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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“My question has been answered, but I will ask another. With the student experience being so diluted at present, I am very concerned about some students who are being held in contracts for accommodation in England, Scotland and Wales. Will the Minister join or commit to joining with the other devolved Governments to push for students to be released from contracts for accommodation so that they can return home and study remotely, instead of being tied into contracts and isolated in places where they have no backup or support?”
“Thank you, Minister, for your response so far. Does the Minister have absolute confidence in her Department and its leadership to deliver a healthy economy after the COVID-19 crisis? I am really questioning that at the moment.”
“I thank the Minister for her answer. Does she agree that the removal of access to the European arrest warrant would be a backward step for policing and justice in Northern Ireland?”
“I welcome the progress in bringing our train network into the 21st century. I hope that there will be an enlarged and truly all-island rail network. As I say, I look forward to fully costed proposals for the new rail lines. Let us come together to support and fund the Department for Infrastructure. That will require not only major ambition but major investment and an all-Executive approach to transform rail transport fully and truly on this island, north, south, east and west.”
“I would love to see that vibrant infrastructure return, and, first of all, I would love to see a fully costed model for achieving that, along with a model to raise the capital to pay for it. I stress that I do not want Translink to be privatised. The mess of the public transport system in England is evidence of what happens when public railway and bus services are privatised. I stress too that a privatised rail service would not rebuild the rail infrastructure that the west used to have, as the rate of return would be completely inadequate. <BR /> <BR />Let us acknowledge the work that Minister Mallon is doing for the west. She is investing in road and rail while giving the green light to increased investment in the electricity grid. That is all excellent for our connectivity and for our subregional economy, including job creation.”
“Minister Mallon has moved beyond the rather weak proposed phase 3 upgrade of the Derry to Belfast rail line, which, I am told, would deliver only a smoother train journey without providing a faster journey. We want to turbocharge that proposal, with the idea of having a truly fast and interconnected rail line taking us from Derry to Dublin and to Cork. That is something for everyone to get really excited about. <BR /> <BR />Sadly, this is not putting right all the mistakes of the past. Derry has suffered far more than its share of past mistakes, many of which were examples of deliberate discrimination against us and against Donegal. The destruction of the rail network across the western part of the province of Ulster is an example of that.”
“<BR /> <BR />To date, Minister Nichola Mallon, you have done superb work for Derry, from road resurfacing to white-line painting, to new greenways and accelerating progress on Derry's road connections to Belfast and to Dublin. You have just got on with the job. That is even without mentioning the progress on Casement Park in Belfast and the grid interconnector. The latest example of progress on rail connectivity is the result of Minister Mallon's meeting with her counterpart in the Irish Government, Eamon Ryan, going further than the widely discussed fast rail connection between Belfast and Dublin and from there to Cork. Ministers Mallon and Ryan have instead taken the idea further to connect the undersupported cities of Derry and Limerick. This is what it looks like to have a Minister who takes Derry seriously.”
“I, too, welcome the opportunity to take part in the Adjournment debate this evening to discuss the undeniable disparity in rail provision between the east and west of Northern Ireland. Within the infrastructure that exists, there is also an east-west disparity in the level of that service, with Derry and two other stations in the west suffering from a significantly poorer level and frequency of service than every station from Coleraine eastwards on the same line. My colleagues Martina, Mark and Karen have all clearly articulated the well-known operational and developmental issues that have plagued the railway service in the west for decades. We all agree that we need to improve the existing service and to improve and extend the existing network.”
“We also need to reform the devolution settlement, but in the opposite direction to that being taken by the British Government.”
“We do not have the borrowing powers to help our economy through the crisis or to undertake capital investment at the scale that is required to enable us to build for the long term while providing an economic stimulus in the short and long term. We need to get creative about schemes that could help to aid our recovery from COVID, about borrowing and about finding novel ways to utilise the financial transactions capital that we have often proved chronically incapable of spending. Using those fiscal levers, we can make serious commitments to deliver major infrastructure programmes, as well as investing heavily in education and skills for our future generations. <BR /> <BR />We cannot avoid the truth that we need to do more to improve our public services.”
“The furlough scheme needs to be extended on a more generous basis than that being rolled out next month, with support provided for workers and businesses on a more comprehensive and inclusive than has been the case to date. <BR /> <BR />So far, we have failed to produce a joined-up economic recovery package for the sectors most directly affected by the ongoing pandemic. Allocations over the past number of months could be characterised as coming in dribs and drabs, more indicative of the last group or sector to press the Executive for support. What we need is a strategic, cohesive, all-government recovery plan based on real needs.”
“We need urgent clarity on precisely how much the EU exit is costing us in protocol implementation, the loss of EU funding and the staff cost in preparing for it. That is not all. The UK Internal Market Bill is removing from the Assembly the powers to make laws on market regulation. That is unacceptable. <BR /> <BR />Meanwhile, Departments do not have all the funds that they need to support businesses and workers through the COVID crisis. We now have the highest rates of infection in the UK and Ireland, yet the Barnett consequentials are inadequate to provide the financial support needed to prop up our economy. All power to Andy Burnham and the people of Greater Manchester for demanding more financial support from the Government for their workers and businesses. Their demands are also our demands.”
“That is astonishing, and COVID is making a terrible situation so much worse. That puts a considerable strain on our capacity for Budget planning. <BR /> <BR />Other examples of where a bad situation is getting so much worse include the devolution settlement. The British Government are taking advantage of Brexit to remove powers and funds from Northern Ireland. They have taken to themselves funding streams that had been provided through the European Union and on which we had much greater influence than we are likely to have with the British Government after Brexit. In the Estimates, every Department cites additional cost as a result of EU exit, and many cite loss of revenue from EU funding. However, we do not have a clear articulation of those numbers from the Department.”
“Before COVID-19, we knew that lots of things had to be addressed. However, without an Assembly and Executive, they could not be addressed. Let us be honest: many things were swept under the carpet long before then. Coronavirus means that we cannot ignore them any longer. <BR /> <BR />One of the elephants in the room is our health service. Let us appreciate the role of Pivotal, the think tank, in forcing the scandal of waiting lists into news bulletins at the beginning of the year. At that time, Northern Ireland had 120,201 patients waiting for more than a year for planned care. In England, that figure was 1,154. The waiting list was 100 times longer in Northern Ireland than in England, yet the population of England is 30 times larger. Our waiting list, weighted for population, is 3,000 times longer than that in England.”
“Taxis and small retailers are on their knees. Never mind poverty, many will be plunged into destitution. Supporting these restrictions without support going directly to these individuals is enormously dangerous and unforgivable." What would you say, First Minister, to that business leader?”
“Thank you, First Minister, for your statement here today. This has been a very difficult decision for all members of the Executive, and we have to get it right. It is really difficult to get the balance right between lives and livelihoods. I have a very close friend who is fighting this virus in the hospital. So I am very cognisant of the public health messaging and welcome it here today. <BR /> <BR />I am going to ask you a question that is not my question: I got it from a business leader in Derry. Bearing in mind that the city is already nine days into these restrictions, he said, this morning, "These restrictions are a further disaster for Derry, the lowest paid and hospitality. Most hairdressers and barbers rent a chair. The city centre is a scary place right now. Foyleside is 77% down in footfall.”
“What efforts have been made to ensure that there is subregional balance in the investment strategy? What is your understanding of regional balance?”
“Instead, the Department for the Economy has decided to waste £75,000 of taxpayers' money on a research project on the potential economic, societal and environmental impacts of onshore petroleum exploration and production of unconventional oil and gas. Let us be fair: the Department has a proven track record of wasting millions of pounds of taxpayers' money in the energy sector. Given the environmental challenges that we face, it is surely crystal clear by now that we must move away from our dependence on fossil fuels. We do not need to spend thousands of pounds to find that out. I support the motion.”
“I am pleased that Infrastructure Minister Nichola Mallon's new plans to remove permitted development rights for oil and gas will place more power into the hands of communities, ensuring that they have the right to participate in any planning decisions regarding future petroleum exploration. The Assembly can and must go further by introducing legislation that bans all exploration for, drilling for and extraction of hydrocarbons in Northern Ireland. <BR /> <BR />Now is the time to accelerate the growth of our renewable sector and build a more affordable, clean and secure energy that creates a legacy of well-paid jobs. The North is well placed to harness the potential of hydro, wave and tidal energy resources.”
“Further from home, we have observed confirmed cases of drinking water contamination from fracking in Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia and Texas. Research has also linked air pollution from fracking to a long list of health issues, ranging from respiratory illness and central nervous system damage to birth defects, cancer and premature death. Not only that, but one of the main pollutants released in the fracking process is methane, a major greenhouse gas. Over 100 years, methane has heat-trapping power about 30 times greater than CO2. No wonder that methane has been dubbed "CO2 on steroids". <BR /> <BR />The evidence is clear. The damage caused to our environment and our communities would be irreversible.”
“First, I pay tribute to the multitude of environmental campaigners whose drive and determination have pushed the issue to the fore. I recently met the Stop the Drill campaigners, and I share their concerns that fracking is a danger to the climate, to the environment and to public health. I am proud of the SDLP's strong record on the issue. As Environment Minister, my party colleague Mark H Durkan introduced a moratorium on fracking until scientific evidence demonstrates that it can be can be carried out safely without risk to the environment or to public health. No such evidence exists; instead, we have a wealth of evidence that serves as a stark warning of the dangers that fracking poses. In 2011, we saw how fracking in Blackpool caused two separate earthquakes.”
“I rest my case. We in Northern Ireland require access to both markets.”
“OK. Sixty per cent of Scotland's external sales go to the rest of the UK and, in Wales, it is 61%. Some 48·6% of Northern Ireland's external sales go to the rest of the UK.”
“It is more likely that people are talking about the worst of everything. <BR /> <BR />Let us recall why Northern Ireland requires open access to the EU single market, especially to the Republic. I often listen to members of the DUP on the radio and television, and here. They make it sound as if Britain is the only jurisdiction that is important to traders in the North. That is a long way from being true. I will give you some statistics from the House of Commons Library. I will start with Scotland.”
“They both hate the current Government's position, so it is time for them to say so. In fact, there is probably not a person in the Chamber who is happy with the British Government's position. By ignoring their commitments, the British Government are increasing tensions between communities here and in the House, and are increasing the risks of a disastrous Brexit outcome for our economy, businesses and workers. <BR /> <BR />I can remember when commentators talked about Northern Ireland potentially having the best of both worlds as a result of Brexit. Those commentators said that businesses in Northern Ireland would continue to have access to the UK markets while having open access to the EU, particularly to the markets of the Republic. No one is talking about the best of both worlds now.”
“I rise in support of the motion as amended. Abiding by the withdrawal agreement is essential for the citizens of Northern Ireland and for community relations, our workers, our businesses and our economy. The British Government are not treating Northern Ireland seriously enough. It seems that Ministers do not understand our history or economy. Perhaps they do not fully understand why the Good Friday Agreement was crafted, or why it was crafted so painstakingly and with such care. For some in government, Northern Ireland is a negotiating opportunity, not a place of almost two million people who overwhelmingly want to live happily with each other and with both sets of neighbours — those to the east and those to the south. <BR /> <BR />It is time for our First Minister and deputy First Minister to come clean and come together.”
“<BR /> <BR />My final words are these: beware of the conspiracy theorists, deniers and fantasists who are putting so many lives at risks and whose words will inspire people into their hospital beds and, perhaps, for a few, into their graves. There are few more dangerous things than politicians who ignore evidence, choose to believe what they want to believe and pretend that it is the truth. If they also happen to be doctors, that is just dangerous.”
“This is where it really becomes unbelievable: one of the speakers was a GP. She is also a political representative, an elected councillor. She is a qualified doctor. She spoke against wearing masks and against vaccinations. That level of irresponsibility must be condemned. It must have played a part in the spread of the virus, but how big a part we cannot tell. <BR /> <BR />As a result of the spread of the virus, there is potential for thousands of jobs to be at risk in the city and district. Hospitality businesses are at risk of collapse. Households will have difficulty paying their bills. The businesses and their workers desperately need our financial support. Firms in Derry and Strabane need to be covered by the extended furlough scheme, and Ministers in the Executive must stress that to the British Government.”
“The rest of the North, the rest of Ireland and, indeed, the rest of the UK need to understand what happened in Derry to avoid having the same disaster that we are experiencing. That would be much easier if we had an effective test-and-trace system, but we do not. However, we know some things. There were house parties, dinner parties, birthday parties and first Holy Communions at which hosts and visitors were complacent. A funfair was approved by the Executive Office despite the concerns of Derry City and Strabane District Council, and large numbers of those attending — there were large numbers attending — did not socially distance and did not wear masks. Then — this is barely believable — we had a well-attended anti-mask rally last month. Inevitably, there was little or no social distancing.”
“I support the motion. It is an important tool to help fight the cause of COVID. Minister, it is undoubtedly a worrying time, with significant rises in cases and hospital admissions in the last week. It is really hard to comprehend that 30% of the overall positive tests since March have been in the last week. It is getting out of control. <BR /> <BR />There is an obligation on me to share my concerns with the Assembly in relation to the escalation and spread of the virus in Derry. Astonishingly, in the space of a few months, Derry went from having the lowest rate of infection across the whole UK to the very highest rate. In the space of six weeks, that infection rate rose a hundredfold.”
“I call on the Minister for the Economy to work with the Minister of Finance to plan for long-term recovery and, with all Departments, to bring forward a radical economic intervention programme that supports wages, creates pathways for those made unemployed to re-enter the labour market, promotes new jobs and closes regional imbalances. It is at a time of crisis when you have to take the opportunity to build back better. That comes down to leadership.”
“My fear is that the satnav destination has not yet been set. The terrible truth is that many of the jobs that society relied on before the crisis will no longer exist when the crisis ends. We must therefore do all that we can to create the new generation of well-paid jobs that must emerge as we reshape society and the economy when the crisis is over. <BR /> <BR />The Executive do not have a Programme for Government, an economic strategy, a skills strategy, an energy strategy or agreement on infrastructure priorities. That cannot go on.”
“<BR /> <BR />We must also do much more to tackle imbalances in our economy. We have to raise the skills and aspirations of people living in our poorest communities. That divide is unacceptable, but, for some reason, society has accepted it, so it reoccurs generation after generation. To change that, we must ensure that our schools, preschool support, careers guidance and skills training systems provide ways to enable people to advance into better, and better-paid, jobs. Let us remember the joint commitments in 'New Decade, New Approach' to focus on creating good jobs and protecting workers' rights with security of employment. We have heard little from Minister Dodds about any long-term vision. If we do not know where we want to get to, we are much more likely to get lost along the way.”
“Our neighbours are about to spend massive sums on retrofitting homes to reduce carbon emissions and home heating costs. We need to do the same, whilst scaling up our commitment to zero-emission energy sources, electric and hydrogen vehicles, carbon capture and large-battery technologies. <BR /> <BR />Then we have skills. Here, I will congratulate Minister Dodds. She has done exactly what the SDLP called for: she has allocated additional funds to apprenticeships and college vocational training. Well done, Minister. However, we also need to boost investment in training adults who have jobs — those who may lose their jobs in the coming weeks, and those who, we hope, are safe in their jobs. We have to improve skills and improve the use of knowledge in order to raise our productivity.”
“We need to speed up our roll-out of the higher-speed broadband that will assist rural areas. We need to accelerate spending on the electricity grid. If we can get construction work going and moving quickly on broadband and on the North/South electricity interconnector, that will assist the creation of new jobs. <BR /> <BR />That is equally true about major road building, which Minister Mallon has recognised with the fast-tracking of the work on the A6. Indeed, Minister Mallon's team of infrastructure experts has turned round its review of infrastructure provision in just six weeks. That is a great example of how quickly Stormont and its work can proceed when leadership is shown. <BR /> <BR />We must also invest in carbon infrastructure, kick-starting the green new deal.”
“The SDLP has laid down four principles for the economic recovery of the North: a new deal for our young people, providing them with skills and opportunities as we emerge from our economic crisis; a new localism, rewarding those businesses that have helped us survive in this crisis; new infrastructure to help us build our way out into recovery; and new powers for the Northern Ireland institutions to enable us to raise funds needed to invest in that recovery. <BR /> <BR />The underlying problems facing the North are infrastructure, skills, productivity and the inequality that lies at the very heart of our society. Infrastructure, obviously, means roads, rail and water, and those are public services, but it also means doing what we can to promote private-sector investment in infrastructure.”
“<BR /> <BR />At the same time as we support businesses in need, we must build a new economy as part of a new society. We need long-term recovery as well as short-term rescue. At the end of this crisis, we will have the same challenges that we had before it. If the problem has not changed, the solution has not changed either, as John Hume used to say repeatedly. <BR /> <BR />We offer our solution.”
“That is a lot of money, around £80 million in total, that could have gone to the right hands. My office has heard terrible stories of hardship and distress from childminders right through to individual consultants, hairdressers etc, as have all Members of this House, I am sure. <BR /> <BR />What is the solution? We have to rescue what we can by re-evaluating our support schemes and making sure that they are fair and properly administered, particularly in the light of the latest restrictions imposed on communities and businesses, and particularly in my constituency in the north-west. I make this impassioned plea here, today, for support for businesses in Derry and Strabane that have had to freeze their operations, not because of their actions but because of our decisions and the impact of the virus.”
“Let us consider the groups that have been excluded from the various support schemes: the newly self-employed; those who are self-employed but trade as a company; low-paid, casual workers; businesses that share premises; social enterprises; the arts and freelance artists. They have all been particularly badly hit, with support coming very late for some and not at all for others. <BR /> <BR />About 10,000 small businesses in Northern Ireland have been excluded from support, and remember that Northern Ireland, much more than Great Britain, is an economy of small and microbusinesses. Yet, we find that, according to an estimate by the Audit Office, around £13·5 million was paid out from the small business grant scheme in error. Moreover, around £65 million was underspent in the hardship fund.”
“<BR /> <BR />First, let us consider the immediate challenge. In all our communities there are people who are deeply distressed about the impact that the COVID crisis will have on their family, the security of their jobs and the health of their loved ones. How many people have called each of our offices in absolute despair because they do not know how they will provide for themselves and/or their children? How many have called, deeply and justifiably angry, because they do not see government digging deep to help in their moment of need? <BR /> <BR />Too many businesses, self-employed workers and others have not received the security of a support scheme to give them the confidence that they will make it through the coming months.”
“<BR /> <BR />Rishi Sunak got it right with the furlough scheme, but he got it wrong with its replacement, the job support scheme. The result is that more than 100,000 people in Northern Ireland are likely to lose their jobs. Across the UK, it could transpire that 2 million people will be made redundant. <BR /> <BR />We all have sympathies for those Ministers who have to take tough decisions in a demanding environment, but that does not mean that we can ignore the sense that the Department for the Economy appears to be rudderless; a bit like a small boat being tossed around in a gale and not certain which shore or port it will end up in. The Department must do two things at once: it must navigate through the crisis while preparing for when the crisis is over. I am not confident that it is fit for those purposes.”
“We are living through and trying to guide our communities and local businesses through one of the most challenging public health and economic crises in living memory. This is not an easy time for any of us, least of all for those workers and businesses whose livelihoods hang in the balance. I also want to acknowledge that these are not easy times to be a Minister. We have not experienced a challenge like this before, so it is inevitable that the Executive will not get everything right. Our Ministers are human and, like all of us, they make mistakes, but, in the current environment, mistakes will inevitably have exaggerated impacts, so it is important that they remain open to constructive feedback, and that is the basis on which we approach the debate.”
“Thank you, Mr Principal Deputy Speaker, and thank you, Minister, for your statement. We appreciate the seriousness of the situation that we find ourselves in, but it is important that our communication is right. <BR /> <BR />We are discussing the relaxing of some regulations while imposing harsher ones in some areas. I appreciate that this is a tightrope and a balancing act, trying to protect lives and livelihoods, but it is not clear messaging. The Assembly is trying to get the public to adhere to the regulations when we are giving mixed messages.”
“What measures has the Minister put in place to ensure that no perverse compensations are made available to those convicted under the legislative error?”
“Thank you, Minister, for today's statement. The appointment is very welcome and long overdue, and I am absolutely delighted that we are at this juncture. We realise that the commissioner's remit is to be the representative voice of victims, but we also know that the families of victims of abuse have suffered greatly as well. Will the commissioner have any remit to support the wider families, not just the victims and survivors?”
“In my city of Derry, we have experienced a boost since the success of 'Derry Girls'. <BR /> <BR />The funding order will allow Northern Ireland Screen to build on its previous successes, creating new employment opportunities and supporting creatives in overcoming the COVID challenges. It is imperative that we support this vibrant showcase industry in Northern Ireland in order to survive the current crisis and to thrive thereafter. Anything else would put livelihoods, creative activity and innovation at risk.”
“I thank the Minister for bringing the motion to the House. I support the motion. <BR /> <BR />As colleagues across the Chamber have noted, the screen industries make up a vital component of our economy. It was estimated to be worth over £270 million in 2018. I welcome the motion, as it will enable Northern Ireland Screen to continue to develop our film industry and to nurture local expertise. Its important work has already helped to establish the region as a screen industry hub globally, attracting big names, as was outlined, such as 'Games of Thrones'. That has generated valuable opportunities for local creatives in front of and behind the camera. No more exporting our creative talent for them never to return; we now import them. The legacy of the shows lives on in the tourism services and the hospitality industries.”
“I thank the First Minister for her statement. The economy is not in recovery. It is hanging on. It is on life support at present. While the announcement is necessary, it is not welcome for obvious reasons. What further restrictions are being considered by the Executive if that intervention does not work?”
“Thank you, Minister, for your statement to the House this afternoon. Will you give me a bit more detail about the £80 million in financial transactions capital (FTC) for Ulster University? This comes on top of a switch earlier this year from FTC to cash allowance. Why is this coming from the Executive Office?”
“I ask the Chamber to support the motion and ask the First Minister and deputy First Minister to make clear our rejection of the Internal Market Bill. The Executive need to take a formal position opposing the Bill. We know that the Government intend to ignore us if we refuse to approve a legislative consent motion. That is just one more illustration of their contempt for the Assembly and for the people of Northern Ireland of every tradition and none.”