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
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“As others from our party have outlined, we will support the motion and vote against the UUP amendment. For clarity for the previous contributor: Britain was demonised around the world long before it voted for Brexit; he should bear that in mind. <BR /> <BR />Looking at the motion, we are reminded again of the folly of Brexit and the impact that it has had on the communities that we all represent through the loss of funding in real terms. One of the things that has been highlighted as a potential positive outcome from our presidency of the Council of the European Union is that it provides an opportunity to regain some of the PEACE PLUS funding that a lot of community groups across our constituencies, as well as those in border regions of the Twenty-six Counties, benefited from in the past.”
“Go raibh maith agat, a Phríomh-Leas-Cheann Comhairle.”
“I acknowledge the work of the First Minister and the deputy First Minister on engaging with victims' groups and progressing the historical institutional abuse (HIA) stone memorial. What lessons can be learned from the HIA process?”
“Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire shóisearach as ucht an fhreagra sin.”
“Of course, Pádraig's only sister, Áine — our lovely Áine — is such a wonderful young woman, whom he doted on, and has been a pillar of strength for her family since the tragedy. <BR /> <BR />I know that Friday night will be bittersweet. It will be tough. However, it will be full of laughs as well, which is the legacy that Pádraig has left behind. I know that the Ponderosa will be packed to the rafters, which is testament to the esteem in which Pádraig was held in the community and in which the whole family are regarded. There is an old Irish proverb that a man is not dead while his name is still spoken: that is true of young Pádraig Kelly.”
“There is no doubt that they have saved lives through the extensive work that they have done in our area. <BR /> <BR />The event on Friday night is another example of that, because it is in honour of a very special young man who, very sadly, died by suicide in January 2025: Pádraig Kelly or Poddy Ned, as he was known, from Slaughtneil. I am proud to say that I know Poddy's family really well. His father, Paddy, is a lifelong republican and Sinn Féin activist. He has been active in his community for many years and a Sinn Féin councillor since 2023. He is well known, well loved and well respected in our area. A heart of gold — somebody who just could not do enough for anybody. Poddy's mother, Leonie, has been a pillar of strength over the past year. She wrote and delivered the most beautiful tribute to her son at the mass in his honour.”
“I commend Jill and the whole team at the Ponderosa Bar on the Glenshane Pass for an event that they are running this Friday night to raise funds for Suicide, Talking, Education Prevention and Support (STEPS), a mental health charity in my constituency. STEPS is a brilliant organisation born out of sadness. In 2012, after a spate of suicides in our area, a group of families who had been affected came together to lift the lid on the issue of suicide, raise awareness, open the conversation and, most important, offer support to people who were struggling with their mental health and prevent further suicides. The families who took that initiative at that time have to be commended for the strength and fortitude that they have shown and the excellent work that STEPS has done since.”
“Minister, will you provide an update on the ethical investment framework?”
“Minister, we all remember the Lisneal College debacle last year, when money was allocated to that school without there being any evidence of clear objective need. Can you clarify whether evidence of clear objective need was factored into the latest round of funding via the programme?”
“That is another example of the school community working with local organisations. <BR /> <BR />The pilot is a result of Thrive Sperrins, which is led by Workspace in collaboration with the Northern Health and Social Care Trust, partnering with Ulster University to bring in the OT students, providing them with valuable work experience and adding benefit to the lives of pupils and teachers alike. I congratulate everybody involved at St Colm's, particularly Miss McAllister and the leadership team there, on the fantastic work that they are doing, and I urge everyone to believe and achieve.”
“<BR /> <BR />Forward-thinking and innovative practices are nothing strange or startling at St Colm's. It is a small school, but it is always leading the way, looking at new ways of doing things and how to improve life for the school community. As Members, we will all have had experience of schools coming to us on the issues of mental health and anxiety and the new challenges that they have to navigate as these modern times wear on. The pilot initiative has been really worthwhile initiative. <BR /> <BR />Just before Christmas, I had the pleasure of attending the St Colm's career fair, which is now an annual event that brings together all the local businesses and shows pupils the different career opportunities that are open to them. It provides the local businesses with access to the brilliant new talent that is on their doorsteps.”
“I take the opportunity this morning to pay tribute to a school in my constituency, which is very special and close to my heart, because it is the one that I attended: St Colm's High School in Ballinascreen. Many of you may have noticed the feature on 'BBC Newsline' last week on a fantastic pilot programme that the school is involved in. As part of the pilot, three OT students from Ulster University work in the school with pupils, particularly on mental health and anxiety, helping them to identify the physical manifestation of worry and anxiety in themselves and teaching them coping mechanisms and strategies to deal with that. As was referred in the piece on 'BBC Newsline' last week, the students who got involved all felt that it was really worthwhile and of great benefit.”
“First Minister, you outlined that there are some guard rails that you want to put in place to ensure that there is no negativity as a result of the use of AI. What concerns do you have regarding AI and the fears in our community that it could lead to the loss of jobs in the long term?”
“Gabhaim buíochas leis an Chéad-Aire as a freagra.”
“We need to see action on that. <BR /> <BR />All of the societal problems that we have, including bullying and mistreatment of people, particularly of young people and other vulnerable groups in society, are amplified online. We want to see regulation of those big tech companies. We need to engage with our young people, who tell us clearly that they want to see better reporting functions and better regulation of online content. We want those problems to be dealt with, rather than jumping to remove the provision from our young people before we have assessed what the implications of that would be.”
“Those multimillionaires are making money off people's misery: we know that. They can access the information that is being shared on those platforms, and they can monitor it. They know what is going online. The same goes for Mark Zuckerberg's misinformation, with Facebook feeds full of hatred, misinformation and far-right fearmongering. Who ends up suffering? Our minority communities are being attacked. That is what we want to ban. That is what we want to see clear action on, and the British Government need to respond to that. The same goes for Instagram. Multimillionaires and billionaires are making advertising revenue off unattainable beauty standards, pushing an algorithm into young people's feeds, particularly young girls, telling them that they are not good enough and that this is what they need to do to change.”
“That is a question of basic decency that should not need any government intervention. That should be banned outright, and anybody who accesses those platforms should know that.”
“We are here to work for them, and we want to see things improve for our young people, whether that is in the real world or online. Our fear about jumping into a ban without understanding the full repercussions is the risk that things will end up being forced underground, and we will end up with VPNs and other technologies that, I admit, I am far too old to understand becoming the norm. It will end up being even more difficult to deal with. <BR /> <BR />When it comes to the issue of online abuse, particularly of our young people and children, Sinn Féin is clear that we need to ban Elon Musk's X Grok tool, which undresses people without their consent and robs people of their dignity and of their bodily autonomy.”
“I thank the Member who proposed the motion today. We tabled the amendment not because we are completely opposed to a social media ban for under-16s in the long term but because we want to have a conversation and a debate about it. The Member referred to that in her opening remarks. The technologies are moving incredibly fast. Things are developing faster than a lot of Governments across the world can respond to them, and we do not have the empirical evidence yet to tell us what the result of a ban would be. <BR /> <BR />All of us in the House and across the North want our children and young people to be protected. As MLAs, we engage daily with parents, schools and young people who cannot get access to transport to school, cannot get the special educational needs (SEN) provision that they need and need better services in their areas.”
“Go raibh maith agat, a Phríomh-Leas-Cheann Comhairle.”
“Minister, following on from the Member for Upper Bann's question, there is concern across the board — the Committee had a discussion about this last week — about the impact that the situation is having on victims. None of us take that lightly. <BR /> <BR />I am also concerned about the public discussions and conversations on the matter, some of which you have engaged in, and the coverage of those in the media. There is a feeling that one cohort in society is being pitted against another, and I do not know how appropriate that is. What are you doing to ensure that victims, barristers and others who work in legal services have confidence in the justice system?”
“I have had other constituents tell me that their GP told them that they had seen a rise in "TikTok diagnosis" — people telling themselves that this is what is wrong with them. People are being minimised and belittled — their serious medical conditions are treated as though they are imagined, which compounds their worries and sufferings. It is not good enough. Another constituent who was in the same position got a diagnosis privately. She then had her medication stopped and was told that she could get diazepam instead. <BR /> <BR />When we treat all these things in isolation, we do not serve people properly. Members are all saying the same thing: we need to see resolution as soon as possible, because people are losing their lives as a result of this and it is not good enough.”
“There is no support, service or treatment for those people. <BR /> <BR />If Members will indulge me, I will read a small part of an email that I received from a constituent. My correspondent referred to numerous people whom he knew who had died by suicide and who, he believes, with the benefit of hindsight, perhaps had ADHD and could have been helped.”
“He felt as though he was crazy and the consistent problem, but, after eventually receiving his ADHD diagnosis, everything started to slot into place. He is one of the luckier ones because he has a shared care arrangement, but he is still about £200 a month out of pocket because he has to pay for his monthly medicine reviews. <BR /> <BR />Minister, I have written to you and the Northern Health and Social Care Trust about constituents with ADHD diagnoses and other comorbidities who have been told that there is no central service for ADHD in the North. We have a diagnostic service for autism, but there is no treatment support. If you were to go to a mechanic with a problem with your car, you would not just be told, "Yeah, the alternator's gone". It would not happen. Where would you go next?”
“I will speak — others have touched on it — on the link between ADHD and the mental health crisis in which we find ourselves in Ireland, particularly when it comes to the mistreatment of people with ADHD and how that affects their lives. As has been said by colleagues around the Chamber, we all have constituents who are affected by the issue. Those people are fighting to be heard and listened to. They are fighting for their lives. They fight to get a diagnosis, and, when they get it, they fight to get treatment. They fight to be taken seriously. <BR /> <BR />The story of a constituent who contacted me a number of weeks ago would break your heart. He has made multiple suicide attempts throughout his life. He has had problems with substance abuse and relationship breakdown.”
“We have had conversations in the Chamber in recent weeks about the dangers of social media and AI and all of the problems that they pose for our young people. We can see that the old community spirit could be the solution to a lot of those worries. We can all learn a lot from that influential woman.”
“Whether you subscribe to the notion of St Brigid the Christian missionary or Briege the Celtic goddess, we can all agree that she was a woman ahead of her time. I was heartened that, at the weekend, in homes and around hearths across the country, we saw the old Irish traditions to honour her live on. I particularly commend the people in my community who came together, at the Shepherd's Rest in Sixtowns and An Ráth Dubh in Moneyneena, to offer people the opportunity to make St Brigid's crosses. It is hard to believe that anybody in Ballinascreen would be short of rushes: that took some of the work out of it. Today, we can all learn from the tradition of making something for you or a neighbour to hang over the door in order to bring health and happiness for the coming year.”
“Thosaigh an t-earrach inné ar Lá Fhéile Bríde. Thug ár sinsir Imbolg ar an am sin, sin é tús nua na bliana. Sheas Naomh Bríd ar son chearta na mbocht, agus bhí sí cineálta le cách.”
“<BR /> <BR />It is important that we remove the shame and stigma from those who are engaged in sex work, particularly the victims of human trafficking or any other sort of exploitation. That is something on which we all need to take a stand. An education piece is definitely needed. As with all elements of it, misogyny can exist only where there is ignorance and where we do not have informed conversations with boys and girls, and with young men and young women, about the dangers. That is increasingly important as well. <BR /> <BR />I conclude by saying that I support today's motion and welcome the establishment of the APG. Its work will be fundamental to protecting all those involved.”
“Consideration should be given to their evidence on the use of such websites as a safety measure and their ability to screen the people who use them. That is an important factor to consider as we proceed. I welcome the opportunity to flesh out the issue and have a full conversation about it. <BR /> <BR />We know that advances in technology are moving incredibly fast. As I said last night, the abuse of women is as old as time, but technology is allowing people to do it in more nefarious ways than ever before. The use of such websites can further that abuse by allowing the perpetrators — those who seek to use and abuse women — to live "normal" lives and be upstanding members of society whilst their activities are hidden in plain sight, in that they occur right under our nose.”
“I support the motion. At the outset, I acknowledge that we still have a bit to do on exploring how such websites present themselves across society. We also need to have a real conversation about the risks. The fact that we are having this debate today is welcome — I would welcome more such conversations — and heartening, following yesterday evening's debate on the use of deepfakes to abuse women. It is important that such conversations become mainstream and that we in the Assembly lead on them. <BR /> <BR />Ten years ago, we supported legislation that was in line with the Nordic model to criminalise those who purchase sex, as opposed to those who work in the sex services industry. It is important that we are led by those people.”
“When the AI tools came into being, misogyny was not long kicking in and doing the rest. It is not funny. It is not a bit of craic. It is not a frequently forwarded WhatsApp message that is to be passed on and shrugged off. This is abuse. The fantasy of using someone else's body, portrayed in HD, is as harmful as physical violence. The jokes, the metaphors, the comments and the slurs in video format digitally degrade us. <BR /> <BR />We in the Chamber cannot be behind every locked door. We cannot be inside the keyboard of every troll. However, we can send a clear and united message. We can outlaw such activity. We can track those responsible. We can tell our young girls and boys, "Your bodies are your own. No selfie that you send or outfit that you wear makes it your fault." We must do more. We must protect our young people.”
“It is vital that we give the matter the urgent attention that it deserves. In recent weeks, we have seen how world leaders across the globe have scrambled to deal with the issue. I sometimes think that it would be nice for us to go back to the time when all we had in our pockets was a Nokia 3410, but, unfortunately, technology is moving very fast, and that means that we have to respond even quicker. <BR /> <BR />Women's reputations being ruined by the notion that they are sexually active is not a new phenomenon. Blaming women is not a new phenomenon. AI is new, but it is exposing a tradition and a culture that are as old as time. What deepfakes prove beyond doubt is that the victims are never to blame. The victims never provoke violence upon themselves.”
“At the outset, I thank those who tabled today's motion. I commend Cara in particular for the courage that she has shown in speaking so openly about her experience. That has to be admired and respected.”
“I want to see something from the Department of Health and the Northern Trust to provide him with the help that he needs and deserves. I will continue to be his voice and will support Cherisse in doing that too.”
“As they stand, the pathways and routes into those support services are far too restrictive and exclude a cohort of our young people — people like Callan, who needs somebody to make the case for him and deliver the targeted intervention that is so key. That is why I tabled the Adjournment topic. As Cherisse heartbreakingly tells me on so many occasions, she has met and had conversations with so many families across the North with children just like Callan who are now in their 20s, 30s and 40s and are confined to a bedroom, looking at a screen and unable to be in the working world or to be full members of society because they did not get the support that they needed at that critical time. I am really conscious that Callan is in that position right now. I do not want to see his situation deteriorate because of a lack of services.”
“He has had tutors and other people in positions of authority say that he is a danger to others in the classroom, stops others being able to learn and prevents other people from accessing what they are all there for. Callan is anxious. With the right support and the right person listening to him, talking to him and engaging with him as he deserves, he could thrive. The fact that he made so much progress at Kilronan School shows that. <BR /> <BR />As I said, I had a meeting on Friday with Cherisse and someone from the learning disability team in the Northern Trust, a really helpful member of the team there who, I know, wants to support and provide help to Cherisse and Callan. However, his hands are tied because of the criteria currently set by the trust and your Department. I would like to see us overcome that.”
“<BR /> <BR />I have also had conversations with people around a specific person-centred approach, looking at a person beyond the words on their diagnosis and trying to assess what their needs are on the basis of how they present at that point in time. I would love to know what consideration you have given to adopting that model and what scoping exercises you can do or have done on extending services on that basis when somebody with a particularly challenging diagnosis does not fit in the box that we have seen thus far. Time and again, Callan and his mum have been told that he has challenging behaviours. He has been labelled as "disruptive".”
“Callan has an autism diagnosis, but none of those services deliver for people with autism. I want to understand what your Department is doing to commission services specifically for autism and to allow those people to get support and intervention at a time when it is so crucial. Callan is 17 and a half years old now. He has already regressed without that engagement in the past year and a half. Cherisse's fear is that he will regress further without targeted intervention at this point. There is no consistency across the board in how that is delivered. All sorts of supports are becoming available for people with autism in conjunction with another diagnosis. I want to understand what we are doing for people who do not have the same severity of diagnosis with regard to learning disability.”
“Time and again, she hears the same message: "Yes, we think that our service probably would benefit Callan, but, because he does not have a learning disability diagnosis, he is not eligible for our support". We have brilliant charities and groups working in our area, such as Positive Futures, Praxis Care, Trinity Support and Care Services and Connect 2 Brilliance. All of them offer services that are commissioned by the trust for people with a learning disability. As Callan has just missed that threshold by the tiniest of margins, he is excluded from all those services, leaving him to linger in a wasteland. He has fallen between stools time and again. <BR /> <BR />My ask to you, Minister, is that we do something for people like Callan who do not just fit in the box. In the previous mandate, the House passed legislation on autism services.”
“The strength of that woman, Cherisse, is beyond comprehension. She is a great advocate for her son during a really difficult time in her life. She lost her mother directly after COVID and has been the sole carer for Callan for all of his 17 and a half years on the planet. She has done everything in her power to get him the intervention that he needs, but, time and again, she faces the same brick wall. <BR /> <BR />Callan gets only 13 hours of direct payment support a week, and that was only after a fight. Cherisse had to source the carers herself to provide that support. She has been to every charity and support service in the North of Ireland to try to get Callan into their service and to get him the intervention, help and engagement that he needs in order to thrive.”
“We had a conversation that was probably as frustrating as the experience has been to date. <BR /> <BR />Callan has ADHD, autism and learning difficulties, meaning that his challenging behaviours have oftentimes been misrepresented by people who should have been advocating for him and providing him with support. Callan was a pupil at Kilronan School in my constituency, and the fantastic work done there is a testament to that special school. That intervention really helped Callan, to the point at which he was able to leave there earlier than an awful lot of students in similar situations and move to a unit in a mainstream school, where again he excelled and got on really well. <BR /> <BR />When his statement ran out at the age of 16, Callan faced a complete cliff edge, and he now has just one day a week at a tech in Cookstown.”
“Their cases would tug at anyone's heartstrings. It is really difficult to navigate trying to provide support to those people and to make the case for extra care. Sometimes it feels as though no one is listening. <BR /> <BR />The case that prompted today's debate specifically is that of Callan Lanigan, one of my constituents, about whom I have previously contacted the trust and the Minister. At the end of November last year, I wrote to you, Minister, detailing Callan's circumstances and asked that you meet Callan, his mother, Cherisse, and me to discuss what increased support we could obtain for him. I was disappointed and Callan's mother was really disappointed that you would not meet us on that occasion. You provided instruction for someone from the trust to meet us, and that happened at the end of last week.”
“<BR /> <BR />Beyond that, direct payment hours are a postcode lottery. I am completely perplexed as to how direct payment hours are assessed and allocated in the Northern Trust. I have spoken to numerous social workers, who do their best with limited resources and try at times to rob Peter to pay Paul. We have an issue with the allocation of direct payment hours support for people who live in the most challenging of circumstances and situations. <BR /> <BR />Parents come to me with young children who need 24-hour supervision or children who need to be fed and are non-verbal. They get in the range of four periods of seven and a half or eight hours of direct payment support in a week. The mothers are almost in tears. They cannot go to work, get a break or get a full night's sleep, because they are constantly on alert.”
“I have written to you in the past, Minister, about issues with respite provision in the Northern Health and Social Care Trust, specifically in the Mid Ulster part of the trust area. I have written to you about the likes of Hollybank in Magherafelt, which offers an unbelievable service. All the users of that centre and their families, who get respite through it, are blown away by the staff who work there and the care and attention to detail that they provide. There is not enough of it, however. We have a massive shortage of respite care, and there is a lack of assurance even about the calendar to which families would have had access in the past. There has been an increase on where we were during COVID, but we are not back to pre-COVID levels, and we want to see that addressed.”
“Minister, I cannot imagine that you were surprised when you saw this item in the Order Paper, because I have brought the matter and issues related to it to you and your predecessor multiple times over the years. I find it very difficult to navigate the provision of respite and support, particularly for our young people and children with complex needs, learning disabilities and learning difficulties.”
“Go raibh maith agat, a Leas-Cheann Comhairle.”
“Minister, will you clarify what meetings or conversations you have had with the CBA to try to bring an end to the strike? What engagement have you had with the Commissioner Designate for Victims of Crime regarding the delays felt as a result of the strike by those who have experienced crime?”
“Does the First Minister agree that celebrating equality and diversity is positive for society across the board and key to building a more inclusive society?”
“Like others in the Chamber, I watched with shock and disbelief as the news unfolded this weekend and at the confusion that it has created. Like the Member for North Antrim, I am appalled by colonialism and have always stood against it. <BR /> <BR />Our Minister for the Economy, Caoimhe Archibald, has written to the British and Irish Governments with our concerns in a quest to seek clarity on what the proposed tariffs might mean for us. Tariffs benefit no one, and economic bullying must be stood up to. As has already been said, it is for the people of Greenland — there are indigenous people in Greenland — to decide their future. We support their right to self-determination, just as we support our own right.”