Nicola Brogan
West Tyrone · Sinn Féin · Northern Ireland
“Rinne muid Lá Idirnáisiúnta an Aistriúcháin a cheiliúradh an mhí seo a chuaigh thart. Tugtar seans dúinn an lá sin leis an obair thábhachtach, fhiúntach a dhéanann fir agus mná teanga ar fud an domhain a cheiliúradh.”
“Tugann sé seans do na daoine a bhfuil na teangacha sin acu a gcuid a bheith acu den tsaol anseo agus a bhuíochas sin ar na haistritheoirí agus na hateangairí.”
“<BR /> <BR />Mar sin de, a Cheann Comhairle, ba mhaith liom mo bhuíochas a ghabháil leis na haistritheoirí agus na hateangairí uile go léir, bíodh siad ag obair in institiúidí polaitíochta nó amuigh fríd na daoine sna hotharlanna agus sna cúirteanna.”
“<BR /> <BR />Despite an extremely tight budget that continues to be stripped to the bone by consecutive British Governments, investment in waste water infrastructure is continuing. NI Water is getting 90% of the capital money that it could spend this year, which is an increase from last year.”
“The appeal has been supported by the AERA Minister and is due to be heard this December. <BR /> <BR />I have said this before and will say it again: we need to continue to work together to ensure that the A5 is delivered.”
“Minister Kimmins and her predecessor, Minister O'Dowd, have fought tooth and nail for the progression of the A5 road upgrade. As a representative of West Tyrone and someone who uses the road daily, I appreciate the Minister's commitment to that vital project.”
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“I commend our current Infrastructure Minister, Liz Kimmins, for maintaining her commitment to road maintenance and safety, despite working within a budget that has been stripped to the bone. Every one of us can name roads that need repairs, but she has been working tirelessly to ensure that maintenance teams have the materials that they need. She has spearheaded initiatives to bridge recruitment gaps. Her Department is working diligently on a road maintenance strategy, and she has gone to great efforts to make sure that rural roads and roads west of the Bann are not forgotten. <BR /> <BR />I also commend the Minister's continued efforts to ensure that the vital A5 road upgrade is delivered.”
“Beidh mé ag caint i nGaeilge agus as Béarla. Duine ar bith a chaith níos mó ná dornán bomaití ag taisteal ar bhóthar ar bith in Éirinn nach príomhbhóthar é, ba dhoiligh leis easaontú le brí an rúin seo. Tá ár mbóithre, dála cuidmhór dár mbonneagar bunaidh, tá sin faoi chrann smola go fóill ag an tearc-infheistíocht agus an neamhshuim a rinne Rialtas na Breataine ann ar feadh na mblianta fada. Lena chois sin, dar le sean-réimeas Chnoc an Anfa nach raibh a leithéid de áit ann agus taobh thiar den Bhanna. Anois féin, agus Airí de chuid an Choiste Feidhmiúcháin comhaimseartha ag iarraidh an neamart sin a thabhairt isteach, fuair siad go bhfuil Westminster de shíor ag gearradh siar na mbuiséad atá acu leis an obair a dhéanamh.”
“Can he describe the mechanisms that he will put in place to ensure that the selected projects deliver on the wider community benefits of inclusivity and financial sustainability, as set out in the criteria?”
“The A5 was first announced almost 20 years ago, in 2007. In that time, every legitimate concern has been heard, and every effort has been made to address them. The western transport corridor is too important to the north-west, to the nation as a whole and to the grieving relatives of the dozens upon dozens of people who have tragically lost their lives to be delayed any longer. Is leor é sin.”
“I have stood alongside families who have lost loved ones along the A5. I have stood alongside the members of the A5 Enough is Enough group and have heard the heartbreaking stories of how the road has destroyed lives and devastated families. I take the opportunity to pay tribute to those families for the incredible dignity, strength and patience that they have displayed during this long process. It truly is a testament to their sense of community and humanity that, having endured the most tragic losses, they have dedicated themselves to ensuring that nobody else has to. Every day that the project is delayed is another day when lives are needlessly risked on that road. <BR /> <BR />As with any major infrastructure project, it is only right and proper that local people are consulted and their concerns listened to.”
“The A5 project is a vital piece of national infrastructure that will have significant investment, economic and, most important, safety benefits for communities in the north-west of Ireland. By significantly reducing the travel time to and from Dublin, Belfast and Derry, the A5 will open up the north-west for more investment, increased trade, faster commuting and more tourism; promote job creation and regional balance; and improve access to ports, airports and regional gateways. The A5 represents a £1·6 billion investment in a part of the country that has suffered from historical underinvestment and a lack of critical infrastructure. Most of all, the new A5 will save lives. <BR /> <BR />More than 50 people have lost their lives on the existing road in the last 20 years. It simply is not fit for purpose.”
“Working closely with the community will ensure that nobody in it is overlooked. For example, specific challenges are faced by LGBTQ+ people who live in rural areas, where support systems and organisations tend not to be centred. Additionally, the needs of LGBTQ+ people who live with disabilities and require cross-departmental support should be taken into account when creating the strategy. <BR /> <BR />We can and must do better. As we approach pride month, it would be wonderful if we could do something to make our LGBTQI+ community feel seen, heard and proud of us.”
“Ní féidir straitéis den sórt sin a fhorbairt gan tuairimí na ndaoine lena mbaineann: ár bpobal LADT. Ní mór cumarsáid a dhéanamh idir an Roinn agus na grúpaí leasa éagsúla a oibríonn ar son na bpobal LADT. Tá súil agam nach gcaithfidh an tAire le grúpaí comhoibrithe LADT mar a chaith sé le grúpaí na Gaeilge, nuair a bhí gráin agus naimhdeas á léiriú aige.”
“it is our duty to lead from the front on these issues to ,set examples and to be clear and unambiguous when it comes to supporting human rights — not to evade or delay. With that in mind, I again call on the Communities Minister to publish the long-promised sexual orientation strategy, which has been talked about in one guise or another for some time. I remind the Minister, as he develops such a strategy, of the slogan that was popularised by disability and Irish-language groups: "Faic fúinn gan chead uainn."”
“The 'National Study on the Mental Health and Wellbeing of the LGBTQI+ Communities in Ireland', which was published last year, found that 45% of people here feel unsafe holding hands with a same-sex partner in public and that over half of trans and non-binary people feel unsafe expressing their gender identity in public. The research further found that one in four members of the LGBTQI+ community have been physically attacked due to their sexuality, while 72% have experienced verbal abuse. That is simply unacceptable, and it illustrates why motions such as the one before us continue to be important. <BR /> <BR />A chairde,”
“Staitistic eile ar cúis imní í don teach seo ná nár tharla ach 88 de na hionsaithe sin sa deisceart, agus gur taifeadadh níos mó ná 240 sa tuaisceart, in ainneoin an daonra anseo a bheith níos lú faoi thrí, beagnach.”
“While things have undoubtedly improved over the years, we need not pat ourselves on the back. In 2024, tuairiscíodh gur tharla thart ar 330 coir fuatha homafóbach agus trasfóbach ar fud na hÉireann. Ní hé amháin gur méadú sin ar an bhliain roimhe sin ach, méadú don dara bliain as a chéile, i ndiaidh tréimhse fhada ina raibh ionsaithe den sórt sin ag laghdú.”
“Of course, marriage equality was recognised in this part of Ireland only in 2020, a mere five years ago. Cá mhéad duine dár laochra náisiúnta agus de dhaoine mór le rá sa tír seo a chuaigh ar shlí na fírinne agus é creidte acu go raibh orthu na daoine a raibh grá acu dóibh a cheilt mar gheall ar an chaolaigeantacht?”
“That seems an obvious and unremarkable position to take in 2025, but the truth is that, to our great shame, for generations, the LGBTQ+ community was treated shamefully in Ireland. Bhí an homaighnéasacht ina coir go dtí 1993 sa deisceart. Tá mé cinnte go gcuimhnímid an lúcháir a bhí ann i ndiaidh an reifrinn ar Chomhionannas Pósta in 2015.”
“If Members want to use the headphones, they can. <BR /> <BR />I hope that the debate on today's motion is fairly uncontroversial. Surely, there can be nobody in the House who is opposed to equality, diversity and human rights. Ba cheart do gach saoránach a bheith ábalta dul i gceann a saoil saor ó leithcheal, foréigean agus dochar.”
“Beidh mé ag caint as Gaeilge agus i mBéarla.”
“In supporting our amendment, the Assembly can send out the message loud and clear that we will not support water charges.”
“<BR /> <BR />In the past 24 hours, the Chamber has heard a lot of talk about proposed solutions such as privatisation and mutualisation. Let there be no doubt that privatisation and mutualisation mean only one thing: water charges. As we have seen in England and Wales, such charges are no guarantee that infrastructure will even be fixed. In truth, the only thing that water charges guarantee is that even more pressure will be heaped on already struggling families and homes. <BR /> <BR />We already have a shameful situation here in that, during the colder months especially, many people, particularly the elderly and the vulnerable, have to choose between heating and eating. We cannot allow a basic and fundamental resource such as water to become a part of the horrendous calculations that people are forced to make.”
“Yes, NI Water is dealing with crumbling infrastructure as a result of decades of British austerity and underfunding, but it has received almost £0·5 billion in public funding for 2024-25, so it is only right that how that money is used and managed is scrutinised. It is a fact that we cannot rely on the British Government to properly fund public services here, so the funding that we have must be used with extreme care. <BR /> <BR />The Minister has already demonstrated her commitment to ensuring that we have the required level of accountability through her decision to appoint a forensic auditor to investigate how NI Water is managing its budget in light of its projected overspend. There is also something important that the Assembly can do today, which is to support our amendment.”
“I am sure that no one who is here would dispute that our waste water network is in serious and urgent need of upgrade and repair. The current state of that network and, indeed, of much of our vital infrastructure is a result of decades of chronic underfunding of public services by consecutive British Governments. That underfunding continues today, as Labour has eagerly run with the Tory policy of austerity. However, despite the extreme pressures on the Executive's Budget and on the Department for Infrastructure in particular, Minister Kimmins and her predecessor have ensured that NI Water has been fully funded.”
“Go raibh maith agat, a Phríomh-Leas-Cheann Comhairle.”
“the benefits of an infrastructure commission should be assessed, and the role that it would have should be considered, but that should be done alongside the prioritisation of important Executive projects.”
“Most important, however, it is over 16 years during which people have been driving on such a treacherous road. Over 50 people have been killed on the A5 in that time. Families and communities have been left devastated and torn apart in the years that we have been waiting. There is no doubt that the ongoing legal challenges have caused lengthy delays to the project. There can be no more delays to the A5 road upgrade. <BR /> <BR />A chairde,”
“Legal challenges coupled with inflation lead to delay after delay, which, in turn, leads to ever-increasing costs until, eventually, the project feels the impact of Stormont's ever-tightening Budget. Of course, there must be room for people to raise their concerns about and opposition to certain projects, but it cannot become an endless cycle of delays and reviews that effectively blocks much-needed projects from being developed. <BR /> <BR />As you will all know, the people of West Tyrone have been waiting for the upgrade of the extremely dangerous A5 road for over 16 years. That is over 16 years of missing out on major investment in the north-west and being denied the economic boom that would come with being part of increased all-Ireland connectivity.”
“There is no denying that the failure to deliver a number of major capital projects across the North is alarming. It is important that we get to the root cause of why those projects are yet to materialise. Certainly, all of us here must shoulder our share of the responsibility for that. However, we must not be blind to other sources of delay. The British Government themselves admitted that even basic infrastructure projects in the North have been chronically underfunded for generations. It should be no surprise that, when underfunding is coupled with inflation, major capital projects are slow to progress. We need only look at the development of Casement Park and the lost 2028 Euros for evidence of that. <BR /> <BR />Another major hurdle that the projects face is one that is directly addressed in our amendment.”
“Go raibh maith agat, a Leas-Cheann Comhairle.”
“I thank the Minister for her welcome statement and the ambitious Bill. Can the Minister outline whether the Bill could provide a vehicle for bringing forward gender pay gap reporting, please?”
“Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire as a ráiteas.”
“Will the Minister outline the work that is being done to explore the impact of second homes being used as short-term holiday lets?”
“I also want to recognise Conor Bradley from County Tyrone and Caoimhin Kelleher from County Cork, the two Liverpool stars who won the English Premier League yesterday. Conor Bradley made history as the first player from County Tyrone to win the English Premier League. <BR /> <BR />Sport has the power to unify and can motivate our young people to excel in life. In a few months' time, we will welcome some of the most iconic names in world sport, along with hundreds of thousands of fans from every corner of the globe, to Portrush for the Open. It presents us with an incredible opportunity to showcase the best of our people and island on the global stage, and I am certainly looking forward to it.”
“Watching Rory McIlroy win the Masters was an emotional roller coaster and a real inspiration for young sports stars on our island, showing that, if you have a dream, you can achieve it. Rory, the first person from our island to win the prestigious green jacket, has shown throughout his career what can be achieved through hard work, grit, dedication and determination. His story is one of an immensely positive and inspiring journey that proves that, no matter how many setbacks you have in life, you can get there in the end. Rory's achievement was a huge moment in global sporting history — completing a career Grand Slam placed him amongst the greatest ever golf players — that has filled everyone at home with great pride and will undoubtedly inspire future generations to chase their dreams.”
“Will the Minister outline when her Department will be consulting on a hydrogen policy?”
“Allowing them access to their pension — a pension that they have already earned — would go some way to correcting that shameful oversight. Setting aside the fact that it is, essentially, their own money, it could be done with relatively little additional strain on the public purse. We are talking about a small number of people. As the motion states, it should be provided by the British Government. Their legacy of chronic underfunding for generations here, coupled with two decades of ongoing austerity, has left the Budget here incapable of taking on even that modest additional burden. <BR /> <BR />With the political will and some basic compassion, the actions that the motion calls for could quickly become a reality. I support the motion and urge others to do the same.”
“The shameful reality is that we have relatively few supports for those who find themselves with a terminal illness and that the supports that are available are either insufficient or subject to a 12-month diagnosis. According to Marie Curie, people with a terminal illness under the age of 66 are twice as likely to die in poverty. Two thirds of those with a terminal illness rely on benefits as their main source of income. That is another reason why we need an anti-poverty strategy. I urge the Communities Minister to bring a fit-for-purpose anti-poverty strategy to the Executive as a matter of urgency. <BR /> <BR />It is clear that we, as a society, are not doing enough to ensure that those who receive those devastating medical diagnoses can see out the final part of their life with some measure of comfort and dignity.”
“It is a pot that you have been paying into your whole working life so that you have a social safety net as you near the end of your life and find yourself less capable of working. That is precisely the situation that terminally ill people find themselves in.”
“The measure of a society is how it treats its most vulnerable members, so I hope that today's motion will pass without objection. The measures in the motion would provide support and comfort to those who are dealing with the crippling physical and psychological effects of a devastating diagnosis; financially assist families that are grappling with the increased costs of preparing a home for the care of a loved one; and allow for some quality-of-life improvements for those who are at the end of their lives. Those reasons alone are enough to support the motion; its measures are, quite simply, the right thing to do. They can also be done at relatively little cost to the public purse. <BR /> <BR />It is important that we consider what exactly a pension is. It is not a reward that you get for reaching a certain age.”
“What next steps does the Minister intend to take to ensure that Casement Park is delivered?”
“Does the Minister agree that those cuts are an attack on our most vulnerable and that, as an Assembly and an Executive, we should oppose them?”
“Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire as an fhreagra sin.”
“Will the deputy First Minister give an assessment of the impact that the programme has had on tackling paramilitarism, criminality and organised crime, please?”
“Gabhaim buíochas leis an leas-Chéad-Aire as a freagra.”
“Will the Minister outline the next steps in the review of community transport?”
“<BR /> <BR />I call on the Education Minister to look into the issue as a matter of urgency. I further urge the Education Minister and the Education Authority to work with groups in West Tyrone to find the best possible outcome for preschools, for parents and, most importantly, for the children in the area. Community-based playgroups in West Tyrone and right across the North play a vital role in our communities. They deserve to be supported by the Department of Education and the Education Authority. I hope that the Minister hears our calls, works with the playgroups and increases the PAN allocations.”
“Some may have to travel well outside of their village or town to attend another playgroup. Other groups may not be convenient for work. The children's relatives may attend the preferred playgroup or it may be a feeder preschool for a school that their siblings are at. <BR /> <BR />The playgroups have tried to work with the Education Authority. Their commitment to the local community is such that some have even suggested taking on an extra child without EA funding, but, despite those extraordinary efforts, the Education Authority has not tried to meet them halfway. Instead, it responded by telling them that, if they do not accept the lower allocation number, they will lose all their spaces for the year. That is simply an outrageous way to treat hardworking community groups that provide a vital service.”
“Just because a playgroup had nine children last year does not mean that it will need space for nine children this year. That approach is perfectly fine to use as a guideline, but there must be some wriggle room within it for the realities of life. Representatives from playgroups in West Tyrone have approached me and said that they have the provision and demand to take on 16 children, but they have only been allocated nine spaces this year. Other groups have said that they have only been given nine spots, but they are the first-preference choice for 10 children, all of whom are equally qualified and equally deserving. It is not as simple as saying that parents should just find another playgroup. In rural areas such as West Tyrone, that may not be so easy.”
“Playgroups help to prepare children for school, develop their social skills and foster a sense of community. They provide local jobs, boost the rural economy and, crucially, allow parents, particularly those who are women, to return to the workforce. The sector faces multiple issues that the Assembly has a duty to address: staff recruitment and retention; inequality in funding and pay scales; support for children with special educational needs; and support for playgroups in areas of deprivation. However, I will focus on the Education Authority's (EA) rigid approach to pupil allocation numbers (PAN). <BR /> <BR />Using attendance figures from previous years is a perfectly reasonable way to estimate future attendance needs, but the key word is "estimate". Populations rise and fall, and birth rates fluctuate.”
“I am pleased to have secured an Adjournment debate on behalf of a number of community-based playgroups in West Tyrone. I thank the Minister for attending to respond to the debate this afternoon. I will take the opportunity to discuss a number of issues that are plaguing community and voluntary playgroups in West Tyrone. While I will speak specifically about community-based playgroups in my constituency, it is worth acknowledging that these and other issues are faced by rural playgroups and preschools all over the North. <BR /> <BR />I commend the excellent work of the teachers, group leaders, staff and volunteers in those groups. They provide a service that is not only of the highest standard but vital to the functioning of safe, fair and thriving rural communities.”
“Will the First Minister recommit to tackling issues facing women and girls in our society?”
“Will the First Minister provide an update on the appointment of a new VSS chair and board members?”
“the mouth of the ford. This is our shared heritage, and, with the right support, it can be a cultural, social and economic driver that we all benefit from. I hope that the Minister finds the arguments compelling and delivers on the Irish language strategy. <BR /> <BR />I look forward to the other contributions to the debate.”