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.”
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“<BR /> <BR />Let me be clear about what, the SDLP believes, must happen. First, the Department must publish the long-overdue business case for a regional MBU, with full transparency on timescales, budgets and risk assessments. Many organisations from Action on Postpartum Psychosis, whose tireless advocacy has provided vital awareness and support for families, to Aware NI have called for immediate action. <BR /> <BR />Secondly, the Department must immediately allocate capital and revenue funding, with clear delivery timelines, so that the facility moves from idea to reality. <BR /> <BR />Thirdly, we must institute interim measures now. Let me be clear: such measures cannot become long-term measures, but it is vital that we take the necessary steps to support mothers and babies in the interim.”
“That means that, when a mother suffers a severe perinatal mental health crisis, she may be admitted to a general psychiatric ward, separated from her newborn and placed in an environment without the specialist training or facilities to meet her needs. <BR /> <BR />We heard the story recently about Shelley Browne. She was admitted to a general ward and separated from her baby for five weeks — a deeply distressing example but, sadly, not unique. We also recall the tragedy of Orlaith Quinn, who died by suicide just two days after giving birth. An inquest called her death "foreseeable and preventable" and recommended the establishment of a mother-and-baby unit in Northern Ireland. Those stories, sadly, are not anecdotes to be glossed over; they are warnings, and they cry out for urgent action.”
“I welcome the opportunity to speak on the motion today and thank Órlaithí for her continued work on the issue. <BR /> <BR />I am in firm support of the motion, because it is about justice, health, dignity and the future of mothers and babies across the North. Giving birth can rightly be one of life's most fulfilling moments, yet, for too many, it is followed by anguish, fear and crisis. Postnatal depression, anxiety and, in extreme cases, postpartum psychosis strike swiftly without warning and without mercy. No woman should face that peril isolated and unsupported, but today, we face a glaring failure in our system. Northern Ireland remains the only part of these islands without a dedicated mother-and-baby unit.”
“<BR /> <BR />We need to fundamentally rethink how we approach play and play parks and where they are placed across our council areas. Every child in every community, regardless of whether it is urban or rural, should have access to a modern, fun, safe and inclusive play park within a reasonable distance of their home. That requires strategic thinking and proper investment. For all those parents who have children with additional needs, inclusive design must be the standard, not the exception. Every play park should be accessible to all our children. I call on the Communities Minister to work very closely with all council areas on those matters.”
“In Mountsandel, residents have said that the park is unchanged since they were children, and, sadly, we saw a complete absence of a play park in Greysteel for a number of years. I have particular concerns about the lack of play provision for our children in rural areas. <BR /> <BR />The play park beside the Mall car park in Coleraine, which is just a few yards from my constituency office, was described by one constituent as "unusable". From my observations, it is indeed unused. That is what happens when play parks are treated as an afterthought and as something that is nice to have, should budgets allow it, instead of the core part of our community life that they are. We would not leave our roads, schools or libraries to rot, yet we do that with our play parks.”
“I rise to speak passionately about play and the provision of play parks in my constituency. I call on the Communities Minister to work closely with our councils on the provision of sport and play. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child is clear that every child has the right to access play. Play is not a privilege; it is a right. <BR /> <BR />Regrettably, however, across our towns and villages in East Derry, from Limavady to Greysteel, from Castlerock to Coleraine and beyond, we have seen that play parks have been left to fall into neglect and disrepair. I think particularly of Kylemore in Coleraine. Parents there tell me of broken swings and rusty slides, and glass and litter that have been thrown across play areas that once brought joy but are now overrun with vandalism.”
“For example, if people live in Newry, and there is access to jobs or opportunities in Drogheda or Dundalk, or if there is a skills gap, we feel that our approach through the amendment will assist in addressing such issues. <BR /> <BR />To conclude, the SDLP calls on the Economy Minister to work closely with her counterparts on the island to ensure that we close the skills gap and give each and every young person across the North the best opportunity to build a life for themselves right here at home, whether that is north or south of the border.”
“I do not think that any of us in the House backs that kind of environment. It is not fair, and it is not what we want to see. We want our young people to feel empowered, to have the necessary skill set and to have access to opportunities based on merit and education. <BR /> <BR />Diana Armstrong from the UUP stated that greater collaboration is needed between the Minister of Education and the Minister for the Economy on these matters, and we wholeheartedly agree. <BR /> <BR />I will briefly touch on our amendment. We do not seek to be pedantic, but we feel that it really reinforces the need for collaboration and connection, given the mutual benefit on an all-island basis and given that our lives, our families, our employment and our opportunities do not recognise a border.”
“I will move quickly on to other Members' contributions. David Honeyford made an important point, which is that we must all look to our future and not back at our past to ensure that our young people have access to opportunities and, more importantly, that they feel empowered. Moreover, both he and the Minister mentioned AI, so I feel it necessary to declare an interest, as I do an hour a month of consultancy work on AI ethics. <BR /> <BR />Other comments from across the House included those from Pádraig Delargy, who said that it is vital that we acknowledge that work is being done by our schools and universities but that there is more left to do. <BR /> <BR />Phillip Brett detailed something very important, which is that many people feel that it is not what you know but who you know.”
“I feel strongly, as does my colleague Sinéad McLaughlin, that not enough is being done to achieve regional balance, with a particular focus, of course, on the north-west, which is greatly felt by our constituents.”
“Those people all love where they are from and are proud to be from the North, but they cannot see themselves building a life here for themselves or their families due to a number of contributing factors from rising childcare costs to the cost of living. For many, it is also about the challenge of accessing a university course that they desperately want to do here at home. Our young people face many challenges, and the duty is on us to figure out how we can keep them at home and help them prosper. <BR /> <BR />It is important to highlight the need for regional balance, which many Members in the House have mentioned. The benefits of growth belong to us all.”
“Thank you, Madam Principal Deputy Speaker. <BR /> <BR />The SDLP firmly believes that young people are the foundation of our future and must have access to the right skill sets to help them and our businesses to prosper. Upskilling the thousands of young people across NI is key to unlocking and creating a stronger and more resilient economy across the North. I welcome the opportunity to wind up on our amendment, which strikes at the heart of the future of our economy here and the urgent need to address the skills gap and uplift the lives and minds of our young people. <BR /> <BR />For years, I, like many, have watched family members, cousins, friends and school classmates move to Australia, America, Canada and beyond to seek opportunities, job vacancies, higher wages and easier access to upskilling and learning.”
“We are elected to the House to deliver for people, and transparency and accountability are key to showing the public that we are focused on putting in place legislation that can adequately change their lives.”
“I will speak, briefly, on the new Standing Order. I thank the Chair of the Committee for her work chairing the Committee. The SDLP welcomes the new Standing Order, which seeks to include an annual debate on the Assembly's legislative programme. The new Standing Order speaks to the importance of openness and transparency in the Assembly in relation to Executive business. Having been the Opposition for the past 500 days or so, our view is that this is of great importance and allows for the First Minister and deputy First Minister, and the rest of the Executive, to be held accountable for their work. I put on record my frustration that the Executive have still not delivered their 2024 legislative programme.”
“Thank you very much, Minister. To be clear, those words are directly from the parent of a child who has endured trauma in those settings, and that parent feels that restraint and seclusion were used unfairly towards their child. In the discussion that we are having, is it not fair to echo the words of those parents?”
“We further call on you to implement the gathering and monitoring of evidence required to ensure that that dark chapter in our education system can finally be closed.”
“However, as of today, we have limited guidance and oversight to ensure that that never happens again. <BR /> <BR />The parents whose children experienced those practices talk movingly about the lasting impact that restraint and seclusion has had on them as a family, not only on their child. Children who once managed with complex needs regressed from happy, functioning young learners to distressed, fearful and traumatised children who were afraid of school and the dark and afraid that adults entrusted with their care may not be trustworthy. <BR /> <BR />I ask you, Minister, to listen to the debate, understand the lived experience of those children, listen to parents and their concerns, repeal article 4(1)(c) of the Education (Northern Ireland) Order 1998 and commit to introducing non-discriminatory guidance and training.”
“we have a limited ability to ascertain whether those procedures are implemented in a way that meets those expectations. Indeed, if one of the members of staff had not shared with Deirdre Shakespeare photographs of what her son, Harry, endured and was being subjected to, there is every chance that we would not be having this debate today. <BR /> <BR />It does not take a medical professional to understand that strapping a child to a chair; deliberately weighing children down with heavy bags; belting children tightly to mechanical devices; locking children in small rooms with no stimulus and, in some instances, without even a window; or multiple adults forcefully holding children's limbs down, telling them that they cannot move and that, if they do, they will be held down for longer, is unethical and would be traumatic for any child.”
“While the most recent departmental circular from May 2021 on restraint and seclusion states that it is always advisable that parents are informed, there is no statutory obligation on schools to record incidents of restraint or seclusion. Furthermore, while it states:”
“Too often, those measures are performed on children who lack the ability to advocate for themselves, leaving parents to interpret their traumatised behaviours in pursuit of truth as they follow the breadcrumb trail to understand the reality of school abuse. <BR /> <BR />While the huge lack of data and reporting on these issues means that we do not fully comprehend the extent of the problem, the parents and carers' voices on restrictive practices 2019 report, which assessed restrictive practices on SEN children across the UK, including Northern Ireland, detailed that 88% of parents reported that their child had been restrained in school, with 35% stating that that happened regularly and that 71% of families reported that their child had been secluded in school, with 21% saying that that was happening daily.”
“The motion recognises that it is parents who brought these issues to the attention of the Assembly and the public. It applauds them, as I do. However, those parents, including Deirdre Shakespeare and Shauna, with whom I spoke this week, are not interested in empty gestures; they want to see action, so that no child ever has to suffer like that again. Regrettably, despite the issue's having been flagged up nearly a decade ago and despite the Department's recognising the seriousness of the problem, little comprehensive action has been taken to prevent it happening again. <BR /> <BR />The failure to compel schools to report the incidents is alarming. Schools are permitted to continue operating in the dark, free to deprive children of their liberty without their parents ever even being informed.”
“As one parent remarked to me, article 4(1)(c) is just corporal punishment by the back door. The accounts of restraint and seclusion are shocking. The impact is devastating, and its perpetuation intolerable. That form of 21st-century corporal punishment disproportionately affects children with special educational needs (SEN) — our most vulnerable children. In some cases, restraint and seclusion is exercised on children who are non-verbal with no ability to report what is happening to them.”
“Children strapped to chairs. Children secluded from their peers, in closed rooms. Children left alone in windowless so-called darkrooms. Children held, face to the ground, by multiple adults. Children injured, distressed, voiceless. Children traumatised.”
“Minister, thank you for your answer. It has been a number of months now since I secured an Adjournment debate on the issue, and many feel as though there has been little change. Is your Department dealing with the issue with a profound sense of urgency? Can you detail any conversations that you have had with my constituents who are struggling to find adequate housing?”
“Sarah's life mattered. Her children's future matters. Unless we treat this epidemic with the seriousness that it demands, more women will die. They will be murdered, and, sadly, more children will grow up without their mothers. That is not a future that we can accept: not in this Assembly, not in this society and not in our name.”
“As a north-west representative, I have a profound concern about the lack of investment there, particularly for groups such as Women's Aid, which does such fantastic work and yet is painfully underfunded. We know that that can cost lives. We must also confront the deeper systemic issues that enable such violence: misogyny, social inequality and the growing threat of online radicalisation, which warps attitudes and worsens harm towards women and girls. The Executive must work with the UK Government to tackle urgently the root causes of those issues and ensure that we secure the correct investment.”
“We are failing women; we are failing children; and we are failing to meet the crisis with the significant urgency, coordination and political will that it so greatly requires. Too many women in our communities live in fear: in fear in their home, in fear on the streets and in fear in their relationships. That fear is not imagined but real and justified. Sadly, the statistics tell a grim truth and speak for themselves, but it must never be accepted as normal. <BR /> <BR />While I welcome the recent publication of the Executive's strategy to tackle and end violence against women and girls, I remain gravely concerned that, without the necessary funding, it will amount to little more than words on paper. Strategies do not save lives: action does, and investment does.”
“I speak today with a heavy heart, following the devastating murder of a woman in Donaghadee, Sarah Montgomery, who was just 27 years old and pregnant. It was an unspeakable act of violence that has robbed her children of their mother and shattered a family for ever. There is no grief more profound than that of children torn from the love, safety and care of their mother. Their lives have undoubtedly been changed for ever, and I offer my deepest condolences to the family at the centre of this horror. We must ensure that they are supported not just in the days ahead but on the long road that follows. <BR /> <BR />Let me be clear: what happened is not an isolated incident but part of a wider and worsening epidemic of violence against women and girls in Northern Ireland.”
“No. <BR /> <BR />The tragedy of 7 October cannot be overstated. It was horrific and inhumane, but it is not a justification for the bombardment and starving of the innocent people of Palestine ever since. I have been told by many in Westminster that I should not voice my criticisms of the British Government on the issue, as it is above my pay grade. To them, I say this today: Gaza is the greatest moral issue of our time, and I sure as hell will use every opportunity inside and outside this House to highlight the profound, disgraceful suffering that innocent children have faced. Innocent children deserve the ability to be just that and not to have to suffer and starve. Shame on the British Government, who are aiding and abetting the suffering of those innocent children.”
“Either we believe that we must support all those facing suffering or we do not.”
“Just recently, a video that I watched online showed a child whose limbs had been blown off begging a doctor to kill him, as the rest of his family had been killed. I find it grotesque that any Member of this House or any MP in the moral headquarters of Westminster cannot condemn that level of violence. To them I say this: find a backbone. <BR /> <BR />As children in Gaza struggle to find aid, as they scavenge for food and as they risk life and limb to live one more day, the British Government continue to indulge what can be defined only as a genocide. Either we believe in the importance and sacred nature of international law or we do not. Either we believe that genocide is always wrong or we do not. Either we believe that we have a responsibility to oppose rogue states or we do not.”
“Thankfully, however, for the better part of the past two years, people across this island have stood in solidarity with the Palestinian people. From street marches and rallies such as the one that I attended at the weekend in Derry to charity events and student movements in our universities, people across the island have demonstrated time and time again their horror at the war crimes and their solidarity with the people of Palestine, who have suffered immensely through brutality and starvation and are without water or warmth. We cannot continue to ignore that. <BR /> <BR />The British Government should be ashamed. They continue to supply Israel with arms exports that feed the IDF machine. Keir Starmer is unapologetic for doing so, and I find that utterly shameful.”
“The motion took a balanced, nuanced approach, but it was still not supported. This has been a disappointing debate for all the wrong reasons, so let me please return to what matters, which is the important issue of the suffering of the Palestinian people. <BR /> <BR />I thank colleagues to my left for tabling what is an important motion that highlights the ongoing genocide in Gaza, which is a stain on the collective West. Those who have remained silent in the condemnation of Israel or have sought to lessen, deflect attention from or excuse the atrocities perpetrated by the IDF fail not only the innocent people of Gaza but the idea that the West is seriously interested in international law or human rights.”
“I am baffled at the tone used by some across the Chamber. The use of "however" and "but" after we discuss the impact of the bombing, maiming, starvation and slaughter of innocent children is absolutely abhorrent. <BR /> <BR />In the North of Ireland, Northern Ireland or whatever Members wish to call it, we have a profound and innate understand of how conflict has shaped who we are, our families and the place that we call "home". We are aware of trans-generational trauma. We are aware of the true human cost of retaliation. I am dumbfounded at how many in the Chamber boast about the sanctity of life, just not when it applies to innocent Palestinian children. <BR /> <BR />Last year in the House, we highlighted atrocities and condemned Hamas, yet many still did not vote for our motion.”
“I thank the Member who tabled this important question. Many parents and families in my constituency care deeply about transparency about sex offenders in their community and around their children. Minister, what is your assessment of the use of the castration of known paedophiles who have been through our justice system and are now in our communities, having caused harm to children and minors?”
“A site once seen as untouchable was finally held accountable. That is justice, but it came far too late and at far too great a cost. It needs to be a wake-up call to those who find joy in anonymously putting down others online that they will be held accountable and that just because the abuse is online does not mean that it will be tolerated. <BR /> <BR />Let us not wait for another family to be torn apart by a website such as Tattle Life. Let the Sands case not be just a headline. Let it be a turning point when Northern Ireland says, "Enough is enough". I thank Neil and Donna for their bravery in taking this awful case to court and showing that we need to build an internet that protects people and does not profit from their pain.”
“It was not just idle gossip; it was targeted harassment. It was libellous. It was slander. It happened online but had real consequences offline. Donna Sands said that it pushed her to breaking point, and that is the reality of tech-facilitated abuse. <BR /> <BR />The founder of the horrific, bullying website was making over £320,000 a year in ad revenue, profiting directly from the destruction of other people's reputations. It is a site where anonymous trolls can target people with lies, accuse them of crimes and infidelity and tarnish their overall reputation. The site is thought to have generated over £1·8 million in profit. However, last week, something historic happened in Northern Ireland: the Sands couple won a defamation case worth £300,000 — the largest amount ever awarded in Northern Ireland.”
“Many of us had never heard of the website until last week, but, sadly, many of us, as public figures, feature on it as well. However, for the Sands family, it has been their living nightmare for years. Over 45 pages of anonymous abuse posted about them and completely false — false claims, personal details and threats. One post chillingly read:”
“They were harassed, ridiculed and stalked online by strangers hiding behind fake usernames, and that was fuelled by a website designed to monetise gossip and human suffering — a website built on toxicity and a culture of cruelty.”
“I rise to make a Member's statement about the website Tattle Life and the impact that it has had on the mental well-being of people in Northern Ireland. For the avoidance of doubt, I declare an interest as a paid consultant for an AI firm providing advice on the ethics of AI. Obviously, this statement is not about AI but about online harm. <BR /> <BR />This is a very topical issue, and I wish to talk about online harms, libel and slander and how they have had a real-life impact. No website is worse for that action — it is infamous — than Tattle Life. I want to raise in the House the issue of a brave couple from Northern Ireland, Neil and Donna Sands, who became the victims of a very modern kind of abuse: tech-facilitated harassment on that website.”
“It is vital that all of us recognise that our interests are better served as part of a new Ireland back in Europe. How long will our children in the North look to the South — at a thriving economy and a stable government, with endless opportunities — while we in the North can offer our young people so little? That is reflected in the brain drain. Our future belongs in the united new Ireland, and I firmly believe that we will see it in our lifetime. There is still time for those on the fence to recognise the benefits that it can bring to all of us across all of our communities.”
“That move was more than economic; it was symbolic. It represented a conscious choice by both states to move forward on a shared path of peace, prosperity and partnership. Membership of the EU helped the UK secure billions in foreign direct investment and opened its doors to many of the best and brightest minds across Europe who call here "home". Moreover, European integration was the context in which peace was delivered. It helped soften borders, reduce tensions and foster cross-border institutions and solutions. The EU was not a bystander to peace: it was, in many ways, a guarantor of peace. <BR /> <BR />We feel strongly that there is only one real alternative in which Northern Ireland and its people can decisively effect change. That is within a European future, which the majority of our people want.”
“While everyone else is the big bad wolf for talking about the constitutional question, a certain party claims to be focused on the everyday issues. Madam Principal Deputy Speaker, I am here to say that, thankfully, we in the SDLP can walk and chew gum. We can do both and have done so since 1998, and we have had a backbone while doing it. <BR /> <BR />Northern Ireland is struggling to work. That is self-evident from the waiting lists, the unacceptable lack of support for those in need and much more. There is another way to provide a better life for our people here. We in the SDLP believe firmly that that is in a new Ireland in Europe, and we will not feel awkward or ashamed or be painted as being divisive for believing so. In 1973, Ireland and the United Kingdom took a bold and visionary step by joining the European Economic Community.”
“Not at this time, no. <BR /> <BR />It provides us with the right to self-determination on which the SDLP led in 1998. If Members feel that that makes us irrelevant, they should feel free to thank us and the UUP on the way out for the peace that we helped to secure. <BR /> <BR />The argument against talking about a new Ireland in Europe is fundamentally flawed. To state that any discussion of our political future is divisive is not only foolish but entirely incorrect, and it does a disservice to the very essence of the Good Friday Agreement. Painting anyone who wishes to engage in political discussions on such matters as troublemakers, as problematic or as stuck in the past is politically shrewd, but it is painfully transparent.”
“That is neither controversial nor divisive; it is our birthright, having being born here. <BR /> <BR />Although it may be politically beneficial for some Members to strike down anyone who speaks about a brighter future in a new Ireland while they, on the fence, are perceived as the good guys who care about the here and now, I see it differently. Those who condemn the motion being discussed today are enablers for no change. They are the maintainers of the status quo, and they are arguably the very deniers of true, tangible change being achieved on this island. Another good point is that the Good Friday Agreement is the backbone of this Building. It allows us to live in peace and gives us the freedom to identify as Irish, as British and as both.”
“I welcome the opportunity to contribute to what has been an interesting and exciting debate. I wholeheartedly push back on the notion that discussing the constitutional question is inherently negative. It is being perceived today as something that, by its nature, is problematic or controversial: I could not disagree more. <BR /> <BR />I was born and raised on this island. I am a passionate Irish nationalist, and, as a nationalist, I like to talk about our constitutional future on this island, as is my right. I respect the right, ability and position of my unionist colleagues to argue against me, because, whichever way we cut it, we all call this place "home" and are allowed to take pride in our political and cultural identity and in our constitutional belief.”
“A number of schools in my constituency would welcome the extension of the speed limit scheme. Off the back of that, will the Minister commit to exploring the implementation of school streets schemes that would temporarily restrict traffic around schools to improve safety and encourage active travel?”
“We need leadership that is focused on affordable childcare, decent jobs, clean energy and homes that people can actually live in. People here are tired of promises. They want results; they want public money to be spent wisely; and they want a Government who plan beyond tomorrow. This Budget fails that test, but the SDLP is ready and has a better answer. The people of the North deserve a Budget that works not just for headlines but for homes, hospitals and hope.”
“We would establish a Northern Ireland regional investment bank, backed by unspent capital and designed to unlock investment in housing, green energy and, of course, enterprise. We would work with the Irish Government to develop shared budgets, because health, infrastructure and economic development do not stop at the border. Above all, we would future-proof our finances by introducing a future generations Bill, ensuring that every spending decision reflects our shared priorities, promotes sustainability and delivers for the next generation and not just for the next election. That is not a theory or aspiration without action; it is a plan, grounded in reality, driven by values and very much ready to go. <BR /> <BR />The North can no longer afford a Government who pick fights over flags.”
“<BR /> <BR />The SDLP has published a credible, costed and ambitious alternative — with fancy logos. Our plan for change starts with the basics. We would like to commit at least 10% of departmental spending to the Programme for Government priorities, backed by time-bound targets for change by 2030. We would publish departmental business cases, create a public spending dashboard and empower the Fiscal Council to monitor delivery. That is transparency and accountability. We would grasp fiscal devolution, starting with the taxes that the Fiscal Commission identified. We would reform superparity measures not by cutting what is essential but by ensuring that every pound delivers maximum social impact.”