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 20 of 23.
“To re-traumatise women in the most difficult of circumstances imaginable is wrong, and attempting to score political points by pitting vulnerable women and couples against a minority grouping is reprehensible. I will be joining my Sinn Féin colleagues in abstaining.”
“No thank you. <BR /> <BR />What we should be doing in the Assembly is looking at ways in which we can better support people who are living with disabilities and ensure that they have access to the basic rights that many of us take for granted. Last week, at our Ad Hoc Committee on a bill of rights, we heard from a young woman with autism who told us that, when her personal assistant is off for the day, she does not get an education. We should be addressing matters like that. We should be prioritising the provision of better prenatal and postnatal care for new mothers who struggle in the lead up to giving birth and the period that follows.”
“For the few who could afford it, an escape to England was the only option, where they were exploited by backstreet abortionists who masqueraded as clinicians. The shipping of women in crisis overseas should never have been the norm, but to all our shame, for far too long, it was. To think that that is still happening in 2021 is heartbreaking. Whilst services have not been properly commissioned, that is our reality: women being forced to fly to another country during a pandemic to access healthcare that they are, by law, entitled to here. <BR /> <BR />So, while the DUP complain about a border down the Irish Sea, when it comes to abortion provision, and indeed human rights in general, it is quite content for the North to be completely at odds with what Britain is doing.”
“Whilst services are denied in the North, those same human rights abuses continue. The veil of secrecy and shame that hung over our island, created and perpetuated by the Church and states working hand in hand, must be removed once and for all. <BR /> <BR />We had a system in both jurisdictions where sex education in schools was none existent. So, whilst misogyny was internalised, gender roles were literally enforced in legislation and child bearing and rearing were the sole responsibility of our women, and they were not even afforded the dignity of information, let alone contraception. All those young women and girls, taken away from their family homes and forced into what was effectively slave labour, serving sentences without having committed any crimes.”
“The real focus of the Assembly should be on delivering the services that women are entitled to. In the simplest of terms, people who are in need of abortion services need healthcare. That there is political or moral objection to abortion is understandable on a personal basis, and the views of those who have strong opinions on the issue should be respected, but we cannot allow personal objection to block healthcare that has already been legislated for. <BR /> <BR />Sinn Féin, as a party of rights, recognises that women in Ireland, North and South, have been treated as second-class citizens for long enough. In recent weeks, we have seen the publication of reports into the so-called mother-and-baby homes, North and South, both of which were damning and depressing and highlighted significant human rights abuses.”
“Those are words to think about when we are discussing the issue of abortion. None of us knows what anyone else has gone through. None of us knows how we would react when faced with an unthinkable scenario. When we are standing here talking about this, we must remember that there are women and men out there who have lived through those same unthinkable situations. There are women listening to this debate who should have been mothers and are not. They are still getting over the trauma that something like Mother's Day invokes, trying to just get through a time that is meant for celebration when they are, instead, dealing with loss, emptiness and thoughts of what could have been. <BR /> <BR />This private Member's Bill is an attempt to change legislation that has never been implemented or acted upon properly.”
“As alluded to by others, it is unbelievable that, seven short days ago, we stood in the Chamber united across our party divides to celebrate International Women's Day in sisterhood and collaboration. It is a sad reality, as Sinead McLaughlin pointed out, that the good nature and solidarity shown last Monday did not set the tone for the week. This has been an incredibly weary time for anyone who identifies as a woman. I am sure that many of you saw the post on social media that went viral a few days ago. It related to a story that was making headlines at the time, and I think that it is apt for this conversation as well. It issued this warning:”
“I, too, thank the Minister for answering my question. I place on record my appreciation to the Department and to the team in Land and Property Services (LPS), in particular Leona Lees, Ian Snowden and Lenny Peden, who, at this stage, must see my name and sigh. Minister, when can businesses that have not received it expect to receive their payment for the final phase of the scheme?”
“As such, my feminism is interlinked with my republicanism. Improving our Assembly to encourage more female participation can only be a positive thing for us all.”
“This Assembly should implement a stop violence against women and girls strategy to tackle gender-based violence, particularly as much of that originates in misogyny and sexist prejudices. Those same discriminatory prejudices often manifest themselves in the form of online abuse from keyboard warriors and in negative comments about our appearance that we, as women, have to contend with every time we put ourselves out there. <BR /> <BR />The motion calls for the implementation of UNSCR 1325, which identified intimidation by paramilitary groups as an obstacle to female participation in public life. We have seen in recent weeks how that does not have to be exaggerated. To be a politician is to be a public servant and a community activist, and I got involved in politics because of my desire for a better and fairer Ireland.”
“The mainstreaming of affirmative action really does lead to positive results. Mandatory childcare for politicians is one of the key tenets of a gender-sensitive Parliament, recognising that parenting whilst in public office is incredibly difficult and demanding and that it is something that has a disproportionate impact on women. <BR /> <BR />The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women's (CEDAW) concluding observations in 2019 noted:”
“My party colleague Minister Deirdre Hargey has just published the report of her expert advisory panel on the gender equality strategy, which includes a commitment to implementing international human rights legislation to tackle gender neutrality in policymaking. <BR /> <BR />Given the aim of the motion, there are a number of practical steps that we should consider in order to encourage more women to get involved in public life. In my experience as a rural female representative, I have received support and help from men and women in my party. Sinn Féin has more female MLAs than others at the moment. One of the key policies that we have adopted internally is the use of gender quotas for elections, which means that our councillors, TDs, MLAs, seanadóirí and MPs are representative of our membership.”
“Additionally, research tells us that the majority of public-sector workers are women and that women are more likely to have been laid off or furloughed during COVID-19. When we look at that through an intersectional lens, we can see that women who also qualify in minority groupings, as was mentioned by Clare, the chair of the Women's Caucus, have been impacted even harder. Sixty three per cent of disabled women have struggled to access basic necessities during lockdown, and 43% of BAME women believe that they will be in more debt after the crisis, compared with 37% of white women. Leaving the EU is likely to result in a rollback of workers' rights, including parental leave, equal treatment and rights for part-time workers, on which women rely. <BR /> <BR />Those are many examples of how gender equality can be mainstreamed in policy.”
“If knowledge and learning on those topics are not improved, and GPs are still going to prescribe the contraceptive pill to 13-year-olds with extreme PMS instead of trying to identify the cause and treating them accordingly, how can anyone be expected to know what is healthy and what is not? <BR /> <BR />Research tells us that women have been disproportionately impacted by crises such as austerity, Brexit and COVID-19, with the last-named — the most recent of the three — as Paula mentioned, really exposing some deficits in our public services. We know that the unpaid care economy is dominated by women and that the majority of domestic and caring duties in the home fall to women.”
“<BR /> <BR />For women across the globe, it takes an average of between eight and 10 years to get a diagnosis of endometriosis or PCOS, both of which have chronic pain as a symptom and require surgery to manage. If no one around the table has ever asked their doctor about their PMS, or has ever had to explain to a teacher that they could not do PE that day, or has ever realised that they have come to work without period products and have stood in a public toilet for 10 minutes with the sweat lashing off them, trying to make a £1 coin fit into a slot that was made for a 50p piece, how can we ever expect to improve services for menstrual health?”
“There is nothing difficult to follow there at all; thanks, Paula. <BR /> <BR />I am delighted to support the motion as a member of the Women's Caucus and in my capacity as Sinn Féin's equality spokesperson. The theme of this year's International Women's Day is "Choose to Challenge" and the creation of a gender-sensitive Assembly is key to challenging many of the obstacles that women and girls across the North face daily. This is not about having diversity for the sake of it, nor is it about gesture politics, which only ever have a place, in my opinion, when they are backed up by action. If you cannot see, you cannot be, but, more importantly, you will not be thought about.”
“Will the First Minister provide an update on the funding for the dedicated mechanism and outline the financial position for 2020-21?”
“Thanks, Minister, for that answer. Will the research that your Department is conducting refer to the 2015 Bill and the current law in the Twenty-six Counties?”
“Go raibh maith agat, Minister. As you have outlined, the new legal framework for abortion services came into effect in March last year. Do you agree that it is now long overdue that the Health Minister acted on this legal imperative and that he should stop delaying and provide the services to which women are entitled immediately and without further delay?”
“The Minister said that it was not wanted by a majority, but a majority in the House supported a motion on the ANC payment just last year, during this mandate. It might be the DUP's view that the ANC payment does not work, but that view is at odds with the view of the rest of the Assembly.”
“Despite repeated promises from as far back as last September, when your predecessor, Edwin Poots, in written format and in the Chamber, told me that they would receive the COVID-19 compensation package that they were promised and that other producers received, the fishing operators in Lough Neagh are still without that support. We are a year into the pandemic, Minister, and that is not acceptable. I welcome the regulations, and I hope for a change in attitude from the Agriculture Department so that we see money going back into rural communities.”
“<BR /> <BR />At a time when we are turning towards an all-Ireland economy and when the sensible option for producer and consumer alike is to trade within the country — to go up or down the road instead of crossing the water — it makes absolutely no sense that farmers in the North will now be at a disadvantage because their counterparts in the Twenty-six Counties can still avail themselves of common agricultural policy funding but they cannot. My uncles in Donegal can get it, but my dad in Tyrone cannot. <BR /> <BR />Another group who are losing out as a result of Brexit and who have been failed by your Department, Minister, are the Lough Neagh fishing community.”
“We need to get money into the pockets of our hard-pressed farmers. Encouraging closed stocks and allowing our farmers to rear lambs and calves from birth ensure traceability and reduce the risk of disease. To act as though the old model was production-based ignores the vital contribution that hill farmers make towards our local food chain. As someone who has grown up in a farming family and has seen at first hand the energy and effort that a farm consumes, I call this nothing short of an insult. Farming is a labour of love, without which none would survive.”
“Not only did you overturn the decision made by my colleague Michelle O'Neill to recognise the additional challenges faced by hill farmers and to compensate them accordingly but you put an end to the transition towards a flat rate, which she had implemented in a bid to create equality between all farmers, ensuring that hill farmers were no longer punished for poor soil quality. Unlike those who might avail themselves of the protein crop payment that you have referred to, mountain farmers do not have a range of choices for their land. What you and successive DUP Ministers have failed to understand is that hill farming without the ANC element and without an increased entitlement value is not viable. That is driving livestock off, instead of encouraging it on to, our hills.”
“Remember that this does affects not just the people lambing sheep or planting potatoes but those in our farming community who support the machinery dealers, the scanning, clipping and fencing contractors, the vets, the family businesses that put up sheds and concrete yards and the small agri-shops that sell lime, fertiliser, diesel and feed. <BR /> <BR />When we are on the subject of single farm payment, it would be remiss of us not to acknowledge the double blow that was dealt to our mountain farmers in the wake of the Brexit decision. Minister, this time last year, your Department failed in its obligation to rural communities when your predecessor refused to acknowledge the will of the House and overturn your party colleague's decision to stop areas of natural constraint (ANC) funding to hill farmers.”
“When those in our farming community told us loudly and clearly that Brexit would be bad for agriculture, they were not exaggerating. The Tories have promised that direct payments will continue until the end of the current mandate, but you will forgive our local farmers for not relaxing on the basis of the word of the British Government alone. The British Government's inability to keep their word is something that, I know, my colleagues across the Benches are acutely aware of. <BR /> <BR />Uncertainty and confusion are the common themes amongst our rural populations.”
“I welcome the opportunity to speak on the Direct Payments to Farmers (Amendment) Regulations and the Direct Payments to Farmers (Simplifications) Regulations. I support them, as they remove a barrier to continued direct payments beyond 2020. At the outset, we must acknowledge that the SRs offer nothing more than short-term breathing space. They allow the single farm payment to continue but offer absolutely no assurance to our local farmers about what they can expect to earn going forward, given that we have now been dragged out of the EU against the expressed wishes of the majority of the population in the North. <BR /> <BR />As already outlined, EU-funded direct payments are currently worth over £293 million to our agricultural producers in the North. Every year, EU payments constitute 87% of our farmers' income.”
“It is clear that our departure from the EU has led to the loss of quite a lot of structural funds. I know that your Department has apparently lost £70 million from the European regional development fund and the European social fund. Things between your party and the British Government may not be great at the moment and you are on somewhat of a break, but can you give us an assurance that you have sought clarification from the British Government that they will replace that funding? Have you received confirmation that they will?”
“Minister, thank you for your answers so far. You have reiterated, today, your commitment to getting help and support to people who are in need. In the light of that, can you outline what you are doing to increase the uptake of the discretionary support?”
“I join others in welcoming the Minister back. I have the honour of being next door to Carál Ní Chuilín upstairs, and, when the Minister was off, the biscuit supply was affected, so I have a dual reason for welcoming you back. <BR /> <BR />Minister, can you advise what types of job young people will be advised to enter in the Job Start scheme?”
“Was that package of support for the Lough Neagh fishing operators discussed at the NSMC?”
“Minister, thanks for your statement. In paragraphs 19 and 20, you refer to an update on EU funding. Others in the House referred to the issues that Brexit has caused fishermen across the country. In my constituency of Mid Ulster, we have the Lough Neagh fishing cooperative. That is a fishing community with real fears about Brexit that it has been communicating for some time. Last summer, I met you about a package of support for Lough Neagh fishing operators. On 11 September, you responded to a question for written answer that I submitted to tell me that a package worth £250 million was being worked on using the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF). In the Chamber, on 3 November, you told me again that that was soon to be delivered, and, on 12 November, you said that it would now be valued at £336,000.”
“I thank the Minister for her statements. Earlier, you responded to Mr Dickson, across the Chamber, by telling him that the current problems that we are experiencing as a result of Brexit were not discussed in detail at the last NSMC meeting because it was held on 18 December, before we left the EU. Can you clarify whether the potential effects of Britain's exit from the EU were discussed at that meeting and say what those conversations were?”
“All this is unnecessary and has been brought about by people who have shown that they do not care about the North of Ireland.”
“<BR /> <BR />Fermanagh and Omagh District Council area, which relies on the agriculture industry, focused on the worries experienced by the farming community. I talked at length about this before in the Chamber. I come from a farming family and understand farmers' worries about the single farm payment and whether that funding will be supported by the British Government. <BR /> <BR />I finish by saying that, while the opportunity to hear from local councils was welcome and the engagements were useful, an awful lot of it seems futile, in that our local interests and the things that we have expressed have not been listened to by the British Government.”
“That community has been hit very hard in 2020 and still has not been awarded the COVID-19 relief package promised by the AERA Minister in the summer of this year. Some 80% of the eels caught at Lough Neagh are exported to Holland and Germany, so the importance of the EU market does not need to be explained. Moreover, Lough Neagh eels have a protected geographical indication (PGI) status, which is an EU indicator that needs to be maintained in order to ensure the continued import of glass eels to complement the current stock. <BR /> <BR />Mid Ulster council also referred to the worries of migrant workers in the area who, at the minute, are unsure of their future. We see issues with the time frame of the EU settlement scheme. Insufficient notice has been given by the British Government of its closure in June.”
“This programme delivered £10 million to local groups in our district over six years, including community halls, play parks, small rural businesses and GAA clubs. Those are facilities at the heart of their communities, providing employment and services to local people. <BR /> <BR />The presentation from Mid Ulster District Council addressed the concerns about the UK's so-called replacement, the shared prosperity fund, which is something on which we do not have the detail that we would like. <BR /> <BR />Mid Ulster is a border council area, and a no-deal scenario poses significant issues for the cross-border management of waste. That may not be very glamorous, but it has a real impact on people's daily lives. <BR /> <BR />Another issue mentioned by Mid Ulster council was our fishing industry at Lough Neagh.”
“Then she conceded that there is going to be border infrastructure here, which is not consistent with what the UK had committed to or what she wanted. It is obvious that, whilst they sent correspondence, that correspondence has been one-way. <BR /> <BR />It will not surprise Members that I want to focus on my constituency of Mid Ulster. With respect to funding, I must declare an interest: I have sat as a social partner on the Mid Ulster local action group (LAG) board for the distribution of rural development programme (RDP) funding since 2014. I know first-hand that the question of future funding, and the uncertainty about whether the current scheme would be able to conclude, is a massive worry for us. It is something that comes up every month at our meetings.”
“<BR /> <BR />What remained the same in all meetings — you could call them consistent themes — were the feelings of frustration, the need for information, the worry, the uncertainty, the various attempts to make preparations with one eye closed and the confusion about the consequences of all of this for us. The only consistent thing about Brexit has been its inconsistency. That was seen clearly even in the meetings with councils that are considered to be pro-Brexit. The Member across the Floor referred to the remarks of the chief executive of the Mid and East Antrim Borough Council. She told us that they had sent correspondence to Michael Gove and that they felt listened to by the British Government. However, almost in the same breath, she told us that one of their main priorities was maintaining the status quo at the port of Larne.”
“We had councillors and chief executives forgetting about political point-scoring and, instead, giving us honest and frank accounts of the real, practical implications of Brexit for the people they serve and the issues that they need resolution to now. As well as that, every meeting was different. The specific interests of every region came to the fore, depending on the demographics and geography of the area and how close they were to the border. All of the things that are a factor in how much Brexit is going to impact you, and who exactly within your constituency is going to be impacted, became evident in these sessions.”
“Brexit is a strange phenomenon in that it has not even happened yet but, as it has been talked about so much, it already feels like a historical event. We have discussed the pros and cons in the Chamber to the point where any of us could predict what other Members are likely to say on the issue. For instance, I know that the Members across the Benches are bored talking about it. They campaigned for it, but they do not want to defend it. <BR /> <BR />The engagement with the 11 councils was interesting in that the ideological positions, Brexiteering and showboating that we have become used to and been subjected to until this point were largely abandoned.”
“When the Member refers to the remarks that were made by the chief executive of Mid and East Antrim Borough Council, will he accept that she said that she did have a good relationship with the British Government and had sent correspondence to Michael Gove, and that she then conceded that it had not been listened to? The council did not want border infrastructure at Larne, and that has now happened.”
“In the past, some have used the cross-border directive as a means of getting treated in the Twenty-six Counties because of the long waiting lists. Minister, what actions have you taken to ensure that that will still be available post-Brexit?”
“Minister, can you give an update on the key actions under the racial equality strategy, please?”
“Will lessons be learned from what has been done in the South of Ireland and Scotland? Will the Minister commit to meeting with the sector on the implementation of the Bill?”
“This follows on from the question asked by my constituency colleague Mr McGlone. I have written to your colleague Mr Poots about the fact that sheep are now being brought in from Scotland, the majority of which are blackface sheep that require scrapie monitoring. I just want to impress upon the Minister the urgency of the situation, given that, as Mr McGlone mentioned, this involves thousands of pounds for local sheep producers, who are depending upon sheep that they have already bought from Scotland.”
“Thank you, Minister, for confirming that the fee will be waived for the first year. Given that many people who have a civil partnership would have preferred a marriage if the choice had been available at the time, can the waiver be extended?”
“I thank the Minister for his statement. He reiterated the point in paragraph 11 that he wants no farmer to be left behind. It is an unfortunate reality that many decisions that the Minister has taken this year have left a lot of farmers feeling left behind, notably the decision to stop the transition towards a flat rate, which would have allowed farmers operating below the regional average an expected pay increase of about 14%, as well as his refusal to reinstate the areas of natural constraint (ANC) payment against the wishes of the House. What specific commitments can the Minister make today to assure farmers in less favoured and severely disadvantaged areas that they will no longer be left behind?”
“I thank the Minister for his statement and answers thus far. Minister, you talked in your statement about climate change, and reference was made to best practice for the private sector and the community sector in that regard. What learning did you take from the meeting on that?”
“I thank the Minister for her statement and for the honesty and integrity with which she has handled this. Can the deputy First Minister update us on what local financial assistance there is for individuals at this time?”