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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“I welcome this important conversation. As with our daytime economy, we need to look at the issues in terms of the wider regeneration of our city centre in order to unlock its full potential at night-time and throughout the day. We all want a safe, connected, inclusive and vibrant city centre in which people can live, work and socialise as well as visit. Therefore, collaboration and a joined-up approach are key. We also need the ability to be innovative and to adapt to an ever-changing environment, recognising the increasing role that our night-time economy plays. <BR /> <BR />Belfast city centre has seen much change and challenge: economic downturns, the Primark fire, COVID, working from home and, indeed, poverty and inequality.”
“I welcome the fact that you are meeting the associations tomorrow, Minister, on legal aid. You said that a 16% uplift will be provided. Will you give the detail on when?”
“Thanks very much, Minister. Under the housing selection scheme that you mentioned in your statement, the succession of tenancy policy has seen an increase in evictions and homelessness, particularly in the Belfast area, in recent times. A recent High Court case actually ruled in favour of a tenant whom the Housing Executive was trying to evict. In light of those incidents, will the Minister urgently review that policy and its application?”
“Belfast city centre is surrounded by inner-city working-class communities that have been cut off from the city by defensive planning in the 1960s and 1970s. Does the Minister agree that the plan should start to deal with that severance issue and re-stitch those communities into the city centre?”
“Indeed, we submitted an amendment to the motion, which set out that the safety of everyone must be the main priority. Unfortunately, our amendment was not accepted. <BR /> <BR />We support a risk-based approach that prioritises the safety of everyone within prisons. That, of course, should include consideration of an offender's record. A situation where an individual has been convicted for the non-payment of a fine is very different to one where an individual has been convicted for violent offences. We are clear that those with a history of sexual violence against women should not be placed in a women's prison. We want a risk-based approach that prioritises the safety of everyone in prisons and considers the admission of transgender prisoners on a case-by-case basis.”
“The Ulster Unionist motion seeks to oversimplify a complex and sensitive issue. Instead of having concern for the vulnerability of people in custody, the motion seeks to use their vulnerability to play politics. The amendment from the TUV seeks to remove a broad expression of support for the LGBTQI+ community and other minority communities, which is yet another reminder of that party's disdain for the LGBTQI+ people in our society. <BR /> <BR />We believe that the safety of everyone in prisons, including trans prisoners, should be the priority consideration when managing prison populations. That includes the safety of the prison population as a whole, those who work in prisons and the offenders whose admission to prison is being considered.”
“When one meets their boards of governors and their young people, as many of us South Belfast MLAs did last year when we got together in some of the primary-school settings, one sees the drive of teachers, boards of governors, parents and, importantly, children. We want to enhance integrated education, but, in doing so, we need to make sure that it is integration in its truest form, which should include children from working-class backgrounds. <BR /> <BR />I am happy that the topic has been brought to the House for debate, and I look forward to hearing what the Minister says. His contribution will hopefully expand on the subject of integration to look at social class, at working-class communities and at children. I hope that we can continue to work together to deliver better education outcomes for all our children and young people.”
“We hear about those barriers when pressures are debated in the Chamber, whether they are pressures in our justice system, our healthcare system or our education system. Segregation by social class is factored into all those areas of work and impacts on citizens from lower social classes or working-class backgrounds. If we are serious about integrated education providing better outcomes, we need to look at that. There is no doubt that the biggest division in our education system and in outcomes from it is along the lines of social class. <BR /> <BR />I want to work with other parties to advance integrated education, as we did in the previous mandate. I want to see more support for it. We have excellent integrated schools in South Belfast.”
“Indeed, all the education outcomes show that those who come from a certain social class are impacted on more than those from other social classes. That is demonstrated in an area such as South Belfast, which is stratified on the basis of social class. Integrated education has to be a key component of the types of schools, the type of society and the types of outcomes that we want for all our children: all of them, not just some. <BR /> <BR />That has been reflected in wider debates in the Chamber that have looked at division resulting from conflict. It is easy to look at issues where there are hardened interfaces, but it is often about invisible barriers related to social class, which depend on where a person lives.”
“Sinn Féin is a champion of integrated education, but, when we look at the issue, we often find that the main focus here is on religion and religious integration, be that through the media, debates, campaigns or, indeed, endorsements. <BR /> <BR />I understand the need to look at integration in the context of the history and legacy of the conflict and to look at the divisions that resulted from it. Those divisions had an impact on our communities and our people, resulting in children being taught in different schools on the basis of their religion. <BR /> <BR />If we are looking to have true integration and better outcomes for our children and young people, which is what we really want, we need to acknowledge that it is on the basis of social class that people are consistently failed and segregated.”
“The Good Friday Agreement places a duty on the Department of Education to "encourage and facilitate" integrated education, That has been enhanced to include a duty to:”
“I thank Paula for securing this important debate and for discussing the issue in South Belfast. It is clear that forward planning to meet school pressures, especially for nursery and primary places, is essential. We recognise that challenge in an area such as South Belfast. Our schools do an excellent job despite the pressures and challenges that they face. <BR /> <BR />We know that all schools should be open, inclusive and safe environments in which all our children can learn, develop and enhance their outcomes, no matter their religion, social class, gender, ethnicity or sexual orientation. Sinn Féin worked with other parties in the Assembly on, and supported the introduction of, the Integrated Education Act in the previous mandate.”
“Wider strategies are important, including the ending violence against women and girls strategy, which is being led by TEO but is a wider Executive strategy for all Ministers and Departments. Indeed, all of us in the Chamber and in society have a duty to drive systemic change and promote grassroots support and education.”
“The impacts reach beyond that to harassment and sometimes death. We saw that last year in the case of Alexander McCartney, who was behind one of the largest catfishing cases to date, which impacted on over 3,500 people throughout the world and involved the extreme sexual abuse of children and the manslaughter of a 12-year-old girl. That is how sinister and far-reaching the action can be. <BR /> <BR />We need to ensure that our laws are equipped to deal with such incidents and can respond to advances in the technology, whether they are reserved or devolved matters. It is also essential to have an ongoing review and to look at best practice. Alongside that, we need more robust adherence to guidelines by social media companies, and we need to ensure that there is robust enforcement if they fail in their duty to protect people.”
“It is perpetrated without consent and often involves the sharing of sexually explicit images that have been altered. Often, the victims and survivors do not know the identity of the sender. The concerns around online abuse are amplified by the fact that it disproportionately targets women and young girls. That amplifies what we heard during the previous debate on the increase in violence against women and girls. <BR /> <BR />We live in a society where technology is an ever-increasing part of our lives and work. Many of us cannot do without our phones or our laptops. It is essential to understand that technology is now being used to further target people, with the aim of discrediting or undermining them or to perpetrate sinister and violent actions virtually. We know that it does not stop with the virtual world.”
“These are important topics that we are discussing here in the Chamber today. Indeed, online abuse and the use of cyber-flashing, catfishing, targeted abuse and the emergence of the use of deepfake imagery is extremely concerning. We know that with the advancement of technology and, indeed, artificial intelligence, their use has become more widespread and often more sinister. <BR /> <BR />I have been raising the issue of fast-emerging technology at the Justice Committee and have been asking what the Department and the Minister are doing to respond to these advancements. The impacts are devastating to their victims and have profound consequences that can often be long-lasting. The use of deepfake imagery is an extremely deep form of abuse that violates the intended victim and survivor, often impacting on their safety and well-being.”
“We must work collectively to press for further investment in our public services, which is an issue that the Finance Minister raises consistently. I commend and support the motion.”
“Indeed, we are aware that she has already moved to commission the Ulster University Economic Policy Centre (UUEPC) to conduct a cost-of-doing-business sectoral study that will look at the issue and at other factors that are having an impact, such as insurance costs, energy costs and the rise in property costs. I look forward to seeing the result of that detailed study. <BR /> <BR />The increase is just the latest move by the British Government over decades to attack our public services and front-line services, particularly here in the North, as was stated. It shows that, although we may have different faces in the British Government, the policies are the same. I trust that all parties will join forces today and unite against the policy and, indeed, any austerity measures that may be forthcoming.”
“I know that Minister Archibald has already engaged on the issues with the Chancellor, as well as with the Chief Secretary to the Treasury and the Minister of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government. Thankfully, the Minister of Finance recognises the issue, and she has been working hard to mitigate yet another British Government assault on our front-line services. <BR /> <BR />The motion also calls on the Minister:”
“Thank you. <BR /> <BR />That further demonstrates the fallacy that this is being done to protect public services; in fact, it is continuing to erode public services and increase inequality in our society here. <BR /> <BR />The motion calls on the Minister:”
“GPs, dentists and care workers — to name but a few of those affected — have all spoken out to warn against the damaging effects on their ability to provide the much-needed services that our public here rely on and to highlight the fact that there is no appropriate mitigation forthcoming from the Chancellor. We have heard about the impact that the increase will have on areas such as childcare and tackling violence against women and girls and on people with disabilities, particularly those who rely on direct employment and support to address their social care needs.”
“In addition, we know that our community and voluntary sector has already faced massive funding cuts as a result of the British Government's Shared Prosperity Fund (SPF). That is funding that many groups and communities rely on. The knock-on effect that the increase in employers' National Insurance contributions will have on already stretched front-line services is deeply concerning. I know that the Finance Minister has raised the issue consistently and spoken about the fact that it will compound the issues that are already there as a result of a stretched budget.”
“I am in favour of the motion. Increased National Insurance contributions will put an additional strain on our local businesses, our public-sector employers and, critically, our community and voluntary sector, as has already been stated, especially at a time when they are already struggling with rises in inflation, the cost of living and decades of British Government underinvestment and austerity.”
“I thank the Minister for her statement. Minister, how important is the domestic revaluation?”
“Given that Ministers are still considering the draft refugee integration strategy, will you outline what other work the Department is doing until it comes through?”
“I thank the Minister for her statement. It is important, and it will be good to get the delivery programme and timetable that she mentioned. My question follows on from her comments on Tom Burgess's report and the 16% uplift. It is good for that to be widened so that it applies across the legal aid profession, but the Minister will know the pressure that solicitors and others are under at the moment with fees and the delay of payments. Is there a timetable for the introduction of that interim payment?”
“— of our city, such as the Assembly Rooms.”
“<BR /> <BR />We want Belfast city centre and, indeed, the city to be a place that thrives, where people can live and access services that are open and accessible to all no matter your socio-economic status, and that reflects the rich heritage —”
“Greater citizen and community involvement and meaningful participation are viewed as improving the quality and legitimacy of decision-making, thus building democratic accountability. We need a community wealth-building vision with underpinning principles and outcomes and time-bound actions that will direct all future development and ensure that sites are developed in a way that meets the needs of our people, communities and economy. That includes all communities, not just the few that are mentioned in the amendment. That is why we have a concern about the amendment: all working-class communities should be included.”
“I live in one of the communities that was affected when Laganside drew its strict boundaries that excluded all the inner-city communities. We know that that was policy: it was by design. Communities feel the negative impact of that approach, and I implore anyone who promotes that approach to speak to all those communities.”
“We need to learn from the mistakes of Laganside and others in not engaging communities, and proactively excluding them is not the way to do it.”
“Developer-led regeneration and traditional economic development practices are failing to address the challenges of our time. That has been demonstrated in the Tribeca area, and I warn against simply transferring the land from one developer to another. Trying to secure sites via paid lobbyists could potentially lead to a conflict of interest. What we need is a new people-centred approach to economic development that redirects wealth back into our local economy and places control and benefits into the hands of local people, communities and businesses. We need to build an inclusive and shared city for all, regardless of ethnic and socio-economic status, and where economic power works for local places and people.”
“I welcome the debate. It is important because of the vital role that Belfast plays, the population that resides here and those who work, visit and do business. There is no doubt that a prolonged period of dereliction has impacted on the city centre and, indeed, sites across the city, including in our neighbourhoods. Landbanking of key sites, the Primark fire, COVID, the cost of living, the change in retail trends, out-of-town shopping and the policy of austerity have all impacted on the situation. <BR /> <BR />The absence of adequate housing in the city's core and the failed regeneration policies of the 70s, 80s and 90s, which segregated the city centre working-class communities from the city's core, have also played a part, and the impacts of those policies are still being felt today.”
“I asked what pre-planning arrangements were made between the police and Queen's University, which would have known that a protest of that nature would take place at the event at Whitla Hall. I reiterated the right to peaceful protest in our society. Today, I reiterate our party's concern that, in some ways, that right was denied on Thursday based on what we saw on the lawns of Queen's University. Again, I call on the PSNI to review its arrangements and pre-planning and to engage with Queen's University to ensure that the right to peaceful protest is protected at any future events. We will continue to liaise with the police and Queen's University.”
“I rise to speak about the protest outside Queen's University Belfast last Thursday afternoon and all that unfolded after it. The protest happened in my constituency. It took place to highlight the ongoing plight of Palestinians in Gaza in the face of the genocide, which is being investigated, continued illegal occupation and enforced removal of Palestinian people. This is what we saw unfold: protesters were taken to the ground; batons were drawn by the PSNI; concerning images of what developed appeared on our screens and social media on Thursday evening and into Friday; and a number of arrests were made. <BR /> <BR />I met representatives from the PSNI at lunchtime on Friday, and I raised with them directly our serious concerns about what happened. As I said, batons were drawn at the protest.”
“We need to stand together to say yes to equality and diversity, to building an inclusive society for all and, importantly, to protecting the most vulnerable in our communities. <BR /> <BR />I commend the motion.”
“I commend the residents of the lower Ormeau Road whom I joined with over the summer as they drove a hate mob from their community and stood with local businesses that were attacked. I commend those who have rallied on the streets of Belfast to say no to racism and hate. <BR /> <BR />Belfast and this island have been the home of anti-slavery, emancipation, anti-imperialism, civil rights and community and labour organising. We need to recapture those ideals through grassroots community organising, education, activism and community campaigning. Of course, that all needs to be supported by policy, strategy and funding. <BR /> <BR />It is clear that we need political unity. We need our communities to work together to root out the causes and the manifestations of racism and sectarianism.”
“Those things have to be condemned and challenged for what they are: racism, and its flip side, which is sectarianism. <BR /> <BR />We must call out and deal with the fact that there was a level of organisation around the attacks. That organising is conducted by paramilitaries, as the PSNI confirmed in relation to the attacks during the summer. Indeed, an Equality Commission report on racism found that many people were reluctant to report hate crime, due to concerns that it is linked to or endorsed by loyalist paramilitaries. <BR /> <BR />Despite the incidents that I have talked about, we have seen members of our communities speak out against racism and sectarianism, and they must be commended. I commend the residents of the Donegall Road who recently spoke out against a mother and their child being attacked.”
“A few weeks before that, a nearby home was attacked, and a family's vehicle was burnt out just because they were identified on TV as having attended an anti-racism rally. <BR /> <BR />These incidents did not start this summer, and it is essential that we acknowledge that when tackling the issues. According to official figures, there were 1,411 racist incidents during the 12 months that ended in June of this year, which included 891 reported racist crimes. That represents a full year before the incidents of the summer. Some have tried to correlate diversity in South Belfast with the rise in racist attacks, but diversity is never the cause of racism. Racism is fuelled by racist ideas and by people who are willing to organise and carry out attacks.”
“I thank the Committee for the Executive Office for tabling this important motion. Over the past few months, I, along with others in the Chamber, have attended a number of anti-racism rallies in Belfast, which took place off the back of a summer of racist attacks on families, homes, places of worship, and, indeed, local businesses, which were burnt to the ground. Many of those attacks took place in my constituency of South Belfast, off the back of a hate march from the City Hall to the Belfast Islamic Centre. We saw everything that unfolded following that event. <BR /> <BR />Since those attacks, we have seen incidents of racism and racist attacks continue. In the past fortnight, a young child and their mother were attacked in their own home.”
“Will the Minister expand on how the post's roles and responsibilities were determined?”
“<BR /> <BR />As we get into the period of intense scrutiny over the next couple of months and into next year, I thank the Committee for its work up to now. Of course, we look forward to continuing to work collaboratively with the Minister and her officials.”
“We know that there could be two other pieces of legislation, but, at this point, we do not have a guarantee that they will definitely come forward in the times that have been set out. All we can deal with is the legislation that is before us. We give that collective commitment as a Committee. We have had a good working relationship. We may disagree with certain aspects of the Bill, but we can disagree in the spirit of wanting the best legislation at the other end. As I said, we commit to moving at pace. If something needs additional time, we will agree, as a Committee, to afford that. We want the best legislation in order to ensure that it impacts on citizens in the way that we want it to and, importantly, that it holds up as law and makes the changes that, the ECJ and others say, it needs to make.”
“We do not know how long the process will take, but, at the outset, when the legislation came to us and we started discussing it, we gave a commitment that we would take only the time that was necessary. We can only decide on that time here and now. We do not have a crystal ball to tell us how long it will take or what amendments will be submitted. There is a commitment that we will receive them by the end of this year. I hope that that will be the case, because we will issue a full call for evidence in the new year, but we can judge only on the basis of what we have in the here and now. That is why, as a Committee, we have collectively and unanimously taken the step to make the proposal before us today. <BR /> <BR />We give a commitment that we will move through the process as quickly as we can. We do not have a crystal ball.”
“It is no surprise that some members, me included, wanted additional time to look at the Bill on the back of the High Court judgement. Some Members may take a different view of the High Court judgement, but a High Court judge here ruled that parts of legislation that the House had passed were not law. We have to take all of that into account. Of course, we also have to take into account European Court of Justice (ECJ) rulings on changing timescales related to the indefinite retention of biometric data, which the Bill proposes. It is for those reasons — to balance rights — that we need to take our time to scrutinise carefully as we move through the Committee process. <BR /> <BR />Only now do we have the opportunity to get an extension.”
“We agree, which is why we have decided to take the additional time that, we believe, we need to ensure that there is proper scrutiny. Indeed, as was stated, the Department has had a number of years to work on aspects of the Bill, but, even with that, through the stress-testing that was mentioned, there have been further amendments. That shows the importance of the scrutiny role and of taking the time to scrutinise. It is only through doing so that we will emerge with better legislation at the other end. <BR /> <BR />The Committee agreed on this approach; it is important to say that. Some members highlighted concerns, but no dissent was expressed at the Committee through a vote against this approach. We have been working well as a Committee.”
“Thanks very much. Thank you to the Minister and the Members who contributed to today's debate. The Committee Chair began the debate by noting the backdrop of uncertainty that we, as a Committee, faced in determining the period that we will need to carefully and effectively scrutinise the Bill. Every piece of legislation that the House passes, even if it is technical in parts, impacts on the lives of people outside the Chamber. It is therefore incumbent on all of us and on the Justice Committee in particular to take the time that we need to thoroughly examine the Bill and to hear from those whom it will affect so that we emerge with the best possible legislation. <BR /> <BR />As the Minister said, the issues are not minor.”
“We support the extension. It is important that the provisions continue to run until we have time to consider the legislation to make them permanent.”
“Thank you for coming to the Chamber. I know that the Committee asked for that, and it is important that this issue is debated here. The publication of the report and whatever recommendations may come is causing alarm bells. To try to reassure this part of our justice system, which provides access to justice for some of the most vulnerable, and to ensure that this is not seen as a managed collapse of the legal aid system, can the Minister give assurances that the legal aid budget will be protected as a demand-led service?”
“It is one example that the Department of Education could lift and use, with the support of Queen's University as a local learning institution that is looking at the issues in the broadest sense. I welcome the debate and am keen to hear the response from the Minister.”