Cara Hunter
East Londonderry · Social Democratic and Labour Party · Northern Ireland
“<BR /> <BR />At Committee, we heard such compelling evidence from young people about why girls should have the choice of wearing trousers in school. Outside of the young people themselves, the conversations that we had with Menstruation Matters, particularly on the dignity piece about young girls and periods, really resonated with me.”
“I am happy to be here. Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. I fear that I will repeat a number of points that have been made this evening. As a relatively young woman — I am 30 now — I am absolutely baffled that we have to debate this issue. It is truly astonishing. If I did not have notes in front of me, I would have no words to say.”
“That is why it is so important to echo today that, despite the simplicity of this change, it will be so meaningful in protecting young girls and their dignity in a number of ways. We also often hear directly from young women that they simply want to be comfortable.”
“I thank the Member for his intervention. Ultimately, the Department of Education and the Minister will tell our young people, "Aspire to be the best that you can be. Get out into the world. You can do and be anything — but you cannot wear trousers". That is lunacy. It is lunacy and hypocrisy of the highest order.”
“<BR /> <BR />I find it extraordinary and depressing that this did not pass previously and that we have had to regroup. As the Chair of the Education Committee rightly said, this could be done at the stroke of a pen. It is nonsensical that we have to do it this way.”
“I thank the Member for his point, but, respectfully, I am not here to talk about other jurisdictions; I am here to talk about the rights of my constituents in East Derry and people right across the North.”
The complete record
Every one of 1,237 lines we hold for Cara Hunter, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 13 of 25.
“However, while there has been a welcome lift in those areas, serious shortcomings remain in the provision of SEN and other aspects of the Education budget. In real terms, Northern Ireland has seen a decrease in education funding of up to £145 million in the past 11 years. Funding per pupil has seen a decrease of 11%. The 2023-24 budget was down 2·5%. We have seen a planned raise of 6·5% in England over the same period. Evidently, education in Northern Ireland is the least funded across these islands. More needs to be done to ensure equitable funding for young people here and their future. <BR /> <BR />We have had some really interesting opportunities to engage on the Education Committee. I have really enjoyed it.”
“On top of that, I welcome that £43·7 million has now been provided for the pay and grading review. There is a serious need to ensure that the staff who work with young people each and every day are adequately paid for the work that they do.”
“I will speak in my capacity as education spokesperson for my party. As we have mentioned previously, we are a constructive Opposition, and I think that it is important to welcome things when they are done right. Therefore, first, I take the opportunity to commend the Education Minister on the significant amount of funding that his Department has allocated for special educational needs. It certainly is heartening to see that he has taken this seriously and to see the energy that he has in securing the capital funding necessary to expand our special schools. Both he and Mr Robinson, who is a constituency colleague of mine, have done great work alongside me and other constituency colleagues in looking at the challenges facing Rossmar special school and, of course, Sandelford special school.”
“The Minister will be aware of the bank closures in Kilrea, Garvagh and Dungiven, amongst other places, in our constituency of East Derry. Undoubtedly, those closures have been detrimental for our constituents. I am aware that financial services are a reserved matter, but, in her role as Finance Minister, what can she do to ensure that our rural constituents are not left behind when it comes to banking services?”
“We have more in common than not, and it is time to use that for good and to build a solid future for our young people and our next generation.”
“By expanding local educational opportunities and fostering cross-border collaboration efforts, we can begin to stem the tide and build a future where our young people can thrive in Northern Ireland. Let us commit to working together to create an environment that nurtures and retains our brightest minds, ensuring a prosperous future for all. <BR /> <BR />The House has probably heard that I lived in America a thousand times. I had a green card and contemplated staying in the United States, but I absolutely love Ireland. I love where I am from. For me, it is about ensuring that the children who live in America, Canada, Europe or elsewhere recognise that we can make this place work and that, in the House, we can collaborate and recognise our similarities.”
“I echo Miss Mulholland's contributions: it is time for us to put a focus and an emphasis on our young people and recognise the link between politics and bringing them back here in the future. <BR /> <BR />It is imperative that the Economy Minister report to the Assembly on agreed actions no later than December 2024. We feel that a timeline is crucial to ensure that we do not lose more ground in the fight to retain our young talent. <BR /> <BR />While we celebrate the opportunities that studying and living abroad can offer, we must address the unintended consequences of such opportunities. The brain drain is not just an academic issue; it is a societal and economic challenge that requires our immediate and intensive action.”
“Mr Honeyford touched on an important aspect: we need to attract them back. We need to build back better. We need to prove to our young people who have gone elsewhere that Northern Ireland or the North is a place that they can call "home", a place where they can raise families and a place where there are opportunities. That goes hand in hand with political stability. Over the past seven or eight years, this place has collapsed multiple times, and young people are just totally disillusioned with the Assembly and with so many of us. They do not recognise our politics as politics that work, and we really need to change the perspective of those looking in from outside.”
“<BR /> <BR />Mr Delargy, who is also based in the Foyle constituency, touched on the impact of losing his friends who are teachers and health workers, which we desperately need at home, to different parts of the world as they seek better opportunities on brighter shores. That is not to condemn those who seek opportunities abroad but to recognise that their potential and talent is desperately needed here at home.”
“At last week's meeting of the Education Committee, I raised the possibility of looking at strengthening relationships north and south of the border, particularly for schools in our border communities with sixth form colleges and identifying where we can work collectively to allow students in those border communities to prosper and take on different subjects. <BR /> <BR />There were some really interesting comments from Members, and I will touch on as many of them as possible. Sinéad talked about her two daughters who are abroad. Those are two bright, young minds who would be huge contributors to our economy. Derry has a shortage of dentists, so Aoife would be a great addition.”
“<BR /> <BR />The SDLP calls on the Minister for the Economy to work with the Minister of Education to develop a comprehensive strategy aimed at reducing the number of students who leave Northern Ireland but would prefer to stay. That strategy should include increasing the number of undergraduate spaces available locally. By expanding our capacity to educate our youth at home, we can provide them with the opportunities that they seek without necessitating their departure. Additionally, we must look beyond our borders and seek collaboration with the Irish Government to facilitate cross-border undergraduate entrants. By doing so, we can enhance the educational landscape of the North, fostering a more inclusive and dynamic environment that attracts and retains students from both sides of the border.”
“<BR /> <BR />I have had experience of that over the past eight weeks, having said "Goodbye" to two of my cousins from west Tyrone. They are two wonderful, intelligent and capable young people who desperately wanted to stay but did not see a future here. Later, I will touch on political stability and its undeniable link with prosperity for our young people: they are interwoven. <BR /> <BR />It is really important to raise the issue today. I am sure that all of us are out on the doors, and, recently, when I have been on the doors, I have found that the parents are the ones buying their young people tickets to go to Australia, New Zealand, Canada and Boston. I find that really sad, because we lose so much talent.”
“That challenge is exacerbated by the departure of our educated young people. Those young people take with them not only their skills but their potential contributions to our economy. That loss of talent means that there are fewer entrepreneurs, fewer skilled workers and fewer innovators to drive economic growth. That cycle hampers our ability to compete on the national and global stages. Moreover, the brain drain compounds the negative effects of the low levels of educational attainment among our school leavers. We are caught in a vicious cycle whereby limited local educational opportunities can push our youth away, just as the cap in university places that has been discussed today can. Their departure further diminishes the educational and professional landscape here at home.”
“Regrettably, many of those students — up to two thirds — do not return. That outflow has profound implications, not just for the individuals who leave but for our society and economy as a whole. <BR /> <BR />Let us first consider the societal impacts. Our communities thrive on the energy, innovation and ambition of our young people, who are truly the lifeblood or our towns and cities, infusing them with new ideas and fresh perspectives. When those young individuals leave, the social fabric of our communities weakens, as we lose our future leaders and community builders: the very people who could drive the social progress that we so desperately need in Northern Ireland. <BR /> <BR />The economic consequences are equally troubling. In the North, we already grapple with low productivity.”
“Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. I thank Members for their contributions. We gather today to discuss a matter of significant concern that strikes at the heart of our future: the exodus of our young people to seek higher education and opportunities elsewhere. While we acknowledge the immense educational and professional developmental benefits that come with studying away from home, we must confront the unfortunate reality that, as has been mentioned, some of our best and brightest minds continue to seek opportunities on brighter shores and feel forced to leave Northern Ireland not by choice but, often, by necessity. That trend, as it has been referred to today, is called the "brain drain". It sees the equivalent of a large university’s worth of students migrate to other parts of these islands annually.”
“We have some of the lowest funding for the arts across these islands. Does the Minister share my concern that that could be detrimental to events such as the Stendhal Festival and could put young people off going into that career? Will he consider attending the Stendhal Festival in the coming weeks?”
“Whether you bounce to the beat of a bodhrán or a Lambeg drum, much like the Irish rugby team, our shared success is best realised standing "Shoulder to shoulder" and together as one. I encourage Members to support this important motion.”
“Mr Beattie touched on the importance of the hospitality sector in Northern Ireland, which has undoubted potential, but we must invest in upskilling our people. <BR /> <BR />The Giant's Causeway must be understood to be as essential as Newgrange, the Titanic museum as unmissable as the Guinness Storehouse, and Crumlin Road Gaol as much a must-see as Kilmainham. By linking the Wild Atlantic Way to the Causeway Coast and by extending Armagh and Down to Ireland's Ancient East, and by placing Derry as a cosmopolitan centre of Ireland's north-west, we stand to capitalise on our tourism potential. <BR /> <BR />I call on all Members to remember that there is nothing to fear in working together on matters of clear mutual interest.”
“I will just touch on some Members' comments. Thank you to everyone who contributed to the debate. Áine Murphy made an important point. She talked about the importance of Fermanagh and Tyrone as Ireland's Hidden Heartlands. I am a former Tyrone representative in council, and I completely agree that it is stunning. I have done the Stairway to Heaven, and it is breathtaking for two reasons: it is absolutely beautiful, and it is a very steep incline. Mr Honeyford said that he believes in better and that we can do much more with our tourism and attract more visitors. A real barrier to that is the dire and urgent need for improved infrastructure. I thought that that rebalancing of connectivity was really important.”
“By committing to an all-Ireland tourism strategy, we ensure that tourists will not fail to take the opportunity to experience the breathtaking beauty of our counties, that they will receive the warm embrace of our people and that they will make memories that will be recounted to others around the world about our humour, Northern soul and the place that we are lucky to call home. <BR /> <BR />The now iconic zigzag sign of the Wild Atlantic Way has become a beacon for the many tourists exploring the unparalleled beauty of the island. The simplicity of its success is undoubted. Although so many tourists breathe in the beauty of sights from Cork to Donegal, the abrupt end of the journey at the Donegal/Derry border, however, makes no sense and comes out of nowhere.”
“In the North of Ireland — Northern Ireland — we have so much to offer. For example, in my constituency, we have Dunluce Castle. If Members have not visited it, I suggest that they do. <BR /> <BR />Many Members, like me, will have met people abroad who have told them about their wonderful experiences of holidaying in Ireland, be it sipping a pint of the black stuff in the Gravity Bar, kissing the Blarney Stone or strolling through the beautiful streets of Galway. Too often, however, they recount trips to the island in which the North was overlooked and forgotten.”
“<BR /> <BR />No matter what Members' views are on our constitutional arrangements or future, it is the responsibility of the House to ensure the best outcomes for our people and their prosperity. To ensure the best outcomes for tourism, we must endeavour to convey, market and sell the island as one: a beautiful, rich and mythical destination. <BR /> <BR />Strand two of the Good Friday Agreement commits us to working on a cross-border basis on tourism, so we must work together to sell this beautiful place that we all call home: the unmissable jewel at the heart of what the writer and Ulster Presbyterian William Drennan called the "Emerald Isle". <BR /> <BR />Last year, nearly 32 million people passed through Dublin Airport into Ireland. We must do all that we can to ensure that those who holiday in Ireland holiday in all of the island.”
“Thank you, Madam Principal Deputy Speaker. First, I thank the Minister for being here. I wish him all the best. It is great to see him back in the Chamber. <BR /> <BR />It gives me great pleasure to wind on the motion. I argue that mine is one of the prettiest constituencies: it is beautiful, coastal and focused on tourism. I am therefore delighted to speak about all-Ireland tourism today. <BR /> <BR />Much like the lush green pastures that roll from Armagh into Monaghan, or the peaks of the Mournes that gaze majestically to the tops of the Cooley peninsula, and just as the fish swim without a thought through Lough Foyle, between Donegal and Derry, our island is shared and connected by geography, history, culture and family. Our island — our Ireland — must be understood, communicated and sold as one.”
“Minister, you touched on the consultation that you had. Will you give us a wee bit more detail on your Department's work to assess the impact that the change would have on farmers? Will the Minister restore the previous minimum claim size of 3 hectares for farmers to access the payments?”
“I recently met a fantastic sexual offences legal advisory team that does incredible work to support rape victims in Northern Ireland. That team said that there is no mandatory policy by which the Public Prosecution Service (PPS) is notified about a rape case. Could you make that mandatory in this mandate? Also, I welcome the news that you are looking at providing SOLAs for under-18s. Do you have a timeline for that?”
“The establishment of a commission will set the stage for evidence-based policy on the protection of animals and will provide the necessary guidance for legislative and non-legislative routes to foster an environment in which all animals finally get the protection that they rightfully deserve and that my constituents and those of Members across the House deserve to see. <BR /> <BR />Now is the time for action. Now is the time to establish an animal welfare commission and commissioner. For too long have we witnessed horrific actions of cruelty and violence towards animals. We really can make a change. That is why, today, I will write to the AERA Minister to demand that change urgently.”
“We in the Chamber must take the action that is so desperately needed. <BR /> <BR />In order to finally make the progress that is so badly needed on this important issue, I call today for the establishment of an animal welfare commissioner and commission to tackle it. We have seen the success of the Scottish National Party initiative in Scotland on the creation of such a unit to provide the clarity of governance needed to properly protect wild and companion animals. The Assembly desperately needs expert guidance, and the welfare of our animals requires such oversight. <BR /> <BR />For far too long, we have seen disturbing images and videos of depraved people carrying out depraved and cruel acts on innocent and helpless animals. We must now act to put an end to that disgraceful ongoing reality.”
“Over the past few weeks, I have been contacted by hundreds of my constituents in East Derry regarding the vile and horrifying treatment of dogs in the Ballykelly area. The abuse was videotaped, shared online and viewed by thousands. It is so graphic that I cannot detail it in the Chamber. <BR /> <BR />There is an onus on us in the House, regardless of political party or stance, to reiterate our commitment to protect and preserve the safety, well-being and dignity of animals. A few weeks ago, I stood in exactly this spot and raised the heartbreaking issue of animal cruelty in Northern Ireland, the scale and prevalence of which is, frankly, unbelievable. Our councils have failed to adequately address the issue, and the PSNI continues to fail to prevent it and to adequately hold those responsible to account.”
“Two weeks ago, the other junior Minister said that the Department was engaging with the Health Minister to ensure that they had a conversation about the loss of Women's Aid funding. Will you update the House on the engagement that you have had and whether you will ensure that that funding is provided?”
“I, too, am working on two cases at the moment to do with respite care. Parents of children with complex special needs face significant struggles and cannot find adequate provision at this time. Will the Minister commit to commissioning an independent evaluation of the effectiveness of direct payments, which are given to carers of children and young people with complex needs, often as a poor alternative to adequate respite provision?”
“I thank the Minister for his answer. A recently published study of conversion practices in Northern Ireland showed that seven out of 10 people had endured conversion therapy via a faith-based practice. What is the Minister's assessment of that newly published study? Does he acknowledge the importance of banning conversion therapy, and will he commit in the House to banning it in this mandate?”
“I urge Members across the House to keep ADHD at the forefront of their mind and to continue the fight for appropriate services, and I ask the Minister to do all that he can to help.”
“We touched on the severe anxiety, which has been mentioned, among those with an ADHD diagnosis about running out of meds. Ryan Hendry, a man with ADHD, said that he has a daily fear of running out of his medication and that it feels like a "doomsday clock". Those shortages have lasted for seven months now. Patients with an ADHD diagnosis have endured that for seven months. The Department of Health has said that the UK-wide disruption should be resolved by September, but where can those people find support in the meantime? Where can they find the crucial meds that they are so dependent on? People who work full-time spend entire days looking for medication. The system is not fit for purpose. Medication helps those people to focus, and it helps them with their work, their life and with self-regulation. So many are struggling in its absence.”
“Parents are desperately seeking support, but so rarely do they get it. There is a huge amount of work for the Northern Health and Social Care Trust and the Western Health and Social Care Trust to do in my constituency to support the families who are desperately seeking support for their children. In the absence of support via the trusts, I thank ADD-NI, which does an incredible job and incredible work with so little money to support and empower the children, young people, adults and families throughout the North who are affected by ADHD. <BR /> <BR />I learned recently that there is a genetic component to ADHD. We are not educated on that at school. It is important to raise it in the House. I met people from ADD-NI recently.”
“<BR /> <BR />Last year, I met a student who was attending university and could not get access to specialist support on her university campus until her private consultant liaised with her public GP. Sadly, at the time, her consultant had taken a long holiday and that resulted in a lack of the support that she needed on her academic journey. That is just one story among many. Children with ADHD are, sadly, wrongly labelled and seen as disruptive and problematic. For women and girls, it can be particularly difficult to be diagnosed as they often do not present typically or in the same way that boys and men do. Women and girls are more likely to be diagnosed with mood disorders or mental health problems.”
“I also want to talk about those living with ADHD in Northern Ireland. People who have an ADHD diagnosis in the North are treated absolutely appallingly. They face an unbelievable level of challenges and a wait of years to even get a diagnosis. The lack of investment and support from the Department of Health for support services is absolutely shocking. There is also a huge lack of clarity on how to get a diagnosis, which leaves many worried and thousands uncertain about how to go for assessment. For those who go private, there are so many difficulties, including a lack of shared care between the public and private health services. That causes a lot of confusion specifically for concerned parents, young people and adults.”
“I have been very concerned recently to learn that there is only a small number of special education schools that have a dedicated school nurse in post. That means that complex health needs are often met by school staff or classroom assistants, who are not always comfortable carrying out those roles. That is not a sustainable position, and work needs to be done with the Health Minister to look at how we address it. <BR /> <BR />In conclusion, we all know that there are huge challenges across the North regarding special educational needs provision. Specifically, as was mentioned, South Down has a particular need. There is much work to be done, and there are positive indications of progress, as I detailed. I look forward to hearing the Minister's response, and I thank him for being here. Again, I thank Sinn Féin for securing the debate.”
“However, I ask the Minister to answer the question of how we can ensure that the specialist provision classes that are delivered in our mainstream schools and settings are fully integrated into the school community and not just seen as a space for those with a learning disability but, rather, as the right the place to meet their needs and provide them with the right services. <BR /> <BR />When we are discussing special educational needs, we find that, very often the focus is on education, but we cannot forget that those with special educational needs have a variety of health needs. I have mentioned before in the House that our classroom assistants are so important as well because they meet those medical needs in the school setting.”
“However, the data that it has provided details that, across the Newry, Mourne and Down District Council area, there are almost 17,000 children with a special educational need or disability. That is a really significant number. We see that pupils who have a mild to moderate learning disability are often attending mainstream schools. As a result, we have the ongoing consultation on specialist provision in mainstream schools and the associated consultation on specialist provision in mainstream classes, which will be undertaken. That process should, ideally, identify the services and infrastructure that are required in each school in order to ensure that all pupils' needs are being met.”
“If we do not recognise that, we do a disservice to those who have campaigned, fought and worked for that service for many years. The news from a few weeks ago that the Minister entered Knockevin Special School into the planning stage for a new school, following a visit to the school, which Colin McGrath was proud to host, will be transformative for students, staff and associated families. Staff there often have to deal with students who have the highest level of special educational needs, and the question becomes this: where do pupils with moderate learning disabilities or mild learning disabilities attend school? That has been a real issue in the constituency. <BR /> <BR />We do not often have all the necessary data available, given that the Education Authority records numbers by council area and not by constituency.”
“I thank Cathy Mason and her party for securing this important Adjournment debate, and I welcome the opportunity to speak as SDLP spokesperson on education. I begin by paying tribute to the tremendous local organisation that has been done by the parents in SEN Reform NI, which has been incredible. Despite being established only less than a year ago, that group has provided such incredible advocacy and support for parents and guardians of children who have special educational needs. My colleague Colin McGrath has updated me on the great work that the group is doing, in addition to what we have heard about at the Education Committee. <BR /> <BR />We must recognise that special educational needs provision in South Down has taken a significant leap forward in the past few weeks with the announcement of a new build for Knockevin Special School.”
“A huge "Thank you" as well to the wider community pharmacy, which also faces significant challenges but has really stepped up to the plate and provided support for communities. The more we invest in primary care and community pharmacies, the smaller the number of people showing up at A&E waiting rooms in utter distress and pain. Now is the time to invest in GPs and community pharmacies. <BR /> <BR />I thank the Minister for being here to hear our concerns.”
“Colin McGrath said that this is a time to unlock opportunities for our health service by investing in primary care. Nuala McAllister said that she is inundated with messages from her constituents about their inability to access a GP. I am sure that none of us is a stranger to that. Alan Chambers acknowledged the work of the Minister so far, and Gerry Carroll included international examples of what we can do in looking to resolve the matter here. <BR /> <BR />We have seen our GPs shoulder the burden in having to deal with escalating demand alongside a declining workforce, while facing real-terms funding cuts that we have never seen before. Huge challenges lie ahead, but, in having these types of conversations, we are taking all the right steps to ensure that we see changes.”
“The Assembly must resolve that issue, reverse the crisis in the health system, protect the health and well-being of our population and ensure that our wider health services are not further overwhelmed by patients who may avoid them if they do not receive a timely GP appointment. Many constituents who are overwhelmed and frustrated, having tried and tried and still not had contact, give up and do not ring back. Today is an opportunity to have the conversation about how we can promote the working conditions that enable our GPs to serve the public in a manner that preserves the dignity of their patients and the profession. <BR /> <BR />I will move quickly to Members' comments. Deborah Erskine touched on the importance of MDTs in rural areas such as Fermanagh, and I share her concerns and thoughts as I, too, represent a rural constituency.”
“Perhaps most worryingly, 32% of patients in need of an emergency appointment reported having to ring more than 30 times, on average, to get through to a receptionist. Having spoken to male constituents in particular, I note that, when they ring GPs, they often get a female receptionist and feel really uncomfortable about talking through more sensitive or private health matters and do not convey how serious something actually is because of embarrassment or hesitation. <BR /> <BR />Is it any wonder that 85% of people have said that it is more difficult to get access to a GP post-pandemic than it was before.”
“<BR /> <BR />Alan Robinson touched on the fact that, last year, 13 GP practices decided to hand back contracts, causing the loss of around 70 doctors, which, undoubtedly, negatively impacted on the thousands of patients who were on their books. That was an inevitable consequence of such decisions, and it will only worsen. The shameful situation is that one quarter of our population is on a health waiting list. With one third of GP practices having sought crisis support in the past four years, it is little wonder that faith in our crumbling health system has been shattered. To underline what we already know, a recent survey found that 72% of people were dissatisfied with their local GP waiting times.”
“In March 2024, the NI Audit Office, in a report into GP access, revealed that GPs received just 5·4% of the total health and social care spend in 2022-23. That lack of investment reveals itself most dramatically in the closure of surgeries, emigrating doctors and low morale. So many GPs have been left to make the difficult decision to exit a professional career that has, historically, been both attractive and somewhat rewarding in many ways. GPs have continued to take on fewer hours, and, therefore, fewer patients have been seen. Liz Kimmins touched on the really important issue of there being more attractive options in the South. We are losing talent who choose to practise elsewhere.”
“Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. I will start by thanking our GPs for their hard work and commitment to the health of our communities. I know quite a few GPs in my constituency, from Portrush to Limavady and beyond, and I note how much more accessible mental health support, in particular, has been thanks to the advancement of multidisciplinary teams. <BR /> <BR />I welcome today as an opportunity to talk through some of the most difficult challenges facing general practice and how we must see changes made urgently. The healthcare system in Northern Ireland is overstretched, underfunded and utterly overwhelmed. Primary care, being the bedrock of our health service, provides 95% of the care that people need throughout their lifetime.”
“I welcome the update today. Hopefully, we will get a bit of summer sun once the project is complete so that we can use the greenway. Are there any additional plans to invest in greenways in the wider north-west?”
“I thank the Minister for his answers so far. Minister, my question pertains to the City of Derry Airport. Has park-and-ride provision been considered for there? Are there any further updates on rail connectivity to Derry airport?”