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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“Despite those alarming statistics, no meaningful action is being taken to tackle the structural causes of poverty, and, as a direct result, children are left without the basic necessities and schools are expected to pick up the slack with inadequate resources. Most troubling is the recent decision to fine teachers up to £2,500 for engaging in lawful union action, which is a direct attack on their rights. Rather than focusing on resolving the underlying issues that have driven our teachers to take industrial action — chronic underfunding, overwork and inadequate support — there have, sadly, been moves to criminalise their efforts to improve their working conditions and our wider education system. That move only deepens the crisis and further demoralises an already burned-out and overburdened teaching profession.”
“<BR /> <BR />I would like to refer in particular to mental health services, especially those for our students, as they remain woefully inadequate. Mental health support in schools is not a luxury but a necessity, yet the response has been to underfund that area while disregarding the root causes of mental health distress, such as poverty and, of course, a wider lack of support. Our children are growing up in an environment in which their mental health is overlooked, and, as a result, their future is put at risk. <BR /> <BR />I also feel strongly about child poverty and inequality, which also continue to be ignored. A recent report by Barnardo's shows that a quarter of parents struggle to provide enough food for their children.”
“<BR /> <BR />Meanwhile, public services are crumbling around us: agency staff costs in health have doubled to £400 million; overspends on major capital projects now total £3 billion; and the cost of division or political dysfunction and failure to build shared services drains another £800 million every year. Furthermore, the Budget does nothing to address the glaring failures in our education system, which faces a financial crisis. We hear of the ongoing concerns of teachers, principals and our communities who feel that their children are being failed. We urgently need more funding to ensure that schools can support their students effectively. We are witnessing an education system under significant stress that is not equipped to deal with the growing demands that are being placed on it.”
“Three years ago, the independent Fiscal Commission provided the Executive with a roadmap to devolve more tax powers, expand borrowing flexibility, establish a reserve fund and strengthen fiscal autonomy. Sadly, not one of those recommendations has been implemented. Instead of building the future, the Executive borrow the excuses of the past. In the Programme for Government, the Executive identified childcare as a top priority, but, while Ministers tell us that we need to spend £400 million a year for proper early years support, they have allocated just £50 million to it. That is not investment; that is neglect, and parents will tell you the same thing.”
“While the Executive blame Westminster — yes, the funding model is deeply flawed — they cannot continue to pull the wool over the public's eyes by ignoring their failure to act.”
“<BR /> <BR />The Budget does not reflect ambition; it reflects complacency. It reflects a Government more concerned with managing political optics than with delivering for the people whom they seek to serve. We were told that things would change when the Executive returned in February and that there would be transformation, fiscal sustainability and, of course, reform. Instead, we have a rerun of the same, tired approach of siloed spending, political self-interest and an unwillingness to grasp the tools of real change.”
“The Budget is not just a set of numbers; it is a test of whether the Executive can turn words into action or whether they will continue the cycle of failure, short-termism, blaming and shifting that has held the North back for far too long. Let us be clear: the public deserve a Budget that works and matches resources to the priorities of our people with clear targets and outcomes that improve everyday life. Instead, what have we got? Despite receiving the largest block grant in the history of devolution, just 2% of the Budget has been allocated to the Executive's Programme for Government priorities, resulting in 98% of public spending being disconnected from the very goals that, Ministers claimed, they would deliver on: reducing waiting lists, building homes, investing in childcare and, of course, growing our economy.”
“Does the Member agree that so much of the debate today is about the importance of allowing our children to be children, the sanctity of childhood and having those experiences?”
“— we must do everything that we can in the House to end them.”
“If we expect our young people to grow up to be resilient, strong and content, we must ensure that they have access to critical mental health services in their school settings. <BR /> <BR />Furthermore, the RSE curriculum will be pivotal in tackling online misogyny. I have mentioned 'Adolescence' in the House before. It is an important time in our history to reflect on the positives and the blessings of phone usage when it comes to education, but there are so many harms, and —”
“<BR /> <BR />Anxiety and depression are on the rise among our young people. I have no doubt that the online world often contributes to that and to feelings of despair. The motion refers to the importance of counselling for our young people in the school space. It is really important to say that, especially as the Minister is here. After a series of savage cuts to programmes that are aimed at serving young people and their mental health in school, it is critical that that money finds its way back to such important services. My inbox is inundated with correspondence from school-age children and those who have recently left school, who repeatedly cite the challenges that they face with their mental health, the world online and cyberbullying.”
“It is really important that parents are part of that conversation. <BR /> <BR />Simply put, all the jurisdictions that have carefully investigated and considered the harms that are posed by those devices have acted to end the experiment through which we are living. They are halting the normalisation of our young people having powerful computers in their pockets and are closing the door through which children may have unfettered access to the world of pornography and violent and extreme content. They are ending the stress of having to maintain the sense of a perfect life that many young people feel. There is a lot of stress online. People compare their online personas to those of others. There is a lot of pressure and weight attached to looking at perfect online lives that have been created.”
“It is important to state that they would only be withdrawn during school hours. The Danish commission found that 94% of young people create a social media account before they turn 13, noting that that increases their risk of exposure to inappropriate material; distracts from the essentials of childhood, such as physical activity and spending time with family and friends; and reduces interest in activities such as reading. We have already seen a sharp decline in the number of young people who read, so today is an opportunity to raise that among the negative impacts of phone addiction. The Danish commission recommended that no child under 13 should be given a smartphone, while Norway has imposed strict measures to ban children under the age of 15 from having social media accounts.”
“I thank the Member for his intervention and wholeheartedly agree with him. Those things can coexist. Even we, as the Education Committee, can do more to involve parents in the conversation with our young people about the benefits and downsides of technology in education. I take the Member's point and agree with him. <BR /> <BR />We have seen such decisions being made across Europe in even greater numbers. Some countries have even established welfare commissions to investigate the impact of digital devices on the lives of young people. Denmark has passed a ban on smartphones because it does not feel that children under the age of 17 should be able to access them. If smartphones were banned in schools, our young people would still have access to them before and after school.”
“I thank the Member for his intervention. When I was doing some research ahead of the debate, I found a statistic that a quarter of children aged five to seven have access to a smartphone, so I absolutely agree that we need to establish boundaries and put them in place early. As I said, banning smartphones from school will not answer all the concerns and queries that we have, but it is really important that we set boundaries. Today, the Minister has an opportunity to reflect on the hard decision to remove phones from the classroom. Our schools must be places of learning and places where children can connect. If we look at our neighbours around —.”
“Politically speaking, that is not very advantageous for us to say, but it really needs to happen, and today is a good day on which to start the conversation. <BR /> <BR />All the evidence shows that devices are hijacking our children's nervous systems and luring them into often uncontrollable patterns of misuse. They risk being bombarded with often hateful, divisive and even destructive content. Banning smartphones from school is not a complete remedy for all the problems that I have mentioned, but it is a much-needed, strong start. Children do want boundaries, and it has been psychologically proven that boundaries help our young people feel safe.”
“<BR /> <BR />On that note, I was listening recently to a Bear and Scully podcast. They noted that, in Northern Ireland, if people feel that they are addicted to their phone, there is nowhere for them to go to get guidance on how to get a digital detox, which would be healthy for us all. Some may find the concept of that rather funny, but it is a real problem. Countries across Europe, such as France, Spain and Luxembourg, and nations around the world are now beginning to act on that very real issue. The direction of action is clear. I know that teenagers will hate me for saying this, so I am really sorry, guys, but the 45-year-old version of you will thank me: smartphones need to be banned in our schools.”
“I am, however, also sober in my assessment of the risks, especially to our children and their education. If you talk to teachers, they will tell you about students who leave the classroom to check their phone, about students who are unable to concentrate because they were up all night falling into the TikTok wormhole and about parents who battle over dinner with children who are just overcome by the comfort of the screen on their phone. That is a daily reality for so many young people across the North and across the world. It is clear that unambiguous leadership is what is needed in order to address phone use in schools. We need to see strong leadership and decision-making from the Executive to remedy some of the ongoing challenges that our young people face.”
“<BR /> <BR />Since Instagram came into existence, the number of teenage girls self-harming in the United States has increased dramatically and steadily year-on-year. Virtual communities of toxic trolls prompting vulnerable children into dangerous and damaging acts of self-mutilation have also been linked, sadly, to suicide here in the UK. Moreover, now more than ever, extreme, conspiratorial and misogynistic ideas linger in vast yet closed echo chambers from which there is limited chance of escape. Many of us only read about such online spaces, but many young people call them home: hidden forums, incel group chats and much, much more. <BR /> <BR />Some here may consider my words to be designed to create a sense of fear and panic, so I want to say that I am open to the many benefits that technology offers us.”
“We used to live in one reality. We now live our lives both online and offline. Devices have been meticulously crafted so as to become extensions of our limbs. Companies that create social media content conduct research on how dopamine in the brain works to make our social media platforms as addictive as possible. Being without your phone and access to apps and the internet can trigger separation anxiety. Apps and algorithms are carefully designed to maximise user attention, and they demand that we use our phone for ever longer periods and return to it in repeated and predictable ways. New, intoxicating prospects are suggested through our phone. For example, X, formerly known as Twitter, utilises a pull-down method to refresh your page. That triggers the same dopamine feeling in the brain as when you play a slot machine in a casino.”
“Whether it is from Instagram, Snapchat, YouTube or any one of the millions of online games that are ever available at the tap of a screen, our young people, like the rest of us, contend with the very real temptation of smartphones, tablets and social media as an omnipresent reality.”
“Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. I welcome that we are joined today by many young people, who are listening in to the important debate. <BR /> <BR />When you give your child a phone, you do not just give them access to the world; you give the world access to your child. It is no secret that I love my phone. In fact, I feel as though it is attached to me. It is like another limb. I enjoy the freedom that it gives me. It allows me to navigate roads, use social media, connect with my constituents and share details of my sheepdog, Clint, each and every day. <BR /> <BR />However, as I am sure that Members are well aware, smartphones, social media and the all-pervasive internet culture that now dominates our lives and our children's lives is not always light-hearted, liberating or even enjoyable.”
“Minister, will you commit to ending all forms of academic selection as part of your agenda for educational reform, given the well-documented stress and anxiety that our young people experience when sitting the test, for example?”
“I put on record my solidarity with and support for you, deputy First Minister, in everything that you are going through. No one should have to face any kind of threat when doing their job. <BR /> <BR />Recently, during a discussion in the European Parliament, there was a suggestion of having a direct helpline — a 911, if you will — for digital abuse. Do you think that we should have something similar here in Northern Ireland specifically to tackle misogynistic digital abuse?”
“We must show solidarity with the ladies who are fighting for equality. I urge all the stakeholders who are listening today to make the right decision on 22 May and empower our young camogie players with the freedom to choose attire that reflects their comfort and choice. We, in the SDLP, wholeheartedly support them.”
“The players must be supported. <BR /> <BR />In response to the ongoing issue, the Camogie Association has scheduled a special congress on 22 May to vote on allowing players a choice between skorts and shorts. I hope that the correct decision is made and choice is upheld. Shorts are practical and comfortable, and women's being able to choose what they want to wear in sport is so important — it is that simple. <BR /> <BR />Some will say that this is a small issue; I disagree. Others will say that there are bigger issues that we could debate or raise in this House; I disagree. It is a matter of equality, and people would not say those things about issues in male sport. We must listen to and respect the voices of our athletes across this island and ensure that tradition does not hinder progress.”
“Further protests led to the postponement of the Munster final between Cork and Waterford, as both teams intended to wear shorts in defiance of the ongoing rule. The players expressed that they felt "completely let down" and stated:”
“A recent survey by the Gaelic Players Association (GPA) revealed that over 83% of players prefer wearing shorts, citing their being more comfortable and more practical. <BR /> <BR />Yesterday, I did my own experiment and wore a skort to the gym, and I can tell you that it was far from comfortable. Recently, the conversations escalated when players from Dublin and Kilkenny took to the field for a Leinster semi-final only to be told that the match would not proceed unless they changed into skorts. It is not right. The Dublin captain described the incident as a "career low", and questioned why female athletes must still fight for the right to wear the attire that suits their needs. Derry SDLP councillor Catherine McDaid has done a fantastic job of highlighting the issue.”
“Today, I address the ongoing issue in our national sport of camogie and highlight the importance of equality on the pitch. First, I thank all those who volunteer and devote hours of their life to coaching and engaging with our young women and girls and encouraging them to get out on the field, particularly those in the Camogie Association. <BR /> <BR />Full disclosure: I have not played a game of camogie in well over 10 years, but I still miss the cut and thrust of combat on the pitch. I feel strongly about the issue, and it is important to highlight the concerns of our young ladies who play camogie and who have been very vocal about their desire to have the choice to wear shorts on the pitch.”
“Each of us, in the House and outside it, should reflect on what we can do and say at this point in history to speak up against genocide, as referred to by the UN convention. I urge every one of us in the House with a voice to speak up to condemn those horrific actions and to put an end to what is the biggest atrocity of our time.”
“In particular, we see that, at the moment, severe hunger and imminent famine are ongoing due to the Israeli blockade, which has been in place for over 10 weeks. That has halted the entry of essential supplies, pushing Gaza towards near famine. Nearly 477,000 Palestinians are experiencing catastrophic hunger levels, and many communal kitchens have shut down due to a lack of available aid. There have been attacks on healthcare workers and aid workers that are absolutely unforgivable. <BR /> <BR />There have been many global calls for a ceasefire, and the House has supported that. International leaders and organisations are urging an immediate ceasefire and an end to the ongoing violence. In particular, our new Pope has asked for compassion and aid delivery.”
“Having had the power to bring an end to the horror, they have been cowards and have been quiet, and I find that utterly shameful. Government representatives can use their voice for change, but they have been more concerned about their own career progression than the end of the slaughter of innocent children in Gaza. <BR /> <BR />The Palestinian people have suffered massive civilian casualties and displacement since October 2023. Over 52,000 Palestinians have been killed, with women and innocent children comprising the majority of those casualties. The Israeli military campaign has led to the displacement of approximately 90% of Gaza's 2·3 million residents, forcing them into overcrowded shelters or makeshift camps.”
“I welcome the opportunity to speak again on the ongoing atrocities in Gaza, which I and my party find truly unforgivable. Just yesterday, I watched a video online of children starving in Gaza, wishing for food. Children have been blown up or murdered by Israeli bombs, and I ask myself and the Chamber this: what kind of world are we living in? Speaking up against those atrocities goes beyond faith or different backgrounds and beliefs. As politicians, advocates and people, we have a collective duty to call out that collective punishment, particularly through starvation, as absolutely unacceptable and unforgivable. <BR /> <BR />This is an issue of humanity and the sanctity of human life. We have seen total cowardice from the previous and current US and UK Governments.”
“I thank the Member for giving way. Does he agree that it is totally immoral to euthanise dogs that are healthy and rehomable within five days and that we should move forward in seeing a no-euthanasia agenda? Does he also agree that we should thank animal charities and communities for the impeccable work that they do?”
“Minister, will you commit to ensuring that any changes to the scheme will not disproportionately affect low-income families or rural schools?”
“We need urgent interim funding to retain what NHS provision we have currently, fair contracts for dentists and a ministerial commitment that no citizen should be denied care based on their postcode or their purse. Oral health is not a luxury but a right, and it is long over time that we treated it as such.”
“This is not simply about inconvenience. It is about preventable pain, early diagnoses being missed and long-term health conditions that start in the mouth but end in emergency rooms. The Department of Health says that £9 million has been invested, but the British Dental Association says that that falls drastically short of what is needed. Dentists are walking away because they cannot survive under the current funding models. It is truly unsustainable, and, for my constituents, I feel that it is unjust. <BR /> <BR />I ask this: is this the end of NHS dentistry in Northern Ireland? We in the SDLP say that it cannot be and that the current situation cannot continue.”
“We are not just losing services; we are witnessing the dismantling of the founding promise of the NHS, which is that care should be based on need, not on the ability to pay. The reality now is this: if you cannot afford a private dental plan, you are out of options. At a time when family budgets are so tight, no one can afford that extra £20 to £30 a month for dental care.”
“That means that people across my constituency — from Claudy to Dungiven, Feeny, Coleraine and beyond — are ringing round dentists in desperation. One constituent with whom I recently spoke was shocked to receive a letter saying that his dental practice would no longer offer NHS treatment. The message was blunt: go private or go elsewhere. However, where is "elsewhere"? As one NHS dentist bravely said, their practice is at full capacity. The system is beyond strain. Although we are told that investment is on the way and reform is promised, patients are being left behind right now.”
“I welcome the opportunity to speak more about the crisis in NHS dentistry across Northern Ireland. Thousands of people, many of whom are my constituents, are being silently and systematically cut from one of their most basic healthcare needs: dental care. Over the past two years alone, more than 53,000 NHS dental patients have been removed from practice lists. That is not just a statistic: that is 53,000 individuals, including children, pensioners and low-income workers, who are now unable to access the care that they were promised as part of our National Health Service. <BR /> <BR />A lack of NHS contracts is causing much frustration. In 2023, 114 dentists handed back their NHS contract. Today, out of 360 dental practices across Northern Ireland, only two are fully NHS. Let that sink in.”
“We must do what we can to ensure that the process is smooth and that we provide clarity to our young people and give them the support that they need to reach their ambitions and prosper.”
“As other Members have mentioned — really articulately, by the way — there is a lack of information, and study options across the border are not communicated enough to our young people, meaning that options are available to them that they are not even aware of. There is total unfamiliarity with the application process and ongoing concerns about financial support. In particular, our young people who want to study in Dublin or the surrounding area really struggle with housing. We cannot leave our students and young people to navigate that alone, given the challenges that still evidently exist. <BR /> <BR />Today's reforms are a major achievement in fairness and opportunity on our island. Some things have changed, which is positive, but we must ensure that we do all that we can to overcome the remaining challenges.”
“That will help create new opportunities for young people from the North and the South to live, learn and grow together. If we are serious about building a new Ireland, we must foster a shared identity through things such as education, health and, of course, employment. Greater alignment between higher education institutions in the North and the South will also benefit the Magee campus and the wider north-west. With stronger cross-border partnerships and streamlined admissions, Magee can become a thriving educational hub, particularly in fields such as medicine, and that will help us to reach the 10,000-student target as soon as possible. <BR /> <BR />Brexit and increasing competition for international students have also made today's conversation even more urgent, as many challenges remain.”
“Meanwhile, a quarter of our higher education students here, which is over 16,000 of our young people, are studying in Britain, and many never return. I was almost one of them. That brain drain takes talent from our economy and society. Removing barriers to studying across this island is essential because it will not only keep skills on the island but strengthen our economy and communities. Cross-border student mobility grows our skills base, keeps our young people at home and sends a clear signal of political and economic stability to the world. <BR /> <BR />It is about more than just economics; it is about building a shared future and pushing for reconciliation across the island — our shared island. Prosperity is possible when we overcome the nonsensical restrictive barriers in academia and education.”
“For too long, students from the North have faced unnecessary barriers when trying to access higher education in the South. The SDLP has consistently called for those obstacles to be dismantled to ensure that there is an easy process for students who wish to study on the island, North and South. For a long time, previous requirements put unnecessary pressure on students from the North and forced them to keep doing four A levels, because having only three, as other Members have mentioned, would not generate enough points to meet the admissions criteria. That was grossly unfair. <BR /> <BR />Cross-border pathways must be strengthened. Student mobility remains too low. Students from the North make up just 0·6% of students in Southern universities.”
“Recognising not only the progress that has been made towards achieving parity in university admissions across the island but the challenges that still exist, I welcome the motion and the amendment.”
“Thank you, Minister, for your important briefing. I welcome the cross-border engagement, particularly on mental health in schools. Teachers and parents across my constituency are crying out for further support for mental health in the school setting. Will you provide more detail on the conversations that you had on a North/South basis on those matters and with Minister Nesbitt on that urgent issue? Also, what level of investment do you think is necessary to adequately meet the mental health needs of schoolchildren in Northern Ireland?”
“The issue continues and, year-on-year, worsens in my constituency, in Portrush, Portstewart, Castlerock etc. Minister, will you commit to an additional meeting with the Department for Communities to talk about the issue? If we keep pushing it back to councils, we will not find any answers.”
“First Minister, will you confirm whether a review of the 2020-25 online safety strategy is planned? If it is, will you ensure that it includes a specific focus on ending violence against women and girls online? Have you had any recent conversations with Ofcom on those matters?”
“As a practising Catholic, I greatly admire his commitment to building a Church that is based on inclusion and respect, focusing on bringing young people closer to Christ and acting as a progressive Pope who was welcoming of all. <BR /> <BR />Lastly, having been raised in a place such as this — a place shaped by conflict — I greatly admired Pope Francis's commitment and courage with regard to peacebuilding in the Middle East, recognising that one murdered Israeli or one murdered Palestinian was too many. His commitment to speaking with and praying for persecuted Christians across the globe speaks to the type of man that he was. I hope that his final wish — one that he spoke of until his final days — for peace in the Middle East soon becomes a reality. May he rest in peace.”