Deirdre Hargey
South Belfast · Sinn Féin · Northern Ireland
“His double standards, including his condemnation of and opposition to equality and rights for our LGBTQ+ citizens, have caused real harm to others. The revelations about his double life expose the staggering hypocrisy of the DUP's moral facade. We need to know whether failing to act sooner left more vulnerable people at risk.”
“One week ago today, Jeffrey Donaldson was found guilty of 18 child sexual offences, including rape. That conviction was made possible only by the strength and resilience of the two victims who came forward and reported the abuse. Donaldson was an abuser. He abused children, but he also abused his position in politics and faith.”
“They now say that they knew about his behaviour, but, crucially, they did nothing to expose his inappropriate hypocrisy and double life. The 'Spotlight' programme and other reports have shown that senior members of the DUP — its most senior figures, including the then leader, Edwin Poots — were aware of serious issues and allegations abou…”
“It is therefore not credible to suggest that the intelligence agencies were blind to his compromised double standards and double life. <BR /> <BR />Those questions demand answers from the DUP leadership. They demand answers in the House from the deputy First Minister, who was closely associated with Donaldson.”
“It is clear that there is a huge disconnect between Whitehall and the reality that is being felt by people on the ground. A British Treasury policy that is managing decay, real-terms cuts and disastrous policy decisions such as Brexit or the funding of wars over public services comes on top of existing disparities between how public servi…”
“The answer is not the short-term fixes or cash injections that we have had in the past, which have allowed for the repeated Treasury script of record settlements and inability of the Executive to manage their finances — scripts that are often parroted in the Chamber.”
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“One of the most concerning issues highlighted in the report is the delay in establishing a proper needs assessment service for victims and witnesses. The consequences of that can be devastating. Not only are victims left re-traumatised by drawn-out, complex processes but there is the knock-on effect of a growing lack of trust in the system. <BR /> <BR />Notwithstanding those challenges, it is important to recognise that last year's CJI report identified areas of improvement and key achievements, such as the reform of youth justice, a reduction in the numbers of children in custody and in the Youth Court and, of course, the importance of investing in data sharing across the agencies. <BR /> <BR />Sinn Féin stands ready to play our part in building a justice system that reflects the values of fairness, equality and accountability.”
“As others stated earlier, a lot of that work includes recognising the importance of cross-departmental working, whether it is the Health Department, the Education Department or the Department for Communities. Slippage in any of those areas in relation to housing or access to a social worker further feeds the delay in the justice system.”
“They have been raised time and again by the legal profession and, more importantly, by victims and families. We have seen the development of a number of strategies since 2010, but the report, rightly, highlights that, despite those changes, change has often been slow. Despite areas of investment, outcomes have been static. That needs to change. <BR /> <BR />The real concern with all that is a lack of joined-up thinking or a clear coherent strategy and, importantly, an agreed strategic vision. We know that CJI gave the Department six months to allow for the development of a shared future vision. The Committee has been asking for updates on that. I am keen to hear from the Minister about a timeline for the publication of that vision.”
“Those included delays, access to justice, rehabilitation and the impact on victims and witnesses. At that time, the transfer was not matched with the adequate resources to tackle those historical gaps that were left under direct rule. <BR /> <BR />It is also concerning that, as the report laid out, we have seen limited improvements in performance and, more importantly, little or no improvement in the experience of victims, witnesses or front-line staff. Those areas must be a priority, and we want to work with the Minister to address them. I know that she is bringing legislation forward in this mandate in that area. <BR /> <BR />The report rightly highlights long police investigations, slow decision-making by the PPS, cases arriving in court that are not ready to proceed and continued issues around legal aid. Those issues are not new.”
“<BR /> <BR />The CJI report last November was timely, as the Justice Committee had been looking at those issues and raising concerns around delays in the system, the impact of that on victims and witnesses and, of course, the ongoing dispute around legal aid. It is important to restate, however, that the report also recognised that, with the transfer of policing and justice powers to the Assembly, it also:”
“I also welcome the opportunity to speak on the motion. Sinn Féin believes in a justice system that works for all in a timely manner and that is human rights-compliant and, importantly, victim-centred. We also believe in effective rehabilitation in order to build healthy and safe communities, where reoffending and crime are reduced. Our engagement at a constituency level and our work on the Justice Committee show that many people in our communities believe that the justice system is too slow in delivering fairness, timeliness or accountability. That undoubtedly impacts on public confidence. We all have a duty to address that issue collectively in the Chamber and outside it.”
“Thank you for that comprehensive list. The Programme for Government also outlines the need for an Irish language strategy, including promotion and greater visibility across the public sector. Will the deputy First Minister join me in acknowledging and recognising the vibrancy of the language and in unequivocally condemning any intimidation, threats or criminality in response to the democratic decision that was taken last week by Belfast City Council?”
“<BR /> <BR />We have the business improvement districts, but there is a democratic deficit to those, which I ask the Minister to look at. No communities are involved in those BIDs, yet huge swathes of public money go into them. Communities that live in and around those BIDs, and which are part of the BIDs, are not part of the decision-making processes. I ask the Minister to work in partnership with others when taking the scheme forward.”
“It is not just down to the Communities Minister to do that; the Economy Minister, the Finance Minister, the Infrastructure Minister, the AERA Minister and others need to be involved. I would much prefer that there was a Minister-led approach to taking this forward. That could be a few Ministers taking the lead, but I would like to see some form of ministerial group being established. We did that in the city a number of years ago in the case of the Holylands intervention, and I think that something similar could be done in this case. We need to include the communities, the arts groups, the cultural groups, the universities and, obviously, the businesses in the area, because we need to make sure that the local economy, people and communities benefit. This is a huge opportunity for that to happen.”
“Low-income and working-class families were pushed out of the Tribeca area, and we need to make sure that whatever scheme takes place here integrates the communities. The developer here tried to do the same thing: it tried to put the social housing in Academy Street, away from the overall development, and to have only higher-end housing options at the centre. We need to make sure that we do not segregate on the basis of social class, or have any other type of segregation. We need to make sure that we build places that are inclusive of all our communities. <BR /> <BR />Developer-led regeneration on its own is not working. It has clearly failed here. We need a people-centred and people-focused approach to regeneration.”
“In one of the Laganside reports, a red line was drawn around all the communities. The multimillion-pound investment did not touch the working-class communities that needed it the most: Laganside drew a red line around them. There is one regeneration project in South Belfast, which is the reopening of the old traditional tunnels. A report by Laganside said that the tunnels were bricked up in the '90s to stop people from the Market community from coming over and breaking into cars. <BR /> <BR />Whatever the way forward is, we have to make sure that communities are at the heart and that there is no class severance or segregation. That is what we saw happen in New York. Tribeca in New York was gentrified.”
“Belfast city centre is unique in that it is surrounded by inner-city working-class communities that have been there for generations, staying there through even the worst days and contributing to building our city with its unique aspects. Whatever development happens on the site and on other derelict sites, we need to make sure that it happens alongside those communities, so that they are at the heart of the engagement and consultation, and that we build up greater community and public ownership of land and assets. <BR /> <BR />Matthew O'Toole mentioned the Laganside Corporation. Looking at it broadly, good things were done on the regeneration of the river — new footways and all of that — but Laganside did not engage with communities. It actually cut off communities.”
“That is one of the reasons why our city centres and cores do not have people living in them in the way that other cities do. We also have a legacy of defensive planning that segregated communities and severed them from the city and from one another. I see that when I look at maps of Belfast. Before the 1960s, Belfast worked on a grid system, but from the 1960s and 1970s, it started to become segregated and communities were severed from the city centre and from one another. I live in the Market, and we are segregated from Donegall Pass, which is segregated from Sandy Row. That continues around the city centre.”
“I probably will not mention it either. <BR /> <BR />I welcome the debate and thank Phillip for securing it. I had it in my notes that we debated the topic last year. I was here talking about it. When we look at the city centre, we see it as one city centre that impacts on all the communities, but, whilst the Tribeca site is, to be fair, probably the largest in the city that is lying in dereliction, other derelict parts of the city centre border various communities. In South Belfast, areas such as Ormeau Avenue and Cromac Street have large swathes of land just like those in the Tribeca scheme that have been lying derelict for decades. We need to look at those. <BR /> <BR />Obviously, we have had the impact of conflict.”
“— ensure that those mistakes are not fatal and that we prevent harm.”
“In supporting such initiatives, we are empowering our local citizens. <BR /> <BR />It is not about condoning drug use; it is about facing reality. Young people and, indeed, many adults in our communities will continue to attend festivals and events. Some will experiment, and some will make mistakes, but our duty is to —”
“Let us be clear, however: policing alone will not prevent drug-related deaths. That is not a criticism but a statement of fact. <BR /> <BR />It is clear that on-site testing at all major music events and festivals, with protections for those who use it, should be introduced, and we urge the Health Minister to do so as a matter of urgency. I take your point, Minister, that investigations into the incidents in the summer are ongoing, but, in the commentary that emerged from them, the Public Health Agency said that it is open to exploring that. We urge you to look at the expansion of rapid drug testing and to look again at initiatives such as the anti-spiking initiative, because they prompt the public to think about the issues and maybe take interventions and mitigations into their own hands.”
“They want timelines and firmer commitments. I am keen, if the information is not available today, to know when firmer commitments will be realised. <BR /> <BR />The PSNI needs to be part of any harm reduction framework — one that involves community outreach and collaboration. That is important in working with event organisers to ensure that visible safeguarding and other measures are in place. Paul and Jonny touched on that. Of course, there must be training for the on-site staff to ensure that emergency services and infrastructure are in place so that, if something goes wrong, there is quick and easy access to medical assistance. That reinforces and highlights the fact that we need to see community-led policing: policing with the community and in the interests of the community.”
“Minister, you touched on DAMIS and said that there already is testing, but we hear from those who work in the field that that is too slow. It takes days to get results from DAMIS, and not every service user feeds into it, which is another issue. We support the Queen's pilot and its partnership work, because we need more rapid drug testing. Communities such as the Market also call for that, because they know that the quicker that we can get results, the quicker that we can alert the public and, potentially, save lives and mitigate future harms. <BR /> <BR />The Minister talked about giving the model careful thought and consideration. Is there a timeline for that? Will it be part of the review of DAMIS? The practitioners and the communities on the ground do not want to just hear our words about a unity of purpose.”
“Many contributors touched on the Electric Picnic event and how its organisers introduced drug testing on-site this year. We in the North are the only part of these islands that does not have such a scheme in place. The Minister has not said that he intends to introduce such a scheme here, but I implore him to make sure that there is unity of purpose across the islands. Colm and others touched on the need to see greater collaboration across the island and these islands. We need to see more joined-up working not only in our Departments but across jurisdictions. <BR /> <BR />With ours being the only jurisdiction to lag behind in a scheme or initiative such as that, again, I recommend that the Minister look seriously at the issue.”
“The play talked about these very issues and the impact of health inequalities on working-class communities, particularly the Market. However, it could also have been about communities in the Shankill, Donegall Pass, the New Lodge, Derry and other places. That production will be shown again, so I commend it to the Minister so that, when he gets the invite, he goes along. It is a really powerful piece of theatre that shows how the arts can be used to break the stigma and to build a sense of community, connection and resilience. <BR /> <BR />When we look internationally to areas such as Portugal and the Netherlands, which were touched on, we see that other Governments have introduced models of on-site drug testing, pill checking and drug information services, particularly at musical events.”
“We are pushing for a health-led harm reduction approach. That is what we want to see, which is why we tabled the motion. From listening to all the contributions, I think that we have a broad unity of purpose. There may be some areas in which we want clarity or in which we may not fully agree, but I sense that there is a broad unity of purpose in the Chamber. That is the important message that we want to send out from the Chamber. <BR /> <BR />We need to break the stigma and silence. I commend to the Minister a play called 'The Black Dog', which was produced by the Market community that I spoke about. That piece of theatre was shown over the summer in the Waterfront Hall, which was packed out on the four nights.”
“It is looking at how it can break the stigma in that community; the impact of addiction, suicide, trauma, mental health issues and inequality; and the importance of working-class communities coming together, having a sense of pride in those communities and showing their resilience. Importantly, it is about showing that communities coming together can be an important driver in mitigating and reducing harm.”
“<BR /> <BR />Sinn Féin is absolutely committed to tackling drug use through an evidence-based and public health-led approach. We want to ensure that we reduce the harm, and, from what we heard in the debate, I think that everybody wants that. We recognise that criminalisation alone does not save lives. What saves lives are interventions that are rooted in harm reduction, education and practical support and help on the ground. Many of the contributors spoke of that today. <BR /> <BR />I will highlight the example of the Market community where I live. The Market Development Association is working with Queen's University Belfast on its QCAP — Queen's Communities and Place — initiative. That is a community initiative that looks at substance misuse and the health inequalities that the Minister touched on.”
“It really highlights what agencies could do at events such as concerts. If Ógra Shinn Féin can hand out a couple of thousand anti-spiking kits at one event, I am sure that all our agencies and Departments, including Health, Justice and Communities, could work together to do so much more and have a huge impact. On that night, the response from the concertgoers was really positive. People were glad to see somebody there who was making some type of intervention. Whilst they might not have thought about spiking as they were going out, just handing them the kit made them think and might have sparked something in their heads. We are not saying that it will be the panacea, but, if any mitigation or intervention saves one life, it is ultimately worth doing.”
“<BR /> <BR />Over the summer, along with other Sinn Féin representatives in South Belfast, I joined Ógra Shinn Féin on the Boucher Road, where concerts were taking place. On one night, over 40,000 people were out to enjoy a night out. The atmosphere was amazing. The sun was out, and there was a great buzz in South Belfast. People were ultimately going to enjoy their night, but we were there to hand out anti-spiking kits in order to raise awareness of the dangers of drugs, of how they can be misused and also of how spiking can be done maliciously. We were there to warn those concertgoers to be alert and to keep safe. That was a great initiative from a group of young people in our party. I am sure that it can be replicated by other young people throughout the city and beyond.”
“Thank you very much, Mr Deputy Speaker. I thank my party colleagues for tabling this important motion and, indeed, those Members who tabled the amendment. I also thank Members from all parties for their contributions and the Minister for taking the time to come along to the debate. <BR /> <BR />Unfortunately, I have seen at first hand in my constituency of South Belfast the impact of illegal drugs and, indeed, other substances, including legal drugs, and the effect that their use can have on families, communities and society as a whole. I am sure that other Members can say the same thing, and they have. Sadly, too many people, especially younger people, have lost their lives recently as a result of drug and alcohol misuse.”
“Minister, given that there are financial challenges ahead and that we will have to wait to see what the British Chancellor comes up with at the end of November, what will you be prioritising in the multi-annual Budget?”
“There is no focus on people who have been charged with sexual offences and were involved in racist attacks last year..”
“It is concerning that, again, there have been ifs and buts in some of the comments that have been made tonight. Words matter, because actions follow, and actions are misguided when there is misinformation. There is no focus on or anger with bankers, despite how they have fleeced people. Over £20 billion is still owed —”
“I am glad that you raised the issue of Felden, because that was a disgrace. At the time, Sinn Féin councillor Michael Goodman condemned it, and I know that Stewart Dickson also did so at the time. The one thing that we have called for is that housing be allocated on the basis of need and in an open and fair way. I hope that the Member agrees with that.”
“Sectarianism and racism is not complicated: it is wrong.”
“<BR /> <BR />We see consistent efforts being made to attach the growing right-wing attention on immigration to the housing crisis that we face. While the Labour Party, the Tories and Reform in Britain compete to out do each other on hard-line tactics and rhetoric around immigration and human beings seeking shelter, our primary concern here needs to be for housing for all communities; theirs is a continuing programme of austerity, cutting public services and punching down on minority communities. <BR /> <BR />Today, once again, presents us with an opportunity to call out sectarianism and racism in all its forms and to speak to those families in our communities who are not sleeping, are scared to cross the doorstep and are terrified in their homes because their homes have been attacked. There is no room for equivocation, no ifs and buts.”
“I, along with local residents and the community organisation, was out within half an hour of that graffiti being reported, and we painted over it. That is the proactive leadership that we need from politicians, community activists and other agencies. <BR /> <BR />We also need to challenge the misinformation that leads to displays of hate. We need to focus people so that, if there are issues around housing — in my community, there are issues — rather than blaming them on somebody else and punching down, we organise those communities into housing campaigns for everybody. The Minister's housing supply strategy talks about safe, affordable housing for everyone. It does not define it as being for this or that section of the community: it is supposed to be for everyone.”
“Yes. Belfast houses the thirty-second highest number of asylum seekers in the UK. The point is important because, when you legitimise concerns, as it is called, they become war cries, and we see attacks on the streets. That serves only to inflame tensions. Indeed, when that statement was made, a house was attacked within a couple of days in that same area. The attacks are real, so I call on all elected Members to be accurate with the information that we put out, be it in a video or in the Chamber. We have a responsibility. When you look at last year's racist attacks, you see that almost half of those involved were themselves reported for domestic abuse, yet there is no focus on that or talk about it at all. <BR /> <BR />In my constituency, racist graffiti — "Locals Only" — appeared on a new housing scheme.”
“FactCheckNI fact-checked and debunked that claim. In fact, per capita, Belfast —.”
“We know that loyalist paramilitaries have repeatedly been linked to involvement in attacks on ethnic minorities and have a long history of attacks on nationalist residents. The PSNI confirmed that the UDA is behind attempts to intimidate Catholics out of a shared housing site in the lower Oldpark area of north Belfast. A Committee on the Administration of Justice (CAJ) report from May this year mapped out far right online activity and found that loyalist paramilitary elements are directly orchestrating racist violence and intimidation against migrants. <BR /> <BR />It is also important to recognise the growth of misinformation and disinformation about asylum seekers. In August this year, the DUP MLA for South Belfast falsely claimed that Belfast has the second highest number of asylum seekers of any city in the UK.”
“I thank the Members who tabled this important motion. We have seen a stark increase in the number of racist and sectarian attacks on homes and families over the past year. The past year saw the highest number of racially motivated attacks since records on the issue began 21 years ago, so that puts it in context. Last week, North Belfast MLA Carál Ní Chuilín highlighted the ongoing campaign against Catholics and ethnic minorities who live in the lower Oldpark area. I saw attacks in my constituency last year and, indeed, this year, as well as in Ballymena over the summer. <BR /> <BR />The normalisation of that behaviour and the rise of the far right should be an immediate concern for all of us in the Chamber.”
“We can find a unified voice on these issues and give clarity. I commend the motion.”
“With the establishment of the working group that was set out in the FICT report, we could start to bring forward those issues and see what a regulatory framework would look like. From a working-class point of view, that would help to give clarity, because it would clearly set out the ground rules for those who want to have the structures, and ensure that that is done safely. That would take the contention out of it. Tom Frawley said that. The FICT report said that, and Justice Horner said that in his summing up on the Adam Street bonfire.”
“<BR /> <BR />I want people to enjoy their cultural festivities, and to go out and have a good day. I heard what Phillip said. We do not follow each other on Facebook, but he appeared on my Facebook feed on 12 July. He was out having good fun. It looked like a good family fun day. It is like what we run in my community in August. However, I want to make sure that we do it in a safe way, and that we are not breaking laws that are already in place — be that by trespassing on property for which you do not have permission or by burning displays of hate.”
“I have engaged with the PSNI on the issue of asbestos and toxic materials at the Donegall Road site — I know that the issue has gone to the AERA Minister. It is a disgrace — there is no point in saying anything different — that those materials have been allowed to stay there for over 10 years. It is a disgrace on the agencies and others who have allowed that to happen. I say, again, that we need to see those materials removed without further delay. It is not just about the bonfire. I am still concerned about the impact that those toxic materials — asbestos and others — have on the residents who live adjacent to the site and in the broader community. It is unacceptable. We have seen unacceptable racist and sectarian displays of hate. They also need to be challenged robustly.”
“There was also the Tom Frawley report, which was commissioned by Belfast City Council in 2017. That was a comprehensive report. If you have not read it, I recommend that you do. Both those reports outline the legal and legislative frameworks that we are working under, and which pertain to bonfires and how they take place, set within a regulatory framework. We also need agencies to take more action in adherence to the laws that are already in place.”
“I will give way in a moment. I want to move on a bit. <BR /> <BR />The issues have been highlighted, and many Members have talked about FICT report that was published a number of years ago. I agree that we need to see the establishment of the working group. Its remit is to implement the FICT report's recommendations. I agree with the parties that are calling for that to happen, but the reality is that there is a party in the Executive that is blocking it, and it is not Sinn Féin. We want the working group to be established. We want it to take forward the recommendations laid out in the FICT report, and if there are concerns or contentious issues, we have to get around the table and discuss them. If we do not establish the working group, how are we ever going to move the issues forward?”
“I still live in the community in which I was born and bred. My background is in community organising, and I do not believe for one minute that any type of regulation, whether it is on bonfires or children's safety at summer schemes, or anything else, is top-down. It can be bottom-up, and, as such, it can provide clarity.”
“Indeed, Belfast City Council has supported both programmes and got broad party support for them. They are models of good practice, and it is important to speak about those models of good practice. <BR /> <BR />Our motion calls for people to act within the confines of existing laws and for regulation to oversee bonfires. I believe that, with community engagement and participation, regulation can work. Regulation can also give communities clarity. That is important. If they believe that bonfires are an important part of their culture, and they want to continue to have them, they will see that regulation is not a dictatorship. It can give clarity to those communities on how they can keep within the confines of the law and enjoy their day by doing so. <BR /> <BR />I come from a working-class community.”
“I therefore stand over the action that has been taken on those issues. <BR /> <BR />Our focus is not on every bonfire. It is on some bonfires at which such issues have manifested themselves. As I said, those issues include bonfires being built at particular locations and at interfaces, health and safety concerns, environmental damage and displays of hate. <BR /> <BR />It is, however, important to praise good work as well, and we have done so in the past. I have praised the good work that has been done in the Woodvale area. I have praised the good work that has been done by Féile na hAbhann in my constituency of South Belfast, which translates as the "Festival of the River". In that community, the work is to replace unwanted bonfires, but the Woodvale bonfire is about how that community wants to celebrate its culture.”
“They should not happen, and we should all work to ensure that they are removed. <BR /> <BR />The motion is also about the location of bonfires. Some are deliberately built in interface areas. The Adam Street bonfire was mentioned earlier, and there was criticism of it. If, however, Members look at the judgement from Justice Horner pertaining to the clear ground rules that need to be in place for bonfires, particularly where their location is contentious, they will see that he said, in summary, that there should be clear ground rules for their construction, size and, importantly, location. I believe that bonfires or any such structures should not be built at interface or flashpoint areas, because their being built there is about trying to create contention, and that is what has happened in places such as Adam Street.”
“If you want to talk about other issues, I am happy to engage on those issues. Mr Gaston is laughing, but he does not even talk to any of us in the corridor or wish to engage, so how can we overcome contentious issues if he will not even sit down with other people who are elected to the House and have conversations and engage with them? I am willing to do that. The question is this: is he? I am willing to look at that. <BR /> <BR />I do not believe that the motion is an attack on culture. I believe that it is a logical and common-sense approach that focuses on public safety, of life and property, and on limiting the impact on environmental damage. It focuses on an end to sectarian and racist displays. I do not care whether that is a bonfire in a loyalist community or one in a republican/nationalist community. Such displays are disgraceful.”
“We are here to talk about the motion on the regulation of bonfires.”