Emma Sheerin
Mid Ulster · Sinn Féin · Northern Ireland
“Given what we have seen unfold across the North in recent weeks, it is important that we acknowledge that they are people with particular vulnerabilities who are particularly sensitive and, with that in mind, consider our language.”
“No, I will not give way. You have rambled on for long enough in this place. <BR /> <BR />When it comes to the early clauses of the Bill, I, like others, put on the record our appreciation of the work of Geraldine Hanna and our support for the intent of Part 1 of the Bill, which puts the role that she has been carrying out impeccably thus…”
“I thank the Minister for clarifying that immigration is an excepted matter, which means that it is the responsibility of the British Government and nothing to do with the House.”
“On a point of order, Mr Speaker. Members will be aware that the DUP and some of its lackeys in the UUP cynically used petitions of concern, two weeks ago, to block rights for children.”
“I welcome the opportunity to speak at the Second Stage of the Victims and Witnesses of Crime Bill. I am proud to be from a party that consistently supports the best available human rights advice on all matters.”
“For many years, Donaldson used his position of power to abuse and to escape justice. He presented himself as a role model. We now know that that was bogus and that his public persona was a deception.”
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“Minister, will you outline the benefits of a social model underpinned by constructive relationships between employers and trade unions?”
“Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire as a freagra.”
“Do you hear people's real fears on seeing hard-won gains and progress challenged by regressive and increasingly aggressive sectors? <BR /> <BR />We should all agree that all forms of hate should be extinguished and stamped out. We have to call it out in order to do so, and that requires leadership. There can be no going back on acceptance and no going back on issues of equality and respect.”
“As elected representatives, we all must lead on showing compassion and embracing all sections of our communities as we look to build a new and united society. We should not dehumanise anyone. <BR /> <BR />We should listen carefully to the voices of those who are impacted on by these decisions. As the Rainbow Project reminds us today, at the start of LGBTQIA+ Awareness Week, it is a case of "Nothing About Us Without Us". Over the past few months, Sinn Féin has met a range of stakeholder groups, such as the Rainbow Project, Pride, Cara-Friend and HERe NI, to name but a few, as well as our party members who identify as part of the LGBTQIA+ community. I ask all political parties here this: do you meet people? Do you speak with them? Do you listen to their concerns?”
“As a woman, I accept that women are worried about lots of things. I am a woman. <BR /> <BR />It is a sad reality that, for too many people, experiences of homophobia, biphobia and transphobia, in particular, appear to be growing. Some voices have been heightened following the Supreme Court decision last month. That should not be seen as an opportunity, because it has caused great concern amongst the trans community in Britain. That concern is growing here in the North and is felt by our trans community, so we should wait for Equality Commission guidance on the impact of the ruling locally. There is an onus on all of us in the interim, particularly on the people on these Benches, who are leaders in our communities, to remember that we are talking about human beings and that compassion and empathy should underscore any and all comments.”
“They come from all faiths and all backgrounds, all countries and all political persuasions, and there should be no doubt in anyone's mind that the Assembly would rally in opposition to any sort of discrimination, homophobia, biphobia, transphobia or any other type of marginalising behaviour in our society.”
“I rise to support the motion. It is an important motion to support as we mark International Day against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia later this week. We should celebrate the annual progress towards a more progressive, accepting and compassionate society. Sadly, we do not find ourselves in that position. <BR /> <BR />It is important to reflect on the fact that the wider LGBTQIA+ community represents an entire cross-section of our community, people whom we all know and love. They are our family and friends, our co-workers, our constituents, health workers, teachers, civil servants and so much more. They are young people, who hear these debates and have to carry that language with them.”
“Absolutely. The Member has articulated clearly the point that I was trying to make about the view of the motion and what the Chamber endorsing it would say. It is about an extension of rights, which we should all support.”
“I thank the Member for his intervention. I absolutely accept that the Good Friday Agreement sets it out clearly that it is down to the will of the people whether there should be constitutional change. The motion is not about constitutional change, and the King is not my head of state. I urge Members to support the motion and remind them that it is not about the constitutional question; it is about extending the right to vote for the Irish president to Irish people who live in the North.”
“I am Irish, and I would like to be able to elect my Irish president.”
“He articulated very clearly the views of the vast majority of Irish people in completely condemning the actions of the Israeli state and the murder of innocent civilians and children and stating how we stand with the Palestinian people and send our solidarity to them. We see our own struggle reflected in what is currently happening to those living in the Gaza Strip. We rely on our heads of state to do that for us. <BR /> <BR />As has been said, the Irish head of state is democratically elected. Others have a head of state who is not democratically elected, and that is totally fine. As has been said, the Good Friday Agreement set a very clear formalised arrangement whereby, in the North of Ireland, you can be Irish, British, both or neither. All those options are open to all of us and they are all totally acceptable.”
“Even if it is something that you do not feel that you are going to have any interest in and you do not feel that you will ever want to vote in an Irish presidential election, allowing others to do so does not affect you negatively. You never know: at some point, you might see a candidate that changes your mind, gives you an interest and makes you want to get involved. <BR /> <BR />As has been outlined by others, the present head of state gives a voice to the Irish nation on an international stage. As others have said, we have clearly seen the importance of that in the context of the genocide in Gaza and the bravery and courage of our Irish president in putting words to the feelings of so many of us.”
“<BR /> <BR />While I am correcting things, I will say that although, like the Member to my right, I am not particularly bothered about whose idea it was, it is important to note that Sinn Féin brought legislation to the Oireachtas regarding the extension of voting rights to citizens in the North before Aontú had even been established as a political party. So, it is something that we have long felt was important. <BR /> <BR />It is something that I would like to see all parties supporting, because rights are not exclusive, and increasing rights for one group does not mean that anybody else has less access to rights.”
“I doubt that I will need 10 minutes. I thank all Members for what was a lively, informative and worthwhile debate. We tabled the motion to try to progress rights, equality and inclusion. That is the thrust of the motion's objective. <BR /> <BR />I am an Irish woman who lives in Ireland. As others have stated, that right was formalised in the Good Friday Agreement. Twenty-seven years later, we can still see that Irish citizens in the North do not have the same rights as other people who live just across the border. That is something that we would like to correct.”
“Go raibh maith agat, a Leas-Cheann Comhairle.”
“Minister, will InterTradeIreland's programme remain current in the new economic landscape?”
“Minister, will you provide some detail on the Tourism Ireland business plan for 2025?”
“<BR /> <BR />We know that this is a common-sense approach. Just a few weeks ago, the ESRI report told us that we needed an upscaling of cross-border skills, employment and education and that there are benefits for all of us if we focus on that. It also stated that people who get their qualifications in a particular place are more likely to then be employed in that place. Therefore, it makes sense that we offer people as many choices as possible and that we open that up and have that conversation. <BR /> <BR />I welcome this work. It is key that the Education Minister places a priority on this so that all of our young people have all of the information that they need — knowledge is power — to see clearly what suits them best and what will give them the future that they want.”
“They were working just as hard as I was, and I was working as hard as they were, yet the routes that were open to us were completely different. I was completely unaware of things that I needed to do in order to get the same sort of education that they were getting and vice versa. When I think of my cousins from west Donegal trekking to Dublin and the challenges in that — other Members mentioned them — it seems ridiculous that they were not able to go to Derry or Belfast, which are much closer, much cheaper and much easier places for them to attain their education. However, because of the differences in our system, there was another barrier in place, and so they were not able to avail themselves of such opportunities and ended up driving for four hours to Dublin and paying ridiculous rents and all the costs incurred in that regard.”
“I support the motion. It is an important conversation for us. <BR /> <BR />I was born in the USA: Up Stairs Altnagelvin. At the time when I was born, a few miles over the road, several cousins of mine were born in Donegal, in the Twenty-six Counties. I have cousins — I am one of something like 35 grandchildren on my mum's side — who are of a similar age to me, and nothing separated our start in life except the border on our island, yet we had completely different opportunities as a result. That highlights the challenges that we are discussing and the things that we want to change. <BR /> <BR />People are not made aware when they are 16 or 17 of the opportunities that they have and what they have to do to avail themselves of different educational paths. I saw that clearly as I was growing up and speaking to my family members.”
“Minister, I know that your predecessor met businesses and trade unions to discuss the Bill in the pre-consultation and consultation stages. Will you confirm that you will continue those conversations as the detail of the Bill is worked out?”
“Will the Minister outline what her Department is doing to use technology to improve road maintenance?”
“Can you provide an update on the current position on each appointment as per the Act?”
“Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire as an fhreagra sin.”
“<BR /> <BR />The British Government have prioritised warfare over welfare and have made decisions that have hurt the most vulnerable in our society. Our small businesses also now feel the pressure from that. From engaging with our small businesses, we know that they do not begrudge the rise in the living wage and the national minimum wage, which will benefit many of our low-income earners, but they need support, if they are to meet those targets. We can all take a lesson from those decisions, which is that we would be better making our own decisions here and that there is a better way for us all to live.”
“I concur with a lot of the remarks that have been made this afternoon. It is regrettable that we have been placed in this position. Both the Ministers referred to in the motion are bringing the case for our businesses to the British Government and have been doing so since the Budget was announced and the measures were brought in. As others have outlined, it is unfortunate that the employers' National Insurance contributions have not been funded in the North in the way that they have across the devolved regions. That highlights the disparity that we face and the fact that we are funded below need. We already see that starkly in our public services. Trying to keep the lights on across the North is increasingly difficult.”
“Minister, will you provide an update on the PEACE PLUS programme, please?”
“Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire as an fhreagra sin.”
“The Minister has just answered my question.”
“This is a time for cool heads and a planned, measured response — it is vital that we exercise caution — and the Minister has met her counterparts in London and Dublin in an attempt to agree a response. It is important that we see a lack of divergence between Britain and the EU. We want to recognise the special place that the North is, recognise our unique circumstances and support our local businesses. That is what we really need to see at the heart of this. We need to see stability and resilience embedded in our local businesses, and I hope that we can all work together to do that.”
“I thank the Member for bringing this Matter of the Day to the House. He made a lot of salient points about the regrettable actions that the president of the United States has taken at a time when our whole world is in turmoil. We are seeing the continuing genocide of the Palestinian people, people closer to home struggling to pay their bills as it is, a lot of worries for our local businesses and employers and our most vulnerable being attacked again by the new British Labour Government. <BR /> <BR />I note that the Member who tabled the Matter of the Day referred to actions that the Economy Minister can take. Caoimhe Archibald met businesses and trade unions this morning to try to plot a way forward and see what actions we can take here to mitigate any damage that the tariffs will do to local businesses.”
“We stand for compassion, supporting people, decency, dignity and fairness. There is a better, brighter future available to us all: a new and united Ireland where everyone, free from punitive British decision-making, can prosper.”
“It is a slap in the face for workers and families who are already struggling with the cost-of-living crisis. It is a slap in the face for those who keep our public services going even in the most difficult circumstances. <BR /> <BR />The message from Westminster is crystal clear: they do not care about the people of this island. No politicians in London ever did or ever will. Once again, they have proved that the British Government care more about bombs and proving military might than the welfare of our citizens or the future of our children. Let us send a clear and united message here today: we stand with our sick and disabled people, families, young people and our elderly population. We stand for good public services and proper standards of living for all the people whom we represent.”
“I wish that we did not have to have this motion. The reality is that we are having this debate because, once again, the British Government are choosing to prioritise pumping billions into weapons of war rather than supporting the most vulnerable in society. They are choosing to cruelly punish the long-term sick, disabled people, families, the elderly and children — the people who rely on the public services that we all, at one stage, took for granted. Some are shocked; I am not. Nobody should be surprised by the actions of this British Government, because they are, after all, just another British Government. This is a slap in the face for people living with a disability or long-term sickness who rely on PIP payments to survive, many of whom rely on PIP payments to be able to do the work that they so want to do.”
“What progress has been made on implementation of the high street task force recommendations?”
“Will she commit to working with her Executive partners to promote regional balance and promote places such as the north-west and other parts of the North as vibrant places in which to work, live and study?”
“Gabhaim buíochas leis an leas-Chéad Aire as a freagra.”
“I add my voice to those of Dr Joanne Stuart and others representing the industry in calling for the British Government to stop using the scheme and rethink the damage that they are doing.”
“The vast majority of international visitors see Ireland as one country and want to visit Antrim as much as they do Galway or Donegal. The pubs in mid-Ulster are every bit as good as those in Galway. The beaches on the north coast are every bit as nice as those further south. We want to encourage the businesses that have suffered for so long and are only beginning to flourish to continue to do so. We know that 67% of those who visit Northern destinations for tourism reasons do so via the border because the vast majority of our international ports, airports and docks are located in the Twenty-six Counties, but there is great hesitancy from people when they are faced with that bureaucracy in order to come North. We want to encourage our tourism sector and support the industry.”
“We know that there is already a disparity between our tourism and hospitality sectors North and South, and the scheme is set to cause more chaos for our Northern outlets. Added to the worry that our businesses feel is the fact that the price is increasing from £10 to £16 on 9 April. It just feels like there is an onslaught on our tourism operators across the Six Counties. <BR /> <BR />Regardless of anyone's political affiliation or feelings about it, the reality is that, worldwide, people do not understand the intricacies of the British border in Ireland.”
“I rise this afternoon to highlight the electronic travel authorisation (ETA) scheme, which the British Government have been implementing since the beginning of the year, ahead of its scope being broadened on 2 April, when European visitors will be required to submit an ETA application before coming North. <BR /> <BR />Since 8 January, all non-European international visitors have had to apply for an ETA before they can cross the border. I have already had constituents come to me with increasing anxiety about that. B&Bs and self-catering accommodation outlets that are normally, at this stage of the year, fully booked for the summer are seeing a massive decrease in numbers, and their owners are very concerned about the impact that the scheme will have.”
“<BR /> <BR />I welcome the motion and hope to see support for it across the House. We want to see investment in the new, innovative strategies, and we want to see newer ways and fresh ways of doing things and capturing the energy that we have. We know that the technology is growing at a rate beyond the comprehension of any of us, and, when you start to read into it, you see that it is an incredibly complicated industry. It requires that support if we are to get away from fossil fuels.”
“I support the motion and thank those who tabled it. This is an incredibly timely discussion. It is a very important thing for us to make progress on in this place, and we know that the Department has recognised the importance of green energy. A just transition for those investing in green energy is one of the Department's priorities and, indeed, is a priority for the entire Executive, as set out in the Programme for Government. <BR /> <BR />Never has the need for this been seen more starkly than in recent months, with the arrival of storm Éowyn, one of many recent storms that have wreaked havoc across the country and provided evidence that, with global warming, the need for reducing our reliance on fossil fuels is becoming more and more pertinent. Every winter that we experience tells us that in a real and stark way.”
“Minister, do we have a timeline for when we can expect to see the outcome of the investigation?”
“We need the infrastructure to be in place to allow us to decarbonise our energy generation, such as the aforementioned interconnector, and we have always said that our preference was for it to be undergrounded. I welcome the debate.”
“I welcome the motion, the Opposition's tabling the item for discussion, and their support for and endorsement of a key Programme for Government commitment that relates to the climate action plan and the agreed position of all Executive parties on what we need to do to meet our net zero targets. As outlined in the Programme for Government, we need to meet those targets in a fair and just way that is affordable for households, homeowners and businesses alike. It has been a key priority for our Minister, and work is ongoing on a renewable energy support scheme, because it is vital not only to encourage but to allow people and businesses to make the investment that we need in green energy if we are to be successful.”
“Go raibh maith agat, a Leas-Cheann Comhairle.”
“The people who do that vital work on the ground, including the campaigning, which has taken us so far in the Gaelic revival, need to see the support delivered on. It is important that we support the motion.”
“. The message that I get from the people who are working on the ground to revitalise our native language is the same: although the work that they are doing is so important and brilliant, they want to do more, but they are not receiving the support that they need. We all know that what gets measured gets done. That is why a strategy is so important. It would provide objectives and working remits to allow people to see how well things are being delivered. <BR /> <BR />The language is open to everyone. You get joy from being amongst people who are speaking in such a way. It has meaning in our area. As has been articulated, the place names that we use every day come from the Irish language. When you make that connection, it feels as though a light bulb goes off.”
“, Glór na Speiríní and my own Baile na Scríne”