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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“'The Future of Food and Farming' outlines the main objectives of the future CAP to:”
“Think about the number of rural households, small businesses and independent contractors that have been able to keep their lights on as a result of that funding. That is not something that we can dismiss. Annual payments from the European Union account for 87% of annual farm income here, compared with 53% in the UK as a whole; in other words, for every £10 that farmers in the North earn, the common agricultural policy accounts for £8·70. The challenges faced by our farmers, who are engaged in a livelihood that has no guarantees, no monthly salary and no statutory sick pay, are exacerbated now by uncertainty about the future. <BR /> <BR />The purpose of CAP pillar 1 funds is to support agriculture sector incomes. In 2017, the European Union issued a communication on agriculture.”
“<BR /> <BR />As everyone is aware, funding for direct support to our farmers currently comes from the EU as part of the common agricultural policy. What people might not be aware of is the impact that that funding has had on our rural farm families. Sinn Féin is gravely concerned at the loss of CAP single farm payments to farmers in the North of Ireland as a result of our exit from the EU, which, as people will remember, was a decision made against the wishes of the majority of the population here. <BR /> <BR />Between 2014 and 2020, the single farm payment was worth in excess of £2·3 billion to farmers and their families in the North. In my constituency of Mid Ulster, payments in 2018 alone amounted to more than £29 million. That is a huge amount of money.”
“The purpose of the statutory rule is to make minor technical amendments that will address deficiencies in our domestic law, namely section 24 of the NI Act 1998. The SR is intended to bridge a gap in legislation enabling direct payments to be made for 2020. The powers in the statutory rules are time-limited and expire on 31 December 2020. The rule will ensure that existing law functions effectively for the direct payment scheme for this year. The regulations have not been subject to consultation because their purpose is to retain the status quo for this year. Effectively, the rule will provide continuity and stability, albeit limited, for farmers in receipt of direct payments for this year only.”
“I thank the Minister for his answers thus far. Do we have an accurate figure for the number of people who are self-isolating but are yet to be tested?”
“It is important that the Minister and the Department think about their role as a champion for rural citizens. He may not have legislative authority for health, education, housing or justice, but we need Departments to move beyond their silos. Does he agree?”
“I spoke at length earlier about the different challenges faced by farmers. Another factor that makes life difficult for farmers is the calendar. Does the Minister envisage that his Department will have any additional flexibility on the precise timing of the open and closed seasons for slurry spreading?”
“At the end of 2019, roughly 80% of farm income came from EU subsidies. Now, with the uncertainty of Brexit and what it means for the single farm payment, there is an added worry for those producing lamb and beef. Equality is not simply about treating everyone equally; equality is about creating an environment in which everyone has an equal chance. As a representative of those living in a rural area who have not always had that equal chance, I am urge the Minister to introduce a new areas of natural constraint scheme.”
“From poor and fluctuating farm-gate prices to rising fuel and feed costs and the annual worry about the weather, everything is felt more extremely on the mountainside. <BR /> <BR />The Irish climate, combined with poor soil quality, makes growing fodder difficult, but the people who cut and bale the silage still need to be paid. The vet's bills still arrive, and the machinery still needs to be serviced. The ANC payment was not a top-up to a farmer's income that allowed for a second holiday that year. It did not lead to investment in banking shares, but it did go into the coffers of the small farm-supply shop, the independent contractor putting up a bit of fencing or the family business struggling to survive. Those are the funds that keep rural Ireland ticking. <BR /> <BR />There are no guarantees when you are engaged in this industry.”
“After decades and decades of myriad schemes that discriminated against the hill farmer, Michelle O'Neill's transition to a flat rate, combined with the ANC payment, gave those people breathing space. I declare an interest at this point: I am the daughter of a sheep farmer from the Sperrins. I was reared in a farming family that stretches back generations. I understand, more than anyone, the unique challenges faced by our mountain farmers. <BR /> <BR />As was said previously, 50% of suckler cows and 60% of the ewe population in the North are grazed on ground that is considered severely disadvantaged. Some 30% of mid-Ulster is made up of SDA land, namely the rough hilly ground of the Sperrins. Farmers who own and work that land do so against a multitude of challenges.”
“Engineering is a massive sector in mid-Ulster, evidenced by the fact that over 80% of the world's crushing and screening equipment is manufactured there. <BR /> <BR />In the east are Ardboe and Ballinderry on the shores of Lough Neagh, which has Europe's largest wild eel fishery. My own Ballinascreen is in the west, nestled between Slieve Gallion and the rest of the Sperrins, where agriculture still provides for families who oftentimes have been farming the land for generations. As an MLA, I want to promote and support everything that is positive about our district, and I want to find solutions to the problems. I want to help the people whom I represent, and I believe that government has a vital role in aiding those who are at a natural disadvantage. <BR /> <BR />The ANC payments carried out precisely that function.”
“<BR /> <BR />As one of three Sinn Féin MLAs for Mid Ulster, I am blessed to have the support and guidance of two fantastic sisters in the constituency — Linda Dillon and our party vice president, Michelle O'Neill — as well as that of our MP, Francie Molloy, who has been at the forefront of this movement for five decades and has been a personal mentor to me. <BR /> <BR />Mid-Ulster is a brilliant place in which to live. It is half Derry and half Tyrone, but the rivalry between the two ends on the football field. There is a diverse and brilliant community that stretches from the top of the Carn, overlooking Swatragh and Slaghtneill, right down to Coalisland and Pomeroy. The people are full of ingenuity and industry.”
“Is onóir an-mhór domhsa labhairt libhse anseo inniu. It is a massive honour for me to speak here today and to speak to you as a representative of Mid Ulster. I follow in the footsteps of my friend and colleague Ian Milne, a man who has spent his entire adult life as a political activist, standing up for what is right, even when it was dangerous to do so. Ian continues to work as a public representative as the Bellaghy councillor for the Moyola district electoral area (DEA), and I continue to enjoy working alongside him, as well as the 16 other Sinn Féin councillors on the district council, whom I also want to thank.”
“Given the anecdotal evidence that the Minister pointed to and her expectation that she would have findings within a month, can we expect to see the part-time signage implemented across all schools in the North that are on national speed limit roads, particularly given the safety concerns of those schools?”
“North/South trade is vital to the economy. It is worth billions of pounds in goods and services. Will the Minister outline how the protocol will address concerns about the cross-border provision of tradable services and the sharing of data across the island?”
“What is the Minister's view on where this funding should come from?”
“It is important that there is caution around the prospecting and mining of precious minerals, particularly in areas where it is not supported by the community, and it is crucial that, in issuing licences for resource extraction, we prevent any further fossil fuels being extracted. Does the Minister have plans to end the issuing of licences for petroleum exploration?”
“I note that the Minister stated previously that he was considering a wildlife intervention. Is he minded to consider a wildlife intervention similar to that which has been implemented in the Twenty-six Counties?”
“Campaign groups have been promised a disability forum for a number of years now. When will that be implemented? Can the Minister advise if that forum will be the vehicle for the co-design of a new disability strategy?”
“Does the Minister intend to review the structure of the Lord Chief Justice's sentencing group?”
“I welcome the Minister's commitment and thank her for that. I am concerned about some firms that are looking at a potential move to the Twenty-six Counties as opposed to retaining their business in the North. Where a firm finds itself looking at a move south as being its only viable option, will there be financial assistance to try and maintain the jobs that they are providing at their base in the North?”
“I am thinking specifically of some firms involved in parallel importation, so they import a product into the North from an EU state, repackage it here and export it for trade in the Twenty-six Counties, which is, obviously, another EU state. I am wondering about this, because I know of a firm in my constituency that is worried at the minute and does not know how to prepare for the future. When will they receive detailed guidance? Will the Minister's Department be offering that?”
“Go raibh maith agat, a Cheann Comhairle. Comhghairdeas leat i do ról nua. Thank you, Mr Speaker, and I congratulate you on your new role. I also want to thank the Minister and congratulate him on his new role. <BR /> <BR />Like others around the Chamber, I welcome the statement, particularly in relation to St Pat's College in Maghera, which is in my constituency of Mid Ulster. My party has met Mrs Mussen and the team there on several occasions, and I can attest to the urgent need for that capital investment. On her behalf, I ask the Minister if he could provide an indication of the timescale for the project and when work is likely to begin.”