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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“The legislation will enable investigations to be carried out and disqualification proceedings to be taken in the case of company directors who have acted fraudulently or dishonestly in claims made to the schemes. <BR /> <BR />The Committee agreed that, whilst an LCM is generally not the preferred way for the Assembly to legislate, it is necessary in order to give effect to the provisions in the Bill, as amendments to an Act of the Assembly would take at least one year and we are nearing the end of the current mandate. The legislative consent memorandum was laid in the Assembly on 28 May 2021. The draft motion was in the memorandum, and the motion was laid on the same day.”
“<BR /> <BR />The Bill ensures that a gap is closed, as no provision currently enables investigations to be carried out or disqualification actions to be taken where a company has been dissolved by being struck off the register of companies. Legislation dealing with insolvency and company directors is a devolved matter, so legislative consent is required. The Minister indicated to the Committee that it would take considerably longer to pass an Act of the Assembly to introduce the measures into law here than it would to use the Westminster Bill and the legislative consent motion (LCM). <BR /> <BR />The Committee recognises that the timing of the Bill is important, given concerns about potential fraud in relation to the loan and grant schemes that were established to assist companies through the COVID-19 pandemic.”
“I will be relatively brief and, perhaps, a little bit repetitive. The Rating (Coronavirus) and Directors Disqualification (Dissolved Companies) Bill was introduced on 12 May 2021. MPs considered the Bill at Second Reading yesterday. The Committee welcomes the purpose of the Bill, but members have some comments following the Committee's brief consultation on it. I will detail those later. <BR /> <BR />The Bill addresses public concerns about the abuse of limited liability by extending the powers of the Department for the Economy to investigate the conduct of company directors to include former directors of dissolved companies, to commence disqualification proceedings against them where public interest criteria are met, and to seek compensation where their conduct has caused loss to creditors.”
“OK. Thank you, Mr Principal Deputy Speaker.”
“Although we should be very concerned about Housing Executive homes that are damp, mouldy and cold, and we are, problems are vastly more common in the private rented sector. The motion might have usefully included a proposal to strengthen controls over private rented accommodation that is of poor quality, damp and inadequate and that has inadequate heating. <BR /> <BR />In the period ahead of the most recent house condition survey, more than half of all social housing had been repaired or improved. That is totally not good enough, but it is a higher rate of repair and improvement than amongst owner-occupied accommodation, and it is vastly higher than amongst homes that are privately owned and rented out, with fewer than one in five such homes being repaired or improved.”
“People in the most deprived areas who have to be placed in rental properties experience horrendous conditions. That sector has grown substantially in recent years, not least as a result of the right-to-buy scheme. That led to some former Housing Executive stock being owned by private landlords, who rent out properties but do not always maintain them in a good condition. In 2016, the private rented sector accounted for 17% of all homes, up from just 12% in 2006. It is, no doubt, even higher now. We know that social housing is better maintained than private sector homes that are rented out. For example, 79% of social housing has one of the best energy efficiency ratings, compared with just 49% of all homes in Northern Ireland.”
“Complaints have been raised in my constituency office, and, I am sure, in other Members' constituency offices, about, for example, cavity wall insulation that was no longer adequate having to be renewed. We are retrofitting the retrofits. It is a case of cutting costs at the expense of quality, which leads to work needing to be done a second time after a comparatively short period. <BR /> <BR />Over 60,000 homes in Northern Ireland do not meet the decent home standard. That is 8% of all homes. It would be remiss of me not to talk about the biggest problem of all. The Housing Executive and housing associations do not own all of those homes or properties, and we have an even worse and growing problem in our privately owned housing stock, particularly with homes in the rented sector.”
“<BR /> <BR />The motion also touches on a concern that I have raised repeatedly in the Assembly, particularly through questions for written answer: are we too focused on replacing oil boilers with gas boilers at the expense of the quality of our homes? We have limited resources — we all know that — and money is scarce, but we really need to focus on the conditions of our homes, including resolving the problems with damp and greatly improving energy efficiency. Quite often, people living in damp and mouldy homes also live in complete fuel poverty, which leads to child poverty. There is a whole social involvement there. While we recognise the need to balance spending, we do not have the right balance at present. <BR /> <BR />There are also questions about the standard of past improvements.”
“I am very pleased that the motion has been tabled in the House. We will, of course, support it. <BR /> <BR />The problem of damp and mould is extremely serious, and we heard that from all Members who contributed to the debate. It is a social problem, but, when it is your home, your friend's home or your child's home, it is also a very emotional and heartfelt problem. It is particularly heartbreaking when we see young children being reared in those homes. I have spoken to parents whose kids will not bring their friends home because of the smell in their house. Their house does not smell like their friends' houses. That is heartbreaking. It is essential that we act to eliminate damp and mould in properties that are owned and managed by the Housing Executive.”
“Will the Minister commit to ensuring that Invest NI will protect the rights of workers when they travel the world to attract investors here? It is important that workers' incomes be supported and that Invest NI do not promote Northern Ireland as a low-paid economy.”
“I thank the Minister for her answer. RSE is an example of where Departments must work together for the appropriate outcomes. All Ministers want our young people to have and receive comprehensive training and education on relationships and sex. In the Minister's discussions with the previous Education Minister, had she confirmed a timeline for when RSE could be run out into all our schools?”
“On a point of order, Mr Deputy Speaker. First, I want to say thank you very much to the Member for sharing what must have been a very traumatic time in his life. I could hear the emotion in his voice as he spoke about the loss of his baby. However, I find it very distasteful that he would conflate and compare abortion legislation with parental bereavement legislation. That is offensive to a lot of people, and it is in poor taste. I would like him to retract that statement and comparison. It was not appropriate, and this was not the place to make it.”
“We should take complete advantage of the legislative scope that we have and create a better working environment and better support for parents across the North than anywhere else in the UK. We should also seek to utilise that power fully in the area of maternity and paternity leave and pay, but I suppose that that is a debate for a different day. <BR /> <BR />Despite the Bill's limitations, it is a really welcome step forward in employment law locally. It will strengthen workers' rights and grant grieving parents the time and space that they need. It is the most compassionate thing to do.”
“The grieving process is already an incredibly difficult one, and we should not add stress or force workers to assess whether they can afford financially to take time off when they most need it. I urge the Minister to issue guidance to employers that indicates that it is good practice for an employer to pay a staff member suffering such a traumatic event at their full normal rate of pay, even where not all of the payment will be supported by statutory compensation. <BR /> <BR />The Department has said that it believes that it is important for disparities between employees in Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK to be kept to a minimum where possible. I fundamentally disagree. That approach limits our ambition. Employment law is devolved.”
“<BR /> <BR />I appreciate that the Department has outlined the complexities involved, but I must still express disappointment that the Bill does not aim to make parental bereavement pay a right from day one. With precarious working conditions prevailing all around, it is really disappointing that those who are, perhaps, on zero-hour contracts and those who have been employed for less than the 26-week qualifying period can and will be excluded in the Bill. <BR /> <BR />That brings us to remuneration. NIPSA calls for the payment of parental leave to be at earnings-related rates, and my party supports that. Space to grieve should not be a financial burden.”
“I totally agree with the Member, and I am pleased that the legislation defines what constitutes a "parent". <BR /> <BR />Grief affects everybody in different ways and at different times. Some will want to take leave immediately after a death, but others may find certain dates or times such as birthdays really hard to take and may want to request bereavement leave at that time. It is important that there is flexibility to allow that. <BR /> <BR />I also welcome the fact that there is scope for a notice period to be disapplied or modified in specific circumstances. It is vital that consideration is given to those who lose their child in unexpected circumstances, so that parents will not be required to comply with prescriptive notice periods. Compassion, in all aspects, is key.”
“By allowing leave to be taken at any time in the first 56 weeks after the child's death, parents are afforded the opportunity to organise leave in a way that best suits their needs. Grief is a strange beast, and it affects all of us in different ways.”
“The SDLP supports a generous solution for employees who are parents suffering bereavement. Change is long overdue. Currently, some employers will allow employees to take compassionate leave. However, that is at their discretion. That leave is discretionary is totally unacceptable for something that is so life-changing, and it is deeply unjust. I, therefore, welcome the fact that the Bill will set a much-needed minimum standard for employees and employers. <BR /> <BR />I am pleased that parental bereavement leave will be made a right on day one, so that a minimum of two weeks' leave will be offered to all employees, regardless of length of service with the current employer. Moreover, the flexibility that the Bill offers is to be commended.”
“The airline industry is operating at about 25% of 2019 levels. It, along with aerospace, will probably be the last industry and sector to recover. We have seen the job losses in Thompson Aero Seating recently and in the travel industry. One of the big complaints that I get from many in the travel industry is the lack of clarity and communication from the Government at Westminster and in Northern Ireland. Will you reassure our constituents in those industries that you will be proactive in communicating with them effectively and will not leave them in the dark or make last-minute announcements about cancellations or proposals?”
“Minister Frew, may I congratulate you on your new post? Be assured that I will be as tenacious as ever in my pursuit and questioning of you and in my representation of the people of the north-west. You have that to look forward to.”
“We know that blended and flexible working is particularly welcome for those who have young families or caring responsibilities. What is the Minister doing to close the gender gap among civil servants?”
“As a result, many farmers have been forced to leave the sector, while others make very low incomes. <BR /> <BR />This is about the welfare of our farms and our farmers. It is also about the appearance of our countryside. It is about the welfare of our animals and treating them with care and avoiding causing them pain. It is also about the welfare of our consumers by recognising the role of fresh and nutritious produce in the health and physical well-being of our population, whose best interests we are here to represent. I urge the Assembly to support nature-friendly farming and not just to support the farmers but all our constituents.”
“More imports brought from across the world do nothing to achieve that objective. This is the moment to promote what we have. Our farms are much more environmentally sustainable than those of many of our international competitors. Let us ask consumers to support and sustain that production by, where possible, buying local produce that is environmentally friendly and organic. <BR /> <BR />Over the last decade, we have seen serious harm inflicted on the farming sector in Northern Ireland. Farm incomes have fallen substantially. We need food processors and big supermarkets to recognise the market strength that they have and not exploit it. They need to pay fair prices that allow farmers a reasonable market. Too often, farm produce is bought at prices below the cost of production.”
“It says that the British Government must ensure that UK farmers are able to continue to produce food to world-leading standards, which they are proud to uphold, while allowing them to compete fairly both at home and abroad. An even stronger warning has been issued by the Northern Ireland Agricultural Producers' Association. In evidence that it gave recently to the House of Commons Committee, it said that Brexit — the hard version that has been implemented by the British Government — has the potential to decimate the farming industry, which plays a major part in the Northern Ireland economy. <BR /> <BR />The challenges facing our farming industry go beyond Brexit. Let us remember that we rely on agriculture to be a core part of our move towards a net zero carbon and environmentally sustainable economy.”
“<BR /> <BR />Farmers in Northern Ireland face a major reduction in much of their GB market. That market is incredibly important for Northern Ireland farmers because almost 60% of their production heads to GB. In future, Northern Ireland farmers will, it seems, be competing against Australian producers, who have the advantages of much larger farms and enormous economies of scale. Meanwhile, the risk is that environmentally friendly farming practices that support animal and consumer welfare will be undermined in the future by imported products, including hormone-treated beef, pig meat contaminated by high levels of antibiotics, and chlorinated chicken. <BR /> <BR />The Ulster Farmers' Union is one of the many organisations that is very worried about the impact of the British Government's negotiations with Australia and the United States.”
“I support the motion. Farming in Northern Ireland could be about to change significantly for the worse. The threat comes from the likely free trade deals with Australia and, subsequently, New Zealand and future trade deals with the United States. <BR /> <BR />Northern Ireland's farming and food production sectors have been placed in needless peril. The guilty parties are the Brexit Leave campaign and, I am afraid, the DUP. We knew that part of the objective of Brexit was to leave the common agricultural policy, to lose farmers' direct support payments and to buy cheap food on the world market. Those in the Leave campaign choose to pretend that this was not the reality, but that reality has come home to roost. It has now become very obvious to everyone.”
“I will indeed. <BR /> <BR />We need to carefully rethink the impact and value of every pound that is spent. Is the spending having a positive and productive impact? Is it improving lives and livelihoods? If the Minister does not know the answer —”
“<BR /> <BR />We need plans for the future, just as we need a Budget that looks forward, not one that simply looks backwards and gets photocopied for the next year. This is a Budget that fails people, including those who need healthcare, those who need hope for the future and those who need jobs that make our society a better place. Budgeting in Northern Ireland needs a complete overhaul.”
“I look forward to the new Economy Minister, whoever that might be, bringing forward proposals to redefine the role of the Utility Regulator, because it is an extremely important position. As our economy changes shape, instead of the regulator having a legal duty to promote the gas industry, the role must change. It must prioritise the rapid decarbonisation of the energy sector, end the use of fossil fuels and promote a market in which renewable energy sources are readily available and affordable and in which much faster progress is achieved on making homes energy-efficient and properly insulated. We urgently need effective plans to make social housing, owner-occupied homes and the private rented sector all fit for the climate challenges that we collectively face.”
“We need to find a way to ensure that we support those businesses beyond furlough. <BR /> <BR />As I said, this is a time when dynamic leadership is required, and that is not what we see here today. We need not a steady-as-he-goes Finance Minister but one who seizes the moment by recognising that real change is needed and who oversees a major reconfiguring of the Budget in response to the massively changed situation that we are now in. With all the generosity in the world, this Budget is not it. This is not the time for slight bits of reform here and there. <BR /> <BR />While I am talking about substantial reform, I wish to make a comment about the role of the Utility Regulator, as the motion specifically references it.”
“Yet the Minister has made an allocation of £145 million for that scheme with no clear understanding of the economic impact. Honestly, I find it unbelievable. In a way, it illustrates the rather chaotic manner in which money is spent in Northern Ireland. It is really not good enough. <BR /> <BR />We all know what we need to do. We must create a resilient and flexible health service, reskill our workforce across the whole economy, restructure our energy industry and, at the same time, find ways to support thousands of jobs at risk of being lost, particularly at the end of the furlough scheme. That will be particularly difficult for those sectors that will have a longer recovery period, and I am talking about the aerospace industry, the travel industry and the event management industry.”
“Yes, I do. As I indicated, we have no interest in blocking allocations of money that are desperately needed by Departments, but we have one vote. We would do things differently if we had more. <BR /> <BR />As I said, you would not realise the extent of our problems, if you were to look at either the Finance Minister's Budget or the Economy Minister's plan. I will give a little example of why things are so frustrating. Earlier this afternoon, I asked the Economy Minister to outline the economic impact assessment and multiplier-effect details of the £145 million high street voucher scheme. I specifically asked how the scheme would support job retention and business sustainability. Unfortunately, the Minister was not in a position to give me those details, as no full economic impact assessment was available.”
“The SDLP has no interest in blocking allocations that are much needed, but we have consistently raised concerns, inside and outside government, about this Budget. The SDLP Minister is effectively taking a budget cut, so of course we wanted a better Budget. Let us remember that the SDLP has one vote in the Executive. <BR /> <BR />As I have said, there are multiple problems. The health service was unable to meet the needs of our citizens before COVID. The health waiting times, and the length of waiting lists, are off the Richter scale. It is absolutely appalling and embarrassing. Meanwhile, we are faced with climate change on a scale that risks enormous damage to the health of the population globally.”
“The debate on the Supply resolution for the Main Estimates 2021-22 requires Members' consideration and scrutiny. Members, right across the House, have indicated that this is extremely difficult for numerous reasons, as outlined. <BR /> <BR />We have many financial difficulties and pressures, right across the Departments. We have serious problems in Northern Ireland, and they are so severe that we should not pretend that it is business as usual. Yet, the Finance Minister seems to pretend exactly that. Sinn Féin seeks to portray a crisis in the Republic of Ireland, while its Ministers here in the North say, "Nothing to see here. Let us just carry on as normal." <BR /> <BR />Last week, I was accused of politicking and electioneering. I make no apology for calling out the elephant in the room.”
“Minister, you indicated that there will be a multiplier effect. Have you done an economic impact assessment on what that multiplier effect will be, particularly for job retention and business sustainability?”
“Our party was completely blindsided, as were all parties in the Assembly, and I believe that that is disrespectful to the Assembly. <BR /> <BR />I also put on record our deep appreciation for the work of the Northern Ireland bureau. It has proven to be an excellent conduit for developing trade relations here in Northern Ireland, and I have no doubt that Trevor Ringland will fit into the existing structures somewhere. However, this has clearly all been done in a rush and on the hoof, as I said. The appointee was clearly not given a detailed job spec for his new portfolio. The British Government are really quite shabby when it comes to their engagement with this Administration. Having said that, I offer Mr Ringland my best wishes in his new role, whatever that appears to be.”
“The last thing on anybody's mind is to make this debate personal. It could easily be seen as a personal attack on Trevor Ringland, and I have no wish to be part of that at all. <BR /> <BR />I want to express my party's very serious concerns that, once again, the Secretary of State is doing things on the hoof and without structure or process. That is not good enough. He is not some old-fashioned British governor of a British colony. He is the Secretary of State, and we are the legislative Assembly. Where was the advertisement seeking applications? Where is the job description? What is the job specification? What is the structure of accountability? Where is the transparency? What was the process? I was not even aware that there was a vacancy, and I was not aware that there was a vacuum.”
“The Finance Minister, Economy Minister and joint First Ministers need to remember the people for whom they are supposed to deliver: our families and our people living here in Northern Ireland. This Budget does not cut it.”
“That means that they must deliver for those who are most in need: those on the longest heath waiting lists; those who leave school without the skills and qualifications that they need; those who struggle to pay their fuel bills; those who have cold homes; those who cannot get a job because they cannot afford childcare; those who have no job because there are none in the area where they live; and those who are super-intelligent but cannot go to university because there are no local places for them, and they cannot afford to move away to study. Those are the people for whom we need to deliver. They are the people whom the joint leadership of Sinn Féin and the DUP has failed. <BR /> <BR />May I remind the Finance Minister where the people who have been failed are? They live in Derry, east Belfast and west Belfast.”
“It is past time for the two largest parties to remember for whom they govern. It is not just for themselves or their party members; it is for the people of Northern Ireland. It is for our families, our children and the future. Those two parties lead the Administration, and they must lead. They must deliver.”
“This is about the Budget: it is about how we allocate money in this place. I am talking directly about the Budget and the lack of investment in skills and education, including higher education, in Northern Ireland that has been going on for 14 years. I am entitled to explain what is actually happening here to the people of Northern Ireland, should they care to listen.”
“He needs to help to build this place that we call home.”
“He needs to stop playing fiddle to the British Treasury and start to put a vision for Northern Ireland front and centre.”
“There is no point in the Sinn Féin Finance Minister blaming the DUP Economy Minister for that failure. Two parties are in joint government. Two parties are in joint leadership of the Executive. They have been at it for 14 years. They have to step up and get things done. They have to put aside their constant mutual recriminations and stop the blame game. <BR /> <BR />I say this to the Sinn Féin Finance Minister: he should be more than a pawn or, as my colleague said, a robot that delivers on behalf of the British Treasury. He needs to be a leader. He needs to think for himself and do more than just accept how things were done in the past and how the British Government want him to act. He needs to deliver for the North and Ireland, not for the British Government.”
“The result is not only economic harm but social harm: the dislocation of families, the loss of skills and the impact on innovation and invention, our cultural and arts sectors, civic life, wages, poverty and productivity. The list goes on. It all flows from the refusal to be led by evidence on expanding our university sector and from allowing the continuation of the brain drain, which results from having 60 university places for every 100 applications. <BR /> <BR />We have a bizarre situation here. The Sinn Féin spokesperson for higher education in the South is calling for more funded university places, and a Sinn Féin Minister here in the North is continuing to preside over a policy of capping university places that forces young people to leave the island, many never to return.”
“<BR /> <BR />That brings me to our universities. Making Derry a proper university city was one of the demands of the civil rights movement over 50 years ago. It is perhaps the only demand of the civil rights movement that has yet to be delivered. Despite 14 years of joint leadership by Sinn Féin and the DUP, that demand has yet to be delivered. There is crystal-clear evidence that expanding the higher education sector in Northern Ireland would be good for our economy, but the Government in Northern Ireland refuse to be evidence-led. If we had an evidence-led Government, the Finance Minister would put far more resources into skills and would recognise the result of holding down the size of our university sector.”
“It is a telehouse for Project Kelvin — that is another disappointment for Derry — plus one Catalyst business incubation centre. That is all, unless you now include its use as a stacking area for McDonald's in order to eliminate the terrible risk of a car accident waiting to happen. Now we are merely waiting for Fort George or something to happen. <BR /> <BR />Yes, we have the promise of a health hub on the site, but, to be honest, we should all be fed up by now of promises being given but left unfulfilled. It is not just Derry, as I said. What about the other major site transferred into the care of our Government on behalf of our people? I am talking about the Maze site, which is a perfect metaphor for the joint Government of Sinn Féin and the DUP, with row followed by row and lack of delivery followed by lack of delivery.”
“I will. <BR /> <BR />Instead of prosperity, the North continues to have some of the worst economic outcomes of anywhere in western Europe. My city of Derry has the highest levels of poverty, unemployment and economic inactivity, but it is not just Derry that is suffering. The situation is the same in Strabane, west Belfast and east Belfast. Those are the areas that have suffered most from the neglect of Sinn Féin and the DUP. <BR /> <BR />I will give you an example. It was 19 years ago that the British Government transferred the Fort George site in Derry to the people of Derry. It was supposed to be transformational for Derry. There were plans to make it a marvellous example of how this place can move forward, exploiting a prime riverfront location that would make our people proud. Instead, it is almost empty.”
“This is not a good Budget. My colleague Matthew O'Toole stated the reasons why the Budget is beyond poor and inadequate and why the people of Northern Ireland deserve better. For the past 14 years, Northern Ireland has been led by joint First Ministers from Sinn Féin and the DUP. That leadership was supposed to deliver prosperity after the peace that was delivered by gigantic leaders such as John Hume of the SDLP. Instead of prosperity, the North continues to have some of the worst economic outcomes —.”
“Women in my constituency in Derry have a right to a full suite of medical abortion and crisis pregnancy services. Minister, you need to ensure that the trust meets its legal responsibilities and commissions the services that are required. Do you agree that it is fundamentally wrong and in contravention of equality and human rights to expect women from Derry to travel outside the jurisdiction, particularly during a pandemic, to access routine healthcare that is afforded to women in every other part of the UK?”