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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“It is important that we do not leave it until May and June of next year and that we try to engage on and look at the issues. It is in that context that we tabled the motion. It is important that we have a unified voice, and I still have hope that we can have a unified voice on the motion. I do not believe that it is a contentious motion or an attack on culture. Nowhere in the motion have we said that we do not want to see bonfires.”
“Thanks very much. <BR /> <BR />Thank you to everybody who spoke on today's motion. I listened intently, even to those with whom I may not directly agree. We will have differing opinions and views. Do you know what? That is OK. That is what a political Chamber is for. <BR /> <BR />Once the summer months are over, we often forget about and move on from the issue of bonfires and the matters that pertain to them. By "we", I mean not just politicians but the agencies, which, I am sure, give a sigh of relief once July and August are over and the bonfires are forgotten about. However, the residents and those impacted on do not forget about them. They probably live in fear as they anticipate more going up the following year.”
“The Minister rightly touched on the fact that there are ongoing legal proceedings to challenge the British Government on proscribing Palestine Action. Will she join those proceedings as a third party?”
“Can the Minister provide an update on the Knockbreda Road crossing in South Belfast?”
“Minister, as you said, the transformation board is carrying out important work. There has been a recent expansion of the board's membership. What benefits will that bring?”
“<BR /> <BR />I support the Bill. It will close the legislative gaps that have been identified, having been raised by Members over a few years. I am glad that the Minister introduced the Bill before the summer recess. It is a bit laughable that some who cry and scream, "There is not enough legislation coming through; we need to bring legislation forward", now cry and scream that too much is coming forward before the summer recess. I am glad that we are now at the Second Stage of important pieces of legislation so that, when we come back from the summer recess, we can get stuck into scrutinising that important legislation and getting it through. After all, that is what we, as legislators, are here for.”
“<BR /> <BR />Other aspects of the Bill will improve financial stability, as they will enable DFE, DAERA and DFI to use additional fee-raising powers that will ultimately be scrutinised by their Statutory Committees. <BR /> <BR />As we have been reminded in recent weeks, there is an onus on us, as public representatives, to ensure that our migrant and asylum-seeking communities are made to feel welcome here and that they have access to the services that they require. I therefore welcome the tightening of the legislative framework that assigns the Executive Office responsibility for coordinating integration and support. The Bill will give TEO the power to utilise funds provided by Whitehall Departments for integration support services rather than having to rely on the sole authority of the Budget Act, as was said previously.”
“<BR /> <BR />Clause 2 focuses on the ability of the Department for the Economy to proactively take initiatives that provide financial assistance to support our local economy, which the Audit Office highlighted as something that was missing, particularly during the pandemic period. The ability to create companies is a further intervention that the Department for the Economy could, as a result of changes proposed in the Bill, use in future, rather than having to rely on Invest NI to do so. <BR /> <BR />The Executive have prioritised tackling violence against women and girls in the Programme for Government and in this year's Budget. I am pleased that a clear focus on those issues will remain in the Executive Office, which will be designated as responsible for implementing the strategic framework in the coming years.”
“I thank the Minister for coming to the House for the Second Stage of the Bill. In 20 clauses, the Bill makes amendments that will help to address several issues across various Departments, as the Minister laid out. There is more detail in the explanatory and financial memorandum (EFM). <BR /> <BR />The oversight of the investment fund to utilise financial transactions capital naturally sits in the Department of Finance. Providing that Department with the power to issue loans will therefore remove the need for them to be issued through the Strategic Investment Board, an arm's-length body of the Executive Office. That will undoubtedly improve the overall accountability of the scheme.”
“That includes full consultation and engagement with our local utility companies, infrastructure providers and, importantly, local authorities. The expansion of data-sharing between public bodies that is envisaged as a result of the amendments to the Digital Economy Act 2017 could improve efficiency and delivery of public services. Again, that needs to be done in a way that safeguards our citizens. <BR /> <BR />Despite the issues with the LCM, the Assembly and its Ministers have an important role to play in shaping the way in which the legislation is implemented here through regulations and ensuring that those regulations are human-rights compliant and respect the devolved institutions and the governance process.”
“That is concerning, and it is something that they need to rectify sooner rather than later. <BR /> <BR />The smart data scheme has the potential to enable consumers to access services that are better for their specific needs by authorising third parties to use their data. It is important, however, that we always ensure that that is done in a way that protects people and their rights. While the creation of the digital underground map can improve planning and maintenance for parts of our infrastructure, I note the powers of the British Secretary of State in a particular area and highlight the fact that our Executive have an important role through regulation-making powers. That role needs to be respected in a devolved area.”
“I thank the Minister for coming to the Chamber this evening. The motion is important. I share the disappointment that the legislation did not come to the House sooner in the form of a legislative consent motion, but it is important that, where possible, the Assembly exercises its full legislative capabilities. I welcome the aim of the legislation, which is to improve data-sharing and accessibility through the introduction of smart data schemes, the establishment of the Underground Asset Register and changes to the Digital Economy Act 2017. <BR /> <BR />The Minister has pointed out the reasons why the legislation did not come sooner. The British Government were reluctant to share their advice and assessment of the legislation's impacts on article 2 of the Windsor framework.”
“Thank you, Minister. I welcome the money that has been secured for Casement Park, which is an Executive signature project. Will the Minister outline what, from his perspective, he sees as the next steps?”
“Thank you for that, Minister. Will you confirm that you are actively considering a vaccine in the event of an outbreak? How will you communicate that to farmers to ensure that they get support as early as possible?”
“In 1971, they called on Israel to stop its illegal settlements. In 1977, following previous appeals — there are many such calls in the hundreds of resolutions — there was a call on Israel to withdraw from the occupied territories. In 1981, there was condemnation of an Israeli attack on an Iraqi nuclear facility. History repeated itself right up to the present day, and looking back to last year, the International Court of Justice said that the occupation of Palestinian territories is unlawful. The International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants for Israeli Government Ministers and, right at the top of that Cabinet, the Prime Minister for war crimes and crimes against humanity. There is no balance in oppression and illegal occupation, and there is certainly no balance in genocide.”
“<BR /> <BR />Let us look at the issues, which pertained long before 7 October 2023; indeed, the UN General Assembly and the UN Security Council have had hundreds of resolutions between them. If you do a quick Google search, you will see hundreds of resolutions predating 2023 that pertain to conflict. I will name a few of those. In December 1968, they looked to establish a:”
“I thank everyone who has contributed. I had not intended to speak, but I have listened to what people have said and have scribbled a couple of things down. The past couple of weeks have reminded me of one of my favourite speeches by the inspiring British MP, the late Tony Benn, about the Iraq war. In that speech, he spoke about his experience of growing up in London during the Blitz and how the community was impacted by that. From that came the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which is an international framework that many here have spoken about. The proposer of the amendment mentioned that all civilian life is protected under international law, and I agree with that.”
“Thank you for the answer. I was going to ask whether the Commission is looking at providing additional parking permits for the upper car parks, but you have already answered me in some way, Trevor. You said that, because of the topography, there is no additional room there. Can that be looked at?”
“Minister, after the attack on the Belfast Islamic Centre, there was swift follow-up action and a person appeared in court yesterday. Will you ensure that there will also be swift follow-up responses to and accountability for those who have carried out attacks across the North recently?”
“I do not know whether you just did not listen to what I said. I highlighted the fact that deterrence has to be a key factor, but we can see the statistics on repeat offenders: if we do not look at rehabilitation, we will only see increased levels of reoffending. If we want to increase public safety, we need to look at all of those aspects, not just one.”
“We need to get below the data to really understand that and, importantly, to mitigate or stop it, as well as to increase public safety and public confidence in the application of the rule of law and in our wider justice system. <BR /> <BR />I commend the motion and the Sinn Féin amendment.”
“<BR /> <BR />We need to look at community confidence. We need to consider children and young people. We are looking at some of those considerations in the current Justice Bill. We also need to look at enhanced restorative justice practice and approaches to look at mitigation and actually stopping crime — preventing it from occurring in the first place. As I said, we also need to have a specific sentencing framework. We are due to receive an aggravating model in relation to the hate crime element of that in the sentencing Bill next year. We must ensure that we develop evidence-based change, looking at the socio-economic factors. The stats give a clear picture and a clear story of who finds themselves in the criminal justice system and who has been impacted on by crime and offences.”
“<BR /> <BR />It is essential that we reform our sentencing framework. Obviously we need to look at the mitigators and the aggravating factors, particularly when it comes to serious offences involving gender-based violence, racism and sectarianism. We must ensure that the public understands and is given confidence. That is essential to ensuring that the public understands the sentences that are handed out and the associated mitigating and aggravating factors. We must also ensure that sentencing is victim-centred and that we look at the impacts on victims. Of course, while we do that, we also need to look at disparities and consistency in sentencing — as Doug said, the Minister will bring a sentencing reform Bill to the Assembly next year. A sentencing council would help with laying that out.”
“Obviously, we must deter people from committing crime and intervene at an earlier stage to look at the causes of why people commit crime or why they reoffend. I cannot underscore enough that over 70% of crime involves reoffending. It is not good enough to say that we need to put those people back inside; we need to understand the drivers and causes of reoffending so that we can prevent those figures from materialising in the first place. We know that relying on sentences is not effective in reducing reoffending. We must look at the stats on reoffending and say that something needs to change. We need to find a balance between deterrence and rehabilitation, with public safety always being a key driver and while upholding our duties in a manner that is compliant with human rights.”
“They need to use their resources better and more collaboratively in order to achieve better outcomes in those areas. It is for those reasons that we tabled our amendment. <BR /> <BR />Although we must ensure that there is an appropriate sentencing framework in place that is clear and codified and which protects the public, we support the establishment of a sentencing council, such as that developed in the South of Ireland, where Sinn Féin supported the introduction of sentencing guidelines. We must also ensure that we focus on comprehensive rehabilitation and resettlement programmes. <BR /> <BR />We cannot just continue to do what we are doing, because what we are doing is not working. That is played out in the statistics that NISRA recently published. We want to ensure that we increase public safety.”
“A recent Criminal Justice Inspection (CJINI) report highlighted the fact that outcomes remain static. Despite a number of strategies and policies, impactful change has been slow. <BR /> <BR />Recent figures published by NISRA on reoffending rates show that almost 80% of cases are classed as repeat offending. That is on top of the already high number of people in our prison system, with an increased population, doubling up in cells, and more complex cases now presenting, particularly around substance use and poor mental health. The Justice Committee has been looking at those areas over the past year. We held a joint Committee session a few months ago with the Health Committee. We are calling for more joined-up working and planning from both Departments to tackle those issues.”
“There are also questions about why the charges for possessing firearms were not brought under terrorist offences, given that he was arrested under terrorism legislation by the PSNI's anti-terrorism unit. That case and others clearly show the urgent need to look at how character references are being used and assessed. We need to look at best practice around the issue in other jurisdictions, such as the South of Ireland, where, if you provide a character reference, you must appear in person under oath. <BR /> <BR />We know that our justice system is under huge pressure, with delays in case progression and disposals, increases in our prison population, unacceptable levels of reoffending, victims not always feeling supported or informed by the system and a disproportionate impact on vulnerable groups.”
“I contacted the Public Prosecution Service (PPS) about the sentence that was handed down. That case has been referred to the Court of Appeal. The proposer of the motion referred to the recent sentence that was handed down to a known loyalist. The PPS has said that it is reviewing that sentence. <BR /> <BR />Although those examples show that there is a mechanism to review, they also pose the question of whether the original sentences were appropriate in the first place. There are also questions about the impact on public confidence and victims, where they are involved. Many members of the public and Members of the House have questioned why the minimum sentence was not given to Irvine in the recent case, as it was to his co-accused.”
“Sentencing, including sentencing reform, is at a critical point in public safety, justice and human rights. We must ensure that we have a system that is open and accessible, is understood by the broader public and commands their confidence. We know that there have been soundings recently about opening up courts — indeed, the Minister is consulting on that — to make them more accessible and more easily understood, and looking at introducing some broadcasting. That is welcome, but appropriate safeguards for victims and witnesses must be included and due process must be allowed to run its course. <BR /> <BR />Some recent cases have had an impact on public confidence. We must learn from them. One case involved more than 40 incidents of sexual exploitation and trafficking.”
“Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. I place on record my thanks to the Members for tabling the motion. These are important issues. They are worthy of discussion and debate, and I am sure that we will have plenty of that when the Minister introduces the Bill, next year. <BR /> <BR />The Lady Chief Justice recently said:”
“Does the Minister think that language must also be monitored in relation to people's homes being attacked in the past few weeks? Misinformation of a racist nature was used to whip up the crowd, resulting in front living rooms being set on fire, pregnant women having to flee and families having to hide in their lofts from what the PSNI described as racist mobs. Language should be moderate at times when people are being attacked in their home.”
“We were concerned that it was moving at such a pace through Westminster that engagement with key partners to look at the impact of the provisions — reserved and devolved — was limited. I thank the departmental officials for their engagement with the Committee on the concerns and queries that were raised and for trying to answer those as well as they could.”
“We also know through Committee deliberations that the Human Rights Commission here raised concerns, particularly about the compliance of article 2 of the Windsor framework. We know that the Human Rights Commission was going to publish further information and a further detailed report on that aspect of the work. In fairness to the Human Rights Commission, it engaged with the Department. The Department made representations to the Home Office, which said that, under its human rights deliberations, there was nowhere else to go on the matter. However, we still have concerns about that area of work, particularly the impact of article 2 of the Windsor framework. <BR /> <BR />The Committee and, indeed, my party highlighted concerns about the pace of the Bill. The Department also highlighted those concerns.”
“I put on record and highlight the fact that there is a range of excepted matters that do not fall under the Assembly's control. When you look at where the Bill initially came from, you see that it came from the Tory Party in Britain and the Rwanda policy, which is proposed to be repealed and is also a reserved matter. Key aspects of the reserved matters are draconian, and we have concerns about their human rights implications. Again, I highlight the fact that, whilst the LCM process is welcomed, huge swathes of the legislation that will have an impact here are excepted matters, and the Assembly does not have proper scrutiny of and oversight into those and cannot feed into them.”
“I know that the Minister highlighted the fact that the LCM will enhance protections around engaging DOJ, but if clauses 30 to 33 pertain to the DVLA, what engagement will there be with the Infrastructure Minister? That is a concern that we raised, and I know that the Committee will look at that in more detail at Thursday's Committee meeting.”
“I thank the Minister for bringing the LCM to the House. The Chair of the Committee outlined the in-depth scrutiny that we tried to do at the Committee with the devolved provisions that pertain to the LCM. We also tried to engage with the Human Rights Commission and others for advice. There are a number of devolved implications, which the Minister and the Chair outlined. There are also regulations and amendments that have come forward, on which the Committee is still engaging.”
“<BR /> <BR />It is also important to put on record, as we did in the Committee report, that the legislation covers a number of reserved or excepted matters over which the Assembly has no oversight. We cannot properly scrutinise them. The Human Rights Commission here raised concerns about those excepted matters, and I take the opportunity to put those concerns on the record.”
“I thank the Minister, who gave an outline of what is included in the LCM, and the Chair, Joanne, who gave a breakdown of the scrutiny that the Committee tried to apply within the time frame that it had. As Members have highlighted, the Bill creates new offences for which consent is sought through the LCM, including the cuckooing offence in particular. It also includes guidance on child sex abuse, greater provisions to strengthen the notification requirements for sex offenders on the register and the new offence of spiking. The Committee looked at those issues. As part of our deliberations, we looked at engaging the Human Rights Commission in order to have a local understanding of the provisions. Subsequently, there were questions for the PSNI on the implementation of the provisions once the Bill passes in Westminster.”
“I thank the Minister for her statement. She talked about elements of criminal justice and social diversity work and, obviously, cross-border work that is being progressed around hate crime and community inclusion. On the back of racist attacks over the past few weeks and, indeed, the past year, with online misinformation encouraging some of those incidents, what work is being progressed in that area around cross-border collaboration, and did both Ministers discuss what more can be done to take enforcement action against social media companies if they do not take action on misinformation?”
“Does the deputy First Minister agree that all public appointments should be made on the basis of merit?”
“We need a ramping up of the housing supply strategy and a revitalisation of the Housing Executive to ensure that we see direct action. We need to see the action that Belfast City Council is taking with the Department and the Housing Executive replicated by all councils.”
“We need better management of the existing stock, particularly in the social housing sector, and we need to make sure that we maximise not just the application system but the transfer system. If there are new housing developments, we can maximise the number of people whom we move off the list if we maximise transfer applications. <BR /> <BR />This is an important discussion. There has been good work in East Belfast, such as that on the Park Avenue and CS Lewis Square developments. Andy touched on the East Belfast Mission, which is doing excellent work that dovetails with the Department's priority of building community wealth in how the community can also own and manage such assets, and, importantly, respond to community need. <BR /> <BR />Addressing the housing crisis requires a systemic approach.”
“The urgent revitalisation of the Housing Executive is a priority. We need to see the Housing Executive building homes again and having the ability to borrow money on the strength of its assets, similar to what councils are already doing. That could present a huge opportunity for the Housing Executive, whereby it could reinvest in its existing stock to bring it up to modern standards and start building homes again. That is also important in the context of retrofitting. We know the challenges posed by climate, the cost of living and fuel poverty. A retrofitting programme would have a huge impact, particularly given the age profile of some of the housing stock in areas such as East Belfast.”
“We have to ensure that we are look at systemic issues at a local level and, importantly, that we make housing a priority in all the work that we do.”
“We know that, during the last major investment in public housing, in the 1960s and 1970s, what was done pertained to the conflict. A containment strategy was devised that segregated and cut communities off not only from one another but from the city centre. We need to make sure that any major housebuilding programme undoes some of that negative segregation of our neighbourhoods. <BR /> <BR />Good work will come from aligning the housing supply strategy with local development plans to ensure that the approach that has been taken in Belfast can be replicated across other council areas and co-designed to meet the needs of those areas and localities. We particularly have to recognise the differences in urban and rural challenges.”
“We have seen examples of that in Belfast, particularly with Belfast City Council working with the Department for Communities and the Housing Executive on a strategic site assessment. They have looked at a number of pieces of land, particularly surface car parks that were transferred under local government reform in 2014. That has led to a housing-led regeneration programme in the city, and that will bring not just major investment in housing but significant increases in housing options in the city. Importantly, we will start to rebuild an inner-city core. <BR /> <BR />We also need to ensure that the strategies align with public realm works and that there is the ability to re-stitch our neighbourhoods into the city centre and into one another.”
“Importantly, we need to co-design the solutions with the housing sector, communities and those who find themselves on the waiting list or the transfer list. <BR /> <BR />Alongside that, we need to address the right-to-buy scheme, which has undoubtedly depleted our housing stock across the North since it was introduced in the late 1980s. We need to ensure that we consult on that. Again, I call on the Minister to look at that urgently. That practice has ceased in other social housing providers and exists only in the Housing Executive. There is already that inequality, and, without replacing that stock, we wonder why we find ourselves in a housing crisis. That area needs to be looked at urgently. <BR /> <BR />We also need to ensure that land is available and, in particular, that public land is prioritised for public housing.”
“<BR /> <BR />We know that the lack of housing supply creates those real pressures in our housing system overall and plays its part in pushing up rents. There are other issues — Airbnbs and so on — that we need to look at more systematically when it comes to the challenges, particularly for inner-city communities. Of course, we also see, particularly since COVID, increases in waiting lists across the board and in the number of people presenting with a multitude of additional challenges for which they need support. That is why we need the housing supply strategy and why it is so critical to address the fundamental challenges that we face. We need to ensure that it is done in a coordinated and cross-departmental way.”
“I thank Joanne for securing this important debate on housing, particularly in East Belfast. <BR /> <BR />Sinn Féin believes that housing is a human right. Everyone in our society, no matter their background or where they come from, should have access to safe, secure and affordable housing. We know the role that housing plays in improving outcomes for people, but it is also a fundamental part of their health and well-being. We are in a housing crisis — there is no doubt about that — and East Belfast is not immune to that fact. That area also faces pressures across all housing tenures, as we have heard today, with growing waiting lists in the social housing sector but also increased pressures because of rent increases in the private rented sector.”
“Minister, do you agree that the ongoing debacle and treatment of Sean Brown's family in regard to his case is presenting significant barriers to trust and confidence not only in policing but the wider criminal justice system?”