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.”
The complete record
Every one of 1,123 lines we hold for Emma Sheerin, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 12 of 23.
“I pay tribute to all our front-line workers who have carried us through a very difficult period since the weekend's storm. I was lucky enough to be safe and warm in my house on Friday so the wind did not knock me off my feet. However, I was blown away by the number of messages that I was receiving from very early on Friday — from 6.30 am and 7.00 am — from domiciliary care workers in my area whose main concern was not their own safety but whether the roads to their clients were clear so that they could carry out their daily visits. The concern and care that they exercise for the people whom they look after is overwhelming. Those people are the salt of the earth. Our domiciliary care workers are already overworked and underpaid, and they need to see an uplift in their pay to reflect that.”
“Minister, will you outline the reviews of NI Water's funding model that the Department has carried out?”
“I thank the Ministers for their statement. I add my name to the list of Members putting on record their thanks to all the front-line workers and everybody who has been trying to restore our services and deal with our queries over the weekend. <BR /> <BR />First Minister, what are you doing to work with councils to provide services for those who are worst affected by the storm?”
“Minister, thank you for recently meeting the members of the Loughinsholin tourism cluster, along with me, from Mid Ulster. Do you agree that that group has massive potential to strengthen tourism in Mid Ulster, and will you agree to visit that tourism, please?”
“Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire as an fhreagra sin.”
“Minister, can you outline how exactly the fund will work to complement the fantastic work by local groups on the ground to end violence against women and girls?”
“Gabhaim buíochas leis an Chéad-Aire as an fhreagra sin.”
“This is not about shaming anyone; it is about breaking the stigma, having a conversation and raising awareness of the forums that can help people who are suffering from the effects of drug abuse. I encourage people to come along, have that conversation and see whether, as a community, we can stamp out the problem.”
“I commend the organisers of, and encourage attendance at, an event that we are having in Ballinascreen community hub tomorrow at 7.00 pm to raise awareness of drug addiction and abuse and to reduce its harm. Our community has come together in recent times to acknowledge the fact that drug addiction does not discriminate: it can affect anyone, regardless of race, class, creed, background or religion. Drugs are no longer something that you only find in big cities; they are now a rural problem as well. We see more and more young people come into contact with illegal drugs and, indeed, prescription drugs that can ruin lives, and, in many instances, do so.”
“<BR /> <BR />We know that gender-responsive budgeting — taking account of the specific challenges that women face, such as unpaid care and the health issues that they have to deal with — allows for a more productive workforce and more efficiencies in our public services. It is better all round. I commend the motion to the House and urge Members to support it, and I thank the Minister for her work on this.”
“I support the motion and commend those who brought it to the House. In welcoming the motion, I must mention the work that my party's Minister Caoimhe Archibald has already done on the issue. We know that it is vital that policies have regard to the entire population. Our society across the North is not a homogenous group, and creating policy by reference to only one group ultimately means that people will be excluded. On the contrary, when you consider the specific needs of different demographics in society, you will ultimately have a more inclusive society with more access to public services and a Budget that works better for people. Dr Archibald has reflected that in her work on this thus far.”
“<BR /> <BR />There is a duty on all of us to work together to end this phenomenon, and I am glad that the strategy is going to work.”
“It begins within the confines of group chats, memes, innuendoes and remarks, and there is a running commentary that overtly sexualises women, dehumanises an entire section of our society and reduces an awful lot of women to the sum of their body parts — body parts that, ultimately, they do not own, because they end up another statistic. <BR /> <BR />At this point, I take the opportunity to send solidarity to our former colleague in the House, the Alliance MP, Sorcha Eastwood, for her incredibly brave statement the other day, which I am sure that many of you will have seen. It was so commendable for her to speak so openly about her experience, and I am sure that there is not a woman in the Building who will not have found herself relating to some of the words that Sorcha sadly expressed.”
“<BR /> <BR />The North of Ireland is the most dangerous place in Europe to be a woman, and the most dangerous place to be a woman in the North of Ireland is in her own home. Most of these women are murdered within their own houses by people whom they know. Again, the statistics tell us that the most at-risk time for a woman in an abusive relationship is when she attempts to leave that relationship, yet still we hear: "Why was she with him? What did she stay for?" That is why she stayed. It does not begin with busted lips or black eyes or broken glasses. It does not begin with another of the headlines that are less and less shocking as they build up. It does not begin with a murder. We know that there is a pyramid of violence against women and girls. It begins in playgrounds. It begins in changing rooms.”
“I support the motion. The last time I spoke about the issue in the Chamber was on 21 October last year, at which time I lamented the fact that, in the previous eight years, 42 women had been murdered in the North. Even since then, another woman has been murdered here, and, at this time, I send my condolences to the family and friends of Karen Cummings. Just three days ago, we learned of the murder of another woman, Annie Heyneman, just across the border in County Cavan. Again, I send my thoughts and sympathies to all who have been affected by that. All of that is to say that we can barely get through an Assembly recess period without the murder of a woman or girl in this part of the world. These headlines have now become the norm here, but nothing about this is normal, and we need to reflect on that.”
“How does the Minister's Department consider the impact of street lighting on the safety of women and girls?”
“<BR /> <BR />Ar an drochuair, níor chomhlíon an domhan na gealltanais a rinneadh ag an am sin, agus is maith is eol dúinne an dochar a dhéantar nuair a shéantar cearta an duine. Tá easpa ceart sa Tuaisceart: níor comhlíonadh na gealltanais a rinneadh sa bhliain 1998 go fóill, agus tá an beagán ag séanadh bhille na gceart ar an mhórán. <BR /> <BR />Ar fud an domhain, tá cearta daoine leochaileacha faoi ionsaí gach aon lá. Is ar Gaza, thar áit ar bith eile, a smaoinímid agus ar mhuintir na Palaistíne, atá faoi chinedhíothú le níos mó ná 14 mhí. Fiú roimh an 7 Deireadh Fómhair bhí siad faoi fhorghabháil. <BR /> <BR />Caithfimid bheith ag súil le níos fearr, ach caithfimid obair ar a shon. <BR /> <BR />Caithfimid ár gcearta dár dtodchaí a bheith againn anois díreach.”
“Ár gcearta, ár dtodhchaí anois díreach. <BR /> <BR />Inniu Lá Idirnáisiúnta Chearta an Duine. Is inniu a dhéanaimid ár machnamh ar an dul chun cinn a rinneadh agus a aithnímid go bhfuil bearnaí ann go fóill. <BR /> <BR />Déanaimid comóradh inniu, nó is ar an lá seo tá sé bliana is seachtó ó shin a síníodh Dearbhú Uilechoiteann Chearta an Duine. Sa 1948, bhí an domhain faoi léan i ndiaidh ar fhulaing sé d’uafáis bharbartha. I ndiaidh chrá agus phian an Uileloiscthe, tháinig ceannairí domhanda le chéile lena rá: "Choíche arís". D’fhógair siad na cearta doshannta a bhfuil gach neach daonna ina dteideal, beag beann ar chine, ar reiligiún ná ar náisiúntacht. Rinne siad é sin i ndúil is nach mbeadh aon ghrúpa daoine faoi leatrom choíche arís. <BR /> <BR />Bheadh comhionannas, dínit agus saoirse ag gach duine.”
“A lot of talent has come from Carnamoney, and Patsy's recognition is a testament to that.”
“I congratulate the Workspace Group in my constituency after its amazing accomplishment of winning the social enterprise of the year award. It received the award in Belfast a few weeks ago. The award is a marker of its success locally and of the amount of work that the group does, to which I can attest, given that it is based in Ballinascreen. I see the fantastic work that it does at a local level and how invaluable that work is to our community, to the groups that it funds and to all of us who benefit from it. <BR /> <BR />I will mention Patsy McShane especially. He won a lifetime achievement award a number of weeks ago. He is a founding member of the Workspace Group board and is known locally for his work with the credit union and various community groups.”
“I thank the Minister for his statement. Is there any scope within the initiative for the return of free digital devices for children from disadvantaged backgrounds in order to support their learning?”
“I congratulate Robert Emmet's GAC Slaughtneil on retaining an Ulster title on Sunday after a spectacular victory over Portaferry, when the team came from eight points down to eventually win by three points. I congratulate the people of Slaughtneil on again becoming Ulster champions. As my wee friend Patrick McMullan always says to me, "Up the Robbies". There will be plenty of people shouting, "Up the Robbies" from now on.”
“We need support for the unpaid carers who live with that daily and are left to do so without any financial or practical help, which puts real pressure on families. It puts a particular pressure on women, as the unpaid care role falls to the females in most families. <BR /> <BR />I commend the motion to the House. On the DUP amendment, which has been referred to, we do not agree with termination in cases of non-fatal fetal abnormality. However, the DUP amendment is clearly a deliberately divisive and cynical intervention in what should be a clear and unequivocal call on a DUP Minister to bring forward the necessary legislation to incorporate the UNCRPD into law. For that reason, we will not support the DUP amendment. Instead, I would like to see the House united in support of people living with disability.”
“As constituency MLAs, we could all think of examples of people who have approached us for help, whether that be families of children with additional needs who cannot access one-to-one support in their classroom and are therefore left out of getting the education that they need; families of those same SEN children as they approach adulthood and no longer have any support services; families struggling without the respite services that they need; or people in older age who, through an accident or a disability that they have had since birth, are unable to manage their daily living needs at home and cannot access the domiciliary care that they need. In my constituency, that is a particular problem that is exacerbated by the rurality of the area. You see families really struggle at the coalface.”
“In doing so, we need to realise that actual equality means meeting people where they are and ensuring that they have the framework and ability to access whatever standard of living they would like to access. That is a right for us all, and it should be legislated for. <BR /> <BR />We need to encourage people across society to speak up. We need to be their voice and to advocate for them.”
“They will concur that we heard time and again that people with a disability have negative experiences because of their lack of access to rights; our punitive benefits system and how it punishes people who cannot complete the daily tasks that a lot of us take for granted; and the humiliating and demoralising process for applying for the personal independence payment (PIP) and, in the case of children, the disability living allowance (DLA). That is a benefits system that we inherited from 14 years of the Tories being in power and that we want to change. <BR /> <BR />Incorporating the UNCRPD means that we should legislate to consider the needs of people who live with a disability and encourage participation, ensuring that people have a seat at the table, looking at their needs and bringing equality.”
“I support the motion and commend the proposer for bringing it to the House to have this valuable debate. Incorporating the UNCRPD is a practical step that we can take to support those across society who live with a disability. That came up a lot during the bill of rights process in the last mandate, during which we took presentations from a number of vulnerable groups across society. Other members of the Ad Hoc Committee on a Bill of Rights are in the Chamber.”
“Those are all problems that our local sheep producers have to face, and there is an onus on us all to protect local sheep farming and support the people who make our rural economy tick.”
“I thank the Minister for his intervention. He is 100% right. That is another pressure point for our local sheep farmers, who now face imports of New Zealand lamb, which, I would argue, is of a lesser standard than locally produced lamb. As well as that, we rely on our export market. The ramifications of Brexit are that we will be in bother with veterinary agreements and other challenges that are coming our way due to the standards that the UK will pursue. That is another challenge that our local farmers have to consider. <BR /> <BR />We also see the imposition of bluetongue and the risk that that poses for sheep farmers in the hills. Lung disease is much less talked about but causes massive fear for local farmers as it can wipe out a flock in one go and at an alarming rate.”
“<BR /> <BR />We have to think about what we want. We want to support the farmers; we want to support a type of food production that is healthy; and we want to support affordable, high-quality food. We heard our former butcher talk about the standard of Irish lamb. That is something with which I, as the daughter of a sheep farmer, concur.”
“For somebody who has reared sheep for years, it is not simple to start a beef herd, because it costs an awful lot to do that. The Minister has already said that he is not minded to reintroduce the areas of natural constraint (ANC) payment, which was brought about by my party colleague, Michelle O'Neill when she was the AERA Minister. The ANC payment was a lifeline for many of our upland farmers. Those people cannot easily diversify. Cattle numbers on the hills are reducing year on year, but those that are on the hills are inside from September, going through meal and silage at an alarming rate. That is costly and impacts on our environment. We know that sheep on the hills better the environment: they feed into biodiversity and carbon sequestration and are not as damaging to the environment as more intensive farming practices.”
“We know that the agri-food industry in the North is worth about £5 billion. That money does not just support farmers; that money goes into our rural communities to support people like me who were reared in farming families but also our machinery dealers, vets, mechanics and engineering firms. It supports people who work in farm-related businesses, such as dealers of agri-medicine and feed, all of whom are vital to rural economies. We have to consider that. <BR /> <BR />Farming on the uplands and in the hills is more expensive and tougher. Those farmers face tougher climates, and they work with lower-quality soil. Producing silage and hay is incredibly difficult in any year, but, for many farmers, in a year like this one it was impossible.”
“When we talk about the lack of ring-fencing for agriculture subsidies — there is an expectation that the Executive will secure those moneys for farmers next year, and I believe that all Executive parties are committed to trying to do that — we have to acknowledge the fact that we used to have that money coming directly from the EU. We had that security of funding, but that has gone. There is pressure on all Ministers to work together to support farmers by providing the subsidies that we have lost as a result of the decision to leave the EU. I know that the Minister has committed to trying to ring-fence that budget, but it is a massive pressure and it will be a massive pressure. <BR /> <BR />There is a particular worry and concern among our sheep producers, who face a 17% reduction in what we still refer to as the "single farm payment".”
“It will come as no surprise to anybody listening to the debate that I am definitely in support of upland sheep farmers, being, as I am, the daughter of one. I was reared on a sheep farm in the Sperrins, so I have a particular interest in the motion and the topic, and I feel that supporting our sheep producers is the right thing to do. <BR /> <BR />It is about equality and addressing needs. It is about identifying the particular challenges that different sectors face and trying to support those people through those challenges. The challenges faced by our sheep producers in upland areas are many and varied. The most obvious one at the minute is the loss of the single farm payment following our removal from the EU.”
“I rise in celebration following a brilliant weekend of sport across the province, most notably my club, St Colm's Ballinascreen, becoming Ulster champions. I heartily congratulate everybody involved in the panel, particularly the management of Cathal, Paddy and Colm and the entire team. We have a brilliant mix of young and more experienced on our hurling panel, and they beat East Cavan Gaels by eight points yesterday to become the junior Ulster club champions. It is a fantastic feat for our small club, and I am very proud of everybody involved. The celebrations from last night probably still continue and rightly so. <BR /> <BR />I also note the fantastic achievements of Swatragh and Slaughtneil in reaching their respective finals at both intermediate and senior levels. I wish them the very best of luck in their finals.”
“We have a massive older population in Mid Ulster, who are dispersed and are living in very rural areas. Their funding has gone. Where will future funding come from? That is the anxiety that rural people are facing. We are coming into the winter: everything is a wee bit harder when you live in the hills and there is snow falling or frost on the ground. That is another challenge that we have to deal with. <BR /> <BR />I reiterate the calls of others from across the House for increased funding for our local communities for agriculture, for other rural affairs and for the people who live outside our agriculture families. I do not envy the Minister's task of trying to provide that funding when we have left the EU, but I am committed to working with him and all his Executive colleagues to try to get some funding into our rural areas.”
“I welcome the announcement just this week from our Finance Minister, Dr Caoimhe Archibald, of an additional £2 million for TRPSI. However, we have not seen any confirmation of the capital works programme that previously led to a lot of development at Moydamlaght Forest. We want to see a furthering of that development and await news on that programme. <BR /> <BR />As was the case with so many things in the wake of the Brexit debate, we were told that the Shared Prosperity Fund would be released and would replace all the EU money that our rural areas previously received. Not a penny have we seen from the Shared Prosperity Fund, which is a real concern for local groups. I have spoken to the like of Agewell in Magherafelt, where Marie does an amazing job with our older population.”
“In the past, I had the privilege of sitting on our local action group (LAG) board in Mid Ulster, and I could see the local benefit that we were able to get through the rural development programme. It is estimated that, between 2016 and 2020, up to £15 million went into our local groups, GAA halls, mother-and-toddler groups and all sorts of community groups. I think also of An Ráth Dubh in my constituency, the Sixtowns Cross Community Group, the Workspace Group and a load of other social enterprise groups that work throughout south Derry, bring employment into the area and further the aspirations of local people. That money has been lost. That was a ground-up scheme that allowed local people to have an input in where investment should go.”
“We know that the funding is down 18% this year, and it will no longer be ring-fenced. It will compete with other pressures in our block grant, which is unfair and is causing an awful lot of anxiety amongst our farming population. Other measures that we heard about the week before last in the British Government's Budget, such as the change for double cab pickups and the inheritance tax change, will have a massive impact on a lot of family farms across the North. All that contributes to a lack of confidence in our farming community and a lack of ability to make the changes and improvements to their farms that are so badly needed. <BR /> <BR />LEADER has been referenced.”
“Through the years, we saw massive benefit from EU funding in the single farm payment, which was invaluable for our farming community. I always make the argument that the money that is put into agriculture benefits not only those who are employed in farm businesses but a host of other industries that rely on farmers and agriculture to consume their products. Think of engineering in Mid Ulster, which is a massive employer, the trailer producers and the people who make other bits of machinery that are bought and used by farmers; think of our machinery dealers and tractor dealers, all of whom rely on our farming community; and think of all the other people who are employed in various aspects of contributing economies. <BR /> <BR />We do not have the replacement funds for the single farm payment.”
“I thank my fellow Member for Mid Ulster for bringing the debate to the Chamber. Like Keith, I have a passion for Mid Ulster, a largely rural constituency. Anybody who knows me will know that I am from a farming family and proud of the fact. As has been said, Mid Ulster has a largely rural population: about 155,000 people live within the confines of our district, and 69% of them live in what is deemed a rural area, outside our big towns of Magherafelt, Dungannon, Cookstown and Coalisland. <BR /> <BR />When talking about support for our rural communities, it would be difficult to get through — although I note that my constituency colleague did — without mentioning the elephant in the room that is Brexit. That is what has pulled money out of Mid Ulster.”
“I thank the Minister for that answer. Minister, what actions are you taking to support the development of the mid-Ulster biorefinery cluster?”
“There is a responsibility and an onus on us, who have a mandate in the House, to call that out and to speak to those who are falling victim to misinformation and blaming other people who are in worse-off positions than they are for the situation that they are in. <BR /> <BR />We must address racism at its core. It all comes from the same supremacist mindset: some parts of a community are better than another just because of the colour of your skin or the religion that you practise or whether you practise at all. We have to call that out. <BR /> <BR />I commend the motion to the House and hope that this starts a period of intensive engagement so that we do not see the same, disgusting scenes next summer as those we saw this year.”
“Therefore, it is right that we have a frank and open conversation about that, address the causes and work together to eradicate them. To that end, I recognise the good work that began with the scoping exercise in September, with those involved with the minority ethnic community and the cross-departmental working group that needs to listen to the experiences of those who are victims of that violence and take on board the learning from that. <BR /> <BR />We can see, across the world — we have seen it, very clearly, in recent days — what happens when the working classes are pitted against each other and when scaremongering and misinformation wins out. We know that the enemy of the working classes does not arrive by dinghy: it arrives by private jet.”
“I am not happy about the reasons for the motion but I am glad to speak in a very important debate. As I have said before in the Chamber, racism is another issue that we will never deal with and eradicate unless we talk about it and identify its root causes. I commend the proposer of the motion for bringing it to the House. It is a conversation that we absolutely need to have. <BR /> <BR />We know that none of us is born with hate in our heart and that nobody is born racist, sectarian, misogynistic or any of the other discriminatory mindsets that prevail throughout society and harm others. We know that those attitudes are fostered, learned behaviours and that they ultimately manifest themselves in the most ugly examples of violence, bullying, intimidation and aggression towards the most vulnerable, which we saw during the summer.”
“Minister, in your statement, you referred to the commitment to the PEACE PLUS programme, which, we know, has brought an awful lot of investment, particularly to our constituency. Will you give an update on that?”
“A constituent of mine, Jacob Fullerton, is well known across the broader Magherafelt area. Jacob suffers from a condition called Kleefstra syndrome. He previously attended Kilronan School for special education and is now in transition to the Northern Regional College's Magherafelt campus. He has written to me and other Members in the past week or so to raise concerns that he has about some behaviour that is happening on the campus and the safety concerns that he has for himself and fellow students. <BR /> <BR />I have forwarded Jacob's correspondence to the Economy Minister, and I am raising his case in the Chamber to congratulate Jacob on the work that he is doing and to send him my very best wishes.”
“I support the motion, as outlined by the Chair of the Committee. We discussed it at the Committee and supported the largely procedural matter, which just brings equality into place for our teachers across all sectors.”
“I thank the Minister for the answer. I understand the cost implications and challenges that this presents. I have written to your office to request a meeting with you and a group of parents. Quite a proportion in my area, but a small number when you consider the number of people accessing transport across the North, are currently unable to access transport for their children from Ballinascreen to Magherafelt. Will the Minister commit to meeting those parents to see what can be done?”
“Will the junior Minister indicate when the application process will open for 2025-26?”