciste an Rathúnais Choitianta, a mbeidh deireadh leis i mí an Mhárta, bhí sin £20 milliún níos lú in aghaidh na bliana ar an mheán ná na cistí struchtúrtha Eorpacha ar tháinig sé ina n-áit.”
“Tubaiste amach is amach don Tuaisceart a bhí sa chinneadh an tAontas Eorpach a fhágáil. Tá beagnach deich mbliana ó shin, thug Sinn Féin rabhadh go mbeadh anord eacnamaíochta agus polaitíochta sna hoileáin seo de dheasca an tAontas Eorpach a fhágáil agus go mbeimis uilig thíos leis ó thaobh airgid de. Mar is eol dúinn go léir, d’aontaigh formhór mhuintir an Tuaiscirt le Sinn Féin, ach má d’aontaigh féin, tarraingíodh amach as an Aontas Eorpach muid in éadan ár dtola. <BR /> <BR />Tá iarmhairtí an chinnidh úd ag tosú á nochtadh féin anois, áfach, fiú don té ba dhíograisí ar son an Bhreatimeachta. Leoga, níor bhréag a rá go bhfuil aithreachas ar an té sin anois.”
“It appears, Minister, that elements of the statement scapegoat migrant families. However, the statement is only in, and the evidence for that will become clearer in due course. How does the Department intend to balance legitimate demand for affordable shared housing, including for students, low-income workers and refugees, with community concerns about neighbourhood change and the safety risks that you flag in the statement?”
“I thank the First Minister for her answer. That is a really good example of where this institution works well: identify a problem, develop a framework, put resources in and work with partners on the ground to deliver it. In light of that, my local community development organisation, Brantry Area Rural Development Association, is rolling out a programme to almost 40 young boys and girls in association with White Ribbon. Will the First Minister and deputy First Minister accept an invitation to come and visit that project and see the impact of its work?”
“That is not what I am asking for, Minister. I am asking for an appropriate number of staff to cover what we now know to be a pattern of failure. I am saying that, if the current cohort is not meeting needs and is collapsing on such a regular basis, that cohort is not enough. That is where I am looking for additional capacity to be assessed and recruited so that the facility continues to function, cancellations do not come in at the last minute and we do not see the whole place closing because of one or two members of staff being off. That is what I am asking for.”
“They are in a very precarious position in that sense. <BR /> <BR />I very heartily invite the Minister to come to Woodlawn House. I will go along with him to speak to staff, residents, service users and their families, if that is possible. Thank you, Minister.”