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 is why it is so important that, when considering interventions to support the tourism and hospitality sector, we look at things in the all-island context within which we exist. <BR /> <BR />The tourism industry has also been crystal clear about making its pleas to the Government regarding the electronic travel authorisation (ETA). That is not only unworkable but unacceptable, and the Government need to listen to industry to find a solution in order to finally negate the impacts of the scheme. <BR /> <BR />We need a funded and regionally balanced strategy and action plan that can bring together all the interventions to be published without delay. We also need to look very closely at VAT — I am never going to get through all this.”
“No, I am sorry; I have a lot to get through. I thought that I had 10 minutes. <BR /> <BR />No single measure will work in isolation, and we need to see a strategic approach through a new tourism strategy and action plan. That strategy must contain the investment that we need to see in those industries, and it must also commit to having concrete measures and targets for expanding our all-island offering, including a defined timeline on the extension, at long last, of the Wild Atlantic Way into the North, which our party has been advocating for many years. It also must recognise the reality across the island. Some 70% of our international visitors to Northern Ireland arrive via Dublin, and 72% of our tourism revenue in Northern Ireland comes from our out-of-state visitors.”
“Many areas of those industries are crying out for the relevant skills, and the Department really needs to step up to the mark and develop a pipeline for those businesses. <BR /> <BR />Now that the institutions have finally been restored, we need to do better by the private sector so that it continues to be the major driver for our economy, as it is today. That includes using every lever that is at our disposal and advocating for those that need to be devolved in order to maximise the benefit of tourism and hospitality and to grow the industries.”
“<BR /> <BR />We know, of course, that things have been enormously difficult for both sectors over the past few years, with the impact of COVID being particularly acutely felt by businesses that rely on a steady stream of visitors and punters. As has been said many times, the inflation crisis was about not just the cost of living but the cost of doing business. The past few years have been extremely difficult for the tourism and hospitality sectors. Optimism about their prospects fell to just 13% in January of this year, and, although levels have recovered since, huge challenges remain. <BR /> <BR />The impact of the pandemic, twinned with the uncertainty of Brexit, and the inflation crisis have created a perfect storm for businesses. Costs are simply out of control, and they have forced many of our businesses to shut their doors for good.”
“<BR /> <BR />Tourism is one of the major selling points of this region and an industry that we should shout about from our rooftops at every chance we get. The industry has driven higher employment and economic productivity and better health and life outcomes for so many people. It has helped to change our reputation at home and around the world as somewhere to come, stay, work and visit. The same could be said of our hospitality industry, which plays a huge role in supporting the economy each and every day. Hospitality establishments and workers represent the lifeblood of a thriving economy, generating and driving wealth in each of our cities and towns.”
“The SDLP proposes the motion not only to advocate specific VAT and hospitality measures but to support our tourism and hospitality sectors more broadly. Our tourism sector is a critical driver for our economy, and there is no doubt that it is one of the biggest success stories of the peace process. Across this island, the tourism industry has gone from strength to strength in the past 26 years, and our part of the island is no exception. The industry is now worth more than £1 billion each year to the North and supports 330,000 jobs across this island — from the walls of Derry, steeped in history and recently immortalised by the comedy of Lisa McGee, to the wooded forests that captured imaginations in 'Game of Thrones' — in thousands of attractions, businesses and establishments across our counties.”
“Minister, your statement mentioned £150 million for a new and enhanced investment zone that will provide targeted incentives and interventions. How targeted will the incentives and interventions be? Will regional balance form a significant part of the decision-making process in any investment coming into Northern Ireland? Will there be any democratic accountability for the Executive on those targets and incentives?”
“Resolving issues of identity happens not by pretending that we are all the same — we are not — or by ignoring the questions of identity but by facing and addressing them. That is why I advocate a new Ireland with reconciliation at its core, but that reconciliation will be permanently stalled if we cannot address the issue or allow it to be held to ransom and locked in limbo in perpetuity through a lack of compromise and consensus. That is the prerequisite for a shared society and for the shared island that we want to see. Solving those issues and building a truly shared future, through genuine and honest engagement, will be a difficult task, but it is a necessary one, and it should start with the work that we are discussing today. We support the motion.”
“Thank you. I think that the people have made their voices clear. The politicians are behind the people on this one. <BR /> <BR />As part of implementing the report, we must finally put into place a code of practice and construct a legal framework around it that has some teeth. For the SDLP, the motion does not even go far enough. Our amendment, which was not accepted, would have committed the Government to putting the necessary legislation into the Programme for Government. The issues are very difficult, but we cannot keep going with the status quo or accept that a report like that can be allowed to disappear into the Executive Office. <BR /> <BR />It is absolutely healthy to have a view on the national question. To me, changing the way this place works is how we build a much more inclusive and open society.”
“In order to make that case, however, this generation of politicians has to act. We cannot just kick this into the long grass any more. This mandate has to be about seeing progress, finally, once and for all, on these thorny issues. <BR /> <BR />Much has been made of the FICT commission and the resulting report. I do not underestimate, in any way, how difficult the job is, because the issues are thorny and intractable, but the report risks becoming another ornament that gathers dust on the shelves of the Executive Office — an ornament that has cost the people here £800,000 for the pleasure of having it drafted. Although I pay tribute to the commission's painstaking work, the fact is that, unless we do something with it, there is virtually no point to the report at all — absolutely no point.”
“That was done deliberately to coincide with the murder trial for Lyra McKee. It was intimidatory and hurtful. We need somebody, or some legislation, to take those flags down. We have no time in which to do the soft negotiation; it is happening now, during a murder trial in Belfast. <BR /> <BR />As for our business community, the unlawful flying of flags, particularly those belonging to paramilitaries, from lamp posts clearly undermines our economy and our tourism sector. The inability of statutory agencies to get a grip on the issue also poses a really concerning challenge to the rule of law. We should all be united in saying that the next generation should not be forced to grow up under the shadow of flags on our lamp posts, particularly when the flags belong to organisations that should have been disbanded long ago.”
“I support the motion. As with so many issues that have been debated in the Chamber over the past few months, it is a pity that, in 2024, we still have not made the progress that is needed on flags, emblems and banners. Shame on us. That failure is a sign not just of the dysfunction of the Executive Office or that of the Government but of how far our society has yet to go in building a shared future. Twenty-six years after a peace agreement, it is a source of real frustration to people across our community that flags, emblems and banners are still used far too often to impose control on them and to demarcate territory and inflame tensions. This week, in Derry, we have seen Irish Republican Prisoners Welfare Association (IRPWA) flags going up all around the city centre.”
“Some 12 weeks after their taking up office, we have not yet seen anything from the Executive. We need interim measures as soon as possible. Parents were melted before — they are absolutely furious now. When will the Minister announce an immediate intervention to raise the rate of tax-free childcare, lift the £2,000 cap and reconvene the childcare reference group with parental representation —”
“Instead, we need to follow the example of other parts of these islands, including the South, which has banned fracking since 2017. It is time to close the door on fracking once and for all, not merely through a moratorium but through legislation. I trust that all parties across the Chamber will back this call, and I urge the Minister to get on with it.”
“That has to stop. We need to get on with legislating in and around this. This motion is in danger of serving simply as self-congratulations on a step that the Minister has already committed to. The time has come for the Executive to step up to the plate and finally start delivering. That is the purpose of our amendment today. <BR /> <BR />In 2019, two new applications were submitted, and, although a consensus exists across the Chamber, we will only know that the threat of fracking has been removed once and for all once the legislation is actually in place. We know that a paper was circulated to the Executive in the previous mandate from the previous Economy Minister that recommended that a legislative ban should be the policy direction for the Executive. I do not believe that the current Minister should roll back on that now.”
“I certainly do agree with the Member, and time is of the essence. That is why we are pushing for an actual time for the legislation. <BR /> <BR />While there may be much debate about these measures in these three years, there is no public support or demand for fracking. It is a practice that virtually no one in this Chamber endorses, but consecutive DUP Ministers have failed to intervene, despite holding the responsibility to do so since 2007. It is good, Minister, that the tide is turning on this. <BR /> <BR />While I welcome the debate and the opportunity to, once again, speak about our support for a legislative ban, the question now has to be of how long it will take for the Economy Minister to get on and deliver this. In this place, we are in danger sometimes of feeling that, instead of being legislators, we are professional debaters.”
“Households across the North will need and deserve financial support to assist in the transition to more efficient forms of energy. The Minister has already said that he plans to introduce a wide-ranging energy Bill. While it is welcome that the Utility Regulator's powers are to be examined, it must also bring in the regulation of home heating oil, given our reliance on that form of fossil fuel as a region. <BR /> <BR />All those steps and many more are vital if we are to meet the targets that have now been enshrined in law. Those are targets that, I think, are in danger of being badly missed, not least due to the impact of stop-start government over the past 15 years. However, while there may be much debate about these measures —”
“In the previous mandate, we supported the Onshore Fracking (Prohibition) Bill that was sponsored by Áine Murphy, and we agreed with parties around the Chamber that supported its policy intention. <BR /> <BR />I am glad that the Minister has stated that one of his four key priorities is to reduce carbon emissions. There is no doubt that a ban on fracking fits neatly into his agenda, and there is no reason why any delay should take place. Of course, energy regulation is not the only pressing issue in the Minister's in tray. We have enormous potential on this island and in this part of the world, but it will take the full power of the Government to seize that opportunity. In this mandate, the Minister must get on with delivering the energy strategy and work with the whole Executive to meet our obligations.”
“More than that, to allow even the possibility of fracking in this part of the world is deeply irresponsible, not only to future generations but to our duty to safeguard the natural environment. That was the feeling in this place when we agreed a cross-party motion unanimously in October 2020. Like many across the Chamber, I was disappointed, but unsurprised, when former Prime Minister Liz Truss, in her month-long reign of missteps, backed fracking in yet another example of why no one can ever trust the Conservative Party or its allies on the environment. <BR /> <BR />The SDLP's record on the issue is clear. In 2015, my colleague Mark Durkan took the pivotal step of enshrining a ban on fracking in policy as part of his strategic planning policy statement.”
“The experts, too, have been clear about the environmental and public health implications of allowing the practice to take place again. <BR /> <BR />A 2017 study found that fracking poses significant harm to health, with mothers who live close to the practice being more likely to give birth to a less healthy child with a lower birth weight. In 2019, a new study found that fracking was linked to higher rates of preterm births, as well as higher rates of asthma. A growing body of evidence is adding to the case for banning fracking purely due to its health impacts. <BR /> <BR />It is also obvious that climate action and fossil fuel extraction are absolutely incompatible.”
“I am glad to speak about my party's support for not just a moratorium but a complete legislative ban on fracking. In fact, I think that all parties in the Chamber will be united in their opposition to fracking. <BR /> <BR />We have all heard from people in communities across the North who have been loud and clear about their opposition to future fracking. Those communities know that fracking is an exploitative practice in local places. Environmental activists and campaigners have led the way in demanding robust action to protect the environment and natural habitats for generations to come. Those dedicated campaign groups that have been sounding the alarm about fracking know all too well that, when fracking takes place, communities suffer the consequences for a long time after the companies have left.”
“— to be a fact of life for many years to come.”
“I totally agree with the Member. Sometimes, things are convenient but not conducive to one-to-one engagement with people. <BR /> <BR />I also think of U3A, another group in Derry that helps hundreds of people every year to have a fulfilling and active lifestyle in older age. There is also a wonderful cafe in Derry called "Claude's" that runs a Thursday club that men can drop into for a chat and come together in support and friendship. Those are all really important organisations, but they are no substitute for government action and intervention. <BR /> <BR />The time is right for a cross-departmental loneliness strategy. Clearly, good work is taking place across the Departments, but it is without a strategic focus. I fear that, as with so many other things in this place, we can expect chronic loneliness —”
“Absolutely, Mr Butler. We are losing that person-to-person connectivity. <BR /> <BR />I have recently become a grandmother, and I have seen how lonely it can be for some mums. It is a really challenging time, and it is lonely for many. Many of us are lucky to have big family circles, but others are not. I think in particular of our new citizens — our immigrant community — who do not have that family support. The Minding Mum project in Derry helps to support those families.”
“When people are faced with those challenges, the interventions made by community organisations are really vital, more than ever, in addressing that loneliness. I think particularly of an organisation in Foyle called Minding Mum, which brings together new mums. They go out walking with their babies on a Wednesday morning. It is about getting the mums out and letting them talk to one another as they experience the absolute new love that they have for their baby but also the loneliness and other experiences.”
“<BR /> <BR />As the motion rightly highlights, it is an increasing public health issue. I was really struck, as were many Members who spoke today, by the statistic that chronic loneliness can be just as bad for your health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day. Not only is social isolation associated with faster rates of cognitive decline but it increases cardiovascular problems; indeed, it increases the risk of early death by up to 26%. Clearly, that costs us in public health outcomes, but it also costs our public purse. Every day, a GP sees between one and five people because they are lonely. Of course, lonely periods in someone's life can often take place at a time of transition, such as when you become a new parent.”
“We know that older people experience a higher level of loneliness than younger people, and the figures are really stark. Age NI has highlighted that one in four older people over the age of 75 described feeling lonely some, most or all of the time. Perhaps one of the starkest differences, however, is between the level of loneliness experienced by people in the most deprived areas of Northern Ireland, where almost 28% reported feeling lonely at least some of the time, and the level of loneliness experienced by people in the less deprived areas, where the figure was just 14%. We need to recognise that disparity in the conversation that we have today. There is a loneliness penalty for some of our poorest communities, and we simply cannot afford to stand over that any longer.”
“Thank you to Robbie Butler and others on the all-party group for tabling the motion. Loneliness is a huge problem in communities across Northern Ireland. Far too often, it gets swept under the carpet. It is right that we give time in the Assembly to discuss that hidden crisis. Of course, we can all expect to be lonely at some point in our lives, but persistent and chronic loneliness and, indeed, social isolation are issues that the Executive must face up to. The scale of the problem will be a concern to all of us. The fact that one in 20 people have been identified as chronically lonely is hugely worrying. <BR /> <BR />In my council area, it is a matter of real concern that over 22% of people reported feeling lonely at some point. We should be equally concerned by the inequalities in whom loneliness affects the most.”
“Minister, even if we invest in the right places, fundamental changes have to take place, particularly in our planning regulations and grid capacity. Honestly, there is no sense of urgency on all of that. What guarantees can you give us that you will lead an all-systems approach?”
“Minister, will you name the institutions that are dragging their feet? We have called them "institutions" multiple times. Please name them. Will you give us details of the monetary value that is being sought from each of the institutions?”
“It is particularly important that the regulations concern higher education and further education colleges as well, given the student advocacy that was central to the campaign, as was the good work of many professionals, bodies and institutions. <BR /> <BR />Our party commends the regulations.”
“I welcome the regulations. This is another step towards seeing the SDLP legislation, led by our former, formidable MLA Pat Catney in the last mandate, come to fruition. I also thank Menstruation Matters Belfast for the tremendous work that it did in support of Pat to ensure that the legislation passed in the previous mandate. <BR /> <BR />We need to work together to end period poverty once and for all. I know that many across the House feel, like I did, that the passing of the legislation in the previous mandate was an example of what we can do when we work together. It is welcome that we will see the roll-out start on 13 May. As the Minister stated, it is truly progressive and positive legislation.”
“We need to ensure that these concerns are dealt with and that the Minister of Health and the chief executives of all the trusts can reassure the public on this issue. Trust and confidence are absolutely crucial, and, in the meantime, I encourage other women who might have been affected to come forward and share their stories. I have asked the Minister of Health whether he will start a public inquiry into cervical cancer screening, and I look forward to working with the Minister and, indeed, his successor and colleagues from across the Chamber to ensure that women have confidence in these services.”
“It was really important that the Southern Trust undertook the previous review, and I know that any woman who hears of a review will be, understandably, really scared, as will the men and the families in their lives. It is not my intention to stir up fear today, and I want to be really clear that it is in women's interests to come forward and that these tests are absolutely vital to detect the early signs of cervical cancer and then to prevent the disease. I will continue to urge women to do so. It is vital that women come forward for their smear tests; it can literally save your life to do so. <BR />However, let us be honest. To ensure that as many women as possible do come forward, we need to make sure that every woman has the confidence in the health service in the first place.”
“I rise to speak on behalf of many women in the Western Health and Social Care Trust area and across Northern Ireland who are deeply concerned about the reports of smear tests that have been misread and which have led to devastating consequences for women. One woman came to my office and said, "It is very hard to live with the knowledge that I didn't get cancer. I was given cancer". That is how she feels. Her smear tests were misread in 2011, 2014 and 2017. In 2021, she was diagnosed with cervical cancer and had to undergo a hysterectomy. <BR /> <BR />Since 2017, we know that at least 12 serious adverse incidents have been registered in our trust area.”
“That must change, finally, and it must change soon.”
“Based on previous experience, those appointees could be paid tens of thousands of pounds of taxpayers' money. Since 2013, the Maze/Long Kesh site has remained frozen because of political stalemate. That huge piece of infrastructure has been stuck in limbo, but the taxpayer has not been stuck in limbo. The taxpayer continues to fork out the money to maintain the site.”
“<BR /> <BR />What is taking place, in the absence of that political leadership and direction, is that the taxpayer is being asked to fork out an enormous amount of money with little or no return. The choice has been made to throw more and more public money at the management of the site, with little to show for it. The estate is deteriorating before our very eyes. <BR /> <BR />In the past three years, the Maze/Long Kesh Development Corporation has received funding from TEO to the tune of £4·8 million. In that time, the corporation has spent around £350,000 on maintenance. Appointments to its board, including six in November, were among the 360 public appointments made here without the oversight of a public appointments commissioner.”
“Logistically, it is a prime site, and everyone knows that it is a huge asset. <BR /> <BR />I understand that the site presents many complex challenges. Telling the story of our history is never easy. The redevelopment of the whole site may involve making some hard decisions, but we are politicians — that is literally our job. The Executive Office cannot keep batting the issue away because it is too hard. The Maze/Long Kesh site is situated in the deputy First Minister and the Education Minister's constituency. Surely both Ministers should show leadership and move the project forward. We can find a way to tell our stories with respect and dignity. In the meantime, we should get on with the development of the rest of the site and not allow the complex issue of legacy and the prison to hold us back any longer.”
“That is exactly what the Maze/Long Kesh site represents. As Minister Givan said, there are North/South and east-west opportunities. Sitting on the Belfast to Dublin economic corridor, the site is well placed to attract investment and drive economic development, particularly given its proximity to its nearest neighbour and the access to that dual opportunity. <BR /> <BR />People are so frustrated about the lack of progress at the Maze/Long Kesh site because the potential is clear for everyone to see. I have visited the site and witnessed the 347 acres of opportunity that exist. I have visited the Ulster Aviation Society and the H-blocks. I was fascinated by both, to be honest. The area is four times the size of Canary Wharf and twice the size of the Titanic Quarter.”
“We talk a lot about the difficulties of reaching political agreement in this place and about how years of stop-start government and political dysfunction have frustrated progress on a whole range of issues. I do not think that there is any better example than the Maze/Long Kesh site. It is the perfect metaphor for the inability of this place and — it must be said — of the two biggest parties in particular to work together, form consensus and reach agreement. <BR /> <BR />Members will be familiar with my advocacy for the north-west and the urgent need to address how starved our city has been of jobs and investment. As economy spokesperson for the SDLP, however, I am really willing to talk about our huge opportunities for investment in Northern Ireland on the eastern economic corridor.”
“As you said, Minister, there are huge health benefits to decarbonisation. Some of our older housing stock is contributing to making people sick. People are coming into our offices with asthma and COPD, and, ultimately, that can be worked back to the state of their house. How can you address those health inequalities in the provision of housing that you are overseeing?”
“Addressing such attitudes and ending violence and abuse later in life is core to a society where gender equality is the reality, and that all starts in schools. <BR /> <BR />There has been a lot of scaremongering in recent months and, indeed, during the debate. That is unacceptable. We have a duty to our children not to stoke fear or spread misinformation but to work with schools and pupils to ensure that we see reform. The curriculum should be about providing age-appropriate, scientifically accurate and comprehensive facts and not about enforcing a moral compass, as we have seen in the past. In some schools, pupils are taught in a context that contributes to stigma —.”
“As Colin McGrath highlighted, improving RSE is a safeguarding priority because, if the current model continues, young people will still leave school without an understanding of issues such as consent or the ability to recognise abuse against themselves or someone else when that happens. <BR /> <BR />Connie Egan and Emma Sheerin led the way in talking about ending violence against women and girls. This leads in many instances to the kind of unhealthy attitudes that fuel abuse, particularly against women and girls. Those attitudes are part of a pyramid of violence that can be dismantled only by early education in our schools. That is rightly a key focus of the strategic framework for ending violence against women and girls.”
“The cruel abuse that many suffered and endured at the hands of religious orders and schools is now well known and acknowledged. This Government — the Executive — are trying to deal with the aftermath of historical and religious institutional abuse, including shocking levels of paedophilia and child rape, as well as sexual violence in the mother-and-baby homes. That remains Ireland's shame: North and South. It is up to the politicians of today to right that wrong, and that starts with learning from our past and giving all our young people an educational journey that meets their needs and teaches them how to navigate healthy relationships.”
“That is why it needs to be accessible and inclusive for every pupil in every classroom. That includes LGBT+ pupils, many of whom have been failed for years by current provision. Eóin Tennyson bravely shared his personal experience, and I thank him for that. In that context, it would be remiss not to talk about those failures. In the Ireland that I grew up in — Ireland in the 1960s, 1970s, 1980s and 1990s — we were given no sexual education worth talking about. Worse than that, we got a twisted version of sex education. Basically, we were told that sex was bad and even thoughts about sex were sinful. Our children and our parents were dictated to by the Church and the state. To this day, we see the damage that has been done to our society.”
“In countless examples, the teachers who deliver RSE in our schools are dedicated professionals, but, in truth, the system is completely failing to give those teachers the support that they need to deliver that education properly. That is not acceptable and nor is the position that our young people are left in as a consequence. As we speak, in many cases, young people leave school with no idea of what a healthy relationship looks like. We have many schools where the Church's teachings are more influential than the quality of the curriculum. We have pupils who are never taught about consent, abuse or boundaries. That is not good for them, and it is not good for society. <BR /> <BR />As with every part of our children's education, relationships and sexuality education must work for every child.”
“I am grateful for the opportunity to discuss RSE. <BR /> <BR />Kate Nicholl succinctly and passionately set out the case for the motion, and my colleague Cara Hunter expanded on the need for consent education and clearly described the complexity around coercive control. <BR /> <BR />As many have said, education is absolutely foundational to our society. That much goes without saying. One of the most important forms of education that we can give our children is about the relationships that they will form throughout their lives. Right now, we are not doing right by our young people in any shape, form or fashion; in fact, we are letting them down badly.”
“Minister, what steps will you take with the Irish Government in relation to CBAM?”
“Above all, let us make sure that we do not have another 290 people dying as a result of fuel poverty.”