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 thank the Minister for taking the time to listen to the reasoning of the Committee members and the rationale for the Committee's amendment. <BR /> <BR />At Committee Stage, the Committee had a majority view that this was a significant request, and we thought that it would help keep a necessary focus on post-legislative scrutiny for the next Committee. We are pleased to note the Minister's change in position and remain keen to take a proactive approach to our post-legislative scrutiny role.”
“I thank the Minister for his statement. Minister, can you put a time frame on the Housing Executive's proposed review of rule 43, which is on primary social needs, given that we need to understand how that change will still be able to adequately prioritise people in imminent and serious danger and people with trauma, including victims of domestic abuse, and protect people from eviction?”
“We must publish and implement the anti-poverty strategy, which must have a clear direction, monitoring and time-bound targets. That is all about providing a social safety net that helps people to bounce back from setbacks. The motion presents an opportunity to get it right this time. <BR /> <BR />I thank the incredible range of organisations, including the Foyle Network Foundation; the Trussell Trust; the Child Poverty Action Group; the Child Poverty Alliance; Save the Children; Action for Children; the Churches Trust, where I worked for 15 years to deliver food parcels to families; and the wide range of community and voluntary groups and individuals who give their time, commitment, compassion and energy to bring smiles to children and give families so much hope.”
“We have a duty to end child poverty and the reliance on food banks for current and future generations. <BR /> <BR />On that note, let us look at the barriers that need to be broken. We must tackle existing income inequality and target resources to those most in need. As in the Programme for Government, we must ensure that children, young people and those on low incomes are at the forefront of everything that we do across every Department. We need to agree a plan for the effective implementation of the Children’s Services Co-operation Act 2015. We must push for an "essentials guarantee" to protect people from going without essentials. We must mitigate the cruel two-child limit and strengthen existing welfare mitigations. We need to increase the awareness of discretionary support and lobby for an increase in local housing allowances.”
“In the past year, the Foyle Network Foundation has supported over 9,000 adults and over 4,000 children. If inadequate social security cannot supplement income, pressures will, unsurprisingly, be felt most by those living with a disability, carers, parents and children. We are aware of the national parent survey, which found that two fifths of respondents — parents — were rationing food; 35% were struggling financially; and almost one in five was getting themselves into debt and skipping meals. <BR /> <BR />We cannot overstate the impact of poverty, hunger and hardship on our children, who have to skip school and miss out on extracurricular activities. They carry a weight of worry on their shoulders. Together, with many organisations, I want to be clear that inaction denies thousands of children a chance.”
“To end poverty, hunger and food insecurity, we must tackle the root causes of poverty: rising costs, including for food and essentials; unjustifiable practices by our big corporations, including "skimpflation"; housing and childcare prices, alongside a low-wage economy; and an inadequate British social security system that has placed a real income squeeze on thousands of people, workers and families. <BR /> <BR />It is no surprise that the Trussell Trust has reported that, in the past five years, usage of emergency food parcels for children has increased by 90%. I have met Karen and Bethany from the Foyle Network Foundation in my constituency. They alerted us to the fact that, since the same period last year — April to September — there has been an 8% increase.”
“Poverty does not take away just material things; it forces people to make impossible choices between paying housing costs, paying heating and other utility bills and putting food on the table. Poverty chips away at the belief that tomorrow could be better than today. It steals opportunities, potential and dreams. One in five children here lives in poverty. We have a duty to realise, for them all, real hope for the future. As was stated in the Audit report on child poverty in March, there has been little sustained reduction in almost a decade. <BR /> <BR />I thank colleagues for tabling today's motion and for the focus that it rightly gives to people who need and deserve a much fairer social security system.”
“— before, hopefully, securing a new A&E for Altnagelvin. Thank you.”
“It is also about increasing our workforce numbers with targeted recruitment, particularly for A&E, and increasing bed spaces. I just want to re-emphasise that there are key areas of work that we, in the Assembly, along with the Minister, the Department and the trusts can be looking at in the short term —”
“Likewise, we have staff trying to provide healthcare in those settings who are under immense stress and pressure. They do not have the space and the equipment, As we know from the Royal College of Nursing report last week, they have said that they are going home feeling that they cannot do their job and provide healthcare with dignity and respect. They have highlighted the idea that patients are at risk of infections etc. <BR /> <BR />As my colleague Pádraig Delargy emphasised, we need to look for solutions in the short term to support our healthcare staff and, likewise, to provide good care for our patients. That is about expanding our primary healthcare services, community healthcare services and district nurses at a local level.”
“She was diagnosed 10 hours later in a corridor and was crying and confused. It took until 4.00 am before she got a bed. I am not blaming the staff — they were absolutely amazing — but this is what we are dealing with. I have been in with a grandchild, who was throwing up after a fall and had vomit all over her. You are trying to get her to a toilet, which you have to queue up for, despite the fact that others require it. It is really bad and so many people are queuing outside the doors, particularly at night. They cannot even get a seat in the waiting room of A&E. <BR /> <BR />It is really bad, and it is critical that we are discussing it today. We simply do not have enough space in A&E in Altnagelvin. We have myriad people with complex medical conditions waiting for treatment in confined spaces; that is totally inappropriate.”
“Altnagelvin's ED saw 30·6% of people within four hours, which is fewer than one in three. Similarly, targets for the number of attendees and for performance against the 12-hour target are not being met. In A&E in September 2024, 1,182 people waited for more than 12 hours, the fifth worst across the 10 hospitals. That shows the scale. We are all truly aware of it. Moreover, the people in our communities are fully aware of it. I know that the Minister is aware of it, and I thank him for coming to the A&E and meeting the staff and meeting local patients who had been sitting waiting for days. <BR /> <BR />Most Members will have had experience of A&E. I have had local experience with a mum who is 82 with dementia and who was brought in by ambulance and lay in a corridor in a plastic chair for many hours.”
“So, if I had felt really unwell last night and needed support, I would have had to consider whether it was worth my going there to sit for five and a half to six hours before I could see someone. Tom Black from our local GP federation has emphasised that people who are sitting in Derry today are thinking twice about going to A&E despite the fact that they are seriously unwell. That is something to consider. <BR /> <BR />We can go on about statistics, and we have all the information and statistics. The most up-to-date hospital statistics that you can get are for September 2024. There are statistics on the number of attendees and performance against a four-hour target at type-1 EDs during September. The Royal children’s hospital saw 67·8% of patients within four hours. It was the highest performer. None of our EDs was performing.”
“Like many other Members, I commend the work of the chief executive in the trust, the senior management staff and our healthcare workers, who are going way beyond the realms of supporting our most vulnerable people when they are in crisis and where they need support. I commend the work that they are doing, despite the circumstances and the conditions in which they operate. <BR /> <BR />As we all know, long waiting lists have become the new norm. That is all year round now, not just as a result of winter pressures. The Royal College of Emergency Medicine, in a report last year, reemphasised that. Like you, Gary, last night at 11.00, I checked the waiting times. It is fantastic that we have those statistics. Altnagelvin had the worst of the 10 A&E departments across the North. Last night at 11.00, the wait was 339 minutes.”
“Will the Minister confirm that his Department is working closely with Ulster University to acquire land for the expansion?”
“Minister, last November, like you, I was among those who attended a meeting with representatives from Equity and heard from its members about the huge challenges, particularly in the north-west. We heard from local artists in Derry about how it is now really difficult to be able to remain in the field and to be an artist while living at home. We are exporting our local talent. I welcome the fact that you mentioned that you are working on and exploring a range of options to increase the funding. In that process, how will the Department seek to ensure regional balance in funding opportunities for Derry and across the north-west?”
“Does the Member agree that the budgetary changes that the British Government have made will exacerbate an already incredibly challenging situation in our housing sector, particularly for the 80 Supporting People organisations that provide vital services for over 20,000 vulnerable people across the North to ensure that they can remain in their home and live independently?”
“I am aware of the deadline of 31 December for exemptions, and I am aware that, particularly in my council area, council staff have been really proactive in visiting people and encouraging them to apply. In the new year, I heard from people who did not meet the deadline and were gravely concerned. Has the Department given any direction to councils about people who missed the 31 December deadline but applied by 2 or 3 January?”
“I want to ask the Minister about the estate. I recently visited Derry courthouse and did a tour. It is a beautiful building, but the conditions for staff, the legal profession and local people arriving at that centre are pretty dire, to be honest. Is there any further update on the upgrade to Derry courthouse?”
“While I appreciate some of the challenges that he has raised on the basis of the Scottish case, for example, those challenges are not insurmountable and, arguably, are not an exceptional justification for a lack of legislation in the area. I suggest further engaging on that with the likes of Renters' Voice and Housing Rights, which have already been considering potential proposals for the development of very limited acceptable grounds for exceptions.”
“With almost 48,000 households on the social housing waiting list at present, we have a duty to once again consider housing as our collective duty, particularly in the context of the fulfilment of human rights, and to reconsider how we will ensure that resources are pooled across the Executive and Assembly to progressively realise that right to the maximum ability of our available resources. <BR /> <BR />I welcome the publication of the housing supply strategy by the Minister yesterday, but I also ask the Minister to confirm when we can expect the regulations. The regulations will bring forward the work of our predecessors to deliver much longer notice-to-quit periods for those living in the private rented sector. Equally, I again urge the Minister to reconsider his refusal to legislate to end the use of no-fault evictions.”
“Delivering housing across all tenures is fundamental, but we must also work to prevent evictions and tackle any discriminatory patterns of social exclusion that prevent people from accessing suitable housing. Whilst the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights' General Comment No 7 of 1997 is approaching three decades of existence, it is to be commended for its clear and unequivocal commentary on evictions:”
“Housing is a human right and forms part of the right to an adequate standard of living guaranteed by the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. Under international law, to be adequately housed means having real security of tenure. On Human Rights Day, it is timely to remind us all of our ongoing collective responsibility to tackle poverty and existing housing inequalities across our society, ensuring that no one is left behind. <BR /> <BR />Key elements that are considered when assessing the right to adequate housing include security of tenure; affordability; habitability, accessibility; the availability of services; location, including access to support; and cultural adequacy.”
“I thank the Minister for his answer. Minister, will you throw some light on how the health and social care trusts will continue to work collectively to maximise service delivery across the whole of the North?”
“Minister, I very much welcome the statement on the approval of the much-anticipated housing supply strategy, and I thank you and your predecessor for all the work that went into its development. I look forward to seeing its publication. <BR /> <BR />Minister, can you confirm whether you will allocate additional moneys next year to give the ambitious targets teeth, to make up the gap in annual housebuilding, which we have missed this year, and to ensure that we meet the regional needs of population growth?”
“That is the sort of radical action that we need here. The British Government need to follow suit and abolish the two-child limit.”
“<BR /> <BR />In addition to extending the existing mitigations, the Minister must outline the long-term plans for the existing welfare mitigations and consider what new mitigations might be needed. It is simply unsustainable to continue moving the deadline into the future without any plan on how to protect people permanently. That way, we will all be back here in 2028, trying to avert the next scheduled cliff edge. <BR /> <BR />Last week, the Committee received a briefing from the Cliff Edge Coalition, which presented its three key asks: removal of the five-week wait for universal credit; removal of the two-child limit; and support for private renters affected by the local housing allowance. The Scottish Government recently took a positive step by announcing their intention to remove the two-child limit.”
“The Communities Committee discussed the issue at length, and there was broad agreement that the mitigations should be extended and a creeping concern that time was running out to have the extension in place before the 31 March deadline. It was in that context that the Committee for Communities agreed to table a motion calling on the Minister to extend the mitigations. The announcement last Thursday that the Executive had agreed to extend the mitigations at their current levels will have come as a huge relief to the individuals and families who rely on them. I call on the Minister to work at pace to ensure that all the required steps are completed as quickly as possible and the 31 March cliff edge is averted.”
“It also extended the bedroom tax mitigation indefinitely, which ensured that over 37,000 social housing tenants were permanently protected. Those mitigations are vital for so many people. In many cases, they are the difference between having enough food to eat and going to bed hungry. In many cases, they are the difference between being able to afford the rent and falling into housing stress or homelessness. The cost-of-living crisis has had a devastating impact on households across the North, with many people being plunged into poverty by rising costs. <BR /> <BR />Letting the mitigations collapse at a time when so many people are struggling to make ends meet would be unconscionable.”
“I rise to welcome the announcement by the Minister for Communities that he has secured Executive agreement to extend welfare mitigations until March 2028. As Members know, the welfare mitigations were initially secured in 2016 to protect the most vulnerable in our society against Tory austerity. The welfare supplementary payments were automatically paid to anyone who would otherwise have been impacted by cruel welfare changes such as the bedroom tax, the benefit cap and the roll-out of the personal independence payment (PIP). <BR /> <BR />The Welfare Supplementary Payments (Amendment) Act 2022, which was brought forward by previous Communities Minister Deirdre Hargey, extended most of the mitigations until March 2025.”
“I thank the Minister for her answer. Is she supportive of ring-fencing the agriculture funding that has been baselined for next year?”
“Ending homelessness is vital to tackling poverty, improving educational and employment opportunities and improving people's health outcomes and life expectancy whilst protecting their mental health and well-being. Ending homelessness is vital. We cannot and must not fail in that regard.”
“Homeless Connect currently co-chairs the Committee Representing Independent Supporting People Providers (CRISPP). In recent weeks, a survey outlined really deep concerns following the changes to National Insurance contributions. The sector faces rising need while operating on a reduced budget. That affects the recruitment and retention of staff and the quality of services. <BR /> <BR />Additional funding for homelessness prevention projects and service providers is critical and must be coupled with a wider investment in social and affordable housing supply. The fundamental truth is that you cannot reduce and prevent homelessness without an adequate supply of social and genuinely affordable housing.”
“Although we welcome the Housing Executive's continued commitment to ensuring that no child spends prolonged periods housed in temporary accommodation, the reality for many others is that lengthy stays of two or more years have become commonplace. <BR /> <BR />I will take a moment to acknowledge the dedicated, passionate and steadfast people and organisations working in our homelessness sector. So many charities make an enormous difference on the ground whilst operating under ever-increasing pressure. Our homelessness service budget, which funds 19 core prevention projects and services, including Complex Lives in Belfast, is funded from the same pot as temporary accommodation funding. That continues to put a range of life-saving charities at huge risk.”
“Some of the main reasons for homelessness presentations in recent years have been that accommodation was not reasonable; there was a sharing breakdown; or the person or family experienced a loss of suitable or affordable private rented accommodation. In all such instances, if enough social and affordable housing supply were available, we would not have the same pressure on the system from the level of human need and from the continued over-reliance on temporary accommodation. Spending on temporary accommodation has increased by 495% to £34·5 million over the past five years. Sadly, as of April 2024, the statistics include over 5,106 children.”
“Comparatively, over the past decade, the number of people with official homelessness status has risen by 8,951 people in Belfast; 4,384 in Derry City and Strabane; and over 3,052 people in Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon, to name but a few areas.”
“The biggest rise in percentage terms, although it has less of a rise in the number of individuals, was in Fermanagh and Omagh.”
“When you take the 58,238 people who are homeless, which is the official statistic as of 30 June 2024, and add the approximately 25,000 people who are deemed to be experiencing hidden homelessness, as suggested by the Simon Community's research, you see that we have over 88,000 people who do not have access to secure housing. That is one in every 33 people across our society today. It is no surprise, therefore, to learn that homelessness impacts on every corner of our society. Over the past year, the number of households with homelessness status has grown in every council area across the North. The largest rise in the number of people was in the Belfast City Council and the Derry City and Strabane District Council areas.”
“They will be run by a range of amazing organisations that a lot of our most vulnerable heavily depend on, including Homeless Connect; Simon Community; Shelter NI; Methodist Mission; Depaul; Extern; Help the Homeless; the Salvation Army; and MindWise. This week provides a great opportunity for each and every Member, if they have not already done so, to go out and visit those organisations in their local communities. <BR /> <BR />As we all know, we face unprecedented challenges when it comes to homelessness. Based on the most recent statistics from 21 November, there are over 48,366 households on our social housing waiting list, three quarters of which are deemed to be in acute need of a home. Nearly a third of those households have been waiting over five years for a quality, affordable and suitable place to call home.”
“<BR /> <BR />I welcome the beginning of Homelessness Awareness Week 2024, which is dedicated to delivering social, educational and awareness-raising events around the lived reality of homelessness. It is crucial to say that behind each individual experiencing homelessness is a complex narrative. It can be a story of loss and struggle, and it is often a story of systematic failures throughout a person's life. They are all our neighbours and our family members, and they all, rightly, deserve dignity, respect, compassion and support. <BR /> <BR />There is a packed programme throughout this week. There will be over 32 sessions across a range of constituencies, the details of which can be found on the Homeless Connect website. I encourage as many representatives as possible to attend those events if they can.”
“Thank you, Madam Principal Deputy Speaker. This is Homelessness Awareness Week. It is time for change, time for action and time for a renewed commitment across the Chamber to address, once and for all, the prevalent issue of homelessness throughout each and every one of our communities. As we all know, homelessness is not inevitable. We have a duty to invest in homelessness prevention, including in Housing First, a duty to deliver the reform of our biggest social housing landlord to enable it to build again and a duty to consistently meet our agreed annual targets for social and affordable housing. The Assembly and the Executive have an opportunity to break the cycle of homelessness and to create a better legacy for generations. It is welcome that the issue is finally a stand-alone priority in our Programme for Government.”
“I thank the Minister for her statement on enabling access to justice. In order to improve access to justice for those who are in greatest need and at greatest risk, which includes our women, our children, victims of abuse and people with a disability, the Minister mentioned that she planned to introduce a simpler, fairer eligibility system. Could she throw some light on what that will entail?”
“I thank the Minister for his answer. In the survey, 62% of respondents said that they delayed reporting necessary repairs to the landlord or letting agent due to fear of being evicted, and 52% ultimately did not report at all. I am sure that each Member here has experience of that with constituents. Is the Minister therefore willing to legislate urgently to end no-fault evictions, prevent homelessness and provide renters with much-needed security within their current tenure?”
“I thank the deputy First Minister for her answer. What will be the impact of the inclusion of the cross-cutting commitment to "Peace" in the draft Programme for Government?”
“The Department should also outline what recent engagement the Minister has had with the Trussell Trust, Advice NI and the Cliff Edge Coalition. I am calling, once again, for the urgent publication of the anti-poverty strategy and for the protection of our existing mitigations.”
“Of the over 35,000 emergency food parcels that the community of food banks distributed between April and September, 71% were to households with children aged nought to 16. Even more recently, I and my colleague Pádraig Delargy MLA met our local Trussell food network foundation, which is based in Foyle. It is in the midst of preparing for a particularly difficult and busy time of the year. We all have a duty to end poverty and ensure that no more families endure the heartbreaking impacts of hunger and hardship. All families need to be provided with certainty and relief urgently. The Minister for Communities must urgently clarify whether he will extend and strengthen the current mitigation package, including the benefit cap mitigation, before 31 March.”
“Our Committee for Communities, therefore, pressed the Department on Thursday past on the need to secure and extend them. I commend colleagues in Advice NI, particularly its head of policy, Kevin Higgins, and the wider Cliff Edge Coalition on what their campaign has done so far to raise awareness of the looming deadline of 31 March 2025. Just last week, I and, I am sure, many in the Chamber attended several relevant discussions, including the launch of the Audit Committee's report on child poverty, a meeting with the Cliff Edge Coalition and an event on Thursday that the Trussell Trust organised. <BR /> <BR />Over one fifth of families here have three or more children. The cruel two-child limit, therefore, has a particularly disproportionate impact on our families and contributes to scandalous levels of child poverty.”
“Over 2,000 families here are shielded from the worst impacts of the cruel British Government austerity agenda by the current benefit cap mitigation.”
“In relation to MARAC, what consideration will be given to a child or children of victims of domestic abuse?”
“I, too, very much welcome the Minister's announcement of the £17 million in funding and the one-off winter fuel payment of £100 for all pensioners who have been affected. Does the Minister plan to address any potential gaps in support for pensioners who may not meet the eligibility criteria or those who may receive £100 but still struggle? Is there any slippage in that £17 million that can be set aside for those pensioners?”