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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“Hit by depression and not able to see a longer-term future, they have given up. <BR /> <BR />The SDLP's student survey, which had more than 500 responses, clearly illustrated the impact. Three quarters of the students reported a decline in their mental well-being because of the lockdowns. How can students perform at their best when they are starved of human contact and are short of access to people to ask advice from? Zoom is definitely no substitute for human contact.”
“I welcome the opportunity to speak on the motion. The pandemic is a crisis not just for physical health but for mental health, and this is particularly true for our students who expected to have the best days of their lives but, unfortunately, are dealing with the worst. Instead of making new friends, many are studying in their parents' homes, and others are isolated in halls of residence, away from other students and their families. The students are paying extortionate tuition fees for Zoom calls, and many are living in areas with poor broadband access. This terrible situation is badly hitting students. Some have abandoned their university or college course this year in the hope that they will feel psychologically strong enough to start again in September. At its worst — and this is just terrible — students have taken their own lives.”
“This Bill seeks to hold back women by taking away their choice. I cannot support that and I will vote against it.”
“In my constituency office in Foyle, I have an inspirational quote from Malala:”
“Let me be very clear: this Bill is an overreaction to an extremely small number of abortions. It politicises the personal choices that women are forced to make in extremely difficult circumstances.”
“And the wider families. I agree totally. <BR /> <BR />Very emotive language has been used in the debate. I widely respect the variety of feelings that have been expressed, but, to be honest, it is not your emotions or, indeed, my emotions, that matter. It is the emotions of the woman who has to make an extremely difficult decision about whether she can progress with a pregnancy after being given a distressing medical diagnosis. It is, therefore, vital that the Health Minister commission services that will support women in making informed decisions that are based on their health and the wider circumstances.”
“I emphasise how important it is that we allow women to have bodily autonomy. We must trust women to make the decision that is right for them. No woman reaches a late-stage pregnancy, having formed a parental bond, only to flippantly choose to have an abortion without deep deliberation. Very complex, serious abnormalities are detected at only a 20-week scan or even later during what are often much-wanted pregnancies. My heart goes out to all the women who are faced with the heartbreaking decision of whether to carry such pregnancies to term.”
“In fact, I will point out to certain parties that their support of welfare reform has further entrenched the systemic discrimination that people with disabilities face. We need to support the living. Given that we have heard much talk about the need to create a rights-based culture, I urge Members to take heed of the following statement from Disabled Women Ireland:”
“<BR /> <BR />I am sure that other Members are regularly contacted by constituents who raise the inadequate disability support services, lack of paid employment opportunities as well as the barriers to accessing healthcare, education, housing and benefits. COVID has heightened that inequality further, with people with disabilities being utterly abandoned. Parents are being denied contact with their children who are in supported accommodation, advances in speech therapy have been lost after a year of isolation and families are in complete and utter turmoil because of the pressures that they face without respite. <BR /> <BR />Those stories are utterly distressing, and they reflect the issues that are being faced on a daily basis. Yet, interestingly, they are often met with tumbleweed from many of those supporting the Bill.”
“<BR /> <BR />In my constituency of Foyle, we need only cast our minds back to 2016, when it was revealed that there was a multimillion-pound black hole in the Western Trust's disability services. Those vital services had £8 million rerouted to other departments. Then we had the chronic underfunding of the Northern Ireland Hospice and the Northern Ireland Children's Hospice, which require £16 million to deliver their services each year. In 2019, only £4 million of that was funded by government. That is just a quarter of the necessary funding. That pattern of underfunding is replicated across the North.”
“Amnesty International also highlights that forcing someone to carry an unwanted pregnancy is a violation of human rights, including the rights to privacy and bodily autonomy. <BR /> <BR />Our abortion legislation is required to be compliant with human rights and with CEDAW, yet it is clear that the Bill does not meet those requirements. CEDAW also recommended that abortion services and abortion access be expanded in tandem with ensuring appropriate and ongoing social and financial support for women who decide to carry such pregnancies to term, and that passage sticks out to me. It is clear that we have a long way to go until women and children, especially those with disabilities, are adequately supported.”
“We should, therefore, avoid replicating the failings of the Republic's legislation and instead provide comprehensive and compassionate abortion care. <BR /> <BR />The human rights implications of the Bill must be thoroughly interrogated. The UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women found that our previous abortion laws had resulted in human rights violations, and it subsequently made a range of recommendations, including that legislation should expand grounds to legalise abortion in cases of severe fetal impairment. Notably, that is compatible with the requirements under the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which states that rights begin at birth.”
“Women will receive a devastating diagnosis only to be told that their doctor cannot provide the healthcare that they need. As a result of this flawed legislation, at least one woman a day continues to travel from the Republic of Ireland to Great Britain for abortion, denied access to family support or proper aftercare. Dr Alyson Hunter, a fetal medicine specialist, has spoken about the further trauma that that inflicts on patients and their families when they are already going through difficult pregnancies. This, I am afraid, is the harsh reality of restricting access to abortion for severe fetal abnormality, and it is dreadful that this Bill seeks to follow the same pathway and continues to export our women and girls.”
“Moreover, we should take stock of the learning from the Republic of Ireland's abortion legislation, which only provides for fatal fetal impairment, not severe fetal impairment. The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists has outlined a key issue with it, namely that it is not always possible to clearly distinguish between a severe and a fatal fetal impairment. A recent study of still births and neonatal deaths found that less than half of abnormalities could be classified as fatal fetal abnormalities, yet all were fatal. <BR /> <BR />Fetal medicine specialists point out that the legislation is too restrictive as it forces women to travel to access abortion care for conditions that are deemed not quite fatal enough, even when the fetus is not going to survive.”
“As with all medical procedures, their care is patient-centred, and that array of clinicians would not take lightly a termination of pregnancy at such a late stage. To suggest otherwise, my friends, is quite frankly an insult to the medical profession. <BR /> <BR />Cleft lip diagnoses are often disingenuously brought up in this debate, yet there is absolutely no evidence to substantiate the claim that women have abortions for less severe fetal impairments at such a late stage of pregnancy. The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists says that that simply is not true. Given that we are discussing such sensitive issues, I believe that we all have a responsibility to ensure that the debate is grounded in factual evidence.”
“It is important to state for the record that I have met many people who are pro-choice, but I have yet to meet anyone who is pro-abortion. <BR /> <BR />Let me talk specifically to that amendment. First, it is important to establish that abortions in cases of severe fetal impairment occur in extremely rare cases. Abortions that were beyond 24 weeks accounted for just 0·1% of the total number of abortions that were carried out in England and Wales in 2019. These abortions are carried out in cases where very severe, complex abnormalities that would shorten life or cause significant lifelong disability are detected. Women must undergo multiple tests, and a multidisciplinary team of obstetricians, midwives, genetic doctors etc are all involved in the decision-making process.”
“It is up to this generation of political leaders to ensure that we challenge society and, particularly, public policy and legislation that continue to try to control and limit women's choices. I want to help women. It is time for us all to trust and believe in women. This amendment Bill does not help women. It does not contribute to the progressive, inclusive and equal society that I want for my daughters, Aoife and Clare, and the next generation. <BR /> <BR />Abortion is an essential component of women's healthcare. I do not deny — absolutely not — that the topics that are being raised here are incredibly sensitive. However, I take issue with the misleading language that is being used by many proponents of the Bill.”
“My mum said that many women felt the stigma of being labelled as "tainted" or "dirty" after going through the, often difficult but no-less-life-affirming, joy of childbirth. I tell that story of churching because, shockingly, it is one of the least extreme examples of how society tried to control female behaviour by imposing restrictive rules and beliefs on women's reproductive rights. Again, that happened in my lifetime. The swinging sixties they were not. Women being in control of their reproductive rights was forbidden. Family sizes were testament to that. <BR /> <BR />I am glad that life has moved on. However, there is still a long way to go. Issues of gender equality and reproductive rights are still set in the past.”
“Sex, birth control and the actual physical process of giving birth were no-go areas for discussion and were, often, conflated with guilt, sin and judgement, rather than natural acts of love and compassion. Taking control of one's reproductive rights as part of their health and mental well-being is a choice that is not afforded to all women in the world today. <BR /> <BR />Back in the early 1960s, my mum could not even attend my christening as she had to remain at home for four to six weeks after she gave birth. My mum had to be "churched" after childbirth. "Churching" refers to a ritual or blessing as an act of cleansing mothers following recovery from childbirth. Only married women were eligible for that blessing.”
“I spent yesterday preparing for the debate. I thought about my mum a lot. My mum died 12 years ago. Yesterday, I thought about her, motherhood and how the world treats mothers and women, both past and present. In the 1960s, a few years after I was born, my mum gave birth to a full-term stillborn baby boy. He died a few minutes before birth. He was not given the dignity of a church burial, and he was buried in an unmarked grave. My mother never really knew exactly where he was buried. I tell this story, and there are many others like it, because it happened in my lifetime. <BR /> <BR />Respect for a women's reproductive journey has always been resisted. It has always been challenged and is full of contradictions in this country.”
“Make no mistake: the attempt to roll back on women's health rights in the Assembly today hurts me to the core as I fear that there is a reluctance in our society to trust and treat women fairly and to afford them dignity and respect. <BR /> <BR />Like many Members, I celebrated Mother's Day yesterday. Mother's Day can be poignant and reflective for those of us who have lost our mum. This year, as a result of COVID, many of us could not celebrate with our families.”
“I rise in genuine sadness to debate this amendment Bill. This day last week, I joined many of my female MLA colleagues across the House to celebrate International Women's Day. We discussed issues relating to gender equality, gender barriers and the impact on women of COVID. All that any of us really want is a society that is fair and level. Today, we stand in this Assembly asking Members to roll back on the rights of women's health. What a roller coaster of a week we have had. <BR /> <BR />Like many others, I was saddened at the tragic circumstances surrounding the death of Sarah Everard. I joined in the calls to reclaim our streets and, like many others, was disillusioned and angry at the police response on Saturday evening. Women still receive second-class treatment in our society.”
“What alternative does the Minister have to an Irish Sea border? It is nothing short of Brexit constipation to keep talking about technological solutions, alternative arrangements and, God forbid, the Malthouse arrangements. What alternative to the current sea border is she offering to Members and the rest of Northern Ireland?”
“The Minister went on to say that she is giving great consideration to a Northern Ireland skills council and that she hopes to set something up to support skills development in the near future. <BR /> <BR />I thank everybody for participating in the debate. I commend the motion to the Assembly.”
“She indicated that not everyone needs to go to university and that it is important that we value all career pathways. <BR /> <BR />Finally, Minister Dodds gave a very warm welcome to the micro inquiry and report, which she said was timely and necessary. The economic action plan places a strong emphasis on skills, but one of the key areas that the Minister highlighted is the need for investment. She discussed longstanding problems with our economy and the need for a skills ecosystem. She indicated that this needs to have all-government support and that everybody must be involved: government, business and education. The Minister encouraged change in delivery; she also encouraged change in attitudes. She linked learning and earning and said that it is important that the outcome is that people are in better, well-paid jobs.”
“Gary Middleton concentrated on skills being an important COVID exit strategy. He also highlighted the need to finance the economy recovery plan. Jemma Dolan raised the issue of brain drain, particularly in rural areas. Jemma highlighted women's access to skills and discussed the need for affordable childcare and caring support. John O'Dowd stated that the relationship with the economy is complex and changing. He cited three key changes that will impact on our economy imminently: COVID and Brexit and the green economy. He said that there is a need to value all skills pathways, not just academic ones. Claire Sugden indicated that skills are the main reason cited by investors who choose to locate in Northern Ireland and that, therefore, we must continue to develop and evolve our skills base.”
“The Member indicated that employers and young people were ready to engage with the Job Start programme and asked the Economy Minister to engage with the Minister for Communities to find a solution. <BR /> <BR />Stewart Dickson concentrated his comments on matching skills with the needs of the economy. He also raised the important issue of delivering first-class careers advice and guidance in our schools and communities.”
“The Chair raised the matter of the urgency of closing the skills gap and deficits to promote entrepreneurship, increase productivity and reduce unemployment. <BR /> <BR />Chris Stalford, from South Belfast, said that the development of a skills strategy will require a cross-departmental approach. The Member also raised the issue of the need to fund bids coming from the Department for the Economy to fulfil many of the areas outlined in the motion as we move towards economic recovery. <BR /> <BR />John Stewart emphasised the need for the skills strategy to remain a live document that is acted on and the importance of a skills-for-all approach remaining a central focus. I concur with the Member about the lack of a Job Start programme based in Northern Ireland.”
“There are over 132 million women in the world who are excluded from education. We must challenge that and encourage change. Today's debate is also important because we, as Members of the Assembly, must ensure that we collectively do all that we can to develop and support a world-leading education and skills strategy, ensuring gender equality and barrier-free access for all. <BR /> <BR />I will now reflect on Members' contributions to the debate. The Chair of the Economy Committee, Caoimhe Archibald, gave context to the motion, stating that skills would be a key driver for economic growth and recovery. The importance of skills for all and the benefit of lifelong learning were highlighted.”
“I am delighted to rise on behalf of the Economy Committee to wind up today's extremely important debate. As the Committee Chair and other members of the Committee have indicated, we are keen to engage with the Minister to ensure that the views of Members and stakeholders on the shape of the new skills strategy are acted on. I thank the Minister and all the Members who contributed for their participation today. I also thank the many stakeholders who contributed their views to the Committee's special report, as well as the Committee team for their work. <BR /> <BR />I will take a brief moment to make a personal reflection on this International Women's Day. Access to skills and education is a life-enhancing right, but, for many women in the world today, it is not a privilege that they are afforded.”
“All options are being explored. As I said, I want to keep the good qualities of the Housing Executive. If there is a way that the Housing Executive can borrow without any change, I will explore that as the primary option. We have to look at all options because the financial challenges, and the impact that they are having on the existing housing stock can no longer be ignored. Therefore, all options are being considered. Once that has been done, proposals will be brought forward for decision.”
“I thank the Minister for her comprehensive answer. Have she and the Finance Minister considered making a costed proposal to the Treasury on a housing revenue account for the Housing Executive to enable it to borrow?”
“The failure to grasp that competitive economic advantage will no doubt go down as another missed opportunity for unionism and a failure of their collective political leadership. <BR /> <BR />Finally, I emphasise again that this must be the last year when the people of Northern Ireland tolerate this farcical improvisation of Budgets in this Assembly. The people of Northern Ireland deserve better, and, based on the many contributions that I have heard, right across this House, today, I ask Minister Murphy to ensure that we do not repeat the mistakes of the past, and can he do better, please?”
“The average income in the Republic of Ireland is £38,000 against the average income here, in Northern Ireland, of £22,000. That leads to the average spending power of Southerners to be almost twice that of Northerners. There is a serious differentiation between our two economies on this small island, and it always astounds me that the DUP refuses to acknowledge the economic failure and inefficiencies of our economic circumstance. <BR /> <BR />At this moment, I find it incredible that the DUP is so blinded by ideology that it refuses to acknowledge an economic recovery strategy that maximises the benefit from our protocol position at the crossroads of the European and UK markets, with particular opportunities in agri-food, life sciences and low-carbon transition.”
“We cannot pay our way, and have been unable to for many decades. We rely on a £10 billion a year subvention that just about keeps us afloat. The output of Northern Ireland today is far away from that of Northern Ireland in the 1920s, when it accounted for 80% of Ireland's exports, with Belfast the largest city on the island. Today, Northern Ireland exports £10 billion worth of goods while ROI exports £285 billion worth of goods.”
“Neither is there recognition of the scale of expenditure required to cut our society's carbon emissions and build an economy based on the renewable energy and low-emissions technologies. Compare that with the Scottish Government's commitment to invest over £2 billion over the next decade to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2045. <BR /> <BR />It is way past the time for us to keep doing the things that we have been doing. We have to be radical and radically reshape our expenditure profile and do things differently: invest in skills, invest in more infrastructure, invest in more green technologies and invest in the future. <BR /> <BR />It would be remiss of me to not bring a little dose of reality into this conversation. We are all aware that Northern Ireland is an unsustainable economic entity.”
“<BR /> <BR />Despite the pandemic, the most intractable problem globally remains climate change. I am not convinced that Departments have fully taken on board just how difficult it will be to meet the net-zero carbon emissions target by 2050. If the draft Budget for next year is a guide, Departments are not taking it sufficiently seriously. Nor does it seem that they are working in partnership sufficiently, which is essential, given the cross-cutting nature of the problem with energy policy. <BR /> <BR />There is no reference to the green new deal, which was a commitment in New Decade, New Approach. When are we going to begin serious work on the massive retrofitting exercises needed to bring our homes to the level of energy efficiency needed to start the journey to a low-carbon future?”
“Sorry, that is my phone; I beg your pardon. That task force was announced at the beginning of August last year, yet it met for the first time only last week. So much for treating our high streets as a priority. Reshaping our city and town centres will need vast sums of money as well as new ways of thinking about them. Traditional commercial centres have been left empty as a result of COVID, but the crisis has been building for years, with the growth of home shopping and internet banking. If ever we needed a reminder that we have crisis in our high streets, the announcement of branch closures by the Bank of Ireland yesterday was it. We need to make our city and town centres attractive places in which to live, work, study and have fun. They must have a future, and we will not be able to provide that without the necessary investment.”
“I thank the Member for his intervention. I am talking about the wider expansion to 10,000 students, but thank you for your support. <BR /> <BR />I stress that it should be obvious by now that Derry has, by a long way, the lowest higher-education student density of any city on these islands. <BR /> <BR />We have another challenge: the decline of our traditional commercial centres. That should be one of the major priorities for the Executive Office, which is leading on the high-street task force. That task force was announced —”
“That is not good enough. It is a solo run from the Minister, who is attempting to renege on commitments that were collectively entered into by her party's leadership along with the leaderships of other parties.”
“The agreement contained commitments that the Executive would expand university provision at Magee and bring forward proposals for the development and expansion of the Ulster University campus at Magee college, including the necessary increase in medical student numbers to realise the campus target of 10,000 students. <BR /> <BR />I do not see that in any plan in the draft Budget or in any future planning. The Economy Minister, according to her reply to my question for written answer last month, has unilaterally downgraded that commitment to the consideration of any expansion proposals for either the Coleraine or Magee campus.”
“I therefore urge the Executive to support new bids to improve our skills base, and I urge the Department for the Economy to face up to the scale of the problem that we have in our hands. <BR /> <BR />I will now speak as the MLA for Foyle. I put on record my concerns about the Minister for the Economy's comments about Ulster University's Magee and Coleraine campuses. They have caused absolute uproar in Derry. It is almost as if some MLAs want to revert to the 1960s. We thought that progress had been made with the New Decade, New Approach agreement and that provision at Magee had crossed the line.”
“Meanwhile, we continue to have far too many pupils who leave school without the basic skills and qualifications needed to give them good jobs or provide them with the skills that our society needs in order to support local businesses to get bigger or attract inward investment. I agree with Robin Newton when he said that far too many of our school-leavers are set on a course that could lead to long-term unemployment. The scourge of our economy is economic inactivity. <BR /> <BR />Is the scale of the investment in skills development adequate to meet the challenges? Unless the Executive find substantial additional funding for skills development, then, no, it is not.”
“<BR /> <BR />As the economy spokesperson for my party, I will concentrate my comments particularly on the budget issues for the Department for the Economy. Earlier, we heard concerns from the Economy Committee Chairperson about whether the allocations towards skills development are adequate. I share her concerns. The weakness of skills is perhaps the most pressing of all the challenges facing our economy. Let us consider where we are at. We are underfunding vocational training by about a quarter when compared with that in other countries. We have a much smaller university sector than that in the Republic of Ireland and in GB, and what we do have is underfunded.”
“I welcome the opportunity to contribute to the debate. The debate is primarily about the 2020-2021 Budget, but it is vital that we talk about the 2021-22 draft Budget. <BR /> <BR />Today, I seek to express my party's reservations about the lack of a sufficient strategy for the Northern Ireland economy and public services. I remain concerned about the lack of sufficient progress being made on the road to economic recovery. There is a seriously disjointed approach to spending, and that needs to be replaced with a new strategy and vision for a better economy post-COVID and post-Brexit. We need it to be matched by long-term Budgets and coherent preparation, not random handouts, chaotic planning and unashamed pushing of party political self-interest.”
“That is why I urge the House to support our amendment.”
“We need Invest NI and InterTradeIreland at the table, and they should help to formulate decisions under the strong central leadership of the head of the Civil Service. Northern Ireland's citizens expect our joint heads of government to show leadership and to be responsible and accountable for delivering a coherent economic vision that is robust and reflects the urgency of the situation. <BR /> <BR />I hope that the debate has perhaps persuaded our DUP MLAs to go back to their previous de facto policy of supporting the protocol and of recognising the opportunities to rebuild the North's economy with access to the UK market and the EU's single market. We need solutions. We need a comprehensive recovery and investment strategy. We do not just want another talking shop with narrow interests that prevents necessary decisions from being taken.”
“Mr Allister spoke about Northern Ireland being abandoned and suggested that there was no advantage in investing in Northern Ireland or businesses here as long as the protocol was in place. <BR /> <BR />Members, let us consider the bigger objective: a more successful economy, more jobs and higher wages for people living here. It is time for us to make sure that the protocol works and make the North a better place. My party agrees that it is not enough to leave the challenges of creating a more effective economic policy to just one Minister or Department. There are fears that a subcommittee will not achieve that. Instead, we are calling for a task force, led by the joint First Ministers, to bring together not just the Departments but outside expertise.”
“Mr Dickson said that we need to consider the new trading realities and indicated that we should concentrate on economic recovery and economic advantages. Mr Aiken highlighted the need for the protocol to work. He said that it was not working now, that it would get worse and that it needed to be reversed.”
“I will now reflect on some Members' contributions. <BR /> <BR />Ms Archibald opened the debate and listed the changing and positive trading trends. She indicated that there was something to build on and that it was important that we had stability and clarity for businesses in Northern Ireland. My colleague Matthew O'Toole articulated clearly the opportunities to rebuild the North's economy through access to both the UK market and the EU single market. He stressed the unique status of being at the crossroads of two major markets. Jonathan Buckley and Chris Stalford said that Members on this side of the House were protocol sycophants, had twisted logic and suffered from Brexit Stockholm syndrome.”