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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“I welcome today's motion and the opportunity to discuss the crucial issue of trade between Britain and Northern Ireland. I particularly welcome the opportunity to recognise the critical role of road hauliers, who play a vital role in our trade ecosystem and have faced multiple challenges since 2016.”
“Minister, you indicated that you became aware of the UK Government's intention on Wednesday. Was the Minister for the Economy also aware of that when he made his announcement and addressed the press at 4.00 pm on Wednesday regarding the expansion of Magee and the report of the task force? If so, was he aware at that point that the content of the report was under severe threat because the majority of the money committed to the expansion at Magee, which is so important, comes from the city deal?”
“Part of the reason why childcare costs here have spiralled out of control is the failure to keep pace with spending across the water on childcare support. Will you guarantee, now that it is a priority in the Programme for Government, that you, as Finance Minister, will prioritise childcare and that, when the relevant consequentials come along, they will go to where they are most needed, which is childcare? Failure in this place has led to out-of-control costs.”
“Thank you, First Minister, for your statement today. I really welcome the progress that has been made. It is long overdue and very positive. The elephant in the room is funding. Your statement mentioned £3 million for a change fund over two years. Do you accept that that does not even scratch the surface of what is required and that we are far, far away from the €60 million investment and 35 dedicated members of staff that the Irish Government committed to in recent days to tackle violence against women and girls?”
“In Westminster, Colum Eastwood engaged with senior British Government Ministers in the Treasury to secure that funding, and I am pleased that we were able to ensure that it was secured within 24 hours. <BR /> <BR />That is only the start, however. As we stand, two of our city deals — Mid South West and Causeway Coast and Glens — are still at risk. That level of uncertainty is just not good enough. Such significant investment facing undue delays and disruption is counterproductive and extremely damaging. We are among the most deprived areas anywhere in the UK, and the city deals have transformational potential. We cannot afford to give up the opportunity for anywhere across the North, not least at the last possible hour. The city deals need to be delivered at pace, and we must ensure that that happens.”
“<BR /> <BR />It was particularly galling that the funding was paused just days before the deal was due to be signed this Wednesday in the Guildhall, threatening to rob our city and region of a huge opportunity and clutching defeat from the jaws of victory. Of course, in Derry, it is of central importance, given that the funding is part of the necessary financial investment that will guarantee the long-overdue expansion of higher education in our city, if we are to reach 10,000 students. <BR /> <BR />I am deeply concerned that the Executive were informed of this on Wednesday but chose to sit on the news until Friday afternoon. Anyone could have seen that saving the funding would require intense lobbying by those with influence as soon as possible.”
“I, too, want to discuss the Friday fiasco in relation to the pausing of the city deals. The issue has concerned everyone in the Chamber as well as people across Northern Ireland. When the news emerged on Friday that funding for city deals had been paused, it was a gut-punch to many of us. That funding was hard fought for and was hard won over many years. The SDLP pioneered the concept of city deals when others dismissed their importance. The idea that the funding could be ripped away from our deal in Derry or from that in any part of Northern Ireland was as shocking as it was unacceptable.”
“<BR /> <BR />I hope that the Executive can, at long last, tackle the challenge for the benefit of our small businesses and, indeed, the economy. I would fully support the Executive's introducing legislation at the earliest opportunity, and I would be supportive of a private Member's Bill as outlined by David Honeyford. We need to support our small businesses on the issue, and, like many others, I call on the Executive to do so. I would also like to see public bodies produce plans on how they will meet the legal obligations placed on them. That is the very least that we can do and that businesses deserve. Today is a chance for us to make that case and call on the Executive to make the changes that are needed.”
“As the FSB has argued, while it may be more difficult to solve the issue in the private sector, it is totally unacceptable for government to pay so late. From Departments to health and social care trusts and, indeed, councils, throughout public service, there is simply too much evidence of payments not being made on time. Other Members have outlined the scale and depth of the impact of that. In 2021-22, almost a quarter of a million invoices were not paid on time, inside the public-sector legal requirement of 30 days. While specific data for Northern Ireland is limited, data from across the UK suggests that the entire economy could be boosted by about £2·5 billion every year if small businesses were promptly paid.”
“Unfortunately, we have never been able to achieve the ambition of eradicating late payments. I have seen first-hand the huge toll of late payments on those who run small businesses from the impact of significant stress and worry about loss of livelihoods. It is not just a pressing issue for the economy but a real mental health challenge for dedicated entrepreneurs who should be able to focus on running their businesses free from that stress. It literally keeps people awake at night and overcomes them, not allowing them to be innovative and creative in their business, because they are consumed by where their payments are coming from. <BR /> <BR />The problem is by no means unique to Northern Ireland, but we should be absolutely clear that there is no excuse for the scale of late payments that we see in our economy.”
“We also know that businesses, in the midst of all those challenges, face issues that have gone unaddressed for far too long, including late payments. The Federation of Small Businesses has outlined the scale of that challenge in recent years, and Neil and his team have told us about small businesses that have been impacted by late payments: businesses that have run into cash flow difficulties; businesses that have been pushed into taking on debt; and businesses that have been put out of business altogether. I am familiar with all those issues. <BR /> <BR />As a previous CEO of the Chamber of Commerce in Derry, I positively campaign to support good payment practices from business to business and to highlight the importance of responsible and sustainable payment practices in the public sector.”
“I add my congratulations to you, Mr Crawford, on making your maiden speech in the House. We will hopefully hear from you many more times during the mandate. <BR /> <BR />The issue of late payments to small businesses is important. It has been said many times that our small businesses are the lifeblood of our economy and the backbone of our high streets. In Derry and across the North, small businesses generate wealth. They keep our towns and cities moving by providing crucial employment and opportunities and driving economic progress. <BR /> <BR />We are a small business economy, and today is a chance to reaffirm that. Those businesses have faced enormous challenges in the past few years. From the uncertainty of Brexit to the shock of COVID and the cost-of-doing-business crisis, they have weathered the perfect storm in recent years.”
“— of legislation that we should look at when addressing regional imbalances in Northern Ireland.”
“Secondly, although the implementation of the levelling-up agenda failed, the scheme's core principle — no one should be limited by geography — is right. We need our own levelling-up agenda in this Government. That is called regional balance. The Levelling-up and Regeneration Act 2023 is one example —”
“Now is the chance for his Government to recognise that challenge and put it right. Today is a chance for all of us to call on the Government to deliver clarity for those organisations. <BR /> <BR />Finally, it is important to state two facts about our responsibilities in this Building, regardless of any progress that is made in influencing the British Government. First, it was not only the British Government that defunded projects that previously operated under European funding. Departments provided match funding to those projects. Since 2016-17, the Executive paid statutory national match funding that amounted to tens of millions of pounds. When European funding disappeared, so did funding from our Departments. That cannot be forgotten.”
“In a letter to me, the then shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Hilary Benn, said that he was:”
“I remind the Member that that would have been a lot easier if we had had an Executive in place. We cannot ignore that. Hearing from the parties that collapsed Stormont that we need proper input from Ministers into the scheme is simply a bit farcical, particularly when it comes to this issue, because they literally left the community organisations to fend for themselves for years, out in the cold, without a Government. Lessons must be learned, but one of the lessons should surely be that reform is needed to end the cycle of collapse and veto here. <BR /> <BR />Organisations now face yet another cliff edge, and, thanks to those various failures, they have lost faith in the ability of the British Government to protect them from falling off such a cliff. I hope that the Labour Government can prove them wrong.”
“It is clear that, through the SPF, where the previous Government promised to level up, they actually levelled down, and communities paid the price. My community has paid that price. On that aspect, I therefore agree with the motion and with the call from the Member for South Down Diane Forsythe:”
“<BR /> <BR />The failure of the Government to align the fund with our priorities, and to deliver it over the heads of the people here, was inexcusable, and its centralised management by Whitehall was totally misguided. The levelling up White Paper states:”
“It has ripped away from our city, and from such organisations as the Women's Centre Derry and the Derry Youth and Community Workshop, their people, their skills and the community service that goes with them. Those organisations, and many, many more across the North, were failed by the British Government as well as by the dysfunctional politics here in Stormont. Most of all, they were failed by the decision to leave the European Union. After that vote, the British Government had time to put in place a replacement scheme that was fit for purpose. I know that many of us in the Chamber lobbied hard for the SPF to be delivered in a way that would work for Northern Ireland, but we were unsuccessful.”
“I welcome the motion on the future of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. The delivery of that fund and the failure to replace the ESF was, and remains, a pressing challenge in all our communities across Northern Ireland. Other Members have outlined the failures of the delivery of the UK SPF here and how the moneys provided by it in the first place fell far, far short of those funds provided under the European Union. For many years, through our membership of the European Union, the ESF was the lifeblood of our communities, sustaining projects and organisations that quickly became part of the core public service provision. <BR /> <BR />In Derry, we saw at first hand the damage caused by the removal of the European funding.”
“I thank the First Minister and deputy First Minister for their statement today. I will lead on from the previous question about regional balance. Regional inequality needs to end. The devastating impact of regional inequality is happening right before our eyes. What steps will you take to ensure that regional balance is a priority for every Department, and, more importantly, how will it be measured?”
“— from attacking communities and businesses with apparent impunity.”
“OK. Although we recognise the PSNI's service last weekend, many people, including representatives of Amnesty International, have said that our police have questions to answer about why they did not stop those racists —”
“Although we recognise the PSNI's service last weekend —.”
“As a society and as political leaders, we will all have a job of work to do to deal with the root causes of racism, Islamophobia and xenophobia. Everywhere that we find them, we need to call them out. I would like to hear from the First Ministers about how they have engaged with the PSNI on its response last weekend and how it will deal with the issues, particularly given that there is the possibility of there being more protests this weekend.”
“Absolutely. I totally agree with the Member. <BR /> <BR />Although I and many others welcome the recall of the Assembly as the right thing to happen, we want to hear more than warm words. Today, I want to hear from the First Minister and deputy First Minister, and I want to see progress towards swift agreement on the refugee integration strategy and an update on the racial equality strategy. We also want to see and will play our part in ensuring strong accountability in Westminster on this issue to ensure that the new Government there live up to their commitments and overhaul the asylum system in a fair, compassionate and just way.”
“They see it in their daily lives, and they are less shocked because they know that the views that fuel the hate have, for many years now, been given credence and credibility by Governments, particularly across the water, that are more interested in stunts than solutions. There is no doubt that the rhetoric of recent years is coming home to roost, and the failure of the Government here is contributing to that crisis.”
“It is also important to say today that our society cannot be one where this kind of behaviour is allowed to proceed or go unpunished or where attitudes remain unchanged, nor can it be one where we appeal to criminal gangs to use their influence to bring down tempers or quell racist incidents. Some of the language that we have heard over the past week, as well as some of the silence that has taken place, has been misguided and sinister. <BR /> <BR />In short, it is my firm view that the people of Northern Ireland deserve so much better than this. The people of Northern Ireland are better than this. However, unfortunately, I also know that, as shocked as many were by the events of recent days, there are others, particularly from our minority communities, who were less shocked because they have seen such pervasive and perverse hate before.”
“That gave me hope, because that is who we are, and that is who Northern Ireland is. We heard that loud and clear at those demonstrations. The barriers to housing or employment are not because of migrants or refugees, of whom, by the way, we take a staggeringly low share. Those barriers are because of policy failure. Housing Rights has been clear that the housing crisis, in particular, is not caused by migration but by the devastatingly low levels of social housing that have been built. We need to get back to the facts in this public debate, and it is the job of all of us in this Chamber to educate and inform and never demonise. <BR /> <BR />In the face of this violence, many people are rightly asking themselves what kind of society we are building for the next generation.”
“Those agitators have shown the worst of our society. They have shown the dark underbelly of the racist and fascist attitudes that still exist. They made me embarrassed and ashamed, not just because those elements still exist but because this is 2024 and we still have a society where those kinds of attitudes are allowed to fester and grow and where too many people still point to desperate people who come across on boats and dinghies as being the enemy. The vast majority of us know that it is inequality, not immigration, that is the real enemy. <BR /> <BR />I was proud to stand in a packed Guildhall Square last night and listen to our mayor — our first citizen — give a powerful, passionate speech against right-wing agitators. It was a message of hope, and it was powerfully delivered by our first black mayor.”
“It is important that we are here today. My party was glad to support the recall of the Assembly. <BR /> <BR />It is hard to find the words to describe what we have seen unfold in the past week in the capital city and elsewhere. The scenes of racist attacks, wanton destruction and outright hatred have been appalling, disturbing and plainly wrong. Last weekend, we saw nothing short of an explosion of hate on our streets. It has shaken us all. I hope that today provides an opportunity for loud and unequivocal condemnation of that hate from every single politician and every single party. That is political leadership, and I hope that, collectively, we do that today. <BR /> <BR />Over the past week, far right agitators have sought to cruelly and criminally exploit people, often our teenagers, for their own racist ends.”
“You said that there will be 30 additional places for allied health professional courses. What courses will the other 320 be studying?”
“Thank you, Minister, for your statement. Investment in skills is very much to be welcomed. <BR /> <BR />Minister, you mentioned an increase of 500 undergraduate student places at Magee. That is also to be welcomed, but there is a bit of a caveat to be applied. You indicated that students have already been recruited and are being funded. A total of 150 were recruited from Ulster University last year, so it is really only 350 extra students this year. If we keep recruiting at that rate, by the year 2030, we will have only 8,000 students at Magee. The announced increase is bringing us up to only 6,000. We really need to heighten our ambition and bring more students into Magee at speed in order to make it a viable university for a city the size of Derry. What disciplines are those students coming to study?”
“Thank you, Minister, for your statement. We have spoken many times about the fact that one of the biggest threats to the all-island tourism economy is the electronic travel authorisation (ETA) scheme. Was that raised as part of the meeting, and will you undertake to put it at the top of the tourism agenda with the incoming British Government?”
“<BR /> <BR />In the meantime, the Opposition will closely scrutinise the Executive's approach to public finances to ensure that it meets the needs of our people and aligns with our priorities, with the long-term funding needed to ensure a better future for all our communities. That is the only way in which we can secure the transformation of our public services and the change needed across our region.”
“Are they even serious about doing that?". It is time to step up to the plate. I hope that the Executive can do that. We will work with other parties to secure a strong fiscal framework and improved financial settlement from Westminster. We will continue to call for a comprehensive spending review and greater accountability on effective spending to improve public services, including through an enhanced role for the Fiscal Council. That will include advocating a Programme for Government target to meaningfully increase tax varying and borrowing powers for the Northern Ireland Assembly.”
“The public understand that not everything can be funded, and they are well used to hard times after the last decade. However, we need a better deal and a more strategic approach that prioritises early intervention and understands that prevention is better than cure. It will require difficult decisions. It will also require the parties to live up to their commitments, to put the plans on the table and to outline how those plans will be prioritised. Such accountability and transparency will give confidence to the public that this Government are serious and understand the gravity of the challenges facing individuals and families in our communities. <BR /> <BR />As we speak, we have not seen a Programme for Government. The public are asking, "Where is the plan for our public services? Are the Government up to the task of sorting them out?”
“I hope that the parties that collapsed this place — whatever their reasons — reflect on that meeting and on the myriad times since our return that we have been told about the impact of the lack of a Government here: soaring waiting lists, spiralling childcare costs, and more and more children and adults trapped in poverty. Those are the consequences of politicians who would rather pull things down than build them up and would rather walk away than reach a consensus. We cannot allow that to happen again. <BR /> <BR />In the context of all that, I hope that all parties agree that this mandate should be different from the last one. The Executive simply have to do better when it comes to the strategic planning of our public services.”
“<BR /> <BR />We can also feel frustrated and angry about the levels of poverty in our community. In 2024, it is unacceptable that 18% of children here live in relative poverty before housing costs. That level of poverty has real and deep consequences for well-being and life expectancy, with poor children being four times more likely to develop a mental health problem by the age of 11. The gap in healthy life expectancy is between 11 and 15 years when comparing the most and least deprived areas. That is totally unacceptable, and the gaps are getting bigger. <BR /> <BR />At last week's Public Accounts Committee meeting, MLAs received a briefing on child poverty and the lack of progress that has been made. The officials were crystal clear that the absence of a Government here has exacerbated poverty.”
“We have all knocked on the doors asking for votes in the past six weeks. We all note that we scarcely pass a door without hearing a harrowing story about an excruciating wait for treatment in our health service and the chronic agony experienced by people as they wait for a life-transforming appointment. The same frustration can be felt when it comes to the housing crisis in Northern Ireland. A couple of weeks ago, I raised the case of a young woman in my constituency who had a cesarean section and gave birth to a beautiful girl but returned home to temporary accommodation in a hotel room with a toddler in tow. That is no way for our people to be forced to live. My staff team do the best they can in supporting the constituency, but, like the public, they feel let down and left behind by politics.”
“However, that is all the more reason for us to be prudent and strategic about our use of public money. More than ever, the public expect and deserve their politicians to manage public affairs in a way that maximises value for money. Let us be honest: we can afford to do nothing less when our public services are on their knees.”
“I am pleased to speak on the issue today. We are all conscious that this is an important week in which to consider our public finances, as a new Government will soon take shape in Westminster. I start by saying that we absolutely understand that the money simply does not exist to do everything that we want to see done or to meet the many competing pressures on Departments. None of us is under any illusion at all about the scale of the funding crisis that faces us.”
“Minister, you have already referred to most of what I wanted to ask you. In relation to Invest NI taking the lead, will it push the unique position and the competitive advantage that we have in Northern Ireland with dual-market access in this area of expertise?”
“I thank the Minister for his answer. There is also a gap of between 11 years and 15 years in healthy life expectancy between the most deprived and least deprived areas. The rate of drug abuse in the Western Health and Social Care Trust area is 145% higher than the average for trust areas. We therefore really need interventions that are directed at the most deprived areas. <BR /> <BR />Do you agree that activity in your Department goes hand in hand with economic performance? How can we have confidence in regional inequalities being tackled if the two relevant Departments are not working together to achieve regional balance?”
“The A6 has had cones on it from Dungiven to Drumahoe in Derry for the past three weeks for grass cutting. Is there any way that that can be sped up on what is a main arterial route? The delays that are happening on that main road are shocking.”
“Minister, I really welcome the consultation. It is very comprehensive, and I look forward to engaging on all aspects of it. <BR /> <BR />There are huge disparities between Carers NI's financial modelling on paid carer's leave and your Department's financial modelling on it. How do you account for those differences? Will you assure the House that you are not rolling back on the commitment and ambition for carers to get paid and be supported for the valuable contribution that they make to our society each and every day?”
“If we are promoting good jobs as part of the economic vision, we need to make sure that we have a framework for assessing any contractors against that criterion.”
“Thank you for your answer. Will the Commission ensure that any contractor engaged to deliver catering and cleaning services is assessed on the terms and conditions that it offers its employees? We need to show leadership there.”
“Bunscoil Cholmcille in Derry has been waiting for a new school for over 20 years: when can the school expect to have a new build?”