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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“We heard about how people in the sector are at their wits' end, how jobs and vital community programmes would be lost and how those working on the co-design group are on the verge of walking out. We heard how multiple attempts to organise a meeting with the Minister to discuss those urgent concerns have repeatedly been rejected. It is becoming more difficult for Minister Lyons to deny that a deeply concerning pattern is emerging in whom he will and will not meet. <BR /> <BR />The Irish language belongs to all of us. The vast majority of our place names come from Irish and, in doing so, tell us a story about our shared history. I came this morning from Tír Eoghain,”
“it is clear that the Irish language is going from strength to strength across the North. It saddens me to say that the Irish language community has achieved all that without the help of the entire Executive. <BR /> <BR />Earlier this month, Irish language workers went on strike for the first time in history in protest at cuts to Foras na Gaeilge funding — cuts that were caused by the DUP preventing reforms to the funding process. The Communities Minister continues to delay the introduction of an Irish language strategy that was first announced a decade ago. Last week, we, as members of the Committee for Communities, heard evidence from Conradh na Gaeilge. The sheer frustration of those hard-working organisers and activists was palpable.”
“There is no doubt that the Irish language has made huge advances in recent years. The Irish language community is vibrant and thriving. Irish-medium education is the fastest-growing sector in education. We see more and more bilingual road signs. Last week, the Infrastructure Minister, Liz Kimmins, launched a pilot scheme to have traffic signs in Irish and English in the Gaeltacht Quarter in west Belfast. That is a welcome development. With the international success of Irish language groups such as Kneecap and the fact that we can address the Assembly as Gaeilge anois,”
“There will also be competitions in music, song and dance. I hope that many people take the chance to get involved with the fleadh and enjoy everything that that celebration of Irish culture has to offer.”
“Events at the fleadh range from large concerts with well-known acts to street and youth performances and community céilís.”
“. <BR /> <BR />Is dea-scéala é go bhfuil Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann ag teacht go Béal Feirste in 2026. Déanaim comhghairdeas le gach duine a raibh baint acu leis an imeacht a thabhairt go dtí an Tuaisceart. Is ceiliúradh iontach í an fhleadh ar cheol, ar chultúr agus ar theanga dhúchais na hÉireann, agus is iontach an rud é a bheith i mBéal Feirste. Déanfar ceiliúradh ar 75 bliain de Chomhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann. Seo an dara huair ariamh a reáchtálfar an fhleadh uile-Éireann i dTuaisceart na hÉireann.”
“hosted an excellent event in the Senate Chamber on 4 March to launch Seachtain na Gaeilge. All those events contribute to the success of Seachtain na Gaeilge gach bliain”
“. <BR /> <BR />Chomh maith leis sin, the Ceann Comhairle”
“I congratulate and thank all those who organised events for Seachtain na Gaeilge, including those in the Fermanagh and Omagh District Council area who hosted events ranging from coffee mornings and drama festivals to storytelling workshops and a special Irish language edition of the 5-kilometre parkrun. I attended a very successful Gaeltacht-at-home experience in the Glenpark estate in Omagh. It was great to see a wide range of people with varying Irish abilities enjoy a weekend of Irish language classes and social activities, including yoga as Gaeilge”
“Tá áthas mór orm an rún seo a mholadh inniu díreach i ndiaidh Sheachtain na Gaeilge rathúla eile. Le linn na féile, ghlac níos mó ná milliún duine ar chúig mhór-roinn páirt in imeachtaí a dhéanann ceiliúradh ar an Ghaeilge.”
“We owe it to the families, who have carried the burden of their campaign for 27 years, to grasp the opportunity to send out a united and powerful endorsement of support for the Omagh families in their quest for truth and justice.”
“The families called on the Irish Government to carry out a parallel but separate inquiry, but they ultimately want maximum cooperation between the Irish Government and the inquiry that has been established. Last month, Sinn Féin president, Mary Lou McDonald, again supported that call. She agreed with the Omagh families, who have been calling for that cooperation from the beginning, and urged the Government to fulfil their role to ensure that the inquiry is successful. <BR /> <BR />The enormity of the atrocity and the impact that it has had on the lives of the victims, survivors and families and on the wider Omagh community mean that the motion should have a singular focus on the Omagh Bombing inquiry and not stray into contested legacy issues.”
“They used every legal option open to them until they attained their objective of a public inquiry that has given them the opportunity to examine the fundamental question that has exercised the minds of the families for so long: could the attack have been prevented? <BR /> <BR />The Irish Government's Justice Minister has outlined his support for the public inquiry into the Omagh bomb and said that they will do everything possible to assist the inquiry. Minister O'Callaghan said that a central point of contact has been established in his Department to ensure the timely and effective management of all requests from the inquiry. <BR /> <BR />The motion calls on the Irish Government to conduct their own inquiry into the atrocity.”
“Their pain and anguish was palpable as they relived the trauma of what happened in Omagh almost 27 years ago. The suffering and the sense of loss will haunt the families for the rest of their lives. The pain and distress of the injured will remain with them for the rest of their lives. Despite their pain and loss, the families have remained steadfast in their ongoing pursuit of truth and justice for their loved ones. Their persistence in continuing with their campaign over the years is the reason that the inquiry was established. Time and again, when the path to truth and justice was blocked, they carried on regardless.”
“I speak today as an elected representative of Omagh and of West Tyrone and as a member of the wider Omagh community. It is a community that has suffered greatly and has felt real hurt and pain and dealt with it since the atrocity of the Omagh bomb on 15 August 1998. I have spoken with the families of the bereaved and with survivors, and I have attended hearings of the public inquiry. Other members of Sinn Féin, including our senior leadership, have also engaged with the families over the years and have endorsed, with their full support, the demands of truth and justice for the Omagh families. <BR /> <BR />I again take the opportunity to acknowledge publicly the strength, courage and compassion of all the people who told their stories and described their experiences of that awful day throughout the public inquiry and after it.”
“The Minister is aware of the importance of the A5 road upgrade for the people of West Tyrone. I thank the Minister for her continued support of and commitment to the project. Will she outline the level of engagement that her officials have had with Department of Transport officials on the A5 road upgrade?”
“Day in, day out, community and voluntary groups and many other groups that deliver public services deal with the consequences of poverty in our communities. They are deeply frustrated by Mr Lyons's failure to produce an anti-poverty strategy to date. Does the Minister agree that the absence of a strategy inhibits our ability to tackle properly the root causes of poverty?”
“<BR /> <BR />Tá obair mhór le déanamh ag an Tionól agus ag Dáil Éireann má tá an neamart a rinneadh ar iarthar na hÉireann le fada le tabhairt isteach. Ach is céim chun tosaigh é plean iompair an iarthuaiscirt.”
“Molaim an tAire Kimmins agus a réamhtheachtaí, an tAire O’Dowd, as a dtiomantas leanúnach don phlean iompair agus do na tionscadail atá bainteach leis, nó seolfar acmhainní siar dá mbarr. Bhí an dá Aire seo chun tosaigh ag dáileadh acmhainní go cothrom, rud a rachas chun sochair chan amháin don iarthuaisceart ach don tír ar fad. <BR /> <BR />Laghdóidh na t-uasghrádú ar an A5 agus ar an A6 na hamanna taistil, agus cuirfidh siad feabhas ar na naisc idir Doire, Béal Feirste agus Baile Átha Cliath. Lena chois sin, cuirfidh siad go mór le sábháilteacht na mbóithre contúirteacha sin. Má théimid i ngleic le fadhb na dramhaíola nimhniúla ag an Mhagh Bhuí, cuideoidh sin le dul chun cinn an A6. Thairis sin, cosnóidh sé Abhainn na Fochaine agus uisce óil na mílte duine.”
“D’admhaigh Rialtas na Breataine féin nach bhfuil an Tuaisceart ag fáil leath a sháithe de mhaoiniú leis na glúnta. Má rinne Westminster faillí sa Tuaisceart san am a chuaigh thart, is fíor go ndearna Cnoc an Anfa agus Dáil Éireann araon faillí san iarthuaisceart. Bhí sé thar a bheith deacair cistiú, infheistíocht agus tograí bonneagair a fháil don taobh thiar den Bhanna thar na blianta. <BR /> <BR />Féach an strambán faoi champas Mhig Aoidh, faoin A6 is faoin A2, an phraiseach atáthar a dhéanamh de cheist an mica, agus an dóigh ar cuireadh ceal ar líonra iarnróid na hÉireann, más cruthú atá de dhíth ort. <BR /> <BR />Is céim sa treo cheart é plean iompair an iarthuaiscirt 2035 leis an rud a chur ina chothrom.”
“Does the Minister have a plan for reaching the commitment to spend 10% of our transport budget on active travel?”
“Research has shown that more than one third of those aged 50 to 69 felt that they would be at a disadvantage when applying for jobs. That is often based on a suspicion that employers might see them differently because of their age, so more work needs to be done in that regard. <BR /> <BR />Our older population must be given full consideration in departmental planning, and their needs should be reflected in the decisions that are taken and the strategies that are implemented across health and social care, housing, employment and beyond. The benefits of forward planning will help to best inform policy and practice across all of those issues. Ultimately, placing value on our older generations will reduce social exclusion and increase participation in a range of sectors across society, and society will benefit as a whole.”
“<BR /> <BR />Locally, unemployment is being reported at an all-time low, at around 2%, although there are other measures to take into account, including economic inactivity. With over 35% of 50- to 64-year-olds deemed to be economically inactive, there is the potential to grow the workforce through a range of measures, including upskilling and reskilling, flexible working and increased support for health and well-being. Employers must respond to an ever-changing environment and ensure that people are afforded real opportunities to work and to remain in work. Despite the benefits of a multigenerational workforce, poor attitudes in the workplace may act as a barrier to older workers accessing jobs and feeling valued at work.”
“The Housing Executive has previously addressed that concern, noting in 2023 that, if the social housing sector was to address the ageing population, it would need to cater for a range of households, including single, small family and older-person households. That would mean, for example, building more category 1 accommodation for older people. There are clear knock-on effects from the provision of adequate housing for older people that will, in turn, release housing for people at different stages in life and with different needs. For example, as people age, they may wish to downsize for practical reasons or for accessibility needs, which can make suitable homes available for others.”
“Whilst the obvious challenge that longer life expectancy presents will be reflected in health and social care pressures, forward planning is needed in many other areas, including housing and economic issues. <BR /> <BR />Current pressures on housing demand and supply are well known in the Chamber. Population shifts will continue to affect the planning that is needed for future housing programmes. The number of households has grown as a result of demographic ageing, and an ageing population will result in increased numbers of smaller households. That means that not only will more houses and housing units be required but a range of sizes will be required to cater for smaller households and a greater variety of need.”
“I did not get a sip of my water. <BR /> <BR />I thank Claire Sugden for tabling this important motion. I am glad to have the opportunity to speak on it, so I thank you, Claire, for bringing it forward. <BR /> <BR />Our society's changing age profile brings with it many challenges and, indeed, opportunities. There are issues that must be addressed regarding housing, health and social care, workforce planning and training and others. NISRA statistics released last year show the extent of the changes, with an increase during the past decade in the number of over-65s, who now account for 18% of the population. The growth is higher still in the number of over-85s, with an increase of 25% during the same period.”
“What steps will her Department will take alongside statutory partners to ensure that disruption to traffic is considered?”
“However, it is important that, in the private sector, standards of affordability, fairness, quality, comfort and security are upheld. The world is a volatile place right now, global economies are in flux and working-class communities are bearing the brunt. Here in Ireland, we are in the midst of a seemingly never-ending cost-of-living crisis, and the North in particular is dealing with the legacy of British Government underinvestment that stretches back decades and continues to this day. The one thing that people should not have to worry about is a place to live. The family home should always remain secure, and, as legislators, we have a duty to ensure that that basic principle is upheld. I commend and support the motion.”
“My colleague Deirdre Hargey brought forward the Private Tenancies Bill in 2022 and implemented a rent freeze on Housing Executive properties during her tenure as Minister for Communities. My colleagues Colm Gildernew and Ciara Ferguson are working on Member's Bills to extend the statutory duty to prevent homelessness and to introduce a ban on unfair letting fees. Furthermore, Sinn Féin TD Eoin Ó Broin, the man who literally wrote the book on social housing, has called on the Dáil to reintroduce the ban on no-fault evictions. <BR /> <BR />As populations increase, housing has become one of the most important issues of our time. There is an onus on Governments to respond to the needs of their citizens and to provide housing. The private sector has a vital role to play in that.”
“Sinn Féin firmly believes that housing is and should be a human right. The state has a duty to ensure that every one of its citizens has access to the requirements that are fundamental to living a full and safe life, and there is no need more basic than access to shelter and having a home. The state also has a duty to ensure that the private rental market is regulated in order to prevent unfair pricing or discriminatory practices and to make sure that basic standards are upheld and that renters are protected and can have some sense of security in their home. <BR /> <BR />I am pleased to be able to say that those are not just principles that we in Sinn Féin hold but actions that we put into practice.”
“Will the Minister outline what the green skills action plan will deliver and when it will be available?”
“Tá bearna inscne ann go fóill i ngach aon réimse eolaíochta, teicneolaíochta, innealtóireachta agus matamaitice ar fud an domhain. Mar sin de, tá cúis bhróid againn go bhfuil eolaí mná as Contae Ard Mhacha ar thús cadhnaíochta arís agus í ag iarraidh an bhearna inscne úd a chúngú. Bhain Jocelyn Bell Burnell the Special Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics 2018. Bhí 3 mhilliún dollar ag gabháil leis an duais sin. D’úsáid an tOllamh Bell Burnell an t-airgead sin uilig go léir le ciste a chur ar bun le cuidiú le mná a bheith ina dtaighdeoirí fisice. <BR /> <BR />Tá obair go fóill le déanamh má tá teacht mar is ceart le bheith ag na mná ar an eolaíocht, ach ós rud é go bhfuil eiseamláirí amhail an tOllamh Bell Burnell, Niamh Shaw agus Lydia Lynch againn, sílim go bhfuil ábhar dóchais againn don am atá le teacht.”
“Rinneadh Lá Idirnáisiúnta na mBan agus na gCailíní san Eolaíocht a cheiliúradh ag tús na míosa. Is iomaí bean as an oileán seo a bhí, agus atá go fóill, ar thús cadhnaíochta san eolaíocht. Ach, ar an drochuair, is minic nach bhfuair na mná aitheantas mar ba cheart san am a chuaigh thart as an tsaothar eolaíochta a rinne siad. Mar shampla, is d’fhear céile Annie Russell Maunder a cuireadh síos an chuid ba thabhachtaí den obair a rinne sí agus is amhlaidh a fuair beirt fhear Duais Nobel na Fisice as obair a rinne Jocelyn Bell Burnell. <BR /> <BR />Bíodh go bhfuil iarrachtaí á ndéanamh le 10 mbliana anuas le cothromas a bhaint amach do na mná san eolaíocht, is é rud a dhéantar leithcheal agus leatrom orthu ar fad.”
“It is vital that the voices of victims and their families are heard, that justice is seen to be done and that the truth does not become yet another casualty of that dark day.”
“We have heard of the heroism of paramedics and firefighters, who worked tirelessly to rescue people, and the huge efforts of medical staff, in Omagh Hospital and in the surrounding hospitals, who worked around the clock to help the huge influx of patients. I also pay tribute to the people who were there on the day who instinctively rushed to find people in the rubble or to bring the injured to safety despite the risk and, often, already having been injured themselves. <BR /> <BR />All the stories from that terrible day deserve to be heard and should serve as a stark reminder to us all of how precious peace is. As an Omagh woman, I have seen the town and its people recover and grow after that dreadful attack, looking to the future while never forgetting those who were hurt or lost.”
“Last week, I attended a hearing of the Omagh Bombing inquiry at the Strule Arts Centre in Omagh. I take this opportunity to publicly acknowledge the strength, courage and compassion of all those who have told their stories and shared their experiences of that awful day, 15 August 1998. It has been truly humbling to hear the heartbreaking stories from those who lost loved ones, those who were injured and those who witnessed such horror on the day of the bomb. <BR /> <BR />While the details have been horrific for many, and while people locally find it difficult to relive and remember the day of the bomb, it is striking how, in many ways, their testimonies represent the very best of humanity.”
“Whilst we all want to see a proper system in place to prevent people from abusing the system, it must be proportionate in the level of sanction that applies to individuals. Will the Minister outline what advice he has received from officials about the decision to name individuals and whether that has any impact on GDPR?”
“Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire as a ráiteas.”
“However, decades of chronic underfunding have left the Executive unable to fund multiple vital projects, let alone take on the added burden of fighting British austerity on another front. <BR /> <BR />We fully support the goal of the motion to introduce grants for those who are faced with the impossible choice imposed by the five-week wait. I urge the Minister to take the case to the British Government that the crisis is of their creation and that they have a duty to mitigate it. The imposition of universal credit has served only to push more people even deeper into hardship. Westminster must re-evaluate its harmful and destructive approach to social security. I support the motion and commend it to the House.”
“Worse still, as Members have mentioned, that can force vulnerable people into the arms of paramilitaries and other illegal moneylenders who will use their debt as a form of control. It is worth noting that five weeks is not the limit of the five-week wait; rather, it is the minimum time that claimants must wait. Research by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation found that about 15% of new claimants end up waiting longer. <BR /> <BR />In the recent past, the Assembly has sought to mitigate as best it can the effects of British Government austerity on vulnerable people. I am proud of my party's leading role in those efforts. We must once again use every device available to us to reduce the impact of British Government cuts here.”
“The five-week wait is a particularly disgraceful element of British Government bureaucracy, leaving low-income and vulnerable families facing even more challenging and difficult circumstances. Let us not dismiss this as solely Tory austerity. The Tories began the process of welfare reform and introduced universal credit, but the Labour Government continue to run with it. Far from providing a social safety net, the continued move to universal credit has pushed and will push already struggling families further into crisis, poverty and debt. <BR /> <BR />It is farcical that a system designed to prevent people from falling into poverty begins by asking them to either live with nothing for five weeks or accrue hundreds of pounds of debt up front, with the double whammy effect of reducing their overall payments for the remainder of the year.”
“I welcome the Minister to her new ministerial role. Can the Minister outline whether tax reliefs are expected to be part of the enhanced investment zones?”
“Will she outline the next steps in the truth recovery programme, le do thoil”
“Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire shóisearach.”
“Will the Minister detail how the 2025-26 Budget will support agriculture funding?”
“The Minister mentioned reaching our net-zero targets and transitioning to become a more sustainable society. Will she outline what work is ongoing across the Executive to help to achieve those aims, le do thoil?”
“<BR /> <BR />Ní mór an chóir shóisialta agus an comhionannas bheith chun tosaigh san aistriú chuig an inbhuanaitheacht. Cothú na córach, próiseas cóir.”
“Rinneadh Lá Idirnáisiúnta an Fhuinnimh Ghlain a cheiliúradh Dé Domhnaigh. Tá Sinn Féin go mór i bhfách leis an straitéis fuinnimh mar a aontaíodh í in 2022. Is leis an straitéis sin a bhainfear an fuinneamh glan amach. <BR /> <BR />Foilsíodh tuarascáil i mí an Mhárta anuraidh, tuarascáil inar leagadh amach na cúig bhunphrionsabal leis an neodracht carbóin a bhaint amach faoin bhliain 2050 agus le hastaíochtaí ón fhuinneamh a laghdú. Focal mór agus dea-chur leis, sin atá de dhíth anois. <BR /> <BR />Molaimid an obair atá grúpaí tras-rannacha a dhéanamh le comhar agus cumarsáid a chur chun cinn idir na Ranna uile. Tá an obair sin riachtanach le treoir a thabhairt, le beartais a cheapadh agus le moltaí a dhéanamh sna pleananna gníomhaíochta gach bliain d’fhonn na cuspóirí a bhaint amach.”
“It is crucial that we look at best practice around the world and see how other countries, many of which produce vastly more waste than we do, tackle that challenge and implement circular economy policies. As we strive to meet emissions and recycling targets, we must remain receptive to any initiatives that can help us to transition to a sustainable future.”
“As the Sinn Féin spokesperson on environment and climate, I will speak in support of the motion. <BR /> <BR />The watchword of our time is "sustainability". We can no longer afford to maintain the endless conveyor belt of production, consumption and disposal. As we aim for net zero, habits and behaviours must change at individual, societal, commercial and governmental levels. We need to develop a truly circular economy that can be absorbed into every facet of life here and take a more holistic approach to reducing the waste that we produce and changing what we do with it. <BR /> <BR />While we welcome many of the proposals in 'Rethinking Our Resources', we should not be limited to them. We should be open to exploring new and innovative suggestions for reducing waste.”