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 15 of 23.
“I should have said, "Ba mhaith liom é a mholadh." That translates as "I want to move it". <BR /> <BR />We are moving the motion this afternoon because we want to end violence against women and girls. We are agreed across the House on the importance of that and on the harm that violence against women and girls does. We know that this is a commitment from the previous mandate and appreciate the work that has already gone on. I specifically thank the co-design team; I know that some of those involved have joined us this afternoon to listen to the debate. I credit those who are involved in front-line services and the people who work with victims and survivors every day. They play a massive role in society. <BR /> <BR />Gender-based violence is endemic and pervades society. We know that it has to be a priority in this mandate.”
“We are moving this motion this afternoon —.”
“Go raibh maith agat, a Leas-Cheann Comhairle. Gabhaim buíochas leis an Chéad-Aire. Déanaim comhghairdeas léi faoina post nua. Bíodh a fhios aici go bhfuil na daoine i Lár Uladh iontach bródúil aisti ag an am seo.”
“I congratulate the bravery and courage of a couple in my constituency, whom some of you might have seen in the news over the weekend: Danielle and Nial Sands. They spoke out very bravely about their experience following the birth of their baby, Joe. Danielle suffered from postnatal depression, and Nial then realised that he was going through the same thing. I thought that their courage, in talking about their story and raising awareness of something that is never really discussed, namely men's mental health in the wake of a new addition to the family, was amazing. I know them personally — Danielle's granny is my neighbour — so I congratulate them on their bravery.”
“Comhghairdeas leis an Aire faoina post nua. I formally congratulate my colleague on her appointment. <BR /> <BR />The problem of violence against women and girls is so widespread in society and, by its very nature, statistics cannot properly capture just how big a problem it is. Can the junior Minister outline everything that she and her Department are doing to combat it?”
“We always discuss this, and I know that they want to work with you, Minister, to do that. I appreciate you taking the time to listen to this, and I hope that we will see some movement for all who are affected.”
“I know lots of carers, the people who have done this job, personally, and you will find that, with those who have done this work for any amount of time, their clients become friends. At Christmas, they go and buy them presents. They call in even when they are not supposed to be there, because they care about the people. They have a relationship with these families, and they want to see them happy and content. These people need to be treated fairly. They need to be paid better. Their work, which is a vocation and is skilled work, needs to be recognised as such. We need them to have their mileage covered so that we can afford to facilitate the remoter calls. We want to see a plan in place that will allow for recruitment and will retain those staff in the area. I have met Jennifer Welsh and the staff in the Northern Trust regularly.”
“Family time is so important, but it is not quality family time. You are not there to have a conversation with your loved one or to spend time with them in the way that you previously would have; you are now responsible for keeping that person alive. The burden that that imposes on people, particularly those with no caring background, is huge. I have raised this with you before, Minister, and, I suppose, what we want to see is a plan in place.”
“<BR /> <BR />There is a massive mental health impact on the carers and the people who have been put into that position and forced to take on a responsibility that they are not fully equipped to carry out. As well as dealing with the already daunting experience of having a loved one who has had a life-changing illness or has received a diagnosis of dementia or who has been in an accident that has completely reduced or removed their mobility, there is the emotional impact of seeing somebody becoming a shell of who they were. There is also the burden that, now, you are their carer. Sometimes, in conversations with people from the trust, they will talk to me about the carer's assessment and the fact that the family has to step up and provide the trust with details of when they will be there.”
“That leaves the people who were previously relying on the service unable to do so. <BR /> <BR />One family who contacted me recently had, in the past, a situation where they would receive a calendar at the beginning of every year. They were going to get six stays over the course of the year, two or three of which would be for a week and the rest would be four or five day-long stays. They were able to plan a break away or a holiday and to go away and completely relax, switch off and know that their loved one was being cared for in an environment that was suitable for them and have that peace of mind. Now, their stays have been reduced to three nights maximum. They will, maybe, get four or five over the course of the year, if they are lucky, on an ad hoc basis. There is no forward planning and no knowing when they will have that break.”
“The vast majority of people who contact me will be the daughters, the daughters-in-law, the nieces, the sisters and the wives. It disproportionately impacts rural dwellers as well. An awful lot of the time, somebody who lives four, five or six miles out of the town will not be able to get a care package. The agencies and the trust staff cannot afford to carry out that visit because it costs money. That leaves families in a really terrible situation. <BR /> <BR />The situation is exactly the same with respite services. We have families with children who have very challenging needs. I know that Rainbow Lodge has been closed since May 2023, which has left people without provision. Hollybank, which is in my constituency, has had to reduce its capacity in order to provide services for people with very complex and challenging behaviours.”
“I am not trying to exaggerate the situation or to prey on anyone's emotions, but, in the past week, two families for whom I was trying to secure care packages have contacted me to tell me that the people concerned had passed away before the care packages were delivered. Those are not conversations that I want to ever have again. It is not a nice situation to be in. <BR /> <BR />I commend everyone in the trust. I am dealing with our local managers all the time. I am a torture: I know that, because I am contacting them all the time about this, but it is really frustrating. In rural areas, we know that this disproportionately impact on women, because invariably women take on the majority of the caring burden in the home.”
“There was a niggling annoyance that somebody was not doing what they should have been doing and somebody else was taking on more than their fair share of the responsibility. <BR /> <BR />It is heartbreaking when people ring me with their stories and ask for help and my answer is, "I do not know when I will be able to secure that care package for you. I don't know. How long is a piece of string?". An awful lot of the time, the reality in rural situations is that you are waiting for somebody in the locality to pass away for a care package to be freed up. That is a terrible situation for everybody involved.”
“I'll get a bag of goodies, call in with Mummy and sit for an hour and craic"; instead, there is a rota. They have to be there at a set time, and they have to leave to let somebody else in for their set time. Then somebody's son is going on a school trip, and they have to leave them to the airport. Suddenly, they are not able to fill their slot, and somebody else has to fill in for them. You have a situation where people are at each other's throats, and there is resentment and bickering. <BR /> <BR />I have seen that in my extended family. We were lucky to have my two grandparents on my mother's side at home until they passed away. The family stepped up, and everybody did what they had to do, but it was always there, under the surface.”
“Their families, without any experience, training or expertise in caring, have become their carers because they feel obligated to. That leaves those people feeling pressurised to carry out that role and the people themselves feeling as though that they have become an inconvenience and a burden. Everybody is unhappy. That is something that is brought to me, as a constituency MLA, every week. <BR /> <BR />Families are at their wits' end. People are run ragged. They are groups of siblings in their 30s, 40s or 50s who have, up until that point, led happy lives, all getting on with one another, having great relationships and coming together to celebrate occasions. They are not deciding on a Tuesday evening, "God, there's a shower of rain. I'm not going to go for a run tonight.”
“That is particularly so in an area such as the one that I represent in Mid Ulster, which has a massive rural population. People who led independent, busy lives and who like to see green fields outside do not want to be in a nursing home. They want to be in the environment that they are used to, which is in their own home, where they are comfortable. <BR /> <BR />There is a third cohort among those 1,700 people, and it is the people who are at home but are not fit to be there without a package of care. They are people who perhaps had a spell of illness and went into hospital and then returned home before they really should have or people who have not quite had to go to hospital but whose health has deteriorated and who are, as a result, unable to manage their homes as they used to.”
“Of those 1,700 people, a portion will be stuck in hospital, in a clinical bed that they no longer need to be in, because they have received the medical attention that they needed but cannot leave that bed, because it is not safe for them to return home without a package of care. They are therefore taking up a hospital bed, and that adds to the pressure on them and their family, who want them home. <BR /> <BR />A further cohort of those people, feeling pressurised by the trust to free up that bed, will have agreed to take a step-down bed in a nursing home facility. The nursing homes that we have across the North are fantastic, and the staff who work in them are brilliant, but they are just not the appropriate place for an awful lot of those individuals.”
“In the Northern Trust, our domiciliary care provision is in crisis, our respite services are in crisis and our unpaid carers at home are in crisis. You are probably aware that, as of November last year, a report concluded that there were over 1,700 people in the Northern Trust area waiting for a full or partial package of care. That is an area that covers from Coleraine to Galbally. <BR /> <BR />That 1,700 figure is a massive number of people, but, in reality, it is only the tip of the iceberg. Each of those individuals has family, friends, neighbours and loved ones who are just as impacted on by the situation as they are.”
“Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire as bheith anseo inniu, agus déanaim comhghairdeas leis faoina phost úr. I thank you, Minister, for joining us this afternoon for this important debate. I congratulate you on your new role and wish you the best of luck. You have a mammoth task ahead of you, and I know that you do not take it lightly. Obviously, you have had experience in the role, and I appreciate that all parties have stated clearly that they want to work together to fix our health service. I have a strong commitment to that in my role. <BR /> <BR />We can make no mistake about it: our health service is in crisis. The issue that I bring to you this afternoon is one that, you will recall, I have spoken to you about on countless occasions, and it is close to my heart.”
“However, the win has given everybody in Derry and everybody associated with GAA, I suppose, across Ulster a lift and gives inspiration to those of us in Ballinascreen, who have not won a county title since 1973, that it may be possible for us as well. I just want to offer Glen congratulations and reiterate our support.”
“Go raibh maith agat, a Cheann Comhairle, agus comhghairdeas leat faoi do phost nua. Thank you, Mr Speaker, and congratulations on your new role. I offer my congratulations to another group of people as well: the team, management, committee and everybody else associated with Watty Graham's GAC An Ghleann. They successfully lifted the Andy Merrigan Cup just three weeks ago, on 21 January. It is the first time that they have won an all-Ireland club championship and it is a massive achievement for everybody associated with Glen. <BR /> <BR />The buzz around the town in the lead-up to the game and since has been palpable, and celebrations went beyond Maghera, heading further up the Fivemile Straight than they really should have.”
“It is the beginning. I hope to see Mr Catney back in the next mandate and building on this legislation.”
“<BR /> <BR />Period products are not luxury items, and people cannot decide whether or not they want to buy them. They are not bars of chocolate; they are essential items. We are in a cost-of-living crisis, and we have a real situation to deal with. Members have referred to the percentage of people who have struggled to buy period products during their life and the impact that that has on their mental health. Another Member for Lagan Valley referred to that. We have young people growing up who are terrified to ask their parents for money to buy tampons or sanitary towels because they know that their parents are already struggling to heat the house or put food on the table. That is the situation. The Bill, therefore, is important in giving people an opportunity to get those products for free, when they are in public spaces.”
“The Bill complements a lot of other legislation that has been passed or is in the process of being passed, such as the safe access zones Bill from Ms Bailey from South Belfast and the work that has been done on domestic violence, upskirting and downblousing. All those things are progressive and will start to work towards a fairer and more equal society, which is what we need to deliver for all our constituents. <BR /> <BR />I agree with the Member for Newry and Armagh about the stigma around periods. Half the population goes through periods, but they have been shrouded in secrecy. The idea that a period leaves a blue liquid stain is not reality, but that is what was propagated for decades and was expected. We saw the end of the tampon tax only last year. That is the situation.”
“As an institution, this place often receives an awful lot of bad press, but this is a piece of progressive legislation that we have delivered together. It has been sponsored by a Member from the SDLP, driven forward by a Committee Chair from the Alliance Party and implemented by a Sinn Féin Minister, with the support of all parties across the House. We should reflect on that. It is to be welcomed, and it will probably not receive the coverage in the media that other, more negative stories might. <BR /> <BR />The Bill is another piece of legislation that has been passed during this mandate that starts to unpick the misogyny that we have seen across this state for decades. It is systemic and has been established, and we need to work against it.”
“I start by echoing the congratulations to Pat, a Member for Lagan Valley, on this important legislation. Mr Catney is one of the characters of the Assembly and is an embodiment of dedication to women's issues, fighting misogyny and being a feminist. I can attest to that. I have received kindness from you. We are not on any of the same Committees, and you do not always have reason to, but you have gone out of your way to show me kindness, and, as a young woman in this place, I appreciate that. I just want to put that on the record. This is a legacy that you will have left in this place, but you live and breathe that every day, so you deserve commendation for that. <BR /> <BR />This legislation is evidence of the difference that we can make when we all work together.”
“In paragraph 36 of your statement, you refer to a "Generational Renewal Programme". I was shocked not to see any reference to women at that point, given the fact that we know that only 5% of farm owners across the North are women, and the Committee has worked on encouraging women into agriculture. You also say that you are considering the future of the young farmer payment. What action will you take to encourage young farmers into the industry and women into agriculture?”
“I want to find out what the Education Minister will do to work with the Infrastructure Minister in order to improve road safety and consistency of approach across the board.”
“I thank Minister Poots for that answer. Two years ago, the Department for Infrastructure ran a very successful pilot project in which flashing lights were placed outside schools. A number of schools in my constituency benefited from that. A second tranche has been announced, but other schools in my constituency, such as Bunscoil Naomh Bríd in Tirkane, St Patrick's Primary School in Glen and St Columb's in Cullion, do not have safety measures outside them. I would like to see the Education Minister working alongside the Department for Infrastructure in order to ensure that the pupils who are going into those schools are safe. We see schools that have no room outside them for drop-offs and pickups. We see —”
“It was women doing schoolwork with children and women working from home online, so it was women who suffered the most. Our female farmers have all those challenges and more. I know women who farm in my local area. I also know that, in a recent section 75 assessment, the Department of Agriculture quoted 2015 data that said that only 7% of farms were owned by women and that, therefore, policy was not going to have an impact on women. To me, that should have been a prompt for a change and action to address it. <BR /> <BR />We need to Break The Bias, encourage more women into our fields or, in many cases, give them credit for the fields that they are already standing in.”
“The pay gap is estimated to sit at around 9·6% in the North, with women earning 9·6% less than men. In the feminist recovery plan produced by the Women's Policy Group, we are told that one third of women have unpaid caring responsibilities. That affects all women, but it often affects rural women more. Childcare is less accessible, public transport is often unavailable completely and support networks for women in rural areas are dispersed, leaving women isolated. <BR /> <BR />When we talk about inequalities, we have to consider them intersectionally. All rural communities are disenfranchised by poor infrastructure and a lack of mobile connectivity and broadband, but it is usually women who suffer most. The same survey told us that 66% of women had struggled with poor broadband during COVID-19.”
“She had to tend to chickens and pet lambs, milk cows, bring in feed, clean out pens and do all the housework, rear children, bake bread, make dinners and everything in between. I think, at this point on International Women's Day, of my two grannies, both of whom would have been described as "housewives" at various points in their lives and both of whom could have been described as "not working", but the whole show would have fallen apart had not been for them. <BR /> <BR />Whether we like it or not, we still have gender norms in this country. The theme of International Women's Day this year is Break The Bias. We still have a long way to go. Women are more likely to be in insecure work, to work part-time and to have more unpaid responsibilities.”
“Ar dtús, seo Seachtain na Gaeilge agus Lá Idirnáisiúnta na mBan. Mar sin de, ba mhaith liom cúpla focal a rá i nGaeilge ina dtaobh. Ag tosú leis an teanga Ghaeilge, caithfimidh tacaíocht a thabhairt do mhná na tuaithe san Éirinn nua. First, it is Seachtain na Gaeilge — it is actually Coicís na Gaeilge — and today is also International Women’s Day. Just as we support the Irish language, we have to support our rural women in a new Ireland. Like our Irish language speakers, our farmers and food producers have often succeeded in this country in spite of support from the state, North and South. For women engaged in this industry, the challenges have always been exacerbated. When we think of the traditional family farm, the woman's role was always very clearly defined. It included everything. Many a farmer's wife was a farmer herself.”
“We live in a state that is supposed to deliver healthcare free at the point of delivery without discrimination, fear or favour. People should be entitled to access healthcare without being traumatised, pressured or catcalled on their way into that place.”
“I thank the Member for her intervention. I agree with that point. I was coming to the fact that women who are undergoing fertility treatment, have suffered an ectopic pregnancy, miscarriage, the loss of a child or a stillbirth will be traumatised when they are exposed to that imagery. For anyone to defend that is cruel and insensitive. It is equally heartless to impose such pressure on children who may be accessing speech therapy, women who are accessing routine contraception, staff members who are trying to do a day's work and, most importantly, the women who are accessing the abortion services to which they are entitled in this state under the law. <BR /> <BR />As many across the House have said, the Bill is not about people's views on abortion.”
“Are you prioritising your career or some other aspect of your life?". That all carries shame along with it. We do not have funding in this place for the three cycles of IVF that we were promised as part of New Decade, New Approach (NDNA) over two years ago. That is a let-down for those struggling with infertility. The absence of safe access zones outside clinics is a similar dereliction of duty towards the women and couples who struggle with infertility.”
“Ireland, as a country, has a shameful, tragic history of how it has treated pregnant women and girls. We have had Magdalene laundries, mother-and-baby homes, unmarked mass graves, secrecy and shame, commentary and judgement. I do not understand why other people's pregnancies are so interesting. I do not understand why another woman's womb is a cause for concern to a random stranger who does not know anything about her life. <BR /> <BR />Even beyond criminalisation, we have kept a lot of the gender norms and social stigmas that have pressured and shamed women down through the centuries. As young people, we are aware of what is expected of us. We have heard the remarks and the commentary: "No babies until you are married. Once you are married, babies right away. If not, why not? Is something wrong?”
“There have been Bills from a number of Ministers, including the Justice Minister, about tackling stalking, revenge porn, upskirting, downblousing, coercive control, sex trafficking and issues that have, for decades and centuries, affected women and have been let continue. The Bill works alongside those Bills to tackle and address misogyny and the root causes of what is, effectively, violence against women. <BR /> <BR />The so-called protests are acts of aggression targeted at women whose circumstances the aggressors neither know nor understand. Children, people living with disability and staff members are caught in the crossfire and exposed to graphic and harmful imagery without any regard for their personal circumstances, and that is evidence of the intent of the protest organisers.”
“I support the premise of the Bill, as I stated at Second Stage. I confirm that Sinn Féin will support most of the clauses and the amendments tabled by the Bill sponsor and will vote against amendment No 6, tabled by Jim Allister. <BR /> <BR />The Bill is about righting a wrong. It tackles violence against women and complements a lot of the good work that has been done or is being progressed in this Assembly mandate. In this mandate, we have a high proportion of female Ministers, and you can see the impact of that through much of the work to tackle misogyny. When my constituency colleague Michelle O'Neill was Executive Office Minister, she led on the strategy to tackle violence against women and girls. We want that strategy to progress.”
“I thank the Minister for his answer. Minister, it is almost two years since the House supported my party colleague Declan McAleer's proposal to reinstate the areas of natural constraint (ANC) payment. Instead of doing that, however, it appears that you are intent on doubling down on punishing sheep farmers in hill areas, such as the Sperrins in my constituency of Mid Ulster. When will you start to deliver for all farmers, including sheep farmers in less-favoured areas (LFA) and ANC areas?”
“We want to see families in rural communities such as south Derry and mid-Ulster, where I am a representative, be able to invest in their businesses and farms safe in the knowledge that they will be supported by government, in spite of the wishes of those who have dragged us out of the EU against the wishes of the majority of the people in the North. You cannot give with one hand whilst taking away with the other. Sinn Féin has been consistent in its support for rural communities and farming families.”
“<BR /> <BR />We have listened to the evidence throughout this process and made amendments that will mean that the demands on all sectors are fair, just and proportionate, that the industries that have to change in order to meet climate targets are asked to do things that are proportionate, fair and just, that farmers do not have to do more than anyone else, that food production is still an option for small farmers and rural families in the North of Ireland, and that young farmers can plan for a future.”
“I will do. None of these things can be taken in isolation, and that is the point that I was making. <BR /> <BR />As has already been said by my colleagues, amendment No 2 is a strengthening of previous amendments tabled by Sinn Féin. Throughout this process, we have spoken and listened to all affected sectors, including our agricultural community, and have taken their concerns on board. Amendment No 2 is a response to that, because Sinn Féin has a strong history of supporting agriculture and specifically our small farmers. I am the daughter of one of those farmers. Sinn Féin delivered for our hill farmers, made sheep farming in the Sperrins a viable livelihood and attempted to level the playing field with a transition to a flat rate, which was subsequently cancelled by the DUP.”
“I am speaking in support of the amendments that have been tabled by my colleagues Caoimhe Archibald, Declan McAleer and Philip McGuigan. At the outset, and given the comments from the Member who spoke just before me and made reference to the fact that there is no point in supporting the industry and speaking about the industry and then voting for something that will decimate it, I remind him that he and his party supported Brexit, which is obviously the biggest threat to agriculture in the North since we joined the EU and put money into the pockets of our farmers.”
“I thank the Minister for her answer. Our rural roads are in a shocking state, and the weather that we have had over the past number of weeks has shown that up, particularly in my area of south Derry in Mid Ulster. The state of our roads is one of the issues that are constantly raised with me, along with the safety concerns that emanate from the fact that so many of the pavements in our rural areas do not have street lighting, which is something that I have raised with you before. What are you doing to ensure the safety of those pavements and to expedite the tendering process to ensure that the contracts are awarded before the end of the mandate so that the resurfacing work can happen as soon as possible?”
“The Minister cited a study that states that 56% of our blue-carbon habitats are located within the existing marine protected network. How effective has that network already been in protecting those habitats?”
“I thank the Minister for her answer. Minister, in recent days and weeks, I have been contacted by parents, teachers and members of boards of governors from across my constituency who have been left scrambling in the wake of positive cases in their schools. There is a particular level of anxiety when pupils or family members are clinically vulnerable. Will you advise what communication you are having with key bodies to ensure that the communication is better? The feedback that I am getting all the time is that it is difficult to receive a response from the PHA. That is increasing the anxiety and tension.”
“Thank you for the update, Minister. Do you agree with me that the DUP, having botched the introduction of the RHI scheme, is now failing to close it, in accordance with its NDNA commitments?”
“Minister, you will be aware that water quality has been a concern over the past year and that none of the North's rivers, lakes or coastal waters achieved a good overall status. Has any of the funding been specifically ring-fenced to address water quality?”
“Whatever cross word that he gave you in the Chamber, however, and he was fond of the rough and tumble of politics, to which he often referred, you knew that, when you met him outside, you would be met with warmth, a bit of craic, good humour and a genuine, friendly comment. Wherever you met him, he would never pass you, and he would always have something kind to say. <BR /> <BR />I convey my deepest sympathies to his wife, Laura, his four wee children, whom he never stopped talking about, all his colleagues in the DUP and his wider family circle. Ar dheis Dé go raibh sé.”