Sinéad McLaughlin
Foyle · Social Democratic and Labour Party · Northern Ireland
“After decades of silence, being believed matters; having your experience acknowledged matters; and knowing that society finally accepts the truth matters deeply. That is what, I hope, the legislation provides. <BR /> <BR />Throughout the process, I wanted to ensure that, where we could strengthen the Bill, we did.”
“Today is an important day because it is a day of accountability. I welcome to the Gallery all of the birth mothers, all of the adult adoptees and all of their family members. I thank everyone who has journeyed with you and loved you throughout the process.”
“As time passed, I believed that the original figure no longer reflected the recognition as strongly as it should have done, so I was pleased that Members from across the Chamber supported that amendment.”
“Behind every clause is a person; behind every amendment is someone's lived experience; and behind every decision that we make in the Chamber are people who have spent years carrying the consequences of decisions that they never made. That is why the legislation is so important.”
“It is often Members who receive the attention in debates such as this, but good legislation depends on the dedication and expertise of many people working quietly in the background. Today, we complete the legislative journey, but we should not pretend that justice begins and ends with the passing of a Bill.”
“We are here because survivors refused to accept that their stories would remain untold. We are here because they never stopped asking for what should never have been so difficult to receive in the first place: recognition, dignity and justice.”
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“That represents over 200,000 women across the island, which is a significant number. Yet, it can take up to 10 years on average for a diagnosis. Think about that: a decade or more of lost education, missed work, disrupted family life and untreated suffering. <BR /> <BR />For me, this is very personal. I first experienced my symptoms back in the 1980s, when I was 16. I was not diagnosed until the 1990s at the age of 27. Tragically, as I listened to people discussing their situation in 2025, I found that nothing had changed. When you look at the advancements in healthcare from the 1980s and 1990s to today, you see that the world is unrecognisable but that things in women's healthcare have not changed. That is just a tragedy. <BR /> <BR />The economic cost is also enormous.”
“A few months ago, I joined other Members in a round-table discussion in the Long Gallery on endometriosis hosted by the all-party group (APG) on women's health. On that day, I heard some of the most heartbreaking stories from women living with the condition, one of which — Anne's story — Linda read out today. That was absolutely heartbreaking. There was not a dry eye in the room. Every story was different, but one thing was consistent: those women were being failed by our health service. They were told that their pain was not real, that it was in their head or that it was just women's things. Some even underwent surgery in an attempt to ease their pain only to be left in unimaginable agony. <BR /> <BR />As the motion states, at least one in 10 women across the island lives with endometriosis.”
“The Executive must articulate Northern Ireland's position: that is what it means to be leaders. The absence of a co-ordinated, unified response from the Executive is a failure and lets down people in all of our communities. <BR /> <BR />I join my colleague, SDLP leader, Claire Hanna, in calling for Northern Ireland to be exempt from this unworkable scheme. Our community cannot be treated as an afterthought or perhaps not be thought of at all in decisions that threaten the very fabric of cross-border life.”
“Imposing a BritCard undermines that delicate balance and the progress that we have made over the past 27 years. Let us be clear: the scheme does nothing to address the real challenges that people face, whether that is access to public services, the cost-of-living crisis or the need for genuine immigration reform that respects human rights and dignity. <BR /> <BR />The SDLP will continue to argue for solutions that are practical, rights-based and reflective of Northern Ireland's unique circumstances. We will also table urgent Assembly questions to establish what engagement, if any, the Executive had with the UK Government before the announcement. People here deserve transparency and a say in policies that affect their daily lives. We need to see a collective response from the Executive on digital ID cards.”
“OK. <BR /> <BR />We reject the Government's proposal for the so-called BritCard. I am an SDLP MLA for Foyle, and our constituency lives and breathes cross-border cooperation every day. I find it really hard to see how such a scheme could work within the common travel area. In Derry, our lives are shaped by the open border with Donegal. Families, workers, students, patients and shoppers move freely back and forth, often several times a day. A one-size-fits-all digital ID imposed from Westminster ignores that simple reality. It is a risk to the flow of daily life and the economic and social ties that we depend on. <BR /> <BR />The proposal also cuts across the hard-won rights enshrined in the Good Friday Agreement, including the right of people here to identify as British, Irish or both and to have those identities respected.”
“It will be no surprise to hear that the SDLP, too, thinks that the scheme is not a good idea. We reject —”
“Minister, that is a new one for us: you answer the Member for Upper Bann by directing your reply to the SDLP. It is a bit strange, but you are the Minister. <BR /> <BR />How can you ensure regional fairness and balance in investment decisions in your Department? Has the Department for Communities not adopted that policy priority? What measures do you use when you make investment decisions?”
“On hate crime, I absolutely say that you should not target anybody. Hate is hate, no matter where it is. <BR /> <BR />This should be a moment to come together with a collective sense of purpose to ensure the safety and security of all our people, regardless of race, ethnicity or background. We may not always agree on everything in the Chamber, but we should agree that no one should fear for their safety in their home, no one should be afraid to walk down their street and no community should ever be scapegoated for the failures of those in power. Let us prove once and for all that hate has no home in the North.”
“<BR /> <BR />We will vote against the DUP amendment, which attempts to shift blame away from the Executive as a whole while failing to put forward solutions that are fit for purpose. Instead, the DUP amendment reinforces the status quo, which is clearly not working. This should be a moment to come together with a collective sense —.”
“<BR /> <BR />Words are not enough. There must be accountability in the system, and, yes, we must take back control but not in the divisive way that was used to tear us apart. We must take back control of the narrative on immigration and its value to our society. As others across the House have said, our minority communities are indispensable to this region. Our health, hospitality and care sectors would collapse without the workers who keep them running. Our LGBTQ+ community brings joy, light and resilience to a society that is too often weighed down by division, yet there is disgusting language used that puts a foot on the neck of a very small trans community in our society. Today was no exception.”
“Paramilitaries still operate in our communities, and that is a fact. For many, particularly women, it is the coercive control and blackmail that cause the deepest harm. We must break the cycle of quiet condemnation followed by no serious action. <BR /> <BR />I am not ignorant of the difficult financial situation that we face. Resources are stretched. As Members across the House have said, we are told time and again that the PSNI is at breaking point and remains 1,000 officers short of what is sustainable. That is worrying. We cannot allow our streets to be controlled by those intent on stoking tension and division. The Minister of Finance must work with the Minister of Justice to ensure that the resources are there to recruit more officers and to give our courts the capacity to prosecute hate crimes properly.”
“<BR /> <BR />While the tackling paramilitarism, criminality and organised crime programme has been extended, and we are throwing more money at it, it is unclear whether it is even delivering the intended impact.”
“It is not just about leadership in front of the cameras; it is about consistency in words and actions, in public and behind closed doors. <BR /> <BR />The Chamber has not been a nice environment for the past couple of weeks. It has been a toxic environment. I urge Members to be really careful. As I said before, that trickles down into our communities. We saw it on our streets over the weekend. It is playing out in our communities right now: families in north Belfast have been forced from their homes by intimidation; healthcare workers are fearful just to go home; and minority communities are boarding up their windows against attack. That is the reality of life for many people across our islands.”
“I want to get through this. I will come back to you, Paul. <BR /> <BR />I welcome your response on closing the gap and building on that, Minister, hopefully within this mandate. I welcome the progress that has been made, but it is frustrating that we may not see that stand-alone legislation in this mandate. The Minister points, rightly, to the collapse of these institutions as one reason for that, but that cannot be used to mask the fact that the wider Executive response has been sub-par at best. Even when the First Minister and deputy First Minister came together to jointly condemn the rise in sectarianism and hate crime, the very next day, they were at loggerheads over a jobs fair in Derry. Leadership really matters.”
“The Minister of Health must tackle health inequalities; the Minister for Communities must tackle the housing crisis; the Minister for the Economy must go further and faster to tackle regional imbalance; and the Minister of Justice must urgently introduce hate crime legislation. Minister, I listened carefully to your response. I would welcome the time frame in which to introduce stand-alone hate legislation being closed. I do not think that we can stand still on that, given what is happening in the wider community. You have been the Minister of Justice for half a decade. I welcome your —”
“It is on us to ensure that we do not allow that politics of fear to take root here. A recent report from the Peace Research Institute Oslo makes it clear that far-right rhetoric often seeks to appeal to disaffected citizens. Deprivation fuels hate crime and can predict where violence is most likely to occur. <BR /> <BR />What is needed now is not more finger-pointing or complacency but an Executive-wide approach that recognises the scale of the problem and delivers decisive action. That is why our motion calls on the Executive to combat all forms of hate crime — and we are talking about all Executive Ministers. It is not the responsibility of one Department; it requires a collective response.”
“I did not say that it is all to do with Brexit. There was hate crime long before Brexit. I am just saying that I have seen a rise in the use of that rhetoric, including in this House; I do not think that anybody can deny that that is the case. <BR /> <BR />People were promised that leaving the EU would mean taking back control of their borders; that was never true. Brexit did not solve the root causes of division and discontent; it made them worse. The data on the rise of racism is testimony to that. <BR /> <BR />Communities who have been failed by those who were elected to represent them — people who have no access to affordable housing and have had years of economic decline and a feeling of being left behind — are easy targets to exploit. Figures like Nigel Farage thrive on deprivation and division.”
“That is why it is so disappointing that many in the Chamber are often slow to condemn such behaviour, refuse to condemn it at all, or make, as my party colleague Matthew O'Toole said, "condemnation with caveats." It is just not acceptable. <BR /> <BR />This has not happened in a vacuum. It is a crisis years in the making, fuelled by complacency and inaction. From my observation, the rise in violence and hate has in many ways been born out of Brexit, when extreme rhetoric and misinformation took hold. What followed was the normalisation of inflammatory language, lies and division. As use of anti-immigrant rhetoric rose, so, too, did hate crimes against minorities. People were promised that leaving the EU would mean —”
“Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. As many in the Chamber have said, there should be absolutely no place in our society for racism, sectarianism or intimidation, yet the rise in that type of behaviour is now commonplace. Language and rhetoric that we once thought to be confined to the darker corners of the internet are now being repeated by leading public figures across Europe and the world. Let us not beat about the bush: language carries weight and words have consequences. Divisions in the Chamber do not stay here; they trickle down into our communities. More than most societies, we know the cost of letting sectarian or hateful behaviour go unchallenged.”
“Thank you, Minister. The investment that you mentioned was made predominantly by the private sector. That was not good enough for Kieran Kennedy, a man who has dedicated himself to seeing economic fairness delivered for the north-west region. How do you expect that to be good enough for the people of Derry? Is it good enough for you?”
“There is no regional balance for the north-west, and I do not know how to make that loud and clear. Last week in Belfast, a thousand jobs were announced, and we are getting the crumbs with the job announcements for Derry. That aside, you talked about the need for regional balance. Can you spell out exactly what that means in practice? What specific measures or indices have you built into strategies to ensure that there is real accountability to deliver regional balance and fairness in the North?”
“Minister, you must agree that RHI has done untold damage to people and to businesses right across the North who entered into the scheme in good faith. The Assembly previously voted down a proposal from your predecessor to uplift RHI tariffs. Will you confirm what the new tariffs are and how much you intend to uprate for closure payments? When will they come into effect?”
“The world must insist on an end to the illegal occupation and on a future in which Palestinians and Israelis can live in dignity and security. It is not about political gestures; it is about saving lives now.”
“yet only now has he acted. He insists that the recognition is not a reward for terrorism and that all hostages must be released. Those are important points, but they cannot erase the fact that Britain has been painfully slow to respond while civilians have been starved and killed. <BR /> <BR />Israel's Prime Minister condemned the decision as "absurd" and as "a reward for terrorism", but the real absurdity is the fact that the international community has allowed the humanitarian catastrophe to continue, while warnings from United Nations experts that Israel's actions in Gaza amount to genocide go unheeded, including by the UK Government. Recognition means nothing, if it is not followed by urgent action: an immediate and lasting ceasefire, unrestricted humanitarian aid and accountability for those who violated international law.”
“The British Government's decision to recognise the state of Palestine was long overdue. After months of bombardment, the starvation of the entire population and the deliberate destruction of civilian life, the recognition is not a triumph; it is the bare minimum owed to a people whose very existence is under threat. The Palestinian people are not Hamas; they are families enduring famine, children buried under rubble and parents searching for food and safety. They are a nation, the rights of which have been denied for generations. <BR /> <BR />Keir Starmer admitted:”
“— leadership is about more than words; it is about responsibility, direction —”
“— will continue to suffer. Deputy Speaker —”
“Real change requires leadership from the very top; from the First Minister and deputy First Minister, working together. Without that, the housing crisis will deepen, and communities —”
“Putting up paramilitary flags and marking territory is intimidation. People do not want it. Homes are being devalued. There are homes in my constituency that are so badly devalued because of paramilitary flags that families have been left in negative equity. That is absolutely disgraceful, and it is devastating for the young families who live in those homes. <BR /> <BR />A safe, secure home is not a luxury; it is a basic right. However, if we are to build more homes, our broken waste water system must also be fixed. That is why we need a joined-up approach. No Minister can solve the issue alone. As my colleague said, we need a collective vision of hope from the Executive Office, the Communities Minister and the Justice Minister, not a vacuum.”
“In my city, there have been sectarian clashes in Gobnascale and the Fountain. Is that the society in which we want to raise the next generation? It is not what I want for my family. It is not what I want for my grandchild. It is not what the majority of people across the North want. This is not only about tackling hate on our streets; it is about addressing the conditions that allow division to fester. <BR /> <BR />At the heart of that, Minister, is housing. Too many families wait for years for a home. Some live in unsafe conditions, and others face intimidation because of their identity. That is unacceptable. Minister Lyons, you must set out what action is being taken to deliver more social and affordable housing, and how the community safety framework will protect people who are targeted in their homes.”
“The Urban Villages initiative, which was designed to improve good relations, has too often failed to tackle the root causes. Do not get me started about Communities in Transition. It aimed to help areas to break free from paramilitary control, including in east Belfast and Derry. It has not met its ambition. Too many people remain under the shadow of coercion and intimidation. Communities deserve more than short-term schemes; they deserve lasting investment in safety, opportunity and hope. <BR /> <BR />Meanwhile, we continue to see the consequences of failure. In north Belfast, Catholic families have been targeted in sectarian attacks. In east Belfast, vigilantes have been patrolling streets and schools. It is unreal. In south Belfast and Ballymena, young people have attacked migrants.”
“Thank you. <BR /> <BR />I agree: condemnation is not enough. Others have said that here in the House. We need a good relations strategy that is not outdated and that is fit for purpose, unlike what we currently have. <BR /> <BR />There is no credibility in holding press conferences about tackling racist and sectarian attacks while failing to deliver the strategies and resources that could make a difference. The First Minister and deputy First Minister must set out a clear timeline for a refreshed good relations strategy that is properly funded, is shaped by the voices of victims and front-line workers, and has measurable outcomes. Publishing a document is not enough — that is not delivery; we must see delivery on the ground. T:BUC has not delivered the transformation that was promised.”
“That rhetoric is also a symptom of much deeper problems. It reflects a society in which too many people struggle with poverty, poor housing, insecure work and overstretched services. When people feel abandoned, they are more vulnerable to those offering an opportunity to find a scapegoat instead of solutions. Unless we tackle those underlying issues, division will persist. <BR /> <BR />We all saw the horrifying images from Ballymena: mobs targeting immigrant families, flags placed in windows and stickers put on doors to mark homes by identity. That is not the mark of a shared society. Rather, it is intimidation, yet, too often, political leaders respond with silence or, at best, quiet condemnation.”
“I thank the signatories to the motion for tabling it. Like many across the Chamber have done, I have witnessed with horror the rise of sectarian and racist attacks, not just here but across these islands. We are witnessing a very disturbing trend. Anti-immigrant rhetoric and parties that amplify it — once thought to be confined to other parts of Europe — have now taken root in the UK and in Ireland. We see that in the rise of Reform in England, and, sometimes, we hear echoes of it in the Chamber. <BR /> <BR />Language matters. Words that are spoken here carry weight and have consequences. Framing inflammatory comments as legitimate concerns does nothing to absolve responsibility. When elected representatives normalise anti-immigrant sentiment, it should come as no surprise that attacks on migrants rise.”
“Thank you, Minister, for your statement. Derry City football fans are disappointed but not surprised, given that, two days before the announcement was made, your party leader actually suggested or threatened that projects in Derry should be withheld. The correlation has been made by your colleague Phillip Brett. In your statement, you said that you considered a range of options presented to you by your officials, and you said that you opted to take forward a range of small, medium and large projects. When did you decide that? Was it after your party leader spoke or was it before that? On what day of last week did you decide not to fund Derry City Football Club? That is what we need to hear. Get that clarity and that transparency right out in front.”
“The so-called Trump Gaza riviera plan, which proposed to turn Gaza into a development project for foreign investors, was an insult to human dignity. Gaza is not for sale. A home is not for sale. Palestine is not for sale. It belongs to its people. Today, innocent men, women and children are starving. They cannot wait for tomorrow.”
“He wanted me to pass on his gratitude and greetings to the people here in this place who raise their voices for the Palestinian people. It is important that we do such a thing. That solidarity matters. <BR /> <BR />In July, I visited Jordan and met politicians and civic leaders there who are working at the heart of the crisis. Their message was one of frustration with Europe and the US, because they have failed to engage meaningfully on humanitarian relief and political solutions. They warned that, if Gaza is destroyed and its population displaced, the consequences will be profound across the region. Those are the realities that we must face, however uncomfortable they may be. <BR /> <BR />We must also reject attempts to commodify a people's homeland.”
“Last week, Norway's sovereign wealth fund, which is the largest in the world, divested its $2 billion stake from Caterpillar because its equipment is being used to demolish Palestinian homes. It also divested from four Israeli banks that finance illegal settlements. That is historic; it is the first time that the fund has exited a non-Israeli company explicitly because of violations in the occupied territories. <BR /> <BR />I joined a meeting with Mr Sharhabel al-Zaeem, the Justice Minister of Palestine, last week. He described the devastation that his people face but also their strength and dignity. He said something that struck me emotionally and deeply. He said that the Irish people have a special place in the hearts of the Palestinians.”
“Just months ago, Ben Gvir argued that victory required the complete cessation of humanitarian aid and the total occupation of the Strip. Those are not my claims; they are Israel's own words, and yet the international community has largely looked away. Europe, in particular, has failed. Britain, France and Germany have been slow to react and act. Keir Starmer, who once prided himself on upholding international law, has failed to hold Israel accountable for the laws that are broken daily. Contrast that with the decisive sanctions imposed on Russia after Ukraine was invaded. The double standards are undeniable. <BR /> <BR />Some institutions are showing leadership.”
“Why would it lie, and what is Israel trying to achieve by wiping out an entire people? We must never forget the horror of 7 October, nor cease to demand the release of all hostages, but innocent men, women and children cannot be made to pay for the crimes of Hamas. Palestinian people are not Hamas. <BR /> <BR />Let us be clear: what is happening in Gaza and the West Bank is genocide. Israel no longer even attempts to justify its bombing of hospitals, schools or homes. Its leaders are explicit. Former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant declared:”
“I thank the proposers of the motion. Words cannot capture the depth of the humanitarian disaster in Gaza, so, instead, let us use facts: food is running out; those who search for it are being shot; families are dying for lack of food; hospitals are receiving the dead daily; and medical workers hear unbearable stories from the injured day after day. Those are not my words; they are the words of the UN humanitarian chief, Tom Fletcher, addressing the Security Council just last month. The UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, has called the famine a "man-made disaster". Health workers in Gaza describe skeletal patients, including children too weak to even stand. The UN-backed Integrated Food Security Phase Classification has now confirmed famine conditions in Gaza City.”
“The cost of delivering an equity of service to the people of the north-west should be on the Infrastructure Minister's agenda, and it should be delivered. Tinkering around the edges is not good enough. Delivering real progress needs to happen.”
“The evidence is clear, the demand is there and the people of the north-west are ready. Campaigners such as Steve Bradley and the Into the West group have been tireless in making the case for the upgrade, yet the Government are standing still while our community is crying out for change. <BR /> <BR />It does not have to be that way. We can build something better, something new: a modern, green and connected transport system that finally gives the north-west the fair share that it has been denied for too long. That vision must include greater rail connectivity across the island, linking our cities and communities in a way that supports growth, opportunity and sustainability for all. That has to be our ambition in the months ahead.”
“That is the railway station that some people and some parties in this institution wanted to close down. <BR /> <BR />Let us be honest, however: remarkable as that growth is, it masks the deeper truth. Our rail system is still failing to meet the needs of our people. We have limited timetables, long journey times and no proper all-island connections. The worst part is that a proposal from Translink to upgrade the rail services in the north-west has been sitting on the Infrastructure Minister's desk for far too long. Every time we ask for an update, we get the same recycled answer. It feels like Groundhog Day, and I ask the question almost every month. <BR /> <BR />This is now blatant discrimination against the north-west. It must be sorted not as a favour or an afterthought but in the interests of regional balance and basic fairness.”
“As the Assembly returns from the summer recess, I look ahead with a simple but urgent message: what we have here is not working. For too long, the north-west has been left behind when it comes to infrastructure and regional development. Nowhere is that clearer than with rail. Despite decades of underinvestment, the people of Derry have responded with ambition. In the past year alone, there have been almost one million journeys made to and from the north-west regional transport hub. It is the second record-breaking year in a row, lifting us from the seventeenth busiest railway station in Northern Ireland to the seventh in less than a decade.”
“I reiterate the point about the arbitrary nature of the date for posthumous claims. Victims and survivors need to be listened to with respect and dignity, and it is totally disrespectful to victims and survivors that that date still stands.”
“Minister, the A5 has been subject to serial procedural failings: in 2013, there was the failure to carry out a habitats assessment; in 2018, the Department failed to apply its own flood guidance; there has been legal carelessness in ignoring the Planning Appeals Commission's human rights and climate action recommendations; and there has been poor coordination with no carbon budget or carbon action plan for a project that will cost £1·7 billion. Minister, those failures undermined the project. Do you agree that that demonstrates a lack of competence, urgency and joined-up working? Has the project been sabotaged?”
“Words of compassion are not enough. What matters now is action that is urgent, compassionate and survivor-led. Through the legislation, we have an opportunity to show that we have finally chosen to listen, to act and never to look away again. It is important that we seize that opportunity and seize it properly. <BR /> <BR />I support the Bill at its Second Stage. I look forward to scrutinising it carefully at Committee Stage and to dealing with the more technical issues in order to be truly fair and just.”
“I understand the intention to provide acknowledgement without re-traumatising survivors, but we must be honest: a flat sum cannot capture the varied and devastating realities through which survivors have lived. It is only the beginning of redress. A fuller, individual assessment must follow and reflect the truth of survivors' experiences. At every stage of the process, we must prioritise survivors' needs. That means avoiding re-traumatisation and means providing ongoing mental health support, trauma-informed care and clear assistance throughout. Survivors have already carried too much. The system must now carry them. <BR /> <BR />The Bill is a long-overdue first step, but, if we are serious about truth, justice and dignity, we owe survivors not just acknowledgement but accountability and not just compensation but real and lasting redress.”
“<BR /> <BR />The Bill imposes a cut-off date of 29 July 2011 for families to make posthumous claims. I can describe that date only as unjust and arbitrary. It excludes countless families whose loved ones died just before it, often having dealt with a lifetime of trauma. It is not just a technicality but an exclusion that inflicts further harm. No one should be denied justice because of the date on which they died. The cut-off date must be reviewed and revised. <BR /> <BR />The Bill offers a flat redress payment of £10,000, regardless of how long people spent in an institution or what they endured. While that is a start, it must go further.”