Pádraig Delargy
Foyle · Sinn Féin · Northern Ireland
“I echo what other Members have said. Compassion is at the heart of the regulations, which are about understanding and ensuring that parents and families who have suffered the most heartbreaking and unimaginable grief are supported through one of the most difficult times in their lives.”
“The regulations have been extended to ensure that they also apply to parents who have lost a child through miscarriage and that parental bereavement leave is now a day-1 employment right.”
“Why are the public appointments and equality processes important in employment? They are particularly important here in the North, for one simple reason. It is because for so many years, even decades, the unionist Government stopped Catholics, nationalists and republicans from having any access to public appointments and jobs.”
“I start by going to the very heart of the motion and many of the comments that have been made around the Chamber today. The process for public appointments to Invest NI was fair, open, accountable and transparent. It was based on merit and ability.”
“It is a generation that is deeply proud of all those who ensured that we can enjoy the freedom that the unionist Government denied them. My generation will not lie down, will not acquiesce and will not allow regressive change. It will not return to the inequality, the suppression and all the other elements of the unionist state.”
“This is the same SDLP that voted to disbar any republican prisoners from the position of special adviser — the same SDLP that, when another nationalist or, God forbid, a republican, takes the office of First Minister, suddenly wants that title taken away.”
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“<BR /> <BR />The evidence is clear: the Windsor framework is helping our businesses to grow, protecting our jobs and strengthening our economy. Businesses tell us that they want certainty and that they want to grow by using both markets. At the Economy Committee last week, Invest NI was clear that having dual market access leads to higher exports, more jobs and more skills. Invest NI also highlighted that some companies here will continue to work hard under the current system but will not celebrate that success, because the issue has been politicised by some. We all want our economy to grow. We want opportunities for businesses to develop and for our skilled workforce to expand. That should be a priority for everyone in the Chamber.”
“<BR /> <BR />Despite those challenges, our economy has shown resilience. The Windsor framework has protected our unique dual market access. Businesses here retain the ability to trade freely with the EU and Britain, an advantage that no other region enjoys. That access is drawing investment, supporting jobs and giving firms confidence about the future. If we look at NISRA figures from 2023, we see that sales between the North and Britain rose in that year by 12·4%. Similarly, purchases between the North and Britain rose by 16·2% in that time. When we look back as far as 2001, we see that cross-border trade then was valued at £1·9 billion, and it was at a similar level in 2015. However, that has grown dramatically since the Windsor framework regulations were put in place. In 2022, that trade was valued at over £7 billion a year.”
“The majority of people in the North voted to remain in the European Union. That democratic choice was overturned, and our communities have been living with the consequences ever since. The loss of EU programmes, reduced study and work opportunities and weakened international links have had a real and lasting impact on an entire generation who see themselves as European and want the same freedoms as their peers across the continent. This is about young people who have lost access to ERASMUS. Although an alternative has been put in place, we are continuing to punish all generations for a decision that the majority of people in the North voted against. Restoring access to study, work, cultural exchange and mobility across Europe must be a priority. Our young people deserve nothing less.”
“The Minister should meet us, as local elected representatives, and go to Derry to meet school leaders and to give parents answers and certainty about what happens next for the children of Nazareth House Primary School.”
“yet a recent report by the Public Accounts Committee, on which I sit, showed clearly that there has been poor prioritisation by the Education Authority, and I can think of no clearer example than Nazareth House. In Derry, within a mile of each other, there is one school whose roof has collapsed and another that has had to close because its roof is about to collapse. That will not be lost on the people of Derry, particularly when, in the past year, another school in Derry received a fourth pitch despite not having made a bid for it and despite already being awash with other sporting facilities. <BR /> <BR />The people of Derry have been failed by successive DUP Education Ministers. The work should be a ministerial priority.”
“In the run-up to Christmas, when schools are thriving and children are excited to be in school, it is particularly bad. While many local people have stepped in to provide some facilities, children are still being denied their fundamental right to teaching, learning and a proper education. <BR /> <BR />The situation should come as no surprise to the Department of Education, because a business case for the roof was submitted in 2017. Over eight years on, nothing has happened. For maintenance work, the first of the EA's own criteria prioritises:”
“I will speak on a matter that will come as no shock to Members, because, for around a week, my party has been clear about the situation at Nazareth House Primary School and the fact that children in my constituency are being denied the opportunity to go to school. Last week, I requested an urgent meeting with the Minister of Education. I got a holding response and have received nothing since. Clearly, the Department of Education's definition of "urgent" is different from mine. <BR /> <BR />No proper solutions have been put in place. Temporary use of a community facility for a time-bound period — until only Christmas — for some children, in confined circumstances, does not cut it. It is not the job of the principal, school staff or parents to do the job of the Education Authority or the Department of Education.”
“Instead of allowing RHI to cast a shadow over the future of renewable energy support, she has made sure that the lessons of the past shape a better and more accountable system going forward. That is part of a wider agenda to build a clean, affordable and secure energy future, which matters to families, to businesses and to all those who want to see good government and good governance in action. I welcome the progress that the Minister has delivered and commend her for the work undertaken to bring us to this point. I support the motion.”
“I acknowledge the work of both Minister Archibald and Minister Murphy in dealing with the aftermath of RHI. From the moment that Minister Archibald took up office, she made it clear that closing the scheme was a necessity, and that builds on the clear commitment to close the scheme set out in New Decade, New Approach. This work ensures that a deeply flawed scheme can be closed while compensating those who entered in good faith and protecting the taxpayer and public services from excessive payouts. The Department has undertaken a rigorous review, corrected long-standing flaws, strengthened oversight and ensured that robust governance structures are now firmly in place. The amendment regulations represent another step towards the completion of that work. <BR /> <BR />The Minister's leadership on the issue has been steady and responsible.”
“I thank the Minister for her answer and for her and Minister Murphy's support for City of Derry Airport at over £3 million per year, which has allowed the sustainability to introduce the Dublin to Derry route. Minister, what engagement has your Department had with the Irish Government to ensure that that route is not only sustainable but successful?”
“I thank the Minister for standing up for ordinary workers and families in the North. What impact, if any, will the so-called mansion tax have on people in the North?”
“I fully support the motion, because it represents the cooperation that delivers for people today while helping build a better future.”
“Sinn Féin has a clear and concise plan for building that future and for building an economy with good jobs, fair pay and affordable housing and a society of equal rights and equal opportunities for people across Ireland. <BR /> <BR />The joint census publication gives us the information that we need to plan for that future. It strengthens the work of cross-border bodies and supports smarter decisions in skills, healthcare, transport and economic development. It must be the beginning of regular coordinated data collection across Ireland. When we understand the reality of people's lives, we can better shape policies that meet that reality North and South, especially in the communities that bridge both. I commend the teams in the Central Statistics Office (CSO) and NISRA for their work.”
“The Member will be keen to hear the next paragraph or two of my speech, because they are about just that. So many young people go away for a short time to seek skills, to travel and to do other things. What I am most concerned about, however, is young people going away because they feel that there are no opportunities for them here, so I concur absolutely with what the Member said. My generation refused to consign themselves to the fate of previous generations, in which the census told the story that Ireland's biggest export was our people. My generation has not accepted that and will not accept it, so we need the skills and talents that those young people bring and the opportunities for them here in Ireland.”
“The joint census tells us another story. It is a story that my generation and, indeed, the generations before know only too well: emigration. It is a story in which our young people are still packing their bags for Australia, Doha and Canada and taking with them their skills and the opportunities that they could create in our society. I have had many conversations with people in my constituency and beyond who will have an empty seat at the dinner table this Christmas. Our economy will be missing their skills. There are opportunities across the piece for them to be here to contribute to our society, our economy and, most important, our communities.”
“I am working with my Sinn Féin colleagues in the South to try to promote that, because, as has been mentioned by most Members who have spoken, when we work better together, we can do so much more across our island.”
“Indeed, we rely on staff from Donegal communities such as Inishowen and Letterkenny, and those communities also depend on workers who travel from Derry and Tyrone. We are one labour market and one region, and we are one interconnected community. <BR /> <BR />However, that cooperation goes far beyond employment. In further and higher education across the north-west, there are huge opportunities that are already being acted on by Ulster University, North West Regional College, Atlantic Technical University (ATU) and Donegal Education and Training Board (ETB) to address a lot of the skills deficits that we see, particularly in the census data, and to increase employability opportunities across our island. Together, they are building pathways that our region needs, not looking at the lines that are drawn on a map.”
“I welcome the motion and the joint census publication, because that work offers a clear and honest picture of Ireland as it is today. People, services and opportunities flow across our island every single day. The census shows the scale of that reality because, every day, 18,000 people move between the North and the South for work, to study and as part of their daily lives. Nowhere is that more evident than in my constituency in Derry and, indeed, right across the north-west, where people quite often move for employment and for study. Those people form the backbone of our healthcare service. I know that many healthcare workers come from Donegal to the North to work every day, particularly in Altnagelvin, and vice versa. Similarly, that is the case for teachers and other professions that are the backbone of our economy.”
“In addition, the Minister has rolled back on making school uniforms more affordable, is considering hiking the fees for music tuition in schools further and has failed to roll out an affordable childcare strategy in full. Is it any wonder that ordinary families are struggling? This is about cutting services for those families who can least afford them. The Minister can reverse the policies. He can show children and families that he is serious about creating an education system that provides equal opportunities and that allows children to flourish, regardless of their socio-economic background. The Minister needs to listen to parents. He needs to listen to parents in Derry, to parents in his constituency and to parents right across the North.”
“Last week's news that the price of school meals will increase is another blow for hard-working parents. The extra £10 a month per child will push many families further into food poverty. Let me be abundantly clear: hiking the price of school meals is a political choice to shift the Department's budgetary pressures on to the shoulders of ordinary, hard-working families. For years, Audit Office reports have highlighted inefficiencies and waste in the Education Authority (EA) and the Department of Education, yet no action has been taken. Ordinary families are now picking up the bill for years of poor financial management by successive DUP Ministers of Education. <BR /> <BR />As a teacher, I know that many hard-pressed families work hard to make ends meet. It is not a luxury to provide a hot dinner at lunchtime but a necessity.”
“I thank the Minister for her commitment to this topic and broad area of work. Minister, you mentioned duplication. Will you talk more to exactly what you will do to ensure that there is no duplication and how you will continue to support our further education colleges, which, we know, do brilliant work in my area and across the board?”
“The First Minister will be aware that, in Derry, the North West Cancer Centre serves over 500,000 people. It is hugely important in our area. Does she recognise that there is an opportunity here to develop more all-Ireland services and to recognise the importance of the service for the people of the north-west?”
“OK, but do you agree that people in the North should be exempt? Again, there is no answer from the unionist Benches. <BR /> <BR />It is extremely important that, in the North, we can have our Irish identity respected, just as you can have your British identity, any other identity or both a British identity and an Irish identity respected. I commend the motion to the House.”
“Mr Frew, I am sure that people will listen very carefully to your advice. You still have not answered my question, however. Will you support the fact that people in the North should be exempt, irrespective of what happens in England, Scotland and Wales?”
“You did not answer my question. I will be happy to give way again. We want the scheme to be scrapped. I am asking whether anybody in the DUP or the UUP will support people in the North being exempt from the scheme.”
“You did your survey, Mr Frew; regardless of whether you want England, Scotland and Wales to be exempt from this, surely people replied to that to tell you that the North should be exempt. Would any of those Members care to explain whether they will support the North being exempt from the proposal?”
“People in my constituency, elsewhere in Derry, in Donegal and across our country have the opportunity to move between the North and the South for employment. As Mr Gildernew mentioned, healthcare workers are the backbone of our economy. The scheme will present yet another barrier to the all-Ireland economy at a time when they are the backbone, driving the country forward. Border communities such as mine will feel the effects most acutely. We have to look at collaboration and cooperation, not at introducing barriers that will reduce opportunities for people to work across the country. <BR /> <BR />I am glad that Mr Frew made the point about exclusion, because I have not been able to get clarity from his party or from the UUP about their view on our calling for people from the North to be exempt from the scheme.”
“<BR /> <BR />A key point to address is that the people who will be most excluded — the people who will feel the impact of the scheme most acutely — are our older people and those who are locked out of digital access through poverty and other means. As Gerry Carroll mentioned, ethnic minorities will be disproportionately affected by what amounts to a racist scheme and an opportunity that the British Government are trying to use to tackle — or apparently tackle — what they consider to be illegal immigration. This cannot be dressed up in any other way: it is racism; it is bigotry; and it is xenophobia; that is what the card is about. <BR /> <BR />The issue of cross-border workers has been brought up across the Chamber. Others may choose to deny this, but the all-Ireland economy is booming.”
“As we have seen, the British Government have continuously cut public services, have taken away the winter fuel payment for pensioners and have been on an austerity agenda that they promised to reverse but continue to impose on ordinary people. The scheme would have been bad at any time, but it is particularly bad at a time when the British Government are challenging and putting pressure on ordinary households across the North and in England, Scotland and Wales. <BR /> <BR />The scheme has practical implications as well. Across the Chamber, we talked about duplication: the scheme duplicates passports, identity cards, driving licences and other forms of ID; it is another layer of bureaucracy.”
“That is for various reasons, and Members have emphasised different points, but there is unanimity of purpose on the objective. Paula Bradshaw noted the identity risks in other countries. That is very important. We have to look at examples of good practice, as well as examples of practice that has not been so good but where there are opportunities to learn. This has certainly not been without difficulties in other parts of Europe and, indeed, across the world. <BR /> <BR />The issue of the cost of the scheme has been emphasised across the Chamber, particularly because of this being a time when public services are on their knees.”
“I thank Mr Frew for his intervention and for earlier misrepresenting Sinn Féin's position on a number of fronts, which I will go through. My first point is about the fact that you implied that Sinn Féin supports a mandatory ID across the board. That is not true. As I mentioned to you earlier — you chose to ignore Mr Gildernew's speech, Ms Finnegan's speech and my speech — Sinn Féin has consistently opposed the introduction of any mandatory IDs. Our MEPs proudly stood up against mandatory IDs, and we will continue to do so. I am not sure whether you were not able to hear that or chose not to hear it, but please listen and try to understand that point. <BR /> <BR />The reception to the BritCard has been universally negative in the House.”
“I stand here today as an Irish citizen: I always have been, and I always will be. Neither Keir Starmer nor any British Government can take that away from me, change that or impose their BritCard on the people here in the North. The scheme is absurd. It is an insult to our people, and it is an affront to the Good Friday Agreement. The Good Friday Agreement was signed when I was two years old. It promised a better future, and it promised to enshrine my rights as an Irish citizen. The British Government today seek to roll back on that, but, as Irish citizens, it is our right, and no Government in London will ever take that away from us.”
“Will the Member acknowledge the fact that Sinn Féin MEPs have consistently challenged any mandatory introduction of the card, and Sinn Féin's position on this has been absolutely clear? We have opposed any mandatory introduction of cards in Europe.”
“<BR /> <BR />While the legislative process sits at Westminster, it is essential that the voices and the priorities of people in the North are represented and that any policy that is developed works for our needs to support connectivity, protect jobs, align with our commitments under the Climate Change Act 2022 and protect our broader economic vision. It is about planning responsibly for the future and ensuring that aviation remains viable and sustainable for future generations. I commend the Minister for continuing to champion long-term practical solutions and for ensuring that our region plays its part in a cleaner and fairer economy.”
“Sinn Féin's policy of decarbonisation is a key pillar of our tenure in the Department for the Economy, and the Minister's focus on exploring sustainable aviation fuels and green innovation shows forward thinking. <BR /> <BR />By supporting R&D across our universities and industry, we can ensure that we are at the cutting edge of skills and opportunities that are part of a lower-carbon future. That approach recognises that sustainability and economic growth go hand in hand. The development of cleaner aviation technologies has the potential not only to reduce emissions but to create new high-quality jobs and position our economy as part of a growing global sector.”
“I welcome the opportunity to speak on the sustainable aviation legislation that has been brought forward at Westminster and to acknowledge the constructive engagement that our Sinn Féin Minister for the Economy has had in that important area. The Bill is a step towards addressing one of the major challenges facing our economy: how we continue to connect people and places while reducing our impact on the environment. <BR /> <BR />Aviation remains vital to our all-Ireland economy. It supports tourism, trade, inward investment and access to global markets. However, it is also a significant contributor to carbon emissions, and tackling that requires long-term strategic planning.”
“Minister, you touched on the fact that this is about being inclusive. We know that, with a lot of the technology strategies, it is very difficult to reach people, so will you give an outline of exactly what is being done to reach people in the most hard-to-reach communities so that they can input into the strategy?”
“<BR /> <BR />The Assembly needs to send a clear and united message that we stand with the community and voluntary sector, that we will hold the British Government to account and that it is time for the British Government's promises to be honoured in full so that a locally designed replacement fund is in place by April 2026.”
“As John highlighted, that understanding is about our unique situation. The funding should meet local needs; it cannot be uniform. <BR /> <BR />We call on the British Government to fulfil their commitment to replace the EU funding in full and to provide clarity beyond 2026. The uncertainty that hangs over our community and voluntary sector cannot continue. Organisations need time to plan, they need to retain their staff, and they need the assurance that they can continue to deliver vital services in our communities. We also call for decision-making and structural funds to be returned to the Executive. Local expertise, local accountability and local delivery work. Westminster cannot and should not decide the future of our community development programmes.”
“I do not have time, sorry. <BR /> <BR />They have left us poorer in terms of funding and in what the community sector can offer. <BR /> <BR />In my constituency, organisations that, for years, have helped people to get back into training and employment have been forced to shut their doors. In the north-west, where deprivation levels remain among the highest of any on these islands, that has been devastating, not just because of the loss of money but because of the loss of experience, relationships and trust that have taken years to build. <BR /> <BR />The motion is about fairness and respect. It is about fairness for the organisations that have delivered incredible outcomes for decades and about respect for the principle of devolution. Decisions about our communities should be made in our communities by those who understand them.”
“The funding does not match what was lost: it is lower. The process is more complicated, and, critically, the decisions are made in London rather than here. I am glad that most parties here today have acknowledged that. John, Jemma and Sian have acknowledged the need for co-design and local knowledge, which is vital. To a certain extent, I disagree with the SDLP's position and its talk of "a begging bowl", because saying that lets the British Government off the hook. It allows them to shirk their responsibility, and it reinforces the reality that people in the North are picking up the pieces for a British Government who refuse to stand up and defend those rights and who have left us poorer in terms of funding and —.”
“The loss of that funding has created real hardship: groups that were already stretched now face impossible choices; staff have lost their jobs or have been placed on protective notice; projects have closed; and, ultimately, people who depended on those services have been left without that support. I thank the DUP for highlighting our consistency on this issue, because Sinn Féin has been consistent on it. We have been consistent in defending the right of the community and voluntary sector to funding in order to provide support to people and enhance support services in our community. <BR /> <BR />When the British Government promised that every penny of EU funding would be replaced, that commitment gave communities a degree of reassurance, but what we have seen since then is broken promise after broken promise.”
“At the outset, I pay tribute to the community and voluntary sector, particularly those members who join us in the Gallery today — I am sure that others are watching online — because they provide a vital service every single day right across the North. They are out in our communities helping young people into work, helping families through difficult times, providing mental health support and bringing communities together. As has been acknowledged right across the Chamber, much of that work happens quietly, often without recognition, but it provides the backbone of our society. <BR /> <BR />For many years, that work was sustained through the ESF — a fund that changed lives and gave people hope, opportunity and dignity.”
“Go raibh maith agat, a LeasCheann Comhairle.”
“I appreciate your comments, Minister, but how will that work in practice? People who present at Altnagelvin Area Hospital's A&E already wait three times as long. I appreciate that you are talking about emergency departments and emergency response, but that simply is not practical in Altnagelvin Area Hospital. I would be grateful if you could explain how that will work.”
“Why is that response coming from the Health Minister? The Health Minister is the person with responsibility for the service. It is not good enough to abdicate responsibility; it is not good enough to allocate 5% to 6% of the overall Health budget, which is over half of our entire Budget in the North, to mental health and then talk about needing more budget. <BR /> <BR />This is about the fact that the Department of Health refused to prioritise mental health services, refused to prioritise intervention services and refused to prioritise services that are being cut in the north-west. When Members asked for meetings after the closure of Men's Action Network, and on the closure of this service, we were told, "No". I want to see what solutions the Minister has, and I want to see what is being done to support people in crisis in the north-west.”
“I do not have time. <BR /> <BR />I will quote from a response that was given to a question for written answer from Mr Middleton on this issue. The Health Minister said:”
“If the community crisis intervention service is not available for the people who want to use it, they are going to sit in A&E — as happens multiple times — with armed police officers beside them. That totally undermines and takes away from all the work that we have done to destigmatise mental health. It only increases the stigma, undoes the other work that has been done around the issue and undermines the mental health strategy.”
“<BR /> <BR />The motion is particularly pertinent to Derry because, as has been mentioned, in the past year, funding has been cut for Northlands, and the Men's Action Network has closed. The recent closure of Extern's service in Foyle is just another example of the many services being cut. It is particularly pertinent in our area because people are being discriminated against because of not just their mental health needs but their postcode. That is not good enough. What solution to that is the Department of Health coming up with? Are people going to sit in A&E? <BR /> <BR />This morning, I submitted a question for written answer to the Minister. On Sunday past, the waiting time at Altnagelvin A&E was three times the average of any other emergency department in the North.”
“There is so much that I want to say on this, but the most important statistic is this: 3,500 people were helped in three and a half years. When Councillor Sandra Duffy and I met Extern representatives in July, they said something that I hear every week, every day and every month as chair of the all-party group on mental health. They said that the staff in those services do not want to hear platitudes. They want to see action, they want sustainability and they want a budget commitment. Those staff are being lost, and there is no sustainability, because they are constantly being put on notice because their jobs are always at risk. Therefore, we need to look at a sustainable and long-term funding model for all these services.”