Ciara Ferguson
Foyle · Sinn Féin · Northern Ireland
“<BR /> <BR />The Victims and Witnesses of Crime Bill instructs the commissioner's office to prepare a strategic plan as soon as reasonably practicable after their appointment to review the effectiveness of the Victim Charter and the Witness Charter at least every three years and to provide annual business plans and reports.”
“Sinn Féin very much welcomes the fact that the Bill is the continued evolution of that work to strengthen the rights of victims and witnesses of crime, including the right of complainants to an opportunity to make oral or written representations to the court about any application, to be present at any hearing of the application and to be…”
“<BR /> <BR />The Bill will strengthen protections for complainants in serious sexual offence cases in which pretrial applications for a witness summons are made.”
“It is important because being a victim or a witness of crime is often a traumatic experience that requires dedicated support to recover from. It is important because all victims and witnesses of crime should be subject to a fair and supportive legal system that fully engages with them.”
“Victims and witnesses of crime are entitled to be treated fairly, professionally and with respect in all their interactions with the justice system; to be kept regularly updated, including being provided with relevant information in a timely fashion; and to have their needs considered.”
“I welcome the opportunity to speak at Second Stage of the Victims and Witnesses of Crime Bill. I will begin by acknowledging the importance of the Bill in placing the Commissioner for Victims and Witnesses of Crime and that office and its functions on a permanent statutory footing.”
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“I know that, across the Assembly, we will want to express our gratitude to the individuals and organisations who contributed to a large-scale search-and-rescue operation throughout Saturday. We also acknowledge the medical professionals who intervened and the hundreds who gathered to pray, both at the pier and again at yesterday's vigil at St Mary's Oratory in Buncrana. Emmanuel and Matt have been described as deeply respected and valued members of their school communities and as two men with warm and kind personalities and gentle natures. Emmanuel had just completed his work experience, as part of his transition year, in the Department of Foreign Affairs in Dublin, and Matt was due to begin his Leaving Certificate next month.”
“I express our deepest sympathy across the Assembly with the community of Buncrana and the families and school friends from Scoil Mhuire and Crana College of 16-year-old Emmanuel Familola and 18-year-old Matt Sibanda, who tragically lost their lives on Saturday afternoon after getting into difficulty in the water. Matt and Emmanuel were understood to be playing football on Saturday when they went into the sea after the ball. The area is also a popular swimming spot, but, sadly, we know that the waters can change dramatically and quickly, as the Swilly has a big tidal range and the water behaves differently in different parts. <BR /> <BR />The devastating loss of those two young men, who had their whole lives ahead of them, cannot quite be placed into words.”
“<BR /> <BR />Important concerns for consideration in the wider debate are the provision of adequate safeguarding for vulnerable individuals; technological reliability; the guarantee of adequate understanding; the provision of consent; access to good legal representation; upholding fair trial standards; and protecting the rights of individuals.”
“We support the extension of the current live links provision as a short-term measure. Longer term, we need to deliver robust permanent provision and enhance participatory rights, particularly for victims of crime. The Commissioner Designate for Victims of Crime has, rightly, raised the importance of the issue. Whilst it is critical that that access be maintained, the Justice Bill will provide a comprehensive framework for the provision in primary legislation. We recognise the benefits for children and other vulnerable victims of being able to remain in a safe place and provide evidence in a child-friendly and neutral environment. We want to work collectively to support the delivery of a fit-for-purpose and modern legal system and Courts and Tribunals Service and speed up access to justice.”
“Secondly, if you will indulge me, in relation to building the workforce and infrastructure, will you consider commissioning a specialist endometriosis service?”
“I very much welcome your statement, Minister, particularly around the initial £10 million for the waiting list reduction reimbursement scheme that should, hopefully, commence in June for people who have been on a HSC waiting list for treatment for the past two years. <BR /> <BR />On the expansion of primary-care elective services where there are long waiting lists, particularly for assessment in gynaecology, can you give a breakdown of that £2·9 million, what will be allocated to gynaecology and, in particular, how many people it would impact?”
“Thank you for the update, Minister. As you are aware, the demand on the physical resources in the school is extremely challenging. For instance, when visiting the school, you see the likes of the 50-year-old toilets with no ventilation and in really bad condition; likewise, the poor condition of the changing facilities and the area for disabled parking and taxis. Can you ensure that a comprehensive approach will be taken to St Brigid's College to improve accessibility for all students?”
“Thank you for your answer. Will the money that is saved be reinvested in housing? Does the Housing Executive have a threshold for the cost of the houses? Was any direction given on that?”
“We know all too well whom that disproportionately affects: working-class communities, young people and those with additional complex needs, including those with mental health challenges, care leavers and all who find themselves pushed to the margins of society. <BR /> <BR />I thank those who have fought for better, from housing rights activists, campaigners and organisations to our vital homeless support services and front-line workers, including Homeless Connect, as the organiser of the front-line network, and the wide range of housing rights and rights-based organisations that work to combat homelessness, poverty and inequality and support the many people who are struggling right now to find a suitable home.”
“if we are ever to fix our broken housing system. He added that failing to do so will keep us all on an:”
“<BR /> <BR />The truth of the matter was best outlined by Jon Franklin, the chief economist at Pro Bono Economics (PBE):”
“What are the proposed plans to protect against the continued loss of our public housing stock? We are being left in a cycle in which one policy directly contradicts the other. What are the timescales for the proposed plans for delivering the Housing Executive revitalisation project? We need multi-annual Budgets in order to protect our largest social housing landlord and to support housing and homeless service organisations in charting the way forward for us collectively, instead of constant firefighting. What are the plans for tackling unjustifiable rents, particularly in the private rental sector? That is fundamental to ensuring, for example, that any increase in the local housing allowance is to the benefit of our struggling renters.”
“We need to create affordable housing options through co-ownership, intermediate rents and cooperative housing solutions.”
“Like others, I welcome the recent announcement by the current Minister for Communities of financial support to enable the Housing Executive to purchase up to 200 properties per year over the next three years to reduce reliance on non-standard accommodation, which includes hotels and B&Bs. Such forms of accommodation are totally unacceptable as long-term living solutions and come at an exorbitant cost. However, we need to see many more innovative proposals around the investment plans in order to deliver never-before-seen levels of social and affordable housing and improve existing stock that is of a low energy efficiency standard for hard-pressed homeowners and renters alike.”
“We also need to ensure that the housing arrangements that we move forward with knit into the wider regeneration plans to ensure that we undo the defensive and segregated planning of the past, thereby building thriving and connected communities. <BR /> <BR />On Tuesday 25 March, the Audit Office published its report on homelessness. That report noted that the number of households with homeless status here has increased by 80% in the past decade. Spending on temporary accommodation provision increased between 2018-19 and 2023-24 by 408%, which is equivalent to a spending increase of over 80% each year, to now stand at £38·6 million.”
“We lobbied hard for strong housing commitments in the draft Programme for Government, and we delivered the Private Tenancies Act 2022 under Minister Hargey as the first in a phase of reforms to improve the safety and sustainability of housing for our private renters. <BR /> <BR />We are pleased that the motion echoes much of what we have already said, which includes the fact that we need to see the urgent delivery of social and affordable housing at scale and that we must work collectively across all Departments, arm's-length bodies and housing associations to utilise any available public land for the public good for sustainable public housing.”
“I thank the proposers of the motion. Back in November 2020, Sinn Féin outlined the direction of travel that needed to be taken for our housing, recognising that a good home is one that is affordable, secure and comfortable and the very foundation of the social, physical and mental well-being of our children, young people and families. Additionally, housing is fundamental to addressing some of our more pressing societal challenges, including tackling the root causes of poverty and inequality. We in Sinn Féin set the wheels of that process in motion. We delivered the first draft housing supply strategy.”
“Minister, following your recent statement to the Assembly, have there been any meetings between the Department and the Bar to resolve the issue?”
“Can the Minister provide an update on phase 2 of the A6 upgrade?”
“Does the Member agree that we need to widen access to vital health-led services here, including mental health provision and drug treatment services, particularly in my constituency in the north-west? <BR /> <BR />Additionally, how will we tackle poverty and inequality? That core area of work could have a meaningful and lasting impact, particularly in supporting people in turning their lives around.”
“Does the Minister agree that the current remuneration levels in the most serious and complex cases do not allow counsel to provide the expected advocacy that those cases actually demand and that the public deserve? Can the Minister confirm that a 10% uplift is proposed for immigration and asylum case fees, not 16%, and that no uplift is proposed for legacy inquest cases?”
“— that deliver an amazing service on the ground.”
“We should treat every death as preventable and agree across the Chamber on the need to redouble our effort, focus on adequate funding and look to international best practice. The research has been done. I acknowledge the Department's work in introducing the substance use strategic commissioning and implementation plan, which was launched in November 2024; the substance use needs assessment in the Western Trust area, which was launched in November 2024; and the review of tier 4 detoxification and rehabilitation services, the consultation on which has just finished. We have had enough reports and research. The evidence is there now, and it is for the Department and the Minister to invest in the services and support our organisations —”
“<BR /> <BR />I would be delighted, Minister — I have invited you — if you could get down to see some of those organisations, particularly Hurt. I know that you were not able to get down to its 20th anniversary, but it provides an amazing service in its centre, and I would be keen for you to see the work that is being done on the ground. Front-line staff in the Depaul charity have noted that, in 2023, front-line administrations of naloxone in our constituency increased by 259%. That life-saving medication can be used to reverse the effects of drug overdoses, so that increase shows you the scale of the problem that we are dealing with in the city. <BR /> <BR />I want to reflect the fact that behind every statistic that we have mentioned today is a human life and a family. Sometimes, loved ones and children are left behind.”
“Like many Members, I have met so many incredible, compassionate, concerned and committed individuals in Derry City who go above and beyond in community groups and in health, advice, housing, homelessness, youth and education services. Many have mentioned the fantastic centres that we have. We are really fortunate to have the committed staff and volunteers in the likes of the Northlands Centre, Hurt, Depaul, AA, Start 360, the Western Drug and Alcohol Coordination Team (WDACT), Inspire, Foyle Haven and ARC Fitness; I could go on. Due to the need on the ground, the volunteers in those organisations have committed themselves — committed their lives, sometimes — to supporting those who face an addiction. They, too, feel the impact.”
“On the basis of a three-year rolling average, it is clear that annual drug-related deaths have almost doubled, rising from around 100 per year in 2010 to 200 per year in the period from 2020 to 2024. It is fair to say that the numbers of drug-related deaths here are some of the highest in western Europe. Unsurprisingly, that is markedly linked to deprivation. <BR /> <BR />As someone said, we need to mention the elephant in the room: the fact that we live in a post-conflict generation with intergenerational trauma. It will be fundamental that we focus not only on factors such as poverty and destitution but on the importance of trauma-informed responses.”
“She raised serious concerns about the official statistics on drug-related and drug-misuse deaths and rightly acknowledged the connection between poverty, social deprivation, isolation, mental health and addiction issues. Alcohol-specific deaths and deaths in which alcohol has been identified as a contributor have been increasing over the past two decades here. Between 2001 and 2019, deaths as a direct result of alcohol misuse increased by nearly 50%. In addition, during the five years up to 2023, the number of such deaths in the most deprived areas was almost four times higher than in the least deprived. <BR /> <BR />We have also seen a considerable rise in drug-related deaths in the past two decades. In 2022, 154 lives were lost due to drugs. That was a 40% rise from the 2012 figures.”
“The issue of substance use and addiction is of utmost importance, particularly in the north-west. As we have heard, it has touched the lives of so many individuals, families and communities across our society. I particularly acknowledge those who are dealing with the grief of losing a loved one to addiction and the many who are helping and supporting their loved one in very difficult situations now, this evening, tomorrow and the next day. I also thank the Member for tabling the motion, which acknowledges the significant economic and social costs of untreated addiction and the need for planning for increased rehabilitation and recovery infrastructure. <BR /> <BR />The motion covers much of what was in my party colleague Órlaithí Flynn's motion from almost a year ago, in April 2024.”
“Whilst the mental health strategy that runs until 2031 commits to the promotion of acting early, preventing mental ill-health and providing the right support at the right time, we should all re-emphasise today the importance of getting to grips with the existing delays that continue to happen. I call on the Minister of Health to ensure that no child is left behind. Much support is needed, and we need to ensure that children and young people are supported to get the right care from the right person at the right time.”
“For young people in crisis, immediate interventions can be paramount to ensuring their recovery. Equally, any considerable delay can discourage them from continuing to seek further much-needed support. Imagine building up the courage to finally ask for help, only to be told that you have to wait, maybe for months. <BR /> <BR />We know that too many young people are now presenting with high levels of complex need. They deserve effective and timely treatment. We have a duty to alleviate their suffering and support them to continue to flourish in education, support, volunteering, employment, building relationships and life more generally.”
“Additionally, almost 70% — 353 of the 513 — of those referred to child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) are experiencing unacceptable delays in accessing support, with waiting times exceeding the nine-week target. I have written to the Minister of Health to ask for his assessment of those recent statistics, and I am sure that he will share my assessment that any hold-up in that regard is deeply disappointing. <BR /> <BR />The outworkings of those statistics can have significant consequences for the children and young people who are waiting for help. I speak regularly to parents and grandparents who are watching their loved ones struggle with anxiety, panic attacks, low moods, dealing with bereavement, trauma or emotional difficulties.”
“Child mental health and access to services is an issue that is close to my heart as a mother, a sister, an aunt and a grandmother. If any one of us were to review the child and adolescent mental health statistics, we would see that the situation is just not acceptable. Consistently, over 2,000 children and young people are waiting for an initial assessment, and over 1,200 are waiting way past nine weeks — sometimes six months and sometimes a year. <BR /> <BR />The recent statistics for the Western Health and Social Care Trust area, at 31 December 2024, show that 513 children and young people throughout that area are waiting for an assessment, while the figure for the year before was 372. It is not getting any better.”
“I previously asked about Derry courthouse, Minister, and you mentioned the potential for an additional extension and refurbishment. When can we expect a firm timeline or resourcing commitments, given the ongoing need to ensure adequate access to a modern justice system in the north-west?”
“I thank the Minister for his answer. I have a number of constituents, including elderly individuals, who are terminally ill with cancer and are still being referred by their GP to the emergency department. I am aware of numerous cases, which I have forwarded to the Western Trust, of those individuals having to lie on chairs for up to five days before being treated. Do you agree that urgent action needs to be taken, particularly in respect of cancer patients, who have a suppressed immune system? They need to have priority status, and we need to look at other options so that they do not lie in A&E for what is sometimes days.”
“What measures have been implemented to ensure the ethical use of artificial intelligence?”
“I thank the deputy First Minister for her answer. Does she agree that, although the strategy is most definitely a positive first step, we must continue to make ending violence against women and girls a top priority?”
“The report on legal aid provides compelling evidence for a more strategic view of, and an increased investment in, legal aid. The reality that we all must recognise is that we are facing an urgent access to justice crisis that demands immediate attention, and we must ensure the urgent delivery of sustained funding for that vital service. Legal aid is not merely a support mechanism for people in crisis; it is a fundamental pillar of our justice system and should be protected and supported accordingly.”
“<BR /> <BR />We know the challenges posed by continued underfunding, including solicitor shortages as firms struggle to recruit and retain staff or keep their legal aid workload, case backlogs and ever-increasing strain on the profession. Legal aid is not just a publicly funded service; it is a lifeline. The report is a powerful testament to the role that legal aid plays in ensuring justice and equality, particularly for some of the most vulnerable members of our society. Any reduced availability of legal professionals and access to legal aid threatens to diminish equal access to justice for all. Legal aid should be viewed not as a cost to society but as an essential investment in fairness, equity and access to justice. We need immediate action to ensure the long-term sustainability of the system; it is fundamental.”
“Amongst many key findings, the report revealed that legal aid plays a crucial role in reducing strain on our public services and alleviating congestion in the legal system. Legal aid assists clients in retaining employment, avoiding severe debt and homelessness, managing stress, averting family breakdown and improving their longer-term opportunities. Our legal profession, which is at the heart of delivering access to justice, including through legal aid services, continues to face significant challenges. Legal practitioners have dealt with stagnant fees for decades, coupled with delays in payment, which has undermined and reduced the viability of this essential service and undermined public trust and confidence in the legal system.”
“Investment in legal aid yields substantial benefits not only for individuals but for their families, our communities and our public services. I thank the Law Society and Rocket Science for their report on the social value of legal aid, which I urge everyone to read and consider. Using a social return on investment methodology, the report highlighted a significant return. For every £1 that was invested in legal aid, £8.32 of social value was created.”
“Minister, in relation to a specialist provision in mainstream schools, what is your assessment of the number of schools across the North that would require work to be done to improve disabled access to their entire facility?”
“I thank the Minister for her answer. Minister, I understand that the skills parameter will soon be published at a subregional level, which I very much welcome, particularly for the constituency of Foyle and the north-west. Does the Minister agree that that will benefit the work of our local economic partnerships and the drive towards regional balance?”
“I wish the Minister well in her new role.”
“The average age of a first-time buyer has risen from 30 in 2008 to 33. Instead of policies that service the financialisation of the housing agenda, we must deliver affordable, sustainable and decent homes in which people can live. We must not compromise the current generation's prospects or those of future ones. Homes are the foundations for life. They should help, not hinder, economic security, health and well-being.”
“The fact is that, since 1990, an average of just 900 social homes have been delivered here per annum, which is approximately three homes per 1,000 in the population, versus five to six per 1,000 in previous decades. What is left runs the risk of being lost at significant discounts, comparative to what it would take to replace. <BR /> <BR />Recent labour market success has not been reflected in significant pay growth. If wages cannot keep pace with inflation, house prices, the cost of childcare and average rents, it is little wonder that our social housing waiting list stood, as of September 2024, at over 48,000 households. Many first-time buyers are forking out a minimum of £30,000-plus deposits over a 30-year term, borrowing more for longer to try to keep payments manageable.”
“It is about data-driven policymaking. <BR /> <BR />The past three decades have seen house prices significantly outstrip income growth, which has further expanded wealth inequality. That has contributed to falling homeownership rates for young people. A presentation from PropertyPal's Jordan Buchanan starkly put it in context by stating that, if other items had grown at the rate of house prices since the 1970s, a loaf of bread would now cost £5. People should not be facing inequality of access to a place that they can call home. <BR /> <BR />The current unjust situation, in which homeownership probability in the short-to-medium term is reliant on having some form of family support or a huge income, cannot be allowed to continue.”
“However, we categorically should not advocate a policy that has been found to push up house prices, saddle working people with unsustainable, unaffordable debt, thereby locking the next generation further out of homeownership. The policy is the antithesis of those stated objectives. Inflationary demand-side subsidies have benefited some but not those who need help the most. They have been to the benefit of developers and landowners, not new buyers. Any progressive policy solution should be focused on the delivery of never-before-seen levels of social and affordable housing. Additional work to develop initiatives on stricter use-it-or-lose-it policies to tackle speculation and land hoarding, rent regulation, investment in infrastructure and better prioritising homeless prevention are just some ideas that have actual merit.”
“The policy does little to help young, lower-income households. It is baffling, therefore, that it has been pursued for so long and is being advocated again here today in the face of such incontestable evidence that it does not work. <BR /> <BR />Let us be very clear across the House today: we absolutely need to help prospective first-time buyers. Far too many are struggling to save for substantial deposits whilst living in family spare bedrooms or in the social or ever-increasingly unaffordable private rented sectors. They dream of having a foot on the property ladder and of having an increased sense of stability, security and freedom.”
“Thank you, Deputy Speaker. Whilst we all agree on the need to provide meaningful support to first-time buyers, given some of the challenges that they face, with ever-increasing house prices and rental costs, I urge huge caution over any attempt to propose the roll-out of equity based, help-to-buy schemes as a solution for first-time buyers. I am sure that Members here have reviewed the extensive body of research that shows that, instead of improving affordability, such a policy has the opposite effect. One has only to look at a number of the pieces of research from the London School of Economics (LSE) that use evidence from the British help-to-buy model on the economic impacts of the mortgage credit expansion policy to see that its roll-out contributes to rising house prices. The findings are very stark.”
“I welcome the contribution that the Minister made today and urge Members to support the Committee amendment.”