Aisling Reilly
West Belfast · Sinn Féin · Northern Ireland
“As well as thanking every one of the victims and survivors who have contributed, I take the opportunity to also thank the Members of the House past and present and, in particular, the Committee Chair and Committee members, who worked so diligently and carefully to study and examine the Bill, to listen to victims and survivors and to bring…”
“Dealing with that injustice was core to the approach of the Bill. <BR /> <BR />Before concluding deliberations on the Bill, I will bring our focus back to the women and children — now adults — their families and all survivors whose experiences have brought us to this point.”
“It is only by addressing the truths hidden in dark shadows that we can begin to properly shine a light on a society that continues to violate and oppress too many women and girls and to make sure that it never happens again and that, together, we commit to breaking the cycle of harm and violence against women and girls.”
“I hope that it now respects and fulfils the wishes of the women and girls who, for many decades, have suffered and been silenced. <BR /> <BR />It is a large, complex and sensitive piece of legislation. It is, no doubt, much more complex legislation than it first appeared, and there were many factors to balance.”
“<BR /> <BR />For some, the prospect of engaging with the inquiry may feel daunting. For that reason, we listened to victims and survivors when they told us that they wanted us to create a dual investigation, so that individuals had the option to engage with an expert independent panel and provide testimony in a different and more informal…”
“I say to the people who are still considering whether to come forward that your testimony matters. To those who have spent years searching for answers, I say that the inquiry will seek those answers.”
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“Free parking at public hospitals will reduce the burden on patients and visitors who are already physically, psychologically and financially impacted on by the experience of ill health. Additionally, it would reduce the financial burden on health and social care hospital workers, many of whom are underpaid for their work in the health service. <BR /> <BR />Free hospital car parking would provide a fairer and more consistent approach to public hospital car parking policy. Since I have taken over the Bill, I have engaged with the constituents whom it would most affect. In my engagements, I heard several comments on the difference that abolishing hospital car parking charges would genuinely make for workers, patients and families. The charges are, quite simply, an unfair additional tax.”
“<BR /> <BR />This is a relatively short Bill of three clauses, which inserts new article 3A into the Health and Medicines (NI) Order 1988, preventing the Department, trusts and other health service bodies from imposing charges for parking for staff, patients and visitors to hospitals. This is a stand-alone Bill that should not interfere with the pay negotiations between the Department of Health and health and social care workers. One measure has nothing at all to do with the other. <BR /> <BR />The policy objective for the abolition of hospital car parking charges is to provide free parking for workers, patients and their families at all the public hospitals in each of the five health and social care trusts.”
“I thank all Members for being here for the Second Stage of my private Member's Bill to abolish hospital car parking charges. I look forward to your contributions and will welcome your comments on the Bill. I also look forward to speaking with and working with everyone to ensure that the Bill is passed. <BR /> <BR />I give a special mention — a míle buíochas — to Fra McCann for his work on the Bill before his retirement. Fra was vital to the research and consultations that were needed to move the Bill forward. I also thank Catherine Kelly and Ciarán O'Connor from the party policy team, the Assembly Bill team and Assembly Clerks who, while dealing with a vast workload, supported me, as the Bill sponsor, and guided me through the process. Go raibh míle maith agaibh uilig.”
“Some of the key findings from that survey show that 88% of respondents agreed that having a SmartPass had increased their use of public transport, 86% felt that the SmartPass had enabled them to be more active, and 85% were able to make more social visits. So, it is vital that black taxis are included in the scheme as soon as possible to help improve connectivity in north and west Belfast, particularly for those who are most at risk from social exclusion. <BR /> <BR />I thank the black-taxi drivers who have been working tirelessly to provide a first-class service to the people in west and north Belfast for almost 50 years now.”
“<BR /> <BR />The Minister for Infrastructure met Belfast black-taxi drivers and Paul Maskey in July and said that she would look favourably on them being included in the concessionary fares scheme. She said, at that meeting, that she would look at putting a bid in to one of the monitoring rounds to make that a reality. However, since there has been no update from the Minister, Paul Maskey recently asked for an urgent meeting with her to respond to that request. That has been outstanding for far too long and needs to be addressed as soon as possible. <BR /> <BR />The Department for Infrastructure recently published a survey that outlines the benefits of the concessionary fares scheme in increasing mobility for the over-60s.”
“It is recognised across the board that the concessionary fares scheme has a key role to play in improving connectivity and helping people to access transport services. <BR /> <BR />Belfast black taxis are a vital transport service for my constituency, improving connectivity for all. Many older people use and depend on that vital service. However, they cannot access the concessionary fares scheme when they use the service. For a while now, representatives of Belfast black taxis have been involved in numerous meetings with the Department for Infrastructure on the implementation of concessionary fares in community black taxis in west and north Belfast.”
“I note that the forward work programme includes looking at public sector transport. The Minister will definitely agree that it is vital that we support our public transport network. I believe that Belfast black taxis should benefit from the same concessionary fare scheme as Translink. Minister, you met Belfast Black Taxis and Paul Maskey in July and assured them that you would look favourably on their inclusion in the concessionary fare scheme. You said at that meeting that you would look at putting a bid in at one of the monitoring rounds to make that a reality. Can you give me an update on that? Was a bid made in the monitoring round for Belfast Black Taxis?”
“Given the urgency of the crisis that faces us, does the Minister agree that we must equip young people, from an early age, with the knowledge and skills to make a positive impact on reducing the climate crisis and that incorporating that into the curriculum would be a good start?”
“My private Member's Bill to abolish car parking charges will create fairness and equality, which is what we are all here in the Assembly to strive for.”
“There should be no inequality in the treatment of any of our constituents, rural or urban, as they try to access the healthcare facilities and treatments that they might need. Hospital car parking charges are causing patients and their families additional stress and anguish that could easily be avoided. <BR /> <BR />My private Member's Bill will put money back in the pockets of workers at the end of each week. The pandemic has taught us that we need to do everything that we can to make the lives of our health and social care workers easier and worry free. The provisions of my Bill will give relief to patients who face a health crisis and their families who do not need to be worrying about their ability to pay to park their car just to be with their loved one.”
“Our responsibility as legislators is to create conditions that are fair and equitable for all our constituents. My private Member's Bill to abolish hospital car parking charges is about creating fair and just outcomes for our health and social care workers, who are burdened with an unfair additional tax because of sky-high car parking charges at their place of work. No health and social care worker should be paying to park their car as they head in to their work to care for our sick and elderly. <BR /> <BR />My Bill to abolish hospital car parking charges seeks to create fair and impartial treatment for our rural communities, who are often cut off through distance and poor public transport.”
“Therefore, we need greater investment and ring-fenced skills funding, we need to rebalance qualifications to make them more relevant, and, as the Sinn Féin amendment states, we need to create a skills council and work with businesses, educators and trade unions for the betterment of the economy and our young people. Investing in skills is an investment in the future. It is not only crucial to the economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic but vital to ensuring that we redress the legacy of unemployment, inactivity and disadvantage that still persists and ensuring that families, workers and communities have a real chance of a better future. I support the amendment.”
“The motion is absent of any awareness of the irony that is brought forward under the name of former Economy Minister Diane Dodds, who, as Minister, could have acted decisively on the issue but failed to do so. Between 2014 and 2020, the European social fund contributed approximately €200 million to the skills agenda here. That was a transformative investment, but it has now been lost due to Brexit. If anyone believes that the British Government, who have decimated our block grant over the past decade, will now replace that funding, you are only kidding yourself. <BR /> <BR />Brexit has made the job of improving skills and opportunities all the harder, but there is still an onus on us to do that work.”
“While I welcome the focus of the motion, it has to be pointed out that the Assembly's Research and Information Service found that West Belfast and North Belfast have the highest percentage of people with no qualifications, at a staggering 49%. Why, then, is the Department for the Economy pursuing its plan to move level 2 qualifications out of locally based training providers in places like West Belfast, North Belfast and beyond? That will create, not reduce, barriers to skills attainment. That flawed plan should be reversed. <BR /> <BR />Similarly, it is ironic that the DUP proposed today's motion, considering what we now know about the impact on skills providers and learners from the hard Brexit that it demanded.”
“There is no full-time GP service or a dentist. Our local leisure centre is outdated and in serious need of investment. Our schools, in both the English- and Irish-speaking sectors, are at capacity. I learned in Portakabins some 25 years ago, and, today, children are still learning in Portakabins. Schools desperately need new buildings and additional funding for resources. We need better infrastructure and traffic-calming measures in places such as the Springfield Road, at the top of the Whiterock Road, where there have been fatalities and near misses in recent times. <BR /> <BR />Investing in skills is a key component of creating opportunities and futures for our young people.”
“As a newly selected MLA for West Belfast, I am delighted to make my first speech in support of the Sinn Féin amendment to the motion. Creating skills, opportunities and employment for our young people, particularly in areas of need like West Belfast, should be a priority for all of us. To that end, I want to pay tribute to my predecessor, Fra McCann, who did so much work in that regard for and on behalf of all the people of West Belfast. It is an honour to follow in Fra's footsteps, and I certainly intend to build on the solid foundations that he has laid by using my role as an MLA to deliver on the priorities for West Belfast, such as health, education services, housing, jobs and infrastructure investment. <BR /> <BR />The Black Mountain area of West Belfast, which I represent, has the worst health stats in the North.”
“Minister, we are all concerned at the escalating global climate crisis that we face. There is, of course, enormous focus on that crisis today in particular with the climate conference in Scotland, which the joint First Minister Michelle O'Neill and some of my Assembly and Dáil colleagues are attending. Will the Minister ensure that new homes being built by her Department will exceed the minimum standards set in building regulations, with a clear objective of delivering carbon-neutral homes?”
“The Minister will know that one of the biggest challenges that workers and families face is getting the keys to a new home. As a new MLA for West Belfast, the delivery of modern and affordable homes is one of my priorities. <BR /> <BR />The Minister has been clear that an important part of her overall housing plans is the revitalisation of the Housing Executive. Can she tell us how that work is coming along?”
“Minister, considering that the flu and COVID-19 vaccination programmes are happening at the same time, can you assure us that staffing requirements for those programmes will not take away from the delivery of GP services, which are already heavily under pressure?”
“Go raibh maith agat, a Cheann Comhairle. While our vaccination rates are relatively high, the take-up is lower among our younger people. How can the Executive ensure that more people, particularly in the younger age groups, can be encouraged to take up vaccinations?”